Canto VIII: The Surrendered Witnessing/Story Episodes/Part III

8-21: The Hierarch of Hongyuan

Speaker		Dialogue
Let flourish from my back the pinions of flight,
To chase the parting blossoms, their wilting voyage a sky-high plight.
Ah, where at the edge of heaven does it lie, this flower-mound?
I bury you today, for today you have passed on
But when will I be buried when I am gone?
I bury the petals, under people's mocking laughter
But who shall be burying me then, in the thereafter?
No one shall cry at my burial-mound.
For, as morning springs die and blossoms wilt
They all float away and turn to silt.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Alrighty, boys and gals! Grab your cups, on my mark~
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ahem, long may Xichun reign, the Family Hierarch!
Location: Daguanyuan - Aojingguan Banquet Hall

	Sinner #9 RODION	Long may she reign!
Once all the guests had taken their seats, the banquet hall became packed, crowded and chaotic.
…except for where we were sitting.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	…L-long may she reign!
	Sinner #9 RODION	C'mon guys~ Really? No-one joined in on that cheer? We gotta celebrate the occasion! Stuff ourselves with gourmet food, play games, get wasted… How else are we gonna recharge for the next mission?
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Yet… I have…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ugh~ Oh, right. I wonder if Saude's written something to congratulate us?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Heya, hey! Did anyone send us a letter or something?
	Daguanyuan Reticent Servant	…? We haven't even received any notes, let alone a letter…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Tsk, rude. We're the team that came in second, ya know~?
Rodya grumbled. I wasn't sure whether it was this poor servant or the oddly silent Saude she was calling rude.
	Jia Family Lady Wang	Baoyu… are you hurt? Any scratches?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	No, I am unhurt.
	Jia Family Lady Wang	I was so anxious throughout the Evaluation… just what errant fancy has taken hold of you to risk yourself in such a dangerous ordeal…?
	Jia Family Lady Wang	So… how did you get to the banquet hall?
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Aha! Thou wishest to hear our tale, then? Forsooth, were I to bestow a title upon this adventure, I would call it IN WHICH LIMBUS COMPANY CLAIMETH A MOST GLORIOUS HONOR OF ATTAINING THE RANKING OF THE RUNNER-UP IN A CONTEST OF MIGHT AND WIT! Now, worry thee not, for this tale shan't consume overmuch of thy time. To recount a few highlights of this adventure~
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	One might call attention to the merciless march of walls closing in! Verily, some might even recall the interminable onslaught of rival candidates! Yet these triflings have all failed to smite us down, for… we! Are!
	Jia Family Lady Wang	It seems she misunderstood my… question. My intent was to ask by which means of travel you have come here.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Aha. We took a palanquin, mother.
	Jia Family Lady Wang	…I see. Then I suppose you are yet to have visited the revered Xianren?
	Jia Family Lady Wang	Shouldn't you… pay your visits to them first… don't you… think?
	Jia Family Lady Wang	They must be anxiously waiting for you, to hear about you.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Yes, I'll visit them soon.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Though I don't believe they're exactly waiting to hear about me.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	So… you've come back safely.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Daiyu~! You're okay!
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Yes, I've gotten much better.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	As luck would have it, the injury was not so severe as to require using the Life Insurance.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	So… what exactly are the circumstances that led to you sitting here?
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Aha! If thou wishest to hear the tale in which- Ah, uh…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Ahem… we were carried… by a palanquin.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Come again?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Don Quixote, I think she's actually asking us how we managed to come in second place.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	…Aha, verily!?
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Yes, that was indeed my question. Please tell me what has transpired during the game, if you wouldn't mind.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Then…?
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Yeah, yeah. Feel free to get the ball rolling.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Muahaha, eheh… Then I shall do as thou askest! Ere embarking on this tale, one must first explore…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	…how we were made to convene in that fated chamber along with Jia Qiu! …And Jia Huan, that discourteous cur. Thereafter-

8-22: Momentary Power Vacuum

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Daguanyuan - Aojingguan Banquet Hall

It was Xue Baochai who approached us so carefully.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I'm really glad you're safe. And… congrats on making it as the runner-up.
Her demeanor had completely shifted, her chipper attitude nowhere to be seen. Now, she was more anxious than anything as her eyes darted around nervously.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	But I…
I hadn't known her for too long, but I knew that this wasn't like her.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	… I know I'm not supposed to tell you this. Mother really pressured me to keep these things a secret. But…
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	But I couldn't just keep quiet about this, not with you.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Okay, big sis Baochai. What is it?
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	It's, uh…
Her eyes glanced down to her restlessly fidgeting feet, then to Daiyu, then back to her feet.
It was a while before she could look at Hong Lu in his eyes again.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Baoyu…
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Are you… You know, like mother and Jia Mu said… really going to come back to Daguanyuan and… become engaged to me?
Her eyes dart away as hastily as she wraps up her sentence.
Something tells me that this wasn't what she was really trying to tell Hong Lu. There was something that was left unsaid, like… she made a last-second swerve from what she was really about to say.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Yes. If that's what everyone wants.
But there's no hesitation or fear of regret in Hong Lu's reply.
[Flash.]

	Xue Family Xue Baochai	…….
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	To be with you… It's… almost like you're back here for good.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	… It's so pretty, isn't it?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Yes, it is.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Remember…
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Remember when you told me that I smelled fragrant, Baoyu?
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	You know, I couldn't stop repeating that to myself once I returned to my room.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Back then, I always made sure to shower myself with the most expensive perfumes and fragrances of Hongyuan…
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	… except that day, I didn't have the time to put on any of it.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	So, I was in a hurry to return to my chamber. To the place where hundreds of bottles of rare, luxurious perfumes were waiting to shower me with their fragrances.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	And that's when I ran into you.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	…….
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	My mother… she sent assassins to kill you, didn't she?
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Why didn't you say anything when you saw me?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Big sis Baochai… many people have tried to hurt me, tried to lure me into a trap.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I could've asked them why they'd say or do something like that. Or why they'd hurt me so.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But even if I did, they wouldn't have told me why, and they wouldn't have treated me any differently had I asked.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So I didn't bother asking.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	So I'm… just another one of them… to you.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	No, actually. This isn't what I'm here to talk about.
Baochai smiled again. It was a forced, awkward smile.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Baoyu… you're the runner-up, right? The results are now locked in.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	So…
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	… now might be a good time for you to leave Daguanyuan. No—you have to leave, right now.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I don't know what it is that you're looking to find in Daguanyuan's treasury, but you can just send someone from your clan to pick that up later, right?
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… Miss Baochai, what is the meaning of this?
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	What is— Is something about to happen here?
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I-I… I've got to go now.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Mother will realize what I'm doing if I'm gone for too long.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	There's a conspiracy to commit treason against Daguanyuan, isn't there?
Baochai was trying her damnedest to find an excuse to retreat from the conversation… until Hong Lu asked her this simple, yet piercing question.
She froze in place, her eyes widened—perhaps out of horror, perhaps out of panic.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I… I don't know all the details.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I just overheard mother and the other relatives talking.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Baoyu, if you stay here, you'll get caught in the crossfire.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	So, so many forces are…
Her eyes restlessly darted left and right through the entire exchange, searching for any listening ears.
… Just what could have made her so afraid?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I can tell you're terribly scared, big sister.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But you've come to warn me anyway?
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	…….
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I won't lie, your departure from Daguanyuan is so, so painful.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	But the sheer thought that I could lose you forever is like being stabbed through the heart.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Xue… Baochai. I do appreciate that you thought to warn us ahead of time, but…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… you didn't actually tell us anything about how, when, or what the danger is.
Ishmael prodded with a grim voice.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	You need to tell us what exactly this 'treason' entails.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Is someone planning to challenge the results of the Family Hierarch Evaluation? Is it a conspiracy to overturn or nullify the results?
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Well… excuse my intrusion in this discussion, but…
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… I believe that this is as much as Miss Baochai can realistically divulge regarding this matter.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Leaking such family intelligence is already an act of treason against her own house. Outsiders may find this difficult to understand, but…
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… given the gravity of what she has already shared, you must understand that she has…
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… already told you more than she safely could.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Jia Huan… I don't see him here.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	That Jia Qiu guy's not here, either. Fellas, I'm getting a real bad feeling about this…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Given that you have specifically mentioned 'so many forces'…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… one could come to suspect that you are referring to the presence of forces foreign to Daguanyuan as well.
Faust asked in a low voice.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	That's…
[Fade to black.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Yes.

	Jia Family Jia Qiu	This is now beyond what Daguanyuan alone can handle.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	…! When did he—!
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	… B…big brother Qiu…?
Baochai looked at us, then at Jia Qiu and his faction, then took a few stumbling steps backward.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I… I really have to leave now, Baoyu. I shouldn't be here anymore.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Then… I must excuse myself as well alongside Miss Baochai.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Please… you have to stay safe.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Did she advise you to leave Daguanyuan with haste?
He did not look away from Hong Lu even as Baochai hurriedly walked away.
Gaze unshaken, interested in observing no one, nothing else but Hong Lu and his actions.
	Manager DANTE	<…….>
I thought I had a lot of questions to ask Jia Qiu if we were to ever meet again.
But now that he's actually right here, I couldn't recall a single word of it.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Do you… know something, brother?
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	My lord—
Zigong tried to butt in, clearly perturbed, but Jia Qiu raised his hand and stopped her.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	You must already be aware that this banquet is but a distraction from the fact that the currents have begun to shift.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Her advice is sound. It is also true that now is the only time you could escape this place ere the storm arrives, should you wish to save your lives.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… But I doubt you've come here just to confirm that for us.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Correct.
Zigong lets out a deep sigh before explaining with a defeated expression.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Once a Family Hierarch properly ascends to the throne, it becomes a hopeless endeavor to measure when the next great shift in power shall come.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	One must remember that the prospect of a long wait for the next Evaluation, the end of which has not been and will not be in sight, ofttimes stains men's patience with lingering avarice and causes it to fester into possessiveness.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Is it not the most predictable thing that these rotten, grasping hands are loath to lay down their arms and accept the results with grace? Would those hands not deem it much more favorable to seize and change the results by force?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Yeah, we all know you read the thesaurus… So, basically, there's a truckload of dumbasses out there who're bent outta shape with how the Family Hierarch war turned out, right? And they wanna change the outcome by force?
	Sinner #9 RODION	But our one and only Xichun's already been chosen as the Family Hierarch. Like, it's final.
	Sinner #9 RODION	What happened to the Family Hierarch being the seat of absolute power here? What kinda treason can they even hope to commit if they aren't even willing to flip this old and tired system upside-down?
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	…….
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	The only things that have been determined are the rankings of the candidates; strictly speaking, we are still waiting for her appointment to be completed.
	Sinner #9 RODION	… I'm not too fond of your word games, lady.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Hah.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	So that's why I couldn't smell those beasts anymore.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… I see. I understand now.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Outi—?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I don't even see a trace of them, even in a place as crowded as this.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	The Heishou are gone.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Even the ones that have been following you like shadows.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	… The measure of might in Hongyuan lies in the number of Heishou Pack branches one wields.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	The Family Hierarch maintains control over at least three of those branches.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Yet, who holds their leash when the throne of the Hierarch is vacant?
	Sinner #9 RODION	So, like I said, Xichun's the—
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	The gears of your mind are ponderous, slow things to turn, aren't they? Have I not already given you the answer, that her appointment is still underway?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Huh…? But… Wait, then… who's the Family Hierarch now—
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	In the brief window between the former Hierarch's abdication and the new Hierarch's ascension… Hongyuan has no lord. Is that correct?
That's when I suddenly recalled what Jia Yuanchun said as she announced the results of the Family Hierarch war.
[Flashback.]
Location: Daguanyuan - Aojingguan Banquet Hall, Recent Past
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	The victor will first descend to the Tiekan Temple and pay their respects to our revered elders. Then, upon returning to the surface, they will march to the first floor of Daguanyuan, and assume the seat of the Family Hierarch of Hongyuan.
[End flashback.]
Location: Daguanyuan - Aojingguan Banquet Hall
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Then… what of those masterless Heishou? What are they doing now?
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Nothing.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	And that is precisely what the present predicament revolves around.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Look around you—do you see how the shadows have descended on every corner of this place? They're the beasts that have melded into the dark for their hushed respites.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	So all Heishou branches are currently… neutral.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Wait, wait. Then…
	Sinner #9 RODION	… does that mean Daguanyuan becomes completely vulnerable every time this happens?
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	… No. This would not have come to pass had a different individual been made to ascend.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Jia Xichun, that girl has… no substantial foundation, a base, to call her own. What clan she did have prior to the Evaluation, scattered to nothingness like grains of sand in a gust.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	It is entirely reasonable to assume that, as long as the Hierarch-to-be is yet to gain control of her Heishou Pack branches, they have a good chance of overthrowing her.
	Manager DANTE	<…!>
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	My lord.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	The Whisper Office has arrived as well.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… I see.
	Manager DANTE	<Things were way more dire than I'd thought…>
But what's Jia Qiu doing here chatting us up now, of all times?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Pay attention.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	There are those who seek to enter here, and those who seek to stop them.

	Jia Family Jia Qiu	R Corp.'s 2nd Pack, X Corp.'s Expedition Order of Excavators, The Thumb's underboss, the accompanying Capo, his Soldatos, and their various subsidiaries. Then there's the Jialan Guards (賈藍隊), the indigo guardians of the Jia family, K Corp.'s Special Excision Unit, N Corp.'s New League of Nine Littérateurs… … and numerous other Fixers and clans. And those are just the ones that I have been informed of.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Most of them are waiting, biding their time outside the walls of Daguanyuan, or are soon to arrive…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… but the Thumb's forces are already engaged in melee with my army.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Some factions of the Wang family have joined the defenders, but it is uncertain how much longer they can hold out.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	And should the de facto leaders of each of the major families say the word, it is likely that R Corp., K Corp., and X Corp. may soon choose their own sides in this war.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	… What?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… Is that reliable intel? Why would they—
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Many here believe that the title of the Family Hierarch is simply a different name for the lord of Hongyuan.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	It is a belief that many forces beyond Hongyuan's walls share.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	In other words…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	This isn't just about Daguanyuan. There are forces from the other Nests and Districts seeking to sponsor a different, prospective Hierarch, to expand their sphere of influence here.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	… Correct.
…The cigarette slipped from Gregor's fingers. Outis's face darkened with a grimness I'd never seen in her before.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Eight… nine… I-I have thus counted over nine different powerful factions among the ones thou hast mentioned…
This is… too much.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	As fortune would have it, only the Thumb has deemed it appropriate to act.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	But Lei Heng, the Capo of the Thumb, poses the greatest threat. He is one of the Ten Blades of the East, and… his might is formidable to any foe.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Haah…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	I shall meet him in battle, as planned.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	He must be the one leading the charge against the gates.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	If what you say here is true, then this is no mere treason within a Wing.
Outis hissed in a low, menacing voice.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Which family spearheads this treachery? How many Wings are backing them?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Nothing is certain at present. The tangle of allegiances and bloodlines is a knot that cannot be undone until the dust has settled.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	It will only take a single, whistling arrow for chaos to engulf Hongyuan. The forces that have gathered here have drawn their bows, and the moment one of them lets loose… it will only be a matter of time before it becomes a full-scale war.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	And when it does, the crack that has formed in the walls of Hongyuan will widen; vultures of the City will smell the rot and tear into the wound to pilfer the Boluses and their recipes.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	The Smiling Faces, The Corpse Corps, the Yakshas…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	I must also emphasize that the Ring will never let such an opportunity slip.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	This conflict will utterly lay waste to the lives of the common folk in Hongyuan… The fire has already conflagrated beyond a competition amongst candidates.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	That is why this fissure must be mended ere it spreads. Should the throne of the Hierarch remain vacant, should this instability be prolonged, then…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… the Wings will march to war.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	… No, no way. I don't believe this, tsk.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	The consequences will be about as far-reaching, at the very least.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… Such is the weight of Hongyuan's Family Hierarch.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	It holds as much power to save countless lives as it does to take them.

