Chapter 100 Ode to Death

Chapter 100 Ode to Death

Aren said that Bolachi’s food was blessed by the Holy Lord.

He heard the noise in the restaurant and hurried in, his apron still tied around his neck, "Father, you... Bishop, what are you doing?"

Huai Shan took his hand back from Shang Nan's face, and there were still warm tears on his fingertips. He had not cried for many years, but he had seen many people cry. Most people shed tears before they die., or fear, or remorse, they look ugly when they cry, not even a hair of the priest can compare.

The unruly protagonist looked at the restless Aren and said, "The food you made is so unpalatable that it even made the priest cry. Please confess your incompetence to the Holy Lord, perform the sacrifice."

The still young A-Ren looked downcast, and the Archbishop Huaishan who had punished him and educated him had long since left.

In the empty living room, Aren asked Shannan bitterly, "Father, is it really delicious?"

Although Archbishop Huaishan swept away his food, it didn't matter because he was serving the priest, and the food in front of the priest was almost untouched.Aren was very worried because the job of holding a priest was not easy. He also had a pregnant wife and a frail mother to take care of. He needed this salary and the blessing of the Holy Lord.

Shang Nan wiped the tears off his face with the back of his hand, "No, it just lacks a little salt. You can try to add more next time."

"Okay." Aren no longer used the Holy Lord's words to explain why there was less salt, because the Holy Lord did not pay him a salary.

Aren returned to the kitchen anxiously, and Shangnan continued to have lunch under the dappled light and shadow of the afternoon.

[14: He is so bad, Father, don’t you think so?]

Shannan gnawed on the corn, "What does it mean to give the last bite of food to the person you love the most?"

[14:... Literally, this is what I read from the Holy Bishop's Synopsis, but I don't know if this applies to the God of Death himself.]

"I'm more inclined to think that he just wants to harm me." Shannan recalled Huaishan's eyes just now, scarlet and excited, like a beast in a cage seeing a rabbit or field mouse that was about to be fed to him., but he is not a rabbit or a field mouse, he is a priest, Huai Shan also knows it, but it does not affect Huai Shan's look at the priest.

He is a priest, a child of the Holy Lord.If Malivi was present, he would definitely say this indignantly.

Malivi didn't know what was going on in the restaurant. He was dining in the small restaurant with the deacons.

"Deacon," a deacon named Ah He asked curiously, "do you know why Bishop Huaishan has been visiting the priest so frequently recently?"

Malivi bit into a roasted rabbit leg fiercely, "Who knows, maybe he is holding back some evil thoughts and is jealous of our priest's beautiful long white hair."

Ah He and his companions all felt that what Deacon Malivi said was right, "Why doesn't Archbishop Gurney take Bishop Huaishan to the palace? It's much more interesting there than outside, and there will be many maids to serve him."

"There are no bars or casinos in the palace, so of course he won't go there."

"I'm really worried that Bishop Huaishan will cause trouble for our priest. The priest is the best priest in Santa Maria." Ah He said.

"Let's not talk about it anymore. Priest Malivi, do you know? Last night the priest went to the police department, and the fourth victim of the serial murder appeared outside the newly built playground on Haqiao Street. He was a beautiful girl.Madam, she is the most loyal son of the Holy Lord. When she was alive, she donated a lot of services to Saint Valia."

"The priest went to the police department? I don't know!" Malivi was shocked.

"Of course you don't know. The priest thought it was too late, so he didn't call you. He went with the driver. When he came back, I had just finished praying and asked the priest how he was doing."

Malivi looked ashamed. He had never left the priest's side. Even in such a dangerous period, he didn't even know that the priest went to the police department alone.If the priest is in danger, his sins cannot be forgiven even if the Holy Lord personally judges him.

Huaishan didn't show up again in the two days after that. The priest was very busy with his work, and his blackening value didn't fluctuate for the time being. Shannan was busy with his work, so he didn't pay much attention to him.

