Pastor's Tantra

The cold white moonlight penetrated the mist that had not yet dissipated, and fell on Aiwas, as if it had condensed into frost.

After Oswald left, he still stood there, looking at old James. He said nothing and did not move. Like an ice sculpture.

"- It's my problem."

Old James suddenly said: "I didn't expect that Mr. Oswald would react so much after knowing that thing."

"Which one?"

"Little Julia. Where I came from, where I went... These things are not secrets. I have told him for a long time. I never keep these boring secrets from people around me, just like I do with you. It's just that some people are not qualified. They will only suffer or be powerless if they know the truth... I will never tell them things they can't bear.

"The citizens from Avalon don't need to know how the slaves in the southern continent live, and the civilians from Iris don't need to care whether Avalon and Xingtan are going to go to war. No matter how the matter turns out, they can't change anything. Their knowledge will not have any meaning and will only add to the pain. "

Knowing is a kind of pain. Just like himself.

When the old man said this, his brows relaxed slightly, revealing a helpless smile: "I thought he would get angry, scold me, and accept it silently - everything is for a higher good. After all, when I threatened Edward, he also chose to remain silent.

"But I didn't expect that the truth pierced his heart. He still stood straight and said nothing. But blood flowed from his eyes, and his back gradually became hunched. In an instant, he seemed to be ten years older... I mean ten years old in human terms."

At this point, old James sighed: "I was wrong. And that may be a warning, or a beginning..."

The adoptive father obviously did not think that his behavior was beyond dedication.

As a self-proclaimed "savior" and a good young man recognized by Cardinal Loki, James naturally has the potential for dedication. He pursued necessary evil and premature death... For him, in order to activate Aiwas's potential, letting Yulia hatch the phantom in her body and letting her be "killed" by the phantom in her body in a way that she could not be resurrected was an acceptable price.

It's just a life.

In the face of the end of the world, any price seems so pale and meaningless - no matter how brilliant, how wise, how lovely, how righteous, how loved a person is, the unit of his life can only be "one".

Compared with the tens of billions of living beings, compared with the hundreds of thousands of years of history, compared with the immeasurable future... it is worth paying any price.

Everything.

If you can see a person clearly, you will not be afraid of him; knowing a person's death date, you will not be angry with him. Old James always looks down on all living beings with a compassionate attitude... That perspective is more like a "god" than a "brave man". This is also the reason why he will not panic or get angry when he meets anyone or anything, and will always be calm and rational.

Because he doesn't care.

But now it's different...

"The 'future' has changed, right?"

Evans's mouth curled up: "Of course, for you... it should be 'history'."

"--Did you do that 'Tail Ring Ceremony'?"

Old James asked with a serious expression: "This answer is very important to me, I... ask you to tell me."

Hearing this, Aiwas smiled even more happily.

He looked at Old James-his face was half expectant and half rejected. Even Old James himself didn't know what kind of answer he wanted.

He wanted to change the future, but he was afraid that the future would be changed. In the final analysis, he just wanted to change the future in his own hands.

Thinking of himself as the protagonist of the era...

...This hypocritical attitude is so similar to himself.

Thinking of this, the smile on Aiwas's face gradually faded.

"Look, do I have that ability?"

He spread his hands and said calmly: "No.

"But I know that it was the conspiracy of Huantiansi-he has been preparing for this scene for at least tens of thousands of years. "

"...I guessed this possibility. After all, his name was Samsara Celestial Master. "

Old James did not lose control.

He just nodded slightly, as if he accepted the answer.

The old man raised his head and looked at the night sky.

In the originally dark night, there was a violet background.

Since the Snake Father began his "ultimate transcendence", the color of the night sky has become lighter day by day.

After a long silence, the old man suddenly said: "Do you know your shortcomings, Aiwass?"

"Why," Aiwass laughed, "are you criticizing me, father?"

"You are very mature." Old James looked at Aiwass quietly: "This is your shortcoming."

"Because it is inconvenient for you to use it?" Aiwass asked back.

