Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 811: The Way of Snake Body Entangling the Heart
The motive that drove the Red Prime Minister Peng Bonazzi to usurp the throne was not madness, willfulness, power, or desire... but his love for Xing Ti.

He loves Xingti more than anyone else.

It's just that what he loves is the original star, a love that is "engraved" like carving a boat to find a sword.

That was not out of love, but because of his hatred for Bashir for ascending to the dream world alone and abandoning him;
Perhaps it was not out of hatred, but out of disappointment that Valentine was not as good as he could be.

Or maybe it’s not because of disappointment, but because of the beautiful memories of the pure struggle before the founding of the country;

But after all, it was not because of reminiscence, but because of [love].

Because of the madness and selfishness of the path of love—

"No wonder," Aleister suddenly laughed, "I have tasted a hint of decay from you before, just like the bottle of wine you kept.

"At first I thought it was an illusion. After all, you've lived for so long... People always want to reminisce about the past."

"……snort."

Pomponazzi's face suddenly turned gloomy.

He guessed what "Lady Bayard" wanted to say, but he neither interrupted nor denied it.

Aleister looked at his expression and raised the corner of his mouth slightly: "Sure enough, you guessed it yourself...

"——Your path has deviated and you are heading down the wrong path."

That is the road above the river of error... a dusk road that symbolizes eternity and stagnation.

The concepts of "engraving" and "remembering" belong to the Amber Celestial Master. In the rare case of amber responding to prayers, the Amber Celestial Master is the spokesperson for the twilight path.

The "old man smell" that Hong Xiang exudes is not an illusion - just like rotting flesh and blood, it will emit a foul smell and attract flies. Once the extraordinary people on the path of love become dusk, they will become this crazy.

"maybe."

Pomponazzi's words gradually became sharper, no longer as polite as before: "This is also my own choice."

Perhaps it was because he had already said everything he wanted to say - as the creator of the most prosperous era of Star, he looked down on the Star people of this era, just like a paranoid old man who arrogantly believed that "young people don't know anything at all" and "this era is rotten".

Even those direct descendants he transformed into the Sons of the Moon looked down on him. Pomponazzi believed that they did not understand him at all and were not worthy of understanding him.

But at the same time, he had an urgent desire to talk to others - no one could share the pressure in his heart, even if they were just an unresponsive tree hole.

He expressed his distress so urgently, just like an old player who was alone in a dead online game, feeling melancholy as he looked at the densely packed gray avatars in the guild.

Looking at the stupid questions from the newcomers in the world channel, he just wanted to sneer - those were the questions he had enthusiastically repeated countless times in the past, but now he couldn't even muster the interest to type a single word. After all, they wouldn't stay for long and would leave. There was no one to accompany him, and they didn't understand the joy of the busy opening up in the past. "The game was not like this at all back then."

And now, Baroness Bayard, who existed in the same imperial era as him and was a member of the same clan as him, the Son of the Moon, and whose status and position was even higher than his back then, naturally deserves the identity of "Listener".

It was like when Pomponazzi was on the verge of quitting the game, he suddenly discovered that the old guild members were back online!

——Lady Bayard, last logged in one day ago.

Then Peng Bonazi would naturally feel a huge surprise and hang online every day. He wanted to catch the other party online and have a good chat with him and reminisce about the past.

And now, he has said everything he should say, and missed everything he should miss.

After confirming that the past could not be returned to, Pomponazzi finally let it go.

"If this is really your own choice, why are you so miserable and confused?"

"Bayard" crossed his legs, shook his wine glass, and spoke as sharp as a knife: "Or, do you really agree with Bashir's ideas from the bottom of your heart?

"The Starry Way, which was born from the experience of an unequal empire, has brought more inequality. Have you really never questioned this path itself?

"The Way of Xingtan allows the capable to rise to the top - but who determines who is capable? Is it the monarch? The expert? Or just the level of the Way? Does going one level deeper in the Way make them stronger? Does a person getting stuck at a certain level mean that he is not working hard enough, or is naturally inadequate or inferior?"

"——What else?"

Pomponazzi asked in return: "Isn't it the same with the Bayard Group? The fittest survive and the weakest are eliminated, that's how nature works. Being able to provide a relatively fairer arena has eliminated most of the unfairness."

"But the 'unfairness' you exclude is itself the greatest 'unfairness'."

Aleister refuted without hesitation: "Does a person's talent have only one direction? Does his personal success depend only on his efforts and talents? Luck, opportunity, choice, persistence and giving up, personal performance, social support... can all these factors be ignored?

"In the Way of Star Antimony, the so-called 'successful ones' will always continue to compare themselves with those above them, and the 'losers' will completely lose their dignity. People will not openly pity the weak, because they are just 'the eliminated', the sand among the gold that has been sifted out. People will think that their failure is either due to stupidity or laziness... Weakness has become the original sin at this moment.