The police department calls much more frequently than before, and they will report every progress in the investigation process to Shang Nan.Even from Shang Nan's perspective, their work was actually making no progress.The victim's body cannot always be kept in the police department. The family members have certain rights. They have to take the body home, hold a funeral for her, and let her go to heaven and obtain eternal life.

There was no evidence to continue the investigation, so they could only investigate slowly based on the clues they knew. This was the fourth victim. Such weird and bizarre things had never happened in Santa Maria. It was simply unforgivable..

The citizens of the first block fell into a huge panic. Because the fourth victim appeared in the first block, the suspect must still be active in the first block, and maybe the next victim would be one of them.

More and more people come to the priest's chapel and the Cathedral of Santa Maria to pray. There is an endless stream, coming in and out, and it is very lively. The chapel receives a lot of services every day, and Nan's voice isAfter performing more than 20 consecutive holy prayers, he collapsed completely, and could only temporarily hand over the holy prayers to Malivi.

However, the citizens who came to deliver the holy proclamation all came for Father Shangnan. Only the children of the Holy Lord would protect them like the Holy Lord. This black-haired deacon was neither a clergyman nor a child of the Holy Lord.There is no way to provide them with shelter.

Malivi was not angry at all, nor did he feel slighted at all. He felt that the citizens were right.

But for a while, except for Malivi, they could not find a suitable candidate at all. Apart from Shannan, the highest-ranking person in the chapel was Malivi. If Malivi could not be accepted by the citizens, he would have to ask other priests.Asking for help, but there are no other priests stationed here in Santa Maria Cathedral. This is the honor and preferential treatment only Shannan has.

Then you can only turn to the bishops stationed in the Cathedral of Santa Maria. Although the bishops are only responsible for supervising the work of the priests in the diocese, they do not need to preside over the Holy Eucharist.

The citizens who came to do the holy proclamation temporarily accepted Deacon Malivi to give a holy proclamation for them, because Shannan promised to ask the bishop to administer the holy proclamation for them.

The priest in a simple black robe walked from the side hall of Santa Maria Cathedral to the rows of snow-white spire buildings at the back. Black and white patterns were painted on the floor. Everything was quiet and there was no sound of anyone -This is the office building of the bishops. Their office building has their own cathedral, which is much larger than the priest's chapel. There are also many citizens in the cathedral praying. When they hear the footsteps, theyLooking behind him, he saw the white-haired priest and immediately showed awe in his eyes.

There is no need for someone to preside over the Holy Eucharist in the bishop's cathedral, because the bishop is closer to the Holy Lord than the priest.

The first bishop Shang Nan visited was Baili. She was a woman and forty years old this year.

The door of the office was opened, and a deacon stood in the room. He said: "Bishop Baili is not feeling well and is resting at home. If the priest has anything, he can convey it to him."

The second person to be visited was Dong Ji. He was drunk and tore his own white robe in the office, shouting, "Holy Lord, please have mercy on your holy son. I have been single for forty years. My mother said that this yearIf you continue to be single, you will be punished by the Holy Lord. Holy Lord, please tell me, are you really punishing me?"

The deacon serving Dongyi was very embarrassed, especially in front of the priest, "Father, Bishop Dongyi's mother urged him to get married, but he has never been able to succeed. Ladies are shunned by the identity of a bishop, so..." The clergymanYou must remain celibate until you reach the age of ten. If you want to end your celibacy, you need to write a letter of application to the Pope. After approval, you will be allowed to marry a woman.Once you enter into a marriage contract with a clergyman, you will live and die together - clergymen can easily be executed.

"Okay, it doesn't matter. Please tell Bishop Dongyi that I have been here when he wakes up. I wish him peace." Shannan took a step back.

The deacon seemed to be unable to bear to see the disappointed expression on the priest's face, "Father, you might want to go see Bishop Huaishan. He came very early today and I have never seen him leave."

"Okay, thank you."

Huaishan's office building is the last one. The outside of the building has the same architectural style and sculptures as the Cathedral of Santa Maria, but the interior is completely different.The office buildings of Baili and Dongji have not been overturned or renovated by their owners. They respect and protect the aesthetics of the Holy Lord. However, Huaishan is different. He used unknown black objects to cover the high roof of the building, and only the center was exposed.A circle with a diameter of about one meter, the light energy from the outside shines in through the position of the circle.

