13 Mink Street

Chapter 63: I’ll Pay More

With Aunt Mary and Aunt Winnie helping out, today’s lunch was exceptionally lavish. Ever since Ms. Jenny had brought Eunice to visit the house that time, whenever conditions allowed, Karon made a point of preparing every meal with care and refinement.

The three main dishes were Dongpo pork, Su-style sweet-and-sour ribs, and crab roe lion’s head meatballs.[1] The three side dishes were chive-and-egg stir-fry, braised shredded tofu, and vegetarian chicken. The three cold dishes were cucumber salad, wood ear mushroom salad, and drunken shrimp. Last came a whole pot of old duck soup.

When Tiz returned, Karon rang the bell outside the kitchen. He felt that he would definitely miss this moment in the future, both the sound of the bell and the lively scene of family members emerging from upstairs and downstairs to gather around the dining table once it rang. When he shook the bell this time, Karon closed his eyes, hoping to imprint the crisp sound firmly in his memory.

Today, all three household hands and all three children were present, and having more people at the table naturally led to the variety and quantity of dishes increasing. After all, given the Immers family’s financial situation, it would not be easy to eat them into poverty under normal circumstances, unless family members started investing again like Uncle Mason once did.

As expected, the most popular dish at the table was the sweet-and-sour ribs, given that the Swillen people’s fixation on sweetness was practically carved into their bones. The vegetarian chicken also received high praise, but Karon was surprised at how popular the drunken shrimp was, especially with Uncle Mason and Ron, who ate with great enthusiasm and showed no psychological resistance at all.[2]

“Eat this, come on, one for each of you, it’s very laborious to make and definitely nutritious.” Aunt Mary placed a large meatball into each of the three children’s bowls.

Tiz was still the first to lay down his knife and fork, though he did linger at the table a little longer than normal before standing up and saying, “I’m done, enjoy your meal.”

As soon as he went upstairs, the dining table grew noisier.

“I’ll go make tea for Grandpa.” This had already become a familiar routine for the family. Every meal, Tiz was the first to leave the table, and just a short while later, Karon, who handled the duties of the main meal, would also go upstairs.

He approached the door of Tiz’s study and knocked. “Come in.”

Upon entering, Karon saw that Tiz had lit a candle. Karon sat down in the chair opposite the desk and said, “Grandpa, I also feel that candlelight has more of a soul than an electrical bulb.”

Tiz glanced up at Karon. “Oh.” He pointed upward. “The bulb’s broken.”

“...” Karon just stared.

“This afternoon, tell your uncle to change the bulb.”

“Alright, Grandpa.”

Tiz reached toward the teacup, so Karon stood up, grabbed the thermos, and poured the hot water for his grandfather before sitting back down. The thermos in Tiz’s study was refilled with hot water every day before noon.

“What is it?” Tiz asked.

“About last night.”

“The circus people ran away. I wrote a report. The regional office will help investigate and handle it.”

“Grandpa, I’m not talking about the circus, I mean that person.”

“Rasma?”

“That’s his name?”

“He is the High Priest of the Church of Order, one of the representatives within the Church’s secular structure.”

“I see.” Karon nodded. “He came to investigate the divine descent ritual in Belwyn City?”

“No. He came because my faith system reached a critical point and resonated with the Temple of Order. It could no longer be concealed, so the Temple sent him to assess my situation.”

Hearing this, Karon felt more at ease. Things always seemed to turn out like this. Tiz rarely volunteered information, but whenever Karon asked, nothing was ever concealed. It was a very relaxing feeling, as it meant that he would not be kept in the dark after something happened, nor would he need to wait until someone in the family met with a true accident before digging through notebooks or leftover clues to piece together some supposed truth.

“They want me to enter the Temple and become a temple elder, to serve the God of Order.”

“The God of Order lives in the Temple of Order?” Karon asked curiously.

“Tiz shook his head. “The Temple is a special place. Every orthodox church possesses a similar warded domain, a core area where its deepest secrets are hidden. For the Church of Order, that place is called the Temple of Order. It is said that even the remains of the true god are hidden within the Temple.””

“Have you seen them?”

“Twice. Once when I went to the Temple when still young, I was allowed to enter for a trial.”

“And the second time?” Karon asked instinctively.

Some things, if you didn’t ask, Tiz simply wouldn’t bother to explain.

“The second time had to do with Pu’er. It involves a hidden matter of the Allen family from a century ago. You’ll learn about it later.”