"Prince Szijjártó is already quite talented as an alchemist. He has reached the third level at this age. It will only be a matter of time before he has a deeper understanding of the Way of Balance and reaches the fourth level.

"Albert is undoubtedly a genius, but he also feels pressured by the huge expectations society has for him. In order to be recognized in this social system, he must continue to become stronger - any personal achievements other than his job will not be recognized by society and will only be considered a waste of time." In the eyes of outsiders, they are already quite successful people and real big shots. However, they are still subject to the expectations of others and tortured by the eyes of the public... because they are once again in a new evaluation system and continue to fight with new strong people. This cycle repeats itself, never ending, like a snake biting its tail, with no end.

"Once they fall, their past glory will turn into a sharp blade. People are eager to step on those who have fallen from a high place, as if it can prove that everyone is a loser. Their own failures seem to be forgivable.

"On the other hand, if a person becomes a strong person in this system, then he will naturally think that he deserves everything he gets. He should enjoy all this because he is the embodiment of perfection. He is superior to losers in terms of personality, essence, talent and effort... and everyone under him is a loser in relative terms.

“—Just like you.”

Aleister said word by word: "This is a disease, a disease of a snake's body wrapped around a heart - the Ouroboros of the Way of Transcendence has bewitched you. It has led you on a paradoxical road with no beginning or end, and you will never reach the end."

It was a posture like a Möbius strip.

Originally, Aleister believed that Xingti should generally follow the principle of balance.

The Royal Alchemy Association, the Demonic Society, the Spirit Tower, the Red Castle... many forces gathered here to maintain a dangerous balance. Any one party that emerged would be suppressed by the other parties. Thus, the situation spiraled upward in this infinite swing.

But now Aleister deeply realized that all this was just a disguise.

The essence of the Way of Star Antimony is meritocracy, and what those alchemists pursue is the Way of Transcendence.

The only difference is that the demonologists of the society follow the Fallen Angels, while the alchemists follow the Ring Angels.

As the original creator of alchemy, Huan Tiansi does have the possibility of being followed by alchemists.

"Bashir...Valentin I," Aleister looked at the gloomy Pomponazzi and asked, "He is the apostle of the Huantian Division, right?"

"So what?"

Pomponazzi defended him, and it seemed like he was defending himself: "From the stagnant dead water, even if there is only a circulating river, it is a progress!"

"——Is this an improvement or a 'transcendence'?"

Aleister continued to torture Pomponazzi.

And finally, Pomponazzi seemed unable to bear it any longer.

"Heh... Isn't it the same for the Bayard Foundation?"

Pomponazzi countered, "You are a family of ritualists who serve the Serpent Father, yet you are marrying into a family of witches - who didn't know that you responded to Shadow Sky Master's embrace back then?"

coming.

Aleister's heart moved, and he realized that Pomponazzi's defense was somewhat broken.

So she pretended to be unhappy and frowned, trying to pry out more secrets with a weak defense: "Curse and ritual... are inseparable. They are both skills of transcendence, so what is the difference?"

"Hehe... the difference? Isn't the curse technique of the Path of Transcendence passed down by your Bayard family? You feel that the power of the ritual is too mild, so you are willing to do anything for the Path of Transcendence, absorbing talents and techniques from all over the world, including curses, deceptions, and potions - even at the cost of betraying the Path of Transcendence itself.

"It is precisely because of these skills that the Bayard Group was able to reach the top of the empire in just twenty years. Every penny of your family's wealth is stained with blood and curses!
"If we are contaminated by the Way of Transcendence, you have never escaped from the Way of Transcendence."

Pomponazzi tapped the armrest with his fingers, causing it to creak and crack.

He frowned slightly, looking anxious and annoyed.

Looking at the silent Lady Bayard, Pomponazi questioned repeatedly: "Did you really go to Taichu? I think you went to the ancient country of Parthia for further study. You were never so vicious in the past. Your words are like a stabbing knife.

"I know you went to Avalon after you came back - why, were you checking on the maintenance of the curses you sold in the past? I heard that you fell in love with Aiwass from the Moriarty family... This is probably the deceptive love that witches are good at, right?

"The Oblivion Curse that entangles the Moriarty family was originally cast by your mother! In order to complete this curse, you still keep the reward that the first Moriarty pledged to you, right? Now that the seventh life has long passed, the curse should have expired - but do you really plan to return the deposit to them?"

Seeing Bayard still silent, Pomponazi snorted coldly, as if he felt a little satisfied with his victory in words: "You may have forgotten, but I haven't forgotten -

"The sword of Clarent that belonged to Mordred in the past is in your possession, right? But have you ever returned it to Aiwass? I think... I don't think so?"

"enough."

Aleister exhaled, feeling satisfied.

"——That's enough."

Peng Bonazi frowned and replied in a low voice: "I have talked enough with you.

"I am disappointed, Lady Bayard. I thought we would be of the same kind..."

There was a bloodthirsty and murderous dark red glow in his pupils.

(End of this chapter)