Great Demon 05

The Little Sheep Demon was terrified, but the escape route had already been cut off.

Some demons found cultivation too troublesome and relied solely on devouring other demons to increase their power. As for eating humans? That was just a snack to them.

But just as the water was about to boil, the door was slammed open by a group of people.

A dozen demons charged in, brandishing weapons and shouting wildly as they began attacking.

Then, several demons were stuffed into sacks and hauled away. The Little Sheep Demon stood there bewildered, watching them rush in and out as if it were completely invisible.

Meanwhile, Mo Ran's period of self-reflection had come to an end. Encouraged by his teammates, he regained his resolve, determined to capture Fang Zhiyi, collect demon cores, and ultimately restore peace to humanity.

To this end, he even drove out the combat vehicle belonging to their squad, planning to head straight for Huancheng based on intel—rumor had it another powerful demon was lurking there.

But just as the vehicle left the city, the Alliance called.

The leader on the other end spoke in a strange tone: "Come back for a moment."

Mo Ran was annoyed, but since he belonged to the Demon-Slaying Alliance, he couldn’t ignore the order.

Upon returning, he was immediately escorted to an interrogation room. Mo Ran scowled in outrage: "Why am I being detained here?!"

Sitting across from him was his nemesis—the Deputy Alliance Leader Zhang.

The two had always been like oil and water, with the deputy constantly finding ways to hassle him, only to be humiliated every time. But now, Deputy Alliance Leader Zhang wore a smug expression.

"Well, well, Mo Ran. No wonder you rose so quickly."

Mo Ran was baffled: "Spit it out, Zhang. I have urgent business!"

"Urgent business? Forget about it." Deputy Alliance Leader Zhang slid a folded piece of paper toward him. "You hid it well, but I was thorough enough to find it."

Mo Ran unfolded the note.

"Brother Mo, thank you for letting me go last time. I’ve kept my promise—the demons in the sacks should be enough for you to meet your quota."

Mo Ran froze. This… this…

"Fang Zhiyi remembers your words. From now on, you’ll be the greatest among demon slayers, and I’ll reign supreme among demons. Together, we’ll eventually rule the world!"

Deputy Alliance Leader Zhang clasped his hands behind his back. "Clever, using indirect methods to exchange goods. If not for one of those demons pretending to be unconscious and overhearing, I’d never have guessed—Mo Ran, the righteous-looking one, is actually a schemer colluding with demons!"

Mo Ran was stunned. This was a setup!

In Huancheng, Xiao Hu cautiously glanced at Fang Zhiyi, hesitating to speak.

"Out with it. Stop staring at me like a creep."

"I don’t get it, boss. Why go through all that trouble—planting the note in the wall, leaving marks—just for those idiots to hear?"

"That brain of yours… no wonder you lost money loan-sharking!" Fang Zhiyi tossed aside the ledger and sighed. This guy had some skills, but not enough—pure idiot. Scamming money as a bar hustler, then losing it all on loans?

"The best way to frame someone is to let them uncover the 'clues' themselves, convincing them they’ve found the truth. That’s how you make people believe it. Just spouting nonsense? That’s called slander."

"But… what if they never find out?" Xiao Hu frowned seriously.

Fang Zhiyi waved him off. "Depends who you leak the info to. Say back in the demon realm, some bigshot kept beating you up and stealing your food. Then one day, you find out he’s fooling around with the Demon Emperor’s sister-in-law. What do you do?"

Xiao Hu pondered. "Tell the Demon Emperor!"

"You really are stupid. Who’d believe a nobody like you over a high-ranking demon?"

Xiao Hu scratched his oversized head.

"The right move is to leak it to that demon’s rival."

Xiao Hu’s eyes lit up. "Oh! That’s how my old manager got fired!"

Fang Zhiyi raised a brow. "What exactly did you do before?"

"Dunno. The company did big business—something about land reclamation?"

Fang Zhiyi stared at him in disbelief. "Why’d you quit?"

Xiao Hu thought hard. "They said I ate too much. One day, they 'took me out for fieldwork' and ditched me. Then I met those pig demons—they were doing odd jobs under a bridge. Later, I remembered a coworker’s rags-to-riches story and tried copying it… and then you showed up."

He sounded almost aggrieved.

Fang Zhiyi exhaled deeply. "You should be glad I came early. Any later, and you’d be the one sent as bait to the Demon-Slaying Bureau."

"Why?"

"Never mind. Go track down that demon I mentioned!"

In a rundown courtyard in the old district, an old man lounged on a rocking chair, basking in the sun.

Most residents had moved away, leaving only the elderly behind.

Hu Lai squinted at the sky, a faint smile tugging at his lips as if recalling old memories. With a sigh, he listened to the opera crackling from his radio.

Next door lived a hedgehog demon—a diligent little creature who sold handmade trinkets at the market at dawn, sometimes taking on odd sewing jobs, and often bringing him groceries.

Hu Lai had grown fond of the little hedgehog. Maybe with age, he found small demons endearing.

The human world was nice. Unlike back home, where every meal came with the risk of someone taking a bite out of your backside.

But today, even as dusk fell, the hedgehog hadn’t returned.

Hu Lai frowned, switching off the radio. His wrinkles deepened as he pondered.

Rumors said a new, powerful demon had arrived in the city, swiftly uniting Huancheng’s demon factions. Could it be…?

Unease gnawed at him. He stood and shuffled to the gate, peering outside before finally stepping out.

Rain threatened in the air.

But after just a few steps, he sensed danger—a terrifying presence.

Two figures approached in the distance. One, a short figure, dashed forward. "Uncle Hu!"

Hu Lai relaxed at the sight of the little hedgehog and smiled warmly. "You alright?"

The hedgehog nodded nervously, glancing back. "He… wants to see you."

Hu Lai’s eyes narrowed at the approaching figure. He pulled the hedgehog behind him and demanded sternly, "And you are…?"

The figure burst into laughter before declaring with booming confidence:

"Your dad!"