After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 476: Chapter 475: Cold-Blooded and Heartless

By the time Hee Lingchuan found an inn and checked in, it was already the Late Chou Hour.

They had nearly turned Luocang upside down, and the chaos at the Prunella Vault was like a full-blown light show. It would have been strange if the townspeople hadn’t been awakened.

Hee Lingchuan went straight to take a cold shower, washing off the blood and mud, then changed into a fresh set of clothes before heading to the Town Bureau.

Surprisingly, the fat man’s confession had already been obtained. This was thanks to General Antelope, who wasted no time and began the forced confession—no, the interrogation—on the way back.

As a local powerhouse, General Antelope enjoyed many special privileges. No one dared to stop him from overstepping his authority to conduct an interrogation like this.

The fat man had been kicked off the Snail Toad’s shell by a skunk during the battle and was captured early on. This had actually saved him from being blown to bits, and he was now alive and well.

Jiao Yu, who was listening in on the interrogation, confirmed that the fat man was merely an accomplice who followed orders from his boss and the higher-ups.

The boss was Wan Song.

But the fat man also gave up some crucial information. For instance, they had started this ”cost-free business” seven years ago. He had been recruited by Wan Song, who in turn had been recruited by the original captain.

The original captain had died last winter from serious injuries sustained while raiding a Porcupine Den on Yulun Mountain, so Wan Song had naturally been promoted to captain.

For seven years, they had operated exclusively within the Chiyan Realm, carrying out nearly two hundred missions and killing several thousand demons of all sizes.

This was a rough estimate; he couldn’t remember the exact number.

The number was so large because some demons were small, like bats. They had to kill at least a dozen or so each time.

”Several thousand?” Hee Lingchuan frowned when he heard the number. ”That doesn’t sound right, does it? In the Yulun Mountain incident alone, they killed over a hundred Porcupines.”

”That was in the later stages,” Jiao Yu explained. ”In the beginning, their Demon Hunting was cautious. They tried to pick off large Wild Demons, so they only needed to hunt one or two each time, doing their best not to attract official attention.”

Safety was the key to longevity.

”Then, starting last year, the Emperor’s Liquid appeared. The number of Mountain Demons and Wild Beasts surged, and the higher-ups’ demand for Pulp Pearls grew with it. That’s when they were ordered to ramp up the hunt.”

Otherwise, this whole affair would never have been exposed.

Hee Lingchuan finally got to the main point. ”So, what’s the story with the Messenger from Lingxu City being hunted?”

”The fat man confessed that they just treated it as a common Demon Bird to be killed for its pearl. They had no idea it was a Messenger from Lingxu City!” Jiao Yu let out a rare sigh. ”He was bawling his eyes out in front of us, saying that if he’d known it was a Demon from Lingxu City, who would’ve dared to touch it? General Antelope also got physical just now to make sure he wasn’t lying.”

As he spoke, Jiao Yu glanced at General Antelope. The impatient fellow had nearly beaten the shit out of the fat man, who probably couldn’t lie even if he wanted to.

Hee Lingchuan asked in surprise, ”So the White-shouldered Eagle didn’t even try to defend itself before it died?”

’It was a bird of prey, after all. Did it really have to die so pathetically?’

”The monster assigned to Wan Song is called a Snail Toad. It can release a colorless, odorless knockout gas at its prey, causing them to fall into a deep sleep without realizing it. So the White-shouldered Eagle really did fall asleep and never woke up, without even a chance to plead its case.”

At this thought, Jiao Yu shuddered. ”Luckily, when we set up the ambush at the vault, we all had stimulant pills in our mouths. Otherwise, we would’ve woken up from a nap to find the culprits a thousand miles away. Wouldn’t that have been a complete and utter disgrace?”

Hee Lingchuan stroked his chin. ”So that’s how all the Porcupines died?”

”Most of them,” Jiao Yu said, having gotten the full story from the interrogation. ”But a few returned from outside and weren’t caught in the gas, which led to a big fight with Wan Song’s group. With the Snail Toad’s help, they still won in the end.”

”So what’s the deal with this Snail Toad?” This was what interested Hee Lingchuan the most. ”You asked about it, right? Tell me.”

”Just as you suspected, that monster is a synthetic Demon Puppet. But the fat man doesn’t know who created it. He only knows it was synthesized from an Evil Ghost Toad larva and a snail, and that even the shell on its back has a significant origin.”

”What kind of origin?”

”He doesn’t know. He just heard the previous captain mention it once.”

”Evil Ghost Toad? Does the Chiyan Kingdom have that kind of Demon?” Hee Lingchuan had heard of the infamous Evil Ghost Toad. Legend said this demon only appeared in the countryside during thunderstorms, specifically ambushing travelers on their paths.

It had the ability to change color and shape, often disguising itself as a cave or a house. Travelers seeking shelter from the rain would walk right into the toad’s mouth, becoming a delicious meal for the Evil Ghost Toad.

”Chiyan doesn’t have them. I heard the Ze Kingdom has an Evil Ghost Toad family, but their line is dwindling; there are only three of them left.” Jiao Yu shook his head. ”Evil Ghost Toads are massive and have powerful Magical Power. It’s very difficult for them to have offspring these days.”

The more powerful a creature, the harder it is for it to reproduce, especially in an environment with such thin Spiritual Qi.

Hee Lingchuan asked, puzzled, ”Then where did this group get an Evil Ghost Toad larva?”

”I don’t know, but I suspect it must have something to do with the Ze Kingdom,” Jiao Yu murmured. ”If word of this gets out, it will cause another huge uproar.”

