Chapter 092. Better
“I didn’t notice anything strange about Yan Suoyun before. On the contrary, when he was introducing a series of rituals to me, I thought he seemed like a very enthusiastic senior,” Qin Gou said after some thought. Yan Suoyun was known as the oldest Demon Lord in existence, so he could indeed be considered a ‘senior’ to this young man.
“On the other hand, Demon Lord Duyou seemed to know something. He appeared foolish and comical, but his words were watertight. He’s very likely hiding something and needs to be guarded against… And Demon Lord Jia Ren, although beautiful and charming, wants to oppose me at every turn!”
Luo Cangming agreed, “I understand that these Demon Lords are not ordinary individuals. It’s best to have as little to do with them as possible.”
“I certainly don’t plan to live in the Demon Lord’s Tower forever. The most pressing matter now is to rescue the person.”
“You mean Lu Zhili?” Luo Cangming asked with a playful smile.
Qin Gou quickly clarified, “Let me state first, Old Lu and I are definitely not that kind of relationship.”
Luo Cangming let out a哑然失笑, “Whether it is or not, I’ve said before that I won’t interfere too much in your affairs…”
Hearing this, Qin Gou found it unbelievable, “Old Luo, you’ve always called yourself my father-in-law. If that were true, your views are too open-minded.”
“It’s because Wei Ban also feels she owes you; her bloodline indeed…”
“What?”
Realizing he had misspoke, Luo Cangming fell silent. After a moment, he said, “Let’s talk about proper business. You specifically came to find me for what reason?”
Luo Cangming was clearly hiding a lot, but Qin Gou didn’t press him. After all, these were matters of the past, and Old Luo couldn’t escape now, so there was no need to rush to get a clear answer.
“Can you cooperate with me and impersonate the Demon God to absolve Lu Zhili of her crime?”
“You simply want me dead, don’t you?”
“Is it that serious?”
“Of course,” Luo Cangming replied irritably. “I’ve never seen a Demon God’s decree. How can I impersonate him? If there’s even the slightest flaw, it’s a dead end. This is absolutely impossible!”
“Then let’s find a more suitable candidate. You won’t have to risk your life, Old Luo.” As he spoke, Qin Gou took out the Soul Capturing Bottle containing the Jade Girl Chahun from his Rouge Space.
“Demon, release me! For Saint Ancestor Empress, I will perish with you!”
“First, I’ll find a new dwelling for this little guy inside. Then, I’ll use this Soul Capturing Bottle to extract you, Old Luo, from the Sacred Image. Finally, I’ll find a suitable opportunity, without alerting anyone else…” As he spoke, Qin Gou tapped his Nas Void Ring again.
A Stone Spirit, identical in appearance to Qin Gou, revealed its form.
Qin Gou patted the Stone Spirit’s shoulder, “And then quietly transfer the soul spirit naturally derived from my younger brother into the Sacred Image. That way, even if it’s exposed and I’m found out and destroyed, I can still spend some effort and spirit stones to help my younger brother be reborn within my true body. What’s not to like?”
“Your mother?”
“Ten Top-grade Spirit Stones.”
“Mom!!”
…
The next day.
Qin Gou had thought it through, but putting it into practice required extreme caution and precision.
“Brother Zhenyu!” Lu Changli had clearly come specifically for Qin Gou and greeted him with a warm smile.
Qin Gou nodded slightly, “Greetings, Brother Fanyin.”
“How did you get along with Lu Zhili yesterday? I didn’t deceive you, did I? Zhili truly admires you!” Lu Changli said, crossing his arms and laughing heartily.
“Although it’s hard to believe, the Holy Queen was indeed very friendly to me. And a remarkable woman like the Holy Queen is someone I have greatly admired,” Qin Gou said, speaking nothing but good things to prevent Lu Zhili from suffering any further undeserved misfortune.
Hearing this, Lu Changli’s eyes lit up, “Is it really just admiration? With such a perfect match, doesn’t Brother Zhenyu have any other feelings for Zhili?”
“Brother Fanyin seems very eager to matchmake us?” Qin Gou asked directly.
Lu Changli frankly nodded and smiled, “Yes! In my opinion, this is clearly the best way for Brother Zhenyu to repay Zhili. It’s also the best way to bring the Faceless Hermit and the Wind and Snow Returnee clans closer, and to make you, Zhenyu, and my family, Lu Changli, as one!”
“Brother Fanyin’s idea is wonderful,” Qin Gou said helplessly. “Unfortunately, things are really a bit unsuitable between the Holy Queen and me.”
“What?” Lu Changli’s expression changed, and his eyes turned sharp. “Did Lu Zhili treat you disrespectfully yesterday?”
Lu Zhili was actually completely right. Although this Lu Changli claimed to be thinking wholeheartedly for the younger generation, in reality, he just wanted to firmly tie this newly appointed Demon Lord to himself, to advance and retreat with him, Lu Changli, and follow his lead from now on.
Qin Gou immediately waved his hand, “Of course not. The Holy Queen is as her name suggests, knowledgeable and virtuous, beautiful and intelligent, a pleasure to behold.”
“Then… is it because Brother Zhenyu or Zhili, having once been Mo Qingyang’s wife, still holds a grudge?” Lu Changli asked in a deep tone.
“How is that possible?” Qin Gou let out a chuckle. “Didn’t Brother Fanyin tell me before? The Holy Queen has reincarnated and cultivated. It’s just that due to the powerful talent of the Wind and Snow Returnee clan, she has awakened her past life memories. Other than that, all that happened in her past life is like clouds passing by. Actually, it’s because of some other, less pleasant reasons…”
Seeing Qin Gou’s apparent magnanimity, Lu Changli became even more confused and continued to guess, “Could it be that Brother’s wife resents Lu Zhili?!”
“They’ve never met, so how could there be resentment?” Qin Gou shrugged.
“Then does Brother Zhenyu himself think Lu Zhili isn’t beautiful enough?”
“No, the Holy Queen is stunningly beautiful!”
“Is it because Lu Zhili is older than Brother Zhenyu?”
“Brother Fanyin is joking. What age matters to us cultivators?”
“Then…”
For a moment, Lu Changli fired a barrage of questions, and Qin Gou parried them all flawlessly. However, at the end, Lu Changli suddenly changed the subject, “If that’s the case, Lu Zhili is beautiful, elegant, dignified, with an orchid heart, gentle by nature, and skilled in all the arts… What exactly is Brother Zhenyu dissatisfied with? Are you deliberately being unreasonable? If so, I, as your elder brother, will be angered!”
Naturally, it’s because neither Old Lu nor I ever intended to get together, and you old scoundrel are forcing us?
Qin Gou muttered inwardly, but outwardly, he smiled kindly, “Then I can only tell you the truth, Brother Fanyin… The Holy Queen is indeed perfect, and I admire her greatly, but…”
“But what?” Lu Changli gnashed his teeth and pressed.
“She deserves someone better, but I, the best, am truly not suitable for her!” Qin Gou said, with his hands behind his back, his eyes deep and melancholic, like an misunderstood sage.
At that moment, Lu Changli could no longer stand it and blurted out, “Are you a dog?”
