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Chapter 4163 Dying with Understanding
Chapter 4163 Dying with Understanding
Na did not immediately question the guardian spirit about the mastermind behind the sacrificial ritual. Instead, she silently closed her eyes, letting the halo of the hemostasis ritual envelop the wound.
I had just forced myself to say so much despite my weakness, and now my temples are throbbing and my eyelids feel as heavy as lead.
As soon as I relaxed, my consciousness began to wander, as if I were about to sink into darkness in the next second.
She needs to conserve her strength first.
Only when the stinging pain at the wound was gradually replaced by a cool numbness, and the dripping blood slowed down, did Na slowly open her eyes. Her voice was still low and hoarse, but it was a little more steady than before: "Since we're going to die anyway, can't we at least... understand why we're dying?"
Shouyi Ling put away the hemostatic instrument, her gray-green eyes glancing sideways at Na, a hint of almost eerie interest in them.
"Hehehe~" He chuckled a few times, a hint of distant nostalgia flashing in his eyes, and began to ramble on to himself: "You know what? When I was just an ordinary gray person, my favorite show was 'The Storm of Night Lonely Mountain Bunker,' a play about a prison break, and it was really exciting!"
“There’s a scene I still remember: when young master Lady was surrounded and killed, he grabbed the old butler’s sleeve before he died, insisting on ‘dying knowing why’.”
"The old butler granted his wish and whispered in his ear that the woman he had hunted down for three years, the one he had tortured to death, was actually his own sister..."
Shou Yiling lowered her voice, with a deliberately theatrical tone: "The reason the master adopted him was to witness this scene of brothers killing each other and to avenge the loss of his love!"
"Look at this scene, how classic it is! So, ever since I became a Guardian Spirit, I've been hoping someone would say something like that to me!"
"But unfortunately, my master almost never brings back human sacrifices. Before today, no one had ever died knowing why in front of me."
"I never imagined that today..." Shouyi Ling suddenly raised her voice, her semi-transparent body trembling slightly with excitement, "my wish has actually come true!"
"Horo horo ho—!"
He threw his head back and let out a sharp laugh, the sound echoing jarringly in the stone chamber. But as he laughed, his voice suddenly dropped, as if something had choked him.
"...Really, we've been waiting for this day for far too long."
His fluctuating tone and his sometimes-crazy, sometimes-manic expression made him look almost like a madman.
If an ordinary person encountered Shouyi Ling, they would probably be driven to the brink of collapse by his insane ramblings. But Na seemed not to hear those jarring laughs. Instead, a faint smile curved her lips, and her voice was as calm as a deep pool of water:
"The old butler granted Young Master Lady's wish, letting him die knowing the truth. You, who love classics so much, wouldn't you be willing to give us the same ending?"
She blinked her long-lashed eyes and stared intently at Shou Yiling: "At this moment, we are Young Master Lady, and you are the butler who holds the power of life and death over us."
Shouyi Ling suddenly turned around to look at her, her gray-green eyes swaying, revealing a hint of bewilderment.
The translucent body leaned forward slightly, as if pulled into a hallucination by Na's words: the dark-skinned woman in front of him was covered in blood and suspended in mid-air by iron chains, which really resembled the dying young master Lady in the play.
And he himself... in a daze, actually felt that he had become the old butler standing in the shadows, holding all the secrets.
"Hehehe..." He laughed unconsciously, but the previous sharpness was gone, replaced by a dazed look of being in character. "You're even better at reciting lines than Lady in the play."
"can."
"I'll give you a chance to ask questions. However, whether you can answer them or not is not up to me." Shouyi Ling floated down from mid-air and returned to the shadows.
Shouyi Ling turned her head to the side and said softly, "After all, I am just Shouyi Ling, not a cat master who grants every wish."
Cat owner?
Na heard a strange name, but she didn't pay attention to it, assuming it was a character from Yi Gui Zhong.
Na lowered her eyes and said casually, "To be honest, we have only ourselves to blame for ending up in this situation."
Shouyi Ling let out a "whoosh" from the shadows, but didn't reply, instead listening even more intently.
“I was wandering around Yungang City before and accidentally offended some people, so I hid in the old city.”
Na paused, lowering her voice even further, with a hint of deliberate annoyance, "Actually, we had no intention of causing trouble. In fact, we might even be considered half-fellow travelers."
She looked up at the corner where Shouyiling was hiding, her eyelashes casting faint shadows under her eyes: "After all, the forces in this world are intertwined. Some people believe in gods, while others prefer bloodlust—the one we dealt with earlier always said, 'The corpses are corrupted, but flesh and blood hold true meaning.' I wonder if you... agree with this statement?"
