Susan and Bai Fei were both a bit bewildered by Tao Xue’s words.
Then, Tao Xue vividly recounted the entire process of He Li slaying demons and monsters, emphasizing how He Li was a completely different person from the obedient child he had previously appeared to be.
Susan frowned, standing by the bridge, gazing at the churning river water below in the darkness.
He first beat up a Level Four demon, and then… jumped into the river to pursue it?
Susan turned to look at Bai Fei. Bai Fei took a deep breath, nodded, and leaped onto the railing, just as he was about to jump down, he heard the sound of splashing water not far away.
At the ferry dock by the river, with a bang, water erupted. A few seconds later, He Li emerged from the river first, walking up the steps step by step. He held the tail of a scaled snake in his hand. By the time He Li reached the dock, the nearly ten-meter-long scaled snake’s corpse was dragged out of the river by He Li.
Bang!
He Li flung his hand, tossing the scaled snake’s corpse onto the stone platform of the dock. Then, he sat down on the stone steps, staring blankly at the river water that had turned reddish.
He felt a bit regretful.
Why did he kill it in anger? What if they thought he was having a mental breakdown? He had just started his job, hadn’t even earned a day’s salary, and this happened. If he got fired, he’d lose his bookstore job too. Damn it…
As He Li was lost in thought, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind him.
He Li turned around and saw Susan, Bai Fei, and Tao Xue. Feeling awkward, he forced a smile.
“Captain, this was an accident. Actually, I’m sick. It’s mainly due to poor sleep quality caused by low blood pressure, and I have a pretty bad case of morning grumpiness. You know, in the middle of the night, anyone who’s suddenly woken up would be unhappy, right?”
Susan glanced at the scaled snake’s corpse on the ground and nodded, replying seriously, “That’s right, anyone would have emotions in a situation like this. You don’t need to overthink it, we all understand.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
Bai Fei and Tao Xue quickly nodded.
He Li breathed a sigh of relief, thinking his job was safe. Then he looked at the scaled snake’s corpse and asked cautiously, “Um… does this thing count for money?”
This sudden shift in topic made Susan fall silent for a moment.
“Yes, it counts, whether alive or dead. Completing the mission is what matters. However, you’ll have to split the money for this mission with Tao Xue.”
Susan didn’t care about this small amount of money. She said this mainly to test He Li’s mental state. After all, people with mental illnesses often have a strong protective instinct towards things they care about, and what He Li cared about was… money.
Tao Xue immediately waved her hand, “No… no need. I… I didn’t…”
“Of course!” He Li’s eyes lit up. Relieved, he immediately got up from the stone steps and said happily, “This was a mission I participated in with Sister Xue, so splitting it is only right.”
For him, a Level Five demon like this was easy to kill, even without borrowing the strength of Li Qin and the others. It was as effortless as his morning run.
After speaking, He Li even grinned at Tao Xue.
Tao Xue’s expression was a little unnatural. She smiled politely and then handed him her clothes.
Susan made a call to arrange for people to come and collect the scaled snake’s corpse. Bai Fei sat on the sightseeing boat, yawning. He Li was using his spiritual power to dry his damp clothes as Bai Fei had taught him. Tao Xue stood on the other side, occasionally glancing cautiously at He Li before quickly looking away.
Around 5:10 AM, a truck arrived, and a squad of soldiers began to clear the scaled snake’s corpse. The entire process was orderly, with people cutting, dissecting, carrying, bagging, and labeling. They were very professional.
He Li also learned that the “clearing up” the captain mentioned was meant literally.
Bai Fei tossed He Li a cigarette and gestured towards the “scene cleanup,” asking, “Anything unsuitable for you?”
He Li shook his head, indicating he was fine. However, he felt that just shaking his head wouldn’t convince Bai Fei, so he explained, “When I was a child at the orphanage, during the New Year, people would donate pigs or chickens and ducks. They’d slaughter them at the entrance of the mess hall, and we’d all go watch the pig slaughtering.”
Bai Fei fell silent for a moment. “Cleaning up a demon, to you, is like… slaughtering a pig?”
He Li thought Bai Fei’s words meant he was making a fuss over nothing. So he tentatively said, “Slaughtering a chicken is also fine. Uh… I mean, when I killed this demon, it was as simple as killing a chicken. When they ‘clean up,’ it’s like chopping chicken meat.”
“Heh heh… heh heh…”
He Li chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed. He thought he was making a big deal out of nothing; it was just a Level Five demon, was his description too exaggerated?
Suddenly, he felt he was being too conspicuous.
No, he couldn’t appear too strange, or he wouldn’t fit in and would be ostracized.
Thinking of this,
He Li pursed his lips, turned to Bai Fei, and smiled, “A Level Five demon, so scary, haha…”
Bai Fei: “……”
……
Sunrise,
The Binjiang river turned golden.
The cleaned dock awaited the new batch of tourists for the day.
“Let’s go, I’ll treat you to breakfast.” Susan waved her hand, offering to treat them.
Bai Fei and Tao Xue didn’t say anything, apparently accustomed to it. He Li was also hungry. He felt he could eat three baskets of xiaolongbao, two tea eggs, and a bowl of preserved egg and lean meat congee today.
However,
Binjiang Grand Hotel, breakfast buffet, 230 yuan per person.
He Li, being a country bumpkin, was overwhelmed by the choices. But he was restrained, taking only a few items he particularly wanted before returning to the table.
Susan noticed He Li’s shyness and exchanged a look with Bai Fei and Tao Xue. They understood and successively got up to get many different kinds of delicious food, placing them on the table.
Susan took a sip of coffee and smiled, “I’m not a rich second-generation like Xiao Xue, so I can’t afford to treat you two big-appetite Spiritual Warriors to a good meal. This buffet breakfast, eat as much as you can. It’s 230 per person, let’s not lose money.”
“Don’t worry, as long as it’s on the table, there’s nothing we Spiritual Warriors can’t finish. He Li, when the pan-fried buns over there are ready, go get a basket. I’ll go get soy sauce and fried eggs.” Bai Fei said while eating, pointing to the place where the pan-fried buns were being made, instructing He Li to get them.
“Oh, okay.” He Li nodded, then focused on eating.
“Your teammates are very kind, very considerate of your feelings.” Xiao Yue appeared on the chair at He Li’s neighboring table, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and said with a smile.
He Li blinked and smiled gently, responding to Xiao Yue.
However, what Xiao Yue said next made He Li, who was happily enjoying his meal, feel as if he were chewing on wax.
“Last night, someone was observing you from the shadows. Their strength is unfathomable. My mental energy barely touched it before it dissipated. You need to be careful.”
……