Category: Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

T/N: I’m anticipating a busy week for the upcoming week, so I’m posting XZX and LMSTB early. Hopefully things will have calmed down somewhat by Thursday, and TAPAE will be up on time, but if I’m a day late, then please be understanding.

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Chapter 98

With the vows spoken, the power in Su Shi’s body was also used as a tribute for the first conversion, converging towards the lord god, following the invisible chain to pour into the pope’s body.

The crow instantaneously fell silent.

The archbishop’s eyes revealed faint regret, and he closed his eyes with a light sigh.

Entangled with the black mist pouring into the pope’s body, there was a gleam of light that could no longer be peeled off.

Light was a kind of fire. As long as it fell upon kindling, it would start a prairie fire sooner or later.

Shock entered the pope’s eyes, and his merciful and gentle face suddenly twisted.

Once the oath started, no one could interrupt it.

Some ineffable force was firmly holding Esmond’s body in place. His eyes fixed upon the youth’s waning face. His vision was already hazy with tears.

He blinked vigorously and breathed desperately, trying to hold back the soreness in his eye sockets.

He couldn’t cry now. If he cried, he wouldn’t be able to see the paladin clearly.

After reciting the last line of oath, the armor on the paladin’s body had completely dimmed down. Just the lightest movement caused the armor to disperse into ash and drift away silently with the wind.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

The armor blessed by the power of light would not protect a body that was associated with darkness.

The young man’s shoulders remained straight. His eyes were no longer concerned with looking at the pope. Instead, they remained fixed directly on the cardinal. His gaze was unobstructed and clear.

Esmond’s body trembled violently. His chest rose and fell sharply, and the tears finally fell down his face.

Absorbing the power of light, the pope’s body also burst into intense pain. His face was distorted, and the black energy finally emerged faintly from his body.

The corner of Su Shi’s mouth turned up. And then his body abruptly went limp.

He fell into a very familiar embrace.

Esmond hugged him tightly. The cardinal’s breathing came out hurried and brief. Emotion choked his throat and blocked off all words. His arms were already trembling slightly because of excessive force.

The breath beside him was reliable and warm. Su Shi smiled and leaned quietly into his arms, still refusing to lower his gaze.

“Let me see your flames again…”

The faint black miasma was gone from his eyes. His face had turned stark white, but his expression was still gentle and persistent as he looked at the cardinal.

Esmond’s hands trembled a little, and after trying several times, his palm finally burst into flames.

The conflicting powers within the pope’s body continued to wage war, and he had no time to care about the situation happening in the outside world. The illusion was quietly broken. The brightness of the golden flames caused everyone to avert their gazes.

There was already no need for further explanation.

Su Shi finally felt relieved, and some of that relief entered his eyes. He turned his gaze on the pope: “Help me beat him up.”

“Okay.”

Esmond’s voice was hoarse. He carefully picked up the paladin in his arms and gently placed him on the sidelines.

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He turned and walked towards the pope. With every step he took, the flames all over his body burned, and the brilliant golden light spread unreservedly, so that the people trapped in the darkness finally saw the long-lost light.

The people knelt down instinctively, groveled under the light, and incessantly prayed in repentance.

The pope’s pupils suddenly shrank in despair.

The golden flames were already burning high.

Su Shi sat on the sidelines and quietly watched the scene in front of him, with a touch of relief in his eyes.

At this time, it was really hard to care about any tasks or missions. Anyone who saw such a bright flame could not help but be moved.

The seeds of light have been planted, and the pope was destined to no longer be able to exert his full strength. Even if the protagonist did not have him [Su Shi], it would still be the same.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Just now, the demonic energy that he inhaled and incorporated into his body had broken through the time restriction imposed by the God of Light, and the system network was being restored. With no mishaps, he would leave this world soon.

The world in front of him gradually faded and dimmed.

Su Shi sighed. His eyes fell upon the cardinal’s back, and the corners of his lips gently curved up.

Flames filled the entire sky.

The black energy scattered in all directions to escape.

Victory was set.

His body gradually became lighter, and his soul was silently separated from his body. Just when he was about to leave completely, his body suddenly shook violently.

The dense black energy was at the end of its rope. With surly and unreasoning strength, it ferociously surged into Su Shi’s chest.

An eerie voice suddenly sounded in Su Shi’s ears, low and hoarse, full of evil energy: “My faithful believer, I give you eternal life and will use you as my vessel…”

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The author has something to say:

Su Shi: Your uncle ≡_≡

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Chapter 97

Esmond still remembered the illusion he saw when he was caught in the magic spell circle. It was a vision of the paladin blowing up his crystal core.

Since he entered the arena, Esmond had not taken the initiative to fight back, so he still had plenty of power stored up in his body.

The self-detonation of the crystal core will increase a person’s strength hundreds of times, boosting their power to the apex.

No matter how strong the pope was the illusion he applied would definitely collapse in the final explosion.

He did not fear death, but he couldn’t have the paladin stuck in the mud* because of him.

[*T/N: Figurative of speech for being in a sticky predicament. Could also mean the defamation of one’s reputation.]

With determination in his eyes, the cardinal stepped forward, but his body suddenly shook. He raised his head in disbelief.

The pope smiled faintly. His face still had a compassionate and gentle look, but his eyes were glossed over with a sinister cold light.