… The banquet hall was quickly starting to become barren as people began to hurry away.
I don't have any direct memories of a Wing War, but… even I could feel the prickly goosebumps rising from my skin. The air in the hall was quickly turning razor sharp.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Then… brother, what is it that you expect us to do?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	I am of the belief that all of you are, collectively, the key to overcoming this tribulation.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… The key?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Hurry her ascension to the throne.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Jia Xichun should still be at the Tiekan Temple where the Xianren reside, preparing for the ritual of ascension.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Given that the "Xianren" must be utterly oblivious to the circumstances outside their chamber, there is no way of knowing the time it might take for them to officially name her the next Hierarch.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	And they will not be swift, as entry to their chamber is permitted only to the Family Hierarch. There is no one to relay this message to them.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	But there is another.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	There is another who is permitted to enter the Temple.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Jia Baoyu.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	When the Hierarch takes the throne, and seizes the leash of her rightful Heishou Packs…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… she should have more than enough might to ward Daguanyuan against the invaders.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	And when the invading forces realize that the Family Hierarch has returned, they will retreat; the spark of war should shrink enough to be snuffed out with a stomp.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	My lord…
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	I must beg your forgiveness, for there is still doubt in my heart.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	How can he… be the key?
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	My lord, I know you not to be one to engage in such gambles…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	It is better to gamble than to allow this opportunity to slip away in vain.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Yet I must beg your forgiveness once again, for I insist that your mere presence here is a waste of time.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	You mustn't tarry downstream—we must rise to the fountainhead and cut off the stream from its origin…
Zigong looked at us and Jia Qiu anxiously.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	You needn't consider this a waste.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	For it is a worthy task in my eyes.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	… Had you followed the blueprint of the painting I had initially drawn for the Family Hierarch war…
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	… we would have already arrived at Tiekan Temple via… 'alternative methods'.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Alternative… methods?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… Zigong. That would not have resolved anything; it would have only caused further loss, no more.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	And I wish to make one thing clear.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	That this is but an offer; a plea, not a command.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	For one mustn't do what does not move their heart.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	However, Jia Baoyu…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	You may not have realized this, but…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… I have already gambled once with you as my hand during the Family Hierarch war.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	I sought to draw your true humanity forth, to have you wear it on the outside.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	And the reply you gave me then, the one that emerged from behind the obscuring veil of clouds, was proof enough that it was certainly no waste of my time.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… Why do you seek to involve yourself in the politics of Hongyuan, brother?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Neither Hongyuan nor Daguanyuan bind you any longer, not by cause or force.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… It was a long undertaking for me to uncover the truth of the ruin that came to the Kong family.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	At first, my heart was engulfed in fiery wrath.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Daguanyuan had to be uprooted from the ground. For that, every single person of power or influence in Daguanyuan had to be killed, their throats slit in vengeance…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… Or so I thought, once.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	But I learned, from a worthy teacher.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	That is when… I realized this wrath was burning my body to ash.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Then… did your fiery wrath… extinguish?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Had I truly attained enlightenment, found all there was to understand of the nature of this world, Jia Baoyu…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… then I would not have given you the power to elect the Hierarch.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	I am still but a student, a seeker of the answer.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Yet… I do not wish to let chaos devour this land when I have the means to save it.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Thus, once again I ask you.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	When you decided to relinquish the coins to Jia Xichun…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… what was it that moved your heart?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Certainly, your heart had changed enough then not to simply hand them over for the simple reason that she desired them.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	You must know this already, brother, but…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	The children of Daguanyuan have no such thing as birthdays, save for myself.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	When a child is born, they aren't celebrated—they are hidden, concealed for years in the dark, so that the competition wouldn't take notice of a new rival…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Xichun was one of those children who had never experienced a birthday before. She didn't even know what it meant.
[Fade to black.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So, when we were young… whenever grandmother would hold a banquet to celebrate the day of my birth…

	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I dedicated that day to Xichun.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Because it's nice to have your existence celebrated once every year, for no other reason than the fact that you exist.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But when I stopped leaving my room… when Xichun and I grew distant… the secret birthday parties we shared also came to an end.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	She probably doesn't remember any of it now. She was too young then.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But if I could gift this to her, to make up for all those lost years…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… then I thought… maybe she would be happy again, just as she was then.
[Flashback.]
Location: Evaluation Arena B2, Recent Past
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Now that I'm looking at these piles of coins, it feels like…
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	It feels like I'm looking at all the rooms of Daguanyuan. I used to hate that sight so much as a kid…
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Can I… can I really be a good Hierarch to Hongyuan?
[End flashback. Fade to black.]
Did Xichun like the gift, as Hong Lu wanted her to?
… We had no way of knowing.
Location: Daguanyuan - Aojingguan Banquet Hall
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Does that answer satisfy you, brother?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	It was not your answer that I had sought.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	It was to see the way your heart stirs—and that was proof enough.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	I had never met these 'Xianren', the self-proclaimed 'Enlightened Ones', before, as I was not permitted entry into Tiekan Temple. But I know of their existence.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	And what I have come to learn in my observation of Hongyuan, and then the City itself, gave me certain ideas of what form the Hierarch ascension ritual might take.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… Had you not surrendered yourself, you could have deduced what the ritual entails.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Are you saying that… something bad may happen to Xichun?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	This may be a hasty speculation. From a certain perspective, this may simply constitute a rightful ascension of the new Hierarch.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	But I want you to be there, to behold with your own eyes what it entails.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	My wager in this gamble was that you indeed had the potential to achieve that purpose…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… and that the faint warmth in your heart I had once seen still gently burned.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	You… want me to achieve your purpose, brother?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	No, your own purpose would not be the same as my own. Such a pursuit would be devoid of meaning.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	The decision is yours.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	So decide.

8-23: Justice of Others

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Daguanyuan - Aojingguan Banquet Hall

Jia Qiu and his forces left the banquet hall to assess the situation, leaving only me and the Sinners here.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Our only remaining task is to receive the Golden Bough that we are owed. That much is a given.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Retrieve it, and our mission here is done. We only need to wait for the LCA for extraction.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… None of you know, let alone understand what a war of the Wings is like. To rush out into these unknown waters is nothing short of imprudence. We must not entertain this idea.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Alas, if our meager strength may be sufficient to prevent this war and save the lives of many innocents…
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	… then… I wish to do as that man hath said.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	No, it is in our best interest that we do not get involved.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Don Quixote, I will speak to you plainly, as I trust that you have regained some sense as to how this world works. War is not just another incident or a quest to be resolved. Your sense of justice may shine like a beacon in times of unrest, but…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… war… will crush and grind it into the dirt indiscriminately as it does any life caught under its bootheels.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	Lady Outis. I have also lived through my share of wars. Even still, Jia Qiu's path is that of justice—thus, he shall have my support.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	How are you still so—!
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	To fight for the pursuit of justice deserveth not thy scorn nor ridicule!
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	'Tis no short-sighted tantrum—'tis but mine adherence to, and pursuit of, a certain responsibility of those who can!
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…….
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Outis. I've also had my share of the war. So hopefully you'll let me put my two Ahns in.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Battles and wars aren't the same thing, either… You can't see the crashing waves of intense emotions in battles when looking at it as a great flow of war.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	But all that built-up heat is what becomes a flow, not the other way around. It never is.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…….
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Jia Qiu wished to convey to us that the levees are beginning to crack; that the fractures must be filled forthwith afore they rupture.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	While the words you speak may contrast one another…
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	… the intent that pushed the both of you to speak is shared; that the war mustn't conflagrate beyond what has already occurred.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… It is.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Yeah, exactly. Thanks for summing it up, Yi Sang.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Outis's assessment would have been correct had the discussion concerning our participation been about a war that has already progressed beyond a certain degree.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	However, accepting Jia Qiu's suggestion and preventing the war from expanding beyond localized skirmishes could bring greater benefits than avoiding it altogether.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Yeah. This could also give them the opportunity to destroy and uproot all the…
	Sinner #9 RODION	… inequities of Hongyuan.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Wellll~ I dunno if that's what Hong Lu wants, though.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	B-but… even if Jia Qiu and his people are strong… there's just too many of them. Do we really have a chance against all of them?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	If I'm being honest… we simply can't know. We don't have the time to meticulously analyze every facet of this situation.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	…….
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Manager of ours, if I may…
Yi Sang carefully began as the Sinners' opinions began to clash and fracture.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	As you must have observed, the Sinners fail to find a common ground.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	However, though narrow my vision may be, it appears to me that there is not a single Sinner whose insight is born solely from their emotions.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	There is sound reason behind every suggestion that has heretofore been presented; thus, it is difficult to gauge the validity of each of them. This must not be an easy decision for you.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Thus…
Yi Sang paused, taking his time to carefully select his next words.
Then, after a subtle nod, he continued.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Dante, perhaps… this judgment belongs to Hong Lu.
	Manager DANTE	<…….>
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Perhaps I speak at the risk of not knowing my own station. However…
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	… should we allow this opportunity to slip away, Hong Lu may never leave that smile of his behind.
	Manager DANTE	<…!>
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	You must see it as well.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	That Hong Lu's smile is but a different shape of sorrow for those who have no tears left to shed.
What Yi Sang was trying to tell me was clear as day.
So what I must do, must consider, as the manager…
… isn't a discussion of wars and battles. It's not pragmatism or the measurement of the pros and cons.
… A manager has to support their team.
	Manager DANTE	<Faust.>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… Once again, I have nothing to offer but objective information and suggestions strictly from the corporate perspective.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Dante, given your position as the manager of the LCB team, it is recommended that you continue to follow the plan outlined by the LCCB, retrieve the Golden Bough, and quickly arrange a safe extraction for you and your team without unnecessarily involving your team in a high-risk operation.
	Manager DANTE	<That's…>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	However.
	Manager DANTE	<…?>
Faust continues… slowly.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	But if you…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… believe that you possess enough persistence to endure all that it entails, and if you believe that your role is to lead them, and us… to the right path, then…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… I will follow your lead.
	Manager DANTE	<… Thank you.>
Now the answer must come from Hong Lu's own mouth.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Looks like things really got out of control.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Sorry, Dante.
	Manager DANTE	<Hey, earlier… during your dialogue with Jia Qiu…>
	Manager DANTE	<… The conclusion you arrived at didn't come out of nowhere, did it? There must've been something that brought you there.>
In that long, long conversation, Hong Lu was finally able to give an answer of his own.
And the biggest reason he could was…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	At first…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I didn't think that I'd be able to give a real answer to brother Qiu's questions.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But suddenly, like a thick fog clearing…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… something emerged from the haze of forgotten memories past.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	What I gave as an answer was that something, and… I realized what it was only after it had left my mouth.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	That word must've been burrowed deep within me for a long, long time.
Kindness.
Because I wanted to believe that kindness was enough. That it could truly bring change to Hongyuan.
	Manager DANTE	<… This is not about us. It's about you and Hongyuan's future.>
	Manager DANTE	<So I think I'll leave the decision up to you.>
Hong Lu was never the type to clearly state his beliefs.
He usually did as I asked without question, without even the smallest complaint.
He did not speak of pain when he suffered, nor did he cry to us from agony.

His eyes remained unshaken even as he witnessed the countless deaths and injustices committed before him.

The eye that lets everything float away.

The accepting eye of someone who has resigned himself to the reality that everything that exists has an end.

	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
I wait patiently for him to speak.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Dante, I…
Hong Lu, who only ever quietly accepted whatever life threw at him…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… I want to go to Tiekan Temple.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Where Xichun and the elders… where the Xianren are.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I think Xichun might be in danger.
	Manager DANTE	<Danger, as in… her life might be at risk?>
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	No, I think… I think her life might be the only thing that's not in danger.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Thinking back to what brother Qiu told me…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I'm… afraid. That I might lose the Xichun I know forever.
For the first time, he speaks of the path he wishes to walk.
Hong Lu's jade eye gazes beyond the walls of Daguanyuan.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Like brother Qiu said, at this moment, I'm the only one who can freely open the gates of the Tiekan Temple.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I want to be there to watch Xichun become the Hierarch, so that, if something dangerous were to happen… I can put a stop to it.
	Manager DANTE	<Okay, sounds like a plan.>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… I had a feeling that this would be your decision, Executive Manager.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Our judgments are shaped by our upbringings and environments…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…so, for you, Executive Manager, who has only the time spent with the rest of us to reflect on, it is understandable how you could come to this conclusion.
	Manager DANTE	<I… keep disappointing you, don't I?>
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	You haven't. … Not yet.
Outis replies sternly.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Well… it ain't much our style to just sod off after pickin' up the Golden Bough, innit?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	That's… yeah, you're right…
Ishmael agrees with Heathcliff for the first time since forever.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Well, I know I might've come across as kinda harsh or snappy earlier, but… hey, there weren't any hard feelings, Outis.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… I would have kicked you in the shin had I considered your entire speech to be senseless drivel.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Heh.
Outis and Gregor, whose stances were always diametrically opposed, have stopped shooting bitter remarks at each other.
… We're all growing more familiar with each other.
	Manager DANTE	<… Perfect. Then let's do this.>
And in that strange air, we found our purpose.
[Fade to black transition.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	I will send out my best blade, Zilu, in the same direction.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	She will not accompany you, but she will rendezvous at your destination nonetheless.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Didn't you say earlier that the Heishou's all become masterless or somethin'?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… It is a long story. Let me just say that Zilu is an exception.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Hold on, what about you…?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	At the moment, stopping the underboss and his primary officer, Lei Heng, is the most pressing concern. Zigong and I will take to the main battlefield at the gates of Daguanyuan and stall them.
The plan was now in motion; there was nothing more to discuss.
[Fade to black.]
And we both walk away, to our destinations in opposite directions.
[Background fades in.]
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	… My lord, I have seen that smile many times in the past.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	That is the smile of a hollow shell.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Do you truly believe that a man such as him is capable of moving in genuine dedication to the cause?
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Each heart has a different cause that moves them.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	How can one speak of the fathoms of a lake when all they have seen is the water's surface?
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	…….

8-24: Actions of a Thief

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Way Down to Tiekan Temple

	Sinner #6 HONG LU	We have to go through here if we want to take the fastest path to Tiekan Temple.
	Manager DANTE	<Looks like it leads underground… >
[Fade to black transition.]
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Oh man… are you sure this is the fastest path? The heck are they doing over there?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Well, seems to me that's exactly why they're here, blocking our way.
Well, I never thought it was going to be easy…
Looks like I was right.
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	Stop right there. Turn around and leave, now.
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	You won't get a more generous offer than that. You'd do well to do as I say.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… The Family Hierarch war is over. They announced the results for all to hear.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	So on whose orders are you attacking us?
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	Naive girl.
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	Do you not know that powerful forces are already gathering here at Daguanyuan?
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	I doubt that little pipsqueak even got to meet the Xianren. She's probably bleeding out somewhere along the path by now.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	…!
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	Looks like a bunch of third-raters decided to work together, huh…
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	Do you really believe that you could retake the Hierarch with your puny forces?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	You're the ones who are committing this tantrum of a treason because you just can't accept that you lost.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Besides, what do you mean 'retake the Hierarch'? It's not like you ever took her from us.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	You can't even proudly speak the name of your master.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	It would have been the first thing you announced if you believed your cause to be just. Your very actions are those of a thief.
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	… Hah, and why would we need to announce our cause for a ragtag band like yours?
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	Destroy them all!

