Chapter 456 – Gathering at the Parlour of Clouds and Rain (2/2)

“Really?” Li Qingshan rubbed his chin and pressed his hands against Xiao An’s cheeks, rubbing them happily. “Very good. Very beautiful. Though, don’t grow too much all of a sudden.”

“Ah!” Xiao An became disappointed. With his encouragement, she originally wanted to keep growing!

“Don’t tell me you really plan on growing up completely in a single breath!” Li Qingshan had no idea how to respond.

“I could.”

“Don’t. You’ll scare people like that. Don’t worry, I can wait.” Li Qingshan lifted her up with a smile before becoming troubled again. “If you get any bigger, I won’t be able to carry you on my shoulders.”

“This is enough.” Xiao An wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured.

“Look at this.” Xiao An broke free from his arms and opened her mouth towards her hand. She spat out a misty, azure-blue object.

“That’s Strongboulder!” With a closer glance, Li Qingshan noticed that it resembled Strongboulder. Suddenly, he understood that this was Strongboulder’s soul.

Xiao An removed the Ice Flames of Soul Refinement, and Strongboulder seemed to awaken from hibernation. He recovered his senses and immediately tried to fly away.

Pale, white flames surged in from all directions like a cage, trapping him in Xiao An’s hand. As soon as Strongboulder came in contact with the flames, he felt bone-chilling coldness, forcing him back.

Li Qingshan huddled over in amazement.

“Who are you?” Strongboulder was surprised, fearful, and furious. Suddenly, he recognised Li Qingshan. “It’s you!”

“Then who am I?” Li Qingshan snickered, and his pupils gradually turned scarlet.

“Northmoon! It’s you! You’re a human! No, you’re half-daemon?”

“That’s not your problem.” Li Qingshan smiled. It was no wonder both the main characters and the antagonists would monologue in those various stories, as it just felt too fucking satisfying.

“Xiao An, he can’t escape, right?” Li Qingshan asked in confirmation. He liked the beginning of this story, but he did not want an ending where the tables turned.

“Absolutely not. I can refine him.” After achieving the Samādhi Flames of White Bone, not only could she refine blood, flesh, and bone to nurture her white bone, but she could even refine souls to strengthen herself.

“That’s good then. I have a whole heap of stuff to say to him!” Li Qingshan stopped worrying. He ignored Strongboulder’s curses and threats and cleared his throat. He put on an act and said, “Strongboulder, oh Strongboulder. Do you know why you’ve failed?”

He spoke until he became parched. After having his fill, Li Qingshan waved his hand. “Xiao An, torture this bastard properly for me, and see if you can get any useful information out of him.”

Afterwards, he returned to where the Rock of Slaughter lay and patted it. “This might be a good material for forging artifacts!”

Deep underground, in Cobweb city.

Spider Queen Lolth snapped open her eyes and summoned Dragonsnail. She asked coldly, “Strongboulder’s aura has vanished. Investigate who was behind this. The Daemon Generals under Strongboulder will now serve you.”

There definitely were not a lot of humans or daemons capable of killing Strongboulder silently within the Clear River prefecture. Apart from some of the heavy-hitters from the Daemon Suppression alliance and the Academy of the Hundred Schools, she thought of Northmoon.

If it really were a case of murder, Dragonsnail would never do it, while Bloodshadow was currently healing. As a result, the only one capable was Northmoon who came from unknown origins.

“Yes.” Even Dragonsnail was slightly surprised inside. Strongboulder had actually fallen in battle despite his strength. He felt certain things were escaping his control.

Following the traces and questioning the Daemon Generals who had gone to slaughter the city with Strongboulder, he finally arrived in the cavern where Strongboulder had been slain.

A buddhist glow continued to flow through the cavern. Dragonsnail frowned. “Is this the handiwork of a disciple of buddhism?”

Within the Clear River prefecture, there did not seem to be any powerful figures of buddhism apart from those in the school of Buddhism of the Academy of the Hundred Schools. At the very least, none of them could kill Strongboulder silently.

He could recall that a monk Strongboulder had once killed seemed to be closely connected with the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga. He had managed to heavily injure Strongboulder with the Chant of Deva-Nāga right before his death. If the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga had sent a disciple for revenge, then it would be beyond his control, let alone avenging Strongboulder.

Dragonsnail returned to Cobweb city and reported this to the Spider Queen.

The Spider Queen only dismissed her suspicion of Northmoon after hearing Dragonsnail’s theory before sinking into her thoughts again. The Sword Collection palace, the Umbral Yin sect, and the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga were the three great sects of the Green Province. Every single one of them was a colossal existence that required Daemon Kings to contend with.

However, if a disciple of the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga really was responsible for this, there was no reason for them to be so secretive. Were they trying to avenge their disciples while maintaining the current situation, or were they trying to warn them that the massacring of cities could not continue…

The Spider Queen licked her bright, red lips. “Send orders to Northmoon and Bloodshadow. Strongboulder is already dead. I want them to massacre a hundred cities in revenge!”

Xiao An’s actions had drawn away the Spider Queen’s doubts. As for Dragonsnail, his investigation had already taken up three days.

Today, the Parlour of Clouds and Rain seemed rather deserted. The regular people had all been blocked from entering. Only cultivators could enter.

Regardless of whether they were actually cultivated people or they were purposefully putting on an act, they all spoke under their breaths. Only the disciples of the sect of Clouds and Rain who moved between them demonstrated some of their past liveliness.

“School leader Liu, it’s been a long time since you last visited. Are you no longer satisfied with us now that you’ve reached Foundation Establishment?” A few seductive women clung around Liu Chuanfeng, which filled him with awkwardness. He barked powerlessly, “Begone! Begone!”