Chapter 98 Ode to Death

Chapter 98 Ode to Death

Shang Nan personally sent Bishop Huaishan away. Walking in the hall of the side hall, Shang Nan raised his head and glanced at the huge paintings on the glass. One of the glass paintings showed the image of the Holy Lord. The Holy Lord was wearing a red cloak and holding a hand.The sickle was a hundred and fifty centimeters long, and the blade was lifelike, as if it was going to cut off someone's head in the next second.The Holy Lord had a beautiful and pale face. He lowered his eyes with compassion, looking down at all the people and things in the side hall. Two pairs of hands that appeared suddenly grasped the black boots at the feet of the Holy Lord. The uppers were also dyed with eye-catching colors.red.

Huaishan stood at the foot of the steps, with two expressionless deacons standing behind him, "Father, the matter of Lily and Ian has been reported to Archbishop Gurney, and she will probably handle the matter personally."

"You know," Huaishan bent down in front of Shannan, took the young priest's left hand that was tightly held at his side, and kissed the back of his hand forcefully and gently, "the Holy Lord will never forgive filth."

The place where Huai Shan kissed her felt like it had been cut with a knife.

Shang Nan watched Huai Shan leave in a car. The lilies of the valley in the courtyard of the chapel were blooming particularly enthusiastically. Maliwei came forward and said softly: "If Gurney intervenes, there will be no need to investigate Lily and Ian's affairs any further."”

Gurney is a female, the Pope is her father, and a long-dead courtesan is her mother.Gurney grew up in a monastery and was bullied. He was later recognized by the Pope and entered a church school. Now at the age of thirty, he is already a majestic archbishop.Known for her unyielding integrity, Gurney was the Lord's executioner and executed the most number of His Sons.

Santa Maria is the largest city in Borachi. Not only is the Cathedral of Santa Maria located here, but also the royal palace. Archbishop Gurney is different from other archbishops. Most of the other archbishops are in their own suburbs.Church, while Gurney lived with the Pope in the palace. The drive from the palace to the cathedral was only two hours.

Sure enough, less than ten minutes after Huaishan left, Shangnan's office received a call from Gurney's staff.

“…ask the priest to prepare some food for the Archbishop.”

Malivi's whole body was shaking with nervousness, "Father, aren't you afraid?"

"What are you afraid of?"

Malivi said: "I have only seen Archbishop Gurney once from a distance. She wore a white short robe and executed a Holy Son who tried to sexually assault a woman. God, although she is an archbishop, she is also a woman., she actually cut off the head of the Holy Son directly."

Shannan asked Aren to prepare dinner, and then asked Maliwei, "The execution does not require the Archbishop to do it himself, right?"

"Originally there is no need, but Archbishop Gurney is different from other bishops. She... prefers to carry out executions in person." Malivi looked ugly.

Soon, Shan Nan met Archbishop Gurney, who frightened Malivi. Archbishop Gurney also wore a white robe, the same as Huai Shan's. The difference was that the archbishop's collar was inlaid with a thumb-sized ruby.

Gurney has red hair and red lips. Her hair is not messy at all and only reaches below her chin. Her sharp chin and thick black eyebrows make it difficult for people to associate her with the archbishop Malivey mentioned.

"Father, long time no see. How are you? Father asked me to bring you greetings." No matter who it is, even a cardinal, they must use honorifics when talking to Shannan. This is what the Pope ordered them to do.Order.

Shannan stood on the steps holding a candlestick, walked slowly to the courtyard, and bowed respectfully towards Gurney, "Archbishop, I have the mercy of the Holy Lord. I am very well. Please send my greetings to the Pope as well."

Gurney led the four priests around Shangnan without looking sideways, "Let's have dinner, Father."

Malivi stood behind Shan Nan and straightened up. He hated all those who disrespected the priest.

"Guni's mother is just a prostitute, and her maternal lineage has already prevented her from being accepted by the Holy Lord. How can she be compared to you? You are the child of the Holy Lord."

"..." Shonan had a rough idea of Maliwei's character. Maliwei almost didn't like anyone, he hated almost everyone.

"Let's go have dinner first. There will be rabbit meat that you like tonight." Shannan said.

Gurney sat on Shang Nan's seat, and Shang Nan could only sit below her.

Malivilla opened the seat, and Gurney raised his eyes, but he looked at Shannan, "Father, does the deacon usually dine at the same table with you? This is not in line with what the Holy Bishop has given us.etiquette.”

Because of Gurney's words, Malivi's movements stayed awkwardly in mid-air, and he slowly pushed the chair back.

