Judas's Kiss

"Saint Josh Joris is dead."

At the very bottom of the Nine Hells, a pitch-black shadow gradually emerged from the narrow passage. This spirit had been hiding in the crevice between [Hell - Nine Hells] and [Purgatory - Pure Realm], quietly observing everything.

It has no feet, like an ethereal ghost, and a golden mask emerges from its neat, smooth, heavy robe, the lips of which are an eerie dark green.

It is the soul of [Judas], possessing a soul power unimaginable to ordinary people. While the Gunsmith was slaughtering his way through the Nine Hells, this leader of the Immortals Alliance was silently watching over Fragrant Dream.

"Fay Foroisin, come out and see me."

Judas often performed out-of-body rituals, which required him to delve into the Original Seed to search for demons as totems—using these demons to create idols, obtain divine flesh and blood, create seeds of power, and craft elixirs.

These psychic polymers, refined by countless spirits, can produce elixirs and pills, exemplified by the Chaos Egg, that grant ordinary people powerful psychic abilities in a short period. The minions continue to collect more primordial matter for their masters, creating more blood-born monsters—this economic system underpins the Immortals Alliance's unbreakable mercenary system.

In the hell described in the Divine Comedy, Judas is imprisoned in the prison of the traitors.

In this historical myth, the traitor who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver should have been imprisoned at the bottom of the Nine Hells. However, in the real world, this prisoner not only drank the blood of Jesus and tasted the Holy Communion, but also attempted to seize the Holy Grail.

Fragrant Dream fought its way back to the mortal realm from Limbo. Judas watched the entire performance through a spirit and was greatly wary of the gunsmith's ghost's fighting prowess. He didn't even dare to test his strength and went to the border of Purgatory. Only after Fragrant Dream left did he dare to return to the treacherous prison to contact his comrades.

In Judas's eyes, Saint Josh Joris was nothing more than a minor figure in the Hercules. This guy had mediocre psychic talent, but he had a studious heart, great perseverance, and lofty ambitions, which led him to commit a series of evil deeds.

This time, the gunsmith's ghost suddenly turned murderous towards this lowly henchman, a behavior Judas couldn't understand.

--In the prison, between walls of flesh and blood, a beautiful bird spirit emerged from a blood-red rock boundary marker.

Its eyes are as innocent as those of a young sika deer, and its beak and feathers resemble those of a lark. Its arms and wings form a complete bird body, while its lower limbs are covered with long, golden and white down.

This is Fay Foroisin's Soul Power form.

The fact that the two could communicate in the prison without anyone's knowledge, even the other members of the council, shows that Judas's most trusted person was Fay Foroisin.

" --Fay, why did the gunsmith's spirit suddenly appear in the Nine Hells?"

The golden-masked man kept asking the lark questions, Judas, not understanding the gunsmith's spirit behavior, wanted to find out the reason.

"Why? I feel uneasy. Why? Why did this guy suddenly show up at my hunting grounds? Why?"

Fay: "Perhaps it was just a whim? Leader? And who is Saint Josh Joris?"

The girl had never heard of Hercules before, so she humbly asked him for his opinion.

"A nobody, a fish that managed to escape the nameless man's strangulation." Judas floated to the boundary marker and sat down. "What merit does he have to deserve the gunsmith's soul personally hunting him down to the Nine Hells?"

Fay, floating beside the leader, quickly offered words of comfort—

"--The gunsmith is dead. Perhaps Saint Josh's research into psionic energy went too far, which brought about the gunsmith's revenge."

"No, no, no, no! It's definitely not that simple!" Judas suddenly became agitated, and the expression on his golden mask twisted.

He rarely displayed such a disheveled and distraught state of mind.

Only in front of Fay Foroisin would he fully unleash his negative emotions. As a diligent leader, Judas had far too many things to consider for the council.

To find a suitable demon as a totem for the Madness Butterfly Sect.

Divide the various factions and sects into suitable geographical areas and make career plans.

