Chapter 509: I'll Be Back

The craftsmanship is not bad.

Nazareth, in the quiet carpenter's workshop, Yu Lin stood before the Wood Carving that was almost indistinguishable from Jesus himself, scanning it up and down, and nodded in approval.

Jesus's craftsmanship was indeed exquisite; whether in proportion, expression, or detailed texture, it was perfect.

He walked slowly around the statue, finally stopping at its front, touching his chin, his brows slightly furrowed, as if scrutinizing a near‑perfect work of art for that indescribable flaw.

"Just missing a feeling..." he muttered to himself:

"Where is it missing..."

The statue gave him the impression of a car whose every part was complete and assembled, brand‑new and gleaming, fuel tank full, ready to fire its engine onto the road at any moment.

Yet, it lacked that single "ignition," that crucial "spark" that would truly make the steel shell "come alive."

Yu Lin's gaze finally settled on the statue's pair of exquisitely carved, lifelike eyes.

He suddenly understood, slapping his forehead: "Eh, I get it!"

"It's missing a bit of soul."

"Hmm, perfect, let me enlighten it a bit and see."

Yu Lin no longer hesitated, raised his right hand, and extended his index finger.

A gentle Light Dot at his fingertip quietly lit up, then he lightly tapped it toward the statue's brow.

The instant his fingertip touched the wood, that Light Dot flowed like liquid mercury, silently sinking into it.

Buzz—

Jesus's originally sealed within this Wood Carving were the vast and pure "wisdom" and "Divinity."

Originally like two clear springs of similar nature yet distinct boundaries, they now, under the guidance and harmonization of the strand of light Yu Lin introduced, began to surge, whirl, and fuse violently!

No longer passively coexisting, they actively sought unity, evolving toward a more complete, transcendent form of existence.

A mutation then occurred!

The statue's feet, whose olive‑wood grain had been solid, began to emit a warm sheen; that sheen softened, the wooden fibers seeming to gain life, reorganizing, transmuting...........

They turned into real, blood‑colored, warm flesh and skin!

The transformation spread upward like tide over sand, steadily and irreversibly: calf, knee, thigh...........

The wood receded, life was gestating.

The change continued upward—neck, cheek…—until it reached those eyes.

In the formerly hollow sockets, the wood grain quickly faded; the whites and pupils' outlines grew distinct, black and white emerged, even faintly reflecting the workshop's dim light, as if about to move in the next instant, revealing a human‑like radiance.

However, at the very moment this "finishing touch" was about to complete—

The mutation rebirthed!

Endless, ink‑thick black vapors surged from the void without warning!

They rose from the high dome above, from the deep earth beneath the feet, even from cracks in the walls on all sides, converging into a rolling torrent.

Carrying a soul‑shivering cold, despairing, heavy aura, they lunged at the metamorphosing statue, especially at the eyes about to "come alive!"

It is "Sin"!

It is the substance of "Sin" that, since humanity's first ancestor fell, has accumulated, settled, and permeated the world, countless and incalculable, impossible to eradicate.

This torrent of black vapors was so massive and heavy that it instantly swallowed and suppressed the strand of harmonizing light Yu Lin had introduced.

The wisdom and Divinity that were merging, under the pure "Sin" impact and contamination, reacted violently again, trembling and separating as water and fire cannot coexist.

The transmutation process was forcibly halted, even reversed!

The black vapors spread, enveloping the entire statue and filling the carpenter's workshop; light was devoured, temperature plummeted, as if plunged into an eternally desperate night.

The portion that had just completed its transformation into vivid flesh now, under the black vapors of "Sin," grew dull, black veins spreading beneath the skin, the flesh's texture regressing, reverting toward wood.

"Hm? Sin?"

Yu Lin furrowed his brows, looking at the sudden interference, indeed feeling a hint of trouble.

The accumulation and manifestation of this "Sin," in scale and intensity, seemed directly tied to the "mission" the statue was to bear, not something he could simply enlighten away or endure easily.

But it was only "somewhat" troublesome.

His face, far from discouraged, slowly broke into a smile.

"You like the dark, huh?"

"Perfect, I have a little gadget here that's been stored for ages; it's time to take it out and use it."

He thought for a moment, and spread his right palm upward.

A faint yet incredibly resilient crimson‑gold flame, as if gathering all the world's resilience and yearning, quietly rose in his palm.

The flame was small, emitting not heat but a sense of "Hope" that could pierce any gloom.

It was the "Hope Spark" obtained back then from Heracles!

Where Hope reaches, even a dire situation becomes a passage!

"I'll baptize you with Hope, see whether Sin is stronger or my Hope!"

Yu Lin did not hesitate, flicked his wrist, and the Hope Spark in his palm, as if sentient, drifted precisely to the statue's chest center.

The crimson‑gold spark silently sank into that dense, impenetrable darkness.

One second.

Two seconds.

Just as the black vapors seemed about to extinguish that tiny light completely—

A needle‑thin yet dazzling crimson‑gold Light Dot burst suddenly at the heart of the absolute darkness! Like the First Ray of Light at the dawn of Chaos!

Immediately—

Whoosh!

Not a raging blaze, but a warm, vibrant light that, centered on that Light Dot, erupted outward!

The light was not dazzling, yet it carried a great power.

