My Demon Friends-Chapter 619 - 591 This Isn’t Making Fun of Me, Is It?

Mr. Shi, who had to go to work, and his girlfriend left. Mr. Jiang, who could choose whether or not to work, also left.

The ginkgo leaves had all fallen in autumn and had only just started to grow back this month.

Zhou Li took a stool and sat in the courtyard, chatting with Brother Nan on his phone. It was time for his post-meal digestion. Afterward, he would need to go out on patrol again.

Li Daimao: I should have come with you.

Li Daimao: Master Xuanqing is so... well, you know!

Li Daimao: She hasn't been livestreaming these past few days.

Zhou Li: Big Bro, please take some time to guide her.

Li Daimao: Leave it to Big Bro.

Li Daimao: When are you coming back?

Zhou Li: Not sure yet.

Li Daimao: Fail, fail, fail /excited

Zhou Li: ...

Footsteps approached from behind. He turned to see Yin Le walking toward him.

"What are you up to?" asked Yin Le.

"Chatting with my girlfriend."

"…" Yin Le fell silent for a moment. "You've been working hard these past few days."

"It's nothing." Zhou Li put away his phone, not letting Yin Le see his chat with Brother Nan. "A Great Demon came today. Very dangerous. I know him."

"How dangerous?"

"Three or four stories tall…"

"?"

"Sorry, I picked that up from my girlfriend," Zhou Li admitted honestly.

"…"

"Even Huai Xu couldn't beat him."

Zhou Li lowered his voice when he said this and glanced around stealthily, afraid the old monster was hiding somewhere. Such words couldn't be overheard by him.

Seeing no sign of Huai Xu, Zhou Li continued, "Yu Country is indeed looking for something related to the Bamboo Book."

"Can you guess what it is?"

"I have a bit of a clue."

"What is it?"

"Just a small clue."

"…"

"The timing of the unusual natural phenomena is just too coincidental. At this moment, there are probably many unseen eyes watching us." Zhou Li whispered, glancing at a new message from Brother Nan on his phone. He continued, "So, even if all Six Families arrive and open the Sealed Land, you must be prepared for discovery. Better safe than sorry."

"I actually intended to release the Elm King… but it's best if we're the ones to do it."

"Right…"

"Otherwise?"

The reason Yin Le hadn't reported the matter of the Six Imperial Families was because the Celestial Master Department was currently in an awkward position. The Heavenly Masters who were knowledgeable enough about demons and related history to interact with them were mostly young; some were even more radical than him. Meanwhile, those in real power, despite their wisdom, severely lacked understanding of demons, the Demon Kingdom, and the Elm King.

Yet Zhou Li doubted his intentions…

This made him very sad.

At that moment, Zhou Li, who had just quietly typed a message, asked, "What did the elder of the observatory tell you?"

Yin Le, saddened for a brief moment, shook his head. "He told us everything except the location of the Sealed Land. If all Six Families gather, the location can be obtained from the ancient bell. But if they don't all arrive, knowing the location is useless even if you have the five keys. However, he didn't say much that was truly useful. I'm not sure if anything was omitted in the telling. For now, apart from a few minor details about entering the Sealed Land, the only helpful information is that the red light indicates the Sealing Array is damaged and needs repair."

"You don't know how to repair it, do you?"

"No, and I don't plan to," Yin Le sighed. "The elder of the observatory's condition is still deteriorating. We've urged him to return to the hospital, but he refuses. It's hard on Master Xuanqing."

"His wish has been fulfilled."

Zhou Li couldn't help but think of Brother Nan's perspective; she had said that when she got old, she definitely wouldn't be able to endure such suffering.

"You should go train your new Little Brother."

"What Little Brother… subordinate!"

"Subordinate."

"I haven't recruited him yet."

This Shen Zhengfu was a descendant of one of the Six Imperial Families and born relatively early in his generation. Although he hadn't studied spells, his innate talent was exceptional. With some training, he would definitely become a capable assistant. Moreover, through their interactions over the past few days, they discovered that this 'younger brother' was merely an early school dropout and a bit of a non-conformist; however, his fundamental nature was good.

Being descendants of the Six Imperial Families, they shared a natural sense of affinity.

The perfect assistant.

Looking a bit further ahead, they could also keep an eye on Mr. Jiang's daughter and Mr. Shi's descendants.

Zhou Li and Brother Nan resumed their chat.

...

「April 8.」

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Li had been at Changping Lookout for nearly ten days and had already skipped three days of classes. He missed the soft Lord Dumpling and the long-legged Brother Nan.

The last person still hadn't arrived.

Every time Lou Qingqing ran out to play, the ringing of the bell upon her return would give everyone a surge of false hope.

