Chapter Fourteen: Demonstration

From a distance, they could already see the two Nascent Souls of the Great Ascension cultivators seated upon their respective corpses, staring at one another in mute bewilderment.

With a dry cough, Jade Wood walked over to them, yet for a moment could not think of a single word of comfort.

“Times are unpredictable. Please accept my condolences,” said Little Shadow first.

These two masters of the Great Ascension realm had always been on good terms with Autumn Wind. Li Chengzhu had not been especially close to them; he only knew that one was named Summer Wheat and the other Kebar.

Summer Wheat looked at the others with a bitter smile. “How is the city lord?”

“She’s fine, only a little injured,” Little Shadow replied. He did not really know the extent of Gu Linglong’s injuries, so he could only say this much to reassure them.

Kebar nodded. “That is good.” Then he sighed again. “Who would have thought? The war did not take my life, only to have me ambushed by my own people.”

Summer Wheat looked up at Jade Wood. “Brother Jade, have you found out who was behind it?”

Jade Wood slowly shook his head, shame written across his face.

Boss Li stepped forward, crouched down, stroked his chin, and looked down at the two Nascent Souls with thinly veiled contempt.

“What... what do you want?” Summer Wheat asked, his body trembling and his teeth chattering. They had seen everything that had happened on the battlefield clearly, especially the sight of Li Chengzhu’s pet tearing at an immortal’s soul infant. That image was seared into their minds. Though that beast was nowhere to be seen now, who knew whether this fierce man would summon it?

“We’re on the same side!” Kebar was far calmer, and fixed Li Chengzhu with a righteous stare.

Li Chengzhu let out a cold laugh and turned to him. “Oh?”

Little Shadow could not help crying out from behind him, “Zhuzi...” But when he saw Li Chengzhu’s icy gaze, he swallowed the rest of the words and turned his face away.

“Hmph!” Boss Li snorted violently. “Originally, I was going to wipe you out on the spot.”

At those words, the Nascent Souls of Summer Wheat and Kebar shuddered all over, their faces turning ashen.

“But...” Boss Li grinned. “Since you’ve both been so loyal to our Linglong, I’ll let it go.”

Little Shadow and Jade Wood both let out a breath behind him. If Li Chengzhu suddenly launched into action now, they honestly would not know whether to help him or stop him.

“But!” Li Chengzhu’s expression changed in an instant. His eyes widened as he glared at the two Nascent Souls. “If anyone dares to spread what happened here today, I won’t mind making my pet a little richer.”

“You dare!” Kebar trembled all over, raising his small round hand and pointing at Li Chengzhu with an air of old-fashioned indignation.

“What makes you think I wouldn’t?” Li Chengzhu smiled strangely, then swept his hand and sent Kebar’s and Summer Wheat’s Nascent Souls into the Emerald Blood Ring.

“Zhuzi!” Little Shadow finally could not hold back and shouted. The little fellow was still inside the ring—wasn’t putting their Nascent Souls in there the same as sending sheep into the lion’s mouth?

“Don’t worry,” Li Chengzhu said, blinking. “The little thing has long since fallen asleep. Who knows when it’ll wake up again, and without my order, it won’t hurt them.”

“Asleep?” Little Shadow was slightly startled. How could the creature be asleep at a time like this?

“Mm, probably... it ate too much,” Boss Li said with a faint smile.

Jade Wood looked at this former comrade, who had suddenly become somewhat unfamiliar, and did not know what to think.

In the past, though he had been ruthless, he had also been somewhat indecisive. But now he acted with crisp decisiveness, showing not the slightest regard for worldly proprieties.

Jade Wood smacked his lips, thinking to himself that this fellow had indeed begun to grow.

“All right, everyone rest for a bit. We’re heading back to the city!” Boss Li waved a hand, already carrying the bearing of a sect leader. Even Jade Wood followed suit without a word.

After a long while, the unconscious Autumn Wind finally stirred awake. Li Chengzhu’s blow, charged with immortal spiritual energy, had struck him squarely on the back of the head. It was already fortunate he had not been turned into an idiot.

