Chapter 143 - 140: Three O’clock Sharp

Chapter 143: Chapter 140: Three O’clock Sharp

"AHH!!"

Cong Wanqiu collapsed to the ground, her scream utterly wretched.

Two security guards moved to help Cong Wanqiu, but Zhong Shu roared:

"Do you want this to happen to you, too?"

The guards’ hands trembled. They exchanged glances and backed away.

Zhong Shu’s mind raced.

He was trying to think of a strategy.

Just then, a magnetic male voice echoed in his ear:

"You want to save them, don’t you?"

Zhong Shu froze for a moment, looking left and right.

No one was speaking to him.

Li Xinyuan approached, his expression grim. "Someone is transmitting their voice to you."

Zhong Shu’s eyes slowly widened as he stared in disbelief at Lucifer, who was floating in the air with only half a head.

The remaining half of Lucifer’s face was dull and numb, like a complete...

Machine, puppet, zombie!

’Is... is he the one speaking to me?’

Zhong Shu swallowed hard.

"I won’t let you continue to harm innocent people.

I’ll do everything I can to keep these poor people alive!

Lucifer, even if you are a god, I’m going to take you on!"

Zhong Shu was certainly not timid.

To dare say something so audacious to the First Angel of all time.

The voice continued, assailing him:

"Oh, you virtuous man. Don’t you know that ’goodness’ doesn’t bring salvation?

Back then, so many people wanted to save this world.

Some were vicious and evil, others were utterly good and virtuous.

Later, heh, none of them were worthy.

I sought you out because you carry the aura of an old friend.

He was the only one who was worthy.

For his sake, I am willing to enlighten a fool."

The voice of Jiang Chaosheng surfaced in Zhong Shu’s mind, and he subconsciously blurted out:

"Mister?"

Lucifer’s voice:

"Mister?

In this era, is he a ’Mister’?"

Zhong Shu didn’t understand what Lucifer meant.

’What does he mean... in this era?’

Lucifer’s voice:

"Kid, pay close attention to this next lesson.

If you’re lucky enough to survive me, you will have learned a great deal."

Lucifer’s voice vanished completely.

Zhong Shu had no time to dwell on it. He shouted into the microphone:

"Everyone, gather at the first-floor service desk!"

Zhong Shu stared intently at Lucifer in the sky.

’Goodness can’t save the world, who’s worthy and who’s not, lessons or no lessons—none of that has anything to do with me!’

’I’m going to save these innocent people in the mall from your filthy claws!’

Everyone in the mall remembered that before the monster appeared, someone had told them to gather at the service desk.

Could it be that person knew how to deal with the monster, how to save them?

People stampeded from every floor, scrambling toward the service desk.

Two slender girls were knocked down in the rush. Before they could get up, the people behind them trampled over them.

The surging crowd drowned out their terrified screams.

An old woman at the entrance to a restaurant was recklessly shoved to the edge of the railing. A few more men collided with her, and she fell over.

Zhong Shu’s eyes widened in horror.

’How could this happen...?’

’How could this be happening!!’

Lucifer’s rule only severed a few people’s hands, but the words he himself had shouted into the microphone had caused so many deaths!

"Hehehe... HAHAHAHAHAHA..."

Derisive, mocking, and frenzied laughter echoed in Zhong Shu’s ears.

Lucifer was still there, watching him!

Zhong Shu shouted in anger:

"Don’t push!"

...

What Zhong Shu didn’t see was a bizarre, smiling Ghost Shadow in a corner of the mall, watching the scene unfold.

The Ghost Shadow’s smile suddenly froze. A look of suspicion crossed its face as it glanced toward the mall entrance.

Then, its smile grew even wider.

...

Outside the mall, the area had been completely cleared.

Sheriffs had set up a police cordon far from the building.

A dozen or so Investigators in gas masks stood solemnly in the plaza, like a pride of formidable lions.

Their leader was a capable-looking woman in a leather jacket and tight jeans.

Li Mingyue, team leader of the Anomaly Administration Bureau’s Blue Shark Team.

Codename: Divine Tear.

Li Mingyue’s expression was currently very strange.

Her elegant brows were tightly furrowed and her expression was grave, yet tears flowed uncontrollably from her left eye.

An Investigator ran up to Li Mingyue.

"Team Leader, we can’t get into the mall. There’s a barrier."

Li Mingyue ordered in a low voice:

"Secure the perimeter first."

The Investigators didn’t notice a bizarre, smiling face watching them from a distance.

...

「South Sea, Antique Shop Zero.」

A small ghost shadow danced about on the table, gesticulating with both hands.

Jiang Chaosheng watched and nodded.

Helian watched from the side with great interest.

"Is this Uncle Xiao’s magic?"