No one would let the matter rest if they saw their child turned into such a twisted thing, neither demon nor puppet.

Of course, Hee Lingchuan wasn’t concerned about Chiyan’s diplomatic risks. He just mused, ”An Evil Ghost Toad larva... Holy shit, isn’t that just a tadpole?”

’No wonder the Demon Puppet looked so strange. Wasn’t it just a tadpole that hadn’t fully... metamorphosed?’

Tadpoles are spindle-shaped when they first hatch. As time passes, the base of the tail swells, front and hind legs sprout, and then the body bloats as the tail shortens and eventually disappears, turning it into a frog or toad.

If you ignored the snail shell and antennae, wasn’t this Demon Puppet’s form just the intermediate stage between a tadpole and a toad?

But according to the laws of biology, this form doesn’t last long and is particularly unstable.

’No wonder Dong Rui said the monster had to eat Prunella regularly. He must have used some method to keep the Demon Puppet in this form, but the creation process was too rushed for further adjustments.’

’What would happen if the Snail Toad went too long without eating Prunella?’

’Would it turn into an Evil Ghost Toad?’

’And what terrible consequences would that lead to?’

Hee Lingchuan felt that after hearing all this testimony, his questions hadn’t decreased, but had instead multiplied.

”How much does he know about Wan Song’s current superior, Mr. Mai?”

General Antelope answered, ”He’s never met Mr. Mai, and Wan Song rarely mentioned him. But when Wan Song came back from meeting Mr. Mai in Baisha Jue at the end of last year, he said their team had performed the best and therefore received the most generous reward.”

’A year-end bonus?’ ”How much money did they get?”

The team originally had six members. The original captain died last year while hunting Porcupines, and two others were killed a few days ago trying to poach Hee Lingchuan’s Rock Sheep. That’s why they had only faced three people this time.

”At the end of last year, they each got seven hundred taels, plus an additional bonus of 1,200 taels,” General Antelope said hatefully. ”Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so motivated to kill so many demons this year!”

”So you’re saying there are other teams?”

”He couldn’t say for sure.”

”What about Wan Song’s personality?” This was a question he had specifically asked Jiao Yu to raise during the interrogation.

”Fierce and cruel. His subordinates are all afraid of him.”

Hee Lingchuan nodded.

The fat man had been completely drained by the two demons; there was no more value in questioning him. Hee Lingchuan checked the time, stood up, and said, ”Let’s go. To the infirmary.”

At times like this, he really missed Lingguang.

After the midnight battle, Wan Song had been sent to the best infirmary in Luocang for emergency treatment.

The doctors here were quite skilled. After working on him for over a double-hour, they had stopped the patient’s bleeding, and the swelling on his face had mostly subsided. But they expressed their regrets: ”His internal organs are too severely damaged. It’s beyond our power to save him. The most we can do with all our skills is keep him alive for another double-hour. Do you want to wake him up now?”

”Wake him up.” Hee Lingchuan and the others naturally had no regrets. ”Time is precious.”

So the doctors took a smelling bottle, placed it under the patient’s nose, and waved it gently.

Soon, Wan Song slowly regained consciousness.

He opened his eyes and saw Hee Lingchuan. Then his gaze swept over Jiao Yu, General Antelope, and the other demons. His confusion gradually gave way to clarity, and then to utter despair.

”It seems you’re well aware of your situation.” Hee Lingchuan hooked a chair with his foot and sat down. ”Answer honestly, and you can avoid some suffering.”

”Why... why did it explode?” Wan Song hadn’t been able to figure it out before he passed out, and he still couldn’t now.

”There were several jars of explosives in the vault.” Hee Lingchuan had planted them, originally intending to detonate them when the monster broke into the vault from underground.

Who knew it would just swallow the vault whole.

That turned out even better. Hee Lingchuan had his Clone jump into the thing’s mouth and trigger a chain reaction of explosions. The power was, of course, astounding.

Wan Song lifted his head slightly and looked down at his legs.

”Can I still be saved?”

Hee Lingchuan was blunt: ”No.”

”...” To Jiao Yu and the other demons, this was baffling. ’Shouldn’t they be giving him some hope right now, using his life as leverage?’

But Hee Lingchuan knew this man came from a Daoist Sect and was a desperado who had lived his life on the edge. He had probably already assessed his own injuries; trying to trick him on that front wouldn’t be easy.

Wan Song had an aquiline nose, high cheekbones, and a gaunt face. At this moment, his complexion was pale and grim.

”I’m about to die. What could you possibly want to ask me?”

”Wan the Wealthy has been caught. He’ll likely be implicated because of you.” Hee Lingchuan picked up a cup from the table, his tone surprisingly affable. ”Water?”

”Yes.” Wan Song figured a dead man walking had nothing to fear, so he acted nonchalantly.

Hee Lingchuan personally helped him drink some water before continuing, ”Wan the Wealthy has several young grandsons. Are you going to drag them to the grave with you?”

”If Wan Xianneng hadn’t sold me out, would you have been able to catch me?” Wan Song was completely unconcerned. ”He screwed me over, I screw him over. We’re even.”

’He was about to die. Why should he care about someone else’s children?’

Hee Lingchuan laughed. ”Good. Very good. Cold-blooded and ruthless. No wonder Mr. Mai felt secure using you.”

’Wan Xianneng was his own uncle, his only living relative, who had even helped him out financially in the past. Yet he could cast him aside without a second thought. Mr. Mai must have seen this as a precious quality, right?’

Wan Song rolled his eyes to look at him but said nothing. His contempt was plain to see.

’He was about to die. What could this person possibly do to him?’

’Besides death, nothing else mattered. Who was there left to fear?’