Little King

After pouring out the last drop of gasoline, Chang Ping hugged the empty barrel and leaned backward. He pulled off an Iron Bridge, setting the barrel flat on the damp, soft ground. Then he released it, gave his waist a little push, and stood up again with ease.

His core strength was absurdly powerful now, leaving fitness buffs eighteen streets behind.

"Your pathetic little bit of strength is nothing to brag about! Come into the water if you've got the guts. I'll fling you to death with one swing!" Xiangliu gave an eightfold sneer. It beat the blazing fire on its back with its necks, looking at Chang Ping with contempt.

"Idiot!" Chang Ping gave Xiangliu the finger and ignored the ten-thousand-year-old monster.

He tore off his left sleeve and wrapped it around the Water Godhead, layer after layer, then stuffed the bundle into his shirt.

He had no idea what tricks the old thing had pulled, but as long as he didn't touch it directly, he should be fine. In any case, he wasn't giving up on this chance at immortality.

Aside from the Old Monster, Chang Ping hadn't spotted any other demons in the Cold Pond. Xiangliu was far too powerful for him to eat, so he'd have to find some other way to fill his stomach.

"I've got no choice but to leave!"

Chang Ping returned to the safe area, pulled out a Nuclear Torch, and held it up to illuminate the space above.

Although he was only a peak Silver-ranked martial artist, and couldn't take on the Sacred Family's Black Gold experts, he could handle Shen Xiu, a fragile Silver Two-star Demon Spirit Master.

Demon Spirit Masters had powerful spiritual strength but weak bodies. They were like mage classes in online games.

"Found it!" Chang Ping spotted the entrance on the right side of the safe area. After Fox Spirit Shen Xiu had torn out his heart, she'd thrown him down through there.

Just as he tried to jump up, a rope as thick as an arm dropped down. Luckily, he dodged in time, or the end of it would have smacked him in the face.

He wasn't handsome to begin with. If his face got ruined too, how was he ever going to find a wife?

"Sounds like someone's coming down...?" Chang Ping narrowed his eyes and peered along the rope. He could just make out a flickering light. "Who could it be? Shen Xiu?"

Chang Ping clenched a fist as big as a vinegar jar.

I wasn't going to look for you, and now you've delivered yourself right to me! Fine by me. Saves me the trouble.

Chang Ping hurried back to the safe area, pulled out the torches one by one, then ripped open the gasoline barrel and stuffed them all inside. Finally, he turned the barrel upside down.

He was so hungry that his head was spinning. He might not be able to beat Shen Xiu head-on.

Using the flames on the Cold Pond as cover, he slipped back to the entrance and pressed himself against the wall. He drew his Desert Eagle and waited for his prey.

Four days. Four whole days! Do you know what I've been through these past four days? Chang Ping ground his teeth and screamed inwardly.

Two hours passed. Chang Ping was so hungry his eyes were rolling back, but Shen Xiu still hadn't climbed down.

Are you a snail? Why are you crawling so slowly?

Is the surface really that far away?

Another half hour passed before the person finally emerged from the entrance.

Chang Ping immediately flattened himself on the ground to keep the torchlight from catching him.

"Huh? Why is there a fire over there?" The newcomer sounded puzzled.

Chang Ping frowned slightly. The voice was very young, nothing like the voice of an old woman such as Shen Xiu.

Soon, the newcomer reached the ground and hurried toward the burning pond.

Like an antlion lying in wait beneath the soil, Chang Ping suddenly sprang up and pounced.

"Don't move! Move and I'll blow your head off!" He attacked from behind, clamping one hand over the woman's mouth and pressing the Desert Eagle to her head with the other.

The woman dropped her torch and trembled like a sieve.

Chang Ping hooked an arm around her smooth neck, bent down to pick up the torch, and stuck it in the ground. Then he started undoing the woman's belt.

"No, please!" The woman begged in a panic, tears streaming down her face. She thought Chang Ping was going to assault her.

"Shut up!"

Chang Ping slapped her soft little bottom.

He'd only given her a light smack, but the woman felt as if her pelvis were about to crack.

Still, after Chang Ping's warning, she stopped crying out and let him roughly yank off her belt. She clenched her teeth, eyes red, swearing she'd make the lecher who was about to take her precious first time pay for it.

But the lecher did nothing indecent. He simply used her belt to tie her hands behind her back.

Only when the lecher came around to face her did the woman realize that her captor was the lowly servant who cleaned the toilets at the estate.

At the thought of his filthy hand covering her mouth, she couldn't help retching.

"What the hell are you gagging for? You think I wanted to clean toilets?" Chang Ping snapped. "Besides, you're just a serving girl, a dog. What right do you have to look down on me?"

He'd originally been hired to sweep the courtyard. Since he worked so quickly, he often finished early. That old fool Shen Ming couldn't stand seeing him idle, so he'd forced him to clean the toilets too. If Chang Ping refused, he wouldn't get paid. He'd had no choice.

The Little Maidservant shrank her neck under his scolding and lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

"What did Shen Xiu send you down here to do?" Chang Ping brought over the barrel, sat down opposite the Little Maidservant, and began questioning her.

"I... I can't tell you!" The Little Maidservant's voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

Luckily, Chang Ping was now a Silver-ranked martial artist, with greatly heightened senses. Otherwise, he might not have heard her at all.

"You won't tell me? Want me to carry you over and throw you into the water to feed the Old Monster?" Chang Ping pointed his thumb behind him.

"Sure, sure!" Xiangliu perked up at that, nodding its eight terrifying heads like chicks pecking at grain. "The little girl's so tender and soft-skinned—she must taste delicious! I haven't eaten human flesh in ages! Thanks, Little King!"

The reason it had kept the Black Water Mysterious Turtle alive was so it could crawl ashore and carry corpses into the water for Xiangliu to eat.

If the turtle died, getting meat would be much harder. This was a rare opportunity, and it absolutely couldn't let it slip by.

"Little King?" Chang Ping froze and turned to ask, "Are you talking to me?"

"Aren't you a bastard? Calling you Little King makes perfect sense!"

Chang Ping suddenly slapped the gasoline barrel, stood up, and pointed at Xiangliu's nose as he cursed, "You're the bastard! Your whole family are bastards! Your king, your grandpa, your ancestors..."

"Right back at you!" Xiangliu didn't bother arguing with Chang Ping. It slowly sank into the water.

But it left one head above the surface, drooling as it watched the Little Maidservant.

"Th-that thing... what is it? It's so scary..." The Little Maidservant was frightened by Xiangliu. She'd never seen such an ugly demon.

And yet a demon like that lived beneath the Eldest Young Lady's bed. Why would she keep such a terrifying creature? The Little Maidservant broke out in a cold sweat at the thought.

"Don't worry about what it is. Just know that it can swallow you whole." Chang Ping turned around, sat back down on the gasoline barrel, and studied the Little Maidservant. "What did Shen Xiu send you down here to do? Answer me, unless you want to be thrown into the water!"