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Esmond didn’t know when it had happened, but an insipid layer of dark energy have surrounded his luminous golden crystal core.

Red flashed through Esmond’s eyes. He repeatedly tried to maneuver his power, only to find that he had completely lost control of his crystal core.

The demonic energy had penetrated into his crystal core. Even if it was not by his own will, sooner or later he would be dragged into the darkness, forced to deviate from his beliefs, and degrade into a genuine Fallen.

There was a deep anxiety in his heart. It was like he was completely trapped in death. His breathing increased rapidly. Suddenly a fierce cough broke through his lips, and more dark blood scattered on the ground.

A hand settled on his shoulder.

The strength of that hand was very stable, and the temperature from the palm of that hand passed through his clothes, silently seeping into his already cold chest.

Su Shi looked at him quietly, with a clear and gentle light in his eyes: “Don’t worry, there is a way.”

“Ivan…”

He didn’t know if the other person was comforting him or if he was confident because he had a well-thought-out plan. Esmond instinctively lifted his head and met the paladin’s gaze, but his heart suddenly became inexplicably cold: “No, Ivan–”

“You have to promise me that after the illusion is dispelled, you must beat him up. This guy is really annoying,” the paladin said in a deadly earnest tone.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

The young paladin’s eyes expressed a bright and warm smile, as if they had never been stained with any haze.

Then he withdrew his hand, turned around, and took out an ink-black crystal stone.

The pope’s pupils immediately contracted and he shot forward, but dark flames abruptly erupted around him, encircling him firmly within.

The cardinal stood there in silence, his gaze sank inch by inch. He finally stopped trying to avoid the disgrace and defamation that the illusion brought, and he did not hesitate to use his powers to the max.

The situation revered in an instant.

Unprepared, the pope quickly retreated, but his white robe was already scorched.

There was no distinction between the high and the low when it came to the power of guardianship.

Esmond did not pay attention to the results of his attack at all. He just turned around when the pope lost his momentum, and squeezed the young man’s wrist forcefully.

“Ivan, leave it to me. It doesn’t matter even if my name is blackened. You don’t have to worry. Leave it to me–”

“This kind of flame is ugly.”

With a faint smile, he gave the reason that the other party had said before. Su Shi’s eyes were warm. He reversed their hands to grip Esmond’s hand. Then he broke the black crystal with all his strength.

A tendril of faint black mist drifted into his body silently, turning his complexion wan in an instant. A faint black miasma spread through his eyes.

As if there was an invisble chain linking him to the pope, his figure suddenly trembled, and his originally clear and bright aura became dark and cold.

“Ivan!”

Seeing the changes overtaking the paladin’s body, an intense pain struck at Esmond’s chest. He called to the paladin in a sharp voice as chill spread all over his body.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Su Shi tugged up the corners of his lips. He could feel the conflict between the two forces in his body. Even using all the painkillers at his disposal, he still could not help but frown.

[T/N: The author doesn’t specify, but the painkillers are from the system.]

Light and dark could not coexist. He used his body as a container to force them to blend, and sooner or later he would be completely torn apart by these two forces.

He could still make it in time.

Su Shi suddenly knelt down on one knee towards the pope. Although his posture was respectful and solemn, his eyes held a cold and mocking laughter.

“I voluntarily surrender to you, my lord god. I am willing to believe in the boundless darkness. I am willing to throw my soul into the abyss of evil, entangled by desire…”

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Chapter 96

Su Shi coughed twice, and suppressed the coppery scent in his throat. He pushed himself up using the ground for support, took off his helmet, and hung it on the crook of his elbow.

Although the defense level was good, the paladin’s exclusive helmet really hindered communication. The scene in front of him was divided into strips by the gridding of the helmet guard. Even blinking one’s eyes created the effect of shutters closing. It was impossible to exchange gazes with another person.

He didn’t want to wait until the moment of farewell to see the person in front of him unobstructed.

As his eyes fell on the familiar and delicate face, Esmond’s eye sockets suddenly became hot. He subconsciously wanted to speak, but he pressed his lips together tightly, lowered his gaze in silence, and raised his hand to wipe the blood on his lips.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

The paladin should belong in the light completely. He tried everything possible, but he was unable to crack the illusion the pope had created. In the eyes of the masses, he was still a Fallen, a demonized sinful person.

There was a faint pain in his chest. The cardinal’s entire body was practically trembling faintly. It took a long while for him to speak in a suppressed voice: “Ivan, I’m sorry…”

If the illusion was not broken, he could not put up any resistance. Burning with the dark flames of sin, even if it could withstand the pope’s attacks, it would be a defilement to God.

The paladin did not answer. He only groped for Esmond’s hand, and gave it a silent squeeze. Then he stood up and turned to the pope.

The moment he saw him, the pope’s eyes flashed with malicious light. But due to the people’s gazes, he had to show a benevolent and gentle expression.

“Loyal paladin, we know that some of you have been deceived by him. You still have a chance to repent, and get back on the right path.”

The people only knew that there was an innocent paladin, but there shouldn’t be a way for them to know what that paladin looked like.

The pope made up his mind to not acknowledge the identity of the other party, and his tone was compassionate and tolerant.

He was originally a hundred percent certain of the outcome, as his gaze fell upon the paladin who was still standing erect, and he was preparing to strike the other one into a Fallen and kill both of them together, but then there was suddenly an exclamation from the crowd.

