Chapter 779: Bone, Flesh, Soul

"Let's go take a look too."

On the shore, Priest Ao Gu Si suddenly said softly. Sister Daifulin hesitated for a moment, then nodded:

"That would be fine."

"But how are we going to get over there?"

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na asked softly. They could not touch the water surface. The old priest smiled and pointed to the side:

"Use this."

On the shallows, there was actually a dilapidated little wooden boat stranded, as if it would sink the moment it touched the water. It lay quietly in the shadows that the bonfire could not illuminate, as if it had always been here.

But Yin Yi Yi Lu Na was very certain that before the battle between Xia De and Joey Barton ended, this boat absolutely did not exist.

"What is this?"

She was very surprised, and seeing Priest Ao Gu Si trying to push the boat into the water, she reached out to help.

"The moon, defeated, death."

The priest said laboriously while pushing the little boat toward the water. Sister Daifulin immediately became thoughtful:

"Are you saying that in death, the moon defeated death head-on?"

"Yes."

The priest nodded, and together with Yin Yi Yi Lu Na, they pushed hard. The little boat slid into the water silently.

"Sorry, I still don't understand what this means."

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na said softly. The priest signaled her to carry Joey Barton's corpse onto the boat, then continued to explain:

"The thirteen Old Gods have overlapping divine offices."

"Yes, I know this."

"Most of the authority of death is held by the Old God 【Ancient God of Death】."

"Yes."

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na nodded again, dragging the corpse onto the boat. Priest Ao Gu Si and Sister Daifulin also boarded the boat in turn. Without any power, the little boat swayed through the dense white shadows and sailed toward Xia De in the distance.

The priest took out his pipe and took a puff, Sister Daifulin sat quietly on the side, and Yin Yi Yi Lu Na held her dark golden scales at the bow of the boat, the light of the scales like a guiding lamp.

"But the Old God of the moon also holds part of the authority of death; this Underworld Moon is the evidence."

Priest Ao Gu Si said again. Yin Yi Yi Lu Na thought for a moment, then nodded again:

"So?"

"So, now in the truest death, witnessed by thousands of souls, Xia De, who used the power of the moon, defeated Joey Barton, who used the power of death. You just said Joey Barton was some Chosen One? Sorry, I don't understand this, but they both used very pure power, and the dueling ground is here. This can be viewed as a kind of symbolic ritual... it's about like that, and Xia De won, so this boat appeared."

He exhaled a puff of smoke:

"I also can't explain it in too much detail, but from now on, this boat will always be here, carrying those souls who, even after coming here, cannot walk to the end. The rules of death have become more perfect... it's truly a good thing."

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na still didn't understand very well, but since it was a good thing, there was no need to delve too deeply.

The little boat left ripples on the silent water surface as if silk were being sliced. They soon arrived beside Xia De in the little boat, and the ripples at the stern only spread a short distance before vanishing. Xia De glanced at the boat suspiciously, thinking it was something Priest Ao Gu Si had conjured.

The numerous souls gradually brushed past everyone, and Joey Barton, enduring the severe pain of the curse, finally climbed up with difficulty.

He looked at the souls in front of him, looked at the transparent woman standing in front of him, and then reached out and hugged her:

"Marilyn, this time, I finally caught your hand."

Even though the pain deep in his soul made it almost impossible for him to breathe normally, he still hugged the soul in front of him:

"Finally, finally found you, finally saw you again."

The woman revealed a gentle smile, her right arm wrapped around the deformed big boy in front of her, and her left hand gently stroked the top of his head.

"Is this what is called love?"

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na asked Priest Ao Gu Si softly on the side.

She was actually closer to Sister Daifulin, but the nun's cold appearance didn't look like she understood the meaning of love at all. Moreover, Yin Yi Yi Lu Na didn't think asking the nun such a question was a good idea.

"It should be considered so."

The old priest said with emotion, his aged face looking at this scene with a rather complex expression.

