Chapter 74
Li Jue's voice was too soft, and Xu Lingxi only heard the first half of the sentence.
What does it mean to have a brother? Is there anyone closer than the Son of God?
The boy was extremely jealous, but he could only handle it on his own.
Xixi still doesn't remember herself.
Li Jue didn't wait for his response, lowered his eyes and turned to leave.
A wave of panic washed over Xu Lingxi, and for a moment he lost all thought, even forgetting that he had been the one to push the other away. He only knew that after the little cub left through this door, it would return to the Holy Son's side, eat the desserts he was given, affectionately address him as brother and younger brother, and smile sweetly...
Something ahead of reason pushed Xu Lingxi forward, grabbing Li Jue's wrist. His deepest thoughts blurted out, "—Can you please stop playing with him?"
The little cub opened his eyes wide.
The boy immediately realized what he had said.
It was he who asked Li to ask Shengzi for help for his sick father. This wasn't a child's game; how could he say such childish and willful things...!
His face flushed red and he stammered, "I, I didn't mean that..."
Li Jue didn't mind those nonsense and sophistry. She glanced at his hand that he hadn't let go of. When she raised her head again, her creamy eyes were filled with stars of joy: "Xixi?"
Then, she added in a low voice: "Can I call you Xixi?"
The noble young master of the Custer family had never been addressed by such an inappropriate nickname before, but when he looked at the expectant look in the little one's eyes, he couldn't say anything to refuse: "Whatever, whatever you want..."
No, why are you stuttering again?!
The cub's little hand softly held his fingers, and it was only then that Xu Lingxi realized that their hands were still holding together.
This was a very novel experience for the young master who rarely had physical contact with others. Reason told him to let go, as it was inappropriate to pull and tug like this; but his body remembered the familiar touch, as if holding hands was the most normal thing for the two of them, something they did every day.
"I..." He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"Brother, that's great." Li Jue looked at him, "But Zizi has someone he likes more."
Xu Lingxi subconsciously held his breath, and even his heartbeat quickened.
Who do you like more?
Why did I tell myself? Was it because I knew him too?
"Hmm..." Li Jue smiled shyly, his eyes sparkling, "I like it more than I like it. I like it the most!"
Xu Lingxi couldn't help but be fascinated by that lovely smile. He dazedly repeated, "Like?" His mind drifting in the clouds, he almost uncontrollably asked, "...Who?"
The little cub's cheeks flushed red, and his eyelashes drooped like little fans: "I can't tell you now."
You can only tell me when Xixi remembers it.
He can tell Xixi that he likes her and loves her the most - but the prerequisite is that the person is Lijue's Ayaka.
"……oh."
The boy couldn't tell whether he felt disappointed or relieved. No matter whose name Li said, he would probably not be able to sleep well tonight.
Zizi pulled his hand out of his, narrowed his eyes and said, "Looking for my brother."
After saying that, he turned and ran away.
When Xu Lingxi reacted and stretched out his hand, the corner of his clothes just brushed past his fingers lightly, and he didn't catch anything.
The boy did not chase after him. He stood in the shadow behind the door and watched the cub run quickly across the terrace to the Son of God. He had not yet mastered the posture of swinging his arms back and forth while running. He stretched out his arms to maintain balance, and his whole body was as light as a bird that had just learned to fly.
And he couldn't take his eyes off the bird.
Shouldn't have refused.
I shouldn't have told my father that I didn't need company.
You shouldn't make Li sad and push it onto other people.
At this moment, he just wanted the little cub to be with him, to belong to him forever and not to anyone else; it seemed as if everything was supposed to be this way.
Xu Lingxi wondered blankly, what happened to him?
In another corner that he hadn't noticed, two onlookers who had used some magic to hide their bodies were whispering to each other.
"Oh my god, I'm so touched." The maid picked up a handkerchief and pretended to wipe away her tears. "It's like watching a childish amnesiac romance, 'I don't remember you but I seem to love you very much' vs. 'Whether you remember or not, I will always love you'..."
