Chapter 78: Chapter Seventy-Eight: Heavenly Howl

Qinglang stared blankly at Tang Luo, seeing him pat the other party as if patting a child, patting the demon she had imagined to be invincibly strong.

That demon, in his hands, went from struggling incessantly to gradually losing the strength to resist.

Now, it could not even maintain its basic form, turning into a mass like black mist.

It kept shifting between human form, a fleeting beast shape, and a surging mist.

But Qinglang had a strange feeling.

That the "little girl" was becoming pure under his patting, as if all impurities on her were being erased, giving her a sense of being cleansed of worldly grime.

Yet, without those impurities as a "wrapper," she also became extraordinarily weak and feeble.

"This should be about enough."

Tang Luo murmured, finally withdrawing his hands.

Before him, the little girl was now only a black vapor no larger than a fist, with a faint canine face visible.

She no longer had the leeway to bare her teeth at Tang Luo; following instinct, she slowly drifted in one direction.

"It's none of your concern now."

Tang Luo turned around.

He untied the rope binding Qinglang's dazed neck, thought for a moment, and still took the skull, just in case.

Tang Luo took two quick steps and caught up with the slowly drifting black vapor.

As the saying goes, a dying fox heads toward its home hill.

In this state, nearly beaten to death by Tang Luo, the little girl, who originally acted on instinct, would continue to do so.

She would strive toward her "homeland."

If it weren't for the skull in Tang Luo's hand, then it would surely be the true skull's location.

The current situation basically confirmed Tang Luo's guess.

The little matchstick girl did not drift into his hand by the skull, but was indeed heading toward her true "homeland."

Once she found the true skull, this mission would be complete.

Of course, Tang Luo's way of completing it was undoubtedly quite heretical, not worth the study of gods and demons walking the path.

The speed of this black vapor was not fast; as it "drifted," it continuously leaked wisps of vapor, vanishing into nothing.

It looked like it could fart and die at any moment.

Tang Luo felt a bit regretful—had he struck too hard, too heavily? It felt like it might die before truly reaching the destination.

This was not a good omen.

Should he use the Merit Jade Lotus to heal it? But the Merit Jade Lotus was not omnipotent.

For souls tainted with heavy resentment, its healing effect was greatly diminished. Forcing it might instead nourish the resentment, leading to becoming a fallen evil entity.

By then, even the instinct to return home might be worn away. Only "eating," along with "destruction," "annihilation," and similar thoughts would remain.

"Got it."

Tang Luo stopped, turned around, and looked at Qinglang, who had been following him since earlier.

"Amitabha." Tang Luo chanted a Buddhist phrase, "Why does the female bodhisattva follow this poor monk?"

"My... things, return them to me." Qinglang said.

Her Heavenly Crystal Frost and her close-fitting jade pendant were still on this monk.

"These two items are fated with this poor monk." Tang Luo smiled by plucking a flower, utterly deserving of a beating.

Unfortunately, Qinglang couldn't beat him, so she gritted her teeth and said: "They are mine, and I have done what you asked me to do."

"Oh, that's also true." Tang Luo nodded, "How about this: the female bodhisattva helps this poor monk with a favor, and I'll return them to you?"

"What favor?"

Qinglang asked.

Tang Luo pointed to her chest.

"Don't even think about it! You lecherous monk!" Qinglang's eyebrows shot up.

"Alas, if time permitted, this poor monk would certainly recite a Purifying Heart Mantra for you, female bodhisattva, to wash away your untimely demonic thoughts." Tang Luo said, "What I want is your blood."

Qinglang's chest ached, and she nearly spat blood at him right then.

"Fine."

She lowered her head, pressed hard on the wound Tang Luo had made. Blood slowly seeped out.

"Not like that—give some blood that merges with your own strength, give it to it." Tang Luo pointed to the already drifting "little girl."

The blood, essence, and spirit of a cultivator, to the "little girl," were true nourishment. Considered a "premium delicacy" among "blood food."

The little matchstick girl, wandering Anshan City selling matches, besides the instinct to "pick up sticks," also followed her instinct to "eat to survive."

With Qinglang as a moving blood bag, there was basically no need to worry about dying before reaching the destination.

Tang Luo believed that even if the true skull wasn't in Anshan City, it wouldn't be too far from here.

As for why Tang Luo didn't come himself.

The reason was very simple.

The insubstantial cannot be nourished; it cannot bear it, and touches it only to burn.

A little snake wanting to swallow an elephant—its only outcome is to burst itself.

With Qinglang's "help," the originally near-death little girl instantly revived, slightly solidified, and her speed increased considerably.

Of course, Tang Luo's slap to help her "wake up" was indispensable in the process.

In the silent night, two white-clad figures followed a mass of black vapor, slowly walking through Anshan City.

A full hour.

Only then did Tang Luo follow the little girl to the vicinity of Anping Lake.

Because of the matter with the painted boat, the nightly revelry that had been going on no longer existed. It was estimated that it would take ten days to half a month before it would gradually recover.

The current quiet was convenient for Tang Luo to search for the skull.

However, before finding the skull, Tang Luo encountered an old acquaintance.

Dong Yuan.

Five days ago after parting ways, Dong Yuan had disappeared without a trace. Tang Luo had asked the Lu family to help search for her.

Unfortunately, there was no result, and it was unknown whether it was because the Lu family had deliberately slacked off due to the consecration talisman, or because Dong Yuan was hiding well.

I did not expect to see her again here.

Yes, Qing Lang had been unconscious for much longer than I had imagined.

Upon seeing Tang Luo, Dong Yuan instantly became extremely vigilant, preparing to flee.

