Capítulo 1206: Chapter 46: Death as a Gift
“It’s just trying to scare you.”
Mother of the Marsh realized it was merely the Devil’s Daughter’s avatar: “But if we’re not here… its jokes will be nastier.”
“Lu Li’s condition… isn’t good…”
Ophelia suddenly said hoarsely.
Lu Li’s spine was no longer straight, his body weakly leaning against the round table, head slightly lowered as if in thought.
The aura of the Mother of the Marsh, mixed with lingering black mist, seeped into his body.
“You’ve tainted him,” said the twisted shadow.
“I cannot retract my power…”
The Mother of the Marsh dared not touch Lu Li. Her aura intertwined with the black mist, and if withdrawn, the black mist would become the sole unwelcome guest in Lu Li’s body.
“Go find another Exorcist.”
The twisted shadow summoned the followers, instructing them to bring Hades.
When two twisted cultists reached Hades’ shack, he was packing, pressing down on a chest overflowing with strange currency.
“What are you doing, Exorcist?”
The twisted shadow possessed the follower’s body, questioning the awkwardly standing Hades.
“Uh… I’m just organizing some of my… things that need sorting.”
“Sister Twisted Shadow, Mr. Hades wants to escape back to hell!”
Puxiu unhesitatingly betrayed Hades.
“You damn little… brat!”
Hades held back a curse, pleading with the twisted shadow: “I know they’re after me from hell… it’s warning me! It wants me to go back, or the disaster will affect you too! Please let me go back, I don’t even need a reward… just yesterday’s pay.”
“The Devil’s Daughter has a pact with Lu Li, it comes for him,” the twisted shadow replied.
“You can’t deceive me, or why would you come looking for me…” Hades said, shaking his wrinkled cheek.
“Lu Li is contaminated, as a fellow exorcist, perhaps you could help…”
Hades hesitated, gritting his teeth: “I can go with you… but if he’s not hurt, I’ll return to hell immediately!”
The twisted shadow had no reason to deceive him. As Hades reluctantly left his money and followed with Puxiu to Princess Roland’s villa, they saw Lu Li lying in the Mother of the Marsh’s bedroom.
Along with an undeniable mixed aura surrounding Lu Li’s body.
“This kind of contamination, did you have some deep interaction?” Hades checked Lu Li’s pulse and skin, giving an odd look to the Mother of the Marsh clad in a fine long gown.
The Mother of the Marsh replied, “The Devil’s Daughter’s avatar arrived, asking Lu Li to fulfill their contract; when denied, she thought Lu Li broke the contract, and before an attack, I eliminated her, but her power spilled onto him.”
“Hmm… could you withdraw your aura then?” Hades suggested.
“I cannot do that; without suppression, the Devil’s Daughter’s power would possess him.”
“That’s why he’s unconscious; your powers are fighting like bandits in his body… no matter how legendary, he’s just a human.” Hades grumbled.
So, Lu Li passed out merely from the spilled aura.
“Can he resist the devil’s corruption?”
“Why is your confidence in him less than mine? Besides, having one bandit at home is better than two.”
The Mother of the Marsh decided to heed Hades’ advice. She approached the bedside, her lower limbs low, elongated pale hands covering Lu Li’s chest.
The power belonging to the Mother of the Marsh was drawn from Lu Li’s body, leaving only the permeating aura of the Devil’s Daughter.
“How long until he wakes?”
The Mother of the Marsh resumed her stance.
“I’m not a doctor. Maybe soon, maybe a long time; it might take several days. Can I go back now? Don’t worry, I won’t run again.”
The Mother of the Marsh nodded lightly, and Hades, relieved, discreetly waved to Puxiu.
“No, Mr. Hades, I want to stay with Mr. Lu Li.” Puxiu refused to leave.
“Brat…”
Hades muttered a curse, mustering a smile and bidding farewell to the room’s occupants, slipping out of the manor.
“Be careful Mr. Hades doesn’t run away.”
Puxiu reminded them.
“I know.”
…
Lu Li was experiencing death.
Death descended again and again. Each time dying, Lu Li would appear in a new location, then after a few seconds or minutes, face death again.
Sometimes submerged by a suddenly collapsed church on a bustling street; sometimes the floor caved in, falling into magma; sometimes a string of bad luck led to tragic death; sometimes impaled by a falling spire in front of a church. As time passed, death scenarios widened beyond “accidents,” involving strange evil spirit wicked god followers…
The aura of death was so intense, it felt as if Lu Li actually died each time.
After being dragged into the dim depths of a lake by strange creatures and drowned, Lu Li appeared in a house surrounded by flames, the heat scorching his skin, hair curling.
The roaring flames formed a voice: “My power is nearly spent… how much longer until you awaken.”
“If the Cursed Title were easy to release, there wouldn’t be so few masters,”
Lu Li said calmly.
The Beacon Title made it easier for him to discern the illusion before him, but also increased the difficulty of releasing the title.
“This is the last time…”
The engulfing flames consumed Lu Li’s body.
Before losing hearing, the Devil’s Daughter’s whispers gathered one last time.
“Remember our contract… you wouldn’t want to learn the price of breaching a devil’s contract…”
“I have some questions I want—”
Lu Li inhaled searing flames, his throat scorched mute.
“The one communicating with you is but a fragment of my consciousness, to know, fulfill the contract…”
…
“The Devil’s Daughter’s aura has dispersed.”
In gentle words, Lu Li opened his eyes.
The remains of black embers in his eyes, yet to be extinguished, gradually faded.
“Where did we first meet?” The Mother of the Marsh whispered.
Lu Li’s consciousness returned to his body: “Shadow Swamp.”
“What are we to do?”
“Resolve the Old Mother.”
The Mother of the Marsh confirmed that Lu Li was still himself: “Has the Devil’s Daughter left you with any threats?”
“No. She came to remind me that time is running out.”
It wasn’t the Devil’s Daughter who activated the brand.
Perhaps it was the devil who left the brand instructing her to deal with Lu Li, and the Devil’s Daughter used her avatar to buy Lu Li time.
“You are too fragile…”
The Mother of the Marsh turned her attention back to Lu Li himself: “The spilled aura nearly destroyed your mind.”
“Because I’m just human.”
Lu Li sat up, leaving the Mother of the Marsh’s rather firm bed.
“Mr. Lu Li, are you feeling better?”
“Yes.”
Knowing all the deaths were illusions, Lu Li, as if waking from a nightmare, prepared to return to the cabin on Lake Heart Island.
“You’re just leaving like that?” the Mother of the Marsh said: “If the Devil’s Daughter left a residual poison…”
“No,” Lu Li shook his head lightly.
The Devil’s Daughter was trustworthy, at least until her father perished.
“Does the Master of Dreams have any means to…” At this moment, the twisted shadow said: “Perhaps there is a way for you… to make you no longer weak.”