“It’s him! It’s Ivan!”

“It’s the paladin pardoned by the oracle, it must be him!”

“That’s right, it’s him, I remember his face! He really is alive!”

The paladin stood proudly in the arena, holding a helmet firmly in his hand. His pure and handsome face was heroic, and his eyes were clear and steady.

He looked exactly the same as the stone statue that was restored by holy fire in the plaza.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

The people were exhausted physically and mentally by the eternal night, and were eagerly looking forward to the appearance of the paladin. Now that they finally laid eyes on him, the cheers went up and down, quickly diluting the tragic atmosphere that the pope had previously created.

The pope’s gaze narrowed as incredulity blossomed in his eyes.

The scene came to a deadlock. The ecstatic waves from the crowd gradually tapered off. The people have calmed down and finally realized the strangeness of the situation.

The paladin who was pardoned by the oracle, not only did not stand on the side of the pope, but desperately saved the cardinal who was said to be depraved and had demonized, and was now confronting the pope to protect him.

Such a weird situation caused the people on the sidelines to fall into a dead silence for a long while.

“Seeing your actions makes me doubt the authenticity of the oracle, Ivan.”

The pope did not know about the stone statue yet, but he could already vaguely feel the sudden turn of the situation. He narrowed his eyes to look at the paladin. His tone was faintly chilling.

“In the most ancient of books, it has been recorded that if a sinful person submits to a demon, he can escape the punishment of the brand, become a traitor to God, and become a servant of darkness forever.”

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“Your current position really makes us wonder—perhaps the two of you are in cahoots with each other, and you painstakingly created the façade of an oracle and this punishment of eternal night to deceive the eyes of the innocent…”

The pope spoke of the ever-dark sky, and his words were strongly persuasive.

The people’s thoughts faltered for a moment. The eagerness with which they looked at the paladin cooled, and there was even vague doubt and hostility starting to rise.

Su Shi was accustomed to this kind of gaze, and even felt faintly relieved. He was planning to wait for an opportunity to self-destruct with the opponent, but Esmond was already struggling to stand up. He staggered forward. His voice was hoarse but firm.

“I have never fallen, nor have I betrayed my faith. All this is an illusion, and I am willing to prove it with my honor, blood, and my life…”

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Chapter 95 (35.2)

The core of the mission hinged on the true identity of the pope. As long as no one found out that a demon had taken over the pope’s body, then Su Shi could still get the experience points.

Su Shi took a deep breath to steady himself. He was about to fabricate a reason for the pope’s corruption and abuse of power, when the sound of a loud bell rang outside the window.

Someone came in quickly from outside and got down on one knee: “Your Excellency, the pope has opened the Holy Arena.”

“What happened?”

The archbishop’s complexion changed. He got up and walked quickly out the door.

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“That is a completely public arena, and it also has a life or death barrier. What can the church not solve? Why must the pope take such a risk himself?”

The messenger looked tangled. He glanced at the paladin standing off to the side, and then cautiously reported: “An emergency edict has just been issued. Bishop Esmond has been corrupted and demonized. The pope, His Majesty, as the servant of all servants* is naturally duty bound to exterminate it…”

[*T/N: “servant” as in a servant of God, and the pope as the highest member of the clergy is the greatest servant of God]

Su Shi’s chest abruptly tightened, and his vision suddenly darkened for a moment. He held on to the edge of the table to stabilize himself. There was the taste of blood spreading in his throat.

He had to go back and take a look.

The intense pain almost took his breath away. The hand hanging at his side subconsciously clenched into a tight fist. His chest undulated incessantly.

He was no longer interested in paying attention to the situation in front of him. He hurried out, trying to rush to the arena, but the archbishop raised a hand to stop him.

“I must go—Your Excellency, please allow me to excuse myself first.”

Su Shi’s expression sank. There was already a hint of coldness creeping into his eyes, and the biting chill slowly spread from his whole body.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

The protagonist’s strength has indeed improved a lot, but the pope, as the biggest villain in this world, gained his power through hatred and resentment. The odds of winning were still very slim.

He must do it himself*.

[*T/N: Su Shi is referring to self-destructing with the pope.]

Looking thoughtfully at the paladin in front of him, the archbishop nodded slightly and suddenly walked outside: “Follow me.”

Countless people have gathered around the Holy Arena.

Beyond the translucent barrier, the pope was fighting fiercely with Esmond. The resplendent golden light was dizzying to watch.

Su Shi raised his head to look, but his expression sank even more.

He didn’t know why, but Esmond had yet to put up any strong resistance. He was only silently withstanding the opponent’s attacks.

The pope’s shots were not as aggressive and domineering as when he was trying to decimate Su Shi. His strength was carefully measured to be just enough to suppress the opponent by a hair, as if he was deliberately waiting for something to happen.

Before he could figure out what was going on, the crowd suddenly erupted into cries of alarm. Someone even shouted out in shock: “Look, it is indeed an evil demon!”

Esmond staggered back and was forced to use his flames. Although it was fleeting, everyone still caught a glimpse of the extremely gloomy ink-black color of the flames.

As if burned by his own flames, Esmond’s hands trembled slightly and then clenched tightly. Hence, he refused to release even the smallest bit of power.

The pope’s heavy blow crashed into Esmond’s chest. Esmond staggered and fell to one knee. He coughed twice. Even the stuff that he coughed out was a pitch-black substance that made people feel chilled.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Thinking of Esmond’s previous crime, the people were already unable to suppress their intense ire. One after another they shouted ear-piercing curses.