Candelabra were lit everywhere, held up on copper trays against the walls.

The room was dark, but Shangnan could still clearly see the portrait of the Holy Lord in the center of the hall and the huge scythe in his hand.

Walking along the corridor, Shang Nan walked step by step. Under the light of the candlelight, the priest's long hair looked like flying silver threads.

There is a house number on the door of the office, which is a simple drawing, a face with a widely slit mouth, and many fangs, which are the same as the teeth of Huai Shan that I saw two days before the tour to the south.

"Knock knock".

"do what?"

The voice came from behind Shang Nan. From the end of the dark corridor, Bishop Huaishan, wearing a white robe, slowly walked out. He opened his hat and said, "Father, you are here, what do you do for me?"

He smelled of blood, and the closer he got, the stronger the smell of blood before his breath became. Shang Nan was so intoxicated by the smell that he couldn't help but take a step back.

Huaishan noticed Shannan's evasive movements. He quickened his pace, and the dark red blood stains on his robe finally appeared in Shannan's field of vision. "Father, the bishop orders you to answer his question."

As a bishop, as the God of Death, and as the Holy Lord in the hearts of the Holy Sons, his face with a flashing face is extremely oppressive, and he is much higher than the little priest.

Shannan told him his request and pointed to Huaishan's robe, "Bishop, your clothes are dirty."

Huai Shan lowered his head, and after a few seconds, he suddenly grinned, "Priest, will you help me wash?"

"The Holy Lord will not forgive the laziness of any of his saints. This is a crime more terrible than greed." Shonan felt that some of the Holy Lord's words were too useful, even when facing the Holy Lord himself.

"Okay," Huai Shanhe pulled away, tore open his collar, took off his robe, and pushed open the office door. "Father, please come in. Let's talk about how to complete your request."

The inside of the office is not as depressing as the outside. It is a normal and common office. Unlike Shangnan's office, which has so many books, Huaishan's office... the bookshelves that should be filled with books are filled with some strange things., such as a hammer with countless iron nails, an ax and pliers, a guillotine and Mori Bai's skull, and a sickle hanging on the wall.

It was almost the same as the sickle in Huai Shan's hand that night, only bigger. Standing in front of it, it seemed as if he was facing its sharpness and blood.

"Father, I can promise to preside over the Holy Eucharist for you, but you know very well that this is not within the scope of my work." Huaishan asked Shannan to sit down. "Then, what reward will you pay me?"

He squatted down, rummaged around in the cabinet, and finally pulled out a blood-red wine bottle, "There is no water, will you drink this?"

"No, thank you, Bishop."

"Then I'll pour you a drink."

"..."

The liquid in the wine bottle was also red and poured into the glass. Shannan looked away and asked, "What do you want in return?" He had a lot of money.In this country that is almost completely ruled by the church, the salary of clergy is completely unmatched by ordinary jobs. The statutory salary, the daily remuneration from the Sons, and the daily service of the Sons, add up to a total ofVery impressive.

"I am not short of money." Huaishan said, "Father, I am much richer than you."

"Try it. If you drink up this, I promise you." Huaishan pushed a full glass of red drink in front of Shannan. It might be wine. Although Shannan didn't smell the smell of alcohol, it looked like this.It didn't really taste like a good thing, or even something that could be eaten. Moreover, Shannan was a little hesitant to drink it from Huai Shan's hand, especially since it was regarded as a condition of agreement - the possibility of poison.will be bigger.

"Father, try it. It tastes good." Huaishan folded his arms and sank into the sofa, looking extremely comfortable.

Shang Nan felt that his sacrifice for the citizens of the First District was too great.

He stretched out his hand to hold the cup holder, and Huai Shan continued to coax him, "I think you will like it."

14 also thought it might be poison, or rat poison, or maybe dichlorvos, because Huaishan looked malicious, and Huaishan was not a good thing in the first place.