"Yes."

Unexpectedly, Old James nodded calmly and said: "My so-called "use" is actually cultivation. What they want to do is what I want them to do. This is not because I found them, but because I cultivated them.

"Everyone needs someone who understands, Aiwass. At some moments when you are bruised and battered, you only need an understanding person standing by your side to have the courage to move forward. In order to keep this understanding person, they often give up their own direction of progress... This is how I manipulate others."

As if imparting experience, old James patiently and carefully disassembled his "experience":

"What kind of people a child meets and what kind of things he encounters will determine what kind of person he will become in the future. Talent can change a person's background, and experience will change his soul. No one is born holy, no. I have seen many saints, and even more villains... What they have in common is that they have experienced many hardships.

"It's just that some butterflies can break out of the cocoon, while others die in the cocoon."

He looked at Aiwass, but there was worry in his clear eyes: "But you are different, Aiwass.

"——You are too mature. Although adults can also be changed, they are far less malleable than children. Because of this, it is more difficult for adults to be enlightened and make progress than children. Adults have learned to endure pain and not cry, so they need greater pain to make them unbearable." Hearing this, Aiwass narrowed his eyes slightly, and his face gradually became gloomy. "Is this your defense for yourself? Because I am too mature, I need greater suffering to hurt me? So, you will attack Yulia?" Aiwass's fingertips emerged one card after another, and then disappeared one by one. It looks like a magician, and like a dealer shuffling cards with one hand. "You can also understand it this way." Old James just said frankly: "Don't you think so? Your progress is too slow, much slower than the people around you. "After Sherlock got the recognition of his family, he reconciled with his awkward self; after the little queen got courage and supporters, she was able to move forward bravely. They are all chasing you, Aiwass. "What about you? Are you just standing there and letting them chase you?"

The words were sincere, but they seemed to have the magic to bewitch people.

Every word was what Aiwas worried about and anxious about.

"...Is this how you usually manipulate others?"

Aiwas felt his heart waver for a moment, and his expression gradually became calm.

The so-called "poker face" does not necessarily mean being expressionless, but not letting others judge what cards you are going to play from your expression. The smile on old James' face is essentially a poker face.

Like old James, Aiwas' face slowly showed a gentle smile.

He even did better than old James - he had a genuine warm breath, which was the light of caring for others from the heart. This was completely different from James' cold and sweet taste, which remained in his throat like cold sugar water.

"If I don't know how to change myself, I won't be here at this time and in this place."

Aivas said, and then asked back: "Why are you here? The fragments of the Mist Sky Master should not be of any help to you."

"Because it helps you."

Old James said gently: "I want to collect it for you - I guess you won't believe this reason."

Aivas raised his eyebrows and didn't say anything.

"But in fact, the truth is almost the same... because I want to know what you are doing. The current "history" has surpassed my cognition, but you seem to know more secrets than me. Then follow your trajectory and find the things you want to find in advance, and you can lead you to where I want to put you. As long as I'm one step faster than you, I can be faster every step."

At this point, the old man smiled bitterly: "But I really didn't realize that you would appear here at this time. The "Stargazing Secret Continuum" didn't tell me where you were going... But every night when I look at the stars, I will predict your future.

"Is it because the Lord of Scales and Feathers covered your tracks? Or is it that all these ideas were born in your "today"? But in any case, you are trying to bypass my detection. "

Old James said frankly: "So when I saw you appear here, I already knew everything.

"When I couldn't see the future... I actually saw the future. You have already surpassed me."

As he said this, Old James clenched his cane slightly.

Two balls of azure light ignited at the bottom of his pupils.

His voice and the low sound of the spell sounded at the same time: "Evans, you will be Moriarty from now on.

"I have an experience, a heritage, or a painful lesson...

"What you hear is not necessarily true, what you see is not necessarily true, and the memory of personal experience can also deceive yourself.

"- Don't trust too much what you know about the [future]."

As the words fell, the spell suddenly condensed.