Chapter 143
The police chief immediately pressed the intercom button, sternly instructing the surrounding armed forces to raise their alert level, prepared for the possible sudden appearance of the demon ancestor, Luo Hou, around the station.
But it was already too late.
The air suddenly rippled, spreading like waves across a still surface.
Everyone instinctively looked out the window and saw that the drizzling rain had, at some point, come to a stop.
A lean and not particularly tall figure stepped through the air. With every step he took forward, the rain around him parted on its own, and not a single drop landed on his body. He looked as if even the heavens and earth themselves were yielding before him.
This unnatural sight left everyone deeply unsettled. Yet the demons, upon seeing their ancestor appear, had madness flashing in their eyes.
“Demon Ancestor!!”
“Lord Demon Ancestor has come to save us!!”
Tianmo led the many Moluos in kneeling on the ground, shouting in reverence, on the verge of tears from excitement.
What had they done to deserve this? To have Lord Demon Ancestor personally appear to save them!
You must understand — the demon clan’s hierarchy was extremely strict. For example, Tianmo and the Moluos around him were superior and subordinate in battle, but outside of warfare, these Moluos were barely above other races in food chain priority — basically emergency rations.
The demon race’s habit of constant warfare and instigating chaos might partially stem from this reason.
In their worldview, the Demon Ancestor was the sole being at the top of the food chain. Even if they died in battle today, it would be completely normal and reasonable for the Demon Ancestor to remain indifferent.
But the Demon Ancestor had come — for them!
The entire demon group was boiling over with excitement, practically supercharged, and when they saw with their own eyes that Luo Hou was indeed approaching them, they couldn’t hold back their tears any longer.
These purple-black-skinned men, each nearly two meters tall, now cried like children.
Everyone inside the room: “……”
Those raised in the new socialist society simply couldn’t comprehend this kind of fanatical devotion. The police chief looked at the demons prostrating and worshiping on the ground and even felt a sudden urge to pull them up.
Stand up, you who refuse to be slaves!
On the other side, the Daoist priests reacted as if facing a formidable enemy at Luo Hou’s appearance.
After all, Luo Hou was a demonic being born alongside Ancestor Junhong — a primordial entity that had existed since the dawn of the universe.
And not even to mention him, even a rank below him — the Demon King Poxun, the one who earlier fell into a water tank — was someone that even the Buddha couldn’t subdue. He had once tempted many gods and buddhas of the Western Heavenly Court, nearly shaking their very faith.To be honest, the Daoist priests had already sensed that they were becoming overwhelmed when the spirit creatures began appearing in large numbers.
They were mere mortals, and the Taoist techniques they had cultivated only worked decently against ghosts. Against enemies of this caliber, it felt like facing an insurmountable mountain.
Even so, none of the Daoist priests present hesitated. They took out their long-cherished spiritual tools, setting up a defense line in front of the ordinary people, prepared for Luo Hou's arrival.
Ke Xingzhou and Nie Chen also didn't dare to slack off. Nie Chen bit his finger and smeared the blood on Ke Xingzhou's bow. The blood, imbued with countless merits, instantly made the bow emit a dazzling light, appearing even more exquisite and beautiful than when Ke Xingzhou had used it earlier.
Ke Xingzhou glanced at Nie Chen, his expression slightly puzzled, but without hesitation, he drew the bowstring and aimed at Luo Hou in front of him.
They saw Luo Hou's gaze sweep across, his pupils suddenly constricting, forming vertical slit pupils like those of a snake.
He’s here!
Everyone’s hearts tightened, and then they heard several faint sounds of air being torn apart. The surrounding armed forces launched their attacks, firing dozens of bullets aimed at Luo Hou's head, throat, and heart, closing in on him in the blink of an eye.
But just like the rain, they suddenly stopped, unable to move an inch closer.
Everyone's hearts sank.
The bullets halted just a few meters away from Luo Hou, with the sparks generated from the impact not even able to get close to him. It was as though some invisible barrier was blocking them, creating a magnificent fire wall around Luo Hou.
The Daoists who had been approaching even saw the bullets, now flattened like iron cakes, fall to the ground after losing all their force.
Luo Hou slowly turned his head, his snake-like eyes scanning the surroundings. Then, groans and screams began to emerge from the police chief's intercom.
The police chief was startled. "What happened? What's going on?!"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the intercom, and then a broken voice finally came through. "The guns... they've been bent... I'm... being... choked..."
"Everyone, be careful! The target can control material deformation from a distance, and the danger level is higher than expected! Extremely aggressive!"
"Quickly notify the public to evacuate!"
The intercom was filled with noise, and soon, the fire alarm rang. The nearby residential buildings echoed with the panicked shouts of people fleeing.
Everyone heard the reports from the intercom, and their hearts sank. The police sirens blared as they focused intently on Luo Hou's every move.
The Daoist priests began chanting the demon-sealing incantations they had learned from the Xiaoyao Sect, trying to stop Luo Hou’s advance.
