Chapter 115: This King Also Wants Four Seas Baozi
[Afraid now? This king advises you to act normal!]
[Though I am a demon, I have never harmedâ cough, coughâ I have no intention of harming this young one! Do you think all the strange fortunes on him appeared out of nowhere? Of course not! This king was the one who granted them to him!]
Lin Lingling was momentarily stunned.
She stared at Baji in shock.
Baji met her gaze, its golden eyes gleaming with a strange, bewitching light.
After fully opening its meridians, it had awakened some of its primordial Taotie abilitiesâone of which was affecting the minds of others.
This ability wasnât too powerful, but it also wasnât weak.
It didnât dare use it on Chen Huaiâan, but on Lin Lingling?
There was nothing stopping it.
Lin Lingling had no idea she had already fallen under its influence.
She suddenly felt enlightened, as if everything made sense.
It all connected perfectly!
So thatâs why Chen Huaiâan and Baji got along so wellâthey had this kind of relationship.
Baji wasnât just any demonâit was the Demon Slayer Bureauâs most mysterious, most sought-after âFortune-Grantingâ Demon!
Chen Huaiâan was a big shot, but Baji⊠Baji was the real big shot!
The only strange thing was⊠why did this big shot sound like a child?
[See that blue fish that little brat is holding?]
Lin Lingling followed Bajiâs gaze to the big blue fish struggling in Chen Huaiâanâs arms.
Baji let out a sinister chuckle.
[That fish is a demon I personally awakened! Since I didnât want to reveal my identity, I decided to turn a random blue fish into a pet for that kid. Who knows? Maybe one day it could even evolve into a mermaid and surprise him.]
[But now⊠hmph!]
Lin Lingling shivered at the cold sneer in its tone.
[Because of you, that kid found out the fish is a demon ahead of time! What if he kills it now?]
Just as it finished speaking, they both heard Chen Huaiâanâs voice muttering thoughtfullyâ
"Triple Egg, have you ever eaten a demon before? Do you think demon fish would taste extra delicious?"
He paused, then glanced at Lin Lingling, frowning slightly.
"And why are you kneeling? Itâs not New Yearâs yet."
The big blue fishâs eyes widened in terror, its head whipping from side to side.
Its gills flapped rapidly, slapping against Chen Huaiâanâs hand, as if begging for mercy.
Clearly, it understood every word.
If a mere low-level demon could already comprehend human speech, it only confirmed Lin Linglingâs suspicionâthis fish wasnât some wild-born demon.
It was one of Bajiâs creations, an awakened being rather than a naturally evolved monster.
She couldnât let the fish get eaten.
If it died, Baji would never forgive her.
She quickly adjusted her mindset, clenched her sweaty palms around her spear, and forced a stiff smile.
"Uh⊠Chen Huaiâan, not all demons should be killed. Also, demon meat isnât something you can just eatâit could cause serious problems."
Chen Huaiâan frowned, still staring at the fish.
"But⊠it looks delicious."
"Donât. Seriously, you cannot eat it."
"Not even a little?"
"No."
"Isnât it said that boiling water can kill all bacteria? If thatâs not enough, pressure cooking it should do the trick."
Chen Huaiâan swallowed.
Boundless Heavenly Lord, Iâve never eaten a demon before in my life.
If there was some kind of risk, so what?
It wasnât like he was guaranteed to live long anywayâwhatâs stopping him from trying?
Lin Lingling: "âŠ"
Big Blue Fish: "âŠ"
Baji: "âŠ"
Seeing that neither Baji nor Lin Lingling could stop its impending doom, the big blue fish spasmed.
Thenâ
It suddenly gaped its mouth wide and spat out a pearl the size of a quail egg.
The pearl rolled across Chen Huaiâanâs palm.
Then the fish looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes.
"You can produce pearls?"
Chen Huaiâanâs eyes narrowed, suddenly serious.
The big blue fish nodded furiously.
"How often can you produce one?"
The fish froze, eyes darting left and right.
"Alright, Iâll call out different timeframes, and you nod when I get it right."
The fish nodded.
