Douluo: Law of Heaven and Earth

Chapter 978 Lu Qibin's Past - Extra Chapter 39: The Capital Tycoon's Suppression
Said Cao Cao, Cao Cao.

Although Li Ming had this thought in his mind, when he looked up, he saw Li Gong and Lu Qibin walking on the street.

The two men also saw her.

"Walk."

Li Ming's heart sank, and he quickly lowered his head and headed towards a crowded area.

Li Gong dared not make a move in the city, but he followed Lu Qibin.

"Boss!"

Li Ming's companions realized that taking Li Zhao along would only allow them to be caught up by the two of them.

“Don’t worry, this is Star Luo City, where people come and go. Even a Title Douluo wouldn’t dare to make a move.” But this couldn’t go on forever, so Li Ming decided to go all the way and took his two companions and Li Zhao to the underground of the Star Luo Auction House.

"Beneath the glamorous royal estates, there are such dark places?" Li Zhao, who was visiting for the first time, was also very surprised.

The world is far darker than she could have imagined!

Li Ming didn't care. He simply found a room, gave Li Zhao paper and pen, and taught him to write down what he had memorized.

Taking the opportunity, Li Zhao proposed conditions, saying, "One is too few, at least nine."

“Nine out of one, you get one.” Li Ming was speechless and stopped joking. He just urged Li Zhao to hurry up. “This matter has nothing to do with you. I will send you away afterwards. As for the corresponding benefits, if nothing happens to me, I will give them to you regularly every year.”

Li Zhao pursed his lips, realizing that "90%" was the limit. He said no more, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote on the paper from memory.

This dictation went on until the wee hours of the morning, when all fifty pages had been completed.

Li Ming quickly took it. Even though the handwriting was different, the content still brought tears to her eyes. She said, "Huo Xing, I have finally heard your voice again!"

"Is that your lover?" Li Zhao asked.

Snapped!
As soon as she finished speaking, Li Zhao was hit on the head, making her wince in pain.

Li Ming said, "Don't talk nonsense. Our friendship is more precious than love!"

[Beyond Friendship? Not Romantic?]

Li Zhao didn't understand, but he didn't dare to speak carelessly on this point. He simply asked, "What are you going to do after that? Are you really going to print a lot? The Star Crown Sect must have connections with booksellers in the city, right? Even if you're Soul Masters, you can't copy that many copies in a year if you have to copy them yourselves."

“We certainly can’t use booksellers, but who says we have to copy it ourselves? As long as we have the tools, it’s fine.” Li Ming introduced Li Zhao to a technique called “movable type printing”.

The characters are carved on a square stone, the content is arranged, ink is applied, and then paper is pressed on it and left to dry for a short time to obtain the finished product.

"What amazing technology!" Li Zhao was stunned after learning the principle of movable type printing. But why had she never heard of such a simple method before?

"The reason is simple. Just as ordinary people have no way to learn to read, this printing technology will not spread to the common people. Anyone who can sell books in the city must have a powerful background," Li Ming said. In this world, literacy is a privilege of the powerful and wealthy. Most commoner Soul Masters only know common characters and are completely ignorant of various technologies.

Li Zhao's eyes lit up: "This is a huge business opportunity!"

Li Ming poured cold water on her idea, saying, "Don't even think about enlightening the common people. You don't have the ability or the means."

This is ultimately the world of Soul Masters; without power, you will only die a horrible death.

Moreover, this would be making enemies of the entire world.

Li Zhao, however, had a different idea and asked Li Ming, "Can't Soul Masters die?"

"meeting."

Li Mingdao.

“Since everyone’s going to die anyway, wouldn’t their deaths just wipe everything out? How will we know it won’t work if we don’t try?” Li Zhao, an orphan, had his own opinions. “At least I’m not making enemies of ordinary people. And I’m just doing this to make money!”

······
"Li Zhao is quite similar to you."

As Lu Qibin spoke, he looked Zhou Qing up and down again, and suddenly laughed, “You both like money. But she’s just making money for the sake of making money, while you’re doing it so that everyone can live a good life.”

"It does look like it."