A Ren shook off the napkin and tied it around Shan Nan's collar. Shan Nan tilted his head, nodded and motioned for Mali Wei to sit down, bowed his head and made a holy complaint, "The Holy Lord will love and protect each of his saints equally, Deacon Mali Wei,Please take a seat."

The candlelight on the dining table illuminated the expressions on several people's faces. After a while, Gurney pursed his lips and smiled, "Deacon, please take a seat."

Malivi ate roast rabbit. He hated Gurney. Gurney was not worthy of serving the Holy Lord. She did not respect the Holy Lord's wishes at all. She was just using the power in her hands to trample on the sons of the church, including herself.

Dissatisfaction is dissatisfaction, and Maliwei is not qualified to comment on any of Gurney's decisions.

No one spoke during the meal. The candle burned slowly and melted slowly. The wax was translucent and dripped onto the copper base.

There was too little salt, and Shannan couldn't eat it very well. He calculated in his mind that every Friday was his personal rest time. After presiding over the wedding of the mayor's daughter of the third district, he would definitely be there.Make a meal like hot pot at home.

Aren knew Gurney's eating habits in advance. She liked to eat raw. The bloody ostrich meat was only seared with a spray gun for at least ten seconds, which was no different from the whole meat.It can be seen that the Archbishop was very satisfied with his meal.

"Father, have you had a bad appetite recently?" Gurney put down the knife and fork and she finished eating.

"The Archbishop has a good appetite." Shang Nan also put down the tableware, "Do you want to go see Lily and Ian?"

Lily huddled in the corner of the cage. She didn't seem to expect to see the archbishop. The archbishop would only appear in grand national consecration ceremonies or the birthdays of kings and queens. Even princesses and princes had to salute the archbishop. This was a holy ceremony.The most basic rites of a bishop.

She had been locked up for almost a week, and the color of her skin looked unhealthy. She got up and saluted Gurney, but Gurney looked back at Ian strangely, "I understood everything before coming here."

Gurney looked at the young priest standing next to him, "Lily, she married her husband Raf at the age of fourteen. Raf was addicted to alcohol and his family was destitute, so Raf used Lily in exchange for money, and the Holy Lord gave himWith their beautiful faces and sweet bodies, women are worth thousands of dollars.”

"Lily, how much did Rafe exchange for you? How many times?"

Lili lay on the ground, "In exchange for some wine and venison, some watches and animal skins, without banknotes or gold, I was sold a total of eighty-six times."

Shonan looked at the emaciated Lili and asked in a low voice: "Holy Son, what is your request?"

Lily raised her head and looked at Shannan with tears in her eyes, "Father, I know you are the most upright person. I would not hesitate to be whipped and hope to be saved by you. Rafe used me in exchange for money, and sometimes sent me to some prisons."It will be the office of the priest, and holding the priest will give Raf some convenience in his work."

"The Holy Lord hopes that the Holy Son will respect his own heart and body. I married Raf with full of longing. I stepped into hell. Father, I have become the most filthy existence in the world. Please execute me with the Archbishop.I am willing to confess my sins to the Holy Lord forever in hell.”

Shang Nan's hands and feet were cold, but Lili had done nothing wrong.

Gurney looked at Malivi, "Deacon Malivi, please escort Rafe to the central square of the first block."

Gurney was one of the few female archbishops in Borage. She squatted down, reached out and caressed Lily's back through the iron cage, as if caressing a small animal covered with bruises.

"The Holy Lord will never blame his innocent Son, and you will be healed." Gurney slowly withdrew his hand and stood up, "Father, please go and watch the execution."

Shang Nan was put on a dark robe by Malivi. The hood of the robe was covered from the back of the head to the front. The top of the hat had three tassels like wheat ears hanging down on the back of the robe.A dark green shawl falls from his shoulders to his chest, and a dark green jade ring is worn on his middle finger. Due to Shannan's special status, he has a pair of hanging earrings given to him by the Pope himself - the hooks are a few green grains.The gemstones are also hung with tassels, the length from the earlobe to the waist is similar to the ornaments on the top of a hat, but until you see it sparkling with light, you know that it is not an ordinary tassel - it is all made of gold.It is a craft unique to the royal palace, allowing it to flow with the long white hair of the young priest.

In the central square of the first block, there is a giant stone sculpture of a sickle, with the blade pointing downwards and the tip pointing straight at the sky, as if it is about to be chopped down.

Archbishop Gurney's appearance had already attracted the attention of the believers, and they heard that a Holy Son would be publicly executed. The square was crowded with people, and the huge lights on the top floor of the shopping mall illuminated the execution place under the stone sculpture in white.On this day, the believers crowded around, with curiosity written on their faces.

