Last night, I chatted with Brother Nan for quite a while. Unsurprisingly, the Old monster outside probably heard everything loud and clear.

In the end, Brother Nan still kissed Zhou Li.

This made Zhou Li feel very embarrassed. He seriously suspected that the Old monster's eyes had infrared imaging capabilities; a mere wall could not block its sight.

So, he felt very uneasy facing Huai Xu the next morning.

This even elicited laughter from the Old monster—

"Why be shy! What haven't I seen in all these years? I've seen people with far better skills than you..."

"Stop talking."

"I'm going to say it!!"

"...My mom is almost here!"

"Got it!"

Ms. Ji came over with Little Cousin. As they entered, the first thing they noticed was the sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The floor was so clean that it reflected light, and the furniture looked new. The décor, minimalistic and in light tones, created a clean and cozy atmosphere.

The two slowly walked towards the living room, looking around.

On the sofa, there were several brightly colored cushions, with Tuanzi curled up on top, sleeping soundly.

On the balcony, there was a hanging chair and two loungers, along with Tuanzi's mini hanging bed, all meticulously cleaned. Even the glass on the windows had been wiped by Huai Xu until it was as clear as air.

On the coffee table, there were fruit bowls and snacks, some books, and a few other items, but not too many, so it didn't look cluttered.

Ms. Ji was very pleased, and she felt a bit proud of her son's self-discipline. "You chose a good apartment, and you keep it so clean. Thankfully, you're not like your father in this regard."

Zhou Li thought, Nor like you.

"How much is the rent?" Ms. Ji asked next.

"...There's no rent," Zhou Li admitted honestly. "It belongs to an older friend I know. She lets me live here for free."

"When did you meet this older friend?"

"When I was a child."

"Oh..."

Ms. Ji did not ask further, but her expression turned somewhat melancholic. Moments like these made her profoundly aware of how much she had missed out on Zhou Li's upbringing.

Huai Xu and Brother Nan came out of their rooms in succession, greeted her, and then began to chat.

Later, they went out to eat crossing bridge rice noodles.

Ms. Ji told Zhou Li, "I've made up my mind. I'll start looking near your uncle's place. Preferably for a new, ready-to-move-in flat, but a pre-owned one that meets my expectations would be even better. We'll put it under your name. Let's go house hunting tomorrow."

Zhou Li hesitated for a moment but then agreed.

Truthfully, with his current assets, buying two apartments in the center of Chunming City wouldn't be a problem. But Ms. Ji didn't lack money either.

If this could make her feel a bit more at ease...

The following days were undeniably delightful for Baozi—living expenses and large red envelopes were continuously arriving, and while house hunting with his great-aunt, he could eat almost anything he wanted.

It was too blissful.

「May 31st, Sunday, at noon.」

Yin Le found a fairly upscale, time-honored Caiyun restaurant and booked a private room.

Zhou Li only took Huai Xu with him.

Brother Nan was at home looking after (and teasing) Tuanzi.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Zhou Li ordered a steam pot chicken, and Huai Xu ordered three dishes and a soup. Yin Le thought it wasn't enough and added several more impressive, substantial dishes. Zhou Li, fearing waste, repeatedly urged moderation.

The waiter left after serving tea.

Yin Le poured three cups of tea, placed them in front of each person, and got straight to the point. "The Demon Kingdom has been very active lately, you know?"

"Is that so?"

"It's not just the Demon Kingdom beneath our feet, but three others as well. It seems like they're all making big moves," Yin Le said. "I guess they're considering how to deal with humans in this era."

"Most likely," Zhou Li said.

"I don't know about the temperaments of the other three Demon Kings or what they're thinking." Yin Le squinted, his expression turning pessimistic as he considered the future of human-demon relations. "But right now, human Heavenly Masters are not united. And here, beneath our feet, the Demon King of the largest Demon Kingdom—supposedly a peace-loving type, close to humans—still hasn't awakened. I'm a bit worried."

"You mean..."

"We should restart the Heavenly Master system. The government has noticed it too. We should be more proactive. What do you think?"

