Abnormal

But clearly, the wolf demon had no idea what pole dancing was either. It began twisting its body haphazardly, swaying in an eerie, unsettling rhythm.

The way it shuffled its claws back and forth almost resembled…

A sacrificial ritual for the living?

Ye Chuan watched for a while before finally waving his hand dismissively. "Alright, that’s enough. Whatever that was supposed to be, just get out of here."

My pole dancing is way better than this.

Hearing Ye Chuan’s words, the wolf demon seemed to exhale in relief before dissolving into shadows and vanishing.

"Good thing I pushed myself to reach Heavenly Foundation Establishment back then. My strength after breaking through far surpasses other Foundation Establishment creatures like that wolf demon. Even this divine ability is a real treasure." Ye Chuan glanced at his status.

From the wolf demon’s words and the information gathered during his earlier adventures, it was clear the beast had spent centuries devouring mortals and weaker beings just to reach Foundation Establishment.

And yet, Ye Chuan had effortlessly dominated it in battle.

No stats or luck involved—just the fruits of my relentless spending.

…

Night fell, deep and silent.

The world lay still.

Moonlight lazily spilled onto the windowsill, scattering like a thin layer of frost.

Ye Chuan lay flat on his bed, eyes closed, his breathing steady. As he slept, the jade pendant on his chest gradually began to glow.

The light coalesced slowly, eventually taking the form of Lilith’s petite figure.

Seeing Ye Chuan fast asleep, she floated down gently before perching on his stomach, her tiny legs dangling—

"Hmph, what a strange guy." Propping her chin on one hand, she twirled a strand of hair with the other. Despite her doll-like appearance, her demeanor was every bit the queen. Her gaze swept the room before settling on the full moon outside the window, hanging bright and unobscured in the cloudless sky.

Lilith’s eyes shimmered with a rotating magic circle, its ancient runes shifting.

"The moon…" Her gaze drifted downward, landing on the cityscape below. A moment later, realization dawned.

"So, it wasn’t space we crossed… but time itself?"

"But in which direction?"

"Kutana." She raised a finger, and violet light swirled between her digits, coalescing into a tiny purple bird.

With a flick of her wrist, the bird flapped its wings and flew out the window.

Just as Lilith prepared to float away, Ye Chuan—still asleep—suddenly frowned and pulled her into his arms, hugging her like a soft, fragrant pastry.

"??!" Lilith squirmed, only to find his grip unyielding. Her round eyes flared with indignation. "Let go, you ignorant fool!"

Ye Chuan remained dead to the world.

"Where are your hands wandering?! Once I regain my power, I’ll hang you up for a beating, then turn you into a puppet to slave away for a hundred years!"

…

…

Morning arrived.

As soon as Ye Chuan woke up, his phone rang—Wang Yanran was calling.

"Yeah?"

"Good morning, Senior. I hope I’m not disturbing your rest?"

"…"

"Senior? Are you… unhappy with something?" Hearing no response, Wang Yanran’s voice grew cautious.

"Gargle—glug glug!" Instead of words, the sound of vigorous teeth-brushing answered her.

"Nah, just brushing. What’s up?" Since this little rich girl had generously funded him before, Ye Chuan added, "Just call me Ye Chuan. ‘Senior’ sounds weird. How old are you, anyway?"

"D-cup," came the sheepish reply.

"Your age."

"Oh… twenty."

"That makes you older than me. Ye Chuan’s fine."

Wang Yanran, never one to miss an opportunity to get closer, immediately brightened. "Of course, Ye Chuan! About the spirit essence—my family has already prepared it. When should we deliver it to you?"

"Oh?" Ye Chuan hadn’t expected Wang Yanran to act so quickly—just one night?

The Wang family must really value me. His impression of them improved slightly.

Even if this was a transaction, sincerity still counted for something.

"Bring it to me at school today."

"Understood… There’s one more thing we’d like your opinion on." Remembering her grandfather’s instructions, Wang Yanran continued.

"Go on."

"Every five years, the major families hold the Super Martial Assembly—a competition among the younger generation to determine family rankings and rewards." She paused.

"Would you be interested in representing the Wang family?"

"Fifty thousand." Ye Chuan instantly quoted his price upon hearing "mission."

Beating up some spoiled young masters sounds way easier than hunting fourth- or fifth-tier ghost kings.

Most of those kids aren’t even Level 3.

Probably not even early-stage Qi Refinement.

"Deal."

When Wang Yanran heard that Ye Chuan's only demand was money, she immediately agreed. For people like them, financial matters were the easiest to resolve.

On the other end of the call, Ye Chuan raised an eyebrow at Wang Yanran's prompt response.

Did I ask for too little?

After some thought, he figured it didn’t matter much—the Wang family had shown such sincerity, so asking for a modest amount was fine. Though Ye Chuan loved money, he wasn’t entirely without principles when dealing with such a well-meaning family.

"Still, these families are ridiculously wealthy. Back then, earning fifty grand would’ve been a pipe dream for me."

After hanging up, Ye Chuan couldn’t help but sigh.

After freshening up, he returned to his bedside and sat down.

"Lilith, we’re almost getting the spirit essence. You’ll finally move in then, right?" He picked up the jade pendant and asked.

The pendant remained silent, offering no response.

Huh?

Asleep?

Ye Chuan raised it to his tongue.

"You bastard!!!!!!" The pendant trembled violently. "Don’t do something so disgusting!"

"Oh, you’re awake now? Why didn’t you answer me earlier?" He shook the pendant in his hand.

"None of your business!"

"What, are you on your period or something? So damn fiery." Ye Chuan had no idea why Lilith was acting like a powder keg. Had he pissed her off somehow?

"I am Lilith, the Wrathful Witch."

"Wrath?" It suddenly occurred to Ye Chuan that Lilith had mentioned being one of the Seven Witches. Were they named after the seven deadly sins?

This little firecracker certainly had a temper worthy of the title "Wrathful Witch."

But as long as she could drop gold and loot, Ye Chuan was willing to put up with it.

Besides, she was an S-rank existence—even higher-tiered than Bai Qianshuang. Who knew what treasures she might yield?

"Look, we’ve been talking for days now. No need to keep hiding in there, right?" Ye Chuan said.

Let me take a peek.

"Hmph! The soul crystal has long since fused with me. You could say it’s my physical body now. Of course, my soul stays within my flesh." Lilith retorted.

Ye Chuan finally understood.

So the pendant was Lilith’s body?

"Oh, no wonder you freaked out when I licked it." He suddenly realized how perverted that must’ve seemed, especially since the pendant was so smooth.

"What the hell are you imagining?!"