Chapter 120

Zhu Chu returned defeated and found his master leaning by the window, lost in thought, staring at the view outside.

He followed his master's gaze but saw nothing particularly beautiful, although it was quite rare to see such a large expanse of green in early spring.

Zhu Chu sighed, "It would be great if Junior Brother was here too."

Ke Xingzhou snapped back to his senses and, looking somewhat confused, said, "Nie Chen?"

"Yes." Zhu Chu said, "Junior Brother has been busy these past few days, even barely replying to messages. He probably doesn't have time to relax and enjoy himself. He can't even appreciate such a fresh and beautiful view."

Ke Xingzhou listened to his words, his expression a little strange.

Actually, he had just felt something off while casting his spell, so he had found a nearby spot to reflect and review it.

To be honest, as someone who had awakened the Heavenly Eye at a young age, he had spent far less time studying metaphysics than others. Even with the most difficult spells, there had only been a bit of trial and error in the beginning, but once he got used to it, it became second nature.

Thus, he hadn't even thought about where to start reviewing until he heard Zhu Chu's words. Looking at the forest outside, his mind had been blank.

When Zhu Chu spoke, he suddenly realized that it was because of Nie Chen—

In the previous few spell castings, Nie Chen had always been by his side.

Even if Nie Chen's blood wasn't needed, he would still prepare the talismans and snacks for after the ritual.

Ke Xingzhou had originally thought that Nie Chen's way of flattering him was useless, as his thoughts wouldn't waver from a little bit of kindness. But now, seeing the snacks he casually took from Yan Xingwei's desk, he couldn't help but feel a little heat on his face.

He handed the snack to Zhu Chu, then paused for a moment, immediately acting servile and reaching into his pocket to pull out two candies. "Master, have some candy."

Ke Xingzhou looked at the two dried tangerine peel candies in his palm: "..."

He had originally planned to refuse, but just before he spoke, he inexplicably felt his mouth a little bland. After thinking for a moment, he extended his hand and took them, unwrapping one and putting it into his mouth.

Zhu Chu's eyes lit up. His master finally ate the candy he offered!

He was overjoyed and quickly asked, "How does it taste?"

"Mm." Ke Xingzhou frowned. "It's too sour."

The tangerine peel candy this time was so sour it nearly made his teeth hurt. After tasting it for a while, Ke Xingzhou spat it out and started looking for other snacks from Yan Xingwei.

He usually didn't eat snacks, but because of Nie Chen's feeding, Zhu Chu hadn't noticed that his master suddenly developed a craving.

Zhu Chu looked at the candy wrapper with some sadness, took a photo, and posted it on his social media, asking his ever-reliable online friends: [Master said this one is too sour. Does tangerine peel candy have different origins or batches?]As soon as the message was sent, an unexpected reply came from someone.

[Junior Brother: ?]

Meanwhile, the Daoist priests over there finally reached a decision. They decided to contact the Special Incident Handling Bureau to have the green toad taken away.

After that, whether the Special Incident Handling Bureau dealt with it or handed it over to the demon race, it would no longer be their concern.

Daoist Qian immediately contacted Xiang Ting, and they replied that someone would come over.

Before that, the Daoist priests still had to keep an eye on the green toad to prevent it from slipping away and causing trouble in the human world.

The green toad was listless, showing no intention of resistance.

However, when it passed by Zhu Chu, its steps paused for a moment.

Zhu Chu: "?"

The green toad thought for a while, its expression reluctant, but its body honestly began to transform, slowly becoming a—

Green giant.

Zhu Chu: "…"

Looking at the bulky, dark green, fat figure before him, Zhu Chu was momentarily stunned and took a step back in fear. "You... what are you doing?"

The green toad spoke in a deep voice: "Didn't you ask me to try transforming into a human form?"

Zhu Chu: "…"

Zhu Chu closed his eyes for a moment, thinking that An He Guang's previous concerns were a bit excessive.

With the green toad like this, it probably couldn’t even appear in front of people, let alone be an entertainer?

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mindset Xixi had when she gathered the courage to clean such a toad. Facing the green toad’s haughty yet somewhat expectant eyes, he stammered a couple of times, his lips trembling as he said, "…How about you go get a no-criminal-record certificate first?"

Green toad: "?"

Zhu Chu said with righteous authority: "Our Xiaoyao Sect does not accept criminals."

Green toad: "…"

The Daoist priests: "…………"

After confirming that all the unusual happenings were caused by Xixi and the green toad, all for the purpose of making him fall from grace and rely entirely on her, becoming her toy, Yan Xingwei was in poor condition.

The Daoist priests were also mentally exhausted from this absurd spectacle. That night, they performed another ritual and helped transform the nearby mountain forest creatures who had already become spirits, before resting early.

The next morning, they had to take these creatures, including the green toad, to the Special Incident Handling Bureau.

