I Don’t Want To Court Death!

The Ceremony of Blessed Life took a whole day. From start to finish, the people sang heroic elegies and holy hymns, replacing the gloomy atmosphere with an air of grace and virtue. Although the people could not see it, Yang Yang could see the souls of the deceased. 

 

They were originally dark and sinister, ready to become resentful spirits that haunt the world or hateful souls that clung to their original body. However, the Ceremony of Blessed Life was used to purify the spiteful dead. It gifted them the opportunity to be reincarnated in a blissful life in their next reincarnation. 

 

It was the most, and the only thing, Yang Yang could do. He was not strong enough to bring back the dead, even though he had insights into the method for it. He was also not willing to let the deceased souls become evil, lest they suffer even more after they died. Letting them be sent off into new and happy lives was a much better outcome. 

 

Yang Yang personally sent the deceased souls to the cycle of reincarnation with some spells and they vanished from his view, leaving only silent sighs and blissful thoughts. While the mood was still heavy, most people left the mausoleum with relief in their hearts, knowing that their loved ones were sent happily to the cycle of reincarnation. It was not a truth they could confirm, but a truth they believed in. 

 

Beside him was House Lord Deng and Doctor Lamp-Owl, people who he conferred the title of priest to. 

 

“Many thanks, your holiness.” They both said. 

 

“It’s no problem,” Yang Yang said. “I only did what was right.” 

 

“Your holiness, now that the Hated Blood Curse has been wiped away from the Lamp Province, do you plan on sending the cure’s formula to the other provinces? How about the Life Magic magi?” 

 

“No. This is a very unique formula that requires unique ingredients, which only I can summon. Delivering the cure’s formula to the other provinces or other Life Magic magi would do nothing. But, the research material are suitable to deliver.” Yang Yang took a talisman and gave it to Doctor Lamp-Owl. “Send the research materials to the other provinces. I had already sent them to the Department of Medicine and Health, who has already sent them to the other Life Magic magi. Perhaps they had already sent the research materials to the other provinces, but do it anyways. Make sure you keep quiet about the cure’s formula or any unnecessary information. You can credit me for the discovery, but make sure nothing leaks about  the Blessed Life Church.” 

 

“Yes, sir!” Doctor Lamp-Owl quickly left the mausoleum. On the side, House Lord Deng bowed and said, “And me, your holiness?  What will I do?” 

 

“You have three assignments: keep the news about the Hated Blood Curse outbreak on the low, suppress the information about the Blessed Life Church, and bring in cultivation resources. If it were not for my lack of resources, I could have save everyone. The stronger I am, the better it will be for our church, our kingdom, and, frankly, the entire Overworld.” 

 

House Lord Deng quickly took his leave and Yang Yang sat on his throne for a few moments before leaving as well. The quality and quantity of the faithful energy during and after the Ceremony of Blessed Life was immense. It was a time of deep sentiments, leaving people feeling both hopeless and hopeful. Hopeless for their losses. Hopeful for their future. The profundity of these people’s emotions advanced the quality and quantity of their faith by leaps and bounds. 

 

In fact, it was as intoxicating as the time he took in the faith of hundreds of millions of mortals in the Arcane Abyss. Yang Yang took a deep breath before finally stood up and left the mausoleum. 

 

......

 

In the reconstructed capital of Lamp Province, a river was flowing from a nearby mountain to the Dawn Sea. It was an unusal sight to see a flowing river in these freezing lands. The people suspected that their Lord Prophet’s golden flames had warmed the province to the point that the melted snow had entered crevices and rifts to become a river. 

 

The locals enjoyed the sight of the river and even officially named it the River of Blessed Life. Tiny fishes could be seen in the river, swimming joyfully while children played by the river bank. Although they could not use magic, the children could at least splash water on each other or swim with the fishes. It was a peaceful scene. 

 

On a bridge built over the river, Yu Fei’er was dangling a wine jug by its string handle while staring at the children and fishes. She had a tired look in her eyes, along with unwillingness and dejection. 

 

She let out a groan of pain when she moved her left hand. “Ow! Ow! Ow! Damn it all. This thing is still hurting, even after a month. I can’t believe he actually managed to hit me from there! How hell did his flame spear even went beyond Little Bell’s protective sphere? Shit! It hurts!” 

 

Yu Fei’er looked down at the wine jug with animosity. The content itself was not the target of her hate, but the jug itself. “Well, at least my hand doesn’t hurt as much I will now. I really need to stop drinking.” 

 

Sighing, Yu Fei’er looked around to make no one was behind her. She pulled the handle and grabbed the wine jug. After a little pause, with regret in mind, she placed the wine jug behind her and... 

 

“Senior Sister Fei’er!” Startled, Yu Fei’er hid the wine jug behind her back. She turned to the direction of Yang Yang’s voice and smiled. “Junior Brother Yang, hello.” 

 

“Hm? What’s that behind your back?” 

 

“Nothing.” 

 

“Peh!” Yang Yang made a spitting sound to mock her statement. He reached behind her and grabbed the wine jug. “Wine? Where did you bought this, Senior Sister Fei’er?” 

 

“Uh... it was at one of the local shops. You should...” A gleam of craftiness flickered in her eyes. “...try some.” 

 

The wine jug contained a very special, divine wine called the Wine of Love and Victory. It was something brewed by the Goddess of Love and Victory herself. The formula to the wine was a secret, but legends had it that it was only sold to the gods. It was generally impossible to obtain this precious wine in lesser planes of existence, but the Scion of Love and Victory would obviously know the secret formula of her predecessor. 

 

Although rare, this wine was sometimes sold to any wealthy and willing buyer, which there were many. It was the one of the strongest wine in existence, second only to the best wine brewed by the God of Wine. Some people wanted to drink this wine for the tastes. Other wanted this wine for its rarity. Most people wanted it for its aphrodisiac effect and vitality enhancement. It was rumored than even a drop of this wine could drown a mortal in lust for a thousand years, never needing sleep, food, or water to survive. 

 

That was only a drop. For people like magi, or even angels, who could handle much more power, they could afford to drink even more wine. Of course, too much wine could send them down to depravity. 

 

“Oh? Well, I’m not usually a drinker, but I guess I’ll try it.” Yang Yang opened the jug and downed the wine. 

 

“Yes, yes, yes. That’s good. That’s...” Yu Fei’er stared in shock as she saw gulps of divine wine pouring down Yang Yang’s throat. “Too much! That’s too much!” 

 

“Hm!?” Yang Yang was surprised when she took the wine jug away from him. “Woah! That’s some strong wine! Even as the Scion of Life, I could feel the heat.” 

 

“Uh... Are you fine?” 

 

“Fine? Yes, I suppose so. My insides are getting hotter by the moment. My head is also a little fuzzy because of the faithful energy.” Yang Yang rubbed his head as his vision start to get cloudy. Something inside of him was swelling, emerging, prepared to erupt like a volcano that has been dormant for too long. 

 

Yu Fei’er stared down the wine jug and noticed only a single drop left. A jug of the Wine of Love and Victory contained one thousand drops. That meant that Yang Yang drank nine-hundred ninety-nine nine drops of wine. “What? He’s only a little fizzy? That can’t be right. Is it defective?” 

 

Yu Fei’er downed the last drop of wine. Suddenly, her face became bright red and her body started to spasm. Her knees quaked and dropped to the ground like a house of cards. Her pink-colored pupils looked at Yang Yang and she took her excited hands toward Yang Yang’s white robe. “Woah!”

 

Whish! 

 

The children turned and stared at the bridge, but saw nobody on it. They looked around and only saw a distant green light in the horizon that was quickly fading away.