"One day?"
No reaction.
"One week?"
No reaction.
"One month?"
The fish quickly nodded.
"Too slow! Iâm very disappointed!"
Chen Huaiâanâs face darkened, and he let out a cold laugh.
"Iâm giving you one weekâevery single week, you must present me with a pearl! If you failâ"
"Iâll throw you into a pressure cooker and turn you into soup!"
The big blue fish frantically nodded.
"Good, we have a deal!"
Chen Huaiâanâs face lit up with a benevolent smile as he reached out two fingers and gently shook one of Little Qingâs fins.
Then, he carefully placed the big blue fish back into its basin.
"From now on, youâre part of the family. Your name is Little Qing!"
Chen Huaiâan tapped the fishâs head.
"Youâre a demon, but Baji isnâtâso from now on, youâre not allowed to bully Baji!"
Bully that black cat?
Little Qing was completely dumbfounded.
Even if you gave her a hundred lives, she wouldnât dare!
â
"A naturally formed pearl with perfect luster like this⊠it should sell for around forty to fifty thousand, right?"
Chen Huaiâan held the pearl under the light, studying it carefully.
Next to him, Lin Lingling poured a bucket of cold water on his enthusiasm.
"Little Qing is a freshwater fish. Forget about how a fish is even producing pearlsâthe fact that itâs from freshwater means itâs a freshwater pearl. Those arenât worth much. Even if the quality is top-tier, itâd only go for two to three thousand at best."
"Two to three thousand?"
Chen Huaiâan did some quick mental calculations.
Should he just cook the fish, or settle for a measly income of less than ten thousand a month?
Before he could decide, Lin Lingling added,
"But if you sell it to the Demon Slayer Bureau, thatâs a different story.
Since itâs a product of a demon, it can be used for research. At Little Qingâs level, its pearls would be valued at ten thousand each."
Ten thousand?!
And if size didnât matter, he could make Little Qing produce pearls every three days.
That would mean ten pearls a monthâ
A hundred grand!
The murderous intent in Chen Huaiâanâs eyes vanished.
His expression softened into a grandfatherly smile.
"Truly a valued family member!"
"No matter whether youâre turned into fish soup or producing pearls, youâve found your purpose. Wonderful!"
Lin Lingling rolled her eyes.
She felt like if Little Qing stayed here any longer, it was going to lose its mind.
At this point, she might as well report both Baji and Little Qing to the Demon Slayer Bureau as harmless, fortune-granting demons.
Not only would that help evaluate Chen Huaiâanâs strength, but more importantlyâ
It would allow them to observe Baji and Little Qingâs potential and decide if they were worth further contact.
Right now, the Demon Slayer Bureau was desperate to grow stronger.
Even if the methods werenât entirely safe, they had no choice but to consider every possible source of power.
â
"Chen Huaiâan, I need to step out for a bit."
Chen Huaiâan glanced at Triple Zero, thinkingâ
What a coincidence.
He had been trying to find an excuse to get rid of her anyway.
He immediately nodded.
"Alright, go ahead⊠Oh, by the wayâ"
"I really like the Four Seas Baozi from that place in the city village."
"Pick some up for me on your way back~"
Lin Linglingâs face turned green.
The city village?!
That would mean detouring all the way there after going to the Demon Slayer Bureauâ
A round trip of at least three to four hours!
By the time she got back, the baozi would be lunchtime already!
Besidesâwas she a damn servant?!
"Youâ"
Just as she was about to argueâ
A cold, eerie voice whispered in her mind.
[This king⊠also wants Four Seas Baozi.]
Lin Lingling shuddered.
She fell silent.
Then, she flashed a bright, cheerful smile.
"Sure thing, big bro! Iâll go buy them for you right now!"
â
Standing by the window, Chen Huaiâan watched as Lin Lingling got into a ride-hailing car.
His carefree expression vanished.
He turned back toward the sofa, took out his silver needles, and sat downâhis face serious.
"Iâve already confirmed the safety of the Meridian-Opening AcupunctureâŠ"
"Now, itâs time to open my own meridians."