So that thing the Allen family obtained back then, the thing that Pu’er destroyed, was this?

“Alright,” Karon pursed his lips. “Then the Church of Order wants you to enter the Temple as an elder, and you intend to refuse?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

“Finished with your questions?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you would ask me why I refused.”

“I understand your pride, Grandpa, and I agree with your choice. If you had agreed, then I would have asked your reasons.”

Tiz nodded. As expected, chatting with his grandson was very comfortable. He even felt a little regretful that he had not dragged Rasma over, just so he could have asked him right then and there whether or not he had been right. Tiz lightly tapped the rim of his teacup with his fingertip and said, “I can protect all of you and allow you to continue living peacefully here. Let me ask you one last time.” He paused. “Veyn: do you really want to go?”

“I do.”

“Mhmm.” Grandfather and grandson continued to sit facing each other. Their conversations were always difficult to prolong, because many of their thoughts aligned without needing any sort of verbal explanation, though when life lacked the padding of small talk, there would be moments that might feel overly quiet. It was also possible for certain words to be spoken suddenly without buildup, making them feel blunt and hard, though both of the men in the room were always able to absorb and process such things quickly.

“Grandpa, I think I should still ask you properly: will you die?”

“No.”

“Alright.” Karon’s gaze wandered around as he considered whether there might be anything else he needed to ask. Tiz drank his tea in silence, giving his grandson ample time to think.

After a long while, Karon stood up and looked at Tiz. “I think there’s nothing else I need to ask, Grandpa.”

“Oh.”

When Karon reached the study door, he let out a small “oh” and turned back to smile at Tiz. “Grandpa, I just thought of something. When?”

“Sometimes not knowing the time can be more comfortable,” Tiz said.

“But the last few days of vacation before school starts often feel sweeter.”

“At this same time, one week from now, you should be able to stand where you do now and see the result.”

“Mhmm, alright.”

“Also, have you finished writing that bookmark I gave you?”

“I haven’t written it,” Karon said.

“Hesitating?”

“No, it’s just that no matter which one I write, it’s hard for me to feel enough enjoyment, so for now, I probably won’t write anything.”

“If you don’t write it within the week, then even if you do later, it won’t be of any use.”

“The change in Ms. Jenny’s attitude made it very clear to me just how valuable that bookmark is, but strangely, I don’t feel regret from that. Likewise, I think that when Ankara received the bookmark from the God of Order back then and she wrote down the names of those deities, she might not truly have hated or despised them.

“It was a way of expressing love to his daughter, while also a daughter’s response to her father’s love. In the end, it’s a family story of deep father-daughter affection. Those deities who fell because of that matter are merely incidental decorations, unworthy of even forming the background.”

Tiz reminded him, “But the God of Order, for the majesty of the Light of Order, personally cast his own daughter into the maw of a monstrous beast as punishment.”

It was a scene depicted in the religious painting Light of Order. Karon had seen Linda’s version of that painting in Piaget’s house, and there were also detailed records of it in the books Tiz had provided.

“He has the side of being a loving father, doting on His daughter, willing to arrange for the fall of several deities to serve as entertainment for her, and He also has the authority of a god, and is willing to personally cast His beloved daughter into the mouth of a monstrous beast as punishment, to preserve the sanctity of Order.”

“Both a loving father and a true god who can erase His own humanity for the sake of Order. It must be said, this description truly matches what believers imagine regarding a true god above their heads.”

Tiz smiled. “What are you trying to say?”

“What I’m saying is that if it was possible to completely revise the mythological accounts related to the God of Light, then is it possible that this story was also deliberately embellished?”

“You mean that the painting Light of Order is fake.”

“I think it is real, but sometimes telling just part of the truth can produce an even better effect than lying. The monstrous beast in the painting is truly terrifying...

“But...

“What if... What if that monstrous beast was actually a pet raised by the God of Order?

“Or... What if that monstrous beast was simply another... Pu’er?”

Tiz fell silent.

Karon closed the door behind himself.

“Heheh.” After a long time, Tiz let out a laugh. He looked at the neatly arranged desk before him, his laughter gradually growing louder. Eventually, it nearly reached the level of wanton abandon, though no sound ever escaped the study at all.

After laughing for a very long time, Tiz finally stopped after coughing twice. He took a deep breath and said, “What you said makes a lot of sense.”