When he finally got what he wanted, the pope narrowed his eyes with satisfaction. His tyrannical strength finally poured out and rushed at the cardinal who had almost completely given up all resistance.

A figure suddenly flashed past, so fast as to almost be invisible to the naked eye. Before the pope’s attack landed, the figure threw itself at Esmond and covered him firmly.

The ice-cold armor slammed painfully into Esmond’s body, and the lost of blood caused his sight to go fuzzy. He blinked hard and finally made out the image of the paladin lying prone atop his body. His eyes narrowed.

Impatient concern leaked all over his face, and he squeezed the person’s arm hard: “Quick, leave. It’s dangerous here!”

“I know. That’s why I came.”

[T/N: Swoon. Man, Su Shi says some really badass lines.]

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Chapter 94

A niggling feeling tickled Su Shi, and he abruptly looked back.

The windows were high so there was no way to look in and see the situation inside the prison.

The prison door has been opened, and the guard was still frozen. As long as the protagonist wanted to leave, he could go out at any time.

The pope had some misgivings but he was busy putting out the fire in the file library. He probably wouldn’t act rashly like this.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Nothing was going to happen…

His heart thumped inexplicably.

Suddenly, the sound of orderly footsteps came from not too far away.

The guards on patrol were coming over.

Su Shi quickly darted into the shadows. He glanced back once more and finally walked away quickly along the shadows.

The pope walked out of the darkness and silently looked at the cardinal in front of him.

The black energy in his eyes was already becoming too difficult to conceal. An eerie chill spread rapidly with every step he took. The guard who had been frozen was instantly turned into powdered dust and scattered silently onto the ground.

Several tendrils of extremely insipid black energy merged into his body.

Esmond looked at him. Contrarily, his expression became more and more calm: “I thought you were planning to take it slowly, Your Majesty.”

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The pope’s expression was dark, and he stared for a long time before speaking in a deep voice.

“I was originally planning to do so—until just now, your child of God just burned up all of my undead knights.”

Hearing about the holy paladin’s glorious accomplishment, Esmond could not help but be surprised. His eyebrows went up and a faint smile appeared in his eyes. “That really sounds like something he would do.”

Seeing the smile in Esmond’s eyes, the dark energy in the pope’s eyes became even darker, and he suddenly walked towards him swiftly.

Losing the disguise of fake compassion, the pope’s eyes have completely become cold and cruel. His originally lenient and gentle voice had also chilled.

“He really disrupted my plan. The power I had accumulated so hard was destroyed. The church will soon be aware of the escaping demonic energy. At a time like this, I have to present a scapegoat.”

As he said this, a triumphant smirk curled the corners of his mouth: “Obviously, I can’t use the holy paladin that was pardoned by an oracle—but what a coincidence, there is someone who pleaded guilty for attempting to assassinate me.”

Esmond did not answer. His pupils slightly contracted.

A brilliant golden flame ignited silent at his aide.

The familiar burning temperature made the pope stop. The pope raised his eyebrows with interest as a mocking smile entered his gaze.

“My cardinal, I have to say that your mastery of disguise is really too shallow.”

As he said this, he took out the scepter that belonged to the pope and faced the cardinal standing in front of him.

“From now on, in everyone’s eyes, you will be the demonized fallen one. Your flames will appear pitch black, just like a devil’s wings…”

As his voice fell, the originally brilliant golden flames flashed and became a pitch-black color that made people feel cold.

A strong chill spread from the bottom of his heart, and Esmond’s breathing turned stagnant. His face abruptly paled.

It was just a smokescreen. It didn’t affect the power of the move itself. It just changed the people’s perception of his powers.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

If he defeated the pope, the people will only see a degenerate Fallen attacking the cohesion of faith. And if the pope killed him, it will be a happy event of punishing evil and promoting good. Then the mainland will be completely controlled by the pope.

He could not win, but he must not lose.

For an instant, he felt some weakness in his heart. He closed his eyes and said a name silently for the last time.

The pope smirked and flung out his sleeves. Then he brought Esmond into the Holy Arena*.

[*T/N: 圣域角斗场 – Not quite certain how to translate this. Google gave me Sanctuary Area, but individually 圣 means “holy or sacred,” 域 means “field or area,” and 角斗场 is a “wrestling ring.” In the end I went with Holy Arena.]

Su Shi’s heart suddenly jumped.

The white-haired archbishop was slowly looking at the file that Su Shi had presented. After reading it carefully, he cautiously pushed his glasses up.

There were always convicts pleading their cases, but for someone that was already pardoned to return and accept the crime, this holy paladin before him was really the first.

“Your Excellency Ivan, according to your statement, you did indeed attempt to assassinate the pope, and Bishop Esmond was just framed and threatened, which was why he had to bear the charge for you.”

The young paladin lowered his gaze and said respectfully, “Yes.”

“But–”

The archbishop’s eyes flashed. He raised his gaze to look at Su Shi.

“If you had really tried to assassinate the pope, then how could you be pardoned by the God of Light?”

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Chapter 93 (34.5)

Hearing him bring up this topic, Su Shi was annoyed. He huffed. His movements became even more decisive. He brushed off the straw on his body and jumped up abruptly. But Esmond stopped him with a light tug.