"Archbishop Gurney is here! The priest is here!" someone pointed in one direction and exclaimed.

No one in Borachi does not believe in the Holy Bishop. Every citizen is a Son of the Holy God. They can't wait to pay homage to the Archbishop and priests who are loved by the Holy Lord.

The heads of the crowd hung neatly, their hands were crossed on their chests, one high and one low, their backs slightly curved. After the archbishop and the priest passed by, they raised their heads. The young priest put on his hat, with only the white tips of his hair and his order.The enviable gold earrings briefly flashed.

Shang Nan sat down on the chair prepared by the deacons, and there was a noisy movement behind him.

It was Raph who was brought here. He must have been drunk. His eyelids were swollen and red, leaving only a slit. He was tied to the execution frame in a daze, and his hands and feet were tied. Raph thenWhen he woke up, he struggled wildly and shouted to the Holy Lord for forgiveness. The iron chains and iron frames rattled as they were hit by his fat body.

Some of the onlookers knew Raf, and they said:

"Raff, the Holy Lord needs the Son to serve him. Death is the highest level of praise for the Son. This is the highest honor!" Their shouts were loud, but the expression on Raph's face became more frightened.

No one cared about Raph's supplications to the Holy Lord.

"Father! Father!" Rafe pinned his hope on the young priest. "Poverty is a heinous crime. I escaped poverty. The Holy Lord should reward me because His Holy Son is so smart..."

Shang Nan leaned back on the chair, feeling a little cold. He opened his mouth and was about to speak when his shoulders were held down by someone from behind. Huai Shan's dark red hair stubble was extremely conspicuous under the lighting, "Father, you are soft-hearted again."Already?" The hood of the robe was wide, and the brim of the hat covered Huaixuan's eyebrows, but Shangnan was just below, so he might have been able to see the teasing gaze of the other party clearly.

"I didn't." Shang Nan pushed Huai Shan's hand off his shoulder.

"Huang" Huaishan put the prop in his hand on the table, "How about the priest executes the execution?" It was a short knife, quite heavy.

Gurney seemed to agree, "The crime committed by Rafe can only be forgiven by the Holy Lord if he is skinned alive." She said calmly, Rafe's face was pale, but due to his usual drinking and swollen face, now he looked likeLike a soaked steamed bun.

All clergy in this world are familiar with all punishments and are skilled in executing them, but Shannan is a novice, and even before this, his hands have never been stained with blood.

Shang Nan slowly stretched out his hand to hold the handle of the knife, and just as he was about to pull it out, Huai Shan laughed, took the knife from his hand, and threw it to Gurney, "Archbishop, you better do it, the priest is still young., I’m afraid I haven’t even finished reading the story of the Holy Lord yet.”

Gurney frowned, "Don't be rude to the priest."

Huai Shan lay on the back of Shang Nan's chair, hooked his fingers around Shang Nan's ear hooks, and imitated Gurney's tone, "Don't be rude to the priest."

Malivi stood in front of the execution frame and made Raff's crimes public.

"Rav, a citizen of the first neighborhood of Santa Maria della Boracchi, has been absent from the church sixteen times during the week, five times during the month, and twice during the year."

"Excessive drinking."

"Trade your beloved wife with others."

Everyone's face was painted snow-white by the snow-white lights, and the dark sky pressed above everyone's head. Malivi said loudly: "We can no longer admonish Mr. Love, we can't lead him from hell to the world, Mr. Love has alreadyDepraved and hopeless, only death can send him to heaven and to the Holy Lord, where he can be nurtured by the Holy Lord himself."

Gurney stood up. The knife in her hand glowed with cold light. The blade occasionally reflected Gurney's indifferent face. Raf looked at Gurney as if he were looking at the devil. The Archbishop's face was no longer sacred. The Holy Lord who was talking about it all day long could not help.Bless anyone, Raph tried to break free from the chains, but Gurney had already raised the knife, and one-third of the blade was buried in Raph's body.

But Gurney didn't even blink. In her eyes was the holy child named Lili who was covered in whip marks. It was the tears on her face and her trembling body. Gurney's strength became stronger, slowly going down, down.…

Raph's whole body was shaking, and his eyes were about to burst;

Many faces were filled with longing - death is the highest glory.

The district chief of the first block was also there, as was the director of the police department. They lowered their heads and were praying for this sinful Son.

Shan Nan gritted his teeth and slowly closed his eyes. Unfortunately, within two seconds, his cheek was pinched and he was forced to open his eyes. Huai Shan's face was pressed against his, "Father, I'm afraid.Already?"

"Bishop, I'm not afraid, I'm just not used to it." Shannan said calmly.