Divide the profits among the key partners in the Shambhala region and discuss short-term and long-term business.

They constantly reminded the alliance members, and these arrogant immortals, to remain vigilant at all times, and to be wary of the wolves chasing after them.

"Do you know?! Do you even know?!"

Judas roared excitedly.

Do you know how scared I was?

"The gunsmith's spirit is strikingly similar to Ming De! It fell from Lingbo Hell, unleashing its fists and feet all the way, killing silently and relentlessly!"

"You dare to come and kill me! Do you know how terrifying that is?"

"I thought it was coming for me!"

"Fay Foroisin!"

"Homo sapiens live on fear; because they fear predators, they have survived to this day by constantly eliminating them. In pursuit of a sense of security, they are capable of anything!"

"These mysterious gunsmith ghosts seem to move without any discernible pattern! I must figure out why!"

Fay, embarrassed, said, "He's already dead. How can we track down a wandering ghost?"

"That's why I called you here." Judas gradually regained his composure. "You need to come up with a plan to at least seal away the gunsmith's spirit before we take over Eureka Volcano City — Saint Josh Joris is a good example."

"He's about to become a demon, thus triggering the gunsmith's curse of pursuit. Does this mean all [Pher Grey Butterfly] advancement ceremonies must be halted? Has this confused soul become a true Night Demon? Will the cultists of the Madness Butterfly be attacked by this Night Demon once they begin their psionic rituals? I dare not Fay! I dare not think! Let me calm down!"

"How about this," Fay Foroisin suggested, "Let me go back to the Nameless Ones, back to Billy's side."

Judas: "Hmm."

Fay: "These two apprentices are very close to the gunsmith. I will guide them to the Arcane Library to find a suitable solution."

Judas: "Hmm."

Fay: "Then perform a spirit mediumship to leave the gunsmith's ghost in the material world, and then you will..."

"What are you talking about?!" Judas. "The Fragrant Dream I saw in the Nine Hells was a complete and radiant spirit. If we send it back to the material plane—and add other possession methods or puppet rituals—it will become another god on earth! Even putting it into Galahad's painting and turning it into a spirit in a club would be utterly terrible!"

Fay: "You mean, conversely, the Abyssal Railway also lack the ability to summon the Gunsmith's spirit? They can't appeal to the hero's soul for help—they can't manipulate his soul."

Judah Judas doubt and surprise, repeatedly saying, "Yes, yes. If Ming De had a way to retain the gunsmith's soul for its own use, it would have done so long ago."

"I think this must be related to the spirit of Berloberg," Fay, referring to the sword spirit. "Saladin Town, where Saint Josh Joris is located, is very close to the Elf Holy Land. Berloberg was destroyed in battle, and its sword spirit returned here."

"Boss, I believe Saint Josh must have angered Berloberg for it to call upon its master for help."

Judas heeded this advice and said, "Go on."

Fay: "If we can control the sword spirit of Berloberg, we might find the gunsmith's spirit. Then not only will the sealing be resolved, but we might also be able to control Fragrant Dream and make this powerful spirit work for us."

"Then who will handle this?" Judas asked.

Fay: "Let [John D. Jody] handle it."

John`D, as a name, can generally be understood as someone who is just a passerby in a general context.

In film culture, a minor character, or a male protagonist whose name the screenwriter came up with on the spur of the moment but didn't have time to name—

--The members of the Immortals Alliance possess various unique soul powers, and their power attributes are mostly passive and avoidant, seeking only self-preservation. Through repeated natural selection and elimination, the remaining immortals either have a relatively clear mind or possess a soul power with extremely strong life-saving abilities.

Jody belongs to the latter category. This unnamed individual's soul power is extremely unique. Those who come into contact with him can hardly remember what he looks like, have no impression of him at all. It seems that such a "transparent person" simply does not exist in life. He has no friends, no relatives, no lasting social relationships. Even when he goes to look for work, he only meets doormen or security guards who are forgotten after one meeting.