"Don't impose your complicated adult ideas on an innocent child," the housekeeper said coldly, "and it's all your fault... Stay away and don't crowd me!"
*
"No, I don't agree."
The high priest was always strict with the Son of God, but rarely did he use such a harsh tone that bordered on anger.
He paced around the room several times, an unprecedented, uncontrollable panic creeping through his body.
The Son of God leaned against the sofa with his knees hugged. He always liked to sit in this position. Hugging himself could add a little more sense of security.
He didn't react to his guardian's rejection, turned his head to look outside, and immersed himself in the clouds that were blown away by the wind.
A lush and fragrant golden osmanthus tree bloomed by the window, its branches stretching ruggedly towards the sky, and layers of golden flowers dotted the treetops. A bird with a bright yellow beak landed on it, and with a gentle shake, a fragrant rain fell.
Seeing that the young man didn't even look at him, the high priest walked over to him and emphasized, "Tomorrow is the festival. You will appear before everyone, so you must be in top condition and absolutely no mistakes can be made. If the earl is not possessed and you treat him—I hope you haven't forgotten that the last time you touched an ordinary person, you were bedridden for three days."
"Tomorrow is the festival," the Son repeated his first words, not taking his eyes off the osmanthus tree and the birds, his tone even. "But Earl Custer cannot appear at Custer's autumn festival."
The high priest choked, it sounded really bad.
But that's not the point.
"That's something the Caster family needs to consider. I heard they were originally planning to formally introduce Young Master Xu Lingxi, perhaps transitioning from a simple appearance to hosting the event. This wouldn't be a very difficult test for the heir to the title," he said. "But you, Your Highness, belong to the Church and the Temple, and to all of Fialan. You can never be placed on the same level."
The young man finally turned around and said, "The Earl's symptoms are completely consistent with being possessed. I'll be fine."
The high priest still disagreed. "You haven't seen it yourself, have you? Pear is too young to tell the difference. He even told me he transformed into a cat and a jellyfish not long ago. This trip is for the Autumn Festival, not for preaching or exorcising demons for the common people. The priest in charge of this matter has taken leave. Without 100% certainty, I cannot allow you to take any risks—this is my duty."
The Son of God fell silent.
Before he became the Son of God, he was a quiet and indifferent child. Now he was even more like ice and snow, with almost no ripples, let alone such a violent emotion as anger.
But now it's obvious that he's angry.
From his pursed lips, his unwillingness to meet her gaze, his slightly heaving chest, and the tips of his ears stained slightly red, one could tell that the child was sulking.
Adults couldn't do anything about him being in this state, so they had to give in. "I've sent someone to contact the doctor and exorcist in the city. They'll arrive around midnight. If all goes well, it won't delay the opening tomorrow morning."
The Holy Son stared at him: "What if it doesn't go well?"
If things don't go well, it's fate. The high priest wanted to answer like this, but when he saw the young man get up and walk off the sofa, he swallowed his words and went with the flow.
"I will go save him." Shengzi picked up the lace white gloves, "I don't want to disappoint my brother."
He was fifteen years old and had been kept in the Vatican's cage of elaborate decorations and strict security for seven years.
Li Jue was his first friend.
Over the years, the little cub was the only one who didn't require any additional conditions, who wasn't afraid or distant in front of him, and who would smile sweetly at him.
He didn't want to see sadness in those innocent eyes.
The boy walked barefoot past the adult and heard the latter's angry voice: "You don't want to disappoint him, so you have to disappoint me?"
He paused, didn't answer, and continued walking forward.
But he was grabbed by a strong force.
Just by holding his waist with one hand, the frail boy was unable to move. He was picked up without any resistance and placed on the bedside more easily than moving a doll.
The Son of God was not surprised by this. He calmly looked at the man half-kneeling in front of him, reached out and lifted the brim of his hat, revealing his handsome face that he had almost never shown in front of others.
"Are you worried about me?" He met her eyes that seemed to be burning with flames.
