Chapter 402: Light's Lackey Set Me Up — Go Die!

A true Jian Gu Luo Ke wouldn't wrap himself up so tightly, leaving no bones showing — what kind of "Jian Gu" would that be? The main thing is, a real Jian Gu wouldn't have so much flesh.

Where did this lich come from, daring to impersonate Jian Gu Luo Ke?

Seeing Ange replied without a flicker of expression: "Oh, so you're Mayor Luo Ke. Your fame spreads like a gentle breeze — I've heard of you many times over in Wasteland Town. Pleased to meet you."

"Hahaha, really? It spread that far?" 'Jian Gu Luo Ke' asked delightedly, completely unaware that a fame like a gentle breeze was, in fact, rather 'feeble.'

He then explained: "I went to check on the Undying Flood Tide, so I wasn't in town. My apologies, my apologies. It's rare to have so many honored guests visit our God-Fall Town — this time you really must do me the honor and let me fulfill a host's duty."

Seeing Ange's expression shifted slightly: "Many? Before us, who else has visited here?"

"Oh, the masters from the Fire Agate Mage Tower — pity they came and went in such a rush, no time to visit my home." Luo Ke's tone was a bit sullen; probably it wasn't so much a rush as that they simply didn't accept his invitation.

That Tina really is quite tsundere — if not for Seeing Ange's even more grating temperament keeping her in check, she'd make life very unpleasant for others.

Seeing Ange and Lord Nai Ge exchanged a thought, and gladly accepted Luo Ke's invitation.

A town wasn't large anyway, so Luo Ke led the way at the front, guiding everyone toward the far end of the town.

Along the way, every resident of Luo Ke's town greeted him warmly without exception, standing in place and watching him pass by; Luo Ke kept responding in turn.

"Mayor Luo Ke is quite beloved by everyone," Seeing Ange praised.

"Heh heh, of course — from their great-great-great… parents onward, I've watched them grow up. Quite a few even peed on my neck while riding on me." Luo Ke said amiably.

"Er, that really is quite a way to be beloved…" Seeing Ange laughed awkwardly. So that's the kind of 'beloved' it was — probably not beloved, or else they'd go home and get their bottoms smacked by their parents.

When undead are around, this kind of thing happens easily — one skeleton passes down three generations, one zombie changes dynasties.

Luo Ke's home was at the very end of God-Fall Town, in the crook between lake and rocky cliff, built into the hillside, one side facing the water, the structure and cliff face joined as one — easy to defend, hard to attack.

Some twenty-plus meters up there was a platform that should originally have served to repel enemies, complete with parapets and crenellations — but now it held several fishing rods, extending out over the lake below.

On the side away from the lake, between the crenellations, sat all manner of flower pots — the picture of a retired, idle old man.

Still, judging by the heavy drawbridge at the entrance, this was clearly a fortress easy to defend and hard to attack.

Several maidservants came out to welcome Luo Ke back. On either side of the corridor after entering, every few meters stood a rack with a skeleton hanging on it. As Seeing Ange and the others walked past, these skeletons would kindle soul-fire, their eye sockets tracking the group's movement.

After watching with interest for a good while, Seeing Ange suddenly asked: "By the way, Mayor Luo Ke, why are you called Jian Gu Luo Ke?"

Luo Ke answered proudly: "This is a name etched into my soul — from the moment I was born, this name was carved into my soul, and it will accompany my glorious life."

"Oh, I see. From what you're saying, does this name have some origin?" Seeing Ange asked, his impression of Luo Ke greatly improved — it seemed he wasn't impersonating Jian Gu Luo Ke, but rather 'inheriting' the name.

The special nature of souls manifests even more peculiarly in undead. Some powerful beings, even if their bodies fall and perish, it doesn't mean the traces of their existence vanish.

If their soul fragments scatter around and give birth to new souls, these newborn souls may well carry some fragmentary memories — this phenomenon is quite common.

By Luo Ke's account, he was most likely born from soul fragments of Jian Gu Luo Ke, which is why from the moment of his birth he knew this name.

Luo Ke said: "This name originates from a powerful Lord of Mourning. It came from another void, invincible in battle, loyal and fearless. Being able to bear this name is my honor."

"Oh, that's truly impressive — a Lord of Mourning, a truly rare existence." Seeing Ange put on a suitably moved expression.

Luo Ke wholeheartedly agreed: "Indeed. Ever since the Undying Monarch broke through to Mourning, it's been many years since any soul has managed to break through to Mourning."

Thump! Seeing Ange and Lord Nai Ge both jolted inwardly at the same time. Seeing Ange asked, without a flicker: "You said the name Jian Gu Luo Ke comes from a Lord of Mourning — does that mean the Undying Monarch is Jian Gu Luo Ke?"

"Oh, no, no — I said Jian Gu Luo Ke came from another void. Beyond that void, he is a Lord of Mourning, but here his power is limited and he's never been able to break through. Only the Undying Monarch successfully broke through." Luo Ke explained.

At this point, the maidservants had already brought out drinks and fruit. Luo Ke hurriedly urged them: "Come, come — this is juice pressed from local specialty lake snow, and also desert dates. I hope you'll like them."

Seeing Ange, who had been so bored he wanted to fall asleep, finally perked up at the words 'desert dates,' and turned to look.