But this girl also had a restless nature. As an eighteen or nineteen-year-old in the prime of her youth, she was a free spirit who cherished her independence. She even proclaimed she would one day roam the world with Master Xuanqing, finding it unbearable to be cooped up in the Daoist temple all day.

Meanwhile, without the life support from the hospital, the elder of the observatory's condition steadily worsened. He had now entered a semiconscious state, often sleeping for an entire day. On the rare occasions he woke, Master Xuanqing would quickly feed him some milk with a spoon. Yet, it was clear to everyone that his end was near.

Master Xuanqing grew increasingly gaunt.

Simultaneously, as things remained quiet in the area for several days, the number of demons investigating had decreased. Those that did appear nearby were usually just Little Demons, merely joining the commotion out of curiosity.

Perhaps they had already given up their search.

Perhaps they had secretly scoured the tens of miles around the Daoist temple and hadn't found what they were looking for.

Or perhaps they were still searching in secret.

No one could say for sure.

「Noon.」

Zhou Li took the initiative to help Master Xuanqing cook. Seeing her haggard face, he tried to make conversation, "A few days ago, Brother Nan mentioned you. She said she missed you and even blamed me for not telling her I was coming here and not bringing her along."

"She told me too."

"Erm… life and death are governed by fate."

Zhou Li felt his remark was a bit abrupt.

He discreetly observed Master Xuanqing's reaction. Thankfully, she seemed to understand his meaning naturally. She nodded and whispered, "Brother Nan already counseled me."

Then I won't make a fool of myself...

Zhou Li said no more.

「At the dining table.」

A deeply disappointed Yin Le said to him, "It's almost been ten days. If he had received the news and intended to come, he should have arrived by now. Unless he's abroad and in quarantine after landing, hope is slim. Perhaps you should return to school, Zhou Li. We don't particularly need you here anymore. I'll call you if anything comes up."

Zhou Li hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

The outcome was somewhat regrettable, yet it also seemed inevitable.

After the meal, Yin Le drove him to the airport. Zhou Li was back in Chunming before dinnertime.

Brother Nan came to pick him up with Little Trash Cat. The cat, who usually insisted on being carried whenever they went out, now trotted happily behind Brother Nan, her four short legs churning with surprising speed. The moment Brother Nan stopped, Little Trash Cat immediately sat down neatly beside her feet, side by side.

"Miss me?" Brother Nan flashed a grin.

"Did you miss Lord Dumpling, meow?" Tuanzi also asked.

"I did," Zhou Li replied honestly. "What about you two? Did you miss me?"

"No!"

"Nope!"

...Two little liars.

Zhou Li smiled, bent down to pick up Tuanzi, and went to eat dinner with them.

During their usual evening walk, he was astonished to spot his Little Cousin at the ice cream shop. This Little Cousin can actually buy ice cream all by herself!

"Hey there, Baozi."

"Well, well! Sneaking a treat all by yourself!"

"!!"

Baozi, clutching her ice cream, stared blankly at them, clearly startled.

After a moment, she snapped back to reality. Pretending the ice cream in her hand was just air, she replied, "Oh, hey, Cousin. When did you get back?"

"Just now."

"Where did you go?"

"Something came up."

"What was it?"

"Family matters."

"Oh."

Baozi nodded and started to walk away.

However, Zhou Li's teasing voice still reached her from behind, "Since we've run into each other, aren't you going to treat your big cousin to an ice cream?"

"Oh…"

Baozi obediently turned back and walked to the front of the shop. "Cousin, do you want the two-yuan one or the three-yuan one? Their two-flavor swirl is the house specialty."

"It's that cheap?" Zhou Li asked in surprise.

"It's good value," Baozi said, her small face set stubbornly.

"What are you having?"

"The two-flavor swirl. It's delicious."

"How much is the two-flavor swirl?"

"Two yuan. It's delicious."

"I'll have the five-yuan one."

"Oh…" Baozi turned. "What about you, Cousin-in-law?"

"The same as him."

"Okay."

Baozi reached into her pocket and pulled out a wad of bills, neatly folded and all facing the same direction. She carefully extracted two five-yuan notes, handed them to the shopkeeper, and ordered two blueberry sundaes.

Zhou Li watched with a touch of wistfulness.

I didn't expect my Little Cousin to still be using cash. Could it be that the money from the red envelopes she got from elders during Chinese New Year isn't even spent yet? Tsk, tsk...

Wandering along, they eventually made their way back to the dormitory.

After explaining to his roommate where he had been for the past few days, Zhou Li was just about to take a hot shower. He looked forward to cuddling with Little Trash Cat in his own small bed for a peaceful night's sleep, and even to experiencing the long-missed 'torment' of Little Trash Cat's parkour disturbing his rest. Suddenly, he received another message from Yin Le.

Yin Le: Have you reached Chunming yet?

Yin Le: The person's here.

Zhou Li: …