Holding on to Su Shi’s wrist, Esmond stood up and pulled him back into his arms.

“Don’t be angry. I was wrong.”

Of course Esmond knew that the other person was not angry at the slightly out of bounds teasing. Su Shi was angry because of what Esmond did back at the plaza without consulting him.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Embraced within Esmond’s arms, Su Shi’s anger from being robbed of the pot was mostly dissipated, but he was still not resigned. He leaned back against the crook of Esmond’s neck and muttered, “I need to take back the criminal charge and shoulder it. You have to help me.”

Esmond’s chest stuttered and his arms tightened around the other. He subconsciously held his breath, “Why?”

“Because–”

Su Shi pondered for a long while. Then he lifted his eyes and looked at Esmond without dodging or avoiding: “This is my learning experience, I have things that I must shoulder, I cannot have other people substitute for me.”

The child of God descends to the human world, and needs to go through hardships, displacement, betrayal, life and death, before he can wash clean all the worldly affairs of the secular world.

Esmond was shocked. He stared at him in a daze without speaking.

No wonder he would know so many secrets! No wonder the God of Light would take the initiative to shield him!

A sudden anxiety bloomed from the bottom of his heart. Esmond opened his mouth, but in the end he could not vocalize any of his questions. He could only remain silent, and tightened his hold on the other person.

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Su Shi felt a little guilty for pretending to be a celestial being. Then he thought about that unreliable God of Light, and his conscience cleared in the blink of an eye.

His life was already edited into a film. Even if he pretended to be the child of God, that God of Light should be willing to cooperate.

“Ivan…”

Esmond hugged him tight. His voice unconsciously became raspy.

He wanted to ask how long the other person could stay, if he could help in any way, and he also wanted to ask how everything would ultimately conclude in the end.

But he dared not speak.

Even if all of this was just flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake*, it was still a fantasy that he was most grateful for.

[*T/N: flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake = viewing things through rose-tinted spectacles]

His heart settled, and he took a deep breath to speak, but then his gaze suddenly landed on a shadow in the corner, and his eyes flashed with vigilance.

The person in his arms shifted and looked at him with a bit of doubt.

The plan quickly took shape in his head. Esmond lowered his voice and spoke fast into Su Shi’s ear.

“There is another way. Go look for the archbishop. He is respected and he will uphold justice. Tell him that I was coerced and that I had no choice but to plead guilty. The trial files are all preserved. As long as the papacy investigates thoroughly, the truth will be known…”

“Understood, I will go now.”

He happened to have the file in his arms. Hearing that things could still take a turn for the better, Su Shi’s eyes unconsciously brightened. He nodded and was about to walk to the door, but Esmond held him back again. He raised his eyes to hint at the iron window bars that had been quietly melted by the flames.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Su Shi understood. He was just about to go over, but then he suddenly turned back towards Esmond, raised his hand, and wrapped it around the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

Looking at the paladin who wanted to store up even the littlest bit of energy, Esmond was stunned. But his expression immediately gentled into a smile. He closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around the other person, and earnestly kissed him.

The injury on his shoulder had been unconsciously healed. Su Shi retreated with satisfaction, dexterously leaped up, and silently rolled out along the bars.

Esmond’s eyes remained fixed on him. He smiled at the paladin’s now healthy and nimble figure. Finally, relief chased away the misty waters from his eyes.

He was selfish after all.

The child of God, who came to the human world for practical experience, wanted to leave the world through death.

In that case, could the prayers of a lowly human be accepted? By protecting the paladin’s life, could he delay their inevitable parting?

The other party was not afraid of death, but his heart was full of yearning.

The paladin’s figure disappeared outside the window, and the sound of footsteps faded away.

Esmond sighed extremely lightly and turned around calmly. His gaze landed on the sheet of deadly still darkness outside the door.

“Thank you for your willingness to wait until now, Your Majesty. Are you planning to come and execute me personally?”

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The author has something to say:

Su Shi: Found the pot! (/≧▽≦)/~┴┴

#Wait, there seems to be something forgotten.

#Where’s the bento*???

Σ( ° △ °三 °Д °;)っ

[*T/N: The author does indeed say “bento” (便当 bian dang), which means lunchbox, and not “pot” (锅 guo). I’m not really sure what the author is referring to in this instance.

Thank you to the readers who explained this reference to me! So the explanation for the bento is this: when the character an actor is playing dies before the filming of a movie/series ends, they get a lunchbox (for completing their part in the movie/series). In this case, Su Shi is the actor, and Ivan is his character. If Su Shi doesn’t get a bento, that means his character, Ivan, doesn’t die.]

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Chapter 92 (34.4)

Esmond looked at the paladin quietly. After a long while, he sighed lightly. He lifted his hand to the other person’s shoulder, and lightly pressed his forehead against it.

The opponent was able to easily dispel his disguise technique and also able to deal such a serious injury to the paladin. It was obvious whom Ivan had run up against.

But this time, he was the one who acted first without consulting anyone. He really did not have a leg to stand on in this case. He couldn’t reprimand Ivan about an agreement that obviously did not have much binding force.

Ultimately, neither one of them were able to turn a blind eye on the situation at hand.

Su Shi slept comfortably. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the warm and soft hay.

The protagonist’s cardinal robes covered his body like a blanket. The fiery bright red color was like a sea of blood reflected in his eyes.

