What are you looking for a bag for?

“Why don’t you just use the demon directly to kill people? With its abilities, it can kill without a trace. Why bother stealing things or using that curse powder?”

Li Changluo looked at Mr. Zhang with a puzzled expression, recalling what the little demon had done earlier in the community’s green belt—like some kind of curse.

“If I did that, that old couple would never believe it, nor would they entrust their inheritance to me…” Mr. Zhang said coldly with a sinister smile.

“Ah, it’s all for money. Damn money…” Li Changluo shook his head with a sigh, feeling he had said too much. This was starting to feel like a battle scene from a Japanese anime; it should be quick and decisive. He stretched out his palm toward Mr. Zhang.

Mr. Zhang laughed, a chilling, cold laugh. “You’re telling me you’ll take me down in five moves? Do you think this is a turn-based game?”

“Fifty thousand yuan, and I’ll pretend I saw and heard nothing. Also, I need to take this little demon with me…” Li Changluo raised his hand high. He was here to catch demons, not to punish evil or uphold justice. There were plenty of wicked people in the world; he was just a demon himself, not a real Taoist priest… not really here to exorcise demons and uphold righteousness. The world’s affairs were for the world’s people to handle.

Mr. Zhang thought he must have misheard. Looking at Li Changluo staring at the ceiling in silence, he realized this was a true extortionist, a shameless charlatan.

“So? Fifty thousand yuan? For someone of your stature and enterprise, it’s just pocket change. Don’t you want to consider it?”

Li Changluo asked again.

“I’ll give you five hundred thousand, but you can’t take the little demon with you,” Mr. Zhang said firmly.

“Alright then,” Li Changluo agreed without hesitation.

He loved money. In his previous life, he was practically obsessed with it. Damn it—he never even had five thousand yuan in his accounts back then…

So for someone like him, fifty thousand was an immense temptation.

Besides, who doesn’t love money? The gentleman loves wealth, but only when it’s acquired properly…

But Li Changluo was no gentleman.

His straightforward answer caught Mr. Zhang off guard, even making him wonder if he had offered too much, as there was room to haggle.

“Pay with Alipay or WeChat?”

Li Changluo pulled out his phone and waved it in front of a bewildered Mr. Zhang.

“Alipay.”

Mr. Zhang also took out his phone.

***

So, the two who had been in a tense standoff suddenly got close enough to start transferring money via their phones.

“Uh, there’s a daily limit of two hundred thousand. What now?”

After some fuss, Mr. Zhang transferred two hundred thousand yuan to Li Changluo’s account, but the daily limit made the transaction awkward.

Li Changluo stamped his foot in frustration, knowing this kind of deal had to be settled in full at once; otherwise, next time he’d be sipping tea at the police station…

He couldn’t just keep showing up with fruit and milk at Mr. Zhang’s place, saying, “Hello, Mr. Zhang, time to settle the last payment for kidnapping the demon. Is today convenient?”

No one would take him seriously if he didn’t report it.

“Fine, two hundred thousand is two hundred thousand,” Li Changluo said reluctantly, feeling as if he’d lost three hundred thousand all at once.

Mr. Zhang was even more dumbfounded. This was way too casual—it was like haggling with a street vendor: they ask for a thousand, you offer five, and they immediately agree.

However, after the transfer, Li Changluo didn’t leave right away but started looking for something in the living room.

“What are you looking for?” Mr. Zhang asked, puzzled.

“Nothing, just a bag. Do you have one that doesn’t leak?” Li Changluo said, searching around without looking up.

“A bag? Why? What do you need a leak-proof bag for?” Mr. Zhang was utterly confused. Was this robber going to pack up a bowl of noodles? What did ‘not leaking’ even mean?

Then Mr. Zhang suddenly realized: the little Taoist was looking for a bag to carry the little demon from the fish tank.

“You’re messing with me, right?” Mr. Zhang tightened his grip on his two kitchen knives.

“Hey, Mr. Zhang, think about it differently…”

“Life is full of pitfalls; everywhere you pay tuition…”

“You grow only after paying enough tuition for being fooled. I’m just charging you a bit more for this lesson…”

Li Changluo patiently explained.

Mr. Zhang listened, questioning his own life. “So just because I’m wealthy and influential, I deserve to be scammed? Not on my watch…”

He raised his knives and wildly slashed at Li Changluo, all the while insisting, “You’re forcing me to kill you. I just wanted you to leave. You wouldn’t. You want to take it with you. You’re asking for it. Don’t blame me…”

***

But Li Changluo just sat on the sofa, letting Mr. Zhang swing the knives at him.

Because at that moment, a faint chill radiated from his body—a translucent, icy blue armor seemingly protecting him.

“Mr. Zhang, tired from all that chopping? Let’s sit down and have some tea,” Li Changluo said, mockingly pouring a cup of Kung Fu tea, imitating how Mr. Zhang had done earlier.

Suddenly, Mr. Zhang dashed to the fish tank, lifted the lid, grabbed the pig-headed dragon fish, and ran toward the elevator.

Li Changluo was left standing there in utter confusion.

Damn it. Should’ve just taken that pig demon earlier instead of trying to play it cool…

Now it was a disaster.

Li Changluo had no choice but to chase after him, but the elevator doors closed and went up to the twenty-fourth floor.

He frantically pressed the elevator button, but it was stuck on the twenty-fourth floor and wouldn’t come back down.

Damn. This went sideways. Li Changluo regretted trying to show off.

*Crunch...*

*Crash...*

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

After a series of loud noises, the entire living room was filled with smoke and dust.

Li Changluo’s face was covered in soot.

He stared at his hand in horror—and at the fruit knife in his grip, its blade transformed into a long ice blade, still steaming.

Unconsciously, he had raised the fruit knife and slashed open a huge gash straight through the upper floor.

Black flames burned the debris that had fallen.

“Damn, you really messed things up this time,” Li Changluo muttered, wide-eyed, staring at Bilu floating in midair in front of him. He wished he could just blow her away in one breath.

“If I ever let you out again, may a thousand bolts of lightning strike me dead…”

Li Changluo looked fearfully at the chaotic living room. If he’d used more force, the whole building might have collapsed. He couldn’t help but scold Bilu silently.

*Clang!*

Suddenly, something rolled down from above, hitting Li Changluo squarely on the head…