Función clerical - Capítulo 104
It seemed even colder inside the cave.
There was a small, yellowed booklet in the stone path.
Because so much time had passed, the paper in the booklet had become extremely fragile, and Shen Zhili had to open it with utmost care.
This was an instruction left to her by Shen Tianxing regarding how to perform the sacrifice.
The booklet is incomplete, but fortunately, the section on sacrifice is still intact.
After confirming the contents, which she could almost recite by heart, one last time, Shen Zhili closed the book again.
She closed her eyes, carefully reviewed all the contents in her mind, and only after confirming that everything was correct did she go back once again.
...Even if it's a little slower, we must make sure that there are absolutely no mistakes in this process.
After all, it was something that required sacrificing her life to achieve. If she died in the end, and her master's beloved still hadn't come back to life, wouldn't that be ridiculous?
Walking back to the coffin by the lake, Shen Zhili used the mechanism under the coffin to push it to the edge of the Twelve Nights Flower Lake.
After catching his breath, he pushed open the coffin lid, activated the mechanism, and carefully took the woman out.
It's called a crystal coffin, but it's actually made of millennia-old ice that my master brought from somewhere, which can keep the body from decaying for ten thousand years.
Shen Zhili's hands were almost frozen, but she still carefully carried the woman out little by little, making sure she didn't bump into anything.
It must be said that this body is very well preserved. Not only has it not aged at all, but its skin is still fresh and delicate. Even a thousand-year-old ice would not be enough to achieve this. I wonder what price my master paid to make her time almost freeze at the moment of her death.
Shen Zhili carefully placed the woman beside the Twelve Nights Flower, took out a letter from his bosom and placed it on the woman's chest. At the same time, he slightly tilted the flower to ensure that when the Twelve Nights Flower condensed dew, the precious dew mixed with her life force could smoothly slide into the mouth of the Moon Goddess.
Then, she lit a long incense stick to guide the soul. The floral fragrance dissipated, leaving only a Zen-like incense that seemed to cleanse away the dust and grime.
Shen Zhili breathed a sigh of relief and continued with the last step.
bloodletting.
Leaning against the coffin, Shen Zhili gripped the dagger when a sudden noise came from outside the cave.
"Shen Zhili, open the door for me!"
"Miss, Miss!"
"Valley Master Shen!"
Shen Zhili took two wads of cotton and stuffed them into her ears. At the same time, she swiftly slashed her wrist, leaving a new wound.
Unlike usual, where only a little blood is released, this is the last time. Even if not all the blood in her body is drained, at least about 70-80% will be released. So the wound almost severed all the blood vessels on her wrist at once, and blood splattered on Shier Yehua, a shocking sight.
I was already familiar with this kind of pain, but I had never felt it hurt like this before.
It instantly reminded her of that snowy night when she lay prostrate on the ground, unable to move a single finger. Her entire body was buried in snow, the cold seeping into her bones through her skin, and the blood in her body seemed to have frozen into ice crystals. Her limbs were so stiff that she could no longer feel any temperature.
Even consciousness gradually faded away as the body stiffened and grew cold.
Nothing now can compare to that kind of pain. She could endure it years ago, so how could she not endure it now?
Shen Zhili placed her hand on Shier Yehua's head and slowly closed her eyes.
Her constitution is special; without any deliberate guidance, her blood will flow continuously and without ceasing.
The stone coffin was cold, and the draining of blood made his arm numb with pain. After a pause, Shen Zhili put some numbing powder into his mouth and fell into a deep sleep.
...Maybe he'll never wake up?
She thought.
*******************************************************************************
Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. After an unknown amount of time, she woke up again.
Blood was still dripping from his wrist, half of his body was numb, his consciousness was not as clear as before, cold sweat streamed down his forehead, and his heart was filled with inexplicable anxiety.
This symptom...
She has probably lost nearly 20-30% of her blood.
She was a doctor herself and knew very well that although she had placed a life-sustaining pill under her tongue before coming, she would completely lose consciousness after losing at most 60% of her blood.
By that time, it would be too late to reverse the situation.
Wherever they are in sight, the Twelve Night Blossoms bloom with ever-increasing allure, enough to captivate hearts and stir souls.
The glistening liquid in the center of the flower gradually condensed, slid down, and fell into the woman's mouth.
