Chapter 427: Manager Pei Hao's Heartache

"Alright, I've covered several layers of Light Phasing Force film outside your poison bubble. The purification power contained in my Phasing Force will neutralize the poison's erosion, so your safety should be guaranteed."

In Li Luo's bedroom, Jiang Jiang Qinge clapped her hands, feeling somewhat relieved.

After all, covering with these so-called Light Films wasn't as simple as just saying it; this wasn't happening inside her own body, but required infiltrating Light Phasing Force into Li Luo's body, then carefully layering Light Films onto the surface of what was actually a relatively fragile Phasing Force bubble.

This required extremely exquisite control over Phasing Force.

After all, what was contained within Li Luo's Phasing Force bubble was poison gas from dual alien poisons; if the Phasing Force bubble were shattered, the poison gas would escape, causing extremely severe trauma to Li Luo.

So for these few layers of Light Films, Jiang Jiang Qinge spent an entire night.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Jiang Qinge."

Li Luo smiled; actually, letting someone else's Phasing Force enter one's own body and leave a mark was an extremely taboo matter. For instance, with Jiang Jiang Qinge's Light Phasing Force, as long as she willed it, these Light Phasing Forces would explode directly within his body, causing unimaginable severe injury to him.

So generally, no one would be willing to let someone else's Phasing Force invade the interior of their own body.

But coincidentally, neither Li Luo nor Jiang Jiang Qinge felt there was any danger in this matter.

Li Luo said this, and Jiang Jiang Qinge did just that.

"Additionally... I know what you intend to do by collecting this dual alien poison gas, but you should understand, this is a double-edged sword. You cannot truly turn this poison gas to your own use, so when you use it, you will also suffer backlash yourself." Jiang Jiang Qinge's fair and exquisite beautiful face now carried a solemn warning.

She understood Li Luo coveted the power of this "dual alien poison," but this violent dual alien poison was not a pet that could be easily tamed; it was a cold-blooded viper, and when released, it was highly likely to turn and bite back.

Hearing this, Li Luo also nodded solemnly.

"Sister Jiang Qinge, rest assured; I have my limits. I still value my own life very much."

Jiang Jiang Qinge nodded, said no more, covered her small mouth with a yawn, and said, "I'm sleepy; I'll take a nap first."

Then she lay down on the bed, turned slightly, and pulled a thin quilt over her body.

Li Luo was stunned, looking at the graceful, delicate curves still visible beneath the thin quilt on the bed: "Uh... this is my bed."

"I don't mind." Jiang Jiang Qinge's lazy voice came from within the quilt.

Li Luo climbed onto the bed and said wearily, "Then I'll sleep too; I'm tired as well."

Click.

Just as he climbed up, a dark golden heavy sword appeared on the bed; a section of the blade edge was unsheathed, with sword qi faintly roaring.

Li Luo's body instantly stiffened, stopping his climbing motion, and he said angrily, "You're too domineering; this is my room, my bed."

However, Jiang Jiang Qinge ignored him, wrapped in the quilt, and closed her eyes to rest.

Seeing this, Li Luo could only climb down the bed dejectedly: "Then I'll go to the Golden Dragon Treasure Hall."

"Oh? Frustrated here, going to find Lu Qing'er?" Jiang Jiang Qinge's voice, sounding as if she were smiling, came from within the quilt.

Li Luo rolled his eyes; he decided to go to the Golden Dragon Treasure Hall today to see what his father and mother had left him, after all, regarding the many preparations for the Third Phase, he also needed to start making contact.

"You rest first."

He tidied himself up, then pushed the door open and went out.

When closing the door, he heard Jiang Jiang Qinge's voice come through.

"Take Uncle Yuan with you when you go out, so Manager Pei Hao doesn't get desperate and jump the wall."

Outside the headquarters of the Luo Lan Manor, a wine shop facing the street.

Pei Hao stared at the headquarters' main gate, a smile on his face as he said, "The dual alien poison has been transferred; this young manor master is indeed, as I predicted, eager to curry favor with Yuan Qing in front of him, completely solidifying their bond."

He stretched.

"This young manor master is temporarily considered ruined."

"Even a Tian Gang General-grade powerhouse struck by this dual alien poison would be in huge trouble; although Li Luo possesses Water and Wood dual phases and has excellent self-poison-clearing abilities, the dual alien poison I found happens to counter him. For the coming period, he will be in agonizing pain under the torture of the alien poison, but he has no other choice but to constantly use Water and Wood Phasing Force to dissolve the dual alien poison, but the more he does so, the closer he gets to death."

"This is unsolvable."

"I think, for the Saint Cup Battle at the Saint Profound Star Academy, Li Luo probably won't have the chance to participate."

