Chapter Eleven: Eden

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The story begins a hundred years ago.

After the continental shelf sank, the surviving humans split into two factions.

The Hawk Faction wanted to build a Noah’s Ark and terraform Mars, placing humanity’s future on the Red Planet. The Dove Faction, on the other hand, believed the industrial era was a misstep in evolution; they argued humanity should reclaim Earth, establish a new agricultural civilization, and co-evolve with the planet’s ecosystem.

Both factions amassed large followings, resulting in a stalemate. In the end, they divided the land and developed along their chosen paths.

Thirty years later, the Hawks had made remarkable progress, sending large numbers of their population to Mars, while the Doves seemed to have regressed to an era of slash-and-burn agriculture, living by the old ways of men tilling the fields and women weaving cloth.

By comparison, discontent simmered among the Dove populace, leading to a revolt.

After the upheaval, the Doves established contact with the Martian Hawks, hoping to trade Earth’s mineral resources for the right to migrate to Mars. The Hawks agreed.

However, after extracting all the resources, the Hawks continually delayed their promise, citing “Ark malfunctions” as excuses—right up to this very day.

More fatally, strange black smog began to appear in the sky. The haze was so dense it blotted out the sun, plunging Earth into an age of perpetual night. The ecosystem collapsed, crops failed, and famine swept the land.

Resentment festered among the people, who laid blame on the leaders who had chosen the agricultural path. Stirred by public opinion, a massive civil war erupted...

“Rather than a venting of anger, it was a premeditated slaughter!” As he spoke, Baigu’s voice became thick with rage.

“Why do you say that?”

“You mongrel! The ones who should die are people like you!”

Suddenly, Baigu leapt up in a frenzy, lunging at Xiang Jiuxi with wild, unhinged fury. Caught off guard, Xiang Jiuxi’s abdomen was slashed open, leaving a mess of blood and flesh.

“Come down here and die with us!”

Blinded by rage, Baigu’s claws came crashing down in a relentless storm. Terrified, Xiang Jiuxi dodged frantically, but no matter how agile he was, he could not escape the deadly claws. In moments, he was covered in wounds and lay in a pool of blood.

Just as he thought he would die here, his wounds mysteriously began to heal. Baigu, too, abruptly quieted, as if the outburst had never occurred, and continued in a calm, drifting voice:

“The events of those years cast a vast shadow. One third of Earth’s population fell to the blade.”

“What!” The shocking number made Xiang Jiuxi gasp, but then he forced himself to calm down and consider how believable this was.

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By rights, such a horrific massacre should have left traces in history—if not in written records, then in the stories passed down by word of mouth. Yet he had never once heard mention of it.

“That’s because they all tacitly kept their mouths shut, deliberately hiding their beastly acts so they could stand on this land with a clear conscience, as if nothing had ever happened.”

It was as if Baigu could read Xiang Jiuxi’s thoughts, as he explained with chilling composure, “They didn’t kill because they were angry with the decision-makers. The victims were not the leaders of that era, but innocent civilians.”

Xiang Jiuxi’s body had fully healed. He got up from the ground and asked, “Then why? Was it simply population control?”

He had lived his whole life in this sunless, apocalyptic world, understanding all too well the importance of resource allocation, and knowing how far humans would go for survival.

Baigu shook his head. “It was far more than that. They needed more food—food to sustain them until Noah’s Ark was ready.”

“Food? Food…”

Xiang Jiuxi’s once-calm heart was now in turmoil. The words seared into his nerves. The memory of executioners tossing red meat into iron chests flashed before his eyes. After eating for more than twenty years from the stores left by their ancestors, he realized for the first time where the food had come from... Suddenly, his brow furrowed, his stomach churned violently, and he retched with a loud cry.

“You would not tell me all of this for no reason—what do you want?”

Having recovered from the collapse of his worldview, Xiang Jiuxi demanded an answer.

“This is the burial ground for the wronged dead, for countless souls like mine. Here, I can see into the hearts of men and uncover all causes and effects. I know you ended up here because you tried to help the innocent, which is why I spared your life.”

Baigu slowly spread his arms. Behind him, countless points of phosphorescent light appeared, taking shape as wretched, tormented spirits.

The ghosts, burning with crimson eyes, howled and roared at Xiang Jiuxi, as if they might devour him at any moment. Only Baigu’s presence kept them at bay.

“But will they forgive you?”

A chorus of wails shook the air, as if a tidal wave were about to crash down. Facing these spirits, Xiang Jiuxi’s hair stood on end; his legs trembled uncontrollably.

Yet he quickly mastered his fear and spoke with full voice, “If my ancestors sinned, and my death can atone for them, I am willing to pay the price in their stead!”

With that, he bent his knees, knelt before the spirits, and knocked his forehead on the ground three times, each bow ringing out with resolve.

The howls fell silent. The air grew still and deathly quiet.

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Xiang Jiuxi raised his head to see Baigu kneeling before him as well, bowing low. Behind Baigu, the once-wailing spirits now prostrated themselves respectfully.

“What is this? Why are you doing this? Please, rise!” Xiang Jiuxi hurried forward, trying to help Baigu up. “However you look at it, you are the ancestors of my people—I cannot accept such veneration!”

Baigu did not rise, only slowly lifted his head and replied with measured emphasis, “You are worthy—if you avenge us, you are worthy!”

“Ah? But…”

Seeing Xiang Jiuxi hesitate, Baigu gripped his arm. “We are wronged souls, not vengeful ghosts! We ask for justice, not massacre. We do not ask you to kill everyone, but to find the true hand behind all of this!”

“The hand behind it all? You mean someone orchestrated the tragedy from the shadows?”

Baigu nodded, speaking each word with weight, “E-den!”

“Eden… I’ve never heard that name before.”

“It is better known by another name—the Illuminati!”

“The Illuminati!?” Xiang Jiuxi was stunned, and confirmed again, “You mean the former leading organization of Earth’s survivors, the Illuminati?”

Baigu nodded firmly.

“That’s impossible…” Xiang Jiuxi’s eyes drifted, unable to believe what he was hearing.

How could it be? The ‘agricultural system’ itself was proposed by the Illuminati—why would they plot to destroy their own creation? It made no sense.

“Only twenty percent of humanity has ever held the reins of society—this has never changed, whether in the era of technology or agriculture. The Illuminati were that twenty percent on Earth.

Their core members controlled public opinion, then slipped away cleanly, forming ‘Eden’ anew, while the hollowed-out Illuminati became the scapegoat, and the innocent masses left behind became the ones to bear all the blame, though they had no power to decide anything…”

It took Xiang Jiuxi a long moment to comprehend Baigu’s words, and when he did, a chill ran down his spine.

Humanity… could be so ruthless.