“Oh no, I forgot something!”
After moving into his new place—a 2,000-yuan-per-month duplex apartment near the Wetland Park—Chen Huaian had just unpacked his bags when a thought suddenly hit him.
“Didn’t that uncle say there’s a bounty for killing monsters? I haven’t joined the Demon Slayer Bureau, but I’m basically a civilian demon slayer now. Can I still claim the reward?”
He wasn’t sure how much the black-haired rat was worth.
It looked weak, probably only worth a few thousand at most.
“But it’s not a big deal. There are so many monsters nowadays. Even if they only go for a thousand each, if I keep slaying them, the cash will add up!”
Just thinking about it got him excited—he could finally earn money his own way!
Even without joining the Demon Slayer Bureau, he could still head to Longteng Internet Café to claim bounties.
He could live freely and make money at the same time—what’s not to love?
Just then, his phone rang.
It was a number he didn’t recognize.
“Hello? Who is this?”
[“Brother Huaian~”] A familiar voice came from the other end.
“Uncle? How did you get my number?”
[“I saved it back when I checked your phone at the Security Bureau… That’s not important. I’m calling to tell you I found an awakened one who might be able to treat your cancer. Come over in three days.”]
“Oh, but I haven’t joined the Demon Slayer Division yet.”
[“That’s fine. I can’t just watch you die. I already called you ‘brother,’ didn’t I?”]
“I feel bad troubling someone like that…”
[“It’s free.”]
“I’ll be there!”
Chen Huaian didn’t hesitate.
If it’s free, who cares about the details?
[“Great! Day after tomorrow, 9 a.m., third floor of Longteng Internet Café.”]
The bearded man clearly knew how to handle him—his tone even carried a hint of smug satisfaction.
“No problem!”
They also discussed the bounty for the black-haired rat.
Turned out, Chen Huaian had severely underestimated it.
That rat was worth 20,000 yuan—even in its blown-to-bits state. If the body had been intact, the payout could’ve doubled.
The Demon Slayer Bureau would transfer the funds to the bearded man after approval, and then he’d pass it directly to Chen Huaian.
…
[“Alright, I’ll hang up now.”]
The call ended.
The bearded man stood among the city crowds, still smiling.
Sure, it was a shame that Chen Huaian didn’t join the Demon Slayer Bureau.
But as long as he could see that there was warmth in this world—
sooner or later, he’d join.
“Tsk tsk… the classics are always the best. I really am a genius.”
The bearded man chuckled smugly, his earlier gloom lifted.
His thoughts wandered to the sword-wielding boy that Li Lao was going to meet.
“Chen Huaian might’ve slipped away, but we absolutely can’t miss that kid. He’s the future of our Tianfu District!”
He clenched his fist with determination.
Sure, Chen Huaian had a tragic backstory: no family, cancer, betrayal—
but that sword kid?
Surely he didn’t have all that misfortune, too?
“If such a coincidence exists, I’ll eat shit upside down.”
…
…
“Sigh, there really are good people in this world.”
Chen Huaian put down the phone and let out a sigh.
Too bad those good people only showed up after he became a resuscitator.
If they’d appeared earlier, maybe he’d be more moved.
He plugged in his phone to charge and began tidying up his apartment.
First, he peeled the talisman off the storage box and stuck it to the front door.
Last time it was just for decoration—now he knew what it did.
Now it was a landmine for monsters.
Then he opened the storage box.
Inside, Baji looked listless and slumped in a corner.
“Probably just bored. I’ll give you two shots later to cheer you up.”
Chen Huaian gently picked up the little cat and set it aside.
Then he reached in to grab the motionless big black fish.
He figured the fish had already been eaten.
But the moment he touched its tail—
Snap!
The black fish suddenly leapt half a meter into the air—
startling Chen Huaian so badly that he nearly dropped it.
Chapter 96 (2/2): It’s All True (She Taijun of Xuehe Tower +1)
“Oh my god, is this fish a spirit?! How’s it still alive after being out of water for so long?!”
Chen Huaian stared in disbelief at the giant black fish flopping on the ground. Its two large eyes bulged wide open, and its mouth opened and closed like it was frantically spewing curses. The sight left him stunned.
It had taken him about an hour to get from the hotel to his new rental, and then another hour-plus wandering around looking for the right apartment and haggling with landlords.
In other words, this fish had been out of water for nearly three hours—and not only was it not dead, it was still this feisty?!
“Could this be… a monster?”
Narrowing his eyes, Chen Huaian slowly pulled a talisman from his pocket.
He remembered what the bearded man had told him: monsters didn’t always have clear signs. The general rule?
If something’s acting abnormal, it’s either a monster or something worse—so just deal with it.
And right now? This black carp was definitely abnormal.
That meant…
Time to act!
Minimum reward? Probably 20,000 yuan~
[This damn fish! You almost got us both killed!]
Baji glared furiously at the black carp from across the room.
He was still recovering from the shockwave of that talisman blast. Otherwise, he’d have already jumped on this slippery idiot and flattened it!
Sensing the death stare, the big black fish suddenly froze.
Its eyes rolled back.
Its body went limp.
Even the air began to reek faintly of salted fish.
“…Huh?” Chen Huaian squinted. “It’s flopping around like crazy one second and now it’s dying again? What is this, its last gasp?”
Carefully, he picked up the limp fish and placed it in the bathtub, filling it halfway with water. The moment the water covered its gills, the big black fish slowly flipped over and started breathing again—weakly, but alive.
“Whew, you really were hanging on by a thread.”
Putting the talisman back into his pocket, Chen Huaian said with a sigh, “I’m not a killer. Since you’ve survived, then I won’t turn you into dinner tonight.”
But what he didn’t see…
As soon as the bathroom door shut—
Splash!
The big black carp flipped upright, eyes wide open, and gulped down water like crazy, spewing bubbles all over the tub in a frantic frenzy.
“Meow~~”
Back in the living room, Baji had perked up and was licking his paw while letting out a meow.
Seeing that the cat seemed in high spirits again, Chen Huaian smiled and knelt down.
“Feeling better? Good boy. I’ll whip up something nice for you soon.”
He set aside the idea of acupuncture for now and instead pulled out his phone to order some decent cat food on Meituan.
Sitting down on the sofa, Chen Huaian finally relaxed and tried to organize his chaotic thoughts.
Meanwhile, Baji also breathed a silent sigh of relief.
[As expected… Boss sealed the windows and doors again. There’s no escape. None at all…]
It gave up completely.
As for the acupuncture? Forget it.
One leg already “pretending” to be lame was enough.
If it actually got jabbed again and really became lame, how would it keep up the act?
Dragging two legs across the ground like a dead leaf? No thank you!
On the coffee table, Chen Huaian had laid out everything he could materialize from the game:
“Bracelet, amulet, that weird grass, Thunderfire Talisman, Blackscale Sword, Spring Acupuncture Needle, Meridian Opening Acupuncture, and the Blue Lotus Sword Manual…”
Everything else that couldn’t be materialized, he wrote down in a small notebook.
Staring at the cluttered pile of mystical items, his eyes narrowed with focus.
It’s now confirmed:
- “Electronic Girlfriend” = Companion Spirit
- Items produced by the Companion Spirit = Real, usable tools
Then logically, the rest of these items…
Should also be real.
Chen Huaian leaned in closer, hands on his knees.
“Well then…”
He grinned mischievously.
“What secrets are you all hiding, huh? Let me take a good, long look—hehe~”
His gaze swept over the magical items like a scanner, eyes glinting with curiosity and greed for knowledge.
The game was on.
