Chapter 407: Servant God Artifact — Sinner's Regret |
Seeing this, the elegance froze on Hu Xuan's face.
It was a rare chance for Cheng Shi to embarrass Hu Xuan. He chuckled softly:
"Is it this?"
Hu Xuan's expression turned peculiar. She frowned in thought for a moment before nodding:
"I didn't expect He'd grant this to you. That happens to align perfectly with my own idea."
"?"
Cheng Shi blinked, then immediately grasped Hu Xuan's meaning!
This Life Sage — whom he'd inadvertently propelled toward Envoy candidacy — was actually planning to give him the item Birth had entrusted to her safekeeping!
Cheng Shi stared at her in disbelief, eyes locked on her smiling gaze:
Aren't you afraid He'll punish you?"
"Caught on, did you?
But I'm not crazy.
You heard it yourself — He gave it to me for safekeeping. That means I temporarily have the right of disposal. And my method of disposal is entrusting it to a friend for preservation. That's a legitimate transfer of rights, not blasphemy.
Besides, if my Lord dared give Go Lis's belongings to me, it means He can reclaim them at any time, no matter whose hands they're in...
Furthermore — He also gave you a shackle. So He clearly had His eye on you already.
Who's to say He didn't anticipate my decision?"
Cheng Shi's expression was complicated. He knew this was Hu Xuan returning a favor, but the method was too reckless — it might cost her the bright path ahead.
Yet he couldn't refuse. She was clearly dead set on giving it to him.
'But sis — this might be fine for you, but it makes things hard for me.'
'Who knows what Birth will think of me.'
'A Deceit con man holding items belonging to a Birth Envoy, who also happens to be connected to a Corruption Envoy.'
'...Isn't this mess tangled enough already?'
Cheng Shi looked at the Umbilical Shackles in his hand and sighed softly:
"Birth is not Fate. How could He see the future?"
"And an illusion is not life. Yet why was I able to be born from a phantom sun?"
"..."
'Sis, you've changed. You were never this good at sophistry before.'
Cheng Shi understood the implication: since Birth had already seized Deceit's authority, He could just as well seize Fate's.
They shared a glance. Both read the other's thoughts perfectly. Hu Xuan smiled and nodded.
"The one in your hand is probably an ordinary Umbilical Shackle — something those ignorant Uma people used to deceive themselves.
What I have is a fragment of the Sin Brood Mother Go Lis's power. On a true god, such power would be called authority. On an Envoy, it's merely a lost ability — like a Servant God Artifact."
With a gentle wave, Hu Xuan floated away the Umbilical Shackles from Cheng Shi's hand while sending her own blood-red shackle toward him.
Cheng Shi took it and examined it closely. His gaze deepened.
Sinner's Regret (SSS): Servant God Artifact. Formed from the crystallized devotion shed during the Sin Brood Mother's self-atonement.
Special Effect — Sinner Redemption: You may mark yourself and other designated targets as "Sinners." Once marked, all Sinners will be bound and suspended in the lingering resentment He left behind, until their faith becomes devout once more or someone rescues them.
Special Effect — Devout Carnival: Each time you conceive, give birth, or cause another to conceive or give birth, you gain one opportunity to remove any target's "Sinner" mark.
Special Effect — Blasphemer Doom: Any life that blasphemes Birth will automatically receive a "Sinner" mark.
'Hiss—'
'This looks like a hard-control Servant God Artifact!'
'If I mark every person in sight as a Sinner... that's basically a screen-wipe!'
Cheng Shi sucked in a sharp breath and looked at Hu Xuan, wanting to confirm if the item was as broken as he imagined. She smiled and nodded:
"You're probably right. But it doesn't work on devout followers of my Lord.
You see, what the Sin Brood Mother despised most were blasphemers of my Lord. She spent her entire existence punishing them on His behalf — including herself.
That's why she earned the title of my Lord's 'rod of discipline.' But the title wasn't bestowed by my Lord himself. It was an honor given by the followers who knew of Go Lis's existence across the long sweep of history.
I know you're a priest. You lack essential combat options. Even grafting others' destinies doesn't guarantee a suitable opportunity in every trial. So this should suit you well.
As for removing your own Sinner mark — if you find that troublesome, consider blowing the whistle I gave you.
I believe I have ample ability to remove as many marks as you'd like."
"..." Cheng Shi's face went rigid. He wanted to thank her for this "friendly concern," but feared his gratitude might be misinterpreted, leading to concern so excessive that it produced Cheng family descendants. So in the end, he settled for silence.
After a wordless moment, he thought it over and solemnly said: "Thank you."
Hu Xuan smiled with a graceful nod, as though she'd done something utterly trivial. She regarded Cheng Shi and continued:
"Honestly, a Servant God Artifact should only exist after a Servant God has fallen. Go Lis clearly vanished from the Divine Pillar, meaning she's been revived — yet this Sinner's Regret hasn't disappeared.
So her current state puzzles me. Combined with the trial you described, I wonder whether there's still an ongoing game between Them — one whose outcome hasn't yet materialized?"
Cheng Shi frowned, thinking Hu Xuan was right.
Birth, Corruption, and Time were definitely locked in a game. As for its nature — nobody but Them could know.
Even as close to Birth as Hu Xuan was, she wasn't yet the true Eternal Sun. Understanding matters to this degree was already impressive.
"You've changed. You're wiser, and far more composed."
Hu Xuan laughed. "I thought you'd say I've gotten more beautiful. Am I not?"
"..."
"I hear Aph Ros is the master of desire — the most beautiful existence among Them. Since you've met her, tell me: between her and me, who's more beautiful? Or... who attracts you more?"
"..."
Cheng Shi desperately wanted to temporarily Oathbreak into Silence, but after a beat, he managed a reply:
"Aph Ros is a man."
"?"
Now it was Hu Xuan's turn to be stunned.
She truly didn't know much about the opposing faith's Gate of Joyous Lust. After all, the Sin Brood Mother was herself a newly discovered Birth Envoy. Because Go Lis was obviously female, she'd subconsciously assumed Aph Ros was too.
She hadn't expected Aph Ros could change gender at will.
So Cheng Shi's answer wasn't wrong — just incomplete.
Perhaps among Birth's camp, gender was irrelevant. But for ordinary, real-world players, the distinction still mattered greatly.
After a moment of bewilderment, Hu Xuan concealed her embarrassment behind a graceful smile.
"The Night Curtain Spring Whistle's duration is limited — not suited for long chats. Next time, I'll find a better medium to see you. When that happens... don't decline my call."
"..."
"Oh, and Cheng Shi — if you ever wish to leave behind something precious in this insane game, please remember to tell me first.
I can set aside every blessing of Birth and bear for you a child of Void. You should know — I now have that ability."
"..."
Cheng Shi was numb. He'd never been this terrified of making conversation in his life.
'Sis, please stop. Every sentence you say is Void enough.'
'Even more Void than me.'
Seeing Cheng Shi's awkward discomfort, Hu Xuan laughed brilliantly once more.
Her silhouette slowly dissolved as the phantom sun dimmed above. At the very end, she left Cheng Shi with only this:
"Don't lose what He's given you. And also...
Remember to blow the whistle often."
Cheng Shi smiled stiffly, rooted in place. The instant the sun vanished overhead, he immediately started shaking his head — violently — trying to dislodge every irrelevant thing he'd just heard.
'Terrifying!'
'Never want to hear anything about Birth ever again.'
...
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