8-25: The Will to Change

Post-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Way Down to Tiekan Temple

	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Whoever your poor master is…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… I can tell by the way their minions behave that they have no hope of ever taking that throne.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	You'd be surprised by how much the lack of a just cause harms morale, fool!
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	You're the one to talk! What just cause do you have?
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	Just how high-and-mighty is your—
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oi, shut it and listen. At least…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	… we actually want to change something about this place.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	I'd say we've a more just cause than you bastards whose only thought upon hearing that awful bell is 'how can I expand my real estate this time?'
	Shi Family Generous Clan Member	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Both of you always speak with such conviction, Outis, Heathcliff.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Hmph, gathering an army is the easy part.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	A leader's true qualities are revealed only when the time comes to actually lead their men!
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I see.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So it's your long experience with war that shaped your confidence, Outis.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Because my life couldn't be any further from any battlefield of war.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Or maybe I was always surrounded by wars, both large and small, in the Backstreets… and I was just sheltered from them.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I've done nothing but watch from a distance, so I don't suppose I have any right to speak.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I wouldn't even know where I'd begin.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…….
This seemed like the perfect moment for Outis to brag about her experience, but she fell silent at that remark.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	There ain't anything too complicated about it, mate. If it's shite, it's shite. Don't think twice about it.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Like the lad does.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	… Like me?
For a while, Sinclair continued to ask Heathcliff if he really was talking about him.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I haven't ever walked down this hallway accompanied by so many other people…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I usually walked alone.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Why? Didn'tcha take your servants with you?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Sometimes, I did. Because I was scared to go there alone. But…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… I learned something as I grew older.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	It's that my heart is most at ease when walking down this road alone.
	Manager DANTE	<… Why?>
[Background fades to back. Child Hong Lu appears, frowning.]
I imagined Hong Lu, slowly walking down this hallway alone with a dark expression.
[Child Hong Lu fades out.]
… It wasn't a pleasant sight.
[Background fades in.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Tiekan Temple…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I was the only one who was allowed to freely enter and exit. The Family Hierarch can technically be let inside, but…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… even grandmother couldn't enter without their summon.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	W-wait, Jia Qiu wasn't being metaphorical?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	So… why are they called the Xianren…? Are they actually some supernaturally enlightened blokes or something?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Yes. They endured the time of suffering, opened their eyes to the secret to freedom from aging and death, and eventually attained Enlightenment, earning themselves the exalted title of 'the Xianren'.
	Sinner #9 RODION	But is that even… possible? What happened to them still searching for the answer to 'true immortality'?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Mate, you're bottlin' up again, and that makes me nervous… What the hell're we walkin' into?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	At least this place… feels much more tranquil than the world outside. It's quiet. And it smells nice, too.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I could almost forget that there's a war about to break out beyond the premises…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	We're lucky.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Not many people know the actual path to reach Tiekan Temple.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But at least there's less chance of us running into any outside forces here.
	Sinner #9 RODION	… Can we not with the foreshadowing?

8-26: A Ridiculous Idea

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Passageway to Tiekan Temple
Unfortunately, it was indeed a foreshadowing.

… It didn't take very long before another faction appeared before us.
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	Stop. Who is your master?
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	What are you doing here?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Because we have a place to be.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	What are you doing here?
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	… You're working for Jia Qiu, aren't you?
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	Trying to visit the revered Xianren? You're trying to speed up the Hierarch ascension ritual, aren't you?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Nice try. Ask the right questions, and we'll just tell you all about our plans, won't we? Greenhorn…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	I know you're all lost. You've probably been going in circles for hours by now.
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	… Yeah, this place is irritatingly large.
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	Just point us in the right direction and go back the way you came, and I won't give chase.
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	Give up on your ridiculous idea of ushering in that hopelessly inadequate girl as the Family Hierarch.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	We already heard that one before.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Might wanna get some new material.

8-27: The Second Battlefield

Post-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Passageway to Tiekan Temple

	Sinner #12 OUTIS	So tell me. Who's your master?
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	…….
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	You two… you've been in a war, haven't you?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… No need to deny that, I suppose.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	You can still tell, huh…?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	And I learned many, many things in my war.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	A few hundred ways to convince a grunt to talk, for example.
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	… Too bad.
	Xue Family Xue Family Captain	Because unlike you, I have but one way to keep my mouth shut.
The man who appeared to be leading the soldiers stabbed himself in the chest without hesitation.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…….
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	So he'd kill himself without even a moment's hesitation to protect his master's name…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… His master must be a formidable individual.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Or… it could also be that he was under the influence of a suicide Worm—an Anamnaworm that activates on an information trigger to manipulate the host's psyche to take their own life.
Noticing that there was a previously unseen, serious look in Hong Lu's eyes, we forged onward.

8-28: Those Who Do Not Decide

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Passageway to Tiekan Temple

[A white flash and a gunshot sound.]
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	…!
	Soldato II The Thumb Henchman	Aw, shit.
	Soldato II The Thumb Henchman	… That was a warning shot, sir.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	… I heard you curse under your breath.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…….
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	They're…
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	How disrespectful of you to tell such a bald-faced lie to your senior.
	Soldato II The Thumb Henchman	Apologies. … Please, I humbly beg for your assistance in my absolution.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	Of course. Present your tongue.
[A flash of red.]
	Soldato II The Thumb Henchman	… Gah!
… That incomprehensible exchange between the pair was soon followed by the sight of a severed tongue rolling in the dirt.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ew…
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… The Thumb.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	Please allow me to speak, as my partner no longer has the means to do so.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	Your present company, including manager Dante, their companions, and master Jia Baoyu, may not pass beyond this area.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Uh… what did he just call Hong Lu…?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Given the present circumstances, they're treating Hong Lu as Baoyu of the Jia family and not a Sinner of the LCB.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	It's logical to assume that the young master of a prestigious house ranks higher than a Soldato, who are just grunts of the Thumb.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	W-well, can Hong Lu just ask him to move, then…?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	… Them showin' us respect now don't mean shite. They won't let us through.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I've heard stories, but… I didn't think they'd be this fixated with the ranks and hierarchies. It's almost…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… to the point where it's just plain weird.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	Please understand that the underboss has ordered us to treat anyone passing this area as our enemy.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	Our orders were to execute all individuals attempting to do so anyway, including our former allies. So I implore you to please turn around and leave this place.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	We would greatly appreciate your cooperation.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Um… sorry, we can't do that.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	Then… I'm sorry to say that we have no choice but to stop you by any means.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Lei Heng… he must've set up this ambush.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	They were prepared… They weren't going to accept any other result than what they had in mind anyway.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	… Taking into account Limbus Company's standing, and LCB's position within their organization… you, a mere Sinner, mentioning master Lei Heng's name is a crime punishable by the removal of your tongue—
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	… No. Your punishment will begin with crushing your lower jaw.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	I.F.^[1] Shouldn't have expected a trivial little thing like a Soldato to know his place. You don't have enough tongues to lose for this disrespect.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… We're not getting anything out of them.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	These idiots'll jump off a cliff if their superior told them to.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	But aren't they usually your favorite kind of people, Outis?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	There once was a time when I used to think highly of their strategic decision to maintain such a rigidly stratified hierarchy system.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	But now I know that it was never a strategic 'decision' at all, but a brainless obsession of idiots who refuse to decide for themselves.
	Soldato III The Thumb Henchman	… Let's see if you can keep babbling like that when we cut off your tongue.

8-30: The Heart

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Bridge to Tiekan Temple

	Sinner #9 RODION	We're still… underground, right? This place sure as heck looks like the outside.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	An artificed light… yet one may easily mistake this to be a land under a real sun.
	Manager DANTE	<We should be getting pretty close… but…>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	… Yes. Someone has beaten us to it.
There was a small hill in front of the bridge leading into Tiekan Temple.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	They're Xichun's mercenaries.

[A black flash, the screen zooms in closer to the hill.]
… There was a small hill of bodies, all of them mangled and broken to the point we couldn't even tell how many of them there were.
[Zoom out.]
On top of the hill sat Lei Heng.
And the heavily wounded figure in front of him was…
[Rapid zoom in to the body on the floor, the screen shakes.]
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Wei…!
	Xichun's Clan Wei	… We don't… ever seem to meet in fine circumstances, do we…?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	What happened—?
[Pan upwards, the screen shakes.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hot damn, y'all are slower than molasses in winter… I was just havin' some fun before y'all decided to show up.
[Zoom out.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Looks to me this boy was just gonna park his ass right here 'til the ascension hullabaloo wrapped up.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Ya know, I was kinda excited 'bout this showdown, given that he's supposed to be this… Adept of the Heishou - pony branch or whatever. He ain't hot shit without that poison in 'im, huh?

	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	…….
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	What's he doing here…?
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Our plan was to leave the matter of Lei Heng for Jia Qiu to deal with at the battlefield by the front gate of Daguanyuan.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	They saw through the strategy.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	And it seems that Jia Qiu sending Zilu alongside us was an insurance for this exact scenario.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	…….
And as if on cue, Zilu arrived.
She was covered from head to toe in blood, but I could easily guess that the blood wasn't hers.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I'll be damned…
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Y'all are tellin' me now that there's two ways to get in here? One's a secret entrance, sure, but… hmmm? That rabbit hole she crawled through seems mighty narrow to me.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Aw shoot, had I known there was a direct passageway, I woulda taken that instead of goin' all the way 'round this goshdarn maze of a palace! Ain't you got no map lyin' around in here? Woulda been darn embarrassing to get lost at my age…
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hwell… didy'all say hello to the boys out there?
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… We sent them on their merry way to the afterlife. So, it really was you who set up that ambush.
[Screen wipe.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Listen'ere. Y'all gotta understand they're still greenhorns, huh? Still got much to learn and all that. I'll give 'em a stern talkin' to.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I assume… you're also here at someone else's behest, right?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Either to prevent the Hierarch ascension… or to delay it for as long as possible.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hwell, was gonna catch that Jia Xichun girl 'fore she went in, but I missed my window.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Ain't nothin' more to it. Y'all are talkin' like I showed up to make some big statement or some shit.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Then doesn't that mean your mission's already failed?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Naw, girl's gotta head back to the main house and park herself on that throne to wrap up her ascension. Me? I just gotta catch 'er before that.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… So the Heishou won't be mobilized until she physically sits down on the throne.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Say, uh.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	The concept of manners alien to y'all?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… Shit, right. The Thumb.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Real disrespectful of ya'll to sit there jawin', shootin' the breeze with me like I'm one o' yer buddies.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Excuse me, I've got something to ask.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	… Hwell, alrighty. Young master Baoyu of the mighty Jia family's got 'nuff clout to talk to my face without makin' things awkward.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Well? Yammer on, then.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Is there a reason you haven't killed Mister Wei just yet?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	This setup you have here makes me think that… you'd like for us to negotiate.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Negoti-ate… Hot damn.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Negotiation's usually done on equal ground, ain't it? Kinda funny of y'all from Limbus Company to call it that.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Aw, heck. I guess you ain't wrong.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	But here's the thing—I just ain't got a clue as to how important this sonofagun is to y'all.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	He's still breathin', that's for sure, but I dunno if he'll be any good for a negotiation… tsk. Bein' a Heishou Adept don't mean much if he can't do shit, don't it? Got some kinda weird curse on ya or something?
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	Speak.
Zilu, who's been standing beside us in silence this whole time, suddenly spoke up.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	What do you want?
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	Her voice was so deep, cavernous, and sincere, that…
… it almost made me think that she really was going to give him whatever he wanted in return for Wei.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Ya got a real convincing voice, don'tcha? That gets me in the mood, I'll tell ya hwat.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Yeah, well… what I want…
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I want you, ya pesky rabbit.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	…….
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Don't tell me you want Zilu to die for—
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Aw, 'course not. I ain't that shameless.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Then…?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Lemme cut ya up. Just one slice.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Don't matter what comes next—bite it, don't bite it, fight me… don't matter. Take a single cut from my blade and I'll hand over the feller.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Aw, c'mon, girl. Don'tcha look at me like that! You know how this is! I've been in this business long enough to know, huh?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Fair fight! Duels! Love 'em! Would love nothing more than to do 'em! But the things bein' what they are… it's a no-can-do kinda situation.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	We're both hired guns, ain't we? Yanno we gotta do what we gotta do.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Y'see, honey bunny, I ain't so sure I like my odds goin' up against a direct counter.
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Shithead. You haven't changed.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	That so? Heh heh.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	He'll cut you in half. Guaranteed.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Just admit you want to kill her… hah. Doesn't your tongue ever get tired of being a part of you?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Ain't ya one of them students learnin' stuff from Jia Qiu? Heard tell y'all been usin' some kinda strange technique from out yonder.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	'Shin(心)', wassit? Usin' some energy protection technique, right? 'Parently you'll become tough as augmentations they say.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	And ya convert that 'Shin' or whatever into strength to make light rings 'round your body parts or weapons, and that's 'sposed to be 'Mang(望)', am I right?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I've been tryna learn how that thing works… 'been waiting for an opportunity to test it out. Purdy sure I can make one Mang by now.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I wanna see ya try your own against mine, see.
Lei Heng looked at Zilu with a shit-eating grin.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	…….
We don't know Zilu. We're barely even acquaintances. There's no way she'd risk her life for people who are essentially strangers.
And what about Wei? Do they even know each other? I seriously doubt he's as close to her as he is to us.
… And it might sound cold, but even we're not really that close to Wei, either…
	Manager DANTE	<…….>
I can't bring myself to ask her to risk her life like that.
He's probably not kidding, either.
Lei Heng's surrounded by at least a few dozen bodies… but there's not even a scratch on him.
	Xichun's Clan Wei	…….
Wei struggles to speak through labored breaths.
… But his eyes tell me that he's already accepted his fate.
	Xichun's Clan Wei	I only need…
	Xichun's Clan Wei	… I only need my lady to be safe. This… catastrophe was entirely my fault… if I'd paid more attention to our surroundings…
	Xichun's Clan Wei	She won't have anyone when I'm gone… Please, keep her safe…
Instead of begging for his life, Wei asks us to look after Jia Xichun instead.
As he's always done…
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	Is Wei…
Zilu looks at Hong Lu.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	… important to you?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
Truth be told, Wei probably isn't all that important to Hong Lu.
Wei was Jia Xichun's loyal follower, and that was pretty much it. Hong Lu said he hadn't interacted much with him back in Daguanyuan, either.
But… I imagine that Hong Lu…
… would probably rather not see the people he cares about shed any more tears. He'd seen more than enough of that since the annihilation of the Kong family.
And that goes for us, too. Can we really cut him off, just like that?
[Background fades to black.]
We hadn't talked to him very much, but we'd spent a pretty significant amount of time together. And quietly, we've grown to care more about him.
[Jia Xichun and Wei appear.]
We learned more about who he was. About the kind of person his master, Jia Xichun, was.
Whenever we ran into them in all kinds of odd places, we were happy to meet them. And we really wanted them to do well.
We… didn't want either of them to die.
And they were the first allies we'd ever made of our own volition, no matter how short-lived that alliance was.
[Jia Xichun and Wei fade away.]
… If we let him kill Wei here, we'd…
… we'd be adding another regret to our pasts, knowing that we'd let someone down again…
… As we are reminded every time we meet Saude and see her subtle yet noticeable sadness.
We'll blame ourselves, we'll resent our weakness, we won't stop thinking about how we could've prevented this if we were stronger.
We've died and killed countless times on our journey here, but death is the kind of force that swoops in our moments of dejection to remind us that we can never get used to it.
[Background fades in.]
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	Speak.
I know. I know we can't save everyone.
I've seen enough deaths of our friends, allies, and those who could've been friends to know that.
There wasn't any reason Wei should be special. I wasn't making some promise with myself to never let anyone even remotely close to us die again, either.
But…
But Hong Lu…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… I want Mister Wei to live.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	And I don't want Xichun… to be sad when we meet again.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I know you don't have any reason to listen to me, Zilu, but—
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	Okay.
Zilu didn't even let Hong Lu finish. She strode up to Lei Heng.
[Zilu embeds her blades into the stone floor and stands straight.]
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	Cut me down, ChachihuTiantui Star, the Winged Tiger.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	… Huh!
[Lei Heng takes a drag from his cigar.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Very well, MeizhelanTianjiu Star, the Unrestrained.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Wait, what are you—
Flame bursts forth, wreathing Lei Heng's intimidating podao, then rises into a raging pillar of fire before a single ring of light materializes around it.
On the other hand, a warm, comforting light, presumably the same light Lei Heng mentioned earlier, began to radiate and shimmer from Zilu's body.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I am Lei Heng. Capo of the Thumb, one of the Ten Blades of the East. I will now cut you down with all my might.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	Do you intend to cut me with your tongue?
[Lei Heng lunges at Zilu and the force of the strike pushes Zilu back. Scene fades to black.]
And as though on cue, Lei Heng slashed at Zilu's unmoving body with a diagonal cut.
[The screen shakes.]
	Manager DANTE	<…!>
The sheer wind pressure and the heat from the slash… it was powerful enough to push some of us back.
But…
[Screen wipe.]
Zilu was still standing, silently as she had been.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hot diggity… Know I wasn't goin' for the head, but it's some miracle ya managed to survive that hit.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	That 'Shin' thingamajig's one mighty sturdy thing, ain't it? My hand's all tingly.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hwell… it still ain't quite invincibility, is it?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Yer barely hangin' on… ain't ya?
[A red flash. Zilu appears, a deep diagonal slash across her torso.]
Blood burst from Zilu the moment Lei Heng asked, and…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Miss Zilu…!
Hong Lu ran up to Zilu to stop her fall.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Miss Zilu…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Why did you…?
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	Because it sufficed.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	The reply that you did not wish to see the one you care dearly for, sad.
Zilu continues resolutely, despite the gushing blood.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	And that is the 'true humanity' that I have learned… my path of justice, my humanity.
	Heishou Packs - Mao Branch Zilu	I'll leave the rest to you, clock.
	Manager DANTE	<…….>
This woman, whom I'd not even exchanged a single word with, calls me a friendly nickname.
When her own life's on the line.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hoo-ie! Finally got that annoyin' bunny outta the way.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Awrighty, I'm a man o' my word, and she knows it. That's why she let me cut 'er up so good.
[The screen shakes.]
With that, Lei Heng kicked Wei in our direction.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Take 'im. Three, four months of recovery and he should be back on his feet.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Well… if ya survive me today, that is.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Yer gonna take the young master and get that door open, ain't ya?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hwell, then…
[Zoom in on Lei Heng.]
Lei Heng begins walking in our direction, cracking his neck.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	… y'all ready to go a round?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Should be able to wrap this up by the time they're done with the ritual thing.
[Rapid zoom in on Lei Heng. The screen shakes.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	C'mon… Let's dance.

