Chapter 1103: The Ghost King Personally Painting Lu Ding, As If Trying to Understand Him
The Nanshan King remained silent.
After a long while.
Not until Qin Jinghao was almost done over there did he speak solemnly, "Lu Ding, if... if I agree to give you the White Ink Mine, how long would you need to help Nanshan Kingdom purge the Ghost-Occupied Zone?"
Lu Ding raised two fingers. "Two plans."
"First, with no regard for consequences, I plow through from the border between Nanshan Kingdom's safe zone and the Ghost-Occupied Zone. That would be fast—I estimate a few days—but I can't guarantee what those places will look like afterward. You'll have to bear that yourself."
The moment these words left his mouth.
The Nanshan King immediately thought of Baoji Kingdom's capital.
It had turned into dead ground.
If that happened, what meaning was there in reclaiming the territory? The consequences would be even worse than the ghosts occupying it. Restoring the ecology to livable standards would take who knows how long, and who knows how much manpower, resources, and wealth. It would be better off just staying ghost-occupied.
Lu Ding continued.
"Second, I take people on a riskier path—a decapitation strike deep into enemy territory. Since we have no intel, we'd be flying blind. I'd have to find the target myself, so it'll be slow. There'll be some destruction, but it shouldn't be too severe. Worst case, we'll leave a few craters."
As for how big those craters would be—don't ask.
The Nanshan King didn't hesitate and directly chose the second option. "Let's go with the second plan."
Lu Ding nodded. "Alright. So, Your Majesty, considering the danger level of my second plan, do you still think asking for one White Ink Mine from you is too much?"
At this point, the Nanshan King sighed. "No, it's not too much..."
If that was the case, just in terms of population casualties alone, Lu Ding had already saved him countless lives. Calculated carefully, this deal actually favored Nanshan Kingdom.
However, White Ink Mine was a top-tier strategic resource that Great Han absolutely needed. It wasn't really a matter of profit or loss. It was like essential housing and housing price fluctuations—even if you knew prices might keep falling, if you needed it, you had to buy it, even knowing you'd take a loss later.
Of course, he also had to thank Secretary Qiu.
Before coming, Secretary Qiu had reminded Lu Ding not to go too far.
Otherwise, with Lu Ding's flexible moral bottom line, who knew what he might have demanded.
Lu Ding extended his hand. "So... pleasure doing business?"
The Nanshan King extended his hand. "Pleasure doing business."
They shook hands.
Lu Ding turned around.
Rolled up his sleeves.
Took the green bamboo Gongyang Qingrou had found, split it open, used bamboo strips as a frame to prop up the Nie Family Ancestor's skin, and left a spark of True Samadhi Fire as the core.
As it ignited.
The Nie Family Ancestor's agonized screams instantly erupted from the Human Skin Lantern.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"KILL ME!!! KILL ME!!! PLEASE KILL ME, LU DING!!!!!!"
The pain was excruciating.
Pure torture.
The effect was exactly what Lu Ding wanted.
Holding the lantern, he turned to Wang Qingge. "Let them in."
Wang Qingge raised her wooden sign.
[Mm hm]
In an instant, black smoke surged from the wooden sign, shooting out one after another phantom silhouettes of living souls stained with black smoke.
Lu Ding shook the lantern in his hand.
One by one, the living souls were drawn into it, imprisoned inside, suffering the agony of day-and-night roasting.
Screams erupted in a continuous chorus, rising and falling.
Then Lu Ding closed the lantern's opening.
The world went silent in an instant.
He handed it to Qin Jinghao. "From now on, it's yours."
Qin Jinghao dropped to both knees, raising his hands high. "Thank you, Grand Guardian!!!"
He respectfully accepted the lantern, holding it in his hand. His eyes filled with a tangible black mist of hatred, stirring the Inner Demons within him.
Lu Ding could tell—this was the breakthrough opportunity for God Ascension.
Good timing.
Going forward, taking Qin Jinghao along wouldn't be safe. His cultivation was too weak. He'd only be a hindrance and need protection—too much trouble.
Better leave him here.
"Your Majesty, I'll need to trouble you to look after my subordinate for a while. Once I finish my mission, I'll come back to pick him up. You absolutely must ensure his safety."
The Nanshan King felt a bit choked up.
But he had no choice but to agree.
"Fine. I guarantee he'll be safe and sound here. I'll provide all the resources he needs for cultivation."
Lu Ding smiled. "Your Majesty, your generosity. We'll be on our way then. Time is of the essence."
His get-it-done style, backed by pure-quality strength and track record, radiated nothing but security.
Who wouldn't like such a talented man—strong, principled, seeing the big picture, and wholeheartedly devoted to the kingdom?