It illuminated the darkness, like humanity's ancestors in a cold, endless night, when they first succeeded in striking fire from wood, dispersing the beasts' howls and the bone‑chilling cold!

Wherever the light reached, that viscous, heavy, seemingly all‑consuming "sin" met its nemesis, emitting a silent, high‑pitched wail, violently rolling, melting, and receding!

The darkness was pushed back inch by inch, and the light returned.

Within the statue, the wisdom and Divinity that had been split and unsettled by the impact of "sin" were, under the illumination and support of this Hope Spark, steadied again, continuing the unfinished fusion.

The transformation of flesh no longer regressed; instead, bathed in the light, it accelerated and became purer.

Until the darkness faded, the light filled everything.

The carpenter's hut regained its brightness, even brighter than before.

"Yu Lin, thank you."

"All brothers, what's the thanks?"

Divine Jesus's eyes no longer held only pure reason and indifference; that strand of Hope Spark's light burned quietly deep within, granting him a hint of warm understanding of life itself and a hope for the future.

Yu Lin grinned and, very casually, patted his shoulder.

Then he withdrew his hand, turned, and walked toward the outside of the carpenter's hut:

"See you in the future."

As the words fell, his figure vanished into the sunlight at the doorway, and also out of Divine Jesus's sight.

Divine Jesus stood where he was, gazing toward his departing direction, silent for a long while.

Inside, light and shadow shifted, and dust drifted slowly within the beams.

After a long time, he responded very lightly, as if speaking to himself:

"See you in the future."

On the other side, the wilderness dwelling by the Jordan Riverbank.

Jesus sat quietly on a sun‑warmed stone outside the house, his gaze fixed on the winding river in the distance and the rolling dunes farther away.

When Yu Lin's figure again gathered beside him like a phantom, he spoke:

"Finished?"

"Hmm." Yu Lin replied, likewise casually sitting on the ground beside him, patting the dust off his hands.

No further explanation was needed; Jesus already understood.

The being that bore the other half of "himself" had truly come to "life", stepping onto his path.

Then Yu Lin's mission this time could be considered completely concluded.

"Yu Lin," Jesus turned his head, looking at him, his eyes reflecting the face that always carried a hint of lazy smile:

"Are you leaving again?"

Yu Lin nodded, not denying: "Hmm."

"How long will you be away this time? Ten years? Twenty?"

"It won't be too long this time. But..."

Yu Lin paused, grinned, and said, "The 'me' who returns won't be the 'me' of now."

A hint of confusion flickered in Jesus's eyes:

"Why?"

Yu Lin gave no intention to explain.

He simply stood, and his form began to emit a gentle WhiteLight, shifting from substance to void.

Just as his form was about to fully transform into light and vanish, he blinked at Jesus, leaving a final, ambiguous sentence:

"You'll know then."

WhiteLight flashed, completely dissipating into the dry air of the wilderness.

Yu Lin's breath, like sand scattered by wind, instantly vanished from Jesus's perception without a trace, leaving no hint at all.

Jesus sat alone on the stone, staring at the empty ground where Yu Lin had vanished, unmoving for a long while.

The wilderness wind stirred his hair and robe, bringing the scent of distant sand.

Finally, he slowly rose and turned toward John, who had emerged from the house.

"John,"

He spoke calmly, "I'm leaving too."

John looked at him, asked nothing, offered no plea, merely nodded, as if bidding farewell to a traveler already destined for a long journey:

"Take care."

"Hmm." Jesus replied, not looking back, stepping onto the road returning to Nazareth.

Nazareth's home still looked the way he was familiar with.

Only his parents had gone to visit distant relatives, absent from the house.

Usually the courtyard was filled with Joseph's clanging of wood, Mary's bustling footsteps, and neighbors' chatter; now it seemed somewhat empty and quiet.

But Jesus did not feel lonely.

Because he clearly knew what he was about to do.

He stepped out of the house.

Preaching, redemption.

He sowed the Kingdom of Heaven's seeds with words, and demonstrated mercy and justice with deeds.

He traveled throughout Jalili's villages and towns, taught in synagogues, conversed with all kinds of people in streets and alleys, healed illnesses, and soothed wounds.

He befriended many people: plain fishermen, tax collectors scorned by society, scholars harboring doubts, and ordinary folk simply attracted by his words and character.

Gradually, several people began to follow him steadfastly, becoming his disciples.

The days passed, one after another, in the hustle, storytelling, listening, and deeds.

When weary, he would return to his home in Nazareth.

It was his haven of rest, the foundation of him as the "Human Son."

He still would take up his familiar tools, busy in the carpenter's shop, planing shavings, chiseling joints, and assembling.

The scent of wood and the clatter could quiet his heart, as if he became again the simple Nazareth carpenter.

Piece by piece, the furniture took shape in his hands, sturdy and practical.

Until that afternoon.

Warm sunlight bathed the courtyard, and Jesus was fully absorbed in polishing the tabletop of an oak table nearing completion.

The grain appeared especially clear under his hands, its texture warm and smooth.

He was wholly absorbed, so he only became aware of the footsteps behind him when they drew near.

The footsteps stopped not far behind him.

Then, a familiar voice rang out:

"Excuse me, how much does it cost to make a table?"

Jesus's motion in his hand suddenly stopped.

He remained in the bent‑over posture, pausing for a moment.

Then, he turned his head and smiled:

"One Silver Coin."