The probing in those words couldn't be clearer.
"Belief in the gods" alludes to the Protestant faction, "preference for bloodlust" points to the Bloodlust faction, and "the one I deal with" implies that I have a relationship with the Bloodlust faction.
As for mentioning "the Ghost Corpse," it naturally refers to the Ghost Corpse Temple.
The reason why Na did not state it directly, but instead spoke indirectly, was to avoid being too direct and leaving no room for maneuver.
Although she kept saying "the sooner I die, the sooner I can start over," she was still unwilling to give up if she could survive and have a chance.
After all, if I go back hastily, I'm bound to be posted on the "forum".
Barring any major incidents, it's possible that this position will remain at the top for a century.
In order to prevent such a terrible accident from happening, she wanted to try her best even if there was only a sliver of hope.
After hearing Na's whisper, Shou Yiling's eyes flickered in the shadows, and after a long while, she let out her signature laugh: "Ho ho ho ho~"
"Traveling together? Distinguished guests like you don't seem like the type to travel together with anyone."
He didn't answer directly, but he didn't deny it either. He just said slowly, "However, what you said about 'the true meaning in flesh and blood' isn't wrong."
"It seems that not all of you are unorthodox individuals from outside Wanmengyun Port."
Na and Nailong looked at each other from a distance of about ten meters, and a hint of disappointment flashed in their eyes.
Those who endorse the "true meaning of flesh and blood" are most likely members of the blood-peddling faction.
That makes sense, since the Blood Faction was searching for the Blood Child Mark in the old city, and their coma was also due to the powerful noble of the Blood Faction.
It is logical that they were eventually captured by the Bloodstained Faction.
It's truly bizarre that they were captured by the Shintoists. After all, nothing had happened that involved the Shintoists before they lost consciousness.
However, Edward had previously learned from Reginald that the Blood Phenomenon was not a monolithic entity, as there were many factions within it.
Shouyiling only acknowledged "the true meaning of flesh and blood" but did not mention "the depravity of the Netherworld Corpses." If there are no surprises, those who captured them should not be from the Netherworld Corpse Temple faction.
This left Na feeling somewhat helpless.
If it were the Ghost Corpse Temple lineage, with Edward's connection, they might still be able to find some room for maneuver.
But if it's another faction... the Bloodlust Faction is notorious for its madness, so it might be difficult.
Shouyi Ling looked up at Na. She chuckled strangely, "Hehehe~ I know you want to climb the social ladder, but I can tell you, the master doesn't care about any relationships. Even colleagues have been sent to 'pay homage' to the gods."
As for how to "pay homage," it was naturally by being devoured by the flesh and blood Mother Earth.
"So let's be frank." Shouyiling swayed her semi-transparent body: "I am not the master, and I will not beat around the bush or play games with you. I know what I can say and what I cannot say."
He paused, then suddenly lowered his voice, offering a somewhat dramatic reminder: "You see, in the play, young Master Lady didn't put the old butler through so many tests, did he?"
Upon hearing this, Na lowered her head and remained silent for a moment. When she looked up again, her tone was no longer evasive:
"I was abrupt."
She stopped beating around the bush and looked directly at Shouyiling: "Then I'll be frank, you're from the Blood Faction?"
Although they had some suspicions before, they ultimately needed a definitive answer.
"Hehehe, it would have been better if you had done this sooner." Shouyiling nodded directly: "Without a doubt, I am indeed Shouyiling of the Blood Faction."
Shouyiling's answer completely extinguished any lingering hope in Na's heart. She remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "We know Reginald of the Temple of the Corpse Gods..."
Shou Yiling's expression remained unchanged as she interrupted, "As I just said, my master never cares about any relationships."
At this point, Shouyi Ling pointed to the underground stone chamber: "This Bloodbound Dungeon once belonged to the master's companion. Guess where she ended up?"
"Horo horo ho—"
"That's right, she was offered up by her master to the great Blood God!"
"As for the reason? There is no reason. The master never asks for reasons or backgrounds when he does things." Shouyiling shrugged. "So, trying to curry favor with the master is useless, unless..."
"You have climbed the ladder to the great Blood God!"
“If the gods do not accept you, then the master will let you go. It is no use for anyone else to come, including Reginald.”
Na was silent for a moment, a layer of helplessness in her eyes. Just as she was about to ask something else, Shou Yiling suddenly made a "shh" gesture at her.
