Chapter 664

The sea breeze in Los Angeles remained gentle, even the wind carrying a jazz rhythm, but today's sunlight was not bright—the clouds hung low, as if ready to rain at any moment.

It was not good weather for tourism, but unusually fitting for bidding farewell to the dead; on a patch of green grass, a funeral was being held.

Few stood at the center of the grounds—only a handful—but many surrounded them, each holding flowers, whispering a name, some even singing.

Shiler, dressed in a black suit, bowed his head, and beside him, Lucifer heard Shiler murmur:

"Dear Lord, you chose Delilah as your Son's servant, on earth practicing charity through song, proclaiming the Gospel with a tender voice…"

"Since you have called her back to your side, grant her, in Heaven, to share your eternal feast with the saints, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit is the one God…"

Lucifer scoffed: "You pray that seriously? A devout Christian, huh?"

Shiler ignored him entirely, devoutly making the sign of the cross over his chest, then said: "Eternal Father, amen."

After praying, Shiler glanced sideways at Lucifer, and Lucifer heard him continue:

"Almighty and merciful God, the most beloved son you Qinshou created, the first light that followed you after creating the world, the first angel, Lucifer Morningstar, drank until four a. . last night, and his drinking was abysmal—his ignorance shocks me, he doesn't even know who Hegel is…"

Lucifer quickly reached out and covered Shiler's mouth, glanced around, then whispered: "What are you saying? How could I not know who Hegel is? I have a Ph. . in philosophy!"

"Is that so? Merciful God, eternal Lord, your son earned a Ph. . in philosophy—and now only runs a bar on the West Coast…"

Lucifer hurriedly covered Shiler's mouth again and said: "Damn it, you're my Pope—can you stop Tiantian thinking of tattling? Is this how a Pope behaves?"

Shiler snorted and said: "I became Pope to resign. You won't let me resign—can't I at least call the big boss to complain?"

"I'm your boss!" Lucifer emphasized.

"But he's your father," Shiler said, expressionless.

"He's not my father!"

"Then he's your mother?"

Lucifer had raised his fist, but swung it midair and lowered it again.

Shiler simply gazed ahead, where Delilah's collaborator was speaking of how outstanding a singer she was; when the body-bidding began, Shiler placed his flower down, turned, and saw Lucifer approaching, his face filled with grief.

"I thought you weren't upset," Shiler said to Lucifer on the way out. "If you're so reluctant, why not just resurrect her?"

Lucifer paused his steps, then said: "I went to Hell…"

"And then?"

"I didn't find her."

Shiler raised an eyebrow; Lucifer lowered his head and walked forward, saying as he went: "Delilah didn't go to Hell. Later, I found her in Heaven."

"She went to Heaven?"

"Hard to believe, right? She was once a bar girl, used drugs, maybe even dealt them—but still made it to Heaven." Lucifer's Adam's apple moved; he said: "Do you know why?"

Shiler said nothing, only looked at him; Lucifer answered himself: "After I found her in Heaven, she told me everything."

"After Delilah left the bar, those people came for her—the ones I told you about, who forced her to deal drugs."

"They kept pressuring Delilah to sell drugs to my bar, hoping she could convince me to become a customer—but Delilah knew I hated that stuff, so she kept refusing."

"Before coming to my bar, they gave her a final ultimatum: if she didn't cooperate, they'd kill her." Lucifer clenched his lips: "Yes, she knew… she knew leaving the bar might mean death."

"But she never told me. Right after she left the bar, those men blocked her at a nearby intersection, giving her one last chance: they told her to return to the bar and beg me to take the drugs."

Lucifer's hand hung in midair: "She refused again. She wouldn't go back—she only wanted to leave."

"At that moment, she realized someone was watching her—if she returned to the bar, she wouldn't die. But she still wanted to leave. So when the Black Tide Gang opened fire, she had nowhere to hide."

Lucifer stood still, took a deep breath, and said: "Even now, I think it's absurd that selfless sacrifice for others grants entry to Heaven—someone who spent a lifetime doing evil, yet merely considers someone else at the end, and gets in? How ridiculous!"

Shiler heard the hatred in Lucifer's tone, but soon Lucifer changed his voice: "But when I became the one being considered, when I became the person she thought of… I felt something strange."

"I don't understand. A stranger I barely knew, who pursued me, whom I refused, whom I never helped again—even if she came back begging, I'd likely just refuse again—but she wouldn't."

Lucifer took a deep breath; his voice carried deeper, more complex emotions. Shiler stepped forward and patted his shoulder:

"I suspect you only realized, after your fall, that humans are far more complex than you thought, right?"

Lucifer turned his head away, not answering. Shiler continued: "That's what ordinary people are like—terrible in ways that shock you, yet good in ways that shock you too. If you want to punish their evil, prepare yourself to accept their goodness—or you'll never be able to be ordinary."

"Do you think you're ordinary?" Lucifer asked.

"Of course. But before you, I'm not just ordinary—I'm also a devout Christian, my eternal God, your most beloved child, now feeling sorrow and panic…"

"Shut up!"

Lucifer strode to the car, opened the door. After Shiler got in, he realized the car wasn't heading toward the bar, so he asked: "Where are you driving?"

"Cloyn's daughter Beatrice is getting out of school—I'm picking her up. Cloyn's tied up with the Quinn Group case and can't leave."

"By the way, how are things between you two?" Shiler asked.

Lucifer was about to answer when Shiler continued: "If you two have successfully gotten together, shouldn't you fulfill your earlier promise?"