Chapter 216: I’ll Fight You to the Death

Chapter 216: I'll Fight You to the Death

"If living like this is meaningless, I'd rather die again."

Lu Qian's tone suddenly shifted, completely different from before, as if he had transformed into another person. He looked at the man on the bed, half-human and half-ghost, his gaze falling on the other's legs, where even the soft fabric couldn't hide their thinness:

"Only, Ying Wujiu, can I ask you one thing before I die?"

He no longer used formal titles, and the fear and panic from earlier vanished, replaced by a playful smile.

Indeed, it was a playful smile, as if he didn't consider the Demon Lord in front of him a real "living person." It was a look reserved for paper figures.

Ying Wujiu raised an eyebrow lightly, wondering where this little furnace had gotten his confidence, but he was always lenient towards the dead: "Speak."

Lu Qian asked seriously, "You want to kill me because you think I've offended you and because I stumbled upon your secret. What could I say to make you spare me?"

Ying Wujiu's eyes were dark in the dim light, like silent whirlpools beneath the depths of the Cangyuan Sea, carrying a hint of disdainful mockery: "Is it meaningful? You're going to die anyway."

Lu Qian: "I'm very curious, Lord. Please let me die with some understanding."

"Oh, unfortunately, even I don't know."

A drop of bright red appeared silently on Ying Wujiu's fingertip, like a translucent blood bead, glaringly vivid against his pale skin. He lowered his eyes to play with the drop, feeling a bit regretful that such a fearless individual would soon be gone from his monotonous life:

"But I can tell you one thing: In this world, there is only one person for whom I would show mercy."

Lu Qian's eyes flickered: "What's that person's name?"

Ying Wujiu said with a half-smile: "Wang, Shu."

After speaking, he flicked his finger lightly, and the drop of red landed on Lu Qian, igniting crimson flames that rose like petals of red lotuses, dazzling and brilliant. The man was instantly consumed to ashes, leaving nothing behind.

"Tsk..."

Ying Wujiu seemed to recall something from the past. He closed his eyes and fell back onto the pillow, murmuring softly,

"This fire burns terribly."

*

"You must be tired of living, daring to climb into my bed!"

Climbed into your bed, so what! You're paralyzed; what else could I do?!

Back at the beginning, Lu Qian cursed inwardly. That bastard Ying Wujiu dared to burn him! If he didn't settle this score, he wouldn't be Lu Qian anymore!

But despite his anger, he still knelt down pitifully and begged for mercy: "Lord, you can't kill me."

Ying Wujiu asked indifferently, "Why not?"

Lu Qian, tears welling up, said, "My name is Wang Shu."

Wang~ Shu, how nice it sounds. This must be the name of Ying Wujiu's beloved. Perhaps sharing the same name might soften his heart.

However, Ying Wujiu was taken aback at first, then erupted in fury, striking Lu Qian's chest: "How dare you joke about my mother!!"

Lu Qian: "???"

Brother, turns out she's your mother. Could you have mentioned it sooner?!

*

"You must be tired of living, daring to climb into my bed!"

"Climbed it, so what! Do we need to pick a day?!"

Lu Qian, enraged, pounced on Ying Wujiu and fought him:

"I'll fight you to the death today! I'll teach you a lesson in place of your deceased mother! You want to kill me, burn me!"

Ying Wujiu was genuinely stunned. He was truly stunned. None of his servants dared to fight him, but Lu Qian did just that. By the time he reacted, Lu Qian was already straddling him and throwing a punch.

"Ugh!"

Ying Wujiu grunted, his head turned by the blow. He was so angry that his whole body trembled, his face flushed red, one side delicate and beautiful, the other like an enraged Asura: "Filthy brat, get off me!!"

Blinded by rage, Ying Wujiu forgot his magical abilities and, with no sensation in his legs, fought back like an ordinary person.

Lu Qian, who had died countless times, was even angrier. Grabbing Ying Wujiu's collar, he yelled, "So what if you're the Demon Lord! Climbed your bed, so what! Am I so ugly that you'd suffer a loss? Your legs are numb; I'm not that heartless to harm a disabled person!"

Ying Wujiu's eyes flashed with shocking fury. This bastard dared to call him crippled: "Wretched thing, get off me! Believe me or not, I'll tear you to pieces!"

Lu Qian, having nothing left to lose, snarled, "Then I'll bite you to death!!"

Grr!!

Lu Qian lowered his head and bit into Ying Wujiu's neck. His teeth were sharp, and he bit hard, drawing blood immediately. However, Ying Wujiu's blood was scalding hot, almost burning his tongue.

"How dare you! What are you doing to the Lord?!"

When Left Guardian Feng Sha led a group of demon cultivators in, they saw the furnace who usually swept the inner courtyard riding on top of the Lord, both of them bruised and bleeding, and the air filled with the scent of blood. His expression changed, and without hesitation, he gathered a bolt of lightning:

"Zzzz—!"

Lu Qian unlocked yet another new way to die.

*

"You must be tired of living, daring to climb into my bed!"

Enough, right? Enough, right?!