After leaving Tiz’s study, Karon habitually sat down at the third-floor window. There, he would pull Pu’er into his arms, placing his hands in her fur to keep warm. Having eaten chopped chilli fish head at lunch, Pu’er allowed this indulgence.

Then the cat was laid flat on her back. “Mm...”

Pu’er’s tail lifted again, as it did every time she was in this position. She used her tail to cover itself.

“Open your mouth.” Karon reached out and gently pried Pu’er’s mouth open. He examined the inside, and then let go.

“What are you looking for?” Pu’er asked, puzzled.

“I’m checking whether you’re deliberately hiding something in there.”

“Is there something wrong with your head today?”

“Tiz said there are seven days left.”

“Seven days?” Pu’er turned her head to glance at the study door. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m not really looking forward to it,” Karon said. “But I understand.”

He stood up and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the road below. Pu’er climbed back onto the windowsill and stretched out a paw, lightly tapping the glass. “Glass may be transparent, but it leaves you unable to feel the wind and rain outside.”

Karon reached out and flicked Pu’er on the head. “I don’t need you lecturing me.”

“What I mean is, you can open the window and feel the wind outside.”

Karon opened the window. The wind was strong, and it was still the depths of winter. The cold wind ruffled Karon’s hair and messed up Pu’er’s fur. Both man and cat shivered.

Karon then closed the window again. Pu’er spoke in a slightly trembling voice. “See... after experiencing it... once you feel cold... you can still close the window again... Achoo!”

***

“These were his exact words.” Rasma sat on the bed in a guest room. On three of the surrounding walls, figures of three elders in black divine robes could be seen.

“I no longer wish to tolerate his insolence,” a female voice stated. “His heart has clearly and unmistakably turned away from Order.”

“And yet we have no other choice,” another commented. “It has been a long time since a newly enlightened elder who has comprehended the profundity of Order has joined the Temple, and the Temple’s operations may soon face a generational gap.”

“We need him. This is a fact.”

“And the more awkward point is this: the best outcome is that we accept his entry, allowing the Temple Core to effectively be reinforced, and together we safeguard the Temple and the glory of Order.”

“The worst outcome is that not only does the Temple Core fail to gain new blood, but that he also possesses the ability to inflict harm upon the Temple.”

“We are not the ones to appoint Temple elders; They are acknowledged by the Temple Core. When the Temple Core recognizes someone, they already gain the same authority as us, and the right to face the Temple Core directly.”

“He knows that he alone is no match for the entire Church of Order, but he has the ability to turn any gain into damage. That reversal alone would cost us far too much.”

“So why, back when he said to your face that Order was merely a mask worn on the face, why did you not punish him?” the female elder demanded.

“I already told you, it was because I valued his talent. Facts have proven that I was not wrong. The Rasma we poured resources into and nurtured with great hope is, compared to him, nothing more than a stupid fool.”

Rasma rolled his eyes.

“So we really have to wait seven days?”

“We wait.”

“We must wait. We will gamble on the chance outside that eighty percent.”

“I don’t want to wait. If he wants to play like a child stacking blocks, I don’t mind being a mother who, in a fit of anger, just wants to spank the child. If he wants to sell madness, then I will let him see what real madness looks like.”

“Sithe, restrain yourself.”

“Sithe, the Temple comes first.”

“Heh, you two really are...”

Rasma sat there obediently, listening to the three Temple elders argue.

Then the voices abruptly vanished. Rasma looked up and saw that all three elders had turned to face the east.

“Belwyn City, not far from where the last grand divine descent ritual was performed.”

“This aura uses the laws of descent of our Church of Order.”

“Rasma!” Sithe called.

“Yes.”

“Go to Tiz’s home right now and confirm his location.”

“Yes.” Before Rasma could move, three exclamations rang out.

“What is being summoned is a heretical god, a genuine heretical god’s aura!”

“I can sense the sealing aura of the great God of Order. This heretical god was sealed by Him. Someone is attempting to summon Her from the abyss where She is sealed!”

“It’s Rilsaar of the Wall God Church! That aura is unmistakable. Someone is attempting to usher in Her descent!”

Rasma finally sensed a distant surge of bizarre power, much later than the three elders.

“Go. An existence sealed by the great God of Order cannot be allowed to return.” One projection streaked eastward.

“Has it truly come to this?” Another followed.

“Rasma, confirm whether Tiz is home. If he is, tell him that we agree to his request for negotiations in seven days.” Sithe’s projection followed after.

