Chapter 213: The Kong Family's Dilemma
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"
Inside the Soul Palace, a 7,000-year-old green phosphorus snake hissed, when suddenly a black chain pierced its body, pulling out its soul. As Nana chanted a spell, the green-scaled snake transformed into the soul and soul bone of a beautiful woman sent by the Ordinary Alliance.
"Master, the souls of the 30 soul masters who have newly joined the Soul Palace have all been absorbed."
After successfully fusing the third soul rings of the 30 beautiful soul masters sent by the Ordinary Alliance, Nana knelt on one knee to report to Xiao Qiang.
Since receiving the undead magic of Alex, Xiao Qiang's soul had fully evolved to version 3.0. Now he possessed the method to let others create souls.
However, so far Xiao Qiang had only taught Soul Saint level practitioners how to create hundred-year souls, and Soul Douluo level practitioners the method to create thousand-year souls.
The creation of ten-thousand-year souls required trusted confidants, and souls beyond 50,000 years could only be created by Xiao Qiang himself.
"Thank you for your hard work. You may go now."
"Yes."
After Nana left, Xiao Qiang stared at the empty space.
"Grandmaster, please don't hide when you come to my place. You act like you're lurking. My psychological endurance is really limited."
"Hehe, normally only a Titled Douluo can see through my disguise. Soul Douluo need advance warning to find me even with clues. But you saw through it with just one glance. You're truly talented. If only one-tenth of my family had your abilities, I wouldn't be worrying about the family's future at my age."
Xiao Qiang didn't respond. As an outsider, it wasn't easy to comment on family affairs. "Why have you come to me, Grandmaster?"
"I heard you conquered the Pingfan League, one of the three major underground forces in Mingdu, some time ago?"
Xiao Qiang was stunned. It was one thing for someone to take over the Pingfan League, but the visitor was Kong Deming, a pillar of the Sun Moon Empire. Something felt off—wasn't the Pingfan League originally founded by a group of second-generation heirs?
"Don't be nervous. I'm not here to blame you. Some in my family also intervened in the Pingfan League. It was just a project by the younger generation. I don't care much for it. But since you've upset several families' interests, it has caused some trouble—I've resolved it."
"Thank you, Grandmaster."
"Don't thank me. I came because I have a favor to ask."
"Please tell me. If it's within my ability, I will not refuse."
Kong Deming paused before speaking slowly. "Xiao Qiang, do you know anything about my Kong family?"
"I know a little, but not much." Although the "Peerless Tang Sect" book in his previous life scarcely mentioned the Kong family, Xiao Qiang was born in the Sun Moon Empire and served as a high-ranking official there. It was impossible to be completely ignorant of the Kong family, though their secrets were well protected.
Hearing this, Kong Deming shared more about the Kong family. "Compared to Jing Hongchen, I'm not inferior in this regard. Despite your special circumstances, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen cannot compare to my descendants."
"The unworthy descendants quickly formed the Ordinary Alliance. Honestly, they aren't completely ignorant of cultivation and soul guides, but they're close. The Kong family's moon martial spirit and its resources shouldn't belong to just me—a ninth-level soul guide with the Titled Douluo rank—but so far, there's been no other ninth-level soul guide with a Titled Douluo title."
"Whether cultivation or soul guide production, I fear the Kong family will gradually decline over the next hundred years."
"Fortunately, you returned from the All-Continental High-level Soul Master Competition with a girl who carries my family's blood. This ensures my family has successors. But…" Kong Deming's face clouded with bitterness.
"But Zhang Lexuan has always been loyal to Shrek?"
Kong Deming sighed. "I've tried everything these past two years, but she refuses to change her surname to Kong or become a family member. She won't even cut ties with Shrek. She'd rather die than surrender."
Xiao Qiang said nothing. Zhang Lexuan's stance was predictable. Unlike Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo, who stayed briefly at Shrek, and Ling Luochen, whose ice attribute Xiao Qiang could fully control, Zhang Lexuan was firmly loyal to Shrek. Whether it was her feelings for Beibei or being morally bound by Moon to Shrek for life, she was unmovable.
Originally, Xiao Qiang had hoped to leverage Zhang Lexuan's identity and talent to negotiate with Shrek for three 100,000-year soul bones.
Zhang Lexuan already possessed one in her body, and a 100,000-year soul ring was worth as much as a 100,000-year soul bone. Coupled with her talent, Xiao Qiang expected to obtain three 100,000-year soul bones from Shrek through exchange or forced acquisition, with no discount.
The alternative plan of killing for bones would at least yield one 100,000-year soul bone and destroy a top Shrek talent. With no counterattack ability from Shrek, Xiao Qiang was confident in victory.
But before the plan could be carried out, Kong Deming had taken Zhang Lexuan away.
Though the bone acquisition plan failed, Kong Deming compensated Xiao Qiang with the Sun and Moon God Light Shield and a token of his identity. Zhang Lexuan's visit was not in vain.
"Over the last two years, I've exhausted every way to win over Zhang Lexuan. If this fails, I may have to give up this great-granddaughter, who's more trouble than she's worth but too precious to abandon. Fortunately, I have one last hope."
Kong Deming looked at Xiao Qiang with heavy eyes. Xiao Qiang, suspecting the Ordinary Alliance would never sway his master, had some guesses in mind.
"Master, what do you mean?"
"Back then, Zhang Lexuan's mother left the Sun Moon Empire for love, and now, she may be able to do the same."