But the next second, Luo Hou crouched low and swiftly approached, striking his target with lightning speed—
“Crack!”
Tianmo’s head was suddenly struck by tremendous force, causing it to snap sideways. His dark purple face visibly swelled up, a clear handprint left on it.
Everyone: "......"
Tianmo: "......???"
Tianmo raised his head in shock, unable to understand, staring at his superior. The latter still maintained a human form, but his eyes had turned into monstrous purple slits, filled with raging fury, glaring intensely at him. "You... you dare!"
"......" Tianmo was momentarily dazed but soon lowered his head in submission, quickly admitting fault. "It’s my mistake! I deserve to die! Please, Demon Ancestor, punish me!"
Everyone: "......"The atmosphere gradually became tense.
The Daoist priests, having been poisoned by Zhu Chu, strangely found themselves understanding many things that they, given their age and status, should not have known. Now, looking at this scene, their expressions became indescribable.
What kind of strange situation had they gotten themselves into...
So... so weird.
Meanwhile, the demons on the other side were also stunned, staring blankly at the Demon Ancestor, who was dressed like a human and had just struck one of their own.
Both sides were in a very complex mood, and the atmosphere awkwardly froze for a few seconds.
--
Tianmo was almost overwhelmed by guilt.
To be honest, Tianmo had been puzzled earlier by the intense, directed anger he had sensed from the Demon Ancestor’s presence. Even after being struck, he still didn’t understand what he had done wrong.
But for any member of the demon race, the Demon Ancestor's attitude was everything. Even if they doubted the meaning of their own life, they would never question the Demon Ancestor's decisions.
As Tianmo’s expression grew increasingly guilty, as if he were about to hang himself on the spot, someone finally moved, interrupting this strange internal conflict.
Ke Xingzhou, still with his arrow pointed at Luo Hou, spoke sharply: "Wait a second!"
Luo Hou finally moved his oppressive gaze away from Tianmo and fixed it on Ke Xingzhou.
When their eyes met, his snake-like pupils flickered twice, and his expression quickly darkened: "What? You're interfering with how I discipline my own demons?"
Ke Xingzhou inexplicably felt that his tone seemed a bit resentful, as if he had known him before.
He stared at Luo Hou in confusion: "What are you talking about? Your subordinate just received treatment from us. You think you can cancel his registration without paying the medical fees? Dream on!"
Luo Hou: "…?"
Luo Hou paused in silence, then cast a questioning glance at Tianmo, but for some reason, his gaze grew even sharper: "You… received treatment?"
Had the demons’ self-healing abilities been thrown out the window?
Tianmo: "…"
Everyone: "…"
To be honest, they were also curious earlier, as Tianmo could have grown his arm back immediately, yet he insisted on having the doctor treat it for nearly half an hour...
Everyone’s eyes focused on Tianmo's right arm, their expressions slowly becoming more meaningful.
Ke Xingzhou was tugged at by Zhu Chu, who noticed that this seemed like another opportunity to make money: "Right, he also deceived our doctor's feelings, so we should charge him for emotional damages."
After saying this, Zhu Chu whispered to the female doctor next to him: "You know, there’s a handling fee for collecting debts. What percentage are you comfortable with?"
Tianmo: "…"
Female doctor: "…"Everyone: "…………"
The Xianyao Sect is truly... speechless.
--
Luo Hou didn't seem to have any intention of attacking others. After Ke Xingzhou pursued the medical and emotional damages fees, he even lifted the countermeasures against the surrounding ambush.
Ke Xingzhou couldn't help but sigh.
It’s a small amount to lose, but the loss is still significant.
At this moment, the internet expert Zhu Chu suddenly slyly handed over a phone, winking at his master as if to claim credit: "Master, look at this!"
Ke Xingzhou was uninterested, his mind full of the lost handling fees. He glanced at it lazily, but his gaze immediately froze—
It turned out that as Luo Hou "walked" over, he had been so ostentatious and arrogant that many nearby residents had taken photos of him walking in mid-air. The internet was already buzzing.
The post Zhu Chu found had the highest level of discussion. Ke Xingzhou immediately saw the title:
[Shocking! A powerful figure appeared in the air over East City! So you really are cultivating immortality behind my back?]
The accompanying picture was naturally of Luo Hou walking through East City. However, before reaching the police station, Luo Hou wasn't moving so slowly. Each of his steps covered dozens or even hundreds of meters, and the photographers could only capture a blurry figure.
Even so, the sudden outbreak of public opinion was enough to make the relevant officials panic.
On Zhu Chu’s other phone, the Cultural and Tourism Bureau was almost losing its mind.
"Daoist Zhu, what’s going on? We never expected demons to appear so quickly. We’re still discussing how to handle the public opinion, and now suddenly there's a human who can walk in the air?" Director Wen was almost crying, "Is Daoist Ke with you? Can you get him to take the call? I’m about to be killed by the stares from other departments!"