"Of course. Your well-being is of great concern to all of Fialan—"
"What about you?" the boy asked. "You are not the high priest, not the church, and not a member of the people of Fialan. I am not the Son of God, not the ethereal mascot. You, as yourself, are worried about me, right?"
His gaze lifted as the man stood up, his beautiful eyes raised.
Pure, untainted, yet tempting to pick unripe fruit.
After a fierce mental struggle, the man finally covered his eyes and sighed, "...How could I not worry about you?"
Even the honorific title is gone.
The child raised his lips as if he had succeeded: "Then come with me. I will be fine as long as you are with me."
He made a move to come down again, but was immediately stopped: "Your Highness!"
The Son of God looked at him, his pupils as quiet as a deep pool: "Don't call me that."
The man was helpless and softened his tone: "Xiao Wei..."
The long-lost, somewhat unfamiliar-sounding name was like a switch, pulling away the boy's stubbornness, making him obedient and letting the man hold him in his arms.
He hugged his guardian's waist, turned his face to the side, and put his ear to his abdomen, as if searching for a heartbeat in an inappropriate place, and his voice was muffled.
"Are you worried about me? If so, then I don't want to be the Holy Son."
The high priest paused when he heard this, his chest rising and falling noticeably. "You can't say such willful words."
The selection of the Supreme Altar is the will of God, and no one can violate it.
He lowered his eyes.
"Your Highness, in three years, you will reach adulthood." The high priest fumbled with his long hair, not knowing whether it was an exhortation or a sigh. "You must always be in the best possible condition to offer to the dragon. This is far more important than attending the Caster Autumn Festival."
History books are filled with stories of humanity's bravery and fearlessness in the face of the dragon. In reality, the threat lurking in the northernmost part of the continent has never disappeared or even weakened. On the contrary, every time the coalition forces are dispatched, the dragon will become furious and retaliate a thousandfold after a small retreat.
The Kingdom of Fialan had no choice but to choose the Holy Son from the altar and send him to the "Abyss" after he reached adulthood to appease the wrath of the dragon.
Everyone knows that it is a one-way street with no return.
However, everyone knows clearly that sacrificing one or several children is more important than sacrificing the safety of the entire northern land and even the entire Fialan.
The Son of God himself knows this all too well.
Before the age of eight, he was no different from any other normal child;
After the age of eight, he became the supreme and illusory symbol of Fialan;
After the age of eighteen, he was an insignificant sacrifice, able only to maintain peace for a few years.
He is only fifteen years old.
But the countdown on the hourglass of life is running out.
"After three years, I won't be able to make wishes anymore." The boy said quietly, "At least for now, I still want to rely on my own strength to fulfill other people's wishes."
*
After nightfall, the castle was shrouded in the silence of insects, with only the earl's living room still brightly lit.
In addition to Custer and his son, there were also the Son of God, the high priest, the butler and the maid, as well as the only little male servant who was of no use but whose mere presence was important.
Xu Jiahang has not changed compared to before, neither getting better nor getting worse, as if he has fallen into a state of stagnation.
The Son of God sat on a chair beside the bed and conducted a preliminary examination. Xu Lingxi and the high priest stood on either side, while maintaining an absolute distance.
The other three stayed in the living room hallway where they could see what was happening in the bedroom, watching from afar.
The maid was in a good mood: "My sweet Meowling is really amazing. She can scare stupid humans unconscious just by her aura."
The housekeeper said coldly, "This is the job of the Soul Devourer. If you can't even do this well, you might as well keep him."
The maid was not disappointed by his cold water and said with a smile: "You are just jealous that I call others my darling."
housekeeper:"."
Forget it, he can’t compete with me in talking nonsense.
Li Jue leaned against Miao Ling, grabbed the girl's hand on his shoulder and shook it: "Sister, when will the Earl wake up?"
"Call me sister—huh?" Miao Ling, whose conditioned reflex was about to be corrected, looked down at the child, quite surprised, "Did you just call me sister?"
The cub nodded obediently: "Yes!"
Miaoling scratched his little nose: "That's good. But I don't know, it depends on what the little doll can do - hey, why are you pushing me?"