Rasma’s eyes narrowed. Compared to the matter with Tiz, Rilsaar’s divine descent could not be delayed. She was a true god who had been personally sealed by the God of Order, an enemy of the Church. If she successfully descended, she would become a calamity.

If she were another church’s enemy, the Church of Order might have just watched from the sidelines, as the other orthodox churches once had when heretical gods sealed by the God of Light had descended and the Church of Light had fallen into turmoil.

To the east of Roja City, above Belwyn City, the clear skies had transformed into roiling black clouds. Within them loomed a female giant, straining against Her seals while reaching towards the fading source of Her summoning.

The source weakened, and the ritual collapsed. The giant’s unwilling howl echoed, desperate for one last attempt She knew would fail.

Then, three rainbows split the sky, and from them descended three massive figures in black divine robes.

“The majesty of the God of Order shall not be violated!”

“The exiled heretical god shall not return!”

“The Light of Order shall not be profaned!”

The three struck as one, shattering the giant and dispersing the clouds, though their own forms dimmed as a result.

“Was it you?” Sithe seized a wisp of soul. “Twice you have attempted to summon a heretical god!”

Linda appeared, a smile on her face. “Filthy Order does not deserve to call itself Light. Of all the religious paintings I created, Light of Order disgusted me the most.”

Sithe did not argue. She simply clenched her hand, erasing the soul.

***

“Do you want to come in and have some tea?” Tiz stood beneath the eaves of the Immers residence, looking at Rasma who stood at the gate.

“I don’t,” Rasma replied. “I hate you and everything connected to you. I don’t want to step into your home; Doing so would soil my shoes and defile my soul.”

He turned away. “Seven days!”

***

In the home’s living room, Karon held the phone. He heard Piaget’s laughter coming through. “I saw it, Karon! Linda’s final work! Magnificent. It is true art!”

“Congratulations,” Karon said. “And congratulations to Linda.”

The man then started crying, “Wuwuwu... wuwuwu...”

A grown man was crying his heart out on the other end of the line. Karon listened quietly to Piaget’s sobbing.

After a long while, his voice came through the receiver again, thick with tears, “Karon, I’ve lost my lover again. My dear Linda. She’s left me once more.”

“Stop crying. You need to learn to adapt. You can’t cry like this every time, because there will be a third time, a fourth time, and more after that.”

“Wuwu... pfft... wuwu... pfft... hahahahaha!” On the other end of the line, Karon’s comment forced Piaget to cry and laugh at the same time.

After quite a while, his breathing finally slowed. “Karon, it looks like I’ll have to pay you for another counseling fee. Twenty thousand rupi, right? I’ll make the withdrawal once I get back from Belwyn.”

“Oh, my dear friend,” Karon replied. “do you have any idea how badly prices have risen lately?”

“Oh?”

“I need to charge more.”

“Good heavens, my friend, you can’t be so cruel! I’ve just lost my lover, and you’re already thinking about making money off me? Don’t you feel any shame earning money like this?”

“Not at all,” Karon calmly replied. “My family business is to deal with the dead.”

“My friend, your answer is truly reasonable. Your logic is so sound that I don’t even know how to refute it.

“Still, why is the second consultation more expensive than the first? Shouldn’t loyal customers receive a discount?”

“It’s because my family has been in business for so many years, diligent and conscientious the entire time, so this is the first time we’ve ever had a returning customer.”

“Uh...”

“That’s why I need to charge more.”

“That doesn’t make sense!” Piaget shouted.

“From a psychological standpoint, it does.”

“Huh?”

“Doing the same thing over and over leads to mental fatigue. People get irritated, people get sick of doing the same thing. That is an increase of my own psychological burden, which means higher service costs. If you come to me crying a third time, a fourth time, and beyond that, without a progressively increasing fee, I’m afraid I might end up swearing at you, because I’d feel like you were deliberately showing off to me.”

“Showing off?”

“Others merely endure the pain of losing their lovers. You, on the other hand, keep receiving the joy of having your lover return to you.”

“Pa!” A sharp sound came from the other end of the line, followed by a cry of pain. Karon guessed Piaget had slapped his own thigh, hard.

Immediately after, an urgent voice came through the receiver, “Hah! I’ll pay you more!”

1. Traditional Jiangnan banquet dishes, commonly associated with formal family meals and celebratory occasions. ☜

2. Drunken shrimp is traditionally prepared raw and marinated in alcohol. ☜