"Slay demons? Just the few of us?" Though now seated in the Lei family's garden, Chen Mo still felt as though he were in a dream.
He glanced at Ye Rong beside him, then at little Xun'er arranging talismans in the grass. It struck him that this felt far more like a picnic than some noble expedition to exorcise evil.
Three hours earlier, what had been shaping up to be a chaotic brawl had taken an abrupt and eerie turn the moment Xun'er detected demonic energy.
Without further ado, He Neng—bruised and battered—scrambled to his feet and urgently dialed his boss.
Twenty minutes later, Lei Zhen himself—the wealthiest man in South City—arrived in person, humbly begging Xun'er and Chen Mo to rid his villa of a demon, treating them as if they were superior officers come to inspect his house.
And indeed, the truth was just as Xun'er had surmised: a fearsome demon had taken residence in the mansion—a malevolent pig spirit, to be exact.
It was due to his frequent visits to the Lei estate that He Neng had become tainted with demonic energy. But compared to him, Lei Zhen himself bore an even heavier aura of corruption—so strong, in fact, that Xun'er quipped he might as well be slain as a demon himself.
In other words, this pig was no ordinary swine—it might even rival the power of the fabled Golden Horn Demon. Yet, when Chen Mo inquired about the particulars, the once reverent Lei Zhen turned sheepish and awkward.
"Please, I beg your discretion," he finally muttered after much prodding. "The truth is… it's not me the demon has been pestering. It's… my daughter, Lei Ying."
"Wait… is your family estate formerly known as Gao Village?" Chen Mo was momentarily dumbfounded, though the image of a pig's head poking through a wall suddenly made him want to burst out laughing.
"Yes! A pig!" Lei Zhen stomped in frustration, unaware of Chen Mo's thoughts. Heaven knew what had happened—his once-betrothed daughter was now entirely enthralled by the demon pig, unable even to leave her room.
At first, Lei Zhen hadn't believed in such tales. But after witnessing his own bodyguards being chased screaming by a boar, he could no longer deny the truth.
In desperation, he opened his coffers wide, offering a handsome reward and summoning every self-proclaimed mystic and miracle-worker he could find.
But what kind of "experts" could one gather in such haste?
Now, though the Lei estate's garden was teeming with dozens of these so-called savants—most clad in outlandish garb and wearing expressions of great solemnity—even Lei Zhen himself knew that the majority were charlatans brought in merely for show.
Li San the street peddler, who sold fake energy pills; Blind Chen, the alleyway fortune-teller; a man claiming to bend spoons with his mind; and several musclebound brutes with more biceps than brains…
In a way, the South City government might've owed Lei Zhen their thanks—for by gathering these individuals here, he'd unwittingly improved public order.
Even these "masters" knew better than to trust in their own abilities. Still, lured by the promise of a lavish reward, they summoned their courage and arrived in force.
As Li San put it, "Sure, that demon might be fierce… but hey, maybe luck'll suddenly be on our side!"
Of course, boosting one's luck was only part of the equation. Preventing rivals from getting lucky was equally vital.
And so, even before the pig demon showed its face, the garden had already become a battlefield of petty squabbles and veiled threats. These mystics competed fiercely, puffing up their chests and projecting killer auras, as if trying to intimidate their rivals to death before the real fight even began.
Three burly men now stood beside Chen Mo, flexing with such intensity that their muscles seemed ready to leap from their skin. It gave Chen Mo the distinct impression that when the time came to exorcise the demon, he ought to stand safely behind these "human shields" and cheer them on from afar.
"Then I shall leave it to you all," Lei Zhen said at last, unable to bear watching their ridiculous performances any longer. After a few words exchanged with his daughter through the door, he turned, eyes slightly reddened, and bowed deeply. "So long as you rid me of that pig demon, I shall pay two million yuan in reward."
Two million! The sum fell like divine mana from the heavens—eyes sparkled, fists pounded chests, and every self-declared master swore solemn oaths of success.
But Chen Mo merely smiled faintly and shook his head. "Mr. Lei, we require no reward. But… about the matter with the Lucky Inn?"
"Of course!" Lei Zhen blinked, then quickly nodded. "He Neng already told me—it won't be a problem."