Mid-battle 1

Occurs after one (1) turn.

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Bridge to Tiekan Temple

	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Shoot, ya sure this is everything y'all got?
He's overwhelmingly powerful.
So this is a Capo of the Thumb… and one of the Ten Blades of the East.
I had to admit it. We simply don't have enough power to defeat him yet… especially with him coming at us with the intent to kill.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	That sword… Just as enticing as always.
I think back to one of our previous battles… Don Quixote of La Manchaland. He was undeniably a more powerful foe than Lei Heng.
There's a significant gulf of power between them two, I can sense it.
But we're struggling against him so much more…
… because unlike Don Quixote, this guy's actually trying to kill us.
His jocular demeanor seems to imply that to him, this was just another day at work, but…
… he's got no intentions of toying with us… he's going for the kill.
Didn't know that could make this much of a difference.
There was so much that separated him from the rest of us—his sheer physical strength, experience and skill, not to mention the powerful armor and the apparently famous weapon…
All of that combined into one became a wall that stood between us and our goal.
[Two bars meet horizontally, shrouding the scene in black, as if closing an eye.]
At least…
If we can somehow fight on equal ground…
[Scene reappears, zoomed in on Hong Lu.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Dante… What… should we try next?
Hong Lu asks with a slightly exhausted voice, but…
… he is smiling still.
[Zoom out.]
That's strange.
Hong Lu's never been the first one to ask the questions or share his opinions with the rest of us.
He'd reply to others' questions, or share a few detached observations when we were at an impasse, but…
[Zoom in.]
	Manager DANTE	<Hong Lu.>
This is probably a bad time to ask him this, but…
I had a burning question that needed to be answered.
[Screen wipe.]
	Manager DANTE	<Why… did you ask that?>
	Manager DANTE	<I mean, what I'm asking is—hm.>
	Manager DANTE	<Whatever I'm throwing at him doesn't seem to be working, and while I can keep bringing you guys back…>
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I think… I think I know what you mean.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But… I don't really know why I asked.
That was an odd thing to say, but Hong Lu's expression did not seem confused or complicated at all.
His eyes carried that sense of freedom of someone looking far off into the distant horizon.
[Zoom in. Screen shakes slightly.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I felt the window open slightly ajar in a dark, stuffy room.
[Zoom in. Screen shakes slightly.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Muffled noises have finally found a place to go, and a pleasant breeze has drifted through my room…
[Zoom in. Screen shakes slightly.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… and it carried me away to someplace else, little by little.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
His eyes focus on me.
[Zoom out.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Maybe that wind is why I became curious of your thoughts… and why I asked you about them, Dante.
[Screen wipe.]
	Manager DANTE	<… But…>
	Manager DANTE	<I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know what more I can do to get past this monster…>
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Dante.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	When you said you wanted me to make the decision…
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… did you expect that it would be this difficult?
[Screen moves left and right in disagreement before panning downward in defeat.]
	Manager DANTE	<… No. I didn't. Not like this.>
[Screen shakes slightly then pans up to Hong Lu.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Then, did you think that this task would be nothing more than a breeze?
[Screen pans down.]
	Manager DANTE	<… Of course not.>
[Zoom out.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But you gave me a chance to choose for myself anyway.
[Screen wipe.]
	Manager DANTE	<That's…>
	Manager DANTE	<That's because I had faith that it was the right thing to do.>
[Flash. Screen shakes.]
	Manager DANTE	<…!>
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Hehe.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	You already know, don't you?
I didn't have a clue as to what Hong Lu was going to do, but…
… I believed that his choice would be correct.
That's why he…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Even if you feel lost, even if you're not sure of our options now, Dante…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… I have faith that you will be able to find a different path.
[Flash. Pink flower petals flutter gently across the screen.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	That's what the gentle breeze whispered to me as it tickled my back.
[Scene shutters closed, leaving only a black background and the flower petals.]
… That's why Hong Lu trusted me.
[Scene reopens, a bright white background now accompanying the petals.]
Very well… then.
[The flower petals dissipate as the scene fades to black.]

[Golden Bough Resonance - Morositas Under mercy, all shall be made equal]
[Blue chains surround a bright white background.]
[A pulsating blue border appears at the screen's edges. The flower petals return.]
	Manager DANTE	<Under mercy, all shall be made equal…>
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Huhh…? Hwat in tarnation…?
	Manager DANTE	<By entering a contract with me, the Sinners' strengths were all raised up or dragged down to a similar level… despite the disparity before that.>
	Manager DANTE	<If we're in an unfair fight… all we need to do is level the playing field.>
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hah! No darn clue just what happened, but ya sure are keepin' this interesting.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Some kinda trick to bring me down to y'all's level, huh?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Now that's mighty unfair. Though, when the goin' gets tough, I get ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Awrighty then. Let's keep this rollin'.
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… So, have you decided what you want to do, Dante?
	Manager DANTE	<Yeah.>
[Rapid zoom in. Screen shakes.]
	Manager DANTE	<Time for round two.>

Mid-battle 2

Played when Lei Heng's HP is reduced to 20%.
The battle is not forcibly ended when the threshold is reached during a Turn. This cutscene plays at Turn End, even if Lei Heng's HP has been reduced past 20%.

Speaker		Dialogue
[Lei Heng takes a drag from his cigar.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I'll be frank, y'all. Real impressed that you even pushed me this far.
[Unsheathing his podao, Lei Heng rushes behind the sinners and slashes through them.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	But… Yoshihide…
[The flames on Lei Heng's podao intensify. He leaps into the air and cleaves downward. The screen shakes before going white.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	… Ya darn sure oughta've unsheathed that sword if ya really wanted to win!

Post-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Bridge to Tiekan Temple

	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	More of a sprinter than a marathoner, eh…
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Ya power don't hold up too well when the fight drags on. Time's up.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Y'all had heart, I'll give ya that… Shame this is where it ends.
	Manager DANTE	<But… this should've brought him down to our level…>
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	Sinner #2 FAUST	This may be… attributed to the gap in our combat experience.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I can… barely stand…
[Screen shakes.]
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Oi… no more whingin', lad.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	It ain't over 'till it's over, yeah? We'll… we'll get him eventually.
Heathcliff encouraged us with his usual bluntness, but… it was true that determination was the only thing keeping some Sinners on their feet.
The Tiekan Temple is right there, right in front of us… but we simply can't get past this final threshold.
Jia Qiu said that we were the key to stopping this war's powder keg from blowing, but…
… we're stopped by this one man on a bridge between us and the Temple.
[Screen dims and shakes slightly.]
I thought I'd finally found a way to even things out by resonating with the Golden Bough, but…
[Scene goes black.]
… I just don't see how we can get past this wall.
[Flash. Screen shakes.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Do not kneel.
A low, deep voice boomed from behind us.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Well I'll be— Ya sure got here fast.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	You coulda just taken yer sweet darn time, but you just had to get here now right as I was 'bout to finish 'em off, eh?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Ohhh~! I see now. Honey bunny didn't dig that hole for no reason, huh.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I'm mighty honored you came all the way down here to see me, but I reckon things'll go south real quick without ya bustin' heads out there.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	My presence here took precedence.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	For they are not the kind of people who must stagnate here.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	That so?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hwell, lessee, then.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Let's see who'll greet them fellers when they're done with their business…
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Let's see which of us'll get to roll out the red carpet.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	…….
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Always wanted to kick yer behind. Ain't this a mighty fine place to do it?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hot dang, I'm burnin' up…!
[Screen wipe.]
Despite Lei Heng's gung-ho provocations, Jia Qiu paid him no mind. He looked to Zilu, who was barely breathing. She was slumped against the wall.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	How long will you remain in slumber, Zilu?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	She ain't gonna wake up anytime soon, friendo. I really cut 'er up good this time.
[Lei Heng fades out.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Why don't I put ya to rest right next to 'er?
[Flash. Lei Heng appears behind Jia Qiu.]
Lei Heng's blade flashed with fire once again, and he charged like a lightning strike toward Jia Qiu.
But…
[Flash. Screen shakes.]
Jia Qiu's staff brought Lei Heng's blade to a screeching halt.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Brother…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Go.
[Flash. Screen shakes.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Lei Heng's forces have already been alerted to the fact that Jia Xichun has already entered the Tiekan Temple.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Thus… in that brief moment where Jia Xichun completes her ascension and exits the Tiekan Temple…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… they will attempt to cut off her head before she gains full control of the Hierarch's Heishou Pack.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	They will use the loophole that the ritual to become the Family Hierarch isn't truly over until she rises to the surface.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Jia Xichun does not have any substantial foundation nor sponsor who protects her—no family will come to her aid; it is most likely that they are simply waiting for someone to kill her in their stead.
[Two flashes. Screen shakes.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	However…
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	One thing I can give you is that, once you enter, and until you exit the temple alongside Jia Xichun…
[Flash. Screen shakes.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… not a single foe shall cross this bridge as long as I stand. Jia Xichun will survive this day.
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	And we will bring Xichun safely back to the surface and escort her to the seat of the Family Hierarch.
[Screen wipe.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Indeed. It will be a considerable undertaking for any family to strike down a Family Hierarch, even one without a foundation like Xichun.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… If that is your will, then I will help as well.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Daiyu…? How did you…
[Screen wipe.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	What in the goshdarn… I thought the Xue family'd turned against Daguanyuan already.
[Screen wipe.]
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… Not all Xue has.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Miss Baochai has sent me in secret to assist you.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	I have not come to discuss or pursue a lofty goal like… the future of Daguanyuan.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	I only wish that— … Neither I nor Miss Baochai wish to see you fall here.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… That is all.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	… Then stand with me.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Stand with me against the tide and defeat any foe that has made it through.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Gladly.
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… Thank you, Daiyu.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	…!
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Over there, soldiers…! A different force is marching toward the temple.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	You knew darn well that this was only a matter of time.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	If y'all think ya got what it takes, just try 'n stop us. Lessee if y'all can live up to your boasts.
[Flash. Screen shakes.]
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Go forth, Jia Baoyu.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	I have faith that your heart is true.

8-31: Temporary Truce

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Tiekan Temple Entrance

With them defending the bridge, we managed to reach Tiekan Temple's entrance…
… only to find the last people we ever wanted to see waiting at its gates.
[Screen wipe.]
	Manager DANTE	<N Corp.… And their troops, all of them wearing E.G.O Gear…>
It almost looks like they came here ready for a war.
[Screen wipe.]
	N Corp. Jia Huan	It has happened exactly as the Director said so herself, Gubo.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	… Goodness.
	N Corp. Gubo	What brings you such distress, my wilted and fallen, old fellow?
	N Corp. Gubo	It would have been no trouble for someone of your intelligence to surmise that we would be waiting where your journey ends.
	N Corp. Gubo	Or… has your love for the company of these new fellows slowed your mind?
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	The path I walk is a busy one.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	… And I have no words or sentiments to impart to someone such as yourself, when a dear fellow of mine requires my support and haste.
	N Corp. Gubo	… Huh.
Gubo opened his mouth to say something in response, but Yi Sang swiftly brushed past him without hesitation.
And…
	N Corp. Jia Huan	You certainly took your time, little brother.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	What's he…?
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Just waiting out here to greet you and your friends.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Do not glare at me so—you need only accept our offer, and we shan't have to fight.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	A… temporary truce, if you will.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… Seriously, a truce? Here and now?
	N Corp. Jia Huan	It so happens that we have business to see to in there.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	… And Jia Baoyu… you're our only key.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	You must've come here in search of the Golden Bough, as you always are.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	But that is not what we've come here for.
	N Corp. Gubo	We intend to leave here as soon as we earn the 'sample', something far more important to us than the Golden Bough itself.
	N Corp. Gubo	Let us not engage in a skirmish that, after all, shall be in vain.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	And you just expect us to believe—
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Think about it for a second. Would we have forfeited with so little hesitation, had our purpose been to claim the Golden Bough?
	N Corp. Jia Huan	We thought coming in third would be more than enough to procure what we came for.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I see… So you weren't acting on behalf of the Jia family at all… but for N Corp. all along.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	… Are you all really that stupid? You must be.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	I don't recall ever hiding my allegiance to N Corp. the last time we met… or did all of you collectively choose to forget that?
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Besides… I wouldn't lower myself to participate in this messy little game of Family Hierarch war for something so worthless as the honor of the Jia family.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	I have not once lived for this family since the day I changed my name.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	N Corp. Jia Huan	… The Shi family hired us, the N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Our job was to void the results of the Evaluation if a Shi family candidate fails to win the contest.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	They never change, do they? Mediocre qualifications, yet… always coveting something far beyond their reach.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	And as you might expect, N Corp. does not give up so easily.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	If you would not accept my truce, we can simply… sit here and wait for you to do something in this standoff. We're not the ones pressed for time.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… I hope we're not taking his words at face value.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	We're not, but… do we have any alternatives? He's already stalled us enough.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	He's right, we're the ones running out of time…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Jia Qiu is strong, really strong, but… not even he can stop all those soldiers on his own forever.
I'm growing anxious.
He says he's willing to leave us alone once he gets what he wants, but… there's no way for us to be sure of that.
But it's hardly a good idea to fight them now or remain locked in this standoff for who knows how long.
	Manager DANTE	<If this fight is inevitable… it's better to enter a truce with them for now, find Xichun, and then fight them if we must.>
Besides, Hong Lu said Xichun might be in danger. I had to prioritize that, no matter what.
	Manager DANTE	<… It can't be helped. Let's head inside.>
So I made the call.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Okay, let's try your idea.
[Screen wipe.]
	N Corp. Jia Huan	So you've decided to open the door? Hmph, at least your leader has some semblance of intelligence.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Here's to our fruitful yet brief cooperation.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Lead the way, we'll be right behind you.
And we…
… finally made it to the great gates of Tiekan Temple.
	Manager DANTE	<Hong Lu…?>
Hong Lu approached the gate handles.
Then, with one hand over his other eye, he brings his jade eye close to an engraved hole in the gates.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	My eye is the only key… to opening these gates from the outside.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	It's so that I can visit the elders whenever they want me there.

