Chapter 43: The Sensation of Stepping in Filth

The entire tomb chamber, including Li Changluo, Hei Wa, and the shattered remains of the coffin on the ground, was gradually being enveloped by chocolate.

"Anger can give you strength, but it can also plunge you into despair…"

The chocolate monster slowly picked up the petrified coffin board from the floor and waved it in front of Xiao Qing. With a twisted grin, it tossed the board lightly to the ground, then slowly lifted its foot and stomped down hard.

"No!!!"

Xiao Qing screamed, her voice tearing with agony.

"That's it, that look of despair—keep it just like that."

Her cries seemed to excite the chocolate monster. He found Xiao Qing's desperate sobs highly amusing and relished the sound of her hopeless wailing.

He picked up another piece of the coffin board, repeating his previous actions. Right in front of Xiao Qing, he trampled it again and again with vicious force.

Xiao Qing wept, her sorrow deep and hopeless.

The chocolate monster truly was a pervert. He deliberately tormented Xiao Qing’s spirit with such twisted methods, seeking his own perverse pleasure.

"Making a girl cry truly is the mark of a scumbag. However…" Half of Li Changluo’s body was already petrified. He slowly took a cigarette from his bag and lit it.

He took a deep drag: "…"

Then exhaled, the swirling smoke making his face seem even more unreal.

"However what?" The chocolate monster waited for Li Changluo to finish his sentence.

Li Changluo remained silent, smoking to himself, his expression complicated.

"Hey, kid, if you have something to say, spit it out," the chocolate monster pressed, clearly obsessive, unable to leave questions unanswered, his curiosity insatiable.

"I can’t remember, all right?"

"Why do you keep asking, asking, asking? Will you die if you stop asking?"

"Is it so bad if I can’t come up with something profound?"

"Did you feed your emotional intelligence to the dogs?"

"Like this, nobody can save face—are you happy now?"

Li Changluo gesticulated wildly, ranting like a fishwife in the street.

The chocolate monster was dumbfounded into silence. What on earth was happening here? Had he done something wrong? Should he apologize?

"What a flexible and straightforward boy," Hei Wa cast a look of admiration at Li Changluo. To be able to curse out the enemy at a time like this…

Inferiority.

Li Changluo flicked his ash, his expression calm and indifferent, and said calmly to the weeping Xiao Qing, "Hey, wait for me a moment."

Xiao Qing, sobbing with tears streaming down her face, looked at Li Changluo, unable to stop crying, overwhelmed by grief.

"Wait for me—wipe your tears," Li Changluo’s tone brooked no refusal.

From shrew to domineering CEO, Li Changluo made the transformation in a single second.

"Are you addicted to showing off?" the chocolate monster mocked. "You can barely protect yourself and still you—"

But his sneer froze halfway, for he saw Li Changluo ignite his lighter.

The lighter itself was nothing to fear. Though fire could melt chocolate, the monster was a creature with demonic power over level twenty; he had never feared fire.

But then, the flame on Li Changluo’s lighter slowly turned black—a black fire.

He watched as Li Changluo, with two fingers, pinched the black flame from the lighter and began playing with it.

"You fused that skill book?" The chocolate monster’s face spelled disbelief.

As the black flame danced in Li Changluo’s hand, the chocolate shell encasing him began to burn rapidly.

Li Changluo was like a man of fire, wreathed in black flames.

Terrifying beyond measure.

The chocolate monster didn’t stupidly stand there in awe, thinking, The protagonist is cheating, so scary, I should just watch him finish showing off and then kill me, or other such delusional thoughts…

He immediately swept his arms, sending a giant wave of chocolate crashing toward Li Changluo.

Of all martial arts, speed is the key to victory—a practical principle indeed.

Yet, the chocolate waves, upon touching the black flames surrounding Li Changluo, instantly sizzled, emitting an enticing aroma of scorched chocolate that made Hei Wa’s mouth water.

The chocolate monster dared not attack rashly again. Seeing that a swift strike was useless, all he could do was defend, waiting for his opponent to reveal a flaw, then counterattack with a fatal blow.

Perfect.

Yet, he saw that Li Changluo was in no hurry to attack. Instead, he opened his mouth wide as if about to spew fire at him.

Nothing happened.

Then, putting on a show, he raised both hands and waved them at the monster.

Still, nothing happened.

Finally, unhurried, he pulled out a fruit from his waist.

The chocolate monster stared in utter confusion.

What on earth was he doing?

Trying to control the flame?

He couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. What nonsense was this…

Did this boy have any idea how formidable he was?

Did he even know what this flame could do?

With this layer of fire, did he really think he could fight him head-on?

But before the thought had even finished, a thin needle wreathed in black flame had already pierced his chest.

And then, his entire body ignited.

The chocolate monster was stunned—completely dumbfounded.

How despicable could one get? Clearly capable of defeating him with strength, but choosing to be underhanded instead.

With half his body already burned away, the chocolate monster swiftly grabbed his own throat with his unburned hand, gave a vicious twist, and his head toppled to the ground.

"Spare me, hero! I was forced into this!" he pleaded.

"I have young ones to care for, and elders depending on me. Let me go, will you?"

"If you spare me, you’ll…"

"…have endless chocolate to eat, wouldn’t that be delightful?"

Now reduced to just a head, the chocolate monster wept bitterly, his appearance pitiable as he begged Li Changluo for mercy.

"All right, I’ll let you go this time," Li Changluo replied cheerfully, patting the monster’s head. He agreed readily.

The chocolate monster was dumbstruck. This was even more naive and innocent than that girl—adorable, even. How could it be so easy?

His body actually had a secret trick: as long as his head remained, his body could quickly regenerate after being destroyed, although it needed time. Begging for mercy was always his way of buying time, a tactic that had worked countless times and claimed the lives of many monsters.

He never expected this boy to be so young and gullible. The chocolate monster looked at Li Changluo with gratitude, while inwardly scheming how to torture him to death.

Heh heh.

But then…

Something seemed… off. So fragrant…

Just as the chocolate monster snapped out of his vengeful fantasy, he saw Li Changluo using his lighter to set his head on fire.

"But didn’t you say—"

"—you’d let me go?"

His head sizzled as it burned, releasing waves of tempting scorched aroma.

"Just this once," Li Changluo said, giving him a smile as gentle as a spring breeze.

…

Just this once?

He wanted to question Li Changluo’s trustworthiness, but before he could, he saw Li Changluo raise a foot wreathed in flame and stomp down on his face.

"Damn, why does this feel like stepping on dog shit?"