Chapter 46: The Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Demon (Part 1)

  After listening to the boss's words, Hailong couldn't help but spit out the wine he had just drunk, splashing Xiaojingling all over his body. He laughed and said: "Right, right, boss, you're absolutely right! He's clearly a fake monk! Let him give you money. You can settle today's account with him. Ah, Xiaojingling, your desire for revenge is so strong, I wasn't intentionally doing that earlier." As he spoke, Hailong casually blocked the wine arrow shot by Xiaojingling. In a low and gentle tone, he said: "Settle down." Under the circumstance where their magical powers differed greatly, Xiaojingling didn't have the ability to resist at all, and was instantly unable to move. Hailong comforted him, saying: "Wait for your teacher, after Hongzhi settles the account, we'll go into town to have some fun. It's just wine, it won't get dirty, and maybe it can even help you get rid of lice."

  The little demon glared at the sea dragon, but unfortunately his cultivation was inferior to others. His body was immobilized by the fixation technique and he couldn't do anything even if he wanted to.

  Hong Zhi sought help from Hai Long, but Hai Long seemed to have not seen him at all, and was instead indulging in holding the slender hand of a woman, while drinking wine with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

  Hongzhi helplessly turned his head and smiled bitterly: "Boss, I'm really sorry, we don't have any money on us! I also don't have anything valuable to give you."

  The boss grabbed Hongzhi's monk robe, slightly angrily saying: "Since you guys don't have money, why did you come to my place to eat? Although I'm running a small business here, it's not easy to bully me. My wife and I worked hard for ten years to get this small store, do you think it was easy? I don't care, if you don't pay today, you can't leave."

  "Alright then, I'll stay here and work for you until the debt is paid off, that's a fair deal, isn't it?"

  The boss curled his lip and said, "You? Work? I think it's better to forget about it. With your appetite, the work you do every day isn't even enough to cover the cost of food. Our store is small, and there wasn't much work to begin with. I just want your meal money, if you guys eat for free and loaf around, I'll take you to see the official."

  Just then, a gentle voice came from the back hall, "Master, what's wrong? Why so noisy."

  As soon as the boss heard this voice, his face softened a bit. The door curtain was lifted and a slender figure walked out. Hailong and Piaoyue looked closely and saw that it was an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman. On the surface, she looked just like the old boss of the restaurant - ordinary. She seemed to have not seen anyone else, her eyes only had her husband in them. Walking up to the old boss's side, she said: "I also heard some of what you were saying earlier. Since these guests are having a hard time financially, I think we can just forget about it. Who doesn't have a tough time sometimes? People traveling outside also don't find it easy. Let them go."

  "However, wife, they've eaten so much of our food and we didn't have a lot of money to begin with. If they don't pay us back, I'm afraid we'll be even tighter on cash!"

  The boss's wife sighed and said, "Forget it, listen to me, let them go. Doing many good deeds will bring good fortune."

  The boss reluctantly nodded, glared at Hongzhi and said: "It's my wife who is kind-hearted, so this time it's forgiven. But you guys can't come again in the future. We can't afford to have you eat for free again."

  Hong Zhi's eyes suddenly shone brightly as he said in a deep voice, "Boss, even if you let us go now, we can't leave. Good demonic creature, why don't you show your true form?"

  A faint yellow glow emanated from Hong Zhi's body, and the massive Buddha energy suddenly made the small shop solemn. The middle-aged woman shook violently, stumbled backward a few steps, and exclaimed in terror: "You... you are a Buddhist cultivator!" Hong Zhi gazed at her coldly and said: "Now that you know, isn't it a bit late? You demon, how dare you transform into human form to harm people! Don't you dare change back to your original form for me to deal with?" Hong Zhi's cultivation was above Hai Long's. Although he didn't usually pay attention to his appearance, his understanding of Buddhist teachings was not inferior to that of Fan Xin and Lian Shu from the Mantra Sect and Lotus Sect respectively. Among the four people in Hai Long, if it were a matter of cultivation, then Piao Yu would be the strongest, but when it came to identifying demons, Hong Zhi, the Demon-subduing Vajra, was unparalleled.