After a while, he gradually snapped out of his stupor and remembered what had happened before he’d fallen unconscious.

Recalling his previous behavior, Su Shi’s face became hot at once. He pulled up the cardinal robes in despair and buried his head in the fabric.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Off to one side, the cardinal was roasting meat for him. When the cardinal heard a sound, he turned his head over and saw Su Shi’s reaction. The hint of a smile entered his gaze and he said softly, “You’re awake?”

Su Shi remained motionless. He was determined not to utter a word.

Esmond was worried that he would suffocate under the robes and also worried about his injury. Calmly and effortlessly, he untangled the paladin from his robes. With a smile on his face, he rubbed the paladin’s hair.

“I have to say—you skipped over all of the dining halls and kitchens in the imperial palace, and felt your way through the dark to come directly to the prison to find me, I am very moved…”

“All right already, stop talking.”

Su Shi interrupted him in a depressed voice. He sighed resentfully, raised his uninjured arm to rub at his forehead, and tried to sit up.

Esmond offered a hand and told Su Shi to lean on him. Without making Su Shi lift a hand, Esmond blew on the roasted meat and carefully brought it to Su Shi’s mouth.

“I know you must be hungry. I can’t go out for too long. First, eat a little something to pad the stomach.”

The meat was grilled to a glossy gold color. Su Shi’s gaze unconsciously tracked the meat, and he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. The great responsibility of picking up the pot was flung to the back of his head for the time being.

Paladins did not get paid and they usually lived in the en masse dormitories. He did not have any money on his person and he did not dare to be too ostentatious. So he used his ice powers to make a lifelike facsimile of a bunny and was only able to exchange it for a piece of bread from a young lady.

No place to live, no money to buy food, even if he really wanted to break up (with the papacy) in a fit of anger, when the time came, he would still have to take the initiative to come back and act chummy.

Su Shi sullenly ate the offered piece of meat. The solar powered Su Shi felt as if the God of Light was using him.

Esmond didn’t know what was going on in Su Shi’s mind. He continued to patiently feed him the meat one piece at a time.

The door was closed up. When the wind blew it produced a sharp ear-piercing creaking sound.

When Su Shi busted into the prison, he did not bother to conceal his movements. Thinking back, he felt somewhat guilty about his actions. He glanced at the closed prison door that was no longer serving its purpose of locking up the prisoner, and also took a quick peek at the door guard.

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The small golden flame was still devotedly roasting the giant lump of ice. The guard was still in the exact same position he was in when Su Shi had broken in. The melting progress was very gratifying. The ice was soon melted up to the guard’s knees.

Su Shi caught the teasing smile in the protagonist’s eyes and he became slightly flustered. He raised a hand to rub at the tip of his nose.

“Did I disrupt your plan?”

“There will always be changes in the plan. Seeing you is an unexpected delight.”

Esmond originally wanted to reiterate with him that no risk was allowed. After a long silence, his heart still softened, and his eyes were filled with tender affection for the person in front of him. He gathered up the other person and pressed his forehead against him.

The cardinal’s embrace was strong and warm. Su Shi leaned against him, comfortable and pleased. As reciprocation, he honestly and sincerely told him to hug him for a spell. After being reinvigorated, he leaped up off the ground, full of energy.

“Okay, I should go now.”

The task of whitewashing the protagonist was only half completed. He had to find the archbishop and several older senior bishops as soon as possible, and publicize the evidence.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

He kissed him, slept with him, and now he was leaving just like that. Even the treatment of a male escort would demand more than this.

[T/N: Esmond is making a double entendre comparison in his head. In this case Esmond is the male escort and Su Shi is the callous customer, who is leaving as soon as he got what he needed. XD]

Esmond raised his head, stunned. He met Su Shi’s gaze and felt that it would be too frivolous and lacking in manners to say this straightforwardly. Only after a long while did he say, “If you get hungry again, what will you do?”

“Then I’ll just go find a kitchen and rob the cook!”

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Chapter 91 (34.3)

Su Shi was stunned for a moment when he saw the pope suddenly disregard him in favor of putting out the fire. When he returned to his senses, he quickly turned around, leaped onto the window ledge, and then jumped out.

The moment he was about to take a step, his movements abruptly halted.

Behind him, there seemed to be countless faint screams and shouts.

There shouldn’t be anyone else in the file library. It was probably just his own misconception. Su Shi set his mind at ease and quickly walked into the darkness where the lights could not reach.

A thin layer of ice quickly sealed off the still bleeding wound. His body’s strength was instantly exhausted by this act, so Su Shi had no choice but to temporarily change his plan. He gritted his teeth and staggered in the direction of the prison.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

His body temperature dropped quickly. It was impossible to tell whether the cold was invading his body from the surrounding environment or spreading silently from the crystal nucleus in his body.

Su Shi didn’t know how far he managed to get. His body was becoming more and more stiff. He strength was clearly draining away as each successive step became heavier than the previous.

He was almost running on instincts when he entered the prison. Su Shi couldn’t be concerned with hiding his tracks any more. He openly froze the guard at the door into a block of ice, and opened the seal on the door with the black crystal.

He pounced into the arms of the humanoid power bank, grabbed him by the collar, and kissed him.

Esmond didn’t have time to process what was happening. He instinctively hugged the man in his arms, but the cold temperature of the body startled him. It was almost as cold as pure ice.