Zhou Qing didn't refute, but chuckled and said, "She and I are practically half-siblings. If she really becomes a wife, the world's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or landscape) will be very different, and she will be my Red Society's only competitor."

"only?"

Lu Qibin was puzzled, "The Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, and the Spirit Hall are not considered rivals of the Red Society?"

"The Heaven Dou and Star Luo are not worth mentioning. The Spirit Hall... if it can transform itself in the future, or maintain its current status, it can survive for a long time."

Zhou Qing refilled Lu Qibin's teacup and casually said, "No matter how powerful they are, their thinking is limited; they only focus on Soul Masters."

Li Zhao, however, was different; she focused on money. Perhaps Soul Masters looked down on her, and nobles scoffed at her, deeming her vulgar, but there was no doubt that she saw the future.

A simple and direct comparison between the ideas of the Red Society and hers reveals many similarities. We seek collective and shared prosperity, while she seeks individual prosperity. However, achieving this goal requires unwavering faith and the ability to make others prosperous as well.

That's why I said we were half-siblings; if she had gotten together with me, my Red Cross society might have been difficult to establish.”

Lu Qibin hadn't expected Zhou Qing to speak so highly of Li Zhao. He cleared his throat and began to recount this final chapter of the story…

···
Li Ming was slightly taken aback by Li Zhao's thoughts. While he felt that she was beyond help, he also saw a trace of Li Yang and Huo Xing.

It's just that our goals are different.

This Li Zhao—

Seeking wealth.

Wealth, though vulgar to the extreme, is disliked by scholars and literati, yet it is real.

What is it that I seek?

Li Ming asked himself honestly. He used to enjoy stargazing, but he wasn't as resolute as Li Yang; he couldn't bring himself to get involved and fake his death to escape... Later, his interactions with Li Yang, Huo Xing, and others were driven by youthful impetuosity, fueled by admiration for Li Yang and a touch of competitiveness... Then, after seeing Huo Xing off and fleeing the sect's base, and even after Huo Xing's death, his hands were stained with the blood of many direct descendants of the Star Crown Sect...
How can we change the leadership of the Star Crown Sect?

Or is it to avenge Huo Xing?
Is it both? Or is the former a cover-up and the latter the purpose, with the former concealing the latter so that the people he has killed over the years truly deserve to die?
Li Ming wasn't entirely sure, but he understood one thing: she could never turn back...

Upon leaving the auction venue and not seeing Li Gong and Lu Qibin, Li Ming's heart sank. He told his two companions to wait near the city gate while he escorted Li Zhao to a safe place.

"There are such poor places even in Xingluo City?"

Upon arriving at the slums, Li Zhao was even more astonished to see beggars dressed in tattered clothes, their bodies covered in more filth than his own.

But Li Ming had no time to explain to her. He simply called over three or five beggars, handed each of them a piece of naan bread, and said, "Take her out of the city."

The beggars took the bread and nodded eagerly in agreement.

Li Zhao: "...So dark!"

Li Ming ignored her and handed her the book that Li Zhaomo had written, saying, "Send it to Holy Soul Village. It's in the northeast. Go out the north gate, follow the continent, and you'll find Holy Soul Village."

"You're not printing anymore?" Li Zhao asked in surprise.

"I already remembered the contents, but after so many years, my memory had become hazy. Now that I've seen it, the hazy memory has become clear all at once, so I don't need this book."

Li Ming explained, then added, "The author of this book is from Shenghun Village. He hopes that even if the children in his hometown don't have the talent for cultivation, they can still recognize words and read books, so that their future will be brighter."

Since you're going to make money from this book, why not help him realize his dream?

Li Zhao pursed his lips, speechless, and said, "Why me?"

"You don't have to agree." Li Ming's request was not a demand, so Li Zhao could leave the city and find a place to live. She would send money regularly after she found Li Zhao's location.

This is not what I expected!

Li Zhao inwardly grumbled, but he also understood that staying in the city was no longer safe; leaving was the best option...
···
After Li Zhao left with the beggars in the city, Li Ming turned around and saw Lu Qibin and her grandfather at the alley entrance.

