Chapter 567 - 35: I Confess, I’ll Tell Everything

"What time?"

Kroessel, the new Leader of the Holy Snake Spirit Prayer Association, who was controlling a clone body via the Snake Attachment Technique, subconsciously repeated the question back to Shao Qiming. But then, he instantly realized something.

’Damn it, he’s stalling for time!’

Originally, Kroessel’s plan had been to use various methods—hints, or even bewitchment—to get Shao Qiming, one of Su Zhou’s few friends, to relinquish control of Su Zhou’s fan club. This would allow Kroessel to accept and obtain the Cause and Effect connected to Su Zhou.

Ideally, he would have used Su Zhou’s own tissue or blood. But after Su Zhou had detected him in the Kunlun Secret Realm—and nearly traced the Snake Attachment Technique back to his true body—Kroessel had abandoned all plans that involved Su Zhou directly. Instead, he decided to start with his friends and family.

His parents, while seemingly easy targets, would have been an unwise choice. Even a well-intentioned move could have disastrous consequences, and Kroessel wasn’t trying to start an all-out war between the Holy Snake Spirit Prayer Association and Su Zhou. He was seeking a kind of covert cooperation, so it was best not to target such sensitive individuals. That made the members of Su Zhou’s team and his friends good choices.

And Shao Qiming—a mild-mannered young master from a wealthy family and Su Zhou’s childhood friend—was the perfect target.

Kroessel had thought he could approach it from several angles. He could work in the shadows or use resource trades to stoke Shao Qiming’s competitive spirit and make him focus on his Cultivation. By doing so, he could leverage the connections of Mysticism to once again secure a channel of communication with the Great Being. Furthermore, this would also allow him to solidify his position as Leader of the Holy Snake Spirit Prayer Association.

But he never would have imagined that Shao Qiming—this seemingly gentle, refined, and approachable man—was, in essence, someone on par with Su Zhou, or perhaps even more vicious!

’Misjudging the target’s personality—a blunder of the highest order!’

And just as he sensed something was wrong and tried to sever the Snake Attachment Technique, Shao Qiming struck.

Having eaten two Wisdom Fruits and possessing a considerable Innate Talent, Shao Qiming had recently broken through to the Extraordinary Tier. He specialized in Wood Element Light Spiritual Energy and also in cultivating the Soul. Using Wood Qi and Yang Qi to nourish God was the signature feature of the Cultivation Technique Su Zhou had given him.

As Shao Qiming slightly raised his hand, his fingers curled into a Secret Seal. A faint, cyan Divine Light flared in his eyes. And just like that, the body of 014—merely an avatar of the Snake Attachment Technique wielding a sliver of Extraordinary High-tier power—had its Soul pinned by a Mental Power far beyond the ordinary Extraordinary Tier, temporarily freezing its soul in time.

This was a Secret Technique for which Shao Qiming had been gathering power ever since he first arrived at the teahouse. He was always cautious; besides this Secret Technique, he was also carrying several Stress Defense Magical Artifacts and even a Communication Array that could contact Su Zhou directly. In fact, he had quietly activated that very array the moment 014’s expression turned to shock.

The next second, with a flash of Thunder Light, a massive surge of Spiritual Power sliced a large hole straight through the window. Su Zhou, who almost never used the main entrance, appeared in the teahouse’s private room.

"Next time you run into a suspicious situation like this, you could just call me over."

He complained to his friend, casually picked up a cup of tea from the table, and frowned after taking a sip. Su Zhou then pulled a jar of sugar from out of nowhere and added two spoonfuls. "I know it’s hard for you to get him to talk when I’m around, but I could have just tortured the information out of him."

Bitter things were best left for his enemies.

God only knew how strange hot, sweetened tea tasted, but Su Zhou loved it.

"We could also perform a Soul Search," Shao Qiming said with a shrug. "Besides, he’s very cautious. If you had tried to come, he wouldn’t have used this body. He would have just hired someone else for an in-person meeting. I needed to lower his guard."

Not another word was needed; the two shared an understanding that required little communication. Su Zhou turned his gaze to 014. The clone was now completely enveloped by his Spiritual Power, its Spiritual Qi circulation totally sealed to the point that not even the Snake Attachment Technique could be severed. He gave it a friendly, cordial smile. "Friend, tell me, who exactly are you?"

"And besides, I smell something familiar on you."

’Get tortured, interrogated, and have my soul searched by these two?’

"No need for an interrogation. I’ll confess."

After quickly breaking free from Shao Qiming’s Spirit Secret Skill, Kroessel took only 0.01 seconds to make his decision. He dropped to his knees without hesitation and threw his hands up in surrender faster than a Frenchman. "Don’t worry—I’ll tell you everything."