Tan Ning: “…”
Tan Ning lowered his voice: "Don't yell like that in front of the baby. Don't you know that they have a good relationship?"
Miao Ling pouted and bent down to rub Li Jue's face: "Little Sweet Bean won't mind, right? Because we have a very good relationship."
Zizi looked at his unhappy uncle, then at his unhappy sister, and shook his head: "Oh."
Why do we need children to uphold justice?
The three people outside were playing and fighting, but the atmosphere inside was not relaxed.
The Son of God bent down, flattened his wrist, and placed it ten centimeters above Xu Jiahang's forehead. A light as thin as ice emanated from his palm.
The title of "Son of God" is not an empty title; the boy does have the ability to purify.
The temple is not a completely illusory clerical institution used to make money and gain power. In this magical continent, it is one of the few places that can be connected to divine power.
He couldn't heal wounds like a doctor, but he could purify the filth of unnatural forces. He didn't have to deal with the exorcised demons like ordinary exorcists - they had been annihilated the moment they were expelled by the Son of God.
However, this ability was not perfect. The Son's hands were blessed by God, and any demon or monster would reveal its true form when touched. However, if the person touched was an ordinary person without divine or demonic power, his own vitality would be greatly damaged. This meant that he could not perform the purification ritual frequently.
This is why the high priest never allowed him to touch others without gloves, and did not allow others to approach him casually.
If it weren't for Li Jue's request, even though he was an earl, the high priest would have coldly let Xu Jiahang fend for himself.
“Huh…”
The light suddenly stopped midway through its spread, and the Holy Son expressed a slight doubt.
The high priest immediately asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
It was completely different from his usual majestic demeanor, like a normal parent of a nervous child.
The boy shook his head: "I'm not feeling uncomfortable. But..."
He looked at the back of his hands and the palms of his hands over and over again, and they were no different from usual.
The ball of light was ignited again, but it went out again a few seconds after it covered Xu Jiahang's forehead.
He took his hand back, clenched it, and then unclenched it: "Something is stopping me."
This is unprecedented.
The high priest frowned and said in a heavy tone, "Is this devil very powerful?"
"It's not the enchantment that's the problem," the Son said. "It's... the exorcism itself that's been interfered with."
His purification ability was bestowed by the gods of Fialan. It never leaks, never goes wrong, and is always successful.
He is the closest being to God in the world, and this power cannot be suppressed or deprived.
——Unless the real God is nearby.
The Son of God clasped his hands together, and the faint halo settled in his palms like a butterfly with folded wings.
He raised his head and looked at the two people who were looking at him with different concerns: "Can you please leave now? Everyone. Except my brother."
Xu Lingxi and the high priest were both stunned.
Pear Jue?
What does the Count's coma, or rather the Count's treatment, have to do with that little guy?
*
Despite their doubts, they did not question the boy's decision and took everyone except the cubs away.
I wanted to leave a crack to peek in, but the Son of God ordered me to "close it" without even turning my head, so I could only close the door in disappointment.
Three adults and a child were staring at each other in the living room.
Xu Lingxi and the high priest, who were in the original environment of the sub-world, had no way of knowing, but Miao Ling and Tan Ning, who were in the secular world, knew very well what the Son of God was doing by calling the baby in.
They were surprised that the Holy Son could actually see that Li Jue was special? Did he know that he was a small system?
In fact, the Son of God did not know, but the divinely powerful butterfly of light guided him to sense Li Jue.
Zizi knew there was a patient in the room, so he tiptoed over and said, "Brother."
"Brother." Shengzi put on his gloves again and gave up his chair. "Would you like to give it a try?"
Li Jue blinked: "Try what?"
The Son of God's gaze fell on the sleeping Xu Jiahang: "Wake him up."
"Eh?" The little cub pointed at himself in confusion, "Me?"
He looks a little nervous, the boy thought.
It’s not the anxiety of not being able to do it or not knowing what to do, but the uneasiness of having the secret exposed.
"Don't be afraid, I won't tell anyone."
The Son of God's dark eyes looked at Li Jue's bright gold.