She did not know how strong this Xuanzang monk was, but she clearly remembered the terror of the little matchstick girl she had encountered that day.

The fact that the other party was not dead proved that he had sufficient strength to escape from the little matchstick girl.

This strength was something that Dong Yuan, who had escaped by luck, could not match.

"It's you." Tang Luo glanced at Dong Yuan.

"I know some clues; we can cooperate." Dong Yuan said.

Her appearance here was not for "revisiting old dreams."

But these days, she had been investigating day and night, combining the information revealed by Ma Qiang and Zhang Wen, and finally found some clues.

Tang Luo turned his head to look at the lake surface.

The "little girl" had already drifted toward the center of the lake.

Dong Yuan followed Tang Luo's gaze and looked over, vaguely seeing a black mass.

What is that?

She felt some doubt in her heart, then heard the Xuanzang monk say: "Qing Lang, if you capture this person, we will be completely settled."

These words were not meant for her, but for another woman.

"Me? Now?" Qing Lang looked at Tang Luo.

She was seriously injured, and now basically in a state of having no strength to truss a chicken.

How could she go and capture someone?

"Well, now." Tang Luo activated the Merit Jade Lotus, consuming some merit power.

In just a few breaths, Qing Lang's injuries had recovered considerably.

At the same time, a small sword was thrown over and caught instinctively by Qing Lang.

Looking at the Tianjing Liushuang in her hand, full of cracks, Qing Lang felt heartbroken, then looked at Dong Yuan and said: "I have offended you."

"Seek death!"

Dong Yuan's eyebrows stood upright.

This monk, his strength is indeed not ordinary. This monk, is he really taking himself as some great figure? Sending a frail native to capture me?

Truly laughable to the extreme!

The invisible deadly poison mist had already begun to slowly release.

Qing Lang frowned slightly, as if sensing something, looked toward Tang Luo, but found that this monk had already walked into the lake.

That little girl had also disappeared, most likely also entered into Ping'an Lake.

Moonlight sprinkled on the calm lake surface.

But inside the lake, it was pitch black, almost impossible to see anything.

Tang Luo floated in the lake, the clothes on his body emitting a faint golden light, isolating the surrounding lake water.

He slowly descended to the lake bottom, walking toward the direction of the "little girl."

Not long after.

Tang Luo saw that the "little girl" had entered the silt at the bottom of the lake.

Tang Luo quickened his steps, struck out with a palm in midair, and the great force pushed aside the lake water and surrounding silt.

Originally calm lake surface, a surge of waves rolled, emitting a "hua hua" water sound.

The rising waves slapped against the shore, wetting Dong Yuan, who had several wounds on her body, making her look extremely embarrassed.

"What background does this woman have!"

Dong Yuan stared fixedly at Qing Lang, watching her face turn alternately green and white.

The deadly poison mist had effect, but it was far from being lethal. On the contrary, it had been forcibly suppressed by this person.

The slowing technique required some preliminary hand gestures, but because the opponent's sword technique was agile and ethereal, it was simply impossible to execute.

Even if executed, it would probably not hit.

The remaining last skill, however, required contact to be executed.

"I don't want to hurt you again, just obediently bind your hands and surrender." Qing Lang said, also surprised in her heart by the person's strange methods before her.

Let her unknowingly be poisoned.

Besides, just this one move. In the Wuyai Sect, among her generation of disciples, she could also be considered a top-tier expert.

But unfortunately, Qing Lang is a once-in-a-thousand-years genius, comparable to some elders and even the sect leader, far beyond the level of ordinary disciples.

The confidence shattered by Tang Luo's blow, on Dong Yuan's body, was slowly being regained.

Lake bottom.

Tang Luo looked at the half skull beside his feet, his brows slightly furrowed.

This skull belonged to a canine animal, not large; just by looking at the skull, one could determine its size was between that of a medium and large dog.

Only the upper part was present, the lower jaw bone was not here.

The skull was covered in cracks, as if it would shatter with the slightest touch.

The black qi gathered by the "little girl" was seeping inside.

A large amount of black qi dissipated and vanished, more thoroughly than Tang Luo's "expulsion." In the end, only a wisp of remnant soul remained, like a candle guttering in the wind, entering the skull.

Tang Luo saw it very clearly.

This wisp of remnant soul belonged to no one else—it was exactly the Heavenly Hound he had originally guessed!

"Why would the Heavenly Hound's remnant soul appear in the mission world? What exactly happened back then? And what about the others?"

Tang Luo felt he could embody a hundred thousand "whys."

But now was not the time to ponder these, for even racking his brains would yield no answer.

However, Tang Luo could somewhat guess what had happened to the Heavenly Hound. The skull, carrying the remnant soul, had fallen into this place, either reincarnated or parasitizing a little match-selling girl.

Coincidentally, the little girl never grew up, dying on some cold winter night.

Resentment, unwillingness, obsession—these ultimately formed the "demon beast" wandering Anshan City.

As for why it began targeting the Lu and Ding families after a period of time, Tang Luo was unclear.

He could only guess it was due to reasons like "the reek of wine and meat from mansions, while frozen corpses lie on the road," and could investigate further—look into information about that abandoned village to see if it was related to the Lu and Ding families. It should be said, this direction would be the comparatively safe and normal way to complete the mission.

Of course, Tang Luo's heretical path to completion had already found the true skull, rendering that unnecessary.

Tang Luo took down the hanging merit jade lotus and gently pushed it forward.

The merit jade lotus hovered above the skull, emitting warm light that enveloped it.

Not long after, the wisp of remnant soul about to dissipate was guided out and entered the merit jade lotus.