"Don't leave me, go back with me. Please, go back with me."

Even though he was trembling all over because of the severe pain, Mr. Barton still hugged her tightly, shouting with a crying voice.

He looked up at the woman's face. The woman smiled and shook her head slightly; she refused.

Xia De didn't know what Mr. Barton was feeling at this moment, but he knew that there would be no more fighting.

"Why, are you unwilling to go back with me? Why..."

He couldn't stand steadily because of the pain. Even though he was being held by that gentle soul, he still slowly slid to the water surface. He knelt there, looking at the person he had dreamed of. The latter let go of his hand, looking at him gently.

Joey Barton knew that if this was still a parting, then this time would be the final parting:

"Then, let me go with you."

He extended his trembling hands toward the woman.

The woman smiled gently and shook her head again, but she grabbed those large, deformed hands, then squatted down slightly and hugged this big boy.

"Oh!"

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na on the boat exclaimed softly. As countless white shadows brushed past the two, the gray patterns on Barton's body actually spread to the woman like a crawling snake. The woman's soul, therefore, bore the curse of death, while the curse on Mr. Barton's body was slowly disappearing.

"This is..."

【She absorbed the curse and intends to walk toward the end with the curse.】

"She" gave the answer softly.

Straightening her waist gently, letting go of her hands, Mr. Barton, with tears streaming down his face, wanted to grab her, but couldn't grab her no matter what:

"No, let me go with you."

The transparent soul was smiling gently, bathed in the radiance of the Underworld Moon. There was no sadness of parting in her eyes. She opened her mouth gently, her voice very soft:

"Keep me in your heart and live well. As long as you remember me, I have not left."

The corners of Xia De's eyes twitched. Priest Ao Gu Si shook his head, Sister Daifulin still had no expression, and Yin Yi Yi Lu Na on the boat had eyes that were already a bit red. The immature girl couldn't bear to watch stories like this, especially since this story was happening right before her eyes.

"Remember, live well."

Giving the final blessing softly, while Mr. Barton lay on the water surface and wailed loudly, the woman's soul turned around and walked toward the massive Underworld Moon at the end of the water domain along with those thousands of white shadows.

Xia De looked at those white shadows. He wanted to say something, but this story was truly difficult to summarize. Fortunately, someone spoke for him:

"Wait a moment, don't leave yet."

The old priest tapped his pipe against the side of the boat. The woman's soul stopped, and everyone else looked at the old priest.

Rat Ao Gu Si drooped his eyelids and said in a deep voice:

"Five people came in, and five people must leave. Joey Barton indeed cannot leave with the souls; he must return to reality with us. Otherwise, his power will return to death, which will also break the fragile balance."

Xia De looked at the priest suspiciously, not knowing what he wanted to express by repeating this point.

"But you have done too many bad things, and too many people have died today because of you, so I don't want you to return to reality alive. Joey Barton, you have done wrong, so you must pay the price."

The priest looked at Joey Barton with a solemn expression. The latter trembled and nodded slightly. Xia De rarely saw this old man show such an expression.

"In order not to destroy the balance of life and death, dead people must absolutely not be allowed to become living people. But if some price is paid, a powerful living person can be used to exchange for a dead person."

The priest coughed and emphasized again:

"Five people came in, and five people must leave. Do you understand?"

Xia De raised his eyebrows, Yin Yi Yi Lu Na also had an expression of sudden realization, and Mr. Barton widened his eyes in disbelief:

"Can I be used to exchange for her rebirth? Can this also maintain the balance of life and death?"

"Generally speaking, it is not possible; this is also a resurrection that breaks the rules. But the situation is special now. If I am willing to help, it is possible."

Priest Ao Gu Si pointed to himself slowly. Xia De knew he had part of the power of the Death-Announcing Angel, so it was indeed possible to complete such a thing.

