Because there was a precedent of The Innocent Creator storing divinity in special items for transmission, Xia De knew that divinity could be obtained not only by directly facing a god.
After learning some information about the Sea Offering Ritual, he strongly suspected that the “evil god’s power” in the deep sea referred to divinity. Although the probability was small, compared to directly facing an evil god to seize power, confronting the tsunami that would engulf the City to explore the secrets of the evil god’s dependents was nothing.
Asking Miss Jialinna about the secrets of the Sea Return was for this part of the information. Besides the witch, Xia De believed the Guiding Light Hermitage also had relevant data.
“You—”
Edmund looked at Xia De in surprise, not expecting him to ask such a question:
“I thought you came to me to protect your friend. What exactly do you want to do?”
“Protect this City.”
Xia De answered without thinking, and the two people in the lighthouse, of course, knew it was a lie.
“Oh, I really shouldn’t have let you in. Young man, mortals shouldn’t be greedy—”
The old man was somewhat regretful.
“So you’re not willing to answer?”
Xia De asked.
“Of course, I am.”
Edmund, wearing pajamas, changed the subject, his expression becoming serious. He narrowed his eyes slightly at Xia De, the frown making the wrinkles on his face even more pronounced:
“Whether you are crazy or not has nothing to do with me. What kind of end you will face because of your greed is not something I should care about. I won’t take your pounds, but I want you to promise me something else.”
“You also want to see what that is?”
“Of course not, I’m not a crazy person like you.”
Edmund shook his head, saying with extreme caution:
“I’ve been researching the three beliefs that have spread across this land since ancient times: the Guardian of the Merfolk, the God of Thunderstorm, and the God of the Drowned in the Deep Sea. Over the years, I’ve had many interesting ideas, and even tried to find traces of those secret cults. But these ideas are difficult to realize, and now, you’re here, so I have a chance.”
Even though only the two of them were in the lighthouse at that moment, Edmund still lowered his voice, which made it exceptionally hoarse:
“If, and I mean if, you are lucky enough to obtain the power left by the so-called lord of the scarlet spiral in the material world, I want you to—”
Suddenly, a clap of thunder exploded outside, and the waves violently crashed against the seaside cliff. Xia De even felt the chair tremble.
“On that item, draw this symbol.”
He picked up a book from the corner of the desk and opened the page with a metal copper bookmark. What Xia De saw was a symbol that, in mysticism, represented lightning. However, unlike common symbols, the lines of this symbol were not straight, and the edge of the circular outer frame was filled with a large number of fine runes.
Xia De tried to decipher it and immediately felt dizzy, the hairs on his body standing on end because of his daring action.
“What is this?”
“The local belief of Coldwater Port, the sacred emblem of the evil god, raging storm.”
The old man explained in a low voice.
“You want me to draw the sacred emblem of one evil god on the power left by another god in the material world?”
Xia De asked in surprise:
“Oh, sir, which one of us is crazy? No, although I am bold, I am not stupid. Besides, even a fool wouldn’t do something so openly blasphemous. If you want to study the hostility of gods and the conflict of beliefs, why don’t you do it yourself?”
“Because I’m scared.”
The old lighthouse keeper said naturally.
“I’m scared too.”
Xia De immediately followed, and Edmund frowned, thinking for a moment:
“Indeed, if I make you do that, your chances of returning will be even smaller. Then I’ll change my request. The information I give you is an investment from me. If you can gain something, any physical gains belong to you, but any Knowledge-based gains must be shared with me. My own book, ‘A Study of the Three Secret Cults of Coldwater Port,’ needs more content.”
Only then did Xia De realize again that this old man, living alone in the old lighthouse outside the City, claimed to be a folklorist.
He nodded:
“That’s certainly no problem.”
“Good, but you need to pawn some things with me. If you die, your things will belong to me. If you don’t die, these things can ensure that you won’t leave Coldwater Port directly.”
Xia De thought for a moment. All the relic on him were directly related to his identity. The only unrelated youthful immortality leaf was a life-saving item. He was going to do such a dangerous thing, so he couldn’t leave the youthful immortality leaf behind.
So he reached into his pocket and took out stacks of money, finally producing one thousand pounds in banknotes. He wasn’t afraid that Edmund would abscond with the money; he had seen his collection of ancient books and relic when he came with Leia last time. The other party had no need to abandon his long-lived residence for 1000 pounds.
“Are you that rich? Your clothes don’t look like they could hold that much money.”
The old man asked suspiciously.
Xia De had transformed these pounds into toys and put them in the inner pocket of his coat; he had merely restored them just now.
“This is all my worldly possessions. I’ll be back to retrieve this money that I’m leaving with you. Now, please tell me, what exactly did the Sea Return Ritual, associated with the nursery rhyme, awaken in the deep sea?”
Xia De spoke a serious lie; his current savings were 2300 pounds.
Edmund collected the banknotes and nodded:
“In the development of history, myths and legends often deviate from their original meanings. For example, people say that eating Mermaid meat can grant immortality; this is the most typical example. And we must dialectically and critically draw from legends—”
“Can you please get straight to the point? I don’t have much time. I still need to go into the City later; my friend needs me.”
Xia De coughed, interrupting him somewhat impolitely.
Edmund smiled a little awkwardly:
“Alright, the point, what was I going to say, oh, yes. When the red ocean descends, the giant Mermaid corpse that the great one once used, located within the legendary ancient Merfolk underwater City, the residence where the evil god, lord of the scarlet spiral, descended, will be awakened and come to the shore. It will bring with it tsunamis and storms, causing Coldwater Port to be submerged forever.”
The “giant Merfolk corpse in the underwater City” was precisely what appeared in the dreams of those cursed by the sage-level relic, mermaid's song.
“The power left by the god refers to that corpse?”
Xia De guessed, but the old man shook his head, denying it:
“No, the power left by the god is a pearl in the ancient Merfolk’s underwater City. According to legend, it was formed from a Bubble that the evil god, lord of the scarlet spiral, spat out when he descended into the material world. The Sea Offering Ritual is a sacrifice to that pearl, allowing its power to activate that giant underwater corpse.”