Boss Li had, in fact, hoped that the strike would have smashed his brain.

When Autumn Wind opened his eyes, he gave no thought to his injuries or the mud and rainwater all over him. He instant-transmitted straight to Little Shadow’s side and stared intently at Gu Linglong. “How is the city lord?”

“Thank you for your concern!” Li Chengzhu said as he walked over, clapping his hands and folding his arms across his chest to look sidelong at Autumn Wind.

Autumn Wind did not turn his head, but his face was full of killing intent as he said, “If the city lord suffers even the slightest mishap, I’ll make sure you die without a burial place!”

“Then let’s see it!” Li Chengzhu smiled in contempt. I’ve already sent several immortals to their graves; what’s a petty little nobody like you worth?

“Hmph!” Autumn Wind no longer bothered with Li Chengzhu, and walked off to meditate on his own.

Jade Wood stood nearby with his mouth agape, watching the two of them bicker over jealous rivalry, and felt secretly delighted. In the stifling gloom of the Red Rock Plateau, they were the only ones who could bring a little life to the place. Seeing them now, they really were a perfect pair.

After half a day of rest, everyone had fully recovered, and they set out on the road back to Rainbow City.

Li Chengzhu looked back at the battlefield. There lay two immortal swords that had already lost all spiritual essence, each with an immortal’s severed head impaled upon it, eyes wide open and staring fixedly toward the direction from which they had come.

A warning. Boss Li was warning his enemies. He wanted them to understand that Li Chengzhu was no soft target. If they dared come after him, they would have to be prepared to pay a painful price.

As for the mastermind behind it all, Boss Li sneered. The instant his body was flooded with green immortal spiritual energy, he had felt a trace of unusual and elusive pressure.

He reached up, plucked the sixth-rank war general insignia from his white cloak, crumpled it into a ball, and hurled it viciously into the sky.

“I’ll pay it back in full!” Li Chengzhu roared to the heavens.

Jade Wood kept looking back with every step at the two immortal swords planted on the battlefield, his heart practically bleeding with pain.

Good heavens, those were immortal swords. And this guy had just thrown them away like that. What a spendthrift fool! Jade Wood shook his head as he looked at Li Chengzhu, lamenting how hopelessly prodigal he was.

Boss Li patted Jade Wood on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. There will be better ones.”

“But...” Jade Wood still could not give up.

“Believe me,” Li Chengzhu said, thumping his chest. “Those two immortal swords aren’t even as good as ordinary flying swords now. The material they were made from has had all its spiritual energy drained dry, and every formation inside has been completely destroyed. Even if you take them, they’re useless. They’re nothing but scrap iron.”

“Really?” Jade Wood’s eyes widened. If that white staff really had such terrifying power, then he would have to seriously consider whether he ought to follow this Boss Li from now on.

Li Chengzhu glared. “Why would I lie to you? What would be the point of fooling you? If I were going to fool anyone, I’d fool that brat over there.”

Jade Wood burst out laughing at once and threw an arm around Li Chengzhu’s shoulder. “I believe you!”

After a moment of silence, Jade Wood finally could not contain himself and asked hesitantly, “Was that time the Six-Winged Angel was destroyed... was that your doing?”

Boss Li arched a brow. “What do you think?”

Jade Wood tightened his arm around him even more. “You kid. I knew you weren’t any ordinary sort.”

Come to think of it, this guy had indirectly saved him once. If he had not destroyed the Six-Winged Angel, Jade Wood probably would not have survived his tribulation in one piece.

The more Jade Wood thought about it, the colder he felt. He had somehow owed another debt of gratitude. Damn it all—when would he ever pay these back? It would be best if the two of them could both settle down together. Then all he would need to repay was one debt.

Thinking this, Jade Wood felt pleasantly pleased with himself.

As for the recommended and monthly votes—tyrant’s life, hehe, I’ve read it, and it’s still pretty good. Everyone should trust a woman’s intuition.