Douluo: The Slaughter Star Returns, Settling Accounts with Bibi Dong at the Start - Part 39

"How could this be... How could this be...?"

"I'm the King of Slaughter. How could I die?"

The King of Slaughter looked at his chest and murmured.

Just then, a strange cry rang out from the King of Slaughter. Endless blood mist surged from his body.

The black mist gradually took the shape of a bat. Sensing how powerful Qian Xun'an was, it immediately fled.

Qian Xun'an watched the nine-headed blood-red bat escape and murmured, "Was this thing behind it?"

As he spoke, Qian Xun'an hurled the spear in his hand. It carried terrifying force and pierced straight through the Nine-Headed Blood Demon Bat.

The Nine-Headed Blood Demon Bat let out a shriek. The next moment, its body shattered, exploding into a cloud of blood mist.

Meanwhile,

the blood-red color gradually faded from the King of Slaughter, and his eyes slowly regained their clarity.

"Bo Saixi, I'm sorry... Clear Sky Sect... I'm sorry, all of you..." the King of Slaughter murmured.

Tang San heard the King of Slaughter and immediately hurried over.

"Senior, are you from the Clear Sky Sect?" Tang San asked at once.

The King of Slaughter looked at Tang San, then said, "You are...!"

Tang San didn't answer directly. Instead, he raised his left hand. "Look."

Tang San summoned his Clear Sky Hammer.

The King of Slaughter's gaze froze. As he stared at the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang San's left hand, the blood-red light around him surged violently, forcing Tang San to stagger back several steps before he managed to steady himself.

"You... You're... a disciple of the Clear Sky... Sect... Whose child... are you?" The King of Slaughter's voice trembled. Blood tears welled in his black eyes, making his face look somewhat fearsome.

Tang San replied respectfully, "My father is Tang Hao. Senior, you..."

"Tang Hao? So you're Hao'er's son. It's been so many years... Even Hao'er's son has grown so big. Good, very good... Child, my name is Tang Chen."

Hearing the King of Slaughter's words, Tang San immediately dropped to his knees and bowed, calling out through choked sobs, "Great-grandfather!"

His emotions surged as well. He had never imagined that the King of Slaughter in Slaughter City was actually his great-grandfather.

"Is your father well? Is the Clear Sky Sect well?" Tang Chen asked weakly.

Tang San immediately pointed at Qian Xun'an in the distance. "Great-grandfather, my father is dead. That man killed him!

"He's the Adjudicator Elder of Spirit Hall!"

As Tang Chen listened, his expression grew worse and worse.

His blood surged, and he spat out another mouthful.

"Good! What a Spirit Hall!" Blood light rushed around him in turbulent waves. Tang San could just make out blood vessels flickering beneath his great-grandfather's skin.

"Hao'er... How could Hao'er have ended up like this? Why was that child so foolish?" Tang Chen's tears flowed freely, though they were still blood-red.

"Great-grandfather, don't be sad. The murder of my parents cannot go unavenged. I won't rest until they're utterly destroyed."

Tang Chen stared blankly at Tang San, unable to speak for a long while.

Tang Chen reached into his robes and took out a small golden hammer. A black gemstone was set into each end, and it looked exquisitely crafted. "Child, take this. It's my token, and the token of the Clear Sky Sect's chief elder.

"With it, the Elder Hall will obey your every command. You'll have the authority to depose the sect master and decide the sect's major affairs.

"I'll open the gates to Hell Road for you. Once you get out, go to Sea God Island and find Bo Saixi. Neither I nor Qian Xun'an can defeat him. If anyone in this world can, it's the people of Sea God Island."

As he spoke, Tang Chen let out a furious roar.

"Ah—"

A terrifying aura burst forth. Beneath Tang San and Hu Liena's feet, boundless blood light formed a massive magic circle. Below it, a colossal gate swung open with a thunderous crash.

"Go, now!"

Tang Chen gave a gentle push, sending Tang San and Hu Liena straight into Hell Road.

"Great-grandfather, you..." Tang San shouted as he fell, wanting Tang Chen to leave with him. But Tang Chen said, "I can't live any longer. I'll use what's left of this body to do one last thing for you!"

"No—Great-grandfather!" Tang San cried as he fell.

A look of resolve appeared in Tang Chen's eyes. With a furious roar, he shot forward and lunged at Qian Xun'an.

Tang Chen charged straight at Qian Xun'an, unleashing terrifying power from his entire body.

It was his final, desperate attack. He was clearly planning to self-destruct and take Qian Xun'an with him.

