Chapter 473: Asking About Suicide Again

Inside the Bestowal of Books Hall, the power of incense gathered; what took shape this time was not only the "Bestowal of Books Black Emperor," but also a tiny bookboy beside the Black Emperor.

The moment that tiny bookboy appeared, his eyes were lively — one look and you could tell a consciousness had descended into it.

Unlike the Bestowal of Books Black Emperor, it was not a "customer service robot."

"Who are you, daring to cause trouble here?" Despite his childish features, the bookboy was remarkably imposing.

His true body certainly did not look like this; it was merely manifesting in the form of an incense avatar, so both appearance and strength would be limited.

Behind him, the Bestowal of Books Black Emperor was more solid than last time, looking even closer to a real person.

The clothes on his body fluttered without wind, pressure slowly descending, making one feel even breathing was somewhat difficult.

"How come you speak exactly the same?" Tang Luo said, slapping a palm over.

Violent power surged, instantly landing on the Bestowal of Books Black Emperor avatar; this avatar shattered once again, just like before, without the slightest power to resist.

The bookboy was startled.

The Bestowal of Books Black Emperor behind him, though merely one of the master's many incense avatars and not yet at this avatar's strongest state, still would not be so easily slapped apart by someone.

He himself this time had descended with his consciousness into the bookboy avatar, but he was also no match for the Bestowal of Books Black Emperor behind him.

While startled, the bookboy moved to actively absorb the surrounding incense power to raise this avatar's strength.

This was the Black Emperor's temple; as the Bestowal of Books Black Emperor's bookboy, he could still mobilize and use a portion of the incense power.

Unfortunately, just as the bookboy stirred, Tang Luo's palm — which had not withdrawn after the slap — clenched virtually.

The bookboy avatar flew completely out of control into Tang Luo's hand.

Tang Luo grabbed the bookboy's head and asked: "Let me ask you a few things — do you know Yang Jian?"

The bookboy avatar struggled desperately, power surging, wave after wave bombarding Tang Luo.

The entire Bestowal of Books Hall began to tremble, as if it would collapse the next second.

Yet Tang Luo did not move a muscle.

"I'm asking you." Tang Luo shook his hand. "Answer me — I bear no ill will."

The bookboy avatar nearly coughed up blood — if an avatar even had blood to cough up.

No ill will?

You nearly crushed my head and you say no ill will?

But on the other hand, the bookboy also clearly felt how terrifying the other's power was, firmly sealing and suppressing this avatar.

If he shattered this avatar, the strand of consciousness he had descended with might also be shattered along with it.

This was different from a simple avatar being shattered.

When an incense avatar is shattered, the loss is only incense power; for the true lord it merely counts as a financial loss.

But if consciousness descends into an incense avatar and fails to withdraw in time, and is destroyed along with the avatar, that is a real, tangible injury.

With the bookboy's strength, if the consciousness descended into the incense avatar were shattered, he would not die, but he would absolutely be severely wounded.

"Who are you..." The bookboy ceased his futile struggle and began communicating with Tang Luo.

Anyway this was their turf; drag it out and other incense avatars would surely appear.

"Right now I'm the one asking you — last time, do you know Yang Jian?" Tang Luo asked. "The second time is the last time; there won't be a third."

Why do most people I run into refuse to answer questions properly?

We're all adults — what can't we sit down and talk about nicely?

Why do they have to take a beating first?

These people — feels like there's something wrong with their thinking.

"Don't know him, never heard of him." The bookboy said.

"Never heard?" Tang Luo released the bookboy, pressing on his head and turning him in a circle — not twisting it off, just turning the bookboy around to face the portrait behind the Black Emperor statue.

"Look at this." Tang Luo pointed at the portrait.

With a casual wave, the newly formed Bestowal of Books Black Emperor was shattered once more, unable to even speak.

Because what emerged was still just a pure incense avatar.

After all, the Black Emperor is one of the Five Directional Heavenly Emperors — a man of vast wealth; this tiny loss isn't enough to catch his eye and make him descend his consciousness into it.

The bookboy forced himself to ignore the Bestowal of Books Black Emperor dissipating and looked at the portrait: "This is the Manifest Sage True Lord."

"Since you know this is the Manifest Sage True Lord, why don't you know Yang Jian?" Tang Luo asked.

"What relationship does the Manifest Sage True Lord have with that Yang Jian?" The bookboy said.

Tang Luo glanced at the bookboy: "You don't know the Manifest Sage True Lord's true name is Yang Jian?"

The bookboy shook his head with a strange expression.

"Then what is the Manifest Sage True Lord's true name?" Tang Luo said.

The bookboy answered honestly: "The Manifest Sage True Lord's taboo name — how could a minor god like me know it?"

The relationship between the bookboy and the Black Emperor was not truly that of a young master and bookboy, so intimate.

In the Black Emperor's camp he himself was just a minor figure, not the Black Emperor's true confidant.

He merely happened to play the role of bookboy in the story.

Tang Luo said, "Then have you heard of the Third Holy Mother?"

"..." The bookboy shook his head.

"Liu Chenxiang?"

"Liu Yanchang?"

Watching the bookboy deny three times in a row, Tang Luo pressed his head down again: "How do you know nothing? Since you know nothing, why did you come out — to deliver vegetables?"

The bookboy wanted to cry but had no tears: You're making trouble in the Bestowal of Books Hall — how could I not come out?

