Free Web NovelChapter 169: Chapter 158: Sudden Turn of Events
The woman from the Shadow Tower followed Shen Lang’s gaze, and her expression changed instantly. The awe in her eyes vanished, replaced by disgust and killing intent.
She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest.
The other two young leaders emotionlessly stepped forward, shielding her behind them.
Shen Lang paid them no mind. His eyes remained fixed on the woman as he slowly approached.
"Sir, please speak clearly. We don’t understand what you mean."
One of the young men in front said in a low voice, his dagger beginning to glow with a Spirit Light. A mist rose around his body as he began to build up his power.
"I’ve made myself perfectly clear, and you’re still asking? You people are unbelievable." Shen Lang shook his head, looking slightly displeased. "The Yin Yang Inverted Qimen Formation can trap you, but not me. If you want me to get you out of here, it’s simple. Offer me something good... I’ll take three Shadow Demon Flowers."
"What!" the woman exclaimed in shock.
The woman, who was clearly their leader, pushed the two men aside and stepped forward again. "Who in the world are you? How do you know about the Shadow Demon Flower?"
The Shadow Tower had always operated with caution and secrecy. Few people even knew the location of their main base.
To say nothing of its internal affairs.
The Shadow Demon Flower was a Spiritual Material that the Shadow Tower had cultivated at enormous cost, expending countless manpower and resources. It was nearly impossible to find in the outside world; one might only find it deep within the Barbaric Lands.
For Martial Artists who practiced Shadow-type Techniques or possessed Shadow-type Martial Souls, Cultivation near a Shadow Demon Flower could yield twice the results with half the effort.
Its even greater use, however, was that the flower could be ground into a juice and, combined with various other ingredients, refined into a potent and unusual poison called "Ten Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder."
This poison was colorless and odorless. Once inside the body, it could incapacitate an ordinary Martial Artist in moments. It was incredibly difficult to counteract, and even King Martial Realm experts turned pale at its very mention.
Many people had heard the name "Ten Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder," but very few had ever heard of the Shadow Demon Flower.
This was true even within the Shadow Tower itself; aside from a few high-ranking members, not many knew of the flower’s existence.
For a Ghost-faced Man to appear from nowhere, name the Shadow Demon Flower, and then make the outrageous demand for three of them, instantly stunned the woman.
The Shadow Tower woman’s chest heaved rapidly a few times. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, Sir. My position in the Shadow Tower... I-I don’t have access to the Shadow Demon Flower."
Shen Lang sneered. "Whether your lives are worth three Shadow Demon Flowers is for you to decide. But you can save me the nonsense about not having access to them. The Shadow Tower flower insignia on your leather armor, three inches to the right of your chest, has a total of twelve buds. You have one more than the others—a light purple one. That proves you’re a core member of the Shadow Tower."
"But your Cultivation is only at the Spirit Martial Realm Fifth Heaven, and you’re so young. To be a core member, you’re either the Dark Tower Master’s mistress or his daughter. And you’re telling me you can’t get your hands on the Shadow Demon Flower?"
At Shen Lang’s words, astonishment filled the eyes of the Shadow Tower group. The woman herself was so horrified that she staggered back two steps before catching her balance.
"You know about the Shadow Demon Flower, and you even understand the secret insignia of the Shadow Tower’s leadership. Who in the hell are you?!"
The woman’s face was flushed. "Who are you?!" she demanded, her voice sharp as her aura began to rise rapidly.
The other Shadow Tower members immediately assumed combat stances, poised for a fight.
Shen Lang pressed his temples as if fighting a headache. "They say people from the Shadow Tower don’t really know how to deal with outsiders, and you lot certainly prove it... You keep asking who I am. Is my identity really so important? With more and more Lightning Crocodiles gathering around, you’re not thinking about breaking out of this array or haggling with me. Instead, you’re obsessed with who I am. Is there not a single clear-headed person among you?"
The group, which had just been radiating hostility, was startled once more. As they scanned their surroundings, their faces turned ashen.
In the short time they had been talking, the number of surrounding Lightning Crocodiles had more than doubled. There were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, of them now!
"F-fine, I’ll haggle with you then!" The woman was clearly not skilled at bargaining, because no one haggles like that.
She was clearly a bit older than Shen Lang, appearing to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven. But she was mentally and physically exhausted, a spent force after fighting the Demon Beasts. She found herself losing ground in every exchange with Shen Lang, which made her so furious that her tone was incredibly aggressive.
"Sorry, the price is non-negotiable," Shen Lang said with a wave of his hand.
The woman held a privileged position in the Shadow Tower. On a rare trip outside, not only had she run into this crisis, but she’d also met someone like Shen Lang. She nearly fainted from rage at his words.
While her eyes were practically spitting fire, Shen Lang continued, "Three Shadow Demon Flowers. To give or not to give, that’s your decision. However, I must remind you, beautiful miss, that you don’t have much time to think. If this wave of Lightning Crocodiles charges, even I will have to retreat from their initial assault. As for you lot... you probably won’t last half an hour. And look, just look, there’s a huge group in there that has reached the level of Fifth Level Demon Beasts!"
Before the Shadow Tower woman could reply, Shen Lang added, "Besides, with your relationship with the Dark Tower Master, getting a few Shadow Demon Flowers should be as easy as flipping your hand, right? Men are usually very generous to their mistresses... Ahem, I mean, their beautiful confidantes."
"My name is Nangong Jianqiu! The Dark Tower Master is my father! I am not anyone’s mistress!" Nangong Jianqiu practically roared. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
The Shadow Tower members around her groaned inwardly. They couldn’t believe their Young Miss, who was usually so calm and collected, had been provoked to this degree! freeωebnovēl.c૦m
’It’s one thing to be angry,’ they thought, ’but to just blurt out her identity like that? Isn’t that courting death?’
