My Demon Friends

The Local Government responded, but it would still take some time for them to arrive; this minor spell didn't possess complex information exchange capabilities.

So, Zhou Li pushed the door and walked out.

This villa district was well-landscaped. Mr. Jiang stood under a tree, pinching a cigarette butt and watching the countless insects retreat. For a moment, he seemed lost in a trance.

"Mr. Jiang?"

"Oh? Is it resolved?" Mr. Jiang came to his senses.

"Not yet," Zhou Li shook his head. "This matter may be related to your ancestors. Do you remember where your family's ancestral tomb is?"

"I remember hearing that our family was quite distinguished in ancient times, though I can't find any specific records," Mr. Jiang said, pondering, his gaze flickering to the insects retreating across the ground. "So, are all those legends about demons and monsters true?"

"Not all of them."

Zhou Li paused. "Actually, most of them are false. A few have real prototypes, but even those contain significant deviations. Rumors always gradually morph into what people want to hear. In this process, there will be fabrications, omissions, and alterations from various people."

"Understood."

Mr. Jiang nodded, then fell silent again, seemingly contemplating something.

At least half a minute passed before he came back to his senses. "Sorry, so, have you and it reached some kind of... temporary agreement?"

"Sort of."

"What's next?"

"First, I need to determine that demon's identity; we have our own channels for that. Second..." Zhou Li pursed his lips. "Your ancestor was likely someone like me. Many years ago, your ancestor sealed it, which is clearly an illegal act. It's illegal for both humans and demons. Demons also have their own societies and nations; I hope you understand this."

"To open the ancestral tomb and release it, right?"

"Yes."

"No problem." Mr. Jiang paused. He was deeply impressed by Zhou Li's professionalism; his very way of speaking was different from the charlatans of Jianghu. Suddenly noticing he still held a cigarette butt, he hurriedly made a gesture as if to offer a cigarette. "Do you smoke?"

"No, thank you."

"Alright."

Mr. Jiang also extinguished his cigarette butt and continued, "This matter can't be resolved unless we release it, I roughly understand that. But if we let it out, will it seek revenge on me and my family?"

"It's hard to say," Zhou Li replied. "I'll make a rough assessment of its temperament and handle the follow-up, but there are no guarantees. Anyway, if you encounter more trouble, you can call me again."

"Alright..."

Mr. Jiang lapsed into a trance again.

Zhou Li remained silent, just observing him. After a long while, he spoke up, "If I may ask, Mr. Jiang, do you have children?"

"Yes, a daughter. She's only six months old; we had children late," Mr. Jiang said, having roughly guessed Zhou Li's implication. "When she grows up, will she be like my ancestor and you?"

"You might need to take extra care of her from a young age, as ordinary people can't see demons. However, most demons aren't scary; they can even be more amiable than humans. As long as you have enough patience, she can grow up normally."

"Will she be... in danger?"

"That's a bit complicated to explain..."

Zhou Li and Mr. Jiang stood by the door chatting. Mr. Jiang would occasionally drift off, but Zhou Li didn't mind. About an hour later, the Local Government representative finally arrived.

"To investigate the demon, I'll need to go back, look up the information, and then bring it to you. It will take at least a day, possibly three to five days." It sounded like the Local Government's efficiency wasn't very high and was in need of reform.

"Oh! Lord Xing Hui!"

"Of course! I certainly know!"

"Her reputation is quite high. I hadn't heard anything about her recently, so I thought she hadn't awakened yet. I didn't expect..."

Things now became much simpler.

Zhou Li threw a glance at the arrogant old monster, who wore a disgruntled expression. He smiled and continued to listen as the demon "police officer" recounted what he knew about Xing Hui.

Xing Hui was very old.

In human terms, she had made numerous friends in Jianghu in her early years, earning her quite a reputation, though she wasn't prominent at court.

However, in the demon worldview, holding public office wasn't necessarily considered high and mighty. The influential figures currently in power in the Demon Realm are respected largely because they themselves are worthy of that respect. Individuals like Xing Hui, who associated only with Jianghu, also held a certain status.

But that was during her younger days.

Xing Hui's voice was female, and her abilities included manipulating insects. She had a gentle temperament and was known for being helpful.

She was also skilled in music.

It seemed that most things matched up.

However, the Local Government was, after all, a 'government agency.' They have their own procedures and strict rules and regulations. Moreover, when human Heavenly Masters were involved, they had to be even more meticulous. Therefore, they couldn't simply conclude based on a resemblance; they needed evidence.

Consequently, this official from the Local Government collected the residual Spiritual Power from the scene, saying he would perform a comparison upon returning and then provide an answer.

Spiritual Power cannot be faked.

Because Xing Hui was very famous, he could directly find her for comparison, which would save a lot of time. Furthermore, the Local Government's records for such well-known demons were more detailed, sparing him the effort of searching extensively.

The Local Government official left.

Zhou Li glanced at the time. He didn't want to spend the night in this city, as Aunt Jiang was waiting for him to return for dinner.

So he went out to find Mr. Jiang. "That's all for today. I'll come back when I have the results. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me if any issues arise."

"How about a meal?"

"No need."

"Then roughly…"

"Probably about a day or so."

"Alright. Do I need to contact... a construction team? This needs to be done quietly, which might be difficult to arrange."

"About that..." Zhou Li, having heard Huai Xu's words, shook his head. "We'll handle it all. You just need to be responsible for confirming the payment."

"Okay."

"Then we'll be leaving."

Zhou Li started the car and slowly pulled out of the parking spot. His cautious demeanor was in stark contrast to his earlier composure.

Mr. Jiang still stood behind, seemingly deep in thought.

"These houses are so pretty! They must be expensive, right? How about we buy one once we've made some money?" Huai Xu, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at the small villa beside them. "This one could house more than a dozen people, couldn't it?"

"Tens of millions, probably. Property prices in this city have skyrocketed in the last two years." Zhou Li drove carefully; the internal roads were very narrow.

"That expensive?!" Huai Xu's eyes widened, and he began to frantically calculate. "Where do these people get all that money?"

"They have their capabilities, I suppose..."

"That man has something on his mind," Huai Xu said, glancing at the rearview mirror. "A family like his must have some traditions or warnings passed down. He's probably heard them generation after generation since he was young, but never took them seriously before..."

"Your topics jump around so much."

"That's how highly intelligent people are."

"..."

「Back at home.」

Zhou Li was chatting with Brother Nan on his phone.

Zhou Li mentioned he'd received another business offer today, likely a significant one. Brother Nan wasn't envious, only joking that he should give her half, or she'd curse him...

Huai Xu continued to lean over the desk, writing in his journal. Lately, he seemed even more like a student than Zhou Li.

Because he was writing with a fountain pen, when he held up the notebook from a distance after finishing, the page was smeared all over with black ink. Zhou Li could see the crooked, messy handwriting even from three meters away.

Huai Xu retorted, "This pen is too small! I used to write with a calligraphy brush, so it's perfectly normal that I can't write well with this."

"Really?"

"Yeah!!"

So, Zhou Li silently took an old calligraphy brush, one that had been gathering dust for years, from the drawer and handed it to him, saying, "Let me see your calligraphy."

Huai Xu was speechless.

He turned his head away, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.