8-32: To be Free from Aging and Death

The Hongyuan Elders are not formally introduced during the flashback.
In-game, their sprites appear on screen, but a default "Other" icon is used in the Story Log.
The Elders' dialogues will have their designated Story Icon here for clarity.

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
[Flashback.]
Location: Tiekan Temple Entrance, Past

	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	I don't wanna go inside… I'm scared…
	Jia Family Lady Wang	Baoyu, our little Baoyu, the gem of our family…
	Jia Family Lady Wang	How many times must I tell you that you mustn't fear? It was always your destiny to be the precious jade of our family and the elders. That was decided the moment you were born…
	Jia Family Jia Zheng	The revered Xianren await your arrival. Y-you mustn't make them wait…
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Silence. Your craven behavior is unbecoming before the presence of a precious object.
	Jia Family Jia Zheng	… My humble apologies.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Little Baoyu, you are not like the others.
	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	I'm… not?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Only those who are blinded to the true forms find themselves delighted or repulsed by material beauty and malformation.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	They are the past and the future of Daguanyuan.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	It is only thanks to their deeds and good karma that such luxuries of Daguanyuan are permitted to us; you must always maintain a most grateful heart. Am I understood?
	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	But… but…
[Lady Wang, Jia Zheng, and Jia Mu fade away as the background fades to black.]
	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	They're… so scary.
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior, Past

	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	… I'm here.
[Screen wipe.]
	Daguanyuan Elder	Welcome, little Baoyu.
	Daguanyuan Elder	We have waited long for your arrival.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Gwehh… Keh… Gunngh…
	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	Oh, today must be your molting day.
[Screen shakes.]
	Daguanyuan Suffering Attendant	Young master… please… save me…
	Daguanyuan Suffering Attendant	If… if I'd known… I'd never have… volunteered…
	Daguanyuan Elder	Gwuh… Gnh…
	Daguanyuan Elder	Ha ha, I see that you're enjoying it down to the spinal marrows.
	Daguanyuan Elder	I must remind you to hand its flesh over to me, once you have drunk it in full.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Your greed in claiming extra chunks of its flesh almost harmed the integrity of my body.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Baoyu, oh Baoyu… we cannot await the day you are fully grown…
	Daguanyuan Elder	We eagerly await the day you are to depart Daguanyuan, to see far and beyond, to witness and hear things of great worth.
	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	… Okay. Thank you.
[Fade to black. End flashback.]
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Welcome, little Baoyu.

	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Is it not too early an hour for you to greet the elders?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The ascension of the new Family Hierarch is yet to be completed.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Gah… Xi-Xichun!
Before Jia Mu was Xichun, lying unconscious on what looked like an altar.
And…
	Daguanyuan Elder	Hmmmh… They are…
Despite our sudden arrival, they all turned to us at once without even a hint of mild surprise.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	…….
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	They're… the 'revered' Xianren that all of Daguanyuan venerate and worship so profusely…?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	… Indeed. I knew this would happen.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Ooh, come hither! Come hither!
	Daguanyuan Elder	Ahh, it is them. We have been looking forward to meeting you all.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	You… recognize us?
	Daguanyuan Elder	I must say, the blood-crafted rides at the amusement park made for quite the interesting show.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	…!
	Daguanyuan Elder	I was aware that the Bloodfiends are imbued with rather unique powers… yet it was most enticing to witness the manifestations of their might myself.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Even I did not know that a higher Kindred commands such overwhelming might. His abilities were quite distinguished from that of the Bloodfiend Elder of Hongyuan.
	Daguanyuan Elder	We'd be remiss to not mention the laboratory at the basement of that manor.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Hoho, it truly was a most wonderful sight.
	Daguanyuan Elder	We were most delighted to watch that man melt into nothingness… only to be remolded and reborn as something new. You should have been here to hear our thunderous applause!
	Daguanyuan Elder	And I would like to commend you all.
	Daguanyuan Elder	For the sheer hatred and ferocity you have demonstrated when you rowed so valiantly into the Pallid Whale's belly.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Truly a most dramatic moment. We could almost feel the heat of your determination to take a life from here—the first of hatred and vengeance.
	Sinner #3 DON QUIXOTE	… Thou hast been watching us all along, then.

	Daguanyuan Elder	Indeed, through Baoyu's jade…
	Daguanyuan Elder	… we have witnessed this journey of yours from beginning to now.
	Daguanyuan Elder	What a priceless offering you have all been!
	Daguanyuan Elder	It was a wise decision to make Baoyu depart from this place.
	Daguanyuan Elder	We did not have a moment to feel even an inkling of tedium.
	Daguanyuan Elder	I find it quite exciting to see you all, those we had only peered through the jade… so up close and in person.
	Daguanyuan Elder	It is said that in recent years in the City, some subset of the population would see the present circumstance as an occasion to receive their 'signatures' to a mysterious end.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Mm… it seemed that 'subset of the population' are referred to as 'fans'.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	What manner of insanity is this?
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	You have sought immortality so diligently, only to encase yourselves in this theater of fools where one does naught but leer at plays made up of the lives of others?
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Eons of emptiness, filled with naught but struggle against tedium…
	Daguanyuan Elder	I have found true enlightenment in this life of eons: that the most important part of life…
	Daguanyuan Elder	… is pleasure, all along!
	Daguanyuan Elder	Every other emotion is fleeting and meaningless—we can no longer feel them.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Death is finite, yet boredom is infinite.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Big… big bro…?
Jia Xichun seemed to have regained consciousness. She called out to Hong Lu in a faint, fading voice.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	I see that you have come to.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Where am… I? W-where is thi— Ah, venerable Jia Mu…
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The noblest land in Daguanyuan, where the revered Xianren reside.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	You have but one more ritual to complete to become the Family Hierarch.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	I… I…
Jia Xichun's face was contorted with sheer, unadulterated fear.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Now, present yourself with the utmost respect for our ancestor, our steadfast root, the one who has become an Anamnaworm for the sake of Hongyuan, the great families, and their descendants.
	Daguanyuan The Elders	Ah, blessed be the Xianhuang Worm, the Anamnaworm of the Immortal Emperor!
	Manager DANTE	<…!>
[Jia Mu begins to shake violently as the background fades to black.]
The trembling voices begin to swell with emotion as they begin to harmonize as one…
[Flash. The scene fades back in.]
… Something squirms beneath the skin of Jia Mu's neck. It continues to quiver, slowly taking shape… sculpting into a face, then to a head protruding from her flesh.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Ahhh… Nope, no thank you, I'm not gonna look.
The face holds an expression so benevolent that it appears almost… eerie.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	That thing… is that…
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… is that the Anamnaworm?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Only by accepting his eminence into your body shall you have the honor of becoming one with the revered Xianren in both psyche and soma.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The unparalleled honor of receiving generations of knowledge, wisdom… all of which has been accumulated through our venerated elders.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Be honored to be in audience of such a great man.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The first to be metamorphosized into the form of an Anamnaworm—the founding Hierarch of Daguanyuan.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	One could spend their entire lifetime venerating and exalting his greatness—and they would still fall short of all the blessings he has bestowed upon us.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	…….
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	He has never graced your presence until now, little Baoyu.
	Daguanyuan Elder	He is the one who has amassed the greatest quantity of deeds among us; know that his wisdom is without equal.
	Daguanyuan Elder	The plan to manifest the precious jade of Daguanyuan was formulated by magnificence.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Many, many years passed until the Family Hierarchs… both those who came before and after my reign… came to realize that what we needed was amusement.
[Screen wipe.]
	Daguanyuan Elder	Oh, the commiserator of our pain! Our suffering from tedium and meaninglessness, this all-consuming emptiness!
	Daguanyuan Elder	He has bestowed this royal palace with a peerless gem for us!
	Daguanyuan Elder	That is the day Tiekan Temple became complete. A land of endless amusement and pleasure… a land where we needn't empty our thoughts any longer.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Paradise on earth, is it not?
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Revolting.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Revolting insects, scouring for morsels of satisfaction from peeping.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	To sacrifice so many innocent lives for so little… All for these deficient forms of immortality…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	So much for 'the Enlightened Ones', you vile ghouls… Hah, man.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Grandmother, I would like to ask you something.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	What happens when the new Hierarch…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… accepts the Anamnaworm of the great ancestor?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	She will be gifted with the accumulated wisdom of all Xianren here.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Then, she will be freed from this pathetic, disconnected body of an individual… Freed to share both her emotions and reason with all of us…
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	… and eventually, evolve into a transcendent being that exists solely to dedicate herself for the prosperity of Daguanyuan.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	A being that exists solely for the prosperity of Daguanyuan….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Do all who accept the Xianhuang Worm… end up desiring immortality?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	All those who have accomplished a certain degree of deeds naturally carry the desire for immortality. It is simply human.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Every Family Hierarch must find their own secret to immortality over the course of their reign to the day they abdicate the responsibility, as all Xianren have thus far.
	Sinner #9 RODION	… What's up with this weird obsession, huh?
	Sinner #9 RODION	You've all carried the mantle of Hierarch. Each of you was the top dog of a whole Wing. You must’ve all lived lives with all the bells and whistles it has to offer, so how come you all ended up living hidden away like this in some dank basement?
	Daguanyuan Elder	Insignificant worms destined to crawl their entire, miserable lives under our feet to their dying days, to depart this world having accomplished precisely nothing, shall not understand.
	Daguanyuan Elder	That we refuse to return to the void of nonexistence, leaving behind all of our labors and accomplishments that has brought Hongyuan to its present glory!
	Daguanyuan Elder	Were we to fall, so too shall Daguanyuan…
	Daguanyuan Elder	… and so too shall Hongyuan.
	Daguanyuan Elder	How are we to leave Hongyuan behind, our own creation?!
	Daguanyuan Elder	The life of a mere Hierarch, destined to peter out before it even reaches a century, is hardly enough time to truly lead.
	Daguanyuan Elder	We existed at Hongyuan's incipience.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Thus exist we shall, at the end of Hongyuan.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Blimey, ask one question and you get the whole bloody chorus.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	We have tarried overlong.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	To accept the Anamnaworm of the ancestor is very much like the experience of being reborn.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Is it not what you have sought so desperately, to stand before the masses in their undivided attention and awe?
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Am I… am I going to be like them, too?
[Screen shakes.]
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	I remember him… He… he's my great-great-grandfather. I thought he'd left to meditate a long, long time ago.
[Screen shakes.]
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	He used to sneak me snacks… and told me so many old fables and stories…
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Fear is fleeting next to the eternity of euphoria that awaits you, girl. I have experienced the very same myself.
Jia Mu slowly approaches Xichun.
… And…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… Xichun.
… Hong Lu takes a step toward her, too.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Remember what you… asked me earlier?
[Flashback.]
Location: Backstreets of District 8, Recent Past

	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Is this even your call, brother?
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Or are you just following their orders?
[End flashback.]
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Back then, I didn't really understand why you asked me that question.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But now…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… I'd like to ask you the same thing.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Xichun, do you really want to become the Family Hierarch?
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	I…
[Flashback.]
Location: Somewhere in Daguanyuan, Past

	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Wooo! Today's been so much fun, big bro.
[Screen pans down to the table, sweeping across the various dishes laid out.]
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Xichun gets to play with big bro aaaall day and get a present too, and she didn't even have to do anything!
[Zoom out. The scene blurs.]
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	I think it'd be so cool if we could play together just like this forever and ever and ever!
[End flashback.]
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	…….
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	No… no, no, I don't.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	I don't… Not like this.
[Screen wipe.]
	N Corp. Jia Huan	… Ridiculous.
	N Corp. Gubo	Tsk.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	What this child desires is of no relevance.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Tradition wills this sacred ritual, and tradition cannot be defied.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	As our forefathers have… as we have…
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	… you need only do as you are told.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	For that is the Hierarch's destiny.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Destiny? Sacred ritual? All I see here are a bunch of beyond geriatric bastards looking to turn her into just another tool in their hands to prop up their opulence.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	You can't… force her into doing something she doesn't want.
	N Corp. Gubo	My, my. Ha Yung, your friends certainly talk as though they're living in some dreamland. No wonder they are fellows of yours! Ha ha.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Foolish girl. The will of an individual is trivial in Daguanyuan.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Only by the acceptance of that truth shall you preserve your life. How dare you allow such insolence to guide your tongue?!
	Daguanyuan Elder	Hoho, be not agitated. That child, Ishmael, is a rebel by nature. Such recalcitrance is best allowed to slide as a puerile resistance of an immature thing.
	Daguanyuan Elder	What do children who have experienced less than half a century know to speak of wisdom?
	Daguanyuan Elder	We have watched your journey from its incipience to now; thus we know you better than anyone.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Their lives have been shaped by nothing but foolhardy, young, witless, and flawed choices.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Yet from their foolish choices, we have found amusement… And by their foolish choices, was this journey they call 'adventure' made possible.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Adventures are indeed luxuries of imbeciles; it was quite enthralling to watch as you made choices that we never would have made.
	Daguanyuan Elder	We have watched as you battled your way here; thus, we know what you have come here for.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Yet the answer is simple; you need only allow the Anamnaworm to enter Jia Xichun, help her assume the responsibility of the Hierarch, and all of this chaos, this adventure, shall be resolved! And we need only await our next amusement to begin!
	Daguanyuan Elder	Jia Mu, it would be thoughtless of us to not bring up the day of the Kong family massacre when discussing our finest amusements.
[Screen wipe.]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	You honor me, revered Xianren.
[Screen wipe.]
	Daguanyuan Elder	Non-human beings of intelligence, birthed within the boundaries of the City… breeding… again and again…
	Daguanyuan Elder	The newborns, torn and ripped to shreds by the Head, before being swept away.
	Daguanyuan Elder	And the crème de la crème—our little witness, Baoyu's tears blurring his vision… and his most fascinating transformation from the day onward… we all experienced the heights of stimulation that day.
	Daguanyuan Elder	You have done well, Jia Mu. What an effort that must have been.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Now you may join us here in Tiekan Temple, join us in this eternal witnessing, to the last of your endless days!
	Daguanyuan Elder	And do look forward to the new amusement that Jia Xichun shall bring us…
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	…….
	Daguanyuan Elder	Young and foolish adventurers, dearest companions of little Baoyu!
	Daguanyuan Elder	Fulfill your purpose for having come here. Daguanyuan's survival hinges on the completion of the next Family Hierarch’s ascension.
They weren't wrong. Our purpose for coming here…
… was to quickly certify the next Family Hierarch, have her remove the outside forces that have invaded Daguanyuan, and prevent the conflagration of war.
But…
	Daguanyuan Elder	Their other purpose for visiting Hongyuan was to obtain an artifact called the Golden Bough.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Aha! That nearly slipped my mind.
	Daguanyuan Elder	They have gathered under one banner to find the artifacts known as the Golden Boughs, and are motivated solely to acquire them.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Thus, show it to them. Show them the gift we have prepared.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Your wish is my command, venerable Xianren.
[A flash of yellow.]
	Manager DANTE	<…!>
What Jia Mu showed us was… the Golden Bough, shimmering in its familiar incandescence.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Baoyu, do as you have always done.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Accept this Golden Bough, and embark on your next 'adventure' for us.
[Screen shakes.]
	Daguanyuan The Elders	This is our gift, our token of appreciation to you for the amusement you have and will continue to provide us.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Hong Lu…
Sinclair looked at Hong Lu with a sad expression. I couldn't quite tell if he was worried about what choice Hong Lu would make, or if he was feeling a sort of sympathy for him.
	Manager DANTE	<Sinclair.>
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	… Yeah?
	Manager DANTE	<He's got it.>
But I think I already knew what Hong Lu's choice was going to be.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	… Little Baoyu?
There is a light smile on his lips.
He stands still.
[Screen wipe.]
	N Corp. Jia Huan	…….
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Little brother, do not let me down another time.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Jia Mu has so generously presented this opportunity before you—seize it.
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Grandmother.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	What… will you do, if Xichun refuses to accept the Anamnaworm to the end?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The exalted Xianhuang Anamnaworm is too frail to have his form manifested outside a body for overlong.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Not to mention how the sacred ritual to accept him into one's body is a very precise procedure; continued resistance could pose a significant risk to her life.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	And you would both do well to recall that there are many in Daguanyuan who desire the responsibility of the Family Hierarch.
[Screen shakes slightly.]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The very same rabble who are willing to abandon their own flesh and blood if it meant that they could seize power.
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	So…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	If Miss Xichun refuses to the end…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	You're just gonna shove that worm into her ear, damned be the risk to her life…
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	… and if she dies in the process, you'll just swap her out with someone else?
	Daguanyuan Elder	That is why she must accept our exalted ancestor into herself with deferential welcome.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	This whole… Family Hierarch war… the whole thing's a sham. It's all just a meaningless charade.
[Screen shakes.]
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Like the contrived condition that you have to find the answer to immortality and kick all of your siblings off some stupid competition to become the Family Hierarch.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	All of it, just for their filthy greed and this disgusting amusement…
[Screen shakes.]
	Daguanyuan Elder	Allow us to impart a counsel for you, O orphaned child of tragic stupidity.
	Daguanyuan Elder	What other method would there be, if not the Family Hierarch Evaluation, to determine if a prospective candidate is someone with enough wit to provide us amusement like this Jia Mu's destruction of the Kong family?
	Daguanyuan Elder	Thus the Evaluation is no meaningless charade!
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I'm sorry, grandmother.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I can't take that Golden Bough.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	…….
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Why do you choose this path, Baoyu?
[Screen shakes.]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The company that has taken you desires for nothing more than this Golden Bough.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Yeah, maybe. But…
[Flashback.]
Location: Front Gates of Daguanyuan, Past