“Don’t talk too much.” He tilted his head and looked at Na. “Even Young Master Lady didn’t keep asking questions. Dying knowing the truth isn’t something you can use as a pastime before you die.”
He held up his finger and made a "two".
“Alright, I’ll give you two more questions, one for you.” He nodded with his chin, then pointed to the milk dragon, “and the yellow fat-headed lizard. How about that? Am I kind enough? Not only will I let you die knowing why, but I’ve even given this fat lizard a chance to speak.”
"I can give you time to discuss this, but don't keep me waiting too long. The old butler doesn't have much patience."
Na and Nailong exchanged a glance from afar. Although they couldn't share their thoughts at the moment, their shared punctuality made them perfectly in sync.
With just one glance, they exchanged a calculation.
They originally wanted to ask many more questions, such as, why were you arrested? Where is this place? And who is your master? etc.
However, Shouyi Ling only gave them two chances to ask questions, and Shouyi Ling seemed to adhere to the persona of an "old housekeeper," answering questions that were generally clear and unambiguous.
In other words, it should be the truth.
In this situation, the choice becomes very important.
Since they have been captured by the Bloodlust Faction, and the sacrificial ritual has already been arranged, they will die as soon as the guardian spirit "master" returns.
At this point, there's no point in struggling anymore. No one is going to come to their rescue.
Since that's the case, then we should make good use of the remaining value.
These two questions are crucial for obtaining the most important information. After returning to Dream Crystal Plains, we should take the clues with us so that those entering the windowed instance next time will have a better starting point.
With this in mind, both Na and Nailong made their plans.
Na: "No need to discuss it, just ask directly."
Shou Yiling nodded noncommittally, her gray eyes scanning the two of them: "Alright. Who wants to go first?"
Na: "I'll go first."
She paused, a hint of sorrow appearing on her face, and her voice softened: "Actually, I have many questions weighing on my mind, but since this is my last question before I die, I want to ask the one that I can't let go of the most. No one could give me an answer to this before, but now that it's in your hands, perhaps... it can put an end to this matter."
"Oh? What is the question you want to ask?" Shouyi Ling's eyes gleamed with interest.
Judging from her tone, she didn't seem to intend to ask any more questions related to the present, but rather more personal ones.
Great, he loves this kind of unexpected drama!
Na: "As I mentioned before, we offended some people in Cloud Harbor City. Actually, we didn't offend him, but he killed our friend. We wanted to find him, but we didn't expect his background to be so powerful, involving a whole bunch of people. Even after asking Reginald, there was no follow-up..."
"Even Reginald can't help?" The curiosity in the Guardian Spirit's eyes intensified.
Na shook her head: "It's not that we can't help, but we're advising us not to inquire about that person anymore."
"Later, we kept looking for Reginald, and finally he told us that the man came from... the Deismist sect."
Shou Yiling's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward slightly, completely intrigued: "The Divine Faction? Are you sure it's the Divine Faction? What does he look like?"
Na immediately took over the conversation and began to describe it in detail. The person she was describing was none other than the old man in the red robe that Coleman and the others had met on the Cloud Whale Bus!
"...This is the person."
When Na looked up, there seemed to be tears in her eyes, but they were quickly replaced by determination: "Anyway, we're not going to live anymore. If we can find out who he is and where he's hiding before we die, then we'll die knowing the truth. If we can be favored by the Blood God, we might be able to return from the Divine Kingdom and avenge this grudge!"
After listening, Shou Yiling narrowed her gray-green eyes, her semi-transparent body appearing and disappearing in the shadows, as if she was quickly calculating something.
He remained silent for a moment, and the gray mist around him solidified, clearly indicating that it involved the matter of the Divine Sect, which forced him to be more serious.
After a moment, he let out a strange laugh, but with a hint of mockery towards his nemesis: "Want to return from the Kingdom of Gods to take revenge? That's more interesting than Young Master Lady's drama!"
He floated forward a little, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of excitement at revealing a secret: "The person you described is indeed a member of the Divine Faction, and a rather important one at that—a high priest."
"You want to take revenge on him? Ha, with your abilities, that's just wishful thinking."
"However, if the great Blood God is willing to help you, it's not like you have no chance at all. But will you really be able to meet the great Blood God?"
A sneer.
"Alright, since this is your last question, I can answer it."
"His name is not important, because we also refer to him as the High Priest of the Divine Path. As for where he is hiding? Well, I don't know, but the master once said that the stronghold of the Divine Path is most likely in... Vampire Town."