Chapter 816: Xiaoqi’s Sorrow

“Everyone,” Du Jun suddenly said. “Although this is City B, my abilities are limited. From now on, Brother Yihang will take command of the operation to capture the Ghost Demon. If we succeed, I will personally report each of your contributions to the authorities. I absolutely won’t let your efforts go to waste.”

The other bosses nodded in agreement upon hearing this. Ling Yihang was the leading boss. His Cultivation was high, and his strength was formidable—there was nothing to complain about. They just needed to cooperate.

“Everyone,” Ling Yihang stepped forward, unyielding and speaking with righteous indignation. “Using this blood method to lure the Ghost Demon might be a bit cruel, and the price will be high. However, the responsibility of our Demon Management Bureau is to eliminate all evil spirits. If we don’t sacrifice ourselves, who will? The citizens of City B cannot continue to die such tragic deaths. Tonight, the Ghost Demon must be taken down!

“Since I, Ling Yihang, am here, I will not return empty-handed.”

CLAP CLAP CLAP. The other bosses applauded enthusiastically. Shao Qiu was practically swooning. For a woman like her, only a man like Ling Yihang could attract her. He exuded masculine charm to the fullest.

“What a drama queen,” Tu Xiao’an muttered under his breath from his spot in the corner.

He thought to himself, “If you’re so capable, why don’t you resolve the World Tree Ruins in City B? A mere Ghost Demon is, frankly speaking, just a little imp released from the World Tree Ruins. Even if it gets dealt with, it’s no big deal. The World Tree Ruins produce plenty of fruits; this is only the third one. Inevitably, there will be a fourth, a fifth, and maybe even a sixth, seventh, or eighth.

“Right now, they are using everyone in City B’s Demon Management Bureau as bait just to lure out the Ghost Demon, and they have even summoned the bosses of four other cities. With such a massive lineup, if they still can’t catch the Ghost Demon, they might as well go eat dirt.”

Actually, Tu Xiao’an had only planned to make a token appearance before going to find the Ghost Demon himself. But after hearing Du Jun’s plan, he realized he had to follow the main group. Since they were using the Demon Management Bureau as a cage and forcing the Ghost Demon to step into it, Tu Xiao’an had no choice but to tag along. Besides, although this method was a bit ruthless, the results should be quite effective.

“Alright, everyone. We will now head to the Demon Management Bureau, lay low, and observe from the shadows,” Ling Yihang announced. “As soon as the Ghost Demon appears and makes a move on those Martial Cultivators, our chance to capture it will have arrived.

“I really want to see what this so-called Ghost Demon actually is.”

Ling Yihang waved his large hand and strode out of the private room. Naturally, Du Jun shifted from being the main character to a supporting role. His thunder had been completely stolen, but he seemed happy with it. Whether he trusted Ling Yihang too much or their relationship was just that good, he clearly didn’t mind the shift in spotlight.

Just like that, the bosses exited the private room one by one and headed toward the Demon Management Bureau. In the corner, Tu Xiao’an hesitated for a moment before getting up to follow them.

“Brother Snake Emperor, do you think the Ghost Demon will take the bait?” White Fox Xiaoqi couldn’t help but ask.

“It’d be best if it does. That would save everyone a lot of trouble,” Tu Xiao’an shrugged.

“But if it appears, will you make a move, Brother Snake Emperor? That handsome guy is pretty strong. I feel like he could take down the Ghost Demon all by himself. If that happens, wouldn’t we have made a wasted trip and ended up as background extras?”

Tu Xiao’an glanced at the White Fox in his arms. She certainly had a lot on her mind. After staying in City B for a short while, she even knew what “background extras” were.

“So what if we’re extras?” he replied. “It’s just a cowardly Ghost Demon that skulks in the shadows—a mere lackey.”

“Mhm! Brother Snake Emperor is the man who’s going to deal with the World Tree Ruins.”

White Fox Xiaoqi’s sudden flattery hit the mark, making Tu Xiao’an feel quite pleased. This Little White Fox was quite interesting; at the very least, she kept him from getting bored.

Actually, for Tu Xiao’an right now, his system mission was the most critical thing. The mission was very clear, presenting five conditions: he either had to kill or subdue a Rank Four entity, or close down one of the War Relics. Therefore, this Ghost Demon was not his true target.

Even if he stepped in to deal with it, there wouldn’t be any real benefit. However, if it wasn’t resolved, the World Tree Ruins would likely remain dormant. Once this Ghost Demon was dealt with, Tu Xiao’an intended to immediately go check out the World Tree Ruins.

Soon, Tu Xiao’an followed the main group and arrived at the Demon Management Bureau in City B. Unlike Wencheng, the Demon Management Bureau in City B had a lot of prestige. It stood tall and openly in the public eye, just like a police station, giving off an aura of solemnity, sacredness, and inviolability.

In addition, as soon as Tu Xiao’an arrived, he smelled the rich scent of blood permeating the air. It was like a woman in a red dress dancing gracefully, luring tourists into her trap.

“Wow, what a fragrant and sweet smell.” White Fox Xiaoqi instantly became intoxicated.

This blood was rich and filled with Energy, freshly drawn from the bodies of powerful Martial Cultivators. Ancient Fierce Beasts and Demons were actually no different; they simply existed in different eras. Demons were incredibly sensitive to blood—one could even say they yearned for it.

“Everyone, please follow me,” Du Jun said. As the local kingpin, this was his territory. He led the bosses into the bureau to lay low in the best vantage points, waiting for the Ghost Demon to take the bait. It was a classic case of laying out the bait and waiting for the willing prey to bite.

As a Demon, Tu Xiao’an didn’t feel any resistance upon returning to the Demon Management Bureau. He was very casual and composed. On the other hand, White Fox Xiaoqi grew a little anxious. Even a dignified Demon Fox feeling uneasy showed just how much of a deterrent the Demon Management Bureau was to Demon Fiends.

“Brother Snake Emperor, did you know that I once had an aunt who descended to the mortal realm for Cultivation? She later fell in love with a scholar and wanted to stay with him for the rest of her life. But she was caught by a hateful human and locked up in the Demon Prison.” It seemed the environment had triggered White Fox Xiaoqi’s painful memories. Her fox eyes instantly sparkled with tears as she recalled her family member and the past.

“Brother Snake Emperor, you have no idea. Some humans are really annoying. They just hate us Demons. Even if we haven’t done anything wrong, they still treat us like bloodthirsty monsters—they either kill us or capture us.

“My poor aunt merely fell in love with a scholar. She didn’t harm him, and their feelings were mutual, yet she was still locked in the Demon Prison and met a tragic end. Since I was young, my eldest sister told us foxes that we could love a pig or love a dog, but we must never fall in love with a human, because doing so always leads to a miserable end.”

Tu Xiao’an was currently standing on the corridor of a tall building. Because he didn’t want to interact with the others, he had walked a bit farther away by himself, choosing not to hide in the same location as them. Listening to Xiaoqi’s sorrowful words, he stroked her fox fur, unsure of how to comfort her.

Her aunt clearly lived in ancient times, likely at least as far back as the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. Back then, there were plenty of demon slayers, and the Demon Prison had existed since very early on. Foxes were creatures that easily adapted to Cultivation, and since Ancient Times, cultivating Fox Demons loved to frequently appear in the human realm. Whether out of curiosity or longing, every era had many legends left behind by Fox Demons.