Free Web NovelChapter 140: Chapter 140: I Am the Head of This Family!
Ding Ning didn’t even glance at it. Evil spirits have no requirements for the appearance or size of living beings; most evil spirits always manifest in whatever form they prefer.
She used to feel nothing seeing his jar-body.
Now, she only felt that his appearance was utterly disgusting.
Just as he said—that human, even if they cleared the dungeon and returned to human society, would likely forever be someone stuck inside a jar.
Might be strong, but by her observations, that look doesn’t fit human aesthetics.
Besides, even if Jiang Che hadn’t fully absorbed all the energy from the bead, Hua was with him.
None of the Lords had ever seen what Hua looked like apart from her original form, and on top of that, Hua was skilled in Illusion Technique. Even if she wasn’t as strong as the Lords, they couldn’t see through her true power.
In the eyes of the many Lords, she was just a human of about the eighth tier next to Jiang Che.
No need for much concern.
No matter how strong she was, the humans present could completely deal with her.
The only thing they needed to worry about was how far Jiang Che had fused the energy.
Or rather, how long before complete refinement.
"Bro, I’ve heard your name for a long time—the sole survivor of an SSS-level dungeon."
Seventeen people stepped forward. Seemingly few, but if you counted strength, the highest was tier ten, the lowest tier eight.
These were the strongest seventeen in this dungeon run.
Jiang Che looked at the speaker, whose features were quite delicate, except his eyes made Jiang Che uneasy—slender, slightly curved, smiling eyes.
Jiang Che had never seen a fox, but he’d heard of a weasel.
Right now, he felt this man was just like a weasel.
Not a good person.
Jiang Che immediately slapped a label on him in his mind.
"My name is Chen Zijun. First cleared an A-level dungeon, and since then, I’ve gone through hundreds of dungeons, big and small, to reach my current tier. I can’t bear to die, but I also don’t want to offend the Flying Tiger Group."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Flying Tiger behind Jiang Che.
"Come on, at this point, are you still scared of getting into trouble and letting that woman go?" someone behind Chen Zijun stared, listening to him with disbelief.
Chen Zijun shook his head. "Just lamenting. Been cautious for so long, doing everything to escape, and not provoking the outside powers."
"If I had to explain this behavior, I’d rather say—villains die from talking too much." He chuckled at himself; as if after saying these words, he could feel relief.
"First time in years offending the powerful."
Hearing him, everyone around stayed silent, lowering their heads, with bitter smiles creeping up their lips.
To kill the only daughter of Flying Tiger Group was no different than a novel protagonist slaughtering the training Saint Son of a sect.
But luckily, this time it was a whole crowd acting.
Everyone would keep it secret.
Chen Zijun lowered his eyes. If that blood-soaked voice in his mind wasn’t lying, killing Jiang Che and his people was his only choice.
If he killed them, maybe he too could be an SSS-level clear survivor.
Hua just cocked her head at him, expecting the so-called Chen Zijun to say something meaningful. "Idiot."
She shook her head, then stepped forward.
These small fry, she could crush them single-handed.
Jiang Che stopped her with a swift move.
The energy in the bead had already been refined by him; when he touched it, he finally sensed Ning’s thoughtful intentions.
She’d given him the purest energy; he could absorb it all without wasting any time.
"Is Ning in a difficult spot now?" Jiang Che turned to Hua. Now, blocked in here by a crowd of humans, he already felt suffocated.
Not because he couldn’t win, but simply the feeling that in this world, the weak are always slaughtered.
After seeing those medical records, he thought leaving the psychiatric hospital would be better, thought the outside world would be as the doctors and nurses claimed.
Now, he finally knew—inside and outside, there’s no difference.
"If things weren’t difficult for her now, she’d have come looking for you already."
Jiang Che nodded. "If I clear this dungeon, does that mean I’ll get stronger?"
All in front of him were humans; killing them would do nothing for his growth.
Funny, really—killing humans doesn’t make you grow, but the biggest cause of death among humans is self-slaughter.
Just like Hua said: if Ning could break free now and come to find him, she absolutely would.
Ning never believed that someone has to endure all hardship to grow.
She never thought Jiang Che should walk the line between life and death, then be reborn through fire for transformation.
Ding Ning watched Jiang Che standing in the projection, and she let out a soft sigh.
Jiang Che’s early life was too bitter; if possible, she didn’t want him to endure unnecessary growth.
Life and death, choices—it’s all a bit too heavy.
"Just stay behind. I could kill these folks with a finger." Hua, pulled back by him, paused, then shook her head.
She’d promised Ning to take care of Jiang Che.
To her, Jiang Che was no different from anyone here—killing them was a matter of a second.
"If I clear the dungeon, will I become stronger?" Jiang Che looked at the humans inside the dungeon.
This was the first time he’d killed so many.
Seeing him so fixated on getting stronger, Hua nodded.
"But clearing this dungeon isn’t its real requirement." Hua looked at the crowd of humans. This whole thing was just a trap, not some rule or a win condition.
It didn’t matter if everyone died here or only one survived; whoever was left wouldn’t be able to walk out.
"But, if you want to get stronger, there is a way." Hua turned, looking at Jiang Che—it was something even evil spirits couldn’t try or achieve.
Jiang Che threw her an enquiring look.
"That’s to clear all SSS-level dungeons." Hua’s eyes lit up as she spoke.
"Clearing one only gives slight growth, but if you clear all SSS-level dungeons, that’s a qualitative leap."
"Alright, then I’ll do just that." Jiang Che didn’t hesitate.
"Heh." Hua gave a mocking laugh—not that she looked down on Jiang Che. "Is it because Ning let you go that you think SSS-level dungeons are easy?"
"No." Jiang Che shook his head; anyone Ning couldn’t break free from was far beyond his capability.
"But I’ll try. I’ll improve."
"I’ll be a good head of the family, protect everyone." As he spoke, gravity began to condense in his palm—one of his few skills.
This skill was meant for Jiang Che to escape, to trap enemies and run.
But he’d found that, as long as the gravity was strong enough, every being inside would be pressed into pulp.
"Head of the family..."
Hua laughed; just now, Jiang Che was so similar to Ding Ning.
She often said, as a Lord, you have to be responsible for the lesser evil spirits.