For everyone who meets Jody, it always seems to be their "first meeting," a beautiful impression reminiscent of the initial encounter.

This special ability to make people forget their own existence allowed Jody to live from 221 BC to modern society. The members of the Immortals Alliance only remember this code name; they have absolutely no recollection of the person himself.

Is it male or female? What is its height, weight, or age? What are its facial features? What are its habits, nationality, or ethnicity? What does it sound like? I know nothing about any of these things.

There is only one special zip code that can be used for contact; its existence is proof that Jody remains in the world.

The alliance was able to contact this mysterious person through paper letters and complete the mission together. However, if Jody activated his Soul Power again, even the postal code might disappear, and the contents of the letter would be forgotten.

"Then let Jody handle this. Let him take the elves of Berloberg back to Shambhala, back to Xiantai Port."

After saying these words, Fay and Judas' spirits disappeared from the prison and returned to the human world from the deepest part of hell.

January 21st was the opening day of the Xiantai Prefecture fish market in Shambhala.

Heading towards the southern islands of the Pompeii Sea, the weather was fine and sunny.

More than 300 nautical miles away, there is a small island inhabited by a group of happy residents. These people still retain the traditional customs and official system of the old feudal era. They are the Jiangke people of Yuwen Island in Nankai Autonomous Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of Xiantai Prefecture.

Jiang Kezu speaks Chinese, which is related to the official language of the Great Xia Kingdom since ancient times. In the lighthouse hut on Yuwen Island, a tall man with wheat-colored skin walked out—he Judas, who had just returned from prison.

Walking about 700 meters towards the village, you'll find the island's fertile farmland. The feng shui here is excellent, ensuring a bountiful harvest every year. Since Judas came here to preach, the residents of Yuwen Island have seen their lives improve day by day.

High Priest! High Priest!

Yuwen Island has three towns. The mayor of Langyu Town is waiting by the fields for Judas to come out.

When he met Judas, he addressed him as High Priest, bowed respectfully, and asked with a smile.

"Does the festival start today? How many people are expected this time?"

Judas kindly replied, "Winter has just ended, and it is a good time to worship God. If it is any later, your two harvests of rice will be too difficult to plant, and the fishermen will have to brave the storms to reach Pearl Island to bring back any food. Many people will go hungry."

"Of course! Of course!" The mayor nodded repeatedly, lifting his robe and striking a pose like an old scholar, mimicking the high priest's words in a refined tone. "High Priest, how many people are needed?"

Judas smiled and said, "Sixteen boys and sixteen girls."

"My Langyu Town has eight men and eight women! Is that acceptable?" the town mayor asked.

Judas shook his head. "Last autumn, when it was time to worship the fish god, your town took the lion's share. I'm afraid it won't work this time—the elders of the other two villages need to give their approval so as not to disrupt the unity of the island."

Speaking of sacrificial rites, there are four festivals every year, in spring, summer, autumn and winter, where people feast on human flesh for the four major categories of agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and forestry.

The more human flesh a family provides, the stronger the protection from the local deity will be.

The mayor of Langyu Town tasted the sweetness of last year's fishing industry. The fishing and hunting industry on Yuwen Island is extremely profitable. Deep-sea seafood can be sold in Sendai and bring back tens of millions of silver coins in a quarter. The elders of the other two towns are envious and have to kneel down and line up if they want to send human flesh to the high priest.

"Is there really no room for negotiation?" The mayor of Langyu Town was greedy for wealth. He didn't care how many lives were needed for the sacrificial ceremony. He was in charge of more than 400 households. Fishing boats returning to Sendai had to get his approval before they could pass. The money handed over to the able-bodied men was only a very small part. Even if he offered 160,000 taels of silver per household as a resettlement fee, these people would sell their children without hesitation.

How can three million taels of silver compare to the fifty-day spawning season of yellowtail bream? Those nets haul up real gold and silver in one go! Watching the other two town mayors rake in money is more painful than losing it himself!

