【Scared yet? I advise you to calm down!】
【Yes, I’m a demon, but I have no intention of harming… ahem, harming this kid! Where do you think all his strange “blessings” came from? They were all bestowed by me!】
Lin Lingling froze, staring at Baji in shock.
Baji gazed back at her, golden eyes shimmering with a sly curve.
After his meridians were opened, some of Taotie’s innate abilities had awakened.
Mind manipulation was one of them.
Not a grand ability, but not a small one either.
He wouldn’t dare use it on Chen Huaian.
But Lin Lingling? Of course he dared.
She never realized she’d been charmed. Instead, she felt as if she had suddenly attained enlightenment.
So clear!
Everything was clear!
Of course! That explained everything!
No wonder Chen Huaian and Baji got along so seamlessly. Their relationship was exactly this.
This Baji… was actually the most mysterious, most sought-after opportunity demon recorded by the Demon Slayer Division.
Chen Huaian might be the “boss.”
But the real boss… was Baji.
Though oddly enough, this boss’ voice sounded like a child’s.
【See that herring in the brat’s arms?】
Lin Lingling’s gaze followed Baji’s hint toward the giant fish.
Then Baji sneered, “That herring was inspired by me. I didn’t want to expose my true identity, so I gave the kid this pet. Maybe someday it’ll transform into a mermaid or something, surprise him a bit. And then… hmph!”
The snort made Lin Lingling shiver.
【But now you’ve let him know it’s a monster. What if he eats it?】
The very next moment, Chen Huaian muttered, “Sanling, have you ever eaten a monster? Think this fish would taste extra good if it turned into one? Also… why are you kneeling? It’s not even New Year’s yet.”
The big herring’s eyes filled with horror as it thrashed desperately in his arms.
Its gill fins slapped the back of his hand in protest.
Clearly, it understood.
For a fish at monster level to understand human speech… Lin Lingling had no choice but to believe this: the giant bluefish was a demon subdued by the higher-ranking monster, Baji—completely different from wild demons that awakened on their own.
She couldn’t let Chen Huaian eat it.
Otherwise, Baji would never forgive her.
After a moment of hesitation, she got to her feet, hands sweaty on her spear shaft, forcing a stiff smile.
“Well, Chen Huaian, not every monster has to be killed. And monster meat… can’t be eaten casually. It could easily cause problems.”
“But…” Chen Huaian looked down at the bluefish, meeting its watery gaze, hesitant. “It does look tasty.”
“No. You really can’t eat it.”
“Absolutely not?”
“No.”
“They say boiling water kills everything. If not, there’s always a pressure cooker.” Chen Huaian swallowed hard.
Wuliang Tianzun! He had never eaten monster meat before.
Even if it was risky—so what?
Life was short. What was there not to eat?
Lin Lingling: “…”
Big Blackfish: “…”
Tyrant Muscle: “…”
Seeing no one could stop its impending doom, the big blackfish spasmed—then stretched open its gills and mouth, spitting out a pearl the size of a quail egg.
It gazed pleadingly at Chen Huaian.
“You can spit pearls?” Chen Huaian narrowed his eyes, suddenly serious.
The blackfish bobbed its head furiously.
“How long does it take to make one?”
The fish stared blankly.
“I’ll name the times. You nod when I’m right.”
The fish nodded.
“One day?”
“One week?”
“One month?”
At “one month,” the fish nodded quickly.
“Too slow! I’m very disappointed!” Chen Huaian scowled, lips curling into a sneer. “You get one week. Every week, you owe me a pearl. Otherwise, I’ll toss you in the pressure cooker and make fish soup!”
The fish thrashed frantically, nodding nonstop.
“Good. Deal!”
Chen Huaian’s expression softened into a kindly smile. He reached out two fingers, shook the fish’s fin, and set it back in the basin.
“From today, you’re part of the family. Your name’s Xiaoqing!”
He tapped the fish’s head. “You’re a demon now, not Tyrant Muscle. Don’t bully him anymore!”
…Bullying the black cat?
Xiaoqing froze.
She wouldn’t dare—not even with a hundred guts!
“This pearl’s flawless. Gotta be worth forty, fifty thousand, right?”
Chen Huaian held the gemlike pearl up to the light.
Lin Lingling, standing beside him, gently poured cold water. “Xiaoqing is freshwater. Setting aside whether fish even make pearls, this should be a freshwater pearl. Those aren’t worth much. Even the best quality is only two or three thousand.”
“Two or three thousand?” Chen Huaian frowned.
Should he just stew the fish? Adding less than ten thousand to monthly income wasn’t worth it.
Lin Lingling added, “But think of it differently. As a demon product, the pearl could be handed to the Demon Slayer Bureau. A demon like Xiaoqing would fetch ten thousand just for research value.”
Ten thousand sounded better.
If size wasn’t an issue, he could have Xiaoqing produce one every three days.
That’d be ten per month—one hundred thousand yuan!
Chen Huaian’s murderous aura melted into warmth. “As expected of a family member. Whether stewed into soup or spitting pearls, you’ve got your own worth. Excellent!”
Lin Lingling’s lips twitched.
She was convinced Xiaoqing would lose her mind if she stayed here too long.
It was better to report both Baji and Xiaoqing as harmless opportunity demons to the Bureau.
That way, they could also serve as references for Chen Huaian’s true strength.
And most importantly, they could observe whether Baji and Xiaoqing had potential worth recruiting.
The Bureau needed every ounce of power it could get right now.
Even if the source wasn’t entirely safe.
“Chen Huaian, I need to go out for a bit.”
He looked at Sanling getting to her feet and thought, what a coincidence.
He’d just been wondering how to pay her allowance.
“Sure, go ahead… Oh, and I like Sihai buns from the shop in City Village. Buy yourself some too~”
Lin Lingling’s face turned green.
City Village? Going to the Bureau and then to City Village would take at least three, four hours round-trip. By the time she got back, those buns would be lunch! And what was she, his servant?
“You—”
Just as she was about to snap, a chilling voice cut in:
“This king also wants to eat Sihai buns.”
Lin Lingling trembled.
Silence.
Then she pasted on a sweet smile. “Okay! Brother, I’ll buy them for you right away!”
…
By the window, Chen Huaian watched her climb into a rideshare car.
The carefree expression on his face faded.
He returned to the sofa, pulled out a silver needle, and his eyes grew solemn.
“The pulse-opening needle’s safety has been confirmed… Now, it’s my turn to open my own meridians!”
