HBWnovel Chapter 59 Fate Unknown? That means he's dead!
Chapter 59 Fate Unknown? That means he's dead!
Li Fulan opened her eyes, and the cold light of the silver tempering pill seemed to still linger on her retina.
The moment consciousness awoke from its slumber, familiar sensations returned to the body. The feel beneath the feet had changed from the cold metal floor of the base to soft, damp earth, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and dew, mixed with a pungent, burnt smell.
In the Douluo Continent, on the outskirts of Notting City, there was an abandoned construction site.
He is back.
The faint light of dawn pierced through the sparse clouds, casting a pale golden hue over the ravaged battlefield. All around were charred remnants of the explosion, rubble and debris scattered everywhere, and several once-standing old trees snapped in half by the shockwave, faint wisps of smoke still rising from their trunks.
In the bushes not far away, a charred body was curled up.
That's Old Wang.
That arrogant Soul King, that level 58 powerhouse who once boasted of "killing to steal treasures," was now like a withered tree repeatedly whipped by high-voltage arcs, curled up in a ball, emitting a nauseating burnt smell.
His skin was completely carbonized, cracked with countless deep fissures that revealed bone, through which crimson muscle tissue could be vaguely seen. His right arm had been blown off at the shoulder, leaving only a jagged section of broken bone exposed, with black blood already congealed into clumps.
From any angle, this is a corpse.
However, Li Fulan's pupils contracted slightly.
He heard some kind of sound.
thump.
thump.
thump.
That was the sound of a heartbeat.
Beneath that charred chest cavity, a dull yet powerful thud resounded. The sound was deep and tenacious, like some wild beast trapped in a cage, desperately pounding against the iron bars that imprison it.
The vitality of a Soul King was on full display at this moment.
Even with the body almost completely necrotic, even with not a single patch of intact skin left on its body, the nuclear organ was still stubbornly pumping blood, trying to maintain the host's long-lost vitality. This extraordinary vitality was beyond the comprehension of ordinary humans.
Li Fulan channeled his soul power into the storage ring, and the large-caliber pistol instantly appeared in his hand. The cold metallic touch completely calmed his tense nerves, and the familiar weight gave him an absolute sense of security.
Li Fulan released the safety, held the gun level, and moved with the lightness of a hunting feline. His breathing was steady and long, each step perfectly positioned to ensure he was ready to fire at any moment without making a sound that would alert his target.
His gaze swept over every corner of the surroundings, and only after confirming that there were no other ambushes did he slowly squat down.
The gun was almost pressed against the charred remains, or more precisely, against the still-beating heart.
Boom, boom, boom.
The sound of his heartbeat traveled through the metal barrel to his palm, like a silent plea for mercy, or a resentful curse.
"Is it alive or dead?"
Li Fulan muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes like a hunter scrutinizing his prey.
A Soul King-level heart can continue to beat on its own even when its owner is on the verge of death, maintaining at least the minimum vital signs. If we take this back to the base and let Elder Yuan study it, perhaps we can extract something of value.
However, the storage ring can only hold inanimate objects, so we'll just have to give it a try!
With a thought, a faint fluctuation of soul power emanated from his storage ring. The next moment, the still-beating heart, along with the tattered body of the Soul King, vanished from its spot and was stored in the storage ring.
Is their fate unknown? That means they're dead!
After doing all this, Li Fulan stood up and looked around.
The traces left by the explosion were too obvious; anyone with eyes could tell that a fierce battle had taken place there. Fortunately, the location he chose was remote enough, and the explosion occurred late at night, with no witnesses nearby.
He used his foot to poke at the scorched earth, trying to cover up the more obvious shell craters and scorch marks. He then broke off a few tree branches to conceal the spot where Old Wang had fallen. Finally, he took out a bottle of specially made odor-eliminating agent from his storage ring and sprayed it around the scene.
This elimination agent is a cutting-edge technology product developed by the base. It can decompose residual odor molecules in the air in a short time, causing tracking dogs and soul beasts that rely on their sense of smell to lose their clues.
