Chapter 99: A Warm Welcome

Chapter 99: A Warm Welcome

"I'm here to monitor you."

Lin Lingling took a sip of her drink, her tone assertive and her expression calm—only her slightly trembling voice betrayed her nerves.

The couch was three meters long.

Baji sat on the far left. Lin Lingling sat on the far right. The space between them was like a vast no-man’s-land.

Chen Huai’an twitched at the scene. "Triple Zero, are you afraid of cats?"

Lin Lingling shot a glance at Baji and swallowed. "Yeah."

"Aren’t girls supposed to like cats and dogs?" Chen Huai’an was surprised.

He reached out and ruffled Baji’s head. The cat wasn’t ugly—on the contrary, he had assumed it would be popular with girls. And yet, Baji was clearly just as scared of Lin Lingling as she was of it.

Hah, wasn’t this a beautifully tragic case of mutual fear?

Lin Lingling lowered her head, silent.

It wasn’t that she was afraid of cats—it was that this thing wasn’t

just

a cat!

Before she arrived, the bearded guy had already warned her. Based on talisman power alone, Chen Huai’an could be classified as at least a Grade B Combatant Awakener, but since talismans required extreme costs to acquire, his official designation was set at Grade A Instructor-Level Awakener.

For someone like her—a White-Grade Rookie—that made him a bonafide

bigshot

!

And in the eyes of this bigshot, that

cat demon

was just a "cute little kitty"?

No wonder—bigshots even had unique tastes in pets.

Chen Huai’an settled himself between Baji and Lin Lingling.

Immediately, he could

feel

both of them relax, as if an invisible weight had lifted from the room.

"You said you’re here to monitor me?"

"Yes." Lin Lingling was direct. "Though, monitoring is secondary. You’re extremely important to the Demon Slayers Bureau, and considering the powerful talismans in your possession, potential security risks must be accounted for. That’s why a formal bureau member needs to keep watch. Of course, my primary job is to provide you with support—if you ever need anything related to the bureau, just let me know, and I’ll handle it for you."

"And if I refuse to cooperate?" Chen Huai’an narrowed his eyes.

Lin Lingling turned to face him fully.

Her short legs, which had been dangling off the couch, folded into a cross-legged position.

Then, in a completely serious manner—

She knelt.

Pressed both palms to her forehead.

Took a deep breath—

And

bam

!

She bowed, forehead hitting the floor.

"Please,

please

let me monitor you!"

Chen Huai’an: "…"

He stared at her for a long moment, then, for some reason, asked, "You get paid for this?"

"Yeah."

"How much?"

"One thousand a day."

"Fifty-fifty."

"Deal."

Chen Huai’an stretched out his hand, flashing a friendly smile. "Welcome aboard."

Lin Lingling gripped his fingers and gave them a solemn shake. "I’ll be in your care!"

Baji: "…"

"...Right, since I have to monitor you, I’ll need to live nearby, but all the apartments above, below, and next door are already occupied," Lin Lingling murmured, cheeks flushing slightly. "So, from now on, we’ll be siblings. You’re my big brother, and I’m your little sister. That’ll be our cover story. Since I’m still a student, this will help conceal our Awakener identities if we ever go on missions together."

"Sure." Chen Huai’an pointed to the master bedroom. "You can have that one. Private bathroom, but don’t come out here to use the restroom—I like sleeping naked."

Lin Lingling: "…"

"Call me

Onii-chan

first."

Lin Lingling: "???"

Her face froze. Her mouth twitched. After a long hesitation—her pride warring with her survival instincts—she barely managed to choke out the first syllable, "O—"

Before she could finish, she grabbed her suitcase, dashed into the master bedroom, and slammed the door shut.

Baji was dumbfounded.

The bigshot just let a human kid—one who

knew

its true identity—move in?!

Wasn’t this a massive security risk?

At this rate, its Taotie identity would be exposed before the bigshot even

fully regained his memories

!

For the first time, Baji felt a deep, suffocating pressure—like a snake coiling around its throat.

Meanwhile, Chen Huai’an rubbed his chin in thought.

Sure, being watched wasn’t ideal, but there were two sides to every coin.

With Triple Zero around, he could finally dig into the details of the Demon Slayers Bureau’s operations.

He could have asked the bearded guy, but since that guy was higher up in the ranks, there were probably things he wouldn’t share.

Lower-level members like Lin Lingling? Much easier to extract information from.

The Demon Slayers Bureau was watching him.

But wasn’t

he

also watching them?

After all, if he wanted to make money, he needed to understand the playing field.

"Hey, Triple Zero!" He knocked on the master bedroom door.

Immediately, a pair of cautious eyes peeked out from the crack.

"After dinner, I want to take a demon-hunting mission. Can you help me?"

Lin Lingling blinked in surprise.

The bearded guy

wanted

Chen Huai’an to take missions—frequent participation would keep him engaged with the Bureau and help tackle the growing demon problem in Tianfu District.

She had expected persuading him to be difficult.

Yet here he was,

voluntarily

asking to take a mission.

Then again, most newly awakened individuals were eager to test their abilities.

It was only after facing the true horror of demons that their enthusiasm turned into fear.

"No problem," she said. "The next mission refresh is at nine tonight. We can check it out then. The latest mission reports will be fresh."

"Meaning… your Bureau’s intel

isn’t

always fresh?" Chen Huai’an raised an eyebrow.

Lin Lingling realized her mistake and quickly looked away, pushing the door closed a little. "Haha, hahaha, what? No way! Our intel is

always

up-to-date! There's

absolutely no way

members would ever be put in danger due to outdated reports!"

The bearded guy had

warned

her—never expose the Bureau’s shortcomings.

Their issues were only temporary. In time, things would improve.

If Chen Huai’an found out the truth,

she

would be the one getting a pay cut.

"...Then why did you come back covered in blood?"

"Well, obviously because the intel was faul—"

Lin Lingling froze.

Her face went blank.

Then, in an instant, she slapped her hands over her mouth.

Bam!

The bedroom door slammed shut.

Chen Huai’an stared at it, suddenly enlightened.

The Demon Slayers Bureau was

understaffed

.

So much so that they couldn’t even update their mission intel in time.

That settled it.

No way was he officially joining them.

Freelance bounty hunter it was.

After all, his main goal now was

survival

.

…

Behind the door, Lin Lingling leaned against the frame, drained.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. The angrier she got, the more flustered she became.

In frustration, she gave herself a light slap and grumbled, "Lin Lingling, you absolute idiot! Three damn zeros—that’s what your brain is worth!"

…

Lingxi Valley.

"Young Mistress, two disciples from the Sword Pavilion will be arriving tomorrow. Their invitation letter has already been delivered."

"Oh? Sword Pavilion?"

Behind gauzy curtains, Yun Suxin, who had been meditating, opened her captivating eyes and gazed at the disciple standing outside.

"Did they state their purpose?"

"Yes, Young Mistress. They’re coming to purchase some spiritual herbs."

Lingxi Valley, home to vast spiritual fields, was one of Cangyun Realm’s biggest suppliers of rare herbs.

Many sects and rogue cultivators bought herbs from them—not only were the prices lower than the market, but the quality was guaranteed. Lingxi Valley welcomed all business.

But Sword Pavilion?

That was a different story.

"Excellent."

Yun Suxin’s lips curled into a playful smirk.

Sword Pavilion had crossed Lingxi Valley before.

She hadn’t settled that score yet.

And now, they were delivering themselves to her doorstep?

Oh, she would make sure to give them a

proper

welcome.

…