The priest added:

"Of course, that is not a perfect resurrection. Moreover, your soul must follow her and leave, attached to her for life. Because she and you are not equivalent.

From now on, you are dead, becoming a wandering soul. Only until she dies again will you be qualified to walk toward the end; you don't even have the qualification to end it yourself. And that curse of death, you will bear it together, and neither of you will be able to shake it off. This should be the best way at present; you must pay the price for today's events, Joey Barton."

Mr. Barton looked at Marilyn Handel's soul, trembling all over:

"I cannot let her bear the curse too. No, I cannot be so selfish, I cannot..."

"Sir, I am willing."

That gentle soul actually took the initiative to speak. She bowed slightly to Priest Ao Gu Si. Souls can reflect a person's essence; she was indeed a very gentle and kind person.

"Madam, even if you are willing, I am not willing."

The priest shook his head:

"Although I don't want Joey Barton to return to reality alive, resurrecting you breaks the rules. Why should I help you?"

"This... what do you need?"

The woman's soul asked softly. Priest Ao Gu Si did not set conditions, but looked at the soul watching them:

"Are you sure you want to do this? Madam, you will have the qualification to walk alive again, but the price is that you will bear his heavy soul, you will be stained with a terrible curse of death, and even the resurrection will not be complete; you will have more suffering. These sufferings need to be borne by you together until you have paid the price. This is fair to Joey Barton, but unfair to you; you have done nothing wrong."

Marilyn Handel's pure white soul looked at Barton, who was lying limply there, and lowered her eyes slightly:

"Joey, are you willing to spend your life with me in this way, to... use a lifetime of good deeds to make up for your mistakes?"

Mr. Barton looked at her trembling. Their eyes met, and tears of the soul crossed their cheeks. He nodded slowly:

"Marilyn, if you can still accept me like this, I am willing. Use this life to compensate you, to compensate those who have been hurt."

The priest was not surprised by this result:

"Of course, I will help you, but you need to pay the price. Your 【Founding - Death】 belongs to Xia De."

"No problem."

Mr. Barton said immediately.

Xia De looked at the old priest, who winked at him slightly. Subsequently, the priest asked seriously again:

"Additionally, you must tell me, what method did the 【Truth Society】 use to suppress your rate of reverse growth?"

"Hand bone, they peeled open my right arm and replaced my hand bone with a white, glowing bone."

"I want your hand bone."

The priest said.

"Okay."

"Without the hand bone, even if you find a chance for rebirth in the future, the reverse growth will take your life again."

The priest reminded him.

"I understand."

After receiving the answer, the priest first handed a scorched feather to Xia De from the boat, letting him give it to the woman's soul as a guarantee of resurrection. Subsequently, the priest pulled up Mr. Barton's corpse, borrowed the 【Night Watcher】 from Xia De's hand, and neatly severed the corpse's right arm:

"I can help you break some rules slightly, using you to exchange for her. But to resurrect, you need to reshape the body, you need her original corpse; this is something I cannot do."

"I can help."

Xia De said, and also asked Mr. Barton:

"Are you carrying her ashes?"

"Yes."

Mr. Barton wiped the tears from his face and nodded immediately:

"I have always carried them on me."

"I can restore the ashes to a corpse, but you must pay the reward. I want a quarter of your soul. After you leave death, I promise I will not report you."

The time for the cremation of the corpse far exceeded the time that 【Time Breath】 could act upon. At the second ring, Xia De could restore an object for three months; at the fourth ring, it had increased to about ten months, but the cremation of the corpse was in 1848, and now it was 1853.

Fortunately, the spiritual runes permeated with divinity allowed Xia De to possess a momentary power that had not yet completely faded. He could rely on the last power of the divine overflow to cast the spell in excess; this was the last miracle before obtaining the next drop of divinity.

Mr. Barton looked at him in surprise:

"This... okay."

"Missing a soul, this means..."

"I understand."