  The hotel owner stared blankly at the yellow glow emanating from Hong Zhi, saying: "You, what do you want to do? Who is the demon?" Hong Zhi replied calmly: "Donor, your wife is not a human being, but a transformed demon. Pheasant monster, aren't you going to show your true form? Do I really have to beat you until your body and spirit are destroyed?" The Bodhi bowl floated into his hand, and the entire restaurant was already covered with a powerful Buddhist prohibition.

  The boss's wife stood there, staring at Hong Zhi with desperation in her eyes. With a thud, she knelt down in front of him, "Master, I didn't mean to harm anyone, please spare me."

  The old boss was shocked and said, "Xiao Cui, could it be that you are really...?" Xiao Cui nodded and said, "Now I can no longer hide it from you. What this master said is true. I am a pheasant demon who has cultivated for 800 years. Among the demons, I am very weak and was only able to transform into human form after cultivating for over 700 years. I came to the mortal world to live an ordinary life like humans do. Husband, we've been married for over ten years, tell me, have I ever harmed you? In order to build a home with you, I gave up continuing my cultivation!"

  The boss stood there, speechless. Hongzhi said coldly: "You're a monster, and you know that monsters can't be with humans no matter what the reason is. Your demonic energy will affect ordinary people, you should know that. Since you haven't done anything evil, I won't kill you today, but I'll have to send you back to your original form." The sound of Buddhist chanting started, and this loud voice had a calming effect on ordinary people, but to Xiaocui, the little monster, it was like a giant hammer hitting her. The Buddha's bowl emitted powerful Buddhist energy, and with the assistance of the true words of Buddhism, suddenly a bright light burst out, and circles of yellow light enveloped Xiaocui.

  Xiao Cui had cultivated for only 800 years, and her cultivation was still no match for a single True Immortal in the Realm of Realization. How could she possibly be an opponent for Hong Zhi? She didn't have even a hint of resistance, and with a severe convulsion, she fell to the ground, struggling painfully. A blue-black demonic aura emanated from her body, attempting to resist the suction force of the Bodhi Bowl.

  "Oh no!" The hotel owner suddenly knelt down on the ground and begged bitterly: "Master, please spare my wife."

  Hong Zhi's face turned stern, and he said: "Could she be a monster?! Are you willing to spend the rest of your life with a monster?" The old man nodded, his voice trembling: "Master, no matter what she is, we've been husband and wife for over a decade. Even if she were a monster, I still want her. Please, Master, spare my wife, I love her more than myself."

  Hong Zhi frowned and said, "No matter what, she is a demon. In the land of Shen Zhou, demons and humans combining is absolutely not allowed." The light from the Bodhi bowl in his hand grew stronger, and the demonic energy of the pheasant demon had already weakened significantly. It was about to be unable to withstand the powerful suction of the Bodhi bowl when a large hand reached out from the side and forcibly twisted Hong Zhi's hand, diverting the Buddha's power to one side. The pheasant demon felt its body lighten and suddenly collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. Hong Zhi slightly angrily said, "Big brother, what are you doing?"

  It was Hailong who spoke up, standing in front of the Pheasant Demon and saying, "Enough, Xiao Zhi. If someone wants to fight and another is willing to be hit, why must you intervene? In our righteous path, there are still some despicable people like tumors; can't there be a few kind-hearted ones among the demons as well? The Pheasant Demon was originally a weak and harmless demon, so let's not separate them if they truly love each other." Xiao Zhi said, "But big brother, eliminating demons is our duty! How can we just ignore it when we see one?"

  Hailong took a step forward, knocked on Hongzhi's bald head and said: "You fake monk, have you gone crazy? To exorcise evil spirits and protect the Tao, one must distinguish between good and bad. Otherwise, if you were to kill indiscriminately, how would that be different from an evil cult? Moreover, the food you ate earlier was probably made by this strange creature, and you haven't even paid for it yet. Now you want to kill him? That's just too unreasonable. Forget it, let's go."

  The little green peacock was knocked down to the ground with the support of the old boss, and he thanked him tearfully: "Thank you, thank you for sparing my life, Master."