He guessed right, Li Jue's heart was indeed beating fast.
System assistant Momo mentioned in the first few classes that when the system is working in a dungeon, it may come into contact with many NPCs and players before meeting the big boss, and when facing these people, he must not reveal his true identity as the system.
Momo did not say what the specific consequences and punishments would be. However, the exaggerated and intimidating tone she used during the lecture was enough to scare a three-year-old child.
Li Jue was not recognized in the first two sub-worlds. It was not so much that he was cautious, but rather that he was lucky enough. Soon after entering the dungeon, he met a professional boss team who knew him well.
The bosses of this world are all around, but each one is more frivolous than the other. Not only are they obsessed with the magic scripts they weave, they also insist that children act with them.
Am I recognized by my brother, the Holy Son, no, my younger brother?
The young man saw his timidity and said softly, "I don't know who you are, and I don't need to know. But if this is your wish, you are actually more capable of making it come true than I am."
desire……?
Li Jue wondered, was his wish to save the Earl?
I still hope Xixi is happy.
He didn't know whether the Earl was Xixi's real father, but if it were him, he would definitely be very sad if his father fell ill.
He didn't want to see Xixi sad.
This was indeed his wish.
Li Jue raised his head and saw a butterfly condensed from light resting on the black hair of the Holy Son.
The little cub's expression became firm, and he clenched his fists: "I will do my best, cub!"
His soothing ability can not only alleviate the torment caused by the instability of the "core" on bosses, but can also deal with the mental attacks suffered by players and NPCs. This was confirmed when he rescued Yuan Yingying from being shackled by seaweed on a fishing boat.
In Li Jue's opinion, Xu Jiahang's current situation is similar to Yuan Yingying's, so he can indeed try to follow her example.
The baby was too small to reach the bed even when sitting on the chair, so he had to crawl onto the bed and kneel beside Xu Jiahang.
The Holy Son wrapped his little hand in his own and guided him to search for the remaining dirt of the monster in Xu Jiahang's body, not forgetting to remind him: "Be careful not to touch my arm."
Although he was wearing gloves, the part above the wrist could still be touched; if he was damaged by touching Li Jue, an "ordinary person", the purification of the count would be interrupted.
The light condensed by the Son of God is colorless and transparent, while that of Li Jue is light golden.
The two beams of light blended harmoniously together, and Xu Jiahang, who had been trapped in a nightmare for a long time, finally relaxed his brows under the double comfort.
The little cub suddenly cried out in surprise.
With the help of the Son of God, he "touched" the so-called demon in Xu Jiahang's body - isn't this the power of Brother Meimei?
Was it Brother Meimei who caused the Earl to faint?
Shengzi noticed something was wrong with Li Jue, but the child didn't stop, and he didn't interrupt. He just asked, "What did you find?"
Li Jue blinked.
Although he wanted to say something, he had to abide by the rules and could not reveal the secret of infinite space to ordinary players and NPCs, so he just shook his head.
The Son of God looked at him thoughtfully for a while, but did not ask any further questions.
The purification inside was still going on, and the three adults outside were all preoccupied with their own thoughts and did not notice that the only child had left long ago.
Xu Lingxi walked into another room opposite the living room, opened the secret compartment as if he knew the way, and could see a corner of the bedroom from here; this was a secret passage designed by his father himself, and only they knew about it.
He didn't see the first half, but he witnessed the father, who was left helpless, waking up to the cub's joyful clapping and celebration.
Xu Lingxi was of course relieved that his father had woken up.
But overshadowing the happiness was surprise.
The little servant could actually heal the demonic barrier that even the Son of God was powerless to cure.
What was even more bizarre was that, instead of being surprised by this, he felt that the scene was very familiar - as if he had witnessed it many times before, which was why he had such a bland reaction.
He stared at the faint golden light on the cubs' fingertips that had not yet completely disappeared, as if he had been hugged by them before.
The boy suddenly felt a headache, and something in his mind was clamoring to break free.
Is it the truth that is about to come out?
Or a long-buried memory.
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