Yun Yao shook her head, a trace of helplessness in her eyes as she turned to Qi Xia. "I advise against going."
"Because Auntie Tong's theories are... unconventional. Her lessons will drive you to madness.”
Qi Xia, being a staunch atheist, had no interest in attending such a class. However, the phrase {rid yourself of lingering thoughts} struck his heart like a thunderclap.
"Do we still need to participate in more games this afternoon?" Qi Xia asked.
"No, not really," Yun Yao replied. "I've fully acknowledged both of your abilities. From now on, this will be your free time. You can explore more games, devise strategies, or, if you have time, go earn some {Dào}. After all, food and water in the later stages of {Passage to Heaven} will require {Dào} for exchange."
"Alright, I understand." Qi Xia nodded. "Since there are no pressing plans, I’ll go visit her course in the afternoon."
After parting ways with Yun Yao, Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin made their way back to the classroom, where they quickly consumed a meal of canned food. The atmosphere was quieter than usual. Xiao Ran and Doctor Zhao had evidently left, leaving only Lin Qin and Han Yimo behind, chatting quietly to each other.
The four exchanged a few casual greetings.
"Extremely unwell," Qi Xia replied, shaking his head. "Tian Tian, Officer Li, and Lawyer Zhang all died in-game."
"Ah?" Han Yimo froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Officer Li and Lawyer Zhang are dead...?" He paused, still incredulous. "No, that can't be...
Qi Xia felt a growing sense of unease. "Han Yimo, don’t worry too much. They’ll come back..."
Han Yimo nodded slowly, though a somber expression lingered on his face. "You're right... but I still feel a bit down."
Qi Xia pondered for a moment before speaking. "Why don’t you all come with me this afternoon? I’ll be attending a certain event."
Around one in the afternoon, Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, Lin Qin, and Han Yimo arrived at the northernmost classroom.
To Qi Xia's surprise, the room was already occupied by more than ten people. Among the gathered figures, he spotted Ole Lu and Zhang Shan seated near the middle. They exchanged brief, subtle nods, an unspoken acknowledgment, but refrained from engaging in conversation.
The four then found a corner at the back of the room, settling in as they waited in silence.
Qi Xia’s eyes swept over the room, noting that each desk had a piece of paper and a pen neatly placed on top. Was this a lecture requiring note-taking?
Before long, Auntie Tong pushed open the door and walked in. "Quite a few people I see..." She smiled benevolently, set her teacup on the podium, and began to clean the blackboard with measured, deliberate movements. The fluidity of her actions, coupled with the calm authority she exuded, made her appear every bit the seasoned teacher.
Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin exchanged a glance, both feeling that this seemed to be quite a formal lesson.
"Allow me to introduce myself first," Auntie Tong began, her warm gaze sweeping across the room. "My name is Tong Chan (童婵), but you can call me {Auntie Tong} or {Ms. Tong}."
She paused, her eyes lingering on each person before continuing, "Though you may not recall, many of you here were once my closest companions. Together, we have faced life and death. In today’s lesson, I will unveil the truth of this world to you."
"Sounds fantastic!" Ole Lu exclaimed, rising from his seat with enthusiasm. He clapped loudly, his grin wide. "Let’s give Ms. Tong a proper round of applause, everyone!"
The rest of the room exchanged bewildered glances, hesitant to follow his lead. A few weak claps followed, their reluctance palpable as they awkwardly humored Ole Lu's enthusiasm.
"Ole Lu, stop causing trouble and sit down," Auntie Tong waved her hand dismissively.
Once Ole Lu had reluctantly taken his seat, Auntie Tong swept her gaze across the gathered faces. Her demeanor shifted, becoming solemn. "This morning, we lost five companions," she announced gravely. "Let us all take a moment to mourn them."
She clasped her hands together, right in front of her chin, and began to intone, "O’ compassionate and gracious Mother God, today we gather not to grieve the five departed souls, but to rejoice for the five spirits who are now preparing to enter Your sacred domain."
After finishing her recitation, Auntie Tong lifted her head and addressed the group, "Please, join me in prayer."
Among the ten or so individuals in the room, only one or two muttered along, their voices flat and lifeless. The rest remained silent, their faces etched with varying degrees of discomfort or indifference.
"Though our hearts are filled with sorrow, it is only because of longing and reluctance. O’ compassionate and gracious Mother God, may they be with You."
"They are all Your spiritual children, under thou watchful care throughout their lives. Here, we express our gratitude and humbly beseech You to forgive the sins committed by these five souls."
"May You grant them eternal rest unto thy realm."
"O’ compassionate and gracious Mother God, by virtue of their faith, bestow blessings unto them. By the sincerity of their devotion, bestow thy blessings upon their descendants. May the faith they hath pursued be passed down through the generations, until Thy Kingdom come."
Qi Xia's expression gradually grew colder. "I can't take this any longer."
"What's what?" Qiao Jiajin turned to ask, "This auntie’s doing a good job, it's almost like a performance."
"Does she actually believe that something is protecting us and that these bizarre experiences are the result of divine intervention?" Qi Xia scoffed, "If what’s supposedly shielding us is this {Mother God} she keeps preaching about, then I can only be thankful I’ve never placed my faith in any deity."
Lin Qin, overhearing their conversation, furrowed her brows and said, "There’s actually another detail that doesn’t seem right..."
Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin turned their gaze toward her in unison.
"If I remember correctly, this passage should be a Christian eulogy," Lin Qin pondered for a moment before speaking. "But if it's truly Christian... she should be praying to {God the Father}, not the {compassionate and gracious Mother God}."
"So she can't even tell the difference between Mary and Jehovah?" Qi Xia remarked. "This is on me—dragging you all here for this nonsense. Let’s go."
Before any of them could rise from their seats, Auntie Tong suddenly became enraptured. "Great {Mother God of Creation}! Please accept my most sincere prayer!"
The collective froze, an unsettling silence enveloping the room.
‘Mother God… of Creation?’ Qi Xia’s brows furrowed in surprise. This deity was entirely foreign to him.
The creator of heaven and earth was Pangu[1] while humanity’s progenitor was Nüwa.
Could this so-called ‘Mother God of Creation’ be referring to Nüwa?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Qi Xia turned toward Han Yimo and asked, "You’re a writer. Have you ever encountered Nüwa being referred to as the {Mother God of Creation}?"
Han Yimo shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "No... that doesn't sound like one of our traditional titles. Even {Mother Goddess} would be a more standard term than {Mother God}."
The others in the room shifted uncomfortably—it was evident that Qi Xia wasn't the only one feeling the urge to leave.
A middle-aged man in a suit spoke up, his tone polite but firm. "Da jie, could you pause the preaching for a moment? Can you tell us what this place really is?"
Auntie Tong gave a mysterious smile before turning back to the blackboard, where she wrote the character {God(神)} in large, bold strokes.
The crowd murmured the word, repeating it in unison.
"Correct," Auntie Tong affirmed, nodding. "Only a god could have created End Point. She is the {Mother God}."
The room remained still, each person processing her words with a mix of skepticism and curiosity.
"Da jie," the middle-aged man shook his head in disbelief, "Is this your {course}? Are you suggesting that this place is just some mythological tale?"
"I am but a guide," Auntie Tong replied, maintaining her scholarly smile. "The revelations of the Mother God transcend mortal understanding, so your doubts are natural."
"Why do you believe it was that... something-God... who brought us here?" asked a young man with delicate and pretty features. "Have you ever seen her?"
"Of course not," Auntie Tong shook her head. "Mother God cannot be seen or touched, but She is everywhere. I can feel Her presence."