Shang Nan gritted his teeth and drank all the liquid in the cup. Huai Shan would not be bold enough to poison himself in a place like this. It would be a prank at most.

The entrance is sweet and slightly sour, but the palatability is very good. I don’t know what kind of fruit it is. It has a very fresh taste. Shan Nan’s heartbeat is thundering. He holds the cup nervously in his hand. After waiting for a long time, he does not feel any discomfort.Then he cleared his throat and said, "I've finished drinking." After having said the Holy Spirit too many times, Shannan's throat was so hoarse that it hurt so much that he couldn't even swallow his saliva easily. If the volume was too low when he spoke, he couldn't even hear it.Know what he is talking about.

But after drinking the drink Huai Shan gave him, the pain in his throat improved a lot.

"Bishop, you..."

Huaishan threw a few tissues to Shannan, "We agreed, if you drink my food, I will help you preside over the holy proclamation for a day."

"Rabbit, send the priest away and to the door."

[14: Huaishan seems to be a good person too.]

"You are the system, don't always make such crude judgments."

[14: Just kidding, it seems to be medicine. Your body is much more comfortable than before.]

Huai Shan is undoubtedly a bad person, and Shannan doesn't know what kind of person Huai Shan is. He only knows Huai Shan.

Huai Shen's priest was named Tu Min, a gray-haired young man who was as tall and thin as a bamboo pole. His robe hung on him as if hanging on a bamboo pole. He didn't dare to go against the rules and sent the reward to the Cathedral of Santa Maria.At the small door leading from the main hall to the side hall, a small patch of lilies was planted in the corner of the yard. Shan Nan stopped and asked, "Tu Fu, what kind of person do you think Bishop Huaishan is?"

Tu Fu's small but bright eyes narrowed even further, "Father, I never talk about others behind their backs. I hope to have a complete tongue after entering heaven."

"But if you want to hear my objective evaluation, I can only tell the priest," Tu Fu paused, "Bishop Huaishan is not as stubborn as everyone thinks."

"He's going to pay us very well."

Shang Nan: "..."

Tu Fu was a round older than Sho Nan. He looked at the young priest and knew that his future would not be limited to the position of priest. He added: "Father, Bishop Huai Shan has no friends or relatives. He is always alone."people."

"You have no friends or relatives. The Holy Lord must have considered it when allowing two people like this to meet."

On the way back to the small hall, Shang Nan recalled what Tu Fu had just said. Huai Shan had no relatives, so why didn’t he have any?But he couldn't remember why he had no relatives.

[14: You have no relatives, because you were born with white hair and white pupils. There has never been such a child in Borage since ancient times, and the kings and popes were alarmed.]

[14: Here’s the important point, you are not recognized as a child of the Holy Lord when you are born.Your parents and relatives were all executed on the day you were born, and everyone who was related to you by blood, even if not directly, was executed, because at first you were considered to be the child of the devil.It's an old nun who promised to take care of you. She said that even if he is a child of the devil, the Holy Lord will have mercy on him.You followed the old nun until you were eight years old. Someone found an explanation about white hair and white pupils in the church. You are not a child of the devil, but a child of the Holy Lord.]

[14: Your relatives have been awarded numerous honors by the king, but it is of no use because they are all dead.]

[14: You were too young at that time, so it’s normal that you don’t remember. Although no one told you, the king had no intention of hiding it from you.]

Regarding his parents and relatives, Shannan had no relevant memories at all. He didn't even feel sad, he just felt ridiculous, extremely ridiculous. Human life might not count in this country.

Huaishan kept his promise and went to the priest's chapel on time the next day to administer the holy sermon for Shannan.However, the citizens who came to attend the Holy Annunciation strongly requested that the priest be present even if he could not preside over it, because he is the child of the Holy Lord, and his presence can convey the voices of the Sons to the Holy Lord more quickly.

Shang Nan sat in the audience, looking at the citizens who bowed their heads to pray, Huai Shan took his previous place.

