Chapter 118: Fire in the Kitchen

The Monster Tavern was in complete disarray. The main hall was littered with injured and unconscious monsters, their bodies strewn about in a chaotic heap. The stench of blood permeated every corner of the room. The tentacle monsters continued their relentless assault, hunting down the other creatures within the tavern. Bound by the rules governing how monsters in this world were permitted to interact with humans, many of the tavern’s denizens were hesitant to strike back with lethal force. However, these tentacle monsters were mindless, controlled puppets; they cared nothing for mercy or restraint. Their singular directive was simple: show no fear and show no quarter.

Most of the monsters watching the trial livestream in the tavern were merely low-level creatures who enjoyed a spectacle; few powerful, high-ranking demons would waste their time here. Consequently, even those who felt cornered and desperate lacked the raw power to truly fight back against these marauders.

The scholar-monster, Kong Jia, was not interested in these small fry; draining their essence was enough for his purposes. He believed that many drops make an ocean, and that quantitative changes would eventually lead to a qualitative shift. As long as he absorbed enough essence from the minor monsters, he would have the power to destroy the hearth in the tavern's kitchen. He continued to drain the essence of the tavern's patrons.

Just then, the oblivious proprietor finally emerged. "Kong Jia, have you had enough? How can you bring harm to your own kin?" White Lotus asked, anxiously helping up a monster who had been wounded by the tentacle creatures, her face etched with reproach as she looked at the scholar. She propped the unconscious monster up until he was unnaturally upright.

Kong Jia stared in disbelief. What kind of maneuver was that? Wouldn't it be more comfortable to just let the poor thing lie down? "I never expected that useless chick would fail to finish you off and let you return from the Land of the Rising Sun." The scholar-monster smiled at the delicate-looking proprietor.

"What are you saying? Little Chick? Was he trying to harm me?" White Lotus furrowed her brows in genuine surprise.

"You still don't understand what happened?" Kong Jia looked at the innocent, charming woman and couldn't help but feel a flicker of pity. He had bribed her employee, Little Chick, to eliminate her while she was in the Land of the Rising Sun, intending to seize control of the tavern from the inside out. He had expected an easy victory. He hadn't counted on that idiot Little Chick failing the mission. Now that she had returned, he assumed the plot had been exposed, yet here she was, still completely in the dark.

She was so incredibly dense. How had a creature like this managed to become a proprietor? It seemed the tavern was truly destined for a change in management.

"Wait, didn't you get some clues from Little Chick, and then ask that young monster, Li Changluo, to help you investigate inside the trials?" Kong Jia suddenly felt that something was off. When the recruitment for the trials was being discussed on the second floor, he had been the first to leave, but in truth, he had never actually departed. He had suspected there was a secret behind her insistence on including a low-level monster in the recruitment process, so he had stayed behind in the shadows. He had been rewarded with a discovery: the proprietor had an ulterior motive. She had shown something to Li Changluo to enlist his help, though the poor lighting and the special techniques used by the accountant, Lin Dandan, had prevented him from seeing exactly what it was. It had to be something highly confidential. At the time, he suspected Little Chick might have left some incriminating evidence in her hands. To play it safe and avoid complications, he had intentionally botched the trial the next day and withdrawn early. The job itself had never been his real goal.

"I don't understand a word you're saying," White Lotus replied, her expression still one of bewilderment. She looked at him as if to say, *Could you explain it more simply? I'm so naive, and what you're saying is far too profound for me.*

Kong Jia felt a nagging sense of unease, though he couldn't put his finger on it. Still, looking at the blank expression on her face, he felt reassured. She was, after all, just a female demon; she truly didn't seem to grasp the situation.

"Regardless," White Lotus continued, "you will not harm these monster kin of mine. As long as I am here, you shall not act so recklessly." At that moment, she seemed possessed by the spirit of a soap opera heroine. Her image—a selfless saint willing to sacrifice everything, even her life, to protect the monsters—was broadcast across the tavern's large screen. The monsters still being hunted by the tentacles were deeply moved. *The proprietor is so compassionate! She is so selfless! She’s risking her life for us!*

"Heh, I don't have time to play along with your broadcast," the scholar-monster said, flicking his paper fan toward her. He had intended it as a mere probe to test her strength, but to his surprise, the force of the strike sent White Lotus flying. She slammed heavily into the wall, blood trickling from her mouth. She scowled, collapsing to the floor in apparent agony. Her pitiable state even made the scholar feel a pang of guilt. *Did I hit her too hard? Should I have provided some protective padding?*

The monsters in the tavern were incensed by the sight. *How dare he be so rude to our beloved proprietor! Fight! For the proprietor!* Infused with what seemed like an sudden boost in morale, the monsters began to fight back against the tentacles with renewed fervor. The sheer intensity of their resistance caught even the scholar-monster off guard. He was pleased, however; this was the result of his essence-draining. His own power had surged as expected. Ignoring the wounded White Lotus, he headed straight for the kitchen. With his newfound strength, he was eager to see if he could finally destroy the hearth.

"That's enough. He's gone. That was a rather dramatic fall, Proprietor. Get up now," Lin Dandan said, walking over with his schoolbag on his back. He looked down at the "dying" woman with a look of disdain. "Does the tomato sauce taste sweet?"

White Lotus shot him a glare before feigning pain as she stood up and glanced around. "Is Ming Shan alright?" She wiped the "blood" from the corner of her mouth, then licked her finger, looking for all the world like a greedy cat caught stealing cream.

"He's fine, he's in the bag," Lin Dandan said, adjusting his glasses and pointing to the backpack behind him.

"Heh, very well," White Lotus murmured, looking toward the kitchen with a faint, enigmatic smile. "My delicious fish is ready to be served."