Master ate the tangerine peel candy he had prepared, and Zhu Chu, feeling a bit daring, thought he would boldly invite, "Master, I asked the boss, and there are no available rooms today. How about you squeeze in with me for the night?"Ke Xingzhou: "…"

To be honest, the guest rooms in this inn have double beds, and it wouldn't be a big deal to sleep in the same room as the eldest disciple, but for some reason, Ke Xingzhou’s mind kept inexplicably recalling two figures.

One was naturally Nie Chen, and the other was Lian Cheng, whom he had met last night at the Yellow Spring Inn.

Ke Xingzhou paused for a moment, wondering if he should just sleep in the same room with his disciple today, when Zhu Chu suddenly noticed something and looked up towards the end of the hallway.

He exclaimed, "Master… Master, I think I just saw someone flash by over there!"

Ke Xingzhou immediately turned around and saw the window at the end of the hallway shaking, as if it had been blown open by the wind.

It was the room where the green toad was kept.

Ke Xingzhou’s brow twitched, and he immediately stepped forward to follow.

Inside the room.

The green toad had reverted to its original form, lying flat on its back in the water tank like a person, staring at the ceiling and sighing deeply.

It had been contemplating whether to leave with the Xiaoyao Sect people, but due to hesitation, it had missed the opportunity. It felt inexplicably sorrowful. Adding to that, it had lost its best friend and the future wife it had already decided on in just one day. After three heavy blows, it was almost on the verge of tears.

Blinking its eyes, it was about to raise its hand to wipe away the tears when it suddenly noticed a figure in the corner, who had appeared there without it noticing.

The green toad jumped in fright. "Ah! Who's there!"

The figure didn’t move, but as the green toad noticed it, the figure slowly moved out from the shadows into the light, its purple skin making the green toad feel strangely familiar.

Until the face appeared under the moonlight.

If Ke Xingzhou and Zhu Chu were in the room at that moment, they would likely recognize it immediately. The person in front of them was none other than the demon from the Southwest Insect Mountain who had disguised itself as a human and claimed to be Yan Xingwei earlier.

The green toad squinted its eyes, clearly recognizing the face. Its expression changed immediately, and it quickly covered its chest, shouting loudly, "What the hell! Pervert! Someone! Catch the pervert! Damn, I’ve never seen such an ugly pervert before!"

The demon: "…"

The demon almost laughed at the green toad. It glanced at the toad’s figure and then at itself, thinking, who’s the ugly one here?

However, the demon wasn’t here to argue about beauty with a green toad. It raised its hand, and immediately, an invisible barrier appeared around the green toad, restricting its movements and silencing it instantly.

"Don’t shout—of course, even if you shout, no one will come." The demon looked down at the green toad with a sinister smile curling at the corner of its mouth. "I’m here to ask you to do something for me. If you agree, I’ll grant you wealth, beauty, and power. If you don’t agree…"

Its voice trailed off, and the cold light in its eyes under the moonlight was as sharp as a blade, the threat implicit.

But the green toad, of course, wasn’t going to submit. Why should it be threatened just because the other person had purple skin? It was a prince!

The green toad’s cheeks puffed out, preparing to spit venom at the demon’s face, but the demon seemed to have anticipated its move. It casually waved its hand, and a flash of cold light passed by, splitting the stone beneath the green toad in half.

The crack was just a hair’s breadth away from the green toad's toes.

The green toad recoiled its foot, looking at the demon with fear.

It was clear that it was struggling internally, its expression twisting, making its already terrifying appearance even more monstrous.But in the face of absolute power, his struggles were but momentary, and he quickly closed his eyes in despair and humiliation.

The demon, seeing his compliance, finally smiled in satisfaction and lifted the restriction on the green toad: "Don't worry, following us will definitely be better than following the humans. What we demons promise will always come true, unlike their human race..."

As he spoke the last part, his voice grew slightly deeper, as though gritting his teeth.

After a pause, his tone suddenly shifted: "Aren't you fond of that human woman? Once this is done, I can build a city for you and make you a true prince. As for her, you can enjoy her whenever you wish..."

The demon's voice was low and magnetic, filled with intense temptation, as if it could stir up the deepest hidden desires in one's heart.

Hearing this, the green toad suddenly widened his eyes, staring at the demon in disbelief.

The demon paid no mind, having seen such expressions many times. For demons, the fear and greed of their prey were the best stimulant, making their blood boil.

He looked down from above, quietly enjoying the scene for a moment.

But after a while, he felt something was off— the green toad's expression seemed to be not one of greed, but more like he was looking at him with disdain.

The demon: "?"

Disdain?

Unable to communicate due to the restriction on the toad’s mouth, he glared at the green toad, warning him not to make any noise, before threatening and enticing him further, eventually lifting the restriction on his mouth.

The green toad finally opened his mouth but immediately curled up, squeezing himself into the corner of the water tank, almost wanting to become part of it.

He was frightened by the demon's methods and trembled as he asked, "W-Who are you? Couldn't you find someone else for this? Why me... Is it because I'm a prince...?"

The demon: "??"

He was truly puzzled, but considering the green toad was a fool who had been deceived by a human girl, he didn't overthink the toad's words.