Finally, Su Shi recovered a bit of his consciousness, but the nipping cold was all the more bone-chilling and hard to bear.

Su Shi’s body gradually softened. The awareness that he forcefully maintained all along the way blurred away quickly. He blinked one last time, confirmed that he had not kissed the wrong person, and fell asleep in peace.

When the paladin suddenly appeared in his arms, Esmond was almost unable to respond.

Just a second ago, he was still concerned over whether the other party would end up starving himself, and in the next second, the person who he was worried about suddenly appeared in front of him.

The other person’s complexion was wan and his gaze was blurry. His staggering steps were rigid and stiff. Then he had pulled Esmond forward by the collar and straight up kissed him without giving him any chance to react.

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Although he knew that the person in his arms was probably hungry, the cardinal still revealed a gentle and helpless smile, and sighed very lightly.

Outside the cell was tossed up messily. Esmond straight up carried the paladin in his arms and stood up. With a single hand he firmly closed up the door once again, and sent a spiral of flames to slowly defrost the guard popsicle. Then he sat back down.

The young paladin’s eyes were drooping. He quietly nestled in his arms. His cheeks finally recovered some color, his expression calmed, and his breathing grew longer. He slept peacefully.

Esmond leaned against the dry straw in the corner of the cell. He looked down at the paladin in his arms and carefully brushed the soft hair hanging over the young man’s forehead. He stared at the paladin for a long while. His eyes were suffused with helpless and gentle warmth.

He gently embraced Ivan’s shoulders, trying to get him to lean back in his arms, but then his eyes suddenly narrowed.

Several clusters of flames ignited silently, brightening the prison cell. Esmond carefully pulled the sleeping man in his arms, lowered his head, and looked closely. His expression sank at once.

He had failed to notice the shoulder wound until the elevated temperature melted the thin ice that sealed off the injury, and blood poured through the clothing. He now realized that the other party had suffered a serious injury.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

The warmth of the whole body made the paladin’s body gradually stop trembling, but it seemed to evoke a deeper pain. The man in his arms suddenly frowned slightly, his facial muscles twitched hard, and he instinctively dodged his touch.

The joy of reuniting dissipated in the blink of an eye.

Esmond hugged the paladin carefully, kissed his forehead softly, and patiently calmed him with a soft voice: “It’s okay, bear with me, it will be fine soon…”

The warm blood had already seeped through the clothes and dripped onto the ground. The trickling blood gathered together in a pool, making his eyes burn from looking at it.

Esmond treated Ivan’s wound for him. He tore up his inner clothes to properly bind the wound, only to realize that there was a layer of cold sweat on his forehead.

The pain gradually subsided, and the desire for warmth prevailed again. The sleepy young man instinctively leaned into his arms, his delicate brows regained their softness and tenderness.

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Chapter 90 (34.2)

The cardinal, who had planned everything properly, suddenly got worried. He looked out the iron window to the darkness outside and sighed very softly.

It looked like he would still have to try his best to survive. He must take care of the problem with the pope smoothly, and then find a way to extricate himself.

Just in case the Holy Paladin carelessly starved himself until petrification in some random place. He would have to personally hurry over there and kiss the paladin awake.

The paladin, who was slinking stealthily in the shadows with bread in his mouth, was coincidentally seriously worried about the same problem.

He couldn’t say for sure, but what if his experience points dropped to negative numbers once he reconnected with the network? Naturally, Su Shi was not resigned to such a possibility. Even the heavy responsibility of assassinating the pope has been tossed to the side. Regardless, he intended to flip over the protagonist’s pot first.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Silently circumventing a team of guards, Su Shi swallowed the last bite of bread. He dexterously twisted his body and steadily landed outside the file library’s door.

He quietly opened the crystal door and was met with a dense darkness. Su Shi stepped inside with light movements and stood in front of a wall that was densely packed with files.

The law enforcement bishop had no right to decide the life or death of a prisoner, and the warrant to execute the prisoner must be written by the pope himself. The pope should personally bear witness and sign off on the prisoner’s crime. Then it would be sealed and put into the temple, and finally retrieved to be filed away here.

As long as these two files could be found then things would definitely take a turn for the better.

Although the system was disconnected, the offline functions were still there. The system quickly scanned the entire wall of dossiers and marked out the exact location of the two copies that he needed.

Su Shi was slightly relieved. He went over to collect the files and then stored them away on his person. He turned his body to go when he suddenly felt an intense chill go down his back.

He was instantly on high alert. Su Shi protected his neck with both hands and turned a circle on the spot. A fierce stab of pain suddenly erupted from his shoulder, making his vision turn black for an instant. He staggered and half kneeled on the floor.

“You really came.”

The pope slowly came out of the darkness. He looked at Su Shi with an inquiring gaze.

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A powerful force easily broke through his simple disguise, revealing a somewhat wan and delicately pretty face. Those dark eyes were clear and steady as they surveyed the pope. There wasn’t a thread of fear in those eyes.

Those exquisite eyes caused the pope to arch his brow.

He walked towards Su Shi, his expression full of interest: “I was baffled at first. Why would Esmond be willing to put his future on the line to help a common paladin get rid of his criminal charge?”

Su Shi did not utter a word. He braced against the floor to stand up. His expression did not waver, but there was a faint struggle in the depth of his eyes.

It was not time yet.

