Chapter 0: 86. Innocent Saint Monarch
Qin Gou yanked Yan Chuchun up from his kneeling position, glaring at him and saying, “Stop talking nonsense.”
“But you can so easily influence the Demon Lord Selection rules. Besides this reason, Chuchun can think of no other,” Yan Chuchun chuckled dumbly.
“It’s very simple,” Qin Gou teased, deliberately mysterious and hard to discern. “My father-in-law Li Daotao Jiang occupied the Demon God Sacred Image, so naturally, he has to lend me a helping hand as much as possible.”
Yan Chuchun immediately nodded solemnly, his expression full of admiration as he said, “That’s right! Afterwards, if anyone discovers your performance in the selection is extraordinary, we’ll just babble this excuse and fob them off. They won’t be able to find any evidence anyway. For safety’s sake, we absolutely must not let outsiders connect you to the truth of being a Demon God reincarnation!”
Qin Gou froze for a moment, a look of injustice on his face. He gritted his teeth and said, “I truly regret not following the instructions from the previous round to make you shut up forever.”
“Rest assured, Chuchun will definitely keep this secret tightly guarded from now on!” Yan Chuchun patted his chest with a solemn expression.
“Bastard! I’m telling the truth! If I were a Demon God reincarnation, there would be no good people left in this world!”
“Ah?”
…
Three days later.
Qin Gou and Yan Chuchun appeared in an inn.
The few remaining people in the city were doing their utmost to hide themselves, unwilling to be the first to stick their necks out and be taken advantage of by others.
Of course, the number of participants in the Demon Lord Selection was not this small. Their city was merely one of several testing grounds.
The method to open the next round of trials was likely to be when the personnel in all the testing grounds were reduced to a certain number.
Qin Gou had also informed Yan Chuchun that if a trial that did not endanger his life appeared, he should actively withdraw, otherwise, once they were separated, it would be difficult to guarantee his safety.
Suddenly, two white pillars of light descended, ignoring all obstacles. The two who were chatting instantly disappeared without a trace.
Qin Gou did not know what this round of trials was for others, only because…
“Brother Luo, just tell me the truth, how many sets of those precious sabers do you actually own?”
In a pure white space, Qin Gou sat cross-legged, chatting and laughing with a humanoid shadow whose appearance was difficult to discern.
“Brat, do you know how nervous I was helping you cheat? And you still have the time to bring this up?” Luo Cangming said, vexed.
“As long as the Demon God doesn’t happen to descend new decrees at this very moment, what is there to fear? Our luck can’t be that bad, can it?” Qin Gou chuckled, rubbing his chin.
Luo Cangming shook his head helplessly. “You’re still so daring, you brat!”
“Those sabers…”
“Bastard, are you really determined to drain me dry? To tell you the truth, I do still have the sabers! But even if each one was forged and crafted by you, and you personally gave them away, do you really have the nerve to ask for them all back?” Luo Cangming was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
“I’m just asking, I’m not snatching them. Perhaps one day Brother Luo will be in a good mood and generously give them all to me?” Qin Gou rubbed his nose.
Luo Cangming quickly said, “Impossible!”
“Alright, I won’t ask about this matter anymore… Instead, Brother Luo, why don’t you tell me about the Nine Saint Monarch Luo Wei Ban? What kind of person is she?” Qin Gou nodded slightly and asked earnestly.
Luo Cangming said without hesitation, “My daughter is naturally the finest girl in the world. She has been sensible and understanding since childhood, gentle and pure, intelligent and ambitious!”
Qin Gou listened with a strange expression. What level of doting father was this?
Were Luo Cangming’s words referring to the same person as the Nine Saint Monarch he knew through various means? The nightmare of the three races of the Sea of Demons and Humans was actually a naive and lively woman?
Moreover, Xiao Congxin had said that the Nine Saint Monarch had always wished to skin Luo Cangming alive!
“What? You don’t believe me?” Luo Cangming asked, noticing the anomaly in Qin Gou’s expression.
Qin Gou shrugged, puzzled. “These past few days, I’ve learned some rumors about the Nine Saint Monarch through interacting with other demon cultivators, but they seem to be the complete opposite of what Brother Luo said.”
“Rumors, smear campaigns, slander!”
Luo Cangming said solemnly, “The world has always misunderstood my daughter greatly. But in reality, she has always taken helping the vulnerable and annihilating the wicked as her duty! She is definitely a virtuous and noble female gentleman! Otherwise, how could she be worthy of the title ‘Saint Monarch’?”
Why did that sound so familiar?
A sense of Sym, of mutual appreciation, welled up in Qin Gou’s heart. Had Luo Wei Ban also shouldered so many grievances, just like himself?
“I’m completely confused.”
“When my daughter is resurrected and you reunite with her, perhaps you’ll remember everything,” Luo Cangming said, crossing his arms. “At that time, you’ll know that what I’ve said is not false, and how foolish those who spread rumors are.”
Qin Gou frowned slightly, his expression solemn. “What exactly caused the Nine Saint Monarch to fall?”
Upon hearing this, Luo Cangming was silent for a moment, then shook his head. “Cannot say.”
“You can’t even tell me, your ‘esteemed son-in-law’?”
Luo Cangming’s tone was hesitant. “Allow me a few days to consider.”
Seeing this, Qin Gou nodded slightly but did not intend to press further. Since Luo Cangming was so concerned, even if he told him a certain version, it might not necessarily be the truth.
Not long after, Qin Gou was sent out of the pure white space.
He did not see Yan Chuchun again; perhaps he had already actively withdrawn.
With Luo Cangming’s help and Qin Gou’s own strength, which far surpassed that of his peers, the subsequent trials were smooth sailing, with him passing through them all without difficulty.
Seven days later.
After snatching the sinister great banner atop a high mountain, Qin Gou was again teleported by a pillar of light into the pure white space. He did not see Luo Cangming but found himself with two other demon cultivators.
Instantly, the three of them lunged at each other like lightning simultaneously, only to be blocked by an invisible wall.
A demon cultivator with six arms said, “Judging by the time, this is clearly the final round of trials. The new Demon Lord will undoubtedly be chosen from among us three.”
“Indeed, I have this premonition as well.”
“No matter who is chosen as the new Demon Lord in the end, we can take this opportunity to get to know each other! I am Di Zhu of the Eight-Armed Rakshasa clan!” the six-armed cultivator said with a hearty laugh.
Another cultivator, carrying a long saber with a cold expression, said faintly, “Ren Clan, Ren Zixun.”
“Faceless Hermit, Qin Gou.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Di Zhu and Ren Zixun both looked at Qin Gou with disbelief and astonishment.
“The Faceless Hermit clan is not known for being adept at Spirit Arts?”
“How did you manage to reach this place? There was a previous trial, the terrifying strength of that female evil spirit, even we narrowly escaped with our lives, almost perishing!”
Qin Gou said calmly, “The female evil spirit did not chase me.”
“What?”
“Why?”
Qin Gou pondered for a moment. He could not say someone was backing him, nor could he claim to be a Demon God reincarnation. So, he spread his hands and said, “I am good looking.”
Di Zhu and Ren Zixun immediately exchanged glances.
“In a moment, when the fight begins, we’ll join forces to tear this person to shreds and scatter his ashes.”
“Agreed.”