"I..."

"Just say it. Take a stand."

"I'm just a rather lazy college student. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't really want to get involved in these matters," Zhou Li admitted honestly.

"...I knew it!"

Yin Le suddenly seemed deflated, a hand pressed to his forehead. "You're supposed to be this era's Master Ming! I just can't understand why you're like this!"

"Sorry."

"You won't help the demons, will you?" Yin Le suddenly glanced at Huai Xu beside him and reminded, "At least you are human!"

"I don't want to see a conflict break out, regardless of which side starts it. I hope we can find a more peaceful solution. And you should know, our current strength is still very limited. Technological weapons aren't very effective against demons; they can only be supplementary."

"I understand."

Yin Le didn't want to talk anymore; continuing might sour the mood. Just then, the waiter came in with the dishes, so he unclenched his tightly held fists and beckoned to them, "Let's eat. Relax and eat."

But he paused and then added, "However, the Heavenly Master system for humans really needs to be restored soon. During my recent trip back to the Northeast, I encountered several incidents of demons crossing boundaries..."

"What do you want to do?"

"I'll find an opportunity to liaise with the government, and then connect all the Heavenly Masters across the country. Do you want to join?" Yin Le asked. He paused for a moment, then added, "At least, you should stand with us. This is the responsibility our world has bestowed upon you."

"Erm..."

Zhou Li held his cup and thought for a moment. "Of course. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do my best."

Establishing the Heavenly Master's Institution to interface with the Local Government sooner rather than later would undoubtedly benefit both humans and demons. It's also an inevitable development for the future. Yin Le had already taken on the troublesome tasks, doing all the work Zhou Li didn't want to. If Zhou Li remained silent any longer, he'd seem far too timid.

Of course, there isn't much he can do right now.

His value lies in the future.

Regardless, he was never going to be the one to stand up and lead the charge against the demons. As far as he knew, the previous era's Master Ming hadn't led humans in a war against demons either. If the Demon King of Yu Country was a peace-loving type who was close to humans, then he and the previous era's Master Ming were the peace-loving counterparts within the human camp, also close to demons, thereby maintaining the balance.

Afterward, throughout the meal, Yin Le no longer mentioned anything related to it.

It wasn't until Yin Le had paid the bill and they had stepped outside that he said to Zhou Li, "Let's chat on QQ if anything comes up. Ah, to be honest, sometimes I really get the urge to find a chance to quietly off you and pick someone else!"

"Alright." Zhou Li pursed his lips.

"Don't block me."

Yin Le mounted his motorcycle, put on his helmet, and merely waved at Zhou Li before the bike roared and slowly drove away.

Huai Xu was still smacking his lips, savoring the lunch. He gazed at the taillights and said, "He's learned a lot more about demons these past few months. Quite a few demons have probably fallen into his hands. That guy is ruthless when he acts…"

"He's a lot more restrained now than before."

"How much money do you think he'll make this winter break? Probably even more than us." Huai Xu stroked his chin. "I think we should develop one of those, you know, that thing you install on your phone... an A-P-P! An app! That would be great for getting business!"

"..."

"Say something!!"

"...Nothing to say."

"Then tell me, this restaurant is so big, how come they don't have any 'See Your Hands Be Green'? I really wanted to eat some."

"Am I too much of a salted fish? We're about the same age."

"To be precise, you're older than him! You're currently the oldest Heavenly Master there is! KUKUKUKU…"

"Am I too much of a salted fish?"

"Is being a salted fish so bad? Life itself is such a precious, hard-won thing. Isn't it good to live the life you want? Take Master Ming, for example. He spent his whole life scheming to become a teacher. If he'd known beforehand what being Master Ming entailed, he certainly wouldn't have wanted the role." Huai Xu looked at him, pausing slightly. "Besides, I was talking about 'See Your Hands Be Green,' so why did you suddenly switch to salted fish? Now you've made me want to eat actual salted fish."

"Let's go buy some!!"

The mall was quite close, so Zhou Li took the lead and started walking.

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