After everything was settled, Li Fulan dusted off his hands and turned to look in the direction of Nottingham City.
As dawn broke through the leaves, dappled light and shadow fell across the ground. In the distance, the outline of Nottingham City loomed in the morning mist, and blurry figures could be seen moving about on the watchtowers atop the city walls.
It's time to go back.
Li Fulan took a step forward, and her figure quickly disappeared into the jungle.
Meanwhile, in Nottingham City.
Deep within the secluded courtyard, in the sleeping quarters.
The bed was covered with a quilt woven from millennia-old ice silkworm silk, a rare treasure that was warm in winter and cool in summer and could only be enjoyed by members of the royal family.
A pale hand reached out from behind the curtain and impatiently tore the silk open.
Prince Avalanche sat up in bed with a yawn, his eyes revealing a weariness and gloom after a night of debauchery. His face was deathly pale, his lips were chapped and peeling, and the dark circles under his eyes were so thick they looked like they had been painted on with ink. Clearly, he had indulged in another absurd revelry last night.
On either side of the bed, two concubines dressed in thin gauze immediately knelt down, carefully picking up his clothes to help him change. Their movements were gentle and skillful, but their eyes remained lowered, not daring to look directly at this capricious prince.
"Has that old geezer, Wang, returned yet?"
Avalanche casually took the mouthwash handed to him by another maid and asked indistinctly, "That water is made from the finest spiritual spring water. It is said to nourish yin and moisten the lungs, clear the mind and brighten the eyes, and is quite valuable."
He hadn't really cared much about the whereabouts of a subordinate; a mere Soul King, useful but not irreplaceable. However, his right eyelid had twitched all night, making it impossible for him to sleep soundly, and he felt inexplicably anxious.
"Back to Your Highness..."
A man dressed as a servant knelt tremblingly at the doorway, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles, his voice shaking as if he were swaying.
"Old Wang... Old Wang didn't return all night, and no news has come back..."
"Snapped!"
The exquisite jade mouthwash cup was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces. Shards flew everywhere, some even scratching the cheeks of the concubines kneeling beside it, but they gritted their teeth and dared not utter a sound, only bowing their bodies even lower, their foreheads pressed tightly to the ground.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
Xue Beng suddenly stood up, his previous lazy, spoiled demeanor vanishing instantly. His eyes turned cold and sharp, a gaze that seemed to emanate from some cold-blooded animal, filled with a murderous rage and a predatory intent.
Although Old Wang was only a Soul King, he had secretly recruited these assassins at great expense. This old man came from a declining assassin family and was trained as a killing machine from a young age; the blood on his hands numbered far more than a thousand lives.
He was a sharp knife used by Avalanche to handle dirty and tiring tasks. From assassinating trusted confidants of political enemies to silencing pawns who knew too many secrets, Old Wang never failed.
The knife is now lost.
This not only means the loss of a capable assistant, but also means—potential exposure.
Old Wang knows too many secrets about avalanches.
If he gets caught, if he speaks, if those secrets reach someone's ears...
Avalanche paced barefoot back and forth on the expensive Persian carpet, his chest heaving violently. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force, and he exuded a dangerous aura.
The servants and concubines kneeling on the ground didn't dare to breathe loudly, for fear of offending him.
"Relay my orders!"
The avalanche abruptly stopped at the window, staring intently into the distance. His voice was forced out through clenched teeth, carrying a chilling murderous intent.
"Have the White Horse Army leave the city immediately! Search along the route where Old Wang last disappeared! At all costs! Find him alive or dead!"
He paused, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
"Also, send someone to investigate that guy surnamed Li! The black-haired brat who opposed me at the auction! I need to know everything about him—who he is, where he came from, and who's backing him!"
"If it's discovered that he's connected to Old Wang's disappearance..."
A cruel smile crept onto Xue Beng's lips.
"Kill him!"