Strongest War Emperor

Shen Lang replayed the moment Ye Xue had arrived in his mind.

He grew more and more certain of his judgment.

’If this woman wanted to muscle her way in, shouldn’t she have been arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone?’

’She was proud and treated me like trash... so why the venomous look in her eyes?’

’Would someone like her really get that look just because I beat up one of her guards?’

’A mere Guard... In her eyes, he’s probably no different from a dog.’

’I never thought that venomous gaze was because of something like that...’

If that was the case, then the matter of his father’s corpse poison might be completely explainable.

The truth was likely this... Because Chu Qingcheng was fond of Shen Moran, Ye Xue had developed an extreme hatred for Shen Lang’s entire family. Then, she might have found out that his father was colluding with Demon Martial Artists. She then hatched a plot to lure Shen Lang’s father near Black Wind Mountain, intending to use a Demon Corpse to kill him.

Sometimes, there was no need to overcomplicate conspiracies and events.

The truth was very likely just that simple!

Although this was all just speculation, Shen Lang’s heart was in turmoil, like a raging sea. It was impossible for him to calm down.

’Ye Xue!’

As Killing Intent flashed in his eyes, Shen Lang’s focus suddenly shifted, and he turned to look out the window.

In a dark corner of the street below, he saw a black-robed man stuff a bag into another person’s hands and ask something in a hushed voice.

A sharp glint flashed in Shen Lang’s eyes. His immense Divine Thought extended from his body, sweeping over the two men and instantly picking up their conversation.

"Still no luck?"

"Not yet. The Treasure Pavilion is extremely secretive about its auctioned items. We simply can’t find out who provided the Giant Potion and its recipe. Besides, there’s no one that powerful in Celestial Phoenix City..."

"Keep investigating. At any cost. Spare no expense!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Retracting his Divine Thought, Shen Lang’s gaze grew colder.

The Treasure Pavilion held an auction once a month. Investigating the providers of items wasn’t unheard of, but it was extremely rare.

For one, it was a taboo practice that could easily offend powerful figures, not to mention the Treasure Pavilion itself.

For another, most of the time, knowing who provided a treasure was of little use.

And yet, Shen Lang had just heard the black-robed man say, ’At any cost. Spare no expense!’

Not long ago, at Black Wind Ridge, Shen Lang had given Deng Jianchen the Giant Potion to hold off a Spirit Corpse... which allowed him, Shui Qingwu, and the others to escape.

’Who else but the mastermind whose Demon Corpses I slaughtered would be trying to dig up the provider of the Giant Potion in a place like this?’

"Hey! You’re sitting with my lady, and you’re just staring out the window with a long face. What’s your problem? My lady is gracing you with her presence. What right do you have to be so arrogant!"

Cai Ying had seen Shen Lang inexplicably crush the wine jug just moments ago, and now he was staring out the window again as if he couldn’t be bothered with them. She was furious.

"Cai Ying, stop talking nonsense!" Shui Qingwu chided.

Cai Ying said, feeling wronged, "But my lady, see for yourself! The guy’s face is as long as a mule’s. And he’s the one who owes you several hundred Spirit Stones, yet he looks like *we’re* the ones in his debt! I’ve never seen anyone like him..."

’Who is this girl? She’s fierce!’ Su Hen and Lin Feng exchanged a glance.

Meanwhile, Lang Buqun, sitting beside Shen Lang, was delighted. He shot Shen Lang a gloating look.

It wasn’t that he disliked Shen Lang...

He disliked *any* man who sat with Shui Qingwu.

He was happy whenever a man like that was put down in front of her.

"Go ahead and eat first. I have some business to take care of. I’ll be back in a bit." Shen Lang announced, then stood up and walked out.

"Hey, you..." Shui Qingwu said with a note of reproach. ’This guy seems a bit petty. Cai Ying says two words to him and he just storms off.’

Shui Qingwu had rarely seen anything like this. Men like Deng Jianchen and Lang Buqun had been relentlessly hassled by Cai Ying in the past, but none of them had ever shown the slightest intention of leaving.

Thinking of this, Shui Qingwu felt a slight pang of disappointment.

She was very confident in her looks and bearing. Even if she wasn’t a peerless beauty capable of toppling nations, she shouldn’t be so repulsive to someone, should she?

That Ghost-faced Person was one thing...

But this Shen Lang... the first time he saw her, he just snored away, refused to get up, and wouldn’t even speak to her.

And now, they had just sat down to have a meal, and he put on a sour face, acted completely indifferent, and then just up and left!

"When will you be back?"

Even Shui Qingwu herself didn’t understand why she cared so much that she couldn’t stop herself from asking.

"Maybe in a little while, maybe longer. Don’t wait for me," Shen Lang said without turning back, giving a casual wave with his left hand.

However, that casual wave held a special significance in Shui Qingwu’s eyes.

’That gesture...’ Shui Qingwu’s gaze sharpened, her eyes fixed on Shen Lang’s arm and his retreating back.

Both were dressed in black.

Both had the same ramrod-straight posture, the same steady gait...

