Endless Debt Chapter 725: Seeking Eternity Amidst Endless Poems

This sentence stumped Bologue, and Canary cracked a bitter smile, "We have together appreciated the greatest work in human history, and likewise, we will witness the end of humanity..."

Canary pondered far away, farther than other poets, like the distant ridges of mountains. Since this possibility existed, Canary wanted to understand it clearly.

Bologue asked, "If the ’Endless Poems’ are completed, does it mean the end of humanity? But if it’s never completed, will you forever be unable to reach your ideal goal? Are you conflicted because of this?"

Canary sneered, "No, Bologue, what I worry about is not the end of humanity. Do you really think people like us would have the extra mind to care about others?"

"Then why do you..."

"I often think, when the poems end, what awaits us then?"

After all, no matter how grand and long the ’Endless Poems’ may be, it is destined to have its own conclusion. It might take hundreds or thousands of years, but it will eventually reach an ending.

And after the end?

Will we truly die, or fall into absolute nothingness? Or perhaps we won’t perish like that, but instead recite the stories over and over, enduring endless years until each of us grows weary of it all?"

Canary sighed helplessly, providing an example to Bologue, "Even if you love a film, after watching it countless times, you would find it utterly nauseating, wouldn’t you?"

Bologue recalled the terrible viewing experience with Belphegor, and nodded in agreement, "Terrible, too terrible."

Noticing Bologue’s confused expression, Canary paused briefly and explained, "Long before the Joyous Desire Witch corrupted the Unfettered Poetry Society, there had already been many disagreements within the society."

"As I just mentioned, some began to question the eternity after death, others doubted the culmination of poetry, and there were even those who suspected this as the plot of the outsider... Belphegor."

How could the Devil be so benevolent? He must intend to collect all poems and, at the moment ’Endless Poems’ is completed, to consume them, relishing in the poets’ agony and despair."

Canary waved her hand, unable to explain these matters, "Perhaps the progress of the times has made us become realistic. Everyone no longer holds onto those arguably foolish ideals, but rather carries sharp pros and cons."

"The disagreements among you grew wider and wider."

"Just about, until Bai Ou detonated it all."

Canary reminisced about past days, "Bai Ou was once the finest poet among us. He wandered between various countries for years, collecting those orally passed stories and documenting them on paper, making them a part of the ’Endless Poems.’"

"Bai Ou greatly anticipated the eternity after death, even though it was extremely distant to him.

But on a certain day, Bai Ou changed. He began to fear death and repeatedly pleaded with Belphegor for the Blessing of immortality, wishing to continue roaming this world and witnessing the birth of ’Endless Poems’ firsthand. You know the outcome; all his pleas were rejected by Belphegor.

I guess, even before that, the Joyous Desire Witch began her corruption of Bai Ou, and amid the widening disagreements, more people chose present pleasure rather than distant future fulfillment.

We once questioned Belphegor, hoping he could explain something, but he merely shook his head, saying we were unqualified, leaving him greatly disappointed, and then the Unfettered Poetry Society fragmented."

Bologue said, "But you are still working for Belphegor now."

"It’s merely a coincidence of interests."

Canary explained, "I don’t know the truth of the ’Endless Poems,’ nor do I know whether in my distant future after death, I’ll be able to appear in that theater. But what I do know is, Bai Ou ruined everything, he betrayed us, killed my friends. Even if not for the Unfettered Poetry Society, for my friends, I must revenge against him."

The atmosphere fell into silence again, Canary indulged in the pleasure of revenge, while Bologue contemplated deeply because of Canary’s story.

Zongge Orchestra and Unfettered Poetry Society represented two extremes: the former abandoned everything, whether pain or sorrow, replacing them entirely with absolute joy. In that utmost bliss, the individual need not worry about the distant and unknowable future, nor reflect on the complexities of life.

The Joyous Desire Witch reduced all human complexities, leaving only singular enjoyment, with irresistible desire instincts dominating everyone’s spirit, letting them sink into eternal joy.

In contrast, the Unfettered Poetry Society resembled ascetic cultivators; poets roamed the world, collecting countless stories and poems, compiling them together, bound by the same romantic ideal, yearning for the eternity after death.

Bologue understood that what poets cared for was not true immortality. They longed for the fortune of reading all the world’s poems.

This was akin to the Seekers of the Order of Truth. If the Devil promised the Seekers he would reveal the truth of the Secret Source, at the cost of the Seekers dying upon knowing the truth.

Bologue felt no Seeker would refuse the Devil’s promise; they would head en masse to the altar, calmly accepting death after knowing everything about the Secret Source.

The poets were the same. They yearned to know all the poetry collections in the world, willing to offer their souls to the Devil for this. But unlike the fanatic Seekers, the Secret Source was at least observable; the ’Endless Poems’ were too distant, so far that they were unreachable, so far that even the poets began to harbor doubts.

Bologue spoke, "You are afraid, Canary."

"Why do you think so?"

Upon hearing Bologue’s words, Canary smiled, confused as to why Bologue suddenly said this.

"At first, I thought you were just like Bai Ou, merely afraid of death. Even if you gained the eternity after death, you feared the monotony and void brought by the infinite repetition of poems, even fearing a more unknowable end..."

"Actually, are you afraid of the conclusion of the poems?"

Canary’s smile froze, as if Bologue had found her weakness, seeing through her layers of disguise.

"When the poems are written to their end, they die."

Bologue relaxed his body, mimicking Canary’s posture, crossed his legs.

"So what will you do next? Hinder Belphegor? Prevent the birth of ’Endless Poems’? After all, its appearance signifies the end of poetry."

Canary said, "Do you think that would help? Poems are born because of humanity, but humanity will eventually perish someday, and by then, poetry will naturally disappear too. This is not something human power can change."

"Indeed, unchangeable, like the heavy rolling stone, you can only watch it roll down with open eyes; everything will ultimately return to deathly silence, so you feel despair and nothingness."

Bologue probed Canary’s thoughts, continuing, "Have you started wavering too?"

Canary remained silent.

"Even if ’Endless Poems’ could be born, even if one could view this grand majesty, even if all this damned excellence could be perfected... it will still come to an end, just like the last page of a novel."

Bologue stood up, "Actually, you have thought, why not join the Zongge Orchestra? At least before the conclusion, you can experience absolute joy, rather than self-torment like the Ascetic."

Canary took a deep breath, and her face once again beamed with a smile.

"Perhaps there’s still some romanticism left in me."