Public Opinion

Joker's proposal was set aside.

Chen Miemie righteously declared that their [Eternal Moon] was a harmonious, friendly, and righteous organization, so how could they possibly cooperate with an evil existence like The Plasterer.

Dawn sneered at this.

Among the Anomalies present, who didn't have their hands covered in blood? If they were put into the Mist Church, every single one of them would start out as a bishop at the very least.

As for Chen Miemie's words, the Anomalies actually deeply agreed.

Pure Water: "The Plasterer's art is too crude; the core of its external beauty is pain. It is merely a petty trick."

Qinghua: "Real flesh and blood, even if sealed, will still rot over time. It is better to follow me into the painting within the porcelain, where beauty can be preserved forever."

Daidai: "For ordinary life to be so easily solidified into a long-lasting existence, this transaction is not fair."

Red: "Wrapping in plaster is not as good as using spider silk, which better highlights the contours of the form."

Baibai: "What a waste. Wrapping such excellent materials for making cat food in messy things ruins the texture."

Joker chuckled "Hehe" and said no more.

Setting The Plasterer's evil aside for now, the main issue was that they couldn't find him. The whereabouts of the Mist Church's members were kept secret; they didn't even trust their own colleagues within the church, so no one exposed themselves easily.

Seeing that Dawn and Joker couldn't be counted on, Chen Miemie turned his gaze to the other side.

"What about you guys? Do you know any Anomaly friends?"

Pure Water thought for a long time: "I remember there used to be an otter that was quite good at building nests on the water's surface. That was a long time ago, though. I don't know if it is still alive now."

"I know of one; it is a honeycomb deep within the mountains," an ethereal voice chimed in.

Hearing the voice, Chen Miemie was delighted. Sure enough, mobilizing the masses was the way to go: "Haomiao, what honeycomb?"

Dawn and Cassan looked around but still couldn't find Haomiao anywhere.

Not far beside Dawn sat Daidai.

Daidai looked very harmless and cute, appearing quite approachable.

The small clouds everyone was sitting on were movable.

Dawn quietly scooted over and asked in a low voice, "Hello Daidai, is Haomiao an Anomaly that can turn invisible?"

Daidai revealed a blank expression: "Haomiao, invisible? It isn't invisible; it has been right here all along."

Cassan also sneaked closer, pricking up her ears.

"How come I haven't seen it at all?"

Daidai jumped onto Dawn's shoulder, plopping its butt down on her collarbone: "You have seen it. Haomiao is the sea of clouds right in front of you. All the clouds here are a part of it."

A chill shot up their spines straight to their heads. Dawn and Cassan suddenly felt their scalps go numb, and the small cloud clusters beneath them felt a bit like they were burning their butts.

No wonder it was called Haomiao. To think that this vast, boundless sea of clouds was actually an Anomaly.

Didn't that mean they were currently sitting right in its mouth?

Chen Miemie didn't notice their little whispering movements; he was still pressing for details about the honeycomb.

Haomiao continued to explain:

"It was in the mountain range before me. It is an intelligent, coral-like brain that can attach itself to the core of a building.

It can extend neural filaments to integrate with the building, transforming the entire structure into a living organ, optimizing the layout to suit its own survival."

The more Chen Miemie listened, the more it sounded wrong, and the joy faded from his face.

"You mean the honeycomb is good at optimizing structures? What exactly does it optimize them into?"

"Just like a bee's nest," Haomiao switched to a more colloquial explanation.

"That won't do." Chen Miemie shook his head vigorously. Just thinking about a bee's nest was enough to trigger his trypophobia. The sea of clouds was so spacious; there was no need to optimize the structure.

Joker had only been quiet for a brief moment before he suddenly had another idea: "Hehe, I know of an Anomaly."

Chen Miemie turned to look at him.

This guy's ability to accept new environments was truly unparalleled. Over there, Dawn and Cassan were still treading carefully, while Joker had already completely adapted. Aside from his naturally crazy personality, it might also have to do with the fact that he had already transformed into an Anomaly.

After becoming a leader, Chen Miemie had also started to like people who knew how to get things done.

"Joker, it really had to be you. Hurry up and tell us."

Joker tilted his head with an exaggerated expression: "The Mist Church goes deep into the wild mist year-round and has built an intelligence database on wild Anomalies. I read a part of it before. I remember there is a powerful one named Root Vein Earth Mother."

"Root Vein Earth Mother? Tell me more."

"From what I remember, the Root Vein Earth Mother is a network formed by plant root systems that spreads underground. It can actively guide the growth of roots to form natural vaults, tunnels, support pillars, and even underground architectural systems as complex as palaces."

Chen Miemie thought for a moment.

The clouds in this sea of clouds served as the foundation. If roots were planted into them, it would fit the concept of 'underground.' Besides, it would be normal for some roots to poke out above the ground, right?

"Hmm. We can give it a try. Do you know its strengths and weaknesses?"

"The Root Vein Earth Mother builds structures slowly but sturdily. The built spaces are warm in winter and cool in summer, with good ventilation. At the same time, the interior is filled with walls of living roots that wriggle slowly, treating intruders as 'nutrients.'

It dislikes salt and strong acids, or anything else that corrodes roots. Massively cutting down the associated plants above ground can weaken it."

Chen Miemie made the final decision: "Alright, we'll look for it."

Pure Water raised a question: "If we are going to seek out this Root Vein Earth Mother, don't we need to select a batch of plants that can live on the clouds?"

This was a very obvious question; without plants, there would be no roots.

Chen Miemie nodded: "That is also the reason why I chose the Root Vein Earth Mother. This sea of clouds has a fairy-like atmosphere, but looking at it for too long, it ultimately gets a bit monotonous. Planting an appropriate amount of plants will make it more colorful."

Baibai found an opportunity to speak: "I know of a relatively suitable plant. I heard about it from a hotel guest once."

Strictly speaking, this first general assembly of [Eternal Moon] still didn't have everyone present.

The only one who hadn't come was Yarn Ball.

Yarn Ball was the entire [Fat Orange Hotel]. Unless shrouded by the mist, it couldn't be moved.

Fortunately, after contracting with Chen Miemie, there was no longer the pursuit of death. Baibai was no longer confined to the hotel; she could come out.

After leaving the [Fat Orange Hotel], she lacked a physical entity and was like a ghost. Wandering outside for a long time without a body would cause her harm, so unless there was a major event, she wouldn't leave the hotel.

Because of Baibai's abilities, she could share many things with Yarn Ball, such as vision and hearing. Therefore, Baibai being here meant that Yarn Ball was attending the meeting remotely.

"[Cloud-Entwining Banyan Tree]," Baibai stated the name of the plant.

Chen Miemie's eyes lit up. This was a plant that even he knew about; he had seen it in a textbook called the Encyclopedia of Wonders.