"I am a noble demon," the demon arrogantly lifted his chin, his eyes both pitiful and evil. "It's not that I found you, but that you found me. It is your inner desires that awakened me, bringing me here to help you realize your dreams..."

He delivered this speech flawlessly; truth be told, even emperors had been seduced by his words. A mere toad spirit, who had fallen at the feet of a human girl, the demon thought he would easily win over.

Sure enough, upon hearing these words, the green toad began to sob uncontrollably.

"Ribbit... does it have to be this way to realize my wishes? Can't the demons help in some other way?"

The demon: "???"

No, he couldn't hold back anymore.

What was wrong with this green toad, spouting such nonsense! He had come to fulfill his wishes, yet the toad dared to be picky!

The demon was really furious, but given the demon race's current predicament, it was hard to be too angry. The nine-headed dragon, which they had been meticulously preparing for ten years, was destroyed in one blow by the humans. They were now short on manpower.

Taking a deep breath, the demon coldly stared at the green toad: "What do you mean, do you want to gain something without effort?"

The green toad trembled and immediately cried out, "I never said that! I also went to school with the princess, okay? Labor is honorable!"

"...But can't you do it another way?" The green toad nearly cried in frustration, "Even if you want me to become a hideous human like those from the Xiaoyao Sect, it would still be better than selling my body!"The demon clan was momentarily stunned, a question mark slowly forming above its head.

"Who told you to sell your body?" It couldn’t understand. "Moreover, the Xianyao Sect treated you like that, and you're still speaking for them! Have you forgotten? That hypocritical eldest disciple of the Xianyao Sect, after you compromised, he ruthlessly rejected you!"

The green toad let out a "woof" and started crying, "But... but they pay for the work at the sect... I asked about it, and the three ugly dog demons get 20% of their pay!"

20%...

The demon clan almost laughed out of anger, about to ask if the green toad knew how absurd that 20% exploitation was, when suddenly footsteps could be heard outside.

The barrier it had set up before entering was unexpectedly triggered, and Ke Xingzhou and Zhu Chu appeared in the room.

The green toad, who had previously resented this human who had knocked him off the building with a big net, now saw Ke Xingzhou as if seeing a lifeline.

Ignoring the terrifying and perverse demon beside him, he dashed toward the door, shouting in desperation, "Master! The master of the Xianyao Sect, help! This demon is so perverse, he wants me to sell my body, and not just to 'them,' but to many demons!!"

Demon clan: "???"

"Who told you to sell your body!!" It shouted in suffocation. "And many demons, we demons wouldn't even look at a toad!!"

The green toad didn’t listen.

His confidence was baffling, as he sprinted to Ke Xingzhou's side. After being kicked, he didn’t care, instead, he reported the demon's perversion with increasing righteousness, "It’s exactly what he said! He said if I agreed, he would even help me pursue the princess! He couldn’t get her and slandered her! I never expected this is the kind of demon you are!!"

Demon clan: "??????"

The demon clan was at a loss for words, and what infuriated it even more was that Zhu Chu, who had followed behind Ke Xingzhou, instinctively raised his phone and aimed it at the demon.

Zhu Chu, with a shocked and amused expression, said, "I can't believe there’s such a perverse race. Wow, bro, you’ve gone too far. If you like someone, like them. We don’t get it, but we’ll respect it. But being so stubborn just backfires."

"........" The demon clan was almost dying of anger.

Zhu Chu, treating the situation with a broad-minded attitude, looked at the green toad with admiration, "You’re a real man, Frog Bro. He really went too far. How could he say such things about your goddess..."

"How could he say that about me!!" The green toad was furious, "He actually wanted me to be a double plug!!"

Zhu Chu: "……?"

Zhu Chu was stunned.

Wait, buddy, you’re upset because of this??

Among those present, only Ke Xingzhou seemed unaffected. He furrowed his brow and looked at the demon clan, whose whole body was purple, his eyes sharp and direct. He didn’t share the green toad and Zhu Chu’s disdain or gossip.

The demon clan felt a chill in its heart, sensing that this human might be the only one with a normal mind. It became wary, listening to Ke Xingzhou's expressionless voice, "You want to dig our Xianyao Sect’s corner."

"..........." The demon clan’s spirit almost collapsed. Its suppressed rage finally couldn’t be contained, and demonic energy erupted wildly, instantly turning all the furniture in the room to ashes.

It cursed loudly, "Digging a corner, my ass! Are you guys addicted to playing me?!"

As soon as the words left its mouth, Ke Xingzhou and Zhu Chu both took a step back in unison.

The demon clan’s heart tightened, and it quickly turned its head, scanning the surroundings warily. After waiting for a moment, it didn’t detect any danger and couldn’t help but look curiously at the two.The Daoist priests, still half asleep, hurried over while putting on their robes, and the two mentally unstable master and disciple from the Xianyao Sect, one holding a phone recording, the other slowly spoke: "Make sure you saw clearly, he broke all of this. If the boss asks later, you can't come to our Xianyao Sect for compensation."

Demon clan: "……………"