	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	Um… I don't have a wish or anything like that.
	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	So as long as you help me continue to float away, I'll do whatever you ask of me.
	??? Faust	…….
	??? Faust	It is troublesome for us to employ you with an incomplete wish.
	??? Faust	Then allow us to propose something. We promise to give you something to desire.
	??? Faust	In other words, we will give you… something to want.
	Gem of the Jia Family Jia Baoyu	But what does it mean to… want?
	??? Faust	It is a sensation that moves your heart…
	??? Faust	A sort of hunger, or a yearning.
	??? Faust	Once you have that, you will no longer simply float downstream, surrendered to the ebb and flow of the water currents.
[End flashback.]
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I see. Now might be the time.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Even if it means that I must push against the currents… even if it means that I'll be abandoned…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I don't think I can sit here and watch as you force her to become a Hierarch she doesn't want to be.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	You would rather walk away from this comfortable, treaded path and venture a thorny one?
	N Corp. Jia Huan	You would rather have even more blood on your hands?
	N Corp. Jia Huan	All you had to do was to let it happen. And we could have both gained what we came here for and left, ending this excruciating experience of having to look at your face.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	What… what is your organization even after?
	N Corp. Jia Huan	I also have a question for all of you.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Have you really walked a pristine path of no bloodshed? Can you really say that you've not caused anyone to suffer in your pursuit of Golden Boughs?
	N Corp. Jia Huan	You have left behind countless deaths and sacrifices for that sole purpose. You've turned a blind eye to every single suffering in your wake.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	So what's another death, another sacrifice? Is your little sister, whom you haven't even spoken with in a long time, mind, suddenly more important than the bough? Now that's some rich hypocrisy.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	Pursue your interests, pursue the reward that lies right before your eyes. Why must you make things so difficult?
[Screen wipe.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I wonder the same, brother. All this time, I had no qualms about simply watching things float away… so why is it so hard to let go all of a sudden?
[Screen wipe.]
	N Corp. Gubo	Then… it would be reasonable to assume that this truce is no more.
	N Corp. Gubo	… That insignificant girl has to accept the Anamnaworm before we are to acquire what we came here for.
	N Corp. Jia Huan	… Hah. Disgusting as always.
As if on cue, Gubo, Jia Huan, and their subordinates began to assume a battle stance.

8-33: Happiness, Wrath, Sorrow, and Joy

Pre-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior

	Sinner #13 GREGOR	Now that's an annoying trick…
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Tsk, everything's just bouncing off that sod…
	Sinner #2 FAUST	The fact that N Corp. has already found a way to successfully extract E.G.O has already been identified.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	…However, it is at a more advanced stage than we had imagined.
	Sinner #2 FAUST	But they physically… could not have had enough time to reach this level of completion.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	You're not the most pleasant bastard to be around, but… I must admit, you are certainly capable.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Gubo	Hmph. It is no surprise that a layperson such as yourself fails to see through the vast mind of a scientist.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Gubo	It really happened as my research deemed it would, did it not? The defensive field generated by this E.G.O is invincible.
	Daguanyuan Elder	The lineage of Hierarchs must continue. The bequeathment of immortality must continue. The amusements of life must continue.
	Daguanyuan Elder	This momentary lapse in judgment mustn't be allowed to shake Daguanyuan's status quo.
	Daguanyuan Elder	You need only remain a gem, nothing more. Your only responsibility was to keep that jade clean, free of marring, to bring further glory to Daguanyuan.
	Daguanyuan Elder	Jia Mu! Correct the foolishly lost child's wanderings! Return him to the rightful road!
	Daguanyuan Elder	Why does the gem, the child that must witness nothing but the greatest luxuries at the apex of the world, endeavor to become a worthless stone again?
	Daguanyuan Elder	Now ensure that the child, the beneficiary of our love and care, may fulfill his duty and purpose for existence.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	What a tragic turn of events.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	I meant to bestow you the Golden Bough, forsaking one of the paths to immortality that I had acquired…
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	…yet you would rather pursue the pointless, fleeting charade? Against your own grandmother?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Yes. Grandmother, elders… you have all loved and cared for me more than anyone else in Daguanyuan has.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	And that's why, while my own brothers and sisters were doomed to spend the rest of their lives killing each other…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I could simply witness the lives plummet to the cold earth, all from the comfort of my own room.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	My parents also told me that I should be thankful for being born as a gem. That I should feel lucky that all I have to do is just keep an eye open.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But… grandmother…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	…What if I told you I'm exhausted… tired of just glimmering on?
[Music cuts. A flash of gold, followed by the sound of something being stabbed into flesh.]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	[Impaled by the Golden Bough.] A precious jade has no such thing as wants or desires.
	Manager DANTE	<…!>
	Manager DANTE	<The Golden Bough…?>
The Golden Bough slides into Jia Mu's body and begins to flicker, its power spiraling into her body.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The rewinding process you have shown us in the first round was most fascinating.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	And it has unlocked a new level of understanding in me—the true worth of this artifact, previously unnoticed and allowed to remain untouched within the depths of our treasury.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Once we leave this little… ruckus behind, I will be sure to put that Golden Bough within the 'rewinding thing' to good use as well.

Mid-battle 1

Speaker		Dialogue
[Jia Mu brings forth a Bolus toward her mouth before eating it.]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Be honored in my presence, for you… …are the first to witness the power of this Bolus
[The body of Jia Mu twists and contorts, then locks into place.]

Mid-battle 2

Played when Jia Mu reaches 50% HP.

Speaker		Dialogue
[Static filter.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I've witnessed so many lights…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So many colors…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	And so many emotions.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Everything that I had to witness drew my gaze away from the rest of the world.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So, my world is nothing but a meaningless mess of confusing, patternless, and incongruent colors.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Sometimes I'd wonder…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… what kind world reflects in the eyes of others.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Just what kind of world do they live in, that they become so attached to these silly little splotches in a myriad of colors?
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior

[Static ends.]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Why concern yourself with the way mayflies live?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Their concern is only for what lies immediately before them; they are myopic, unable to see far enough to achieve anything of significance.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Do you believe that Hongyuan could have risen to its present reputation and prosperity had it not been for the revered Xianren?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	The other Nests would have destroyed and devoured us whole.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Hong Lu…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	I know that not everything in your world was colorful. But…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	You must've felt something.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Something that made you feel, like… a heart.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Do you believe so?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But it slipped away from me so, so long ago.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	And this place is too vast to find anything once lost.
	Manager DANTE	<That's not true.>
	Manager DANTE	<I'm sure you'll find it again. As long as you put your mind to it.>
	Manager DANTE	<As long as your heart is truly in it.>
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Little Baoyu. Do not let these empty words stir you.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	What could a frivolous thing like your puerile heart possibly do… before the great will of Hongyuan…?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Oh… Oh, revered Xianren of my heart… do you also believe that to be true…?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	You understand…! You acknowledge and appreciate my life, all that time I've sacrificed for Hongyuan…!
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Hahahahahaha! The revered Xianren of my heart speaks!
[Jia Mu transforms into Muddled Heishou of the Corpse Palanquin [混覺轀輬黑獸]]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	That I, following in the great will of Daguanyuan… shall be reborn…!
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	… Reborn as a mighty, noble, and… immortal being!

Mid-battle 3

Played when Muddled Heishou of the Corpse Palanquin [混覺轀輬黑獸] reaches 85% Core HP.

Speaker		Dialogue

[Static filter.]
	Kong Family Lin Daiyu	And tomorrow, we'll play whatever big bro Baoyu's favorite game is. How's that for a plan, huh?
	Kong Family Lin Daiyu	But what do you want? Here's some homework for you—when we meet tomorrow, you better have come up with something you like, okay?
[Static ends. 喜xǐ is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
Happiness.
It cannot have been much fun to be around me, but Daiyu always invited me to play with her.
She was always the first to sense how I was feeling, always the one to be there for me…
Always the one to be sad for me, to be angry in my place…
It almost deluded me into believing that I was no longer just a gem stuffed in a treasury.

Mid-battle 4

Played when Muddled Heishou of the Corpse Palanquin [混覺轀輬黑獸] reaches 60% Core HP.

Speaker		Dialogue

[Static filter.]
	Jia Famly Jia Huan	I wanna play a Bolus making game!
	Jia Famly Jia Huan	Gather a bunch of sand, and pebbles, and leaves, and seed to make a Bolus, and the best Bolus wins!
[Static ends. 乐lè is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Joy.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Huan always liked to follow me around. He probably wanted grandmother to recognize him.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Huan always had this… dream, even as a little boy.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	He wanted to be one of the top Bolus makers in the City.

[Static filter.]
	Jia Famly Jia Huan	Bro… ther… I'm… sorry… I should've listened… to you…
	Jia Famly Jia Huan	But I was just so… envious… I just wanted to know… what they were gonna show here…
[White flash. Static ends. 乐lè is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Maybe he really could have achieved that.

Mid-battle 5

Played when Muddled Heishou of the Corpse Palanquin [混覺轀輬黑獸] reaches 40% Core HP.

Speaker		Dialogue

[Static filter.]
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Mu	Come, little Baoyu. It is time for you to visit the elders.
[Static ends. 哀āi is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Sorrow.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	They were always so kind to me, the elders. But I wanted to play with Daiyu instead.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	With time, I stopped being so afraid of them. But…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… they always speak as though they know every little thing about me.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	My only use is to be a window, an amusement for the elders in their long, tedious lives.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I don't need to talk much. I only need to see as many interesting things as possible and wear a pleasant smile for them.
[Static filter.]
	Daguanyuan Xiren	It cannot be helped, young master.
	Daguanyuan Xiren	The prudent option would be to witness it all in silence.
[White flash. Static ends. 哀āi is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I wish Xiren could be back to her old self again.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But I know that can't happen. So I smiled.

Mid-battle 6

Played when Muddled Heishou of the Corpse Palanquin [混覺轀輬黑獸] reaches 15% Core HP.

Speaker		Dialogue

[Static filter.]
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Play with me, big bro.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	This room's tooooo big for just Xichun.
[Flash of white.]
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	You… never should have said that. To me.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	… I won't be visiting you ever, ever again.
[Static ends. 怒nù is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Wrath.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Xichun was once a child who found happiness in the smallest things. A child who used to like playing with me.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But once she gets older, she'll be like every other child in Daguanyuan.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	She will resent me, envy me, and try to kill anyone else who's shooting for the seat of the Family Heirarch.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But… I hoped that she wouldn't come to hate me. So once again, I smiled.

[Static filter.]
	Xue Family Xue Pan	I… I didn't have to die yesterday… I didn't have to die yesterday if you'd just helped me.
	Xue Family Xue Pan	Do you have any idea how much it hurts when they chop off your neck? It hurts. It really, really hurts, but you can't even scream.
	Xue Family Xue Pan	I wish for nothing but the worst sufferings in what's left of your miserable life.
[White flash. Static ends. 怒nù is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Xue Pan never wanted to fight. He was a pacifist with a soft heart that could easily be brought to tears.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But after a few deaths, his every word became a stabbing thorn.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	And he gladly impales me with them as he curses me. And I end up hoping that everything that he curses me with comes true.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So I smiled again.
File:Story BG.png
[Static filter.]
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Baoyu, Grandma and Mother tell me that there are no other women in Daguanyuan who can possibly match up to you… other than me.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Let's live the happiest life we can together, okay? We'll see only the pleasant sights, eat only the best food out there, and enjoy the beautiful luxuries life has to offer. Aren't you excited?
[White flash. Static ends. 怒nù is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Baochai loved me, but what she loved was not a person—only the light that I radiate.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Just as I loved her fragrance.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Letting the will of Daguanyuan carry me away would have had me wed big sis Baochai.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But this feeling she spoke of, this excitement, was nothing more than a heavy, cumbersome accessory.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	It was unwieldly, and it was much more than what I deserved. So I smiled.

[Static filter.]
	Bodyguard Lin Daiyu	So now you'd rather isolate yourself in this room?
	Bodyguard Lin Daiyu	I don't know what to do anymore. Whenever I see your smile, I…
	Bodyguard Lin Daiyu	I find myself drawn to it… before I become so hateful of it that I never want to see it again.
[White flash. Static ends. 怒nù is shown in the background. Fade to black.]
…….
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Daiyu will now hate me for the rest of her life, just as everyone else in Daguanyuan does.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So it's better that I shut myself off in my room.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	She could've left me then, but she chose to remain by my side.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Maybe it wasn't a choice at all. Maybe she was bound to me.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	It's my fault that she has nowhere else to go.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So the only thing I could show her in response was…

Mid-battle 7

Played when Muddled Heishou of the Corpse Palanquin [混覺轀輬黑獸] is defeated.

Speaker

Dialogue

Location: Tiekan Temple Interior

The Hierarch of Hongyuan

Jia Mu

Your only duty is to witness.

The Hierarch of Hongyuan

Jia Mu

That is all you are, that is all you will ever be capable of. You know this better than anyone else.

Sinner #1
YI SANG

… Hong Lu, your smile has changed not once. Then or now.

