“We ain’t humans anyway, what do we need humanity for? What a useless concept—whoever wants it can take it!”
“Who do you think you are, coming all the way here just to insult us?!”
Amused, Hua Cheng said, “This den of mine is a carnival of hell to begin with. There’s a path for you in heaven, but you refuse to take it and instead chose to barge into the despairing depths of hell. So, what shall we do with you?”
The moment they heard the word “heaven,” Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan instantly knew. Just as they’d suspected, Hua Cheng had already seen through Lang Qianqiu and knew exactly where he came from!
Yet Lang Qianqiu completely missed the implication of his words and slammed his hand down on the table once more. He was standing at one end, and with that single strike, he sent the entire table flying toward the red shadow behind the curtain. Those who had been gathered around the table dodged to the sides, but the seated silhouette behind the curtain didn’t move. With a wave of his hand, the long table was flung back in the opposite direction, back toward Lang Qianqiu.
At the sight of the rebounding table, Lang Qianqiu caught it with one hand. But he quickly realized he couldn’t handle the overwhelming force bearing down against him and immediately switched to both hands. As he pushed and pushed, blue veins began to pop on his forehead. The once-bustling hall now had people and ghosts fleeing and hiding. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan debated whether they should step in to help. Since they hadn’t been exposed yet, they could continue to help out in secret, but if they jumped in openly, they’d risk having their covers blown completely.
On the other end, Lang Qianqiu gave a loud shout and finally shoved back the hefty table. Behind the red curtains, Hua Cheng’s silhouette was still lounging on the chair. He curled all five fingers into a fist, then released them lightly. Instantly, the table exploded into fragments of wood, the splinters shooting toward Lang Qianqiu.
The force of this gust flung forth countless splinters as sharp as knives, more fearful than any hidden weapon. If Lang Qianqiu were to keep his powers hidden and remain in his mortal form, there was no way he’d be able to evade the attack. Thus, moments later, his body started to emit a faint light. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan understood right away and panicked.
Oh no, he’s going to reveal his true form!
But this faint sheen of spiritual light vanished as soon as it appeared. Lang Qianqiu had probably remembered that he wasn’t supposed to reveal his identity on this trip and caught himself at the last second. He quickly withdrew his power, having barely stopped the flying splinters. However, while Lang Qianqiu had stepped back, Hua Cheng, on the other hand, would not. The crimson figure sitting leisurely behind the red curtain made another hand seal. This time, he pressed his fingers together and lightly flicked up.
With this one motion, Lang Qianqiu’s body was suddenly lifted off the ground. Sprawled out like a starfish, his body was suspended on the ceiling of the great hall of the Gambler’s Den.
Even after being caught, Lang Qianqiu still didn’t seem to be able to wrap his head around how he suddenly started floating, and he struggled to break free, his face full of confusion. Xie Lian felt his head throb.
“Now that his power’s been sealed, even if he wants to return to his divine form, it’ll be impossible.”
Shi Qingxuan agreed. “Since Ghost City is Hua Cheng’s territory, if he wants to seal his power, he can.”
Even though Lang Qianqiu had been apprehended before the crowd, there was at least one upside: namely, his identity was probably still safe for now. If he had continued the brawl and released his powers, it would be hard to explain why Tai Hua-zhenjun, the Martial God of the East, had come to Ghost City to wreak havoc. After all, unless there was something extraordinary afoot, the Heavenly and Ghost Realms hadn’t crossed each other’s paths in centuries.
Seeing that the Gambler’s Den’s unexpected guest had been detained, the crowd that had fled returned and gathered in the hall once more. They pointed at the suspended Lang Qianqiu and laughed uproariously. Lang Qianqiu had probably never experienced this kind of humiliation before, and his face flushed red as he wordlessly struggled against the invisible bindings. From time to time, a ghost from below would jump up in an attempt to pat his head. Fortunately, Hua Cheng had hung him fairly high up, far out of reach, sparing him that embarrassment.
Hua Cheng chuckled from behind the red curtains. “What an interesting catch today. I’ll let you all play with it. Whoever’s lucky and wins big can take it home to roast.”