The Lion Opens His Jaws

"Senior, you jest." Lei Dong smiled faintly and bowed respectfully. "You are one of the few supreme experts in the world. How could the collapse of a mere cave possibly trouble you?"

"Eh?" With a glance, the Purgatory Devil King spotted the unusually elegant, ink-black Flying Boat. His expression turned uncertain. "That Flying Boat looks like Netherworld Old Ghost's beloved ride. How did it end up in your hands?"

Lei Dong had brought out the Flying Boat for precisely this reason. The Netherworld Ghost Emperor and the Purgatory Devil King were both supreme experts, and both possessed extraordinary bearing and an air of imperial majesty. As far as Lei Dong knew, the two had privately sparred several times, with neither gaining the upper hand. They admired one another and shared a mutual appreciation. If the Purgatory Devil King didn't recognize the Flying Boat, so be it. But if he did, it would give Lei Dong yet another bargaining chip.

In this world, the strong preyed on the weak. Lei Dong didn't want to borrow someone else's authority to throw his weight around, but there were many things he had no choice but to do.

The Purgatory Devil King's reaction only made Lei Dong more certain. Neither servile nor arrogant, he maintained the respect a junior owed a senior, cupped his hands, and said, "To answer you, Senior, this Flying Boat was indeed a gift from Senior Netherworld."

"Tsk, tsk. That Old Ghost is generous. I asked him for it last time, and he wouldn't give it to me." A trace of envy crossed the Purgatory Devil King's fearsome face. "I've been aboard it twice. Those courtyards are truly exquisite. Boy, come clean: what exactly is your relationship with Old Ghost? Could it be that he's figured out some special method