"It's okay, you'll get used to it if you look at it more often." Huaishan said.

"..."

Raph's skin was peeled off completely in no time. Gurney's technique was impeccable. Gurney's boots stepped on the red river. Raph was covered in fat, yellow and white. Someone in the crowd whispered, "Pork like this is placed inNo one will buy from the slaughterhouse." The speaker should be a butcher.

The slightly loose skin was nailed to the execution rack. It was fresh, greasy, and probably still warm. It looked like a naked person was hanging there - it would be displayed in the central square for three days.Awaken every Son of God.

Gurney took the handkerchief, wiped the blood on the side of his face, and looked down at the young priest, "Deacon Malivey told you a lot of bad things about me, right?"

Malivi and a group of Sons are washing the place of execution.

Shang Nan looked at Gurney, confused.

"Father, I always love to kill some men, and I prefer the poor, weak female Son of the Holy Lord. Please forgive me for being so direct." Gurney dropped the handkerchief, "I will say hello to Father on your behalf, and will also tell Father that you willThe first block is well managed. Next time you encounter a similar incident, you can call my office directly and I will be happy to help."

[14:Yes, she only kills men.]

[14: This may be related to her growing environment. She grew up with her mother when she was a child.]

The strong smell of blood lingered in the air for a long time. District Mayor Pang Xixi and Police Director Suyuan walked up to Shannan and said, "Father."

"Please go home early. We have not been able to catch the serial murderer before. He may appear in every neighborhood. There are no similar characteristics or relationships between the victims. We are very worried about yourSafe." The speaker was Pang Xixi, the eldest brother of the bar owner Pang Xiuxiu, who had the same chubby face.

Standing next to him was Su Yuan, who was newly appointed. He looked to be about ten years old and was wearing a black police officer uniform. When he met Shang Nan's gaze, he blushed and lowered his head, "Father, the district chief and I areSame sentiment.”

"Okay, thank you. The Holy Lord will help you find the criminal as soon as possible." After saying this, Shan Nan stood up. Hua Shan, who was standing not far away wiping the props, remained motionless and concentrated.

Pang Xixi and Suyuan watched Shan Nan leave. The young priest had a thin and beautiful back and an incomparable face.

"Just after seeing him once, I felt that my soul had been cleansed." Pang Xixi shook his suit, "The priest went to my brother's bar a few days ago and described the priest's appearance to me. I thought he was exaggerating, but I didn't expect it.It’s me who is narrow-minded.”

Su Yuan didn't say anything. He was transferred from Fifth Street and didn't dare to talk about the priest behind his back. But Pang Xixi kept saying that he couldn't avoid it and could only sigh, "The priest is so young."

Pang Xixi became even more enthusiastic, "This is our youngest priest in Santa Maria. He was baptized by the Pope himself and crowned by the King himself. How can he be compared to those wine sacks and rice sacks?"

Su Yuan's expression condensed, "District Chief, be careful, how can you say that the clergy are nothing but idlers?"

Pang Xixi waved her hand, "Except for a few who can be called clergy, most of them are just trying to fish in troubled waters. The Holy Lord will punish them sooner or later."

"District Chief, I don't want to say bad things to you anymore. The Police Department still has tasks to do. I'll leave first. I wish you well."

After Suyuan left, Pang Xixi also left in his own car.

The central square returned to the silence between executions. All the saints who were watching the executions had left and returned home. Serial murderers like to haunt at night. They must go home quickly to pray to the Lord, hoping that the Lord will bless his saints.Peace, but if they encounter death, it means that the Holy Lord shows love for their souls.

Only the smell of blood in the air lingered for a long time. A phantom suddenly appeared on the execution ground. It was round and round. It took a few steps at a loss and walked to the skin and flesh of its life. It had turned into a ball.Fog, what is he going to do?

The tip of the carved stone sickle pointed directly at the night sky, and everything around was silent.

Rafe heard someone behind him singing in a low voice. From far to near, the content of the chant became clearer and clearer in his ears. Only then did Rafe recognize that it was the Holy Psalm often sung by the choir.

“Dear Lord, you are the Lord of the world;

Dear Holy Lord, You are our Father God;

You forgive my sins;

You forgive my greed;

You grant me eternal life;

"Holy Lord, please continue to have mercy on your Holy Son. From now on, there will be no more suffering..."

The red robe was fluttering in the wind, the uppers of the black boots were stained with blood, the purple gemstone on the collar shone with mysterious light spots, and the dark red pupils stared at the aimless souls on the execution ground.The ends of his long jet-black hair were slightly curved, but were blown back by the wind, revealing the terrifying large tattoo on his neck.