If things were still going according to the original plotline, then he could self-destruct with the pope at any time, and then toss the remaining mess to the protagonist to clean up.

But Esmond was still in jail right now, and the people still thought that the protagonist had ambitions to assassinate the pope. If the pope were to be met with any accidents at this time, then Esmond’s crime could not be washed away even with holy water.

His strength level could not compare to the pope’s. If he did not pull out some self-destructive forbidden technique right now, then he could only be slaughtered by the opponent.

There was no room to advance or to retreat*.

[*T/N: caught in a dilemma]

While Su Shi was struggling over what to do, the pope has already lost his patience. He no longer tried to have a meaningless conversation with the silent and recalcitrant paladin. His hands were still behind his back, but a black light suddenly shot out from him.

No matter what, Su Shi still had to try some token of resistance.

Su Shi took a deep breath, and attempted to transfer power within his body. But he suddenly felt something different. His eyes could not help but shake slightly.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

All of a sudden, there was an unfamiliar ice-blue cold light shielding him within its resplendent light. It easily repelled the black light blasting at him, and a glorious golden flame abruptly ignited.

In a flash, it burned the entire wall of files.

The dry parchment paper burned up from the tiniest of embers. In just a few counts, the fire ate up the surrounding walls, replacing the structure with walls of fire.

The pope’s complexion changed at once. He couldn’t bother to care about the paladin anymore. He hurried towards the files. Without care for himself, he threw the black light atop the flames, causing his expression to twist as if he was being burned, but he suppressed the fire even more ruthlessly.

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Chapter 89 (34.1)

The crowd’s emotions were running high. The situation was far more serious than imagined.

The offline system was temporarily unable to provide timely updates of his experience points, but Su Shi still felt a strong threat to his points.

At the same time, the pope was also feeling threatened.

Originally, his series of interrelated traps were coming together nicely according to plan, but Esmond’s straightforwardness thoroughly destroyed his orderly plans.

The pope’s eyes landed pensively on Esmond who had admitted to all the sins with relish in his eyes.

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The assassins that he had sent after them were completely wiped out. The opponent’s strength seemed to be getting progressively stronger. So much so, that he was starting to feel a little threatened.

If he made a move right now and was forced to reveal his demonic aura in front of everyone, then all of his painstaking efforts and plans would vanish into smoke.

The pope withdrew his gaze and pondered for a moment before opening his mouth again: “Punishment is merely God’s will. We are only acting on behalf of God. Esmond, right now are you willing to confess exactly where you took Ivan?”

When he asked this question, the angry crowd suddenly remembered the real main character. They temporarily suppressed their anger to wait for the wicked bishop to confess the whereabouts of the Holy Paladin.

“I am also looking for him.”

Esmond just lifted his head to look up at the pope. His expression was calm and indifferent.

“I didn’t seize him. It was he who took advantage of the chaos during the examination period to escape. I left the papacy just a few days ago to find him, but unfortunately I was unable to locate his whereabouts.”

The pope frowned slightly, and there was a flash of suspicion in his eyes, but he couldn’t tell anything from the other party’s reaction.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

After all, the paladin was a serious problem for him. He originally thought that everything would be foolproof, but he did not expect that the situation would actually develop to this stage.

The light god had actually intervened, and things became a little more troublesome.

Failing to get what he wanted from the cardinal, the pope lowered his gaze again, and his expression became compassionate and gentle.

“We are just servants of God, and all crimes should be judged by God. Esmond, are you sincerely pleading guilty?”

“I will bind voluntarily, Your Majesty.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a black robed figure disappearing into the crowd. Esmond finally felt somewhat at ease. He calmly lifted his hands to let the papacy’s guards come and bind him.

His stood straight and his bearing was peaceful. Even when he was being bound his attitude was unruffled. Ineffably, the guards felt weak in their hearts. The hand that came out to shove Esmond withdrew instead. With a tone that was strong in appearance but weak in reality, the guard said: “Hurry up, stop dillydallying!”

Esmond did not resist and was escorted in the direction of the prison.

He was very clear in his heart that the Pope would not believe what he said, but the pope could not find any loopholes that could be used for the time being, and he did not dare to start with him in front of others.

Sooner or later though, the two of them will have a real confrontation.

He was vaguely aware that from the start, Ivan had spared no pains or effort to help him. Perhaps Ivan was hoping that he would get to this last step, to be able to beat back the evil spirit, and bring light back to the Warren Continent once again.

But he did not feel any unhappiness from being used.

The blood was real. The protection and accompaniment were also real.

When the pope was reading out his pardon, the young paladin was not even a little bit happy about his crimes being washed away. Instead, his heart and eyes were filled with anxiety for the injustice towards Esmond.

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

He could still see the unreserved and clear anxiety in those eyes, and it caused a hot heat to silently flow through his chest.

Having learned his lesson from the oracle’s absolution of Ivan, the pope definitely would not continue to sit and watch. Soon there would be a tough life or death battle.

Fortunately, Ivan was thrown outside.

Esmond stepped into the spooky prison and watched the door made of black iron being locked by an ink-black seal. His expression was relieved for a moment, and then his eyes suddenly narrowed, expressing a faint look of ridicule for himself.

The sun has not risen yet. There was no source of supplementary light power, and Ivan’s power would soon be exhausted.

He wondered if the solar energy paladin would remember to find food for himself.

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