A faint halo appeared on the woman's face, and her originally cold and lifeless face began to radiate a little life. If this continued, she should gradually become conscious soon.
...So her sacrifice wasn't entirely in vain.
A rumbling sound suddenly arose outside the grotto.
It was the sound of something being smashed against the stone gate.
Shen Zhili was taken aback.
Haven't they given up yet?
...However, deep in my heart, I inexplicably thought of another person.
If the person who would be anxious and heartbroken for half a day just because she got a small scratch on her hand saw her like this now, wouldn't they feel sorry for her?
While thinking this way, she also didn't want Su Chenche to actually stop her.
She's already done so much, and this last step is all that's left. If Su Chenche really makes all her efforts go to waste, even if he saves her life, she might not be grateful to him. She might even hate him for making her break her promise and for making all her years of hard work go up in smoke.
Humans are always so contradictory.
The sound of the stone door being smashed was so loud that even with Shen Zhili's ears plugged, she couldn't ignore it.
Even if the stone gate is made of the strongest material, it would be hard to break it open if it were smashed like that.
Long nights bring many dreams.
She glanced at the blood flowing from her wrist and sighed silently: This speed is still too slow.
In a little while, I'm afraid she won't be able to move anymore.
With a heavy heart, Shen Zhili used the last of her strength to take out a finger-thick tube that had been prepared in the stone passage and plunged it into her heart.
She was extremely skilled at inserting the needles, and the tubes were also specially treated so that one would not die immediately after being punctured.
A large amount of blood suddenly flowed out through the tube, but the pain was too much for her body to bear.
As soon as the needle went in, Shen Zhili felt so much pain that her vision went black and she fainted.
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"Knowing separation..."
Is she... already dead?
Why did I hear Su Chenche's voice?
"Zhi Li, wake up."
With his eyes narrowed into slits, Su Chenche's smooth and handsome face was clearly visible. His expression was calm, but his amber eyes seemed to be burning with raging fire, clusters of flames that pierced her heart through his gaze and scorched her soul.
...They're probably really dead.
Otherwise, why would I dream of Su Chenche?
...Even if it was an illusion, seeing Su Chenche was still something that made her happy.
Shen Zhili slowly smiled at Su Chenche.
A very light, yet exceptionally beautiful smile, without bitterness, helplessness, or even the slightest constraint, simply joy at seeing him.
Gently lifting Shen Zhili's neck, he placed a light, gentle kiss on her forehead, then lightly brushed across her nose, chin, and lips, lingering and sucking, not going deep, just affectionately rubbing against her.
"Zhi Li, you idiot."
He sighed softly.
Such a beautiful voice, deep and melodious, like a leisurely flute tune, entering dreams at night, making one unwilling to wake up.
But before she woke up, there was something she hadn't told him.
Shen Zhili licked her chapped lips and struggled to say, "Su Chenche, I'm sorry... and I love you."
Finally, she spoke the words that had been hidden in her heart for so long.
A huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.
If you love someone, what's there to hide? It's just a pity that you never had the chance to tell him before you died...
As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Zhili felt her shoulders being suddenly grabbed, and cold lips pressed down heavily, kissing her deeply without giving her a chance to speak. The kiss was intense and passionate, and the temperature it brought made her soul tremble.
The body's senses suddenly became clear.
Their lips and tongues intertwined, and the warmth and breath from Su Chenche's mouth enveloped her without any doubt.
At the same time, she also felt a warm sensation from Su Chenche's chest.
wrong!
Shen Zhili felt as if she had been struck by lightning!
...How could someone who's dead still have these feelings?
The dreamlike feeling faded away, and the grotto returned to its usual cold and gloomy state.
She lowered her gaze; the tube inserted into her chest was still lodged in her heart, only the other end of the tube…
It was currently stuck in Su Chenche's heart.
With this realization, she could feel that the wound on her wrist had been treated, and the gentle flow of blood was flowing into her body through Su Chenche's body, calm and soothing, as if they were originally one, with life and vitality gradually filling her body.
Shen Zhili looked up, and Su Chenche's pale amber eyes curved into a smile.
Just like the first time we met.
For a moment, her mind went blank, and it took her a long time to regain her senses.
...What exactly did he do?!
Who's the real idiot here?
"Don't cry, my Zhili."
The cold knuckles gently brushed against her eyelids, making her face appear even paler than it was.