Desert dates are the main cultivated crop in Hope Oasis and throughout the entire desert — strong sunlight, high starch content, filling.

But at one glance at the desert dates the maidservant presented, Seeing Ange noticed they had grown crooked. Whether due to variety or environment, these desert dates clearly had higher water content. Seeing Ange pinched the skin and squeezed the juice inside, finding it quickly turned viscous — indicating the juice had a high sugar content.

Such desert dates work as fruit, but not as a staple food — and the size was much smaller too.

Seeing Seeing Ange holding one in his hand without eating, Luo Ke asked in puzzlement: "Esteemed guest, do desert dates not suit your taste? Then let me get you something else."

Saying so, he clapped his hands to summon the maidservant, explaining at the same time: "I don't normally need to eat, so I don't know what's good or bad. If it doesn't suit your taste, please don't take offense."

Seeing Ange tilted his head.

Seeing Ange quickly picked up: "Mayor Luo Ke, you've misunderstood — we're actually not human, so we can't eat."

As he spoke, Seeing Ange revealed his soul. If Luo Ke were a fraud, an impostor Jian Gu, Seeing Ange wouldn't have exposed his identity.

He might even have given him a lesson, to stop him from sullying Jian Gu Luo Ke's name.

But as it appeared now, this Luo Ke wasn't an impostor, and he himself said his name was inherited from a powerful Lord of Mourning — same concept as naming your child after a hero.

"Lich!" Luo Ke leapt straight up from his chair, staring at Seeing Ange in shock.

What shocked him wasn't the lich — it was that he hadn't detected any anomaly from Seeing Ange at all, thinking him a human.

Undead have soul fluctuations, yet he couldn't even sense that — was he blind? Or had the other party concealed himself too well?

Either way, it showed the other's strength far exceeded his expectations.

But Seeing Ange showed no hostility. Luo Ke looked him over uncertainly a few times, then hesitantly asked: "Did you just successfully reincarnate?"

"Oh, you're wondering why my flesh and skin haven't toughened, right?" Seeing Ange saw through Luo Ke's puzzlement at a glance, and said with a smile: "I master a secret art that can revitalize a lich's flesh and skin, keeping me in this fresh, lifelike state."

"Hiss — you're joking, right? You're not joking?" Luo Ke couldn't help stepping forward, hands reaching out as if to feel Seeing Ange, but then caught himself and awkwardly pulled them back.

Seeing Ange generously extended his arm, showing it to Luo Ke, and said: "Go ahead and touch — I won't lose a single hair."

Luo Ke hesitantly felt him a few times, even poking with a finger, then said in surprise: "It's just like a living one — come, come, you touch and see if there's any warmth."

Having a maidservant help feel him, he learned it was cool. But Luo Ke was already very excited: "Can this secret art be applied to others?"

Seeing Ange smiled knowingly — the fish had taken the bait. The materials for building the teleportation array, if left to them who were strangers to the land to gather, they didn't know how long it would take. With a local snake of a mayor helping, it would surely be much faster.

"Of course it can, it's just that…" Seeing Ange said, looking troubled: "It requires a lot of materials, and some I don't even know where to buy."

Luo Ke exclaimed: "Go to the House of the Reborn! What material can't be bought at the House of the Reborn? Tell me exactly what materials you need — let me see if I can get them. If I can get the materials, could I ask you to perform this secret art on me?"

Seeing Ange silently noted the name 'House of the Reborn,' and said aloud: "Of course — as long as you're willing to cover some of the cost, we're happy to help. Helping others is the source of joy, after all."

Seeing Ange agreeing so readily made Luo Ke a bit uneasy. What 'helping others is the source of joy'? You're fooling a ghost, right? Clearly, extorting money is.

"Can this secret art really be used on others?" Luo Ke asked hesitantly.

Seeing Ange said with a smile: "We still have a little material here — about enough to revitalize a piece this big. Why don't you come try it yourself?" As he spoke, he gestured a patch about the size of a palm.

"Good!" This was exactly what Locke had hoped for — what could be more direct than feeling it firsthand?

Saying this, he reached up and swept a hand across his head. Where his palm passed, the soul helm shrank back, revealing a delicate, clean, but withered and cracked face: "Try it here."

"Uh, so you're a lady?" Duroken said, surprised.

"The body just happens to be a human female. I'm a born lich, no gender — don't read into it." Locke said, unconcerned.

Those liches reincarnated from humans do have a sense of gender, but those born as liches are undead from the moment they come into being and have no concept of gender.

However, as time goes on, living inside a body for so long and being influenced by other beings who do have a sense of gender, a lich will unconsciously drift toward the gender of its body, becoming more and more like a man or a woman.

Take Lan, for instance — she was reborn through a Soul Casket Weight, but she forgot all her memories, so she can be counted as a born undead being. She shouldn't have had any concept of gender, yet now she's somehow lived herself into a female lich.

Duroken made an inviting gesture toward Seeing Ange and said: "Let my mentor personally perform this secret art."

Seeing Ange summoned a Face-Cleansing Art and pressed it toward Locke's face.

But the moment the Face-Cleansing Art came out, Locke's expression changed drastically: "Holy light magic — damn you light-running dogs, you dare plot against me — go die!" He threw a punch.