He held a long-handled scythe in his right hand, with the handle reaching to his shoulder. The tip of the knife touched the ground, drawing a deep groove on the cement floor. The blade was like the moon on the top of the mountain, reflecting a sharp cold light.

Rafe slowly turned around, and he suddenly fell to his knees, "Holy...Holy Lord."

Huai Shan grinned, eyes excited, and raised the scythe above his head.

Halfway through the car, Malivi glanced at the rearview mirror and suddenly screamed, "Ah! Father!"

Shang Nan had not recovered from the bloody scene just now, and he was thinking about whether the serial murderer was related to Huai Shan. Maliwei's voice startled him.

"What's wrong?"

"The earrings given to you by the Pope..." Malivi asked the driver to stop the car, his lips trembling, "Why is one missing?"

"If you were to bring this to the Pope, the Pope would definitely scold you."

Shang Nan raised his hand and touched behind his ears, lowered his head, and found that one was indeed missing, and the one on the right was missing.

"Maybe it fell in the central square..."

Maliwei interrupted Shannan's words eagerly, "Then let's go back and look for it quickly. It's gold. If someone picks it up, it won't be returned to you!"

The car carrying Shan Nan and Maliwei turned around and drove towards the central square.

The dead souls cannot feel pain. This is the mercy of the Holy Lord towards the Holy Son.

The young man wrapped in a red robe was tired of cutting off his head with a scythe. It asked Raph to stand still and wanted to cut Raph into pieces. Anyway, the souls touched by its scythe would instantly disappear into the air.

Whether the disappeared souls will go to heaven or hell is not the job of the God of Death.

The car was parked in the parking space of the central square. It was windy outside. Shang Nan put on his hat and said, "I'll look for it myself. Just wait for me in the car." Shang Nan was not used to the hierarchy of this world and regarded the hierarchy as lower than his own.It is very uncomfortable to treat people as slaves.

The beautiful priest's face is white and beautiful. No wonder the people in Bolachi say that the priest is the most beloved child of the Holy Lord.

Shang Nan tied the dark green belt of his robe. The wind was so strong that the smell of blood that had been in the air had dissipated.He checked the ground carefully, looking for traces of the earrings. Such a large object should be very conspicuous.Shannan didn't want to get into trouble for such trivial matters.

[14: Nannan, don’t move forward.]

[14: The monster is directly in front of you.]

Huaishan's sense of smell is much more sensitive than that of 14 who needs to collect information before reacting. The moment Shangnan stepped into the central square, it saw the other party's figure. It allowed Shangnan to get closer and closer to the execution ground step by step.Close until the distance between them was less than fifty meters.

Raff, who was still half like a tree stump, was neatly harvested with a scythe.

Huai Shan dragged the sickle and moved to Shang Nan.

Shang Nan froze on the spot, looking at Huai Shan's dark red eyes and face as pale as paper, but he didn't look weak at all, and was even extremely excited.He didn't know how to react.

The beautiful priest's reaction was very strange. Huaishan took off his hat and leaned closer to admire Nan, "Can you see me?"

Shang Nan: "?" Shouldn't he be able to see it?

14, who was a step slower, appeared.

[14: The God of Death, the God of Death, Nan Nan, logically speaking, you cannot see him.]

"...It's too late, Huaishan already knows that I can see him."

Shang Nan glanced to the side, his eyes slowly becoming anxious and confused. He lowered his head, bent down, and passed directly through Huai Shan's body, muttering in his mouth, "Where is my earring? I am so embarrassed., the Holy Lord will definitely punish me."

Huai Shan tilted his head, then turned around and stared at Shang Nan's back for a long time.

Huai Shan suddenly appeared behind Shan Nan, "Father, the Holy Master does not like the Son who lies. Lying is a very serious crime."

Shannan: "If I can't find the earrings, I won't be able to see the Pope again, and the Holy Lord won't forgive me."

"Father is the most beautiful priest in the whole of Santa Maria," Huaishan followed Shangnan unhurriedly, carrying the sickle on his shoulder, "Father, I will definitely send you to heaven."

Shang Nan: "Why can't I find it?"

The sickle turned into substance and rested directly on Shang Nan's shoulder. The blade encircled Shang Nan's neck. As long as Shang Nan took one more step forward, the sickle would cut off his head.

Huai Shan took off Shang Nan's hat and said, "Stop looking for it. I'll leave the earrings here."

Shang Nan looked at the blade that was very close to him and swallowed. This situation was really too challenging.

He raised his hand and gently pushed the sickle away, then turned to look at Huai Shan. The beautiful priest decided to show off, so he spread his hand towards Huai Shan, "Give it back to me, hurry up."