Sinner #1
YI SANG

But we have come to know that your smile is more than a shell.

Sinner #1
YI SANG

I know that it is the same smile that brought me to the past, the same smile that I thought resembled Brother Young-ji's.

Sinner #1
YI SANG

Thus… I know your distant yet true heart, Hong Lu.

Sinner #1
YI SANG

There was aught you had felt from us, was there not?

[Scene of Gregor fighting against False Apple.
The text Solidute. Steadfast. Lingering. is shown on screen.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Solidute. Steadfast. Lingering. So bitter, yet… so intolerably exhausted…

[Scene of Rodion and other Sinners escaping Baba Yaga.
The text Loneliness. Regret. Anticipation. is shown on screen.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Loneliness. Regret. Anticipation. The castle of ice was so lonely and cold, despite your smile…

[Scene of Sinclair fighting against Kromer the Dreamer of Human Wholeness.
The text Conflict. Anguish. Courage. is shown on screen.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Conflict. Anguish. Courage. But there was a desperate resolve to overcome it all nonetheless…

[Scene of Yi Sang stabbing Effloresced E.G.O::Farmwatch with his Crow's Eye View E.G.O.
The text Longing. Melancholy. Warmth. is shown on screen.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Longing. Melancholy. Warmth. The wings unfurled were so blinding, so brilliant…

[Scene of Ishmael piercing the Pallid Whale's heart with her Snagharpoon E.G.O.
The text Passion. Adventure. Ferocity. is shown on screen.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Passion. Adventure. Ferocity. The journey, finally in search of a destination, found liberation…

[Scene of Heathcliff clashing against Erlking Heathcliff with his Bodysack E.G.O.
The text Futility. Determination. Love. is shown on screen.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Futility. Determination. Love. The declaration was beautiful, though to whom I could not know…

[Scene of Sancho clashing against Don Quixote with her La Sangre de Sancho E.G.O.
The text Exhilaration. Tragedy. Excitement. is shown on screen.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Exhilaration. Tragedy. Excitement. I learned how beautiful and incandescent the light of a continuing dream could be.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

But I also know that they're just fleeting things, destined to be lost to time.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

As all things return to dust, so will these emotions, no matter how hotly they once burned.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

I'm not like the rest of you.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

I don't want to change anything. I don't want to achieve anything, either.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

So I just watch… with a smile, a perpetual smile.

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

<Something's probably going to blow Heathcliff's fuse again.>

Manager
DANTE

<You'll see the Sinners, your friends, get killed again.>

Manager
DANTE

<We'll fail again, too. The kind of failure that leaves us with nothing. The kind of failure that leaves us stagnant.>

Manager
DANTE

<But…>

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

<You're going to miss the days you went out kiting.
	And when Don Quixote starts to regale us with yet another one of her tales of adventure, you're going to join in to indulge her.>

Manager
DANTE

File:Story BG.png

Manager
DANTE

<You're going to suddenly realize that the scenery past the bus windows have changed, and that they've become beautiful for once.>

Manager
DANTE

<You're going to feel your heart swell for no reason, when you listen to the Sinners laugh and giggle behind you.>

Manager
DANTE

[Fade to black.]

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

Sinner #6
HONG LU

… How can you… and everyone… bring yourselves to care about anything, knowing that it always has an end?

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

<… was always just the starting line for something new.>

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

Sinner #6
HONG LU

It wasn't about the war, the Golden Bough, or… Daguanyuan.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

The first thing that came to mind was…

Sinner #6
HONG LU

was…

[Flash of white.
Scene of young Xichun.
Flash of white.
Scene of current Xichun, smiling.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

… that I wanted Xichun to genuinely smile again.

Manager
DANTE

<Yeah, and that's… how your heart's been changing.>

Manager
DANTE

Sinner #6
HONG LU

I thought I'd already let these fragmants of my heart float away from me.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

After all, all of existence is but a passing dream, destined to return to emptiness…

Location: Front Gates of Daguanyuan, Past

[Flashback, sepia filter.]

???

Faust

Before your onboarding, you may present a name or an alias of your choosing that others should address you by.

???

Faust

Will you use your name, Jia Baoyu?

Gem of the Jia Family

Jia Baoyu

Um…

Gem of the Jia Family

Jia Baoyu

No.

[Flash of white.
Sound of birds flying.]

???

Hong Lu

Hong Lu. I want to be Hong Lu.

[Flashback end.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

But now, I realize that they've been buried here all along.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

They weren't lost… I'd only forgotten about them. That's why I felt like my heart was trapped.

Manager
DANTE

[Fade to white.]

Manager
DANTE

[Flash of white.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Oh, I thought the kite had floated away, never to be found again.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

But it was still here.

Location: Tiekan Temple Interior

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Every meeting is a promise of a goodbye…

Sinner #6
HONG LU

And the loveliness of fresh blossoms only sharpens the pain of wilting.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

But…

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

Manager
DANTE

<So, your world must be painted in the fairest color of jade.>

Sinner #6
HONG LU

… if those petals refuse to surrender and live on in the brief moments they are given,

Sinner #6
HONG LU

despite knowing that they will eventually scatter to the winds…

Manager
DANTE

<Then, show them the petals you've gathered.>

[Hong Lu—using his Land of Illusion E.G.O—opens a portal into his fathoms of ego. He now stands before a giant gate atop a cliffside, with Muddled Heishou of the Corpse Palanquin [混覺轀輬黑獸] at the bottom.

After contemplating about 喜xǐ, 乐lè, 哀āi and 怒nù, he cuts the chains on the gate with his guandao, revealing a waterfall.

Muddled Heishou of the Corpse Palanquin [混覺轀輬黑獸] is caught in the streams, and is revealed to have been separated from the Xianhuang Worm and the Golden Bough after the water settles.]

Location: Tiekan Temple Interior

Sinner #6
HONG LU

You, grandmother, and the elders have always been caged by your desperate search of immortality.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Searching for ways to perpetuate your existence, searching day and night for new ways to be freed from death.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

But grandmother, have you ever freed yourself from that very suffering, even for a moment?

The Hierarch of Hongyuan

Jia Mu

…I cannot allow myself to be attached to such moments of insignificance.

The Hierarch of Hongyuan

Jia Mu

They are but foolish human afflictions, a waste of intellect.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Every emotion is such a fleeting thing, mere sparks in moments that will be lost in time.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Maybe it really is foolish to be so attached to them.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

But an eternity of existence without them is… an eternity of emptiness.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

To exist is to live in the culmination of moments, after all.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Happiness, pain… they all scatter away as fast as they arrive, but I would rather be honest to those feelings.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

I want to do more than just witness them. I want to reach out and let my swelling emotions run wild.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

In happiness, in wrath, in sorrow, in joy… I would still cast my life into the vast world.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

And that… is how I will find an eternity in a glimpse.

The Hierarch of Hongyuan

Jia Mu

But there is so much left for us to accomplish…

The Hierarch of Hongyuan

Jia Mu

Without us, Daguanyuan will… Hongyuan will…

Sinner #6
HONG LU

No. Hongyuan will be okay.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Because it'll be its people that bring change to Hongyuan, not the Family Hierarch.

The Hierarch of Hongyuan

Jia Mu

Such… such insolence…! Stupid, thankless child…! You… you will do no such… no such thing…!

Sinner #6
HONG LU

Maybe I can't. It's just my opinion, after all.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

So… with that, I leave you here to enjoy the immortality you so desired, grandmother. Dear elders.

Sinner #6
HONG LU

You'll have all the time to watch as I live my tomorrows.

[Fade to black, as footsteps become distant.]

Sinner #6
HONG LU

May the rest of your lives be long and unending.

[The door slowly slams shut.]

[Cut to black.]

Post-battle

Speaker		Dialogue
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior, Recent Past

We quickly made our way outside as the flooding Tiekan Temple turned into a lake.
[The pooling of water.]
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	Dammit, it must've been swept away by the cascade! It must be here somewhere, find it!
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Gubo	…Here! Drat, the precious specimen…!
…I briefly turn to see Gubo wading through the cascading flood, searching frantically amid the rising waters. Jia Huan, meanwhile, stands gazing toward the hall… before quietly making his way to the center of the Tiekan Temple.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	……
[Jia Huan exhales, prior to unsheathing his weapon.]
[The shattering of glass. Fade to white.]
Then, all of the sudden, Jia Huan raises his blade… then stabs it into the center of the Tiekan Temple…

[A distorted, whirling-like noise. Camera pans away from the lens.]
…and the sceneries that the Xianren have been peeping in begin to grow delayed, fuzzy, and warped.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	… Hah.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	Let's get out of here for now.
[Water splashes. Inhuman moans trail behind.]
The "Xianren", swept off their pedestals by the powerful flow of water, crawl pathetically toward the door as Jia Huan shoots them a contemptuous glare and escapes the chamber. Gubo follows, not far behind him.
[Camera fades to black. Returns back to the entrance.]
Location: Tiekan Temple Interior

… But we still didn't have anything to break through the defensive field put up by their E.G.O gear.
[Door shuts. Again.]

	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	Tsk… you never have anything more than empty platitudes to convey…
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Gubo	So this is the true form of the Xianhuang Worm… We were supposed to capture it alive.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Gubo	Well… it can't be helped. Even half dead, it is extremely close to the form of the pure human she seeks. This specimen will still be of use to us.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	Don't be too vexed, old-timers. At least it's the rightful heir of the family that's taking the Xianhuang Worm.
[Fade to black. Footsteps being taken away from the temple.]

	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	Hold on, Gubo. Was that also an ability of that E.G.O?
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Gubo	… This is technically not my area of expertise. I had only made an educated guess from context clues that this E.G.O would allow for such a usage… and my guess simply happened to be true.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Gubo	I thought we were the ones who had a direct hand in choosing these E.G.O, but… perhaps we were actually guided to 'choose' the appropriate ones for ourselves.
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Gubo	Mm. It seems that the other team has secured our escape route.
[Cut to black.]
	N Corp. New League of Nine Littérateurs Jia Huan	… The newcomer's team? One led by the former Chief Butler? Hmph, she's competent, I'll give her that.

[Fade to white.]
A ripple radiates from the clear, jade-blue lake…
Location: Tiekan Temple Exterior

[Camera pans out from white.]
…until stillness comes.
Tiekan Temple clearly reflects on its surface.
The initial sense of oppressiveness was replaced by… peace.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… Looks like Tiekan Temple's been completely cut off from the rest of the world.
	Manager DANTE	<… I guess no one's ever getting in or out of there again.>
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	The people in there… they won't hold any sway on Xichun or any subsequent Family Hierarchs to come.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	So… now they have an opportunity to really bring a change to Hongyuan. If they can utilize it.
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	No one'll ever know what… happens in there. No one'll be able to help them if something were to happen, either.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	It is likely that the sole nutrient supplier for them was the Family Hierarch. Their deaths will be very slow.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Puff… just like a gu poison jar. Ultimate solitude.
Besides, all they'll every get to witness in their last moments is the blurred, barely-recognizable, and heavily delayed display. It's gotta be pretty infuriating.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Big bro…
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	What'll happen to me once we leave here?
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	I couldn't do anything in there but shudder in fear. Do I… even deserve to rule over Hongyuan and its families?
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Here's what I think, Xichun.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I think the people who most deserve to be the Family Hierarch…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… are the people most afraid of becoming one.
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	… You think so?
	Jia Family Jia Xichun	Well… if you say so, I'll try to convince myself of that, too.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Let's leave this place, now.
[Fade to black.]
… Unlike the lake overlooking Tiekan Temple, however, what greeted us outside was far from peaceful.
Location: Bridge to Tiekan Temple

The view outside had become even more gruesome.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	The promised Chen hour is come.
In the midst of striking up a storm with his staff, Jia Qiu notices us—and gives us a barely perceivable look of relief.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	You've done it, little brother.
Surrounding him were piles of dead and heavily wounded bodies.
He was covered in so many cuts, bruises, and bloodstains that I couldn't even tell if all that blood came from hit, or from those around him, or how many people bled on him.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Bao… yu…
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	I'm… so glad…
Behind him stood Daiyu, looking terribly exhausted.
They've been guarding this entrance against this endless stream of enemies this whole time, to keep their word.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	… Hah.
The only ones still engaged in battle were Jia Qiu and Lei Heng.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Dangit. Shit's fucked, ain't it?
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I'm all outta gas… my boys are dead as shit… and now that y'alls got yourselves twelve fresh fellers… I reckon I don't got that many options left.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	And when you get the girl to the seat… them yaller dogs out there'll pack up 'n go home 'n pretend none 'o this ever happened.
Lei Heng looks at us despondently, panting with fatigue.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Awright, lemme be straight with y'all. Any way I get to walk outta here alive?
He begs for his life in an impressively self-assured manner.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	……
Of course, Jia Qiu had no reason to accept this request.
But…
Instead of rebuking Lei Heng, he slams the ground with his staff with a heavy boom before addressing him.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	Very well, ChachichuTiantui Star, the Winged Tiger. Then I will make you the same offer you gave MeizhelanTianjiu Star, the Unrestrained. Take a singular hit.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I ain't even worth unwrappin' that staff of yours, am I?
Lei Heng let out a hollow laugh, then produced a cigar from his pocket.
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Hold your horses, be done in a jiffy.
He bit one end of it off, then…
Slowly, carefully lit the cigar in an almost ritualistic reverence.
[Lei Heng takes a deep inhale. Then, a likewise deep exhale.]
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	… Hit me.
Jia Qiu lifted the staff and placed it lightly on Lei Heng's right shoulder.
	Jia Family Jia Qiu	……
Warm rings of light materialize around the staff…
…until there were five of them.
	Manager DANTE	<……>
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	I see… Five Mangs(五望) of the Tiangang Star…
	The Thumb's Capo IIII Lei Heng	Puff… Ain't that a real motherfu—
[Lei Heng's head explodes. Fade to white.]
The staff gently slid across Lei Heng's shoulder even before he got to finish his sentence…
… and his head exploded into chunks of meat, then rained down in tatters like fireworks.
	??? Kong Qiu	… He would rather call me by the star's name, hm. Yet my name is Kong Qiu.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Puff… the Pinky.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Omnipresent yet unknown to each other…
… Everyone fell silent for a moment.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	… We have no time to waste on ruminations.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Our task is not over until she ascends to the seat of the Family Hierarch and seizes the Heishou Packs' leash.
[Fade to black.]
Jia Qiu's resolute voice woke us from that stunned silence, and…
… with him at the vanguard, one by one, we routed the forces that still sought to stop the new Hierarch from assuming the responsibility.
It was no easy task, but…
[Hong Lu breathes.]
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	……
… Hong Lu appeared more unburdened that ever, so…
… I was pretty happy.

A few days later…

Location: Daguanyuan Front Gates

	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	……
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Here to see us go, Xichun?
… She doesn't seem to happy for this to be just a friendly gesture.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Hey… we'll stop by from time to time.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	Hmph, sure. But don't expect me to make the time to greet you guys.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	I'm about to be busier than I've even been in my life.
	Xichun's Clan Wei	My lady expresses that you will always be welcomed with the greatest honors here.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Huh… I don't really know you well, Mister Wei, but… I feel a strange sense that we might be kindred spirits…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Looks like you'll have your hands full too, Wei.
	Xichun's Clan Wei	Indeed I will. There is much work to be done.
	Xichun's Clan Wei	My lady expresses that you will always be welcomed with the greatest honors here.
	Xichun's Clan Wei	So much of the information has been esoterically handed down via the Anamnaworm… it'll take years for us to put it all to paper. We're having difficulty even getting an idea of how long it might take.
	Xichun's Clan Wei	But you have broken one of many cycles here; I am certain that Hongyuan will become a better place to live under my ladyship's rule.
A lot of things did not go according to plan, but… in the end, Xichun did become the next Hierarch.
A Family Hierarch without the Imperial Worm.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	Everyone here at Daguanyuan, they… they all seem to have a lot of questions for me, but…
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	Heh, what are they gonna do? Directly challenge the Family Hierarch?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Gotta say, ya were real charismatic out there from your first command as the Hierarch~ "Turmoil has come to Daguanyuan. Release the Heishou Pack - Chou, Chen, and Shen branches and quell the chaos!" Right?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	… Don't ever do an impression of me acting like that again.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	Many must be looking forward to your governance, given your initial charismatic demonstration.
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	You are, in essence, a new kind of leader than this land hasn't seen in many years… Much they must have to ask for your judgment in terms of rules and flaws.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	Yeah, what about it? Rules are there to be rewritten?
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	… The whole… damn thing, I guess…
Jia Xichun sighed lightly and looked around Daguanyuan.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	Ugh… I feel like I've aged ten years all at once.

