Chapter 81: The Breathing Technique and Hidden Turmoil

…

Late at night, Chen Huai’an turned over in his sleep.

"Emmm… Qingran hasn’t been bullied in her new sect, right?"

He groggily reached for his phone, took a quick glance, and saw Li Qingran diligently cultivating in-game. Satisfied, he casually tossed his phone aside and went back to sleep.

On the windowsill, the black cat, Baji, curled up into a ball, breaking into a cold sweat.

Only when it confirmed that Chen Huai’an had fallen asleep again did it let out a sigh of relief. Facing the

Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid

under the moonlight, it slowly released a suppressed aura—a menacing energy that belonged to the

Taotie

Dark tendrils extended from its body, merging into the room’s shadows, filling the air with a sinister presence.

【That big green fish sure is lucky.】

Baji scoffed at the blue carp leisurely bathing in the basin, absorbing

Spiritual Qi

In this era of dwindling

Spiritual Qi

, living in a place rich with energy—under the protection of a powerful master—was an unimaginable fortune.

As for how Baji understood the current world? It had learned from watching TV whenever Chen Huai’an turned it on. Eventually, it figured out how to turn it on itself whenever Chen Huai’an left.

Now, it knew that the metal box that nearly crushed it last time was called a

semi-trailer truck

It wasn’t a human weapon—just a transportation device.

Real human weapons were things called

guns

and

cannons

, which were like long-range hidden weapons that could kill enemies from afar.

With this newfound knowledge, Baji became even more convinced that its master was here to comprehend the

Dao

He must have traveled across countless worlds, sealing his power and memories to experience different

Dao laws

, refining his path to perfection.

But no one should mistake a sealed master for an easy target—if he dared to suppress his own strength and memories, he must have a means of self-preservation.

Baji speculated that the

phone

was his secret weapon.

Unlike human phones, its master’s device had a pitch-black screen that only he could see.

It was a tool for comprehending the

Dao

—a treasure that even Baji had once coveted.

But after witnessing the terrifying

Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Talisman

last time, it no longer dared to entertain such thoughts.

【This carp must have been left here on purpose by the master. If the master intends to keep you, then I shall grant you a stroke of fortune!】

As one of the Four Ancient Fiend Beasts, the

Taotie

was practically the ancestor of all demons.

To bestow sentience upon a creature and transform it into a true demon was an effortless act.

Baji pressed its paw against the carp’s forehead, allowing a single drop of dark red blood to seep into its skin.

【At this rate, it will fully demonize in two months.】

Baji retracted its paw, its round eyes gleaming with cunning.

Once the carp became a demon, it would serve as the perfect distraction. As long as its master’s memories remained sealed, his attention would be focused on the newly transformed carp—meaning he wouldn’t have time to notice anything wrong about Baji itself. ŖâꞐǒβĘꞩ

【Kekekeke! I’m a genius!】

…

"Stupid cat, what the hell are you screeching about in the middle of the night…"

Half-asleep, Chen Huai’an casually threw a pillow in Baji’s direction. His hand brushed against his phone’s screen.

A game notification popped up.

【Your remaining lifespan: 57 days】

【Today's fortune: Minor Blessing – Auspicious for Marriage】

…

"You’re kidding, right? Three-Zero, are you seriously expecting me to believe this story?"

A burly, bearded man stared in disbelief at the school-uniform-clad girl in front of him.

What had she just said?

Some mysterious expert casually threw out seven or eight

Thunderfire Talismans

capable of summoning divine lightning?

And—he was

cohabiting

with a high-grade demonic entity?!

Was this even

Chinese

anymore?!

"Brother Wu, I may not be an official member of the Demon-Slaying Bureau, but you know my character."

Lin Lingling’s wounds were wrapped in simple bandages, and after applying the Bureau’s special wound-healing salve, she felt much better. But she still had to lean against her spear for support.

She added, "Moreover, I suspect that demon isn’t just a high-grade entity—it might be a

Yao Specter

The bearded man, Wu, let out an exasperated sigh.

The Demon-Slaying Bureau categorized demonic entities into several levels:

Yao Generals, Yao Specters, Yao Beasts, and Yao Monsters.

Among them,

Yao Monsters

were newly awakened creatures affected by the

Spiritual Qi Revival

. They primarily evolved by consuming flesh and devouring one another.

But

Yao Specters

Only a

Soldier-Class Revived

could handle those.

Anything weaker than that would just be throwing themselves into the meat grinder.

Because

Yao Specters

were as intelligent as humans—meaning tricking them into submission was out of the question.

If Lin Lingling’s report was accurate and this really was a

Yao Specter

, they were in deep trouble.

Especially since the C-Province Demon-Slaying Bureau

didn’t have a single Soldier-Class Revived

He and Old Li were both merely

Master-Class Grade A

. There was no way they could take on such a threat.

"You also said this demon is living with a mysterious Revived, correct? And that this Revived can use Thunder Talismans?"

"That’s right. I even tested him—he seems completely unaware of the Bureau."

Lin Lingling rubbed her chin, deep in thought.

"I have two theories. One, this person is a

wild Revived

, someone who naturally awakened and is unaware of the Bureau. But the fact that a wild Revived can already

control his powers

so skillfully is suspicious…

Two, he might actually

a member of the Bureau or another private exorcist organization, just executing a secret mission—hence why he ignored my probing questions."

"No, there’s a third possibility."

Wu’s expression turned grim.

"Have you considered that he might be an

Uncontrolled Revived

"…An

Uncontrolled Revived

Lin Lingling recalled the video account she had seen of Chen Huai’an and his carefree, idiotic, yet strangely

pure

demeanor.

Could an Uncontrolled Revived really have

that

kind of gaze?

She had never even considered the possibility.

Wu, however, remained unconvinced.

"People can pretend, you know."

"This situation is too serious to ignore!"

Wu slammed his hand on the table, his eyes sharp.

"You’re the only one who’s interacted with this mysterious Revived, and he hasn’t attacked you yet. That means your new mission is to

monitor him closely

. The moment he—or the demon in his home—shows any abnormal signs, you report back immediately!"

"I’ve already requested a Soldier-Class backup from headquarters. You just need to stall for time."

"Me?"

Lin Lingling pointed at herself, her lips twitching.

"You want

, a mere

White-Class Grade A

, to

keep tabs on that expert

"If you do it well, I’ll promote you to

Master-Class

Wu grinned, hands folded smugly.

"You know we’re short-staffed. Most freelance exorcists are cowards.

But you, Three-Zero… You’re different. You’re fearless. I believe in you. Just stall until our reinforcements arrive, and I’ll make you

Master-Class

. Hell, I’ll even make you an

official member

"Isn’t

Master-Class

already an automatic promotion?"

"Not the same thing!"

Wu pulled out a document from his desk.

"This is the newly developed

Breathing Technique

. If I promote you, you’ll gain access to the first three volumes."

Lin Lingling’s face twitched.

They really

did

perfect the

Breathing Technique

Her fingers tightened around her spear. After a moment, she raised her head and met Wu’s gaze.

"Deal."

"But I’m broke. I need a quick demon-slaying job on the side."

"No problem!" Wu gestured toward the mission board, grinning.

"Pick anything you like!"