When Huai Shan was wearing his work robe, he was different from usual, more serious. His dark red hair was tightly blocked by a soft hat, and his collar was tightened by a metal clip. Most of his tattoos were blocked, but the tattoos on his wrists were vaguely visible., his nails were neatly manicured, and his chiseled face did not show any loyalty and admiration for the Holy Lord. However, no one saw it. The citizens were concentrating on praying, praying to the Holy Lord to bless the police department to catch the suspect as soon as possible and make themNo more fear.

Due to Huaishan's almost unpaid help, Huaishan's meals are all served in the priest's chapel. He eats a lot, twice as much as Shannan. He loves raw meat and blood, which is different from Shannan's dining habits.An extreme.

The whole restaurant was filled with a faint smell of blood. Shang Nan would occasionally take the initiative to talk to Huai Shan. Huai Shan was always listless and seemed very tired.

“Father, do you know how long it’s been since I’ve celebrated a holy Communion?”

"I think I still want some reward," Huai Shan lowered his eyes and munched on the raw meat, "but what I want specifically, I owe it first."

"Okay," said Shannan, who liked the steamed pumpkin with sugar and hazelnuts. "You can tell me what the bishop wants at any time." The monsters that need to be saved shouldn't be too bad, but sometimes they are more confusing.Shannan thought.

"Then what should I do if...the priest can't give me what I want?" Huaishan eats very fast. Every time he swallows, it's as if something is being forced into his mouth. Shannan is sitting opposite and can even hear him.The sound made when swallowing.

Shang Nan was very calm, "Does the bishop want my life?"

"That's not the case, life is the most worthless thing." Huaishan bit his fork, and saw that the steel teeth on the fork were bent one by one, and they were bent into the same arc. He did not hide his appearance in front of Shang Nan.Different from ordinary people.But Shannan never asked.

Shang Nan was about to say some quotes from the Holy Lord when Huai Shan smiled and said, "But there are exceptions. For example, the life of a priest is quite valuable."

He didn't give Shannan a chance to speak, so he called over Ren and pointed to his empty plate, "Executive priest, would you cut another piece of venison for me? I want it to be the kind that has been blessed by the Holy Lord, thank you."

There was a hint of resentment lingering in Aren's back as he walked towards the kitchen. Deacon Malivey was right, Bishop Huaishan was really annoying.

The next day, Shounan was invited to the Police Department. Suyuan seemed very anxious. When the citizens heard that it was related to the murder case, they all said that there was no need for the priest to be present for the Holy Annunciation today, as long as the bishop presided over it.

So when Huaishan arrived at the small hall, he did not see Shannan. Therefore, Huaishan seemed more perfunctory, but no one noticed him.

Suyuan was so angry that he didn't even bother to admire the priest's beauty, so he urgently asked the priest for help, "The district chief arrested a citizen and said he was the suspect, but there was no evidence at all. Father, please advise the district chief., has his body been taken over by the devil?" It was simply unreasonable, but he was not qualified to stop Pang Xixi. Only the priest, only the priest, could save the poor man.

Pang Xiuxiu was in the detention hall, holding a cup of steaming milk. He saw the priest arriving and pointed at the citizen with a bruised nose and face in the room, "I'm sure that's the murderer. Otherwise, why would he be sneaking around at the crime scene?"Huh? Director is really too young. As we all know, young people are always stupid and very confident."

Ignoring Su Yuan's ugly face, he turned to speak to the priest in a more respectful tone, "Father, the new director has no fear of the Holy Lord. I am acting in accordance with the Holy Lord's orders. I serve the First Block."After working hard for several years, getting up early and working hard at night, and scrimping on food and clothing, I will never go against the will of the Holy Lord. Please believe me." Pang Xixi, wearing a handmade suit and leather shoes covered with shoe polish, was very angry and aggrieved.

The citizens were already in custody and he yelled that was not the case.He was dressed as a migrant worker, plainly dressed, with deep wrinkles on his face after hard work. "Father, I admit that I am not a completely good person. I just want to steal a few paint buckets and exchange them for money! My lover, my daughter, and II have been drinking porridge for two months, and my daughter is as skinny as a bean sprout. Please forgive me, please forgive me, please forgive me, please forgive me, priest, I am definitely not a murderer!" He bent down and knelt on the ground, his faceStick to the ground.

