The final notes of the prayer, like the last sliver of moonlight, drifted gently away into the air.
Eve slowly opened her eyes.
The sight before them caused Lin Gui’s pupils to contract slightly.
The narrow, ruined residence was now packed to the brim.
Pale blue, semi-transparent faces were pressed against the windows.
Layers of glowing halos floated upon the floor.
Strands of soul threads dangled from the holes in the roof.
Even the air was suspended with dense, tiny points of light that resembled a swarm of blue fireflies.
The entire space was completely filled with silent "presences."
"So many... ghosts?"
Lin Gui muttered to himself, feeling his scalp tingle.
At the very front, several spirits dressed in old priest robes and sister’s habits remained in a respectful kneeling posture.
Leading them was an old cleric ghost.
He raised a semi-transparent hand and traced a standard, solemn Sign of Light across his chest.
The movement was slow yet meticulous.
Then, he looked up, his clouded soul-eyes filled with incomparable reverence. His voice was hoarse and trembling with emotion.
"Such pure Holy Light energy..."
"Exalted Excellency, just who are you...?"
Eve did not answer immediately.
She rose gently, her calm gaze sweeping across the countless...
Glass beads.
Finally, following her judgment.
She looked at the bead closest to her.
She slowly opened her eyes.
At that moment, all the light in the room seemed to converge deep within her eyes.
That unique, deep, and mysterious color.
Purple.
"Purple eyes..."
The old priest shook violently, his soul body flickering like a candle in the wind.
Behind him, all the clerical ghosts let out tiny, incredulous gasps at the same time.
"The... Holy Saintess?!"
"Is this the current Holy Saintess?!"
After the gasps came an even deeper silence.
Then, led by the old priest, all the ghosts who were once believers bowed deeply in unison with the most devout posture.
Regardless of a physical body, this was absolute reverence on the level of the soul.
Eve quietly accepted this salute.
After a few seconds, she spoke. Her voice was clear and calm, carrying the undeniable, gentle majesty of the Saintess:
"In the name of the Light."
"Please rise, lost sheep."
"I am not here on a pilgrimage."
"I am here as a witness."
Her gaze landed softly on Lin Gui.
"To bear witness for this man."
"He is not a messenger of the netherworld, but a Messenger who labors for the sake of longings."
Among the surrounding ghosts, a young sister’s soul-shadow couldn't help but speak up timidly:
"But... but his eyes..."
Her gaze, along with the "vision" of many other soul-shadows, fell upon Lin Gui’s grey eyes that triggered their instinctive fear.
Seeing this, Lin Gui took a step forward of his own accord.
"These are not the eyes of a netherworld messenger."
He explained calmly.
"It’s just a spell constructed to mimic their eyes."
"If you don't believe me, look."
As he spoke, his mind shifted slightly.
The grey light swirling in his eyes receded like a tide.
It revealed his original, pure black pupils once again.
That invisible pressure originating from the soul level vanished along with it.
"!"
The surrounding spirits flickered in unison, letting out silent gasps of wonder.
They "felt" carefully, confirming that the aura that had made them tremble had indeed disappeared.
In its place was merely a High Rank mage with ordinary mana fluctuations.
However, Lin Gui, having deactivated his Eyes of the Netherworld, now looked at the scene before him and couldn't help his mouth from twitching.
The room was filled with...
Crowded, flying glass beads.
This scene was even more bizarre and surreal than seeing a sky full of ghosts.
Lin Gui cleared his throat to break the silence first.
"Um... I heard from Troy."
"It seems you all want to send letters to relatives far away?"
"Or... to confirm if they are doing well?"
The moment his words fell.
The glass beads floating throughout the room suddenly froze.
Immediately following—
"Is... is it really possible?!"
"I... I want to write to my mother..."
"My little brother... is he still alive..."
"Please! Please help me send a message..."
Countless thin, excited voices, mixed with hope and timidity, suddenly exploded!
It was like pouring a ladle of cold water into boiling oil.
The glass beads that had been floating quietly lost all order in an instant!
From every direction.
The windowsills, the roof, the corners, the air.
As if drawn by a magnet, they surged toward Lin Gui in a frantic, dense swarm!
In the blink of an eye, Lin Gui was surrounded by a "sea of beads" shimmering in pale blue.