If I didn't come out, that would be the real delivery of vegetables.

But I didn't expect that even after I came out, I'd still be delivering vegetables.

Speaking of which, where are those big shots? Why haven't they shown up yet?

After all, only the Bestowal Hall was "attacked"; the other halls' reactions wouldn't be that swift.

An incense avatar isn't a real person.

"Then do you know who knows the people I mentioned?" Tang Luo said.

The book boy lowered his head, not daring to look at the Black Emperor's statue; if no one else knew, the only "people" who could know were the Five Directional Heavenly Emperors.

"He won't come out," Tang Luo said. "That's troublesome too."

As he spoke, he reached out and pushed; the Black Emperor's statue toppled at the touch, but didn't shatter, remaining intact.

The book boy let out a muffled groan, directly kneeling on the ground and kowtowing incessantly, unable to even speak.

Yet Tang Luo still wasn't satisfied; he clenched his right fist and smashed it down.

This time, the Bestowal Black Emperor's statue was smashed to pieces by him.

"Hey, now the Black Emperor can come out, right?" Tang Luo asked.

"..." The book boy trembled all over, utterly unable to speak.

Truth be told, Tang Luo's actions had actually severed the "channel" for the Black Emperor's descent.

These statues are "molds," and also "beacons"; it is precisely because these statues exist that immortals' incense avatars can take form and appear, and likewise, their consciousness can descend into the avatars.

So, if in some rarely visited place there is only a single temple.

To oppose an immortal, you just need to destroy the statue — if you can pull it off.

But Tang Luo was in someone else's home base, destroying their statue; it was tantamount to poking a hornet's nest.

No matter what, the Black Emperor's consciousness would definitely descend here.

Or rather, only this way would the Black Emperor likely truly descend in person; after all, he's a high-and-mighty big shot, a great immortal.

And once the Black Emperor descends, the one facing "immortal wrath" won't be just Tang Luo alone.

The book boy standing by doing nothing, trembling in fear, would also be punished.

Whether he escapes the death penalty is unknown, but a living punishment is certain.

"Master, you poked a hornet's nest," Zhu Bajie's voice came from outside.

Tang Luo no longer paid attention to the book boy, pushing open the closed folding doors of the Bestowal Hall and walking out.

Outside, golden light swirled, white clouds pressed down; alongside the immortal atmosphere, a mighty pressure descended.

In other parts of the Black Emperor Temple, including many places in this city where the temple could be seen, a large swath of believers had already knelt down.

They saw the entire Black Emperor Temple shrouded in a layer of golden light.

And they could hear faint, grand celestial music.

Vast incense power converged, the surrounding air becoming incomparably viscous, like entering a mud pit.

"Really uncomfortable, this stuff," Zhu Bajie said.

As the Pure Altar Envoy, he also had his own temples and worshippers, even some believers.

But like Tang Luo and the others, he had never truly taken an interest in incense power, neither liking nor disliking it.

But now, feeling this incomparably rich incense power, he couldn't help but feel a few traces of disgust.

Like smelling perfume that's far too strong — the scent so heavy it turns foul.

"I smashed the Black Emperor's statue; now he'll come out," Tang Luo said.

"He wouldn't come out at first?" Zhu Bajie asked.

"They're all just simple incense avatars; one came out who knew nothing, and he hinted that smashing the statue would make the Black Emperor appear," Tang Luo said.

Zhu Bajie looked toward the Bestowal Hall interior: "Good man."

The figure inside the Bestowal Hall shuddered, the incense avatar nearly collapsing: "It wasn't me! I didn't! Don't spout nonsense!"

Never seen such a shameless person!

He didn't even dare take a single glance!

"That's why I said hinted," Tang Luo said.

Before the book boy could retort, a streak of golden light fell from the sky, revealing a golden-armored general slowly taking form.

"Does the Black Emperor have this look?" Zhu Bajie looked at the book boy and asked.

The book boy nearly knelt to the two: Begging you, stop asking me! Ask again and I'll kill myself! Really kill myself!

Fortunately, the golden-armored general's closed eyes slowly opened, divine light shooting from his pupils as he announced himself: "Under the Black Emperor's command, Vanguard Suo Chao; who comes? State your name quickly — Suo Chao's blade spares no nameless rabble!"

"Not bad, a talkative one, and a vanguard at that — should have some status," Tang Luo said. "Tang Xuanzang, come down for a talk."

Suddenly, the surrounding incense power seemed to stagnate for a moment.

The incomparably grand, prostration-inducing aura also froze in an instant.

Suo Chao's incense avatar, originally striding toward the true form, halted its "steps" after Tang Luo announced himself.

The next second, the incense avatar dissipated on the spot.

Incense power scattered, golden light vanished, celestial music ceased; everything returned to calm in the blink of an eye.

As if nothing had happened at all.

"What's going on? Disconnected?" Tang Luo looked at Zhu Bajie.

Zhu Bajie pondered a moment, then carefully said: "Master, could it be someone you knew before?"

Those words were very tactful.

To translate: Master, did you beat this guy up before? Now he recognized you, so he fled on the spot.

Perfectly logical.

"Don't know him, I've only heard of Suo Chao from *Water Margin*," Tang Luo said with an innocent face.

"Um... Master, do you know everyone you've beaten up?"

"How could that be possible?"