Shang Nan stood outside and watched the scene calmly. After a long time, he asked Pang Xixi, "District Chief, do you have any evidence?"

"Evidence? What evidence?" Pang Xixi shook his suit, "The Holy Lord does not need evidence when he sends the murderer to me. We only need to follow the Holy Lord's instructions."

"..." Shannan directly ignored the other party and looked at Su Yuan behind him who dared to be angry but dared not speak. "If there is no evidence, let him go."

"Deacon Malivey, send some food to the home of the Holy Son. It's an apology for the district chief's rudeness and arrogance." Although the priest was young, he could be described as majestic. He looked at the fat-headed and big-eared Pang Xixi, "The Holy Lord mustI will not wrong any of the saints. Boss Pang opened a casino illegally in the city, and I will immediately write a letter and report it to the bishop."

"Father..." Malivi was shocked by Shannan's speech. Is the priest angry?But Pang Xixi has a backstage, and the backstage is the patriarch.

The priest was not afraid of power, and Malivi's admiration was beyond words. "I will do it immediately!" He walked out of the detention hall with majestic steps.

Pang Xixi drank all the milk in one gulp and roughly thrust the cup into the assistant's hand, "Father, you'd better think about it again."

Shan Nan was too lazy to look at him and turned around to leave. Su Yuan hurriedly followed, "Father, the poor man will thank you." His grateful expression came from the bottom of his heart. As the director, he could not accept anyone being wronged.It's unfair to pick on someone just to complete a task.

But Suyuan also expressed her worries, "I'm afraid it will implicate you."

"The Holy Lord will bless me." Shan Nan said absently. He knew how absurd the world was, and it might only get more absurd. He also knew how insignificant a person's power was. His previous concepts were not the same in Bolachi.Not applicable at all.

Su Yuan looked at Shang Nan's delicate profile, and for the first time in his life, he had some doubts about the existence of the Holy Lord. The victims appeared one after another, the innocent migrant workers who were used to complete political tasks, and the Holy Sons who were always enduring hunger and poverty.The Holy Lord did not protect them.

"Father, I heard you talking and your throat seems to be injured?"

The tone suddenly became more life-like, and Shan Nan was startled, "I have been doing holy proclamations quite frequently these days, thank you for your concern."

"Wait a moment." Su Yuan ran to his office. He came back soon, holding two packets of medicine in his hand, "These are herbs from my grandfather's pharmacy. They can protect the throat and reduce inflammation. Take them and let the doctorThe priests help you boil it and drink it while it's hot. The medicine won't be as effective when it's cold. It's really hard for you to do your duty like this."

Suyuan looked a bit like Shang Nan's college classmates, not quite like the people of Bolachi. His skin color was not that pale. Shang Nan accepted the herbal medicine from the other party and said, "Okay, thank you."

On the way back, when Maliwei learned that Su Yuan had given medicine to the priest, he couldn't help but sigh, "The director is really a kind person."

There were two packets of medicine wrapped in straw paper on Shannan's lap. The bitter taste of the medicine penetrated. After a few seconds, he asked Maliwei, "This kind of thing where people are picked on at random to frustrate their superiors. How often does this happen?"occur?"

"Father, you don't have to worry about this," Malivi turned back from the passenger seat and said seriously, "No matter what they do, you will always be the most popular and respected priest. As for those people, the Holy Lord will bless them..”

When they returned to the priest's chapel, the holy service had already ended. As soon as Shan Nan entered the door and took off his robe, he saw Huai Shan lying on the sofa reading a book.

Why is Huaishan still there?Shouldn't he have left early?

Hearing the noise, Huaishan threw away his book and sat up. His dark pupils were fixed on Shannan's face. His eyes were obviously unkind and teasing, but his tone was aggrieved, "Father, why did you come back? You asked me to be a saint."If you report to me but ignore me, the Holy Lord will punish you for your chaos and abandonment."