Judas was a little angry. He pretended to be sullen, put his hands on his hips, and was about to hold a human auction.

"Call Wang Laoer and Zhao Kai here."

These two are the leaders of the other two towns on Yuwen Island.

Upon arriving at the ancestral hall, representatives from the three towns were all present. A young pageboy recited the scriptures of the Madness Butterfly Sect as an opening address. They then saw smoke swirling beneath the redwood beams of the ancestral hall, where, according to the traditions of the Great Xia, the God of Grain and the God of Sheep, as well as a Sun God, were worshipped.

In addition, the ancestors of the three towns are listed in the order of their family genealogies.

The four shrines closest to the people contain bizarrely shaped devil statues.

--These are the evil gods that Judas collected from various Spirit Realm.

Judas first recalled the deeds of the evil god on Yuwen Island. One hundred and fifty years ago, this was a relatively primitive and closed island. It was the governor of Xiantai Prefecture who ordered the wealthy Wang family from Shao Nan to come here to reclaim the land. It was an order from the imperial court.

This place has raging winds and towering waves, and barren mountains and treacherous waters. To start farming from scratch, the poor Wang family, spanning four generations and more than sixty relatives, relied on deception and trickery to bring in servants and laborers from Sendai, which is how they managed to fill this island with people.

Five years ago, Judas came here to preach, he first solved the problem of farming difficulties, dealt with the plagues of most livestock, and instructed the islanders on how to manage pests in farmland and geological issues in the mountains and rivers.

Of course, these abilities were not bestowed upon Judas by an evil god—they are modern science.

The ecology of Yuwen Island is improving day by day, but Shambhala remains stuck three or four hundred years in the past, more like the ancient world of mortals. For Judas, this land is the best place to preserve his knowledge, as he can use the knowledge of the civilized world to package the evil god.

"Since none of you want a seasonal allocation system and you all want to go fishing, how about this?"

Judas looked utterly helpless, as if he were a victim.

"To be fair, whoever offers the most sacrifices will be rewarded. In spring and autumn, there are yellowtail and mudskippers, which are the most valuable. So I begged the fish god to drive all the fish to the edge of that town."

"I will send sixty men," said Wang Er, the mayor of Red Barbarian Town, immediately.

The Mayor Zhao, his face flushed and neck bulging, slammed his fist on the table in the ancestral hall and roared hoarsely, "I want to give the Precious Carp God one hundred male offspring! All young and strong! Sixteen-year-old lads!"

Judas quickly called for a halt, "No. The fish god doesn't need so much human flesh for the sacrifice."

To be honest, sometimes when orders come in, you have to consider whether the evil gods can handle it. If you feed them too much, Judas not be able to deal with such powerful demons. He might want to use demons as elixirs, but he also has to consider whether he has the ability to slay demons.

But once that greed takes hold, it's impossible to stop.

These slave owners of the old era had no concern for the lives of the town's residents. With a few words, they could decide how to use one or two hundred lives.

Ultimately, the wealthy and powerful Zhao Clan won the right to host the Spring Festival.

Judas, Judah finally set the number of sacrifices for the blood sacrifice ritual at forty-eight men and forty-eight women—no more. However, their physical composition had to be excellent: fair-skinned and beautiful women, and strong and robust men. These people would be gathered in a large cage made of willow branches. After fourteen days of intercourse and fierce fighting, driven by hunger, territorial instincts, and the will to survive, they would gradually be transformed into mindless beasts who only knew how to "devour" and "procreate."

The lucky survivors were roasted alive in a great fire and sent to the sacrificial shrine on Yuwen Island, where they were thrown into the pit where the evil god resided. Amidst laughter and joy, as the islanders held hands and sang traditional folk songs, in a beautiful and innocent atmosphere, this ritual would continue to bless the living, bringing them happiness and wealth.

After finishing these tasks, he immediately set off for his next destination: Xiantai Port, to find the elixir workshop in another cave.

This was Judas's work: sixteen hours a day, year-round without rest.