Lu Qian, mentally collapsing, clutched his head. Why couldn't he get over this hurdle?! No, this time, he couldn't die again. He needed a new persona!

Taking a deep breath, Lu Qian adjusted his emotions and bowed to Ying Wujiu:

"My Lord, please forgive me. I did not mean to offend you; it's just that I suddenly sensed the toxic aura of the Red Lotus Karma Fire on you and was worried, so I boldly approached to check."

While Ying Wujiu might be indifferent to a servant's plea, he would never be indifferent to his own condition. The moment Lu Qian spoke, the temperature in the great hall dropped significantly, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Ying Wujiu's gaze darkened as his fingertips moved slightly, causing the crimson veil before him to part automatically. "Who told you that this Lord has the poison of the Red Lotus Karma Fire?"

His voice was low and ethereal, making his emotions hard to discern.

Lu Qian, holding onto the role of a healer, remained composed. "As a medical cultivator, I know a little about it."

Ying Wujiu's lips curled slightly, but this only made people more afraid rather than relaxed. "So you were just concerned for this Lord's safety?"

Lu Qian: "Of course."

Ying Wujiu sneered. "And the previous...?"

Lu Qian: "..."

Lu Qian continued to act calm. "It was merely a moment of infatuation. Please, my Lord, allow me to make amends for my sins."

Ying Wujiu tapped his fingers lightly on the bed frame, his expression unreadable. "Oh? How do you plan to make amends?"

In fact, getting Ying Wujiu to show mercy was simple: all one needed was to be useful. Curing his fire poison was undoubtedly a significant temptation.

Lu Qian said nothing but slowly raised his slender, pale right hand, gesturing for Ying Wujiu to look. "Allow me to use this hand to heal your legs, my Lord. What do you say?"

After speaking, he boldly placed his hand on Ying Wujiu's right knee—

These legs were indeed crippled, despite being nourished by spiritual energy, they were still as thin as bones.

Lu Qian had accidentally injured himself when entering the Void Realm, leaving him with limited energy. A faint, gentle blue light emanated from his palm, dispelling some of the gloom, bringing an indescribable warmth and healing.

The moment Ying Wujiu was touched by Lu Qian, the burning pain deep within his bones strangely subsided, as if a clear stream flowed through his body, bringing indescribable comfort. Although his face showed no reaction, his heart was filled with shock.

How could this be?!

Lu Qian's energy was limited, and after a moment, he withdrew his hand. The piercing pain returned, causing Ying Wujiu to involuntarily groan, his face turning even paler.

"The Red Lotus Fire Poison in your body has already invaded your bones. If not treated promptly, your legs will be completely crippled within ten years, your organs burned within twenty years, and you'll be blind and completely incapacitated within thirty years."

"Give me half a year, and I can restore you to your former self."

Lu Qian offered a condition Ying Wujiu couldn't refuse, yet the latter grabbed his neck menacingly. "Do you think you can threaten this Lord like this? Tell me, who sent you, and how do you know about the Red Lotus Karma Fire?"

Although Lu Qian's offer was tempting, his background was suspicious. Ying Wujiu now suspected he might be a spy sent by those righteous sects.

Lu Qian struggled to speak. "I only learned some medical skills in my youth and have no connection with those righteous sects. If my Lord doesn't believe me, feel free to investigate."

Ying Wujiu stared at Lu Qian without expression, seemingly trying to determine if he was lying. After a few moments, he suddenly laughed, a sound that seemed out of place in the silent hall:

"What are you afraid of?"

He gently patted Lu Qian's face, a stark contrast to his earlier terrifying demeanor. His words, however, carried a chilling tone that made one uneasy:

"As long as you remain loyal to this Lord, I will not mistreat you. Understand?"

Lu Qian feigned gratitude. "I will swear my loyalty to my Lord!"

Xuanzhu Hall was where Ying Wujiu secluded himself for cultivation, and outsiders dared not enter. It was only because the original body was responsible for cleaning that Lu Qian managed to slip in. With Ying Wujiu's permission, he quickly left the hall.

Feng Sha, the Left Guardian, happened to have something to report. As he approached the corridor, he saw a young servant in green robes coming out and immediately stopped him:

"Stop! Who are you?"

Feng Sha was not human but an ancient Huli beast transformed. Having been tamed by the previous Demon Lord Fuguang, he had served faithfully and established great merit in the demon realm, ranking second only to the Demon Lord.

Lu Qian recognized him.

In the previous encounter, this creature had killed him with lightning.

Thinking of this, he felt a surge of hatred.

"Reporting to the Guardian, I am the servant responsible for cleaning the hall."

Only then did Feng Sha realize Lu Qian looked familiar. He stared at him with golden eyes suspiciously. "If you're responsible for cleaning, why did you come out of the hall?"

He knew that apart from his trusted confidants, Ying Wujiu never allowed anyone near him.

Lu Qian didn't answer but deliberately rubbed his waist in front of Feng Sha, looking embarrassed. "Earlier... my Lord summoned me..."

Feng Sha's gaze instantly became strange. "Did my Lord favor you?!"

No way? Even paralyzed, he could still do it?!