  Floating gently to the side of the dragon, she smiled slightly and said: "Hóngzhì, just listen to your big brother. Although what he says may not be entirely correct, there is also some reason to it. I'll take care of this pheasant monster myself. At midnight on the 15th, the heavenly garrison will arrive. Go." A small blue-green light burst out and instantly seeped into the body of the pheasant monster, who seemed not to feel anything unusual, staring blankly at Floating.

  "Piao Yu Dao: 'Ji Jiguai, we'll give you a chance. From now on, as long as you harbor good intentions, the Tian Gang technique I used earlier will never be triggered again. However, if you have malicious intentions, this technique will naturally take your life. This spell is so powerful that even Jin Shi San, the master of the Yao Sect, may not be able to undo it. You're on your own now. Hai Long, we should leave too.'"

  Hai Long smiled in satisfaction, and with a casual pull, he drew Xiao Jiling to his side, thus releasing the immobilization spell that had been cast on him. Contrary to Hai Long's expectations, after being released from the immobilization spell, Xiao Jiling did not seek revenge against him, but instead rushed towards Hong Zhi, "Dead monk, you tell me clearly, what is this 'eradicating demons and protecting the Tao' that is our duty? My true form is also a demon body, so get rid of me first."

  Hongzhi suddenly remembered, and hurriedly smiled: "I, I didn't mean to, your counter-bone has dissolved, and it can't be considered a demon. Don't be angry, don't be angry." Xiao Jiling didn't dare offend him, just that monkey wine had already taken hold of him tightly.

  Four people left the hotel, Hailong put his arm around Xiaojingling's shoulder and said: "Let's go take a look around the city to see if there's anything fun." After finishing speaking, he took the lead and walked forward. As they walked, Hailong secretly pondered in his heart that traveling in Shenzhou without money was indeed not possible, but where could he go to get some? Now he didn't have anything valuable on him, those magical treasures were definitely unsellable.

  Hong Zhi seems to still be thinking about what happened earlier, silently following Hai Long from behind. Piao Miao, on the other hand, has a relaxed expression, having established her relationship with Hai Long, she feels as if everything has been lifted off her shoulders, the gloom of hundreds of years has vanished, now, she just hopes that the heavenly calamity won't come so soon, so that she can spend more time with Hai Long.

  The town of Tianlu was small, and the three of them soon found themselves at the city center. The surrounding streets were filled with vendors calling out to passersby, mostly selling leather goods and silk fabrics. As they walked, Xiao Yu suddenly stopped in her tracks, gazing at a store and exclaiming, "How beautiful!" Hai Long followed her gaze and looked through the open door of the store. Inside, he saw a long, white fur coat prominently displayed. With his sharp eyesight, he could see that the coat was extraordinary - the white fur had three distinct shades, with each strand being 90% white, 5% gray, and 5% dark blue at the tip. Just by looking at it, one could tell that it was extremely valuable. Hai Long leaned in close to Xiao Yu and asked in a low voice, "Do you like that coat, wife?" Xiao Yu nodded, saying, "I've never seen such an exquisite fur before. It's really beautiful and has a unique feature - it must be very precious."

  Hai Long puffed out his chest and said, "Then I'll give it to you. This coat would look great on you." Piao Yu smiled and shook her head, saying, "No need, I'm just admiring it. It must be expensive, we don't have that kind of money! Let's go." Hai Long firmly said, "No, I want to buy it for you. If I don't even buy what my wife wants, then I'm not a good husband. Come on, let's take a look inside." Without waiting for an answer, he pulled Piao Yu into the leather goods store. Inside the store, there were three or four customers browsing, and as soon as Hai Long and Piao Yu entered, a sales associate came over with a bow, saying, "Welcome, esteemed customers! What can I show you? Our leather goods are all top-notch, and our prices are very reasonable."

  "Can you take down that fur coat and let me have a look?"

  "Sir, you have a good eye for things. This is indeed our treasure of the shop, but because it's extremely valuable, in order to avoid damage, except for the buyer, no one else can take it down. This fur coat is made from the most precious silver fox skin, and only uses the softest and lightest fur from the abdomen of the silver fox, stitched together. Wearing it not only feels very light, but also has excellent warmth retention. Such high-quality silver fox coats, in the entire Tianlu City, can only be found in our shop. Since new goods have just arrived, it hasn't been sold yet."

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