There didn’t seem to be much difference in their height.

And that wave—it was casual, almost lazy, yet it held an undercurrent of confidence that was difficult for others to perceive!

The image of a man’s back, a blade in hand, leaving a bloody footprint with every step, superimposed itself over Shen Lang’s retreating figure in Shui Qingwu’s mind...

"You..." Shui Qingwu finally lost her composure and shot to her feet.

Cai Ying and Lang Buqun were dumbfounded, while Su Hen and Lin Feng were completely baffled.

What in the world was going on? From Shen Lang crushing the wine jug to Shui Qingwu losing her cool like this... None of it made any sense.

Shui Qingwu took a step to follow him but was pulled back by Cai Ying. "My lady, you’re not actually going to chase after that little punk, are you? That bastard is so arrogant! It’s only right that you want to teach him a lesson—he’s infuriating! Don’t worry, leave him to me next time. Hmph, didn’t you say he’s a student at your Tayun Academy? He can run, but he can’t hide!"

Cai Ying’s words helped Shui Qingwu calm down. Her expression shifted, and she sat back down.

’She’s right. He can run, but he can’t hide. If it’s really him... hmph, that man...’ Shui Qingwu’s veil fluttered gently.

By now, the restaurant had returned to its usual buzz, with patrons excitedly discussing the delay of the Treasure Pavilion’s auction.

Hearing talk of the Giant Potion and its recipe sent another wave of turbulence through Shui Qingwu’s heart.

’I already suspected the Giant Potion was connected to that Ghost-faced Person. And what a coincidence that he shows up here. Even more of a coincidence, the Treasure Pavilion auction was supposed to be in two hours, with no prior notice of any changes. Yet, in the short time he was inside, something like this happens... Hmph, I, Shui Qingwu, am not as stupid as you think. Just you wait, I’ll be the one to expose your true identity!’

While Shui Qingwu was wrestling with these deductions, the black-robed man Shen Lang had seen inquiring about the Giant Potion left the main street and ducked into a deserted ruin.

A short while later, the man poked his head out of the ruins. After a cautious look around, he began to hurry through the web of alleyways.

The old district of Celestial Phoenix City hadn’t seen much redevelopment. It was the city’s slum, a maze of abandoned buildings.

Anyone unfamiliar with the area could easily get lost in its winding paths.

The black-robed man spent a long time winding through the old district before finally emerging and heading toward the center of Celestial Phoenix City.

Before long, the man swaggered brazenly into the largest building in the city center—the City Lord’s Mansion!

Just as the man’s figure was about to disappear down the long, ascending corridor of the City Lord’s Mansion, Shen Lang walked past the main gate like an ordinary passerby.

He nonchalantly turned his head to glance at the three large golden words above the City Lord’s Mansion gate, a cold smile touching his lips.

...

Shen Lang started walking back toward the Treasure Pavilion, but he stopped after only a few steps. He turned around with a helpless sigh. "Didn’t I tell you I don’t need your protection anymore? Why are you following me?"

Five or six meters behind him, Xue Dangdang, dressed in red, pouted and glared. "You make your own decisions, and I’ll make mine. It’s a public road. You can walk it, and so can I. Who says I’m following you?"

"Dingdang, stop fooling around. I’m serious," Shen Lang said with a frown. "Even with that immense power sealed inside you, I doubt it would be easy for you to beat me. I really don’t need your protection anymore."

Xue Dangdang strolled over, her hands clasped behind her back. This time, she didn’t silence the bells on her clothes, letting them jingle freely.

She came to his side and looked at him askance. "It seems you really have gotten stronger. You even know about the powerful energy sealed inside me?"

"I do," Shen Lang answered directly.

"You really don’t need me to protect you anymore?" Xue Dangdang circled around to stand in front of him, staring into his eyes.

"I don’t." Shen Lang averted his gaze.

He didn’t dare look into her eyes. Every time he did, he felt an overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms.

This uncontrollable impulse was a source of unbearable torment for him.

"All right, then. I get it." Xue Dangdang grinned, revealing a row of neat, white teeth. "From now on, we’ll switch roles. You can be the one to protect me."

As she spoke, she flicked a small Gold Coin toward Shen Lang, who caught it.

"That’s your payment for protecting me. For one month, mind you. Don’t complain it’s too little; there’s a bonus if you do a good job... And now that you’ve accepted it, you can’t back out," Xue Dangdang said smugly. "From now on, no matter where you go, you’re not allowed to ditch me."

A sharp pain lanced through Shen Lang’s heart. In the past, if Xue Dangdang had spoken to him like this, they would have fallen into playful banter, their teasing filled with laughter and light-hearted insults.

But now, her words struck a nerve...

It made it hard for him to breathe.

’What am I so afraid of? I obviously care for Dingdang so much, I feel like she’s my other half... So why does this unspeakable sorrow wash over me every time we’re together?’

’I’ve obtained the War Emperor’s memories, and my Cultivation is advancing by leaps and bounds. So why do I still have this bone-deep feeling that I can’t protect her? What on earth am I afraid of...?’