I Got the Blessing, Let's Get Married!

"Ohhh..." The Serpent just nodded and replied back in the language of hell: "Hmm, that is rather unfortunate. If you wanted him as food, I might say you have good taste. But as a lover..... Isn't he too good?"

"That's exactly why I love him, father." He replied. "I don't want to go for someone who is as evil as me. I want someone so good that they would cleanse my soul."

"B-Brother.... What's going on? What are you saying? W-Why did you call him father?" Daniele asked.

Zhe Chouhen was in a dilemma right now. To reveal, or not to reveal? They're not at the Last Circle yet and the story must end there.

He asked Daoist Panda to be sure. (If I told him all the atrocities I did—)

[Negative Satisfaction for an anti-climatic ending. The story will be over and..... You already know what that means.]

He gulped and decided to lie to save his skin.

"I have just learned recently this man is a priest who was a friend of my mother. She had difficulty in giving birth to me and he helped her, and so I consider him as a paternal figure to me. Besides, he is a priest after all, so of course, I would call him Father."

His acting was really good as he changed his tone to utter disappointment:

"But since he is here in the bolgia of the Corrupt, he must have moved into the dark path and accepted bribery, coveting the money of the poor. So I now lose all my respect and admiration for him."

'Leandro' went closer to Daniel and blocked him with his body. "Don't come any closer, foul beast!"

The Serpent immediately caught on with what's happening. He is the King of Liars and Tricksters after all. He is a little upset that this is how his encounter with his son would be like, but was delighted that he grew up the way he wanted him to be.

A lying, manipulative bastard like him.

"Hiss.... Oh, Leandro! You claim that I have fallen into the dark path yet look at you! Also coveting what you must not!" The Serpent took a few of the fake gold coins in his hand and watched it flow. "I can see that you treasure him more than a brother. Isn't that a sin as grave as mine?"

"My love for Daniele is pure and real, unlike the counterfeit gold in your hand."

"No matter how good a counterfeit is, it is still a counterfeit. No matter how pure your love, it is still a sin in the eyes of God."

'Leandro' went quiet and merely observed his father's slitted eyes for any signs of desire to attack them both. He may be related to him, but he is still an evil creature of hell after all, and one of the highest in terms of malice, so he still distrusts the Serpent.

But the Serpent merely clapped his hands. "That is not to say that I don't support your unholy union at all! I am quite delighted that you both found love with each other despite your circumstances. You have my blessing!"

'Leandro' tensed muscles relaxed and while Daniele's face reddened in confusion and shame.

'Leandro': "Thank you, father."

Daniele: "H-Huh? What does he mean....."

The Serpent twirled his long fingers and his costume changed into that of a church official, only much more luxurious and expensive. It was bright gold and made of the finest silk, and in his head was the most bejeweled bishop's cap you've ever seen.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat and procured a book with a symbol of an ouroboros, a snake eating itself, in front of it. "Do you, Daniele Alighieri, take this man as your husband?"

"W-What!?" Daniele's face reddened. "Sir, what are you saying all of sudden?"

"I take that as a yes." The Serpent priest nodded and turned to Leandro. "And do you, Leandro Virgilio, my dear child, take this man as your..... uh.... husband—"

"I do!" 'Leandro' immediately said.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and husband." The serpent closed the book and smiled with a long tongue flick again. "May you stay together in sickness and in health, with death not allowing you to part for eternity."

"Wait.... I.... This is...." Daniele stammered.

"Don't think too much about it, Daniele. This ceremony has no significance, it is merely a jest." 'Leandro' said. "This is not an official wedding of any sort, just a mockery of one."

The Serpent nodded, changing back to his former clothing. "Why, of course! I do my best to entertain to lighten the mood, but I did not expect for it to make you so anxious."

The father and son both know that this is indeed an official wedding.

At least, as official as it can get in hell. The Serpent is a powerful figure and could serve as a 'mayor' if we put him in real-life terms. Therefore, this has the same credibility as any legal marriage.

The thought put a smile on 'Leandro's' face, and in Zhen Chouhen as well. At least he is now married in the fictional world.

[Too bad this marriage won't last for long.]

(Yep, because of a damn annoying system.) Zhe Chouhen internally rolled his eyes.

Daoist Panda was long used to the sass that he just take it in like an ant's bite. [And if you don't move faster to reach the ending and choose to dilly-dally with this new, unexpected character any longer, your groom might turn into a widow soon.]

(Alright, alright. You sure don't like The Serpent, huh?)

Daoist Panda scoffed. [I don't trust any characters that are not mine. They're too unpredictable.]

(Just say you're a control freak that wants everything to go your way.) Zhe Chouhen said. (Well, listen up, Panda-laoshi. It won't. I'll go back to my world right after this story and I won't even click on any of your web novels anymore.)

[..... You're joking, right? You said you like my stories!]

Zhe Chouhen sneered. (Nope, unlike my dad over here, I'm not gonna pretend that what I said was a joke just not to hurt your feelings.)

Daoist Panda went quiet for a moment, then give a huge 'Hmph!'

[Good. Who said that I care whether you continue reading my books after you succeed or not!? It's better this way then! And I'm telling you, you're never going to succeed and would end up stuck in my worlds! And when that happens.....]

His tone changed into that cold, sinister tone again. [I'll make you wish that you just lived in hell instead.]

After that, he didn't say anything else.

Zhe Chouhen just snorted. He's not scared of that fucking psychopath hiding behind a panda avatar! He's not scared at all.....