"By then, Jiang Jiang Qinge will surely go; once the two of them are separated, perhaps that will be our opportunity."

Opposite Pei Hao, Elder Mo Chen's somewhat gloomy face also showed a smile; this time, Pei Hao's scheme was indeed quite perfect; Yuan Qing and Li Luo were both like chess pieces in his hand, at his mercy.

"Pei Hao, no wonder the Noble One chose you; you are indeed a very good candidate." Mo Chen smiled.

"Much thanks to Elder Mo Chen's strong support." Pei Hao raised his wine cup and smiled.

"It was all ordered by the Noble One." Mo Chen's withered skin twitched slightly, revealing an ugly smile.

"The Manor Sacrifice is not far off; at that time, you will be the new manor master of Luo Lan Manor."

Hearing this, the smile at the corner of Pei Hao's mouth grew even more intense; he closed his eyes slightly; that was something he had longed for. Actually, in those early years when he first entered Luo Lan Manor, he had the idea of guarding this place; he held the two manor masters in heartfelt reverence.

He even regarded them with the respect due to parents.

But when did his mindset begin to change?

It was when Li Luo was born.

He could remember that night, when he saw Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan holding the newborn infant, the joy appearing on their faces.

Then he felt an indescribable jealousy.

He envied Li Luo, who possessed everything from birth.

At the same time, there was anger.

Pei Hao could clearly feel that in his eyes, Luo Lan Manor was as heavy as a mountain, but in the eyes of Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan, it probably wasn't even worth a single hair of that infant.

Is the place I cherish so much, in others' eyes, so insignificant?

Thus, Pei Hao felt he was beginning to become somewhat twisted.

Hoo.

Pei Hao exhaled heavily, a wisp of gloom flashing deep in his eyes.

If you don't care about this place, then don't blame me for taking it away.

"Eh?" And just then, Pei Hao suddenly heard Mo Chen in front of him emit a voice of surprise and doubt.

So he frowned, turned his head, and his gaze followed Pei Hao's line of sight.

Then he saw Li Luo, who walked out of the main hall of the Luo Lan Manor with his hands clasped behind his back, strolling as if taking a leisurely walk.

Beside Li Luo walked Yuan Qing.

Manager Pei Hao stared fixedly at Li Luo. The latter's steps were light, and the smile on his lips seemed as if he had stumbled upon a pie for free. His complexion was ruddy and calm, showing no sign of the agony one would expect from being entangled by poison qi; indeed, he looked... even more spirited than the day before.

An eerie silence fell over the table.

After a long while, Elder Mo Chen slowly asked, "What is going on? He does not appear to be in any pain."

Manager Pei Hao's lips twitched slightly. "Could he be faking it?"

Elder Mo Chen shook his head. "It does not look like it."

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions turning gloomy. Although the scene before them was hard to believe, they could not deceive themselves; that Li Luo truly looked as if nothing were wrong.

"Did the transfer go wrong?" Elder Mo Chen asked.

Manager Pei Hao shook his head. "I had someone tamper with that dual strange poison. It only backfires when Water and Wood elemental forces appear simultaneously. Within the Luo Lan Manor, only Li Luo meets this condition."

Such precious strange poison could not be used against someone irrelevant. Moreover, in his calculations, even if Li Luo ultimately failed to detoxify Guo Ling, he could settle for a secondary option: still using Guo Ling to threaten Yuan Qing. That would at least yield some meager gain.

But the problem now was that the dual strange poison had already transferred from Guo Ling's body, yet Li Luo, who should have been the one affected, was in perfect health.

At this moment, even Manager Pei Hao could not help but want to curse. What the hell was going on!

Elder Mo Chen's eyes turned cold. "Should we strike directly at Li Luo?"

Manager Pei Hao took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his composure. "Attacking and killing Li Luo directly at this moment would likely provoke a countermeasure from the Saint Profound Star Academy. Although they have always been neutral, the Holy Cup War is too important to them, and Li Luo is currently highly valued by the academy."

"Attacking Yuan Qing and poisoning Guo Ling is one thing; after all, that is not a direct strike against Li Luo. If he eventually gets infected by the strange poison, we can only say he was stupid."

"But if we openly attack him within Great Xia City, the nature of the act would be quite different."

Manager Pei Hao sighed.

"In the end, it was carelessness from the beginning. No one expected this empty-phase waste of a young manor master to shine so brightly at the Saint Profound Star Academy, to the point where even the academy began to value him."

Finally, Manager Pei Hao waved his hand.

"Forget it. It was merely a test to begin with. It seems Li Luo has a bit of luck, but that is all. The Manor Festival is not far off..."

"By then, everything will come to an end."

Yet, as Manager Pei Hao spoke these words, a sharp pain inevitably lingered in his heart.

Because that dual strange poison was truly damn expensive!