Chapter 98: Chapter 96: A Mistake Made at the Beginning
"It indeed sounds like something only a minion would do."
"This demon could only strut around now; he definitely wouldn’t have survived in the past!"
"Even if we killed this thing, we’d be in the right. That guy called Lin Zhong would find out and thank us, give us money for helping him clean house. Otherwise, it won’t be this easy in the future! He’d have to give quite a bit of money..."
"Right, Zhou Li?" Huai Xu pressed. "Why aren’t you speaking?"
Zhou Li remained silent. He had listened to Huai Xu drone on for two hours.
「They finally reached Lufeng County.」
It was a quiet little county town with few tall buildings. Hu Weimin lived on the edge of town in what looked like a self-built villa. Hu Xing first asked Zhou Li to wait in the car for a while before he went down alone.
When he came back, he asked Zhou Li, "Master Zhou, you haven’t had lunch yet, right? Would you like to have a simple meal first?"
"Okay," Zhou Li agreed. He guessed there might be other masters present now.
So, Hu Xing took him to a hotel and ordered several expensive dishes, making Huai Xu feel as if time dragged on endlessly.
After the meal, Hu Xing invited him for tea.
It seemed that the master he was waiting for was somewhat hesitant. Or perhaps there was more than one?
Around two o’clock in the afternoon, Hu Xing finally drove Zhou Li there, apologizing on the way, "I’m really sorry, but my family has been quite desperate recently, seeking help from many people..."
"It’s no problem," Zhou Li nodded in understanding.
"But they’ve invited so many people, how will they know it was us who resolved the issue?" Huai Xu asked.
"Hmm?" Zhou Li paused. He found Huai Xu’s question quite pertinent, so he rephrased it and conveyed it to Hu Xing.
Hu Xing hemmed and hawed, unable to articulate a reason. Zhou Li understood then that they weren’t capable of distinguishing, and some things were simply hard to say. Perhaps he needed to demonstrate some professional competence.
Zhou Li was quite confident.
Hu Weimin’s villa was spacious and ostentatiously lavish, exuding a nouveau riche vibe. To facilitate various masters in inviting deities and expelling demons, he had specially moved back from the hospital for these two days and had hired a private doctor.
On the way, Zhou Li encountered two ’colleagues’, both very old, wearing long robes and traditional attire, with a strong professional style.
They even nodded and greeted Zhou Li amiably, most likely thinking he was one of Hu Weimin’s younger relatives.
Zhou Li lowered his head to avoid their gaze and quietly restrained Huai Xu. Otherwise, not only these two who earned their living with their talk, but even a truly skilled Heavenly Master might end up on the unlucky candidate list.
「Soon, he met Hu Weimin in the bedroom.」
Hu Weimin was said to be forty-eight this year, but he looked extremely aged. He was half-lying on the bed, his eyes devoid of spirit.
Additionally, Hu Weimin’s son was also in the room.
"Uncle, this is Master Zhou."
"Hello, hello, young and talented Master Zhou, COUGH, COUGH..." Even facing Zhou Li, a flicker of hope flashed in Hu Weimin’s eyes. It was a glow he had likely shown many times before.
"Mr. Hu flatters me."
Zhou Li wasn’t accustomed to such formalities. He took it upon himself to sit on a stool in front of the sickbed and decided to get straight to the point. "I’m already aware of Mr. Hu’s situation. Since Mr. Hu and his family might not know me yet, let me introduce myself first."
"My name is Zhou Li. I’m from Yi Province and have not been in Caiyun for long. I have a lot of experience with these matters."
"My rule is, I don’t charge a penny until the matter is completely resolved, and if it can’t be resolved, I won’t charge either." (When Zhou Li found out Zheng Zhilan did the same, he had already added it to his own rules.) "Once you feel the issue is resolved, and after some time, you’ve confirmed there are no further problems, then you can pay me. You can contact me anytime if there are any issues during this period."
"Ah?"
Everyone in the room stared, momentarily stunned.
It was rare for someone to talk about money right away, and he was the first they had met who was confident enough to say ’no charge if not resolved.’
Hu Weimin was the first to react. "Master Zhou, do you need anything?"
"I do not need anything. Even if I did, I would provide for myself," Zhou Li said. "You hired me to solve this matter for you, and then you just have to pay me. It’s that simple."
"What do you plan to do, Master Zhou?" Hu Weimin suddenly became eager. "Just say it, we will definitely cooperate!"
"I heard from young Mr. Hu that he’s coming to see you this evening?"
"Yes!"
"He said that?"
"Yes, he always comes on Tuesday nights," Hu Weimin said.
"Every Tuesday..." Zhou Li murmured, his voice trailing off as he pondered.