Zhu Chu comforted the other party for a while, saying that his master was confronting the culprit, the Demon Ancestor Luo Hou, and then suddenly changed the subject: "We’ve just helped other victims recover their losses, and we’re still verifying other damages. Do you want to include them in the calculation?"
Director Wen: "…?"
Director Wen was momentarily confused. Was the Demon Ancestor Luo Hou the one he was thinking of?
Wasn’t that the ancestor of the demons?
The Special Incident Response Bureau had already reported the demons' return to the world, and all the leaders had received instructions to fully contain the potential damage and harm the demons might cause to the human world. Moreover, Director Wen had personally experienced the chaos caused by the "Xianyao Sect Daoist Cultural Experience Base" incident, so he understood just how terrifying the demons were.
It was said that the Asura, which had caused them so much trouble, was just a lower-tier existence among the high-level demons and wasn’t considered an elite.
And now it was the Demon Ancestor Luo Hou—how could the Xianyao Sect bargain with him?
For a moment, Director Wen felt disoriented. After hesitating, he said that he couldn’t make the decision and turned to consult with other department leaders.
Then, he heard a lot of noise on the other end, followed by a powerful voice saying, "Compensate! Why wouldn’t we make him pay? Every stitch and every thread is paid for by taxpayers!!" After a brief silence, Director Wen shakily relayed the leaders' thoughts: "Daoist Zhu, how much can be compensated?"
Zhu Chu looked at Ke Xingzhou for confirmation, then tossed his head: "You just calculate all the losses and report them to us. Don’t worry about the rest!"
Director Wen: "…"
Director Wen was stunned by the other party's boldness. His back seemed to straighten, and his tone became more confident: "Okay, I’ll arrange for someone to calculate it!"
With that, he hung up the phone.Zhu Chu looked at the black-screened phone with satisfaction, exchanging a glance with his master. Both could see the excitement in each other's eyes— they had latched onto the national "big leg!"
This time, in order to counter the public opinion shock caused by the demons' appearance in the human world, the country had spent considerable effort on clarifying and explaining, subtly conveying some messages to the public.
The medical expenses for treating the Tianmo were just a small part. The figures from Director Wen would absolutely shock everyone!
They had hit the jackpot!!
The master and disciple seemed to envision their sect's future soaring to the peak of success by having the country as a backer. But when they looked up, they met the eyes of the other people in the room, all of them exchanging silent glances.
Everyone: "..."
Demons: "..."
Luo Hou: "..."
What kind of existence is the Xianyao Sect now?
--
In any case, in the end, the Demon Ancestor Luo Hou was invited into the mediation room.
The surrounding residents had already started criticizing the property management, asking why they hadn't been notified in advance about the fire drill, and why it ended so inexplicably. The property staff, confused, followed their leaders' instructions to apologize to all the residents, and some of the more affluent property management even began sending apology gifts.
Zhu Chu took the expense list sent by Director Wen, borrowed a printer from the police station, printed it out, bound it into a book, and handed it to Luo Hou.
Hearing the uproar from the neighboring community, he kindly reminded, "The gifts they’re sending will also be included in the summary, and you’ll need to sign it for confirmation."
Luo Hou: "..."
The Daoist priests: "..."
The Daoists looked at Luo Hou in silence for a moment. He really took the list and carefully examined it. He didn’t seem angry, and for a moment, everyone became somewhat disoriented.
They had never imagined that one day in their careers, they’d see the Demon Ancestor paying compensation.
Earlier, they had thought the Xianyao Sect was an evil sect, with disciples who weren’t exactly proper people.
The Daoists now cast looks of shame and admiration toward Ke Xingzhou.
No wonder this sect is a special cooperative unit with the underworld; this foresight and demeanor were completely unmatched by any other sect.
The future of the Taoist Association might just fall on the shoulders of a young sect like Xianyao Sect!
Ke Xingzhou: "?"
Ke Xingzhou looked at their admiring eyes, feeling confused. For some reason, he had a strange sensation that something was weighing heavily on his shoulders, giving him an uneasy feeling.
Fortunately, at that moment, there was a slightly chaotic sound of footsteps outside the door.
By the time they reached the door, a furious voice penetrated the door panel, clearly coming through: "Damn demons, daring to cause trouble in the human world. Let go of the hostage immediately and drop your weapons to surrender!"
With that, the thick door was kicked open.A young man with a beard walked at the front, his eyes sharp and focused, accurately locking onto the most arrogant figure standing in the room—
Ke Xingzhou.
The young man with a beard: "?"
His gaze shifted, and only then did he spot the Demon Ancestor Luo Hou, who was sitting across from Ke Xingzhou, looking scholarly while reading documents.
The young man with a beard: "???"
Luo Hou glanced at the group of people in the room, who appeared to be in a debt-collection stance, then looked down at the pen in his hand, and finally raised an eyebrow, directing his gaze at Ke Xingzhou: "So, I’m the one who lost?"
Ke Xingzhou: "..."
Everyone: "..."
The young man with a beard and everyone behind him: "?????"