Hotel Room –
Baji was starting to doze off, lulled by the sound of running water from the bathroom.
Suddenly, a powerful surge of demonic energy—thick with resentment—pierced the air and rapidly approached.
[A demon?]
His ears perked up. Baji leapt onto the table and peered out the window. Sure enough, the grass outside was trembling, as if something large was darting through it. The rustling trail reached the building’s drainpipe and abruptly stopped. The next second—
Whoosh!
A massive black rat—easily the size of a calf—launched from the ground, vaulting up to the second floor like a bolt of lightning.
[Well, well, it really came.]
Baji sneered.
That rat demon was clearly drawn here by the lingering blood scent of the human cub—Lin Lingling. The little girl had left behind a blood trail near the boss’s door, and the monster must’ve followed it.
[Too bad… it shouldn’t have come. This is its grave.]
[Forget that the boss is in the Void Stage. The talismans on the door and windows alone are enough to turn that rat into ashes. Heh~]
Baji didn’t feel sorry for the monster at all.
It was technically a “monster” too, but not like those. He came from a different lineage entirely—a fierce spirit born of heaven and earth, incomparable to the spiritual beasts or demons of today.
In ancient times, humans lumped everything not human into the “monster” category. But Baji was different. He was a true apex predator, a being above all common demonic creatures.
In fact, in some ways, he was a natural enemy to monsters.
After all, between tiny humans and towering monsters dozens of meters tall… guess which makes a better meal?
[Too bad the boss is around, and I can’t go full beast mode. Otherwise, this juicy rat would be lunch…]
Baji licked his lips, a faint red gleam flashing in his eyes.
Then he heard the bathroom door creak open—and immediately forced himself to suppress all appetite.
“Meow~”
“Oh, Baji. I almost forgot about you.”
Chen Huaian stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed, and chuckled when he spotted Baji.
Though this black cat didn’t have much presence, after a few days of living together, he’d grown fond of it. At least Baji was quiet—not like other cats that caused chaos with acrobatic stunts.
And those melancholy eyes… they kind of tugged at the heart.
Baji: “?”
[Oh no. I was too distracted by the rat demon. I forgot to hide.]
Chen Huaian brought over a shoebox, comparing it against Baji’s size.
Hmm… a bit cramped.
He swapped it out for a larger storage box. Then, gently but firmly, he lifted Baji—who was too scared to resist—and placed him inside.
“Sorry, Baji. I’ll get you a proper pet carrier later. Just hold on for now, okay?”
The lid snapped shut.
Baji’s heart turned cold.
[Welp, locked up. But wait—maybe this is an opportunity.]
After all, the boss had nowhere to store the box. He’d probably carry it by hand.
Once they were outside, Baji could just leap out and escape to freedom!
Yes! Escape plan: activate!
But before the fantasy could fully form—
Clunk.
The box was opened again.
Chen Huaian casually tossed in a large, flopping black fish.
Baji: “???”
Big Black Fish: “…”
Snap. The lid closed again.
“That fish is too hard to carry. Just leave it in there. Baji can snack on it if he gets hungry.”
Inside the box, Baji and the fish locked eyes.
The black fish flopped twice in fear, looking at Baji with big, watery, pleading eyes.
[Sigh… fine. I won’t eat you.]
Baji suppressed his hunger once more.
[We’re both prisoners now. Let’s just survive until we break free.]
[Besides, even I can’t finish a fish this big in one sitting.]
Just then—
“Almost forgot to grab the talismans off the windows and door. Cost me two hundred grand!”
Snap.
The box shifted again. Something was pressed down onto the lid.
Baji froze.
Peering up at the thin cover above, he could barely make out the faint silhouette of two narrow strips—fresh talismans—the same ones that had guarded the door and window.
Baji: “…”
[Haha. This is the boss we’re talking about.]
[Of course he saw through me.]
[Even if he didn’t, that ridiculous protagonist-level luck would suppress me anyway.]
Two shimmering tears welled up in his eyes as he gazed upward at a 45-degree angle.
[I can’t escape. I can’t escape at all.]
Outside the box, Chen Huaian casually continued packing, blissfully unaware that his pet cat had just had a full-blown existential crisis.
Chen Huaian had already packed up. His suitcase was stuffed with clothes and the potted spiritual plant. The storage box, containing Baji and the big black fish, was strapped securely to the suitcase with tape.
He wore a well-worn set of sportswear—not exactly fashionable, but comfortable and familiar. He’d long since gotten used to this style. And despite the rustic look, girls still hit him up on messaging apps with green bubble texts whenever he went out.
However, the moment he opened the door—
“Ah! Monster! M-Monster—aaah!”
A shrill scream rang out from down the corridor.
It was the cleaning lady.
Chen Huaian looked to the side and saw her collapsed on the floor, huddled against the wall, trembling uncontrollably.
On the corridor’s red carpet…
A massive, black-furred rat was lumbering toward him step by step.
Its coarse, matted hair scraped along the wall with a harsh grinding sound—screech, screech—each step oozing a vicious, bone-chilling aura.
It didn’t even glance at the terrified cleaning lady. Its bloodshot eyes were locked entirely on Chen Huaian.
One step… two steps…
The lumbering advance felt like the march of a demon.
“A mutated rat?” Chen Huaian stared at the hulking black rat. Oddly enough, he felt no fear.
On instinct, he compared it to Taoist Qingxuan—or even the mutant wolf he’d faced at Tianmen Mountain.
“It’s honestly… not that scary.”
But even if he wasn’t afraid, his rational mind told him that now was the time to consider how to protect himself.
Before he could think of anything—
The black rat lunged forward!
“Ahhh—!”
It howled wildly, its enormous body zigzagging erratically, charging like a black cyclone straight toward him.
Too fast!
Chen Huaian didn’t even have time to dodge.
On reflex, he threw his hands over his face and braced himself, mind going blank.
But…
Nothing happened.
No impact. No pain.
Everything was silent.
He cautiously lowered his hands.
And saw something strange.
The black rat—just two meters away—was frozen mid-pounce, completely motionless.
Its huge body trembled uncontrollably, its beady red eyes wide with fear.
Chen Huaian could clearly sense it: the rat was terrified of him.
More specifically…
There was a yellow puddle forming underneath it.
“Did… did it just pee itself?”
Chen Huaian took two steps forward.
Still, the rat didn’t move a muscle.
“You’re really that scared of me?” he muttered, feeling a strange confidence rise within him.
He stood in front of the trembling black rat and posed heroically, hands on hips.
What he didn’t notice was this—
The rat’s terrified gaze wasn’t fixed on him, but rather on the storage box strapped to his suitcase… the one with two fresh talismans stuck on top.
Inside that box?
Baji, staring out at the scene with despair.
“So this is the fear brought by an overwhelming life energy level?” Chen Huaian said smugly.
From behind him came a murmur from the cleaning lady, still watching in shock:
“Oh my god… that’s the biggest rat I’ve ever seen…”
Circling around it curiously, Chen Huaian realized the rat looked exactly like a zombie under a talisman spell.
That gave him an idea.
He pulled a Thunderfire Talisman from his pocket and slapped it right onto the rat’s forehead.
“Hehe~ Today, I’ll let you cosplay as a zombie rat!”
The poor black-furred demon?
Didn’t even dare twitch.