"Huzzah!" cheered Xun'er, pausing mid-symbol to raise her hand joyfully. "Leave the exorcism to me, Uncle! I've brought a full set of talismans, buy ten get one free, after-sale service guaranteed, and full replacement within three months!"
"Uhh…" Were it not for He Neng's support, Lei Zhen might have stumbled and fallen.
But the other "experts" looked on with newfound respect, some even appearing ready to kneel in admiration. Market economy! What better display of it could there be?
A young girl reforming the ancient practice of demon-slaying with such entrepreneurial flair—surely she was a vanguard of reform.
"Heaven knows, I didn't teach her this!" Chen Mo exclaimed, raising his hands defensively as Ye Rong shot him a curious look. "I heard her grandfather used to say this entire sales pitch every time before an exorcism. She must've picked it up from hearing it too often."
"A genius!" Ye Rong was momentarily stunned, then gave a thumbs-up. "You must introduce me to your grandfather someday, Xun'er. I'd love to learn his price-gouging tricks!"
What even was this conversation? Lei Zhen felt he might cough blood if he listened any longer. Hastily bidding the group farewell, he invited Ye Rong to leave with him.
Knowing she could offer no help, Ye Rong reluctantly nodded, though worry creased her brow. "Mo-Mo, if you're not confident… don't give me that look! I'm worried about Xun'er, not you!"
Though her tone was fierce, her concern was impossible to miss—even a fool could hear it.
Under the envious gazes of the others, Chen Mo just shrugged, grinning as he waved dismissively. "Relax. I've told you—I'm a fast runner. And even if I can't outrun the demon… surely I can outrun them, right?"
"Them?" Ye Rong looked at the surrounding eavesdroppers, eyes narrowing particularly on a certain chubby fellow, before letting out a sigh of relief. "Fair enough. I suppose you can at least outrun him."
"Damn it!" came a chorus of curses from the assembled mystics, some of whom were now on the verge of spitting blood. How could anyone be this shameless?!
The chubby man in question, who had become the unfortunate benchmark, stormed over with a scowl and a polite bow. "May I ask, which of you is the true demon slayer?"
This man was stout and squat, and even if the words "Celestial Immortal" were tattooed across his forehead, few would have believed it. Yet Lei Zhen's respectful attitude toward him was markedly different…
Sensing the tension, Chen Mo guessed the man thought they had come to steal business. He smiled and shook his head.
But before he could speak, Xun'er proudly stepped forward and declared, "I am! I can slay demons! I use talismans!"
The chubby man rolled his eyes so hard they nearly vanished into his skull, his cheeks trembling with barely suppressed laughter.
Fair enough—an eight-year-old girl claiming to wield talismanic magic? She was more likely to hurt herself than the enemy.
Chen Mo opened his mouth to defend her… then remembered Xun'er's past "achievements" and suddenly didn't know what to say.
Ye Rong, however, wasn't so hesitant. She muttered darkly, "So what if she's a girl? Just look at that fat slob acting all high and mighty. He's nothing but a street fortune-teller from the City God Temple—I wouldn't waste a coin on him!"
"Pfft!" The fat man, mid-sip of tea, sputtered and sprayed it everywhere—clearly struck to the core.
Sensing the tension, Lei Zhen hurriedly stepped in to mediate. "Mr. Chen, allow me to introduce—this is Master Lin De, a disciple of the Xuan Dao Sect. The previous head of the sect, Master Li Zhi, was a man of great virtue. I myself once benefited from his kindness."
"Pfft!" This time it was Chen Mo who sprayed his tea, face filled with disbelief.
Lin De straightened and glared. "Though our sect may be modest, it shall not suffer slander! Your reaction suggests you hold our Master Li in disdain!"
"No, no… it's a misunderstanding. I'm just… stunned. I hadn't expected the Xuan Dao Sect to produce such a… master." Chen Mo rubbed his chin in helpless disbelief, recalling Li Zhi's dour face.
But as he looked at the smug expression on Lin De's face, he was sorely tempted to ask: "Profound in the Dao? Upright in conduct? Then, pray tell, Master Lin—what do you think of nightclubs?"