"Uh..... Leandro? Why are you embracing me? Are you feeling alright?" Daniele's blue eyes widened when 'Leandro' suddenly wrapped his arms around him as support. "You're shaking like a leaf....."

"I'm fine. I'm just....." He turned back to his usual grin. "I'm just relieved. Relieved that I found you."

He turned to the Serpent. "We must be going now, Father. Our sins are even heavier than yours, or at least according to the judgment of Minos. We must move forward."

The Serpent titled his head to the side, green eyes glinting. "Oh? What circle do you belong to?"

"The Ninth Circle, in the Frozen Lake with Satan himself."

The Serpent laughed, his slimy tongue slithering in and out as he did. He spoke in the hellish language. "Well done, my boy! And you even manage to drag this innocent boy along with you to the most sinful pits of hell itself!? Outstanding job, you make your Father so proud!"

'Leandro' responded gravely: "I meant to do something that would disappoint you then, Father."

The Serpent raised an eyebrow. "What do you plan my child?"

"It is.... None of your business. I rather not tell you."

The Snake of Eden's eyes widened like he realized already what is going on, and chuckled harshly. "What you said about cleansing your soul earlier..... You really mean it? You, a son of Satan's greatest herald that caused the fall of humanity itself? The one who helped Eve give birth to the first sin? To think that you are capable of removing sin itself that was your very birthright?"

He held his head back when he cackled. "Hahaha! I did not think my son would be so foolish to even think of that, much less attempt it!"

'Leandro' just narrowed his eyes. "Call it foolish or anything you want. But I would do anything for Daniele."

To Daniele, they're just spouting out random gibberish and suddenly went quiet, just intensely staring at each other like having some staring contest.

"What did you two say? Please don't leave me in the dark like this, I don't know what you're saying with that language—"

"We must go. Farewell, Father." 'Leandro' took his stepbrother and lover's hand and started to walk out of the cave of fake gold.

He stomped in fury that could not have been an act. Zhe Chouhen felt the anger of his own character.

He was mad at Daoist Panda, who reminded him of the threat of death in this whole transmigration affair. He was mad at the Serpent, who dare laugh at his sincere feelings towards Daniele and believe he could not have redemption.

And he was mad at himself, for being so affected by those two things.

Why? He used to be more mentally resilient than this, and his big ego protects him from any verbal attack her receives. Why does it infuriate him so much.....

"L-Leandro, you're squeezing my hand too tightly. It hurts...." Daniele winced as he was being dragged along like a rag doll since he couldn't keep up with the quick-paced angry 'Leandro'.

He blinked and immediately let go and apologized, clutching Daniele's red wrist delicately like he was holding a hurt puppy. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me to not be mindful of how strongly I'm holding on to you!"

"It's alright. There seem to be something on your mind." Daniele's cheeks flushed with how truly worried Leandro was about hurting him.

"I'm really sorry." 'Leandro' kissed the strained wrist. "Don't hesitate to say something sooner next time. If you are ever dissatisfied with anything I do, just tell me."

"It's not really that bad..... Moreover.... You should also say if something's bothering you." Daniele placed a hand over his cheek. "Leandro, I've never seen you so enraged before, your face is hot and burning. Was it something the priest said? Or something else?"

"A bit of both." He sighed. "Don't worry about it. It was just a momentary anger, it will pass once I've gathered my bearing and get out of this suffocating cave."

"But there's a large black wall outside....." Daniele pointed.

"That's not a wall, that's black pitch waters that are drowning the Corrupt politicians outside." 'Leandro' said. "Let's get moving, it won't affect us and we may swim through easily."

They manage to pass through the black tar and climb off the rocky edges of the cliff without any problems.

Only that 'Leandro' had gotten all the sticky black goo on him, and he can't wipe them away. Daniele was completely in pristine condition and did not have a single stain on him, which was strange.

"Fuck, it's happening again." He mumbled under his breath.

He doesn't even get it. If it really was soul being punished, then why?

He was never a politician nor involved in grafting, and even if it was through that a part of the real Leandro was inside his soul, it still doesn't make any sense. Unless Leandro was secretly the governor of Spaghetti Island or something at the age of 10, before he and his mother moved to the Alighieri's.

Maybe all the sins are applicable to him since he is the son of the one who created human sin itself?

It may be a stretch, but that's the only reasonable thing for now.

"Leandro, why are you so dirty?" Daniel took a handkerchief to wipe him down."I can't get all this sticky pitch off you."

"I told you so. You can never cleanse a soul that has long been tainted."

Dark shadows materialized into a familiar form in front of them.

The Serpent was back again in the flesh."Now metaphor had turned into something literal. Isn't hell a wonderful place?"

"Why are you here again?" 'Leandro' glared daggers at him.

"I have decided." The Serpent smiled. "That I want to accompany you in your journey. It's been a long time since I've seen the Lord myself."

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~BRIBE ME, PLEASE~

Ok, I'm getting desperate and pathetic so now I'm willing to accept bribes. I get jealous easily of other books that have a huge following and get sad everytime, thinking what's the point of writing if I feel like no one's reading/appreciate it.

1 NEW 5 star review with genuine feedback (emojis and just saying compliments doesn't count) - 1 extra chapter

100 comments in a week (only those with TEXT count) - 1 extra chapter

5 NEW people voting for my other books- (so invite your friends haha) -1 extra chapter dedicated to them

100+ votes in a week in any of my books - 1 extra chapter for all of them

Magic Castle and up - Burst update

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