"My dear granddaughter, it's been so long." Looking at Li Ming's resolute face, Li Gong sighed with emotion, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "Come home with Grandpa."

"There's no going back now."

Li Ming took a deep breath, put on his martial soul Zhenxing brass, and six soul rings of yellow, purple, black and white appeared on his hand.

"and many more!"

Li Gong didn't want to fight his only relative, so he tried to explain, "I already know about the dark side of the sect, I'm not here to capture you! I'll send you out of the city!"

"is it?"

Li Ming remained unmoved and unleashed a punch. A stream of silvery-white light surged forth, scattering in all directions and causing the surrounding houses to collapse, injuring countless civilians.

Li Gong and Lu Qibin hurriedly stepped back, staring at Li Ming emerging from the dust, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

"Grandpa, there's no going back now."

Li Ming's eyes shone with a silvery-white light, and his Zhenxing Finger Tiger Martial Soul emitted rays of light, twinkling with starlight.

She knew that her grandfather was not lying.

However, she could not deceive her own heart. Over the years, countless innocent people had died at her hands, so how could she still feel at ease?
future--

It has already been passed on.

Li Zhao.

Although her desires differed from those of Li Yang, Huo Xing, and herself, there is no doubt that this younger sister had inherited some of the most important qualities from them.

It's not strength, nor technique, nor knowledge.

But -

Moving.

Or rather, from the moment Li Ming first saw Li Zhao, he discovered her potential to inherit this trait.

"Li Ming! Don't be impulsive! Don't escalate things!" Engineer Li continued to persuade him, gritting his teeth, "This is Xingluo City!"

"That's why I can't turn back!"

Li Ming leaped up and fled westward, causing destruction along the way and leaving the city's residents and soldiers in a state of panic and exhaustion.

Seeing this, Li Gong didn't want Li Ming to continue, so he said, "You just let the beggar take a child out of the city, didn't you? I've already sent someone to chase after them."

As expected, Li Ming stopped his indiscriminate attacks on the buildings along the way, turned around and looked directly at Li Gong, and said quietly, "Grandpa, that's your granddaughter too."

"what?"

Li Gong didn't react in time.

“She comes from Lankecun, the place where my parents died, and she looks so much like me, she is my younger sister.” After Li Gong finished speaking, her two companions also followed the commotion and rushed to her side.

"Lu Qibin!"

Upon hearing this, Li Gong's eyes widened in fury, and he roared at his disciple beside him, "Go after them!"

"Yes!"

Lu Qibin responded and flew towards the north gate.

To ensure Li Ming's safety, Li Gong was determined to eliminate anyone connected to his granddaughter but whom he did not trust, after taking control of her, so as to prevent the sect from finding out.

Therefore, even though his granddaughter resented him afterwards, he accepted it.

But who could have imagined—

The person was not a commoner who looked like her that Li Ming had found, but his other granddaughter!
Nothing can happen!

But things didn't go as planned.

Lu Qibin wiped the area around his forehead, sighed, and said with a dim gaze, "When I caught up with him, Li Zhao had been stabbed in the abdomen, his kidneys were pierced, and his intestines were ruptured. He was barely breathing."

It wasn't the disciples sent by the teacher who did it themselves; instead, they threatened the beggars and bribed them to attack Li Zhao.

Even a Soul Master would die within a day from such injuries without immediately seeking a healing Soul Master, let alone Li Zhao, who is an ordinary person.

There was no way to reverse the situation.

······
When Lu Qibin arrived, he saw Li Zhao leaning against a rock with a gash in his abdomen from which blood was trickling out. He immediately lost his composure, killing the two outsiders who were watching the commotion on the spot, and also killing the beggars.

"Such injuries—"

After a quick examination, he knew that even if he took Li Zhao to a healing-type Soul Master of the Soul Saint level, it would be difficult for him to recover—the amount of bleeding was too great!

Not to mention, a healing expert at the Soul Saint level would only be given face if the sect leader of the Star Crown Sect personally invited them, so why would they come to treat Li Zhao?
Li Zhao, pale-faced, said to Lu Qibin, "Although I don't know who you are, thank you for your concern."

