Chapter 892: The First Death
Chapter 892: The First Death
Indeed...
After listening to the Faceless One's words, the Netherworld Overlords couldn't help but nod in agreement, acknowledging his judgment.
Before today, not many Netherworld Overlords had interacted with Leon, and most only knew of him as a crazed Purifier.
But after witnessing his act of withstanding the power of the Dead Man's Blood as a living being, the Overlords who had only heard rumors of him finally understood the true meaning of the God of Food.
If given the right opportunity, he would indeed take decisive action!
Recalling the gaze Leon had directed at them, the Overlords exchanged glances, each seeing a deep sense of apprehension in the other's eyes.
The God of Food's gaze was... peculiar.
There was neither apprehension nor disgust, and barely any hostility, yet it made their hearts race and their scalps tingle. If one had to describe it, the God of Food's gaze resembled that of someone looking at boulders blocking their path.
If they couldn't move it, they could go around; but if they could...
...
"So, you've all come."
Just as the Overlords' expressions turned resolute, a faintly angry, hoarse voice rose from beneath their feet. Immediately, a small mound of earth rose on the pale land along the frozen riverbanks.
Amidst the Overlords' slightly embarrassed expressions, a man made of pure white mud emerged naked from the mound. He surveyed the Overlords standing below the glacier and asked with a somewhat displeased tone:
"So, have you all made up your minds to open the Frozen Coffin River?"
"Sir!"
"First Death, sir!"
"Sir... I'm sorry..."
Upon seeing the mud man, the Overlords bowed their heads, greeting him respectfully. The mud man waved his hand, indicating there was no need for such formality. He then looked up at the massive glacier piercing the clouds before him and said with a complex expression:
"Don't call me sir; I merely died before you, but I don't deserve such a title... Faceless One, what do you plan to do?"
"First Death, sir."
After another respectful bow, the Faceless One apologized and said:
"I plan to open the Frozen Coffin River, open the coffin where you once stored your body, remove one-third of your flesh and blood, break off six pairs of your ribs, take half of your heart, and then use the remaining materials from your coffin to seal these parts. We'll bury them in advance outside the Sage's Graveyard.
When the Purification Bureau's people step out, we'll act simultaneously, destroying this part of your body and releasing all the accumulated Death within, freezing everyone from the Bureau."
"Hehe."
Hearing the Faceless One's words, the naked mud man couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
"You're quite considerate, leaving me with some remains."
"Sir."
The Faceless One responded and then bowed, explaining:
"It was you who ground your spine into bricks and paved the No Return Path, which led to our current situation. Our respect for you is genuine, and we wouldn't do this if there were any other way..."
"Is there truly no other way?"
Interrupting the Faceless One, the First Death, with an ordinary appearance and build but eyes that shone with an unusual light, asked with a stern expression:
"The Purification Bureau's request for the Netherworld is to maintain stable operations. They wouldn't casually take action against you unless they genuinely perceived a threat. So, which side truly has no other choice?
"..."
"Enough of these unnecessary words, let's not dwell on them anymore," the First Death said with a hint of annoyance, waving his hand to indicate that the Faceless One need not explain further.
"I oppose your decision! I left my body behind so that in case the No Return Path is damaged, we would have the materials to repair it. I never intended for it to be used for this!"
"Sir, please reconsider."
The Faceless One remained silent, while the Crow-Eyed Grandma blinked her eyes and pleaded in a sharp tone:
"You don't understand the situation. We are the ones backed into a corner. If we fail to deal a heavy blow to the Purification Bureau and capture the God of Food, it's unlikely that you'll see us again within a century. In a sense, we are like your children. Can you really bear to see this happen?"
Upon hearing the Crow-Eyed Grandma's words, the Mud Man's face hesitated slightly, but he shook his head once more.
"That won't happen. If you were gone, the Purification Bureau would have to send at least ten True Gods or higher-ranked Purifiers to perfectly fill your roles. It's a price they can't afford.
During the peak of human power, the Purification Bureau didn't do this, and they won't do it now. As long as you negotiate with sincerity and promise not to interfere with the mortal realm again..."
"Sir!"
Interrupting the First Death, an elderly lantern-bearing sage emerged from the shadows, his stooped body moving slowly as he spoke:
"We don't want to entrust our safety to the mercy of humans... Besides, humans, with their fleeting and insignificant lives, can never permanently honor their promises."
The First Death glanced at the female patrol officer's back, which was covered in frost, and then the sage slowly straightened his back, his face calm as he spoke:
"Even if the current Purification Bureau agrees to negotiate with us, there's no guarantee that the same will be true in a few decades when the God of Food is in control. Given his style, he will most likely choose to eradicate us completely.
And even if the God of Food changes his mind and decides to coexist peacefully with us, there will be new generations of Third Generation Directors and perhaps even a new God of Food in the future. Who can guarantee that they will continue to honor the agreement?"
"That's not the same thing!" The First Death frowned in response.
"The Purification Bureau has no reason to target the Deathrealm. Over the past few thousand years, despite the changes in directors and boards, they have all kept their promise. It is you who broke the agreement first!
Your concern about humans breaking their promises is just an excuse for you to escape your fate as the dead and interfere with the mortal realm again. No matter what you say, I will not agree to the use of my body!"
"First Death, sir," the Faceless One spoke up again, having been silent since the beginning.
"Does your body truly belong to you?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that while your body was indeed yours at the time, it has been left in the Frozen Coffin River, soaked in the purest death of the Deathrealm for countless years, and marked with our insignia. It can now be considered a shared 'property' of the entire Deathrealm."
"You...!"
"First Death, sir," the Faceless One continued, his expressionless face meeting the Mud Man's angry and disappointed gaze.
"The 'property' of the entire Deathrealm should be used to protect it when necessary. So, I ask that you refrain from taking unnecessary actions.
Lastly, although I respect you from the bottom of my heart, if you choose to side with the humans and the Purification Bureau and insist on not handing over your body... then we can only apologize and part ways."
(End of Chapter)
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