The Nanshan King sighed inwardly. If only Lu Ding had been born in Nanshan Kingdom. If only Lu Ding had been discovered by Nanshan Kingdom. He would have treated Lu Ding better than his own son!!
He would give him anything he asked for.
Delegating authority, endlessly delegating—Lu Ding would surely lead Nanshan Kingdom higher, farther, better!!!
What a pity...
Even though the Nanshan King felt somewhat displeased with Lu Ding, he yearned for talent like his—just as Duke Cao once encountered Lord Guan or saw Zhao Zilong. But unlike Duke Cao, he dared not make any recruitment offers.
Lu Ding left with Gongyang Qingrou and Wang Qingge, heading straight for Nanshan Kingdom's Ghost-Occupied Zone.
Inside the Ghost-Occupied Zone at that moment.
There was no sky, only endless darkness. Ghostly energy gathered into clouds.
Inside a towering building somewhere.
A sickly youth, holding a palette of paint, was sketching the details of scholar-warrior sleeves.
Beside him, a figure knelt on one knee, reporting information about Lu Ding.
On the other side.
A girl, lingering fear still in her eyes, was pointing out the details and mistakes in the youth's painting.
Until it was fully complete.
The girl's forehead was covered in sweat.
The sickly youth, holding the palette, gazed at the two-meter canvas in front of him with pure white pupils.
A paintbrush in his hand.
"What would Lu Ding's eyes look like?"
He was the Ghost King—the source of all disasters and chaos in Nanshan Kingdom, the Mottian, who had never revealed his face or data.
"Sir, according to the intel from the human traitor in Nanshan Kingdom, Lu Ding apparently never looks at anyone with his eyes squarely."
The speaker was a man in blood-red robes, kneeling on one knee, with an eyeball earring hanging from his ear marked with the number 4, representing his rank as the Fourth Calamity among the Ghost King's Nine Calamities.
The moment he finished speaking.
His head exploded.
The headless body remained kneeling, steadfast.
Mottian didn't turn around, holding his brush and dipping it in paint. "I didn't ask you."
The Fourth Calamity's head quickly grew back.
"Apologies, sir. I was rude."
Mottian ignored him. He wanted to put brush to paper, but didn't know where to start. His brow slowly furrowed, betraying his inner conflict.
"I really want to see him for myself."
"But I'm also afraid. Meeting might not match the legend. Someone as rare as a treasure—if only he could become a ghost, turn into a demon. How wonderful that would be. In this long, endless time, I wouldn't be lonely anymore."
All his life, Mottian had longed for a kindred spirit.
When he was human, everyone said he was born evil. But his parents taught him to be a good person, even though he grew up in a place full of bad people. Until his parents were murdered. Their dying words were still for him to let go of hatred and live a good life.
Ridiculous.
When he became a ghost, he kept transforming the strong and so-called like-minded people, giving them power, all in search of a kindred spirit. But these people all talked a good game. In the end, they were defeated by the bonds of family, love, and friendship. His grand plan failed, and he was eventually sealed away by the Miaodao Sect.
Ridiculous.
Whether it was his parents or anyone else, none of them were his kind.
Until he heard Lu Ding's name, learned of Lu Ding's deeds, and heard that Lu Ding had come to Nanshan Kingdom.
Mottian felt like he had finally found a kindred spirit.
From Lu Ding's deeds, he could sense that Lu Ding was also someone shaped by his environment—just like him. Equally brilliant, and neither purely good nor purely bad in any conceptual sense. The complexity of his makeup made Mottian unable to resist wanting to understand Lu Ding.
To find, within his thoughts, a glimmer of hope that they might be kindred.
A tall, handsome youth with a deer crown on his head bearing the character 3 spoke slowly, "Sir, how about I go capture Lu Ding?"
Hearing this, Mottian raised a hand to his forehead, covering it as he laughed, "Hahahahaha... Chiyu, you should have a clear understanding of your own strength by now."
"Alright, all of you, withdraw."
The crowd vanished from the spot instantly.
In the room, only Mottian and the girl who had been guiding his painting remained.
Mottian turned around, lowering the hand from his forehead. Of course, it wasn't because he was being pretentious by covering his forehead to laugh. It was because whenever his emotions fluctuated too violently, he got migraines.
This was the lingering damage left by the founder of the Miaodao Sect.
"Miss Pei, sorry to disturb your creative inspiration. I haven't been human for a long time. I wanted to ask—how do you think I should change to be more like a person?"
"A survivor in the Ghost-Occupied Zone."
He wanted to go see Lu Ding. As a person. To talk, to chat, or maybe... to open his heart?
.
Thanks to Big Shot Pig-Skin Bully Melon-Boy for the golden ticket urging updates. Thanks, Big Shot. Once I'm done with the physical book stuff, I'll add extra chapters for all the big shots.