Over the years, the Shadow Tower had assassinated countless people. It was impossible that the friends and families of the slain didn’t harbor a deep hatred for them.
Exposing her identity could invite a fatal disaster at any moment!
’Besides,’ they worried, ’now that her identity is out and this Ghost-faced Man’s guess has been confirmed, will he really let our group—or more specifically, our Young Miss—go so easily?’
"Oh? So you really are the Young Miss of the Dark Tower," Shen Lang said with a light chuckle. "Then pay up. No, I mean, hand over the Shadow Demon Flowers. I solve problems for a price. Give me the flowers, and I’ll help you slaughter all these Lightning Crocodiles, then help you leave this Ancient Array."
"Who... who would carry Shadow Demon Flowers on their person!"
Nangong Jianqiu was seething with rage, on the verge of exploding. She wanted to lash out several times, but one look at her exhausted followers forced her to hold it in.
When you’re in a tight spot, you have no choice but to yield.
Whether they could even beat this bastard was one question, but they definitely couldn’t defeat the horde of Lightning Crocodiles that had now assembled.
Furthermore, they had no way of breaking through this Ancient Strange Array.
So, even Nangong Jianqiu, who was used to being treated like a princess, the center of everyone’s world, could only back down.
What truly infuriated her, however, was that judging from his voice, this Ghost-faced Man didn’t seem old at all. In fact, he was probably even younger than she was...
"You don’t have them on you? That’s a bit of a problem." Shen Lang paused for a moment. "Sigh, it’s so hard to make a little spending money these days. Business is slow." He suddenly shrugged and beckoned to his Bone Demons. "You four, come on. We’re heading home."
The four Bone Demons had thought they were in for a big fight. Hearing his command, they shuffled back, looking reluctant.
"Hey, you!" Tears started to well up in Nangong Jianqiu’s eyes.
Someone had finally appeared, giving her people a glimmer of hope. But who would have thought this guy would be so insistent on the Shadow Demon Flowers, refusing to help without them...
Regardless of whether he could actually break this array, his four Bone Demons alone could have at least helped them fight off the Lightning Crocodiles.
If he left and the surrounding Lightning Crocodiles charged, it wouldn’t even take half an hour for her entire group to become food for the beasts.
She could see the countless claws, hear the low GRUMBLES, and see the bloodthirsty green eyes flashing in the gloom. There were countless heavy tails and gaping maws that could swallow a person whole...
The Lightning Crocodiles hadn’t attacked yet, but they were building their Momentum, waiting for something. Even with the four Bone Demons present, the crocodiles already viewed the humans as a meal.
As the low GRUMBLING grew louder, Nangong Jianqiu’s heart clenched painfully.
While she had been desperately fighting, she hadn’t had time to think. But now, in this lull, the full horror of their situation flashed through her mind, magnified a thousandfold.
She knew many men coveted her body. They knew she was the daughter of the fearsome Dark Tower Master, so they never dared to let it show in their eyes, but she knew. She knew they all harbored countless filthy thoughts...
And now, this magnificent body of hers was about to be fed to crocodiles!
In the blink of an eye, these Lightning Crocodiles would tear the flesh from her bones, rip off her limbs and head, and crunch every last bone...
Or perhaps she’d encounter an unromantic Lightning Crocodile that would just swallow her whole in one gulp, clothes and all.
"I’ll sign a contract! The contract will stipulate three Shadow Demon Flowers! You can contact the Shadow Tower anytime to have me honor the agreement!"
At this critical moment, a flash of inspiration struck Nangong Jianqiu, and she shouted her proposal.
"A contract... I suppose that could work," Shen Lang said, sounding reluctant. He took out a piece of Beast Hide, quickly scribbled a few lines on it, and infused it with several Dharma Seals.
He then passed the Beast Hide to Nangong Jianqiu. "See if there are any issues. If not, make your Hand Seal, add a drop of blood, and our deal is done."
Even though Shen Lang was about to save them, Nangong Jianqiu felt an intense dislike for him no matter how she looked at it.
This irritation wasn’t just because he was extorting three Shadow Demon Flowers from her. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she just felt that this Ghost-faced Man had an incredibly punchable face!
Nangong Jianqiu shot Shen Lang a venomous glare, snatched the contract from him, and bit her finger, letting a drop of fresh blood fall onto the hide.
Just then, as he stood close to her, Shen Lang suddenly struck! His left palm, wreathed in a ball of lightning, shot toward Nangong Jianqiu!
"You bastard!"
Nangong Jianqiu never imagined Shen Lang would attack at such a moment.
From her perspective, he had absolutely no reason to attack her now.
If he truly wanted to harm her or her people, he could have just sent his four Bone Demons to attack. In their exhausted state, they wouldn’t have lasted more than a few rounds.
Nangong Jianqiu’s Cultivation was at the Spirit Martial Realm Fifth Heaven, and she practiced a Shadow-type Technique suited for assassination—a technique that prized speed above all else. So, despite the sudden attack, she reacted instantly. With a sway of her shoulders, she shot a palm strike toward Shen Lang as she rapidly retreated, her feet carving a deep groove in the ground.
However, to her utter shock, Shen Lang’s speed was even greater than hers. Just as his left palm was about to meet her right, he suddenly accelerated, slipping past her block.
Then...
THWACK!
Shen Lang’s palm landed squarely on Nangong Jianqiu’s right shoulder.
"Young Miss!"
The eyes of the Shadow Tower members nearly split with rage. With a furious roar, they all charged, vowing to kill Shen Lang on the spot!