Xia De looked at Priest Ao Gu Si:

"Can you help divide a quarter of his soul?"

"Of course, this is a small matter."

The priest pointed casually, and Mr. Barton was not divided, but his soul became much more transparent. A more illusory Joey Barton appeared behind him, and was then brewed into blood wine by Xia De's red wine bottle.

Joey Barton's soul suffered a heavy blow from the curse, and this was a voluntary offering, so Xia De's spell only took a few dozen seconds.

Retracting the wine bottle, Xia De also climbed onto the little boat and found the ashes from Barton's corpse. Taking a deep breath, as the gray airflow rushed into Xia De's nostrils from the ashes, the woman's corpse before cremation appeared on the little boat. Her face was painted with corpse makeup, and she was wearing the clothes she wore during cremation.

Xia De laid her down gently, and the two corpses, one male and one female, lay in the little boat.

No one asked Xia De what he wanted to do, but Xia De's face looked somewhat bad. He didn't use up all the power of the red butterfly, but after that power turned back into a pendant, the pendant actually cracked. The blood wine was prepared for this reason; because he had to obtain this blood wine, he promised not to report Joey Barton.

He needed to return to reality as soon as possible. The most dangerous action tonight was definitely not defeating the person who was growing in reverse.

This night had just begun.

The old priest continued:

"With the qualification for resurrection and the corpse, it's still not enough. The soul and the corpse must overlap, but this is not rebirth, it's just a living dead; it still needs some special power, let me think of a way..."

The priest pondered. At this moment, Sister Daifulin spoke:

"I can help, using the Primordial Fire to reignite this lady's fire of life. But you have to pay the price."

"What price."

Barton asked for the third time. The nun said softly:

"Your corpse, I want your corpse, to voluntarily turn into firewood for the flames."

"My corpse, it belongs to you."

"Without the corpse, you have completely lost the chance to be reborn again. You will forever, only be a lonely soul."

"I understand. Nun, this is the... price for everything I have done."

Sister Daifulin nodded, holding her hands up, and the slender flame appeared again. The flame landed on Joey Barton's corpse, quickly burning it to ashes, leaving only a bone whistle in the ashes. Subsequently, some sparks splashed onto the other woman's corpse, and her body had temperature.

I don't know if it was an illusion, but Xia De felt that the fire in the nun's hand seemed to be a bit more vigorous.

"What is this?"

Xia De picked up the whistle curiously. Mr. Barton answered softly:

"The Truth Society gave it to me; it seems to be related to the Old God. Nun, please scatter the ashes in this water, let my body be with death."

Xia De then noticed that Joey Barton, who originally had color, was now only a transparent soul.

The ashes of the burning corpse were carefully scattered into the water by Sister Daifulin. The woman's soul, supported by Mr. Barton's soul, stepped into the little boat and overlapped with the corpse.

After waiting for a moment, she opened her eyes, then sat up and hugged Mr. Barton, who was extremely weak because his soul had been divided. They were trembling, not only because of excitement but also because of the terrifying curse.

But there were smiles on both of their faces, smiles in pain, smiles from the heart.

Xia De couldn't evaluate this scene, but some left and some returned, some paid the price, some bore the curse, some regained their beloved, some were willing to sacrifice... It was impossible to judge whether this was a tragedy or a comedy. Xia De decided that after this matter ended, he would tell the story to Dorothy; the writer lady would give the answer.

Now everyone was on the boat. Joey Barton and Marilyn Handel hugged tightly, Priest Ao Gu Si smoked his pipe and looked at the severed arm at his feet, Sister Daifulin turned to look at the Underworld Moon, Yin Yi Yi Lu Na sat at the bow of the boat looking at the scales in her hand, and Xia De put down his sword and looked at the sky.

The boat sailed silently across the water surface flickering with starlike colors again, going against the flow of countless departing souls, sailing toward the shallows where the Gate of Death stood. ===== CHAPTER 780 =====