	Qiu's Clan Zigong	I thought I'd be the artist behind the brush for this painting, yet…
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	… I did not expect us to allow a brush held by another to guide us, my lord.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	……
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	it is fortunate that our brushstrokes shared the general direction.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	A Family Hierarch who does not seek to be free from aging and death… I wonder what winds of change that will bring to Hongyuan?
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	It was a far more peaceful resolution that the one your guidance would have provided. "Gouge out your little brother's eye and use it to enter the temple", was it?
	Sinner #9 RODION	Whaaat?!
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	Efficiency in the veil of cruelty. Minimalistic… puff.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	It was a mere jest, my lord. Though… I suppose I did add "If things do not go according to plan…".
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	Ah, whichever was the case… What will you do next, my lord?
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	… Today, I observed that the Pinky has strayed from the path of humanity. Thus, I will now join Yan Hui, journey to Mount Liang, and come to a few agreements with the Mohists.
	The Pinky Zilu	We must also discuss the matter of the Tiantui Star, whose seat has just become vacant.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Indeed we must. Then we shall journey to Q Corp. next.
	Manager DANTE	<The Pinky?>
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Yes. … It seems that Kong Qiu's allegiance lies with the Pinky.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Indeed. As one of the Pinky, I intend to change the world with the Way of true humanity.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Given what Ryōshū said…
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Lei Heng and Zilu are both from the Pinky, right…? So how come they were trying to kill each other?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	Members of the Pinky gather and scatter when certain conditions are met. However, when there is no call…
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	… they just live their lives without knowing which is which. No call, no solidarity.
	Sinner #4 RYŌSHŪ	P.O.S.
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Playing on Solo-mode… right?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	It seemed that Zilu and Lei Heng were aware of each other's identities, but did not know about Kong Qiu.
	Qiu's Clan Zigong	You know this well. I hear that you are the primary purveyor of esoteric knowledge in your group?
	Sinner #2 FAUST	……
	The Pinky Zigong	Then, you must also be aware of the weight of information regarding our, and our lord's allegiance, to the Pinky is rather heavy.
	The Pinky Zigong	I trust that you will maintain your silence regarding the matter, as it is the right thing to do so.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	I have aught to ask you.
Kong Qiu approached me as the other people were starting to scatter.
At first, I looked away because I couldn't imagine that he could possibly be talking to me.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Dante, the manager.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Will you continue to push open their paths…
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	… for every Sinner under your management, no matter which road they walk?
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	As you have done for my brother?
I nodded.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Even if one of them seeks to walk the path of Asura?
[Ryōshū is shown on screen.]
Kong Qiu's gaze briefly lingered on one of the Sinners before moving on.
The Sinner takes a long draw from the cigarette and releases the smoke with a large sigh, which then turns into a scattering plume. Her hand rests, out of habit, on her never-drawn sword.
I'm going to keep helping them as long as they have the will to move forward, no matter what. My thoughts on that matter haven't changed at all. They never will.
I nodded once again.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	… I see.
	The Pinky Zigong	… Ah. My lord, I have another subject to discuss. While this is but a conjecture at the moment… evidence seems to point to Jia Yuanchun being among the treasonous forces of Hongyuan, in cahoots with the Xue and the Shi families.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	While this suspicion is yet to be developed beyond supposition, it seemd likely that Jia Yuanchun had aligned herself with the treasonous forces of Hongyuan.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	She made herself scarce as soon as the troubles were quelled, which could mean… yes.
	The Pinky Zigong	The first thread to find is the influential individual within the Shi family who ordered Shi Yihua's execution. Once their identity is determined, it should be no trouble making the connection to the masterminds behind this incident.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Will you continue to roam the lands, brother?
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Indeed I will.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	I will walk the City, converse with the lords of each Nest.
He gives a muted reply to Hong Lu before turning around to look at Jia Xichun.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	…None may say for certain Jia Xichun, for her long tenure to come, shall not be tempted by the promises of immortality.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Jia Xichun	Ugh… seriously?! I'm—
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Yet, if one's heart truly lies steady upon the path of humanity, they will not be swayed to commit evil…
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	… thus, I believe you are worth watching.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Upon our next meeting…
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Hm, though I cannot say for certain whether our goals shall be aligned as they were today, but…
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	…I suppose we shall have much to take in from each other.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	What are your thoughts, Zigong?
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Did you enjoy this lesson as well?
	The Pinky Zigong	Yes… I was… foolish, my lord. Once again.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	It is all right.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	Learning and understanding must go hand-in hand, as I always say.
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	You are a student worthy of discourse, still.
	The Pinky Zigong	… I have much to learn.
	The Pinky Zigong	It seems that you weren't repeatedly recounting that story over and over at me again for nothing.
	The Pinky Zigong	You were trying to insinuate that he was the only one in Hongyuan who was worthy of faith…
	The Pinky Kong Qiu	… Zigong. Zilu, Let us converse in private for a moment, for I have an important task for you…
[Slam. Fade to black.]
Location: Daguanyuan Gardens

	Daguanyuan Xiren	……
Xiren's expression that regarded us was the same as it always was.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Your nu'er tea is always so delicious.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Thanks, Xiren.
	Daguanyuan Xiren	Yes, young master.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	……
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	I will be departing again soon. I don't know when I should return.
	Daguanyuan Xiren	Understood.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… Stay safe until then.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	A-actually, no.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	What do you think, Xiren? About the face I'll be leaving soon.
	Daguanyuan Xiren	……
	Daguanyuan Xiren	Walk the path of your own choosing, young master. Whichever that may be.
Her reply sounded as cold as ever, to the point that the noew lukewarm, clacking tea cups on her clean-up tray sounded warmer…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Alright.
… but Hong Lu smiled as though something has been lifted from his heart, as though he found something he'd been looking for.
[Fade to black.]
Location: Daguanyuan Pavilion

	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	Even the opulence of Daguanyuan fades.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	The trees are wilting… as the once beautiful pavilions and towers now lay in ruins and abandonment.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	It seems that all of existence is, indeed, but a great cycle of rises and falls.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	It is.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	But isn't that…
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	… exactly why every moment in life is so beautiful?
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… Yes, yes it is.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	……
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	I will no longer wait for you.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	And I might one day disappear from Daguanyuan myself, now that I know that idle waiting is not the sole answer.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	……
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	Daiyu, I loved that day when we went out kiting together.
	Sinner #6 HONG LU	That was my favorite game.
	Baochai's Clan Lin Daiyu	… And mine as well.
[Fade to black.]


Hong Lu leaves Daguanyuan as the happiest descendant it has ever produced.

Finding meaning in every moment of his life…

No longer a passive witness to tragedy, as he once was to the deaths and suffering of his siblings,
Hong Lu will walk tall with his friends.
Yet even that will one day fade. For in the end, we have but one chance at life, and to live at all is to exist in futility.
His home, too, shall one day be taken by loneliness and solitude, gradually eroding away with time…

and we will all one day go our separate ways.
But every wilting fertilizes the next blossom, every fallen home may become a place for new beginnings, and every goodbye is a promise of new meetings.

Thus Jia Baoyu, once the peerless treasure of Daguanyuan…

… boards the bus again as Hong Lu.

The clouds I once saw in his jade-eye had all but withdrawn.
I only see an incandescent, radiant smile.

CREDITS ROLL

Location: Daguanyuan Pavilion

	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	Well…
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	I guess it's a bit of a shame to let you guys go like this.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	But I tried to make our farewell a memorable one. Made sure you got the best of the best food we had to offer, to commemorate the day I took office…
	Sinner #9 RODION	Mffh, I mew Xichewwn's ze bescht~!
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	Just how are you still finding all that leftover food? Everyone's already left the banquet.
	Sinner #9 RODION	Cam't washte gooh fooh~!
	Sinner #13 GREGOR	'Course… Uh, hey… is the bus not starting or something?
	Sinner #11 SINCLAIR	Yeah… wait, where are we headed to, anyway?
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	How should we know, lad? Guide's gonna tell us soon anyway.
	Sinner #7 HEATHCLIFF	Uh… hang on, where'd that bloke go?
	LCCB Manager Saude	Hi, I'm subbing in for him today~
	Sinner #9 RODION	Huh? We could've switched out our guide all along? Well, why didn't we get Saude to—
	LCCB Manager Saude	No, that's not— that's not how it works… ha ha.
	LCCB Manager Saude	It's just you have some unfinished business here.
	LCCB Manager Saude	For your information, the Red Gaze is currently away because he's accompanying Pilot on a mission elsewhere. More urgent LCCB business~
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	What misery it is to be him…
	Sinner #1 YI SANG	…? Ah, I did not mean to insinuate that Pilot would be the source of his misery.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	You have more business here at Daguanyuan…?
	LCCB Manager Saude	Oh yes, we do.
[Saude ominously steps forward towards Xichun. Saude puts on a mischievous expression.]
	LCCB Manager Saude	Very, very important business, in fact.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	… Why are you looking at me like that? What is it this time?
	LCCB Manager Saude	So, you know how Miss Jia Xichun, a very important and friendly ally of ours, has become the de facto leader of a Wing?
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	… Oho?
[Outis puts on a mischievous expression like Saude's.]
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	You're a crafty one, aren't you?
	LCCB Manager Saude	Oh, of course~ Veterans like me tend to pick up a thing or two after some experience on the field.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Ha ha! Very well, this more than makes up for your subordinate's blunder from last time!
	LCCB Manager Saude	Aww~ I knew you'd be the first to pick up what I'm putting down! We both know what's the best for our company~
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	Okay, now I'm starting to get really creeped out… why are you both looking at me like that…?
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	… Oh.
[Ishmael also puts on a mischievous expression.]
	Sinner #8 ISHMAEL	I see how it is. Even the biggest catch of the day'll just rot in the shed if you don't bother to fillet it, right?
	LCCB Manager Saude	Alright, I'd like to have everyone's attention for the LCB's next mission.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	… Wait, just wait a damn second. Do you need me here for this?
	LCCB Manager Saude	Miss Jia Xichun, as you've quickly become one of our most precious human resources, as the Family Hierarch…
	LCCB Manager Saude	… we're going to give you a total makeover training!
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	…? ?? ?!?
	LCCB Manager Saude	Ah, we can't spend too much time on the training, though. So we're gonna have to fast-track this.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	Y-you dare?! I'll have you know, I'm still the—
	Xichun's Clan Wei	I am very much in agreement that there is much you must learn to be an effective Family Hierarch of Hongyuan.
	Xichun's Clan Wei	To further solidify your base within Daguanyuan… Ahem, ahem.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Then we should get right to it.
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	Meursault! You seem to be well-versed in the art of physical fitness.
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Your intent has been understood, but it is up to the manager to command me.
	Manager DANTE	<… Well. I don't see why not.>
	Sinner #5 MEURSAULT	Then it will be done.
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	Huh?! Hey, put me down!
	Sinner #12 OUTIS	The first order of business is to improve your fitness level! Now, on my count—
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	Y-y-yo-you bastards…! Would it kill you to go a single second without ruining my day?!!!
	The Hierarch of Hongyuan Xichun	You're all like a family of bedbugs I can't get rid off, you know that?!!! I'm gonna make you throw up everything you ate today, you assholes!!!!

- FIN -

[Fade to black.]
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I-it's so dark…
	Heishou Pack - Si Branch ???	We have brought here here, my lord.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	I wish to be left alone with her. Leave us.
	Heishou Pack - Si Branch ???	Your wish is my command.
Location: ???

	Xue Family Xue Baochai	S-so, big sister Yuanchun…? Why did you?
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	You appear troubled.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	It is no wonder that you are, for you have betrayed your own Xue family.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	H-how did you…?!
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	I… didn't think anyone would notice in all that chaos…
[Jia Yuanchun gives an applause whilst guffawing.]
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Ha ha ha ha!
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Baochai, oh dear Baochai, my poor child.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Can you hide from a black kite by blocking out the sky with your palms? Can tiptoeing hide your footsteps from earthwyrms?
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	… N-no, big sis Yuanchun… If my parents were to find out…
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Wait, do they… do they already know?
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Wouldn't you like to know?
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	……
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	If not, I have ways to make sure that they don't know.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Not even your parents… hm, no. I can make this story.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	… stay between just you and I in this vast Daguanyuan.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	W-what do you want from me…?
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Fuhu… that is the wrong line of thinking, little Baochai.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	I only… wish to help you achieve your desires.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Your betrayal wasn't to make an enemy of your own Xue family, I understand.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	It was for Baoyu. Someone you were afraid would never return.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	… Your gaze is so penetrating, so piercing that… I feel so naked, even in the dark.
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	Will… Baoyu never come back to me?
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Baochai, it is pointless to ask whether he will or will not return.
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Why seek the sway of currents, when you can simply make him return?
	Xue Family Xue Baochai	B-but how…?
[The blinds shut.]

	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	Come closer to me.
[Fade to black.]
	Q Corp. Jia Yuanchun	The night is long, and we have much to confer.

↑ Insolent Fool.

Story Chapters
Inferno (Main Chapter)	Prologue - Canto I - Canto II - Canto III - Canto IV - Canto V - Canto VI - Canto VII - Canto VIII - Canto IX
Deviazione (Detour Tales)	Intervallos	Intervallo I - Intervallo II - Intervallo III - 1 - Intervallo III - 2 - Intervallo IV - 1 - Intervallo IV - 2 - Intervallo V - 1 - Intervallo V - 2
Deviazione (Detour Tales)	Mini Episodes	Season 1 - Season 2 - Season 3 - Season 4 - Season 5
Story Dungeon	Inferno	D-02 (Canto I) - J-03 (Canto II) - K-02 (Canto III) - Reminisced League of Nine (Canto IV) - Into the Dark (Canto V) - The Tale of a Great Fixer Who Once Reached for The Dream (Canto VII) - Second Round of the Family Hierarch Evaluation (Canto VIII)
Story Dungeon	Deviazione	A Restauranteur's Fathoms (Intervallo I) - A Blade Fiend's Fathoms (Intervallo III) - The Final Problem (Intervallo IV) - The Final Check-up (Intervallo V)

[1] Insolent Fool.

[1]

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Canto VIII: The Surrendered Witnessing/Story Episodes/Part III

8-21: The Hierarch of Hongyuan

8-22: Momentary Power Vacuum

8-23: Justice of Others

8-24: Actions of a Thief

Pre-battle

8-25: The Will to Change

Post-battle

8-26: A Ridiculous Idea

Pre-battle

8-27: The Second Battlefield

Post-battle

8-28: Those Who Do Not Decide

Pre-battle

8-30: The Heart

Pre-battle

Mid-battle 1

Mid-battle 2

Post-battle

8-31: Temporary Truce

8-32: To be Free from Aging and Death

Pre-battle

8-33: Happiness, Wrath, Sorrow, and Joy

Pre-battle

Mid-battle 1

Mid-battle 2

Mid-battle 3

Mid-battle 4

Mid-battle 5

Mid-battle 6

Mid-battle 7

Post-battle