Lu Qibin wanted to help her up, but he was worried that doing so would make her bleed even faster. Although he had some medicine on him, how could he stop the bleeding from such a large wound? Not to mention that her intestines were ruptured and her stomach was perforated; moving her body rashly might cause even greater injury.

At this moment, Lu Qibin began to lament that he wasn't a healing-type Soul Master.

"This is my own doing. If I had listened to them and put down the book, perhaps I wouldn't be dead..."

Before the beggar stabbed her in the abdomen, Li Zhao had been threatened by the two disciples stationed there. They said that if she put down the book in her hand and knelt down, they would spare her life.

But for some reason, even though she clearly remembered the contents of the book, at that moment, she chose to go against those two disciples stationed there.

"···I do not understand···"

Li Zhao's abdominal bleeding increased, and he became increasingly uneasy. "I'm still so young, I can't just die like this!"
I need to make more money!
Earn enough money to last a lifetime! Earn enough money to stop me from worrying about death! Earn enough money to force even Soul Masters to set aside their pride!

Why did I make that choice?

Lu Qibin frowned, unable to understand why Li Zhao was still talking about making money at this time, but he could only say, "Stop talking, or there will be more bloodshed!"

But Li Zhao wouldn't listen and kept talking.

It was at this time.

The night ends and the day dawns.

As the sun rose in the east, the first rays of sunlight crossed the mountain peaks and shone on Li Zhao, causing her to shut her mouth.

"The sun...it's so warm!"

Her unfocused eyes reflected the red sun, as if Li Zhao had regained the vitality of a young girl, and she couldn't help but shed tears.

then.

Edward brought news of her parents' death. Though young, she was deeply saddened, yet the morning sun shone upon her as always.

She found the sunlight particularly dazzling!

Therefore, she disliked the rising sun.

nowadays.

She was dying, and the morning sun shone on her as usual, but it gave her a feeling of warmth.

All the unease in my heart vanished at this moment; I simply gazed quietly at the sun, enjoying the tranquility of my last moment.

On his deathbed, Li Zhao seemed to have a premonition. He took off the pendant hanging around his neck and handed it to Lu Qibin, whose eyes trembled as he recognized the pendant at first glance: "This is the pendant I found back then... Here you go."

"This...this is...!!!"

Lu Qibin was taken aback!
The pendant that Li Yang obtained from Smith went through many hands, passing from Xu Ming to Huo Xing to Li Zhao, and finally to his own possession.

destiny!

For some reason, Lu Qibin thought of this word.

And now!
Is it his turn yet?

Throughout this story, Lu Qibin was like a supporting character or a background figure, but he was not a stupid person. Thinking of Smith, Li Yang, and Huo Xing, and then looking at this girl who died inexplicably!
destiny!

It came into his hands!
Back then, Li Yang's suicide by poisoning had already touched him deeply!

As time went by and his experience grew, he saw more and more people die or be implicated because of this, and his curiosity and the emotions he felt grew stronger and stronger!
However, it was not expressed in words.

Once the ball was in his hands, he could no longer suppress his emotions!

But does he have the courage to face his fate?

When he tried to ask how the ball ended up in Li Zhao's hands, Li Zhao had already closed his eyes and fallen silent, with only a faint smile on his lips.

Are you moved?

For some inexplicable reason, Lu Qibin seemed to have found the answer.

When Li Yang faked his death, besides leaving behind this small ball, the only thing others inherited was the word "moved".

This transmission transcends blood ties and wisdom; what the younger generation inherits is not merely the will of their predecessors, but rather a connection that touches the soul.

Moving!

Once he truly understood this, Lu Qibin closed his eyes, looked up at the starry sky that had not yet completely disappeared due to the rising sun, but then suddenly lowered his head, unable to look directly at it.

Why?

This incident resulted in the loss of too many lives, and many of them died during his years as an elder of the Criminal Law Hall.

He no longer dared to look at the stars. The moment he looked up and saw the sky full of stars, he felt as if he were being stared at by countless pairs of eyes.

There are the eyes of innocent people who were murdered, and also the eyes of those who willingly died for the sake of the Earth and the Stars.

He couldn't look them in the eye!
He dared not face his fate!

(End of this chapter)