Chapter 392: Chapter 392: Artificial Eye (25)_1
Fu Qian, having left the land of controversy, did not dally and headed straight for Claudio’s residence.
Indeed, in his estimation, there was more than a fifty percent chance that Li Min had gone there.
The reason behind this was simple: Li Min, upon obtaining a ritual, merely used it as a smokescreen, while she herself vanished without a trace.
This undoubtedly indicated that her purpose in coming to Posey was not to overcome an impasse or to seek a breakthrough as it appeared, but she had other designs.
Yet at the same time, her pretense of seeking advancement was performed flawlessly, clearly intent on making others believe it.
The contradiction between these two suggested she hoped to achieve a certain goal through such a posture.
And after much thought, the direct effect this posture could have seemed to be the chance to receive guidance from the sage behind Roland, namely Claudio.
She wanted to find him in this way, a logical train of thought.
That said, he himself had given a push in the events as well.
Realizing Li Min was wary of him, he deliberately burned Teresa’s body to a crisp to test her true intentions.
This act of framing, to some extent, prompted Roland to half probe and half courteously bring Li Min before Claudio.
And Li Min’s subsequent actions were so hastened, knowing that the small movements in the ritual could not be concealed for long, which suggested she had achieved her initial goal and no longer intended to feign ignorance.
Therefore, considering all of this, Fu Qian thought it worthwhile to take a look at Claudio’s place.
Amidst these thoughts, Fu Qian had already infiltrated Claudio’s courtyard.
And almost immediately, he sensed something unusual in the distance.
That was quick!
Upon confirming his suspicions, Fu Qian sighed in his heart and headed straight to where the commotion was coming from.
…
“Clarin, does the name still ring a bell?”
In the modestly sized room, Li Min looked at Claudio, her voice cold and silent.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to see my teacher?”
“As her trusted younger brother, one of the people she trusted most, you surely haven’t forgotten so soon?”
Across from Li Min, Claudio, no longer composed as before, was now half-kneeling on the ground, his hat having rolled off his head.
On his body’s surface, one could see a large expanse of deep blue marks, now moving as if alive, like an accelerated cloud map of satellites.
From Claudio’s contorted expression, it was evident that the marks were causing him considerable pain.
“You were Clarin’s student? I’ve never heard her mention you.”
When the marks moved onto his neck, Claudio seemed unable to breathe normally but still managed to speak with great difficulty.
“I deeply regret what happened to Clarin, but I would never harm her. You must have been misled.”
“To be honest, I wish that were the case.”
Facing his defense, Li Min only let out continuous cold laughs.
“If so, the teacher’s mood at the time of her death might have been better, sadly…”
“How are you feeling now? Is it painful? Like many insects crawling?”
She raised a small white knife in her hand.
The knife was only a bit longer than a palm and appeared to be made of bone.
“This is one of the teacher’s relics, a discovery we made together. The mass of color on you used to be attached to it.”
“Now, after entering your body through that knife wound on your back, they are eroding and binding you.”
“Don’t bother, not even a demigod can be immune to it.”
“No need to panic; the process will be long enough and painful enough.”
“So, you came to Posey just to find me?”
Looking at the dagger in Li Min’s hand, Claudio’s tone turned colder.
“Yes, to find you, I went to quite some lengths.”
“Until one day, my friend told me she had joined a mysterious gathering, where people could receive unnatural gifts through mysterious rituals.”
“And it just so happens that our teacher had mentioned to me before that you, her proud brother, possess some incomprehensible methods.”
“Your friend might now be targeted by the Night Watchman.”
Claudio glanced outside.
“You needn’t worry, Rachel will leave at the proper time.”
Facing an assault on her mind, Li Min’s emotions remained unaffected.
“Nor should you expect me to act rashly; I won’t make a move until your power has been sufficiently weakened.”
“You’ve become so paranoid to the point of madness; I should have listened to Roland and dealt with you directly. I even shared the ritual with you.”
Claudio’s face turned grim.
“Don’t talk about yourself so highly. You did that to test me, didn’t you?”
“To be honest, it’s a disgusting affair, being forced to let such a thing enter one’s mind, especially after experiencing some of its ‘gifts’.”
“Just like the teacher expressed her concerns to me before she died.”
“These things are not knowledge at all, but rather a different kind of curse.”
“You are just as stubborn as she was.”
The grief on Claudio’s face transformed into a cold laugh just then.
“I’m equally uninterested in explaining to you.”
“Your ability to hide is indeed decent, and you’re good at creating illusions, but what of it?”
“I was caught off guard by your ambush, but do you really think that with just one item you can kill a being that is almost a demigod?”
“If it were your teacher, perhaps it could be possible, but sadly your own power is far too weak.”
“Let me show you the power of what you call a curse.”
The next moment, one of Claudio’s fingers, not yet tainted blue, exploded on its own,
its fragmented flesh bursting open, which Claudio then swallowed with one gulp.
“Confinement.”
After chewing twice, he uttered a word.
In the next instant, the space around Li Min quickly thickened, encasing her completely, like a dim amber.
“Until I find a way to deal with this thing, there’s no need for you to leave.”
“With your current strength, it’s impossible for you to open it.”
“Is that so?”
Li Min’s voice came from within the amber.
“If a person can be killed by their own kin, what else is impossible?”
The next moment, a searing light burst from Li Min’s body, encased as if in invisible flames, she stepped out of the amber “squeeze” by “squeeze”.
“What the teacher left me, is more than just that one item.”
In the face of this spectacle, fear finally appeared on Claudio’s face.
…
What a rollercoaster!
Watching the drama unfolding before him, Fu Qian on the rooftop felt a wave of emotion.
Setting aside the tangled grudges, if Claudio really was the target he was looking for, under these circumstances, he might complete his mission simply by watching this play out.
Wait a second, watching?
In that instant, countless images flashed through Fu Qian’s mind, followed by a strange thought.
“Excuse me both of you, sorry for the interruption.”
No hesitation in the next moment, Fu Qian jumped right down.