"Kid, you killed Hao'er. Even if it costs me my life, I'll take you with me!"

Tang Chen roared, unleashing immense power. All of Slaughter City trembled, and he drew every trace of its blood-red aura toward Qian Xun'an.

Qian Xun'an regarded Tang Chen impassively, not taking him seriously at all. With a casual wave, he sent a terrifying blade of black Soul Power streaking toward Tang Chen.

Boom—

The black blade exploded. But the force of the blast still sent Tang Chen flying, and his aura was nearly extinguished in an instant.

In that moment, Tang Chen's body exploded beneath the terrifying force!

His body burst into a cloud of blood mist.

Qian Xun'an looked toward the place where Tang Chen had died and murmured, "He really was strong. He must have been about as strong as Father."

Then Qian Xun'an returned and looked at the man he had come to find. The man had woken up and stared at him in confusion, murmuring, "What happened to me?"

Qian Xun'an walked over and looked at him. "Are you awake?"

"W-who are you?" The man stared at Qian Xun'an in terror.

Qian Xun'an answered calmly, "I'm with Spirit Hall."

The man jumped in fright. He immediately fell to his knees before Qian Xun'an and cried, "Spare me, sir! Please spare me! All these years, I've stayed here in Slaughter City and haven't told anyone anything. Please let me live!"

"What haven't you told anyone?" Qian Xun'an looked at the man calmly and pressed him.

The man raised his head to look at Qian Xun'an, then immediately replied, "I swear I haven't breathed a word about what happened to His Holiness the Pope back then. Please spare me!"

At his words, Qian Xun'an's eyes lit up.

It seemed this trip had been worthwhile. This man might know the truth about what happened back then.

Qian Xun'an looked at the man calmly. "Don't worry. I'm not one of Bibi Dong's people, and I'm not here to hunt you down. I'm here to save you. Tell me what you saw back then."

"You... You weren't sent by the Saintess to hunt me down?" the man asked, looking at Qian Xun'an.

When he fled, Bibi Dong had still been the Saintess, so the Saintess he spoke of was the current Pope, Bibi Dong.

Qian Xun'an nodded. "That's right. Tell me everything that happened back then, and I can guarantee your safety."

"But... that means opposing the Saintess! Can you really keep me safe?" The man looked at Qian Xun'an doubtfully.

Qian Xun'an said impatiently, "I killed the King of Slaughter. Do you think I can keep you safe?"

The man's eyes filled with utter terror. He hadn't expected the man before him to be able to kill the King of Slaughter, who was the most powerful being in Slaughter City.

"W-who are you, really?"

The man asked Qian Xun'an in fear.

Qian Xun'an answered, "I'm Qian Xun'an, the former Pope's brother. You can tell me everything now, can't you?"

At last, the man found the courage to nod. "All right..."

Then the man began to recount what had happened to Qian Xun'an.

"Back then, I was the chief guard among the attendants. When His Holiness the Pope was brought back injured, a few maids were assigned to care for him, and our team of attendants was stationed to guard him.

"That day, the Saintess suddenly came to the Pope's room. She said she would treat His Holiness the Pope's injuries and ordered us to leave rather than stand guard.

"I wasn't on duty that day, and I'd forgotten my keys, so I went to get them from another guard.

"But when I reached the area outside His Holiness the Pope's room, I saw that all my fellow guards had been sent away.

"On a sudden impulse, I looked into the room and saw the Saintess absorbing His Holiness the Pope's Soul Power.

"I was terrified. I knew something terrible was bound to happen to Spirit Hall. The Saintess had noticed me, but she seemed unable to stop what she was doing, so she didn't come after me.

"I fled Spirit Hall that very night. Later, I heard that His Holiness the Pope had passed away.

"My fellow guards on the same shift, along with all the maids, had been killed. I could feel someone hunting me, and, desperate to stay alive, I racked my brains until I thought of Slaughter City.

"People could enter Slaughter City but not leave, yet it was sure to keep me alive. Only by escaping here to Slaughter City was I able to survive."

As he listened, Qian Xun'an's fist clenched.

So it really was Bibi Dong!

Before, he had only suspected Bibi Dong. Now, the guard's testimony proved beyond doubt that she had killed his elder brother.

If he took this guard back with him, he could put Bibi Dong on trial.

Qian Xun'an gave a cold snort. "Bibi Dong, this time I have an eyewitness. Let's see how you'll deny it."

Qian Xun'an looked at the guard, then said, "I need you to come back to Spirit Hall with me and testify."