Above, below, left, and right—everywhere he looked was filled with vibrating glass beads.
This scene was spectacular to the point of being a bit terrifying.
Lin Gui even took a half-step back instinctively.
He didn't dare reactivate his Eyes of the Netherworld.
He was afraid that if he opened them, he would be suffocated by the layers of semi-transparent faces shoved right in front of him.
"Wait! Everyone, stay calm! One at a time!"
He tried to maintain order.
But how could the longings and desires accumulated by the ghosts for over a decade be easily suppressed?
Instead of receding, the glass beads crowded even closer.
A few excited ones were almost shoved into Lin Gui’s face.
One of the smallest beads nearly got squeezed into his slightly open mouth.
"Pfft."
A light laugh of amusement came from beside him.
Eve pursed her lips, her eyes full of mirth.
Then, her expression tightened slightly as her voice rang out, warm and clear:
"Please, calm your hearts."
"Do not disturb the Messenger."
Though her voice was soft, it seemed to carry a peculiar soothing power.
The restless "sea of beads" paused slightly.
Then, the glass beads finally, albeit reluctantly, retreated a short distance.
But they remained floating in mid-air.
Hundreds and thousands of "gazes" were fixed intently on Lin Gui.
Even without opening his Eyes of the Netherworld, Lin Gui could feel that invisible, scorching stare.
It made the back of his neck tingle.
"Ahem..."
He steadied himself and raised his voice:
"Alright... everyone."
"Please give me the letters you want to send."
"As long as the destination isn't ridiculously far..."
"I will do my best to deliver them for you."
As soon as he finished.
The whole room full of "people."
No, the whole room full of ghosts fell silent.
Lin Gui’s heart skipped a beat.
Had he said something wrong?
At that moment, Troy’s tiny voice came from within the pile of beads:
"Um... big brother..."
"Actually... we can't write letters."
Lin Gui was stunned. "You can't? Why not?"
Troy’s voice sounded a bit embarrassed:
"Because... we're ghosts."
"We can't affect physical things."
"Our hands would pass right through the paper and pen..."
Lin Gui was even more confused:
"Then the words on the envelope—'Blackwater City, West District Three, Seventh House of Bluestone Alley'—who wrote those?"
Troy’s voice grew even smaller:
"Well... I studied a bit of a breathing technique while I was alive, so I'm... a very, very weak practitioner."
"After becoming like this, I can barely use a bit of strength to influence reality a tiny bit."
She paused, her tone carry a hint of grievance:
"Ever since I saw the sign for your post office..."
"I've been working hard to 'write' that address."
"Those few words on the envelope... it took me an entire week."
"But for the 'residents' left behind after the disaster back then..."
"The vast majority are not practitioners."
"They can't even move a single flower petal..."
"Let alone... pick up a pen to write a letter."
Lin Gui’s mouth hung open.
An extremely ominous premonition crawled up his spine.
"So... what you're saying is..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
The glass beads in the room tilted forward slightly in unison.
Countless thin voices merged into a cautious, almost pleading wave of sound:
"Could you... please..."
"Act as a scribe for us?"
Lin Gui took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
He looked around the room.
It was crowded, but looking closely, there were only about a hundred beads.
While many, it was still within an acceptable range.
"Fine..."
He rubbed his brow helplessly.
"But don't make the content too long. I can't stay here for more than a few days..."
Before he could finish.
Outside the window, a slightly rough, apologetic middle-aged male voice abruptly chimed in:
"Um..."
"Ours too..."
"Could you... please also act as a scribe for us?"
Lin Gui froze.
The ominous premonition in his heart instantly exploded.
He surged to his feet, strode to the door in a few steps, and threw open the half-collapsed wooden door.
Then, his whole body went stiff.
The sight outside left him completely dumbfounded.
On the ruined streets.
On the dilapidated roofs.
Upon the withered treetops.
In every corner within his sight...
Floating, piled, layered, dense, and boundless.
Glass beads.
The pale blue glimmers connected into one, like a galaxy pouring down, flooding the entire block.
Thousands.
No, possibly... tens of thousands, or even more.
Every single bead seemed to reflect a pair of longing eyes.
At this moment, these countless "eyes" were all focused intently on him.
Rate on N.U.