"I guess the demon scheduled it for himself," Huai Xu, now quite proficient with modern vocabulary, remarked. "Maybe the other six days he goes to see other people, or maybe it’s a recovery period he leaves for this person. If plucked daily, it’ll go bald."
Zhou Li offered no comment.
"Master Zhou?" Hu Weimin prompted when Zhou Li fell silent.
"Please, continue," Zhou Li said.
"Oh, alright!" Hu Weimin was eager to provide information. "He usually arrives around eleven, sometimes earlier, sometimes later. One time, it was past midnight when he finally showed up."
"No sense of time, huh," Zhou Li commented, almost to himself.
A heavy silence descended as the others looked at him.
"I’m sorry," Zhou Li apologized, lowering his head. "I will wait here tonight for him to arrive and communicate with him."
"Master Zhou, can you see him?"
"I can."
"Then I’m counting on you."
"I want to know how you came into contact with him, how you usually communicate with him, provide for him, and conduct transactions?" Zhou Li asked, then quickly added, "These questions are just out of personal curiosity. It’s alright if you don’t want to answer."
"It doesn’t matter. I’m already like this."
Hu Weimin looked at Hu Xing and his son. He didn’t ask them to leave and slowly began to recount his story.
This demon called himself Immortal Jin Qiao.
He had met him one night.
That year, everything was going wrong for him. He was extremely dejected, and if not for his wife and child, he would have almost wanted to end his life. Immortal Jin Qiao sought him out. He told him that as long as he was cared for, he could provide financial fortune, while Immortal Jin Qiao himself needed Hu Weimin’s vitality to aid his cultivation.
He also said it was all voluntary.
Hu Weimin was skeptical.
He was unwilling at first, but life was more terrifying than ghosts and deities.
After that, his business indeed began to run smoothly, and hardships he encountered were often resolved by Immortal Jin Qiao. When he needed other help, he could also contact him by silently chanting Immortal Jin Qiao’s name.
Immortal Jin Qiao would come once a week. Each time, Hu Weimin could feel himself aging a bit—an irreversible kind of aging.
If he asked for other favors, Jin Qiao would take more.
Hu Weimin felt he was already done for. He wanted to end this transaction, but it was ineffective. And half a month ago, because of his wife, he sought help from Immortal Jin Qiao one last time, which was the final straw that broke him.
The two young people were listening for the first time, feeling their skin crawl.
Zhou Li nodded. "I see."
Hu Weimin felt somewhat indignant. "Such a demon must be considered a scourge to the world, right? Master Zhou, do you have a way to get rid of him?"
Zhou Li fell into contemplation. Hu Weimin was still alive. But Zhou Li was contemplating: if Hu Weimin died, and the demon had killed him, could he, Zhou Li, really bring himself to personally kill that demon? Would an ordinary person, upon encountering a murderer, be able to pick up a knife and kill him if no struggle occurred?
Huai Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, his hand resting on Zhou Li’s shoulder as he said, "Demon people have treaties. Even in ancient times, a Heavenly Master couldn’t just kill an evil demon causing havoc among humans. They had to be handed over to the Demon King for judgment."
Zhou Li was quiet for a moment, then glanced at Huai Xu. "I’m afraid not."
"Then is there a way for me to recover?" Hu Weimin asked again.
"The things you’ve gained over the years, can you give them back?" Zhou Li asked, considering Huai Xu’s words.
"I understand..." Hu Weimin said, his voice filled with disappointment.
"I will terminate your partnership and will try to ensure he receives the punishment he deserves. Regardless, he is ultimately at fault. But this is already the limit of what I can do."
"Thank you, Master Zhou."
"I’m going to take a walk outside."
"Should I ask Hu Xing to accompany you?"
"No need, I will come back tonight."
Zhou Li left the small villa. He reached a small river and walked along it, gradually entering the county town.
Huai Xu followed him.
After a long time, Huai Xu finally spoke from behind him, "My path was once full of starlight; as you know, I’ve killed many demons. But back then, I wasn’t truly myself. I was part of the collective will of the human nation. The one killing the demons wasn’t me; it was the entire nation..."
"Do you feel guilty?"
"Guilty. But I seldom killed demons after that, unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I’d have truly become a Great Devil King."
"Ordinary people don’t have the right to judge."
"Exactly, that’s the principle, but I wouldn’t say it."
"Are you tired?"
"What?" Huai Xu asked, confused.
"You spent so long crafting that response. You were thinking about that speech all the way here, right?" Zhou Li turned to look at Huai Xu. "Great Devil King."
Huai Xu was speechless.
It’s a shame Huai Xu used to think this man was quite agreeable.