Inside the Taoist temple, the candle flames flickered, and the dim, yellowish light cast upon the figure that slowly entered. The Soul Reaper was cloaked in a tattered black cloth cape, and the bells rang softly in the wind, like the whispers of the dead, carrying an indescribable chill and sorrow.
The Taoist priest stared blankly at the approaching figure, his eyes filled with disbelief. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his voice trembled slightly. "You... you're still alive?"
The Soul Reaper slowly raised his head. His face was deathly pale, and his facial features were as cold and sharp as if carved with a knife. Only his dark eyes were so deep that they seemed to be able to devour people's hearts.
"Senior brother, I've already died by your sword." The Soul Reaper's voice sounded faintly, as if it was both far and near, as if it came from the distant past.
Darlene's hand gripping the sword hilt tightened slightly, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She could tell that this was not an ordinary wandering soul, but someone with an extremely deep obsession. If what the Taoist priest said was true, and this soul had died a violent death, then his appearance here was definitely not out of good intentions.
Lucas's gaze was cold and stern. He silently took a step forward and stood in front of Darlene, whispering softly, "Be careful."
The Taoist priest raised his hand as if to stop them, but his hand froze in mid-air. After a long while, he slowly lowered it, and his voice was low. "He won't hurt you."
Darlene's gaze was fixed on the Soul Reaper, and her eyes were full of vigilance. "Won't hurt us? He's a wandering soul."
The Taoist priest gave a bitter smile, and his voice was filled with deep exhaustion. "Precisely because of this, his resentment is something that only I can bear."
The Soul Reaper slightly tilted his head, and a faint arc appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he had heard something extremely ironic. He slowly walked towards the sacrificial table. With each step he took on the ground, there was no sound at all under his feet, as if he were not a physical entity.
Lucas's gaze turned sharp. He slightly raised the long sword in his hand and asked in a cold voice, "What on earth do you want here?"
The Soul Reaper slowly stopped. His gaze fell on the solitary lamp, and his voice was calm and cold. "This lamp was lit for me, so naturally, I should be the one to extinguish it."
As he finished speaking, he raised his withered fingers and slowly reached out towards the solitary lamp.
"Stop!" The Taoist priest suddenly shouted, his voice carrying a rare trace of panic. He suddenly stood in front of the Soul Reaper, and there was a trace of pleading in his eyes. "Junior brother, if you extinguish this lamp, there will be no more chance for you to enter the cycle of reincarnation."
The Soul Reaper's hand paused slightly. He lowered his eyelids and murmured softly,
"Reincarnation?"
He gently shook his head, and there was deep despair in his eyes. "Senior brother, when you killed me, did you ever think of leaving me a way to reincarnate?"
Upon hearing these words, the Taoist priest's face suddenly turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled slightly, but he was at a loss for words for a moment.
The memories of that night stabbed into his mind like a sharp knife. Under the moonlight, his junior brother knelt outside the door, begging for the protection of the Taoist temple. However, he had suspected that the other party had malicious intentions and had sealed his throat with a single sword strike. The blood had stained the bluestone slabs in front of the temple gate red.
He closed his eyes, and it seemed that he could still hear his junior brother's last sigh before his death: "Senior brother, you still don't believe me after all..."
"I..." The Taoist priest opened his mouth with difficulty, and his voice was as hoarse as withered branches of an old tree. "I'm willing to sacrifice my lifespan just to atone for my sins."
The Soul Reaper stared coldly at him, and his voice was icy. "But I have no intention of forgiving you."
Darlene's heart suddenly trembled. Staring into the Soul Reaper's eyes, she seemed to catch a glimpse of endless darkness and resentment. It was an obsession that had seeped into the very marrow of his bones, already completely twisted and difficult to erase.
"Forgiveness?" The Soul Reaper slowly raised his head and looked at the Taoist priest's face, his voice low. "Senior brother, do you know... why would a wandering soul be willing to light this lamp?"
The Taoist priest was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "To seek the passage of the soul and enter the cycle of reincarnation."
The Soul Reaper sneered. "No, this lamp has never belonged to me from the very beginning."
His words were like a thunderclap. The Taoist priest suddenly raised his head, and his pupils shrank sharply. "What do you mean?"
The Soul Reaper slowly took a step forward. His face became even paler, and his voice was like the cold wind of winter. "This lamp has been burning your lifespan since the moment you killed me."
Both Lucas and Darlene were shocked and looked at the Taoist priest in unison.
The Taoist priest's figure swayed slightly. It seemed that he had thought of something. He lowered his head and looked at the light of the lamp on the sacrificial table, and his eyes became complicated. "So that's how it is..."
He closed his eyes and did not speak for a long time.
Lucas asked in a deep voice, "Soul Reaper, aren't you afraid of being completely destroyed if you extinguish the lamp?"
The corner of the Soul Reaper's mouth lifted slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"What's there to be afraid of if I'm completely destroyed? Anyway, I've already been dead for a long time."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand, and a wisp of faint light condensed at his fingertips. In an instant, it pointed directly at the wick of the lamp.
"Stop!" The Taoist priest quickly stepped forward, formed a hand gesture with his fingers, and waved it suddenly. A ray of golden light suddenly appeared and blocked in front of the lamp.
The golden light burned and turned into a talisman seal, hovering in the air and protecting the lamp within.
The Soul Reaper slightly frowned and stared coldly at the Taoist priest. "You can't stop me."
The Taoist priest sighed in a low voice, and there was endless sorrow in his eyes. "I can't stop you, but I'm willing to use the remaining years of my life to exchange for a chance of reincarnation for you."
The Soul Reaper's gaze shook, and a trace of hesitation appeared in his eyes. However, this trace of emotion was quickly buried, and a colder expression replaced it. "Senior brother, what you owe me probably can't be repaid even with all the years of your life."
The lamp shadows flickered. The two of them stood facing each other in silence. The atmosphere inside the temple was dull and oppressive, like the calm before a storm.
Lucas looked at this confrontation between the two brothers with a complicated expression. He slowly tightened his grip on the sword in his hand and whispered softly, "Darlene, we're ready to make a move."
Darlene nodded. Her hand rested on the sword hilt, and her gaze was as sharp as that of a falcon, watching every move of the Soul Reaper.
At this moment, the flame of the solitary lamp suddenly shook violently, and the light gradually turned into a dark blue color. A chill suddenly emanated from the lamp, making everyone's faces even paler.
Lucas's pupils shrank slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "This is bad. Something is about to come out!"
The Taoist priest suddenly turned around, his face filled with shock. "How is this possible... How could this lamp..."
In the light of the lamp, a blurred face faintly appeared. The eyes were empty, just like the face of a dead person, slowly emerging from the flames.