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"Yes. He’s telling me some things about Liancheng."

Helian’s eyes were full of fascination.

’So interesting. I want to learn.’

Jiang Chaosheng’s fingers stroked his teacup as he murmured to himself:

"Lucifer..."

This wasn’t the first time he’d encountered Immortals, Demons, and Monsters.

But it was the first time he’d dealt with one as world-renowned as Lucifer.

The Evil Crow flapped its wings and flew over.

"Lucifer? Did you say Lucifer?"

Jiang Chaosheng raised an eyebrow.

"You know of him?"

The Evil Crow stood on the table, tilted its head back, and said smugly:

"Of course! When it comes to matters down below, I, Master Hei, know everything!"

Jiang Chaosheng’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

The Evil Crow quickly shrank back.

"Matters down below, this humble one knows them clearly."

Jiang Chaosheng’s expression softened.

"Continue."

The Evil Crow said:

"I’ve never met him, only heard of him.

The boss of the Underworld, Yama, mentioned it to me once.

It was a few thousand years ago, I think. An Angel from the Western Heaven named Lucifer descended upon Eternal Hell."

Jiang Chaosheng knew that the Underworld was divided into four regions.

The Underworld, the Land of the Yellow Springs, the Nine Netherworld, and Eternal Hell.

He possessed a Taboo Item: the Triple Roshomon.

The Triple Roshomon was formed from three Yin Gates: one from the Underworld, one from the Land of the Yellow Springs, and one from the Nine Netherworld.

Jiang Chaosheng really didn’t know much about Eternal Hell.

The Evil Crow continued:

"At that time, the master of Eternal Hell was still the Death God.

When Lucifer arrived in Eternal Hell, he immediately fought the Death God, trying to seize control of the realm.

Would the Death God stand for that?

He whipped out his scythe and went at it with Lucifer.

Lucifer was truly fierce; he and the Death God were evenly matched.

In the end, they were both grievously wounded, and a Demon named Satan took advantage of the situation.

The Death God fell, and Lucifer was thrown out of Eternal Hell’s Yin Gate.

That kid Lucifer wasn’t ready to give up, so he made a trip to the Xia Kingdom.

He wanted to enter the Underworld through the Yin Gate of Underworld and fight Satan again.

And what happened? As soon as he reached Luoyang Slope, he ran into the reigning Human Emperor.

Lucifer was running his mouth, saying all sorts of foul things, and the Human Emperor shattered half his head with a single punch."

Jiang Chaosheng raised an eyebrow.

"He died?"

The Evil Crow stared at Jiang Chaosheng, speechless.

"He’s the Human Emperor we’re talking about! You think that Human Emperor Qi is a joke? Of course he died!"

Jiang Chaosheng was silent for a moment, then said:

"The Human Emperor... truly domineering."

The Evil Crow’s eyes filled with yearning as it clicked its tongue in admiration.

"That was the Human Emperor! What a pity I hadn’t been born yet.

Otherwise, I could have witnessed the sight of the Human Emperor thrashing Lucifer."

Jiang Chaosheng asked,

"Is Lucifer very strong?"

The Evil Crow nodded.

"In the Western Heaven, his combat power is second only to God."

The Evil Crow suddenly thought of something, looked at Jiang Chaosheng, and said:

"If that thing is really some wisp of Lucifer’s soul or a lingering obsession, you need to be careful."

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"How so?"

The Evil Crow glanced toward the back room.

"You have the Scythe of Death. Who’s to say he won’t come looking for trouble with you?

That guy is a battle-hungry madman.

Even though Lucifer has lost his body and most of his soul, he’s still a terrifying entity."

Jiang Chaosheng, however, wasn’t afraid of Lucifer coming to Antique Shop Zero to cause trouble.

The Taboo Sculpture in the basement should be able to keep things under control.

After all, it possessed Human Emperor Qi and was suspected of being the Human Emperor himself.

Besides, if he contained the God-Desecrating Bell, he would be able to comprehend the secrets of a Taboo Item.

He would definitely choose the Scythe of Death.

When the time came, with the Scythe of Death in hand and backed by the Immortals, Demons, and Monsters of Antique Shop Zero, he and his forces could hold their own against a crippled Angel.

After some thought, Jiang Chaosheng spoke to the little shadow figure sitting cross-legged in his palm, listening to the story:

"Have Xia Li get ready."

If Zhong Shu failed, Xia Li could take over the containment mission seamlessly.

Even now, Jiang Chaosheng still had no intention of containing the God-Desecrating Bell himself.

Before the so-called ’variable’ arrived, the members of the Taboo Association had to become strong enough to stand on their own.

Otherwise, the loyalty sworn to him by the Taboo Association’s members would be worthless.