Chapter 66: World Three [12] Part 1

Lu Wuqi had no intention of interfering too much in the great demon’s affairs. In her view, the millennium great demon had already chosen to slumber and extend its lifespan due to the scarcity of spiritual power, so an 800-year great demon’s mindset should be much the same.

If it were particularly devoted, the great demon could simply spend Qin Xin’s entire human lifetime with her, then go to sleep at the end. That would be another form of enduring companionship.

That was why, when Lu Wuqi received the news that the great demon had gravely injured Action Bureau members, it took her a moment to process it.

“Gave Action Bureau people a serious injury? Why would she do that? Did someone from the Action Bureau do something to her?” Lu Wuqi admitted she didn’t quite understand.

The Action Bureau’s surveillance of the great demon was a mission that had begun at the end of September. After proceeding steadily for more than twenty days, Action Bureau personnel had been gravely wounded by the great demon for no apparent reason?

“We’re terribly sorry, but we’re unclear on the details as well. We can’t communicate with that person right now. Could we ask the Young Sect Master to lend a hand?” The Action Bureau side was equally in the dark.

They hadn’t done anything excessive over those twenty-plus days—just roughly mapped out the great demon’s and Qin Xin’s activity patterns. No close-range monitoring.

Just the day before yesterday, the great demon had even shared her name with them, introducing herself as Qin Hupo. She had even expressed willingness to sit down for a proper talk with the Action Bureau.

Yet the incident had struck so abruptly. If her companion hadn’t reacted quickly enough, that unfortunate member wouldn’t have gotten off with just grave injuries—he’d have lost his life.

“Got it. The great demon’s still at 1802, right?” Lu Wuqi asked.

After receiving confirmation from the Action Bureau, she quickly made arrangements. “Don’t take any actions. I’ll head over this afternoon. You can pass the message to Qin Hupo that I want to talk with her.”

Once the call ended, Lu Wuqi caught the worried look from her girlfriend.

“It’s trouble on Qin Xin’s end. The great demon attacked Action Bureau personnel for some unknown reason,” Lu Wuqi explained, pausing briefly. “To be honest, I don’t think a great demon willing to be with a human would slaughter innocents indiscriminately. She clearly values Qin Xin highly—she doesn’t strike me as the type to act rashly.”

Sheng Xu sifted through her memories and reminded her, “But the spiritual power inside those animals… it seems to have come from this great demon.”

Lu Wuqi rubbed her chin. “True. Demons tend to act on whims, so I can’t apply ordinary human logic to her.”

“Wuqi, I want to go with you. I’m not dead weight anymore,” Sheng Xu said, grasping Lu Wuqi’s hand. “I’m wearing the protective talisman you gave me properly. These past few days, I’ve redrawn several thunder talismans too. If I can’t win a fight, I can always run.”

Lu Wuqi blinked. All the excuses she’d prepared seemed preempted. Was there even a need to resist?

Probably not.

“Alright, but you have to stand behind me, Xuxu,” Lu Wuqi said, straightening her posture. “My two martial uncles will follow along too, protecting us from the shadows. You don’t need to worry too much, Xuxu.”

–

Qin Xin had a favorable impression of Lu Wuqi and Sheng Xu. She worked hard to soothe her own girlfriend, urging her not to sulk.

“There might be some misunderstanding here. How about we meet up with Officer Lu and talk it over properly?” Qin Xin coaxed.

Qin Hupo frowned instinctively. “I heard their plan with my own ears. That guy was from the Action Bureau—he even pulled out talismans today. Those aren’t something ordinary humans can shrug off. It was a demon-exorcising talisman, the kind that could hurt you!”

Qin Xin scratched her head. “But I’m perfectly fine right now, aren’t I? I want to hear what Officer Lu and Officer Sheng have to say. If their explanations don’t convince us, we can just run away together, okay?”

Qin Hupo’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. She let out a soft huff. “Really? You’d abandon your friends and family to be with just me?”

“Yeah. I only woke up because of you in the first place. If the human world won’t have us, we can seclude ourselves together until I…”

Before Qin Xin could finish, Qin Hupo clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Don’t talk nonsense. You’ll be with me forever. We’re going to stick together all the way,” Qin Hupo said earnestly.

Qin Xin literally couldn’t speak, so she nodded vigorously to show she understood.

–

Lu Wuqi and Sheng Xu arrived quickly—less than three hours after hanging up, they were at the door of Room 1802.

Knock knock—knock knock—

The rhythmic knocking came from outside. Lu Wuqi rapped three times, then stood with her hands at her sides, waiting for the door to open.

Nearly three minutes passed before the sound of the lock turning rang out. A flushed-faced Qin Xin appeared, with the scowling Qin Hupo right behind her, both entering Lu Wuqi and Sheng Xu’s view.

“Hello, I’m Lu Wuqi.” Lu Wuqi extended her right hand with utmost sincerity.

Her left hand remained tucked in her jacket pocket, clutching a stack of high-rank talismans.

“Officer Lu, hello. I’m Qin Xin, and this is my girlfriend, Qin Hupo,” Qin Xin said. “She used to go by just Hupo, but after we got together, she changed it to Qin Hupo.”

“Hupo had no intention of hurting anyone on purpose. What happened before was just a misunderstanding. I’ve figured out the reason now—Hupo saw that person holding an offensive talisman and had a stress reaction. It wasn’t deliberate.”

Qin Xin rattled it all off in one breath, her tone utterly sincere, full of apologies for Qin Hupo from start to finish.

It would have been even more convincing if she weren’t gripping the door handle with one hand and bracing the doorframe with the other, firmly blocking the entrance.

“I see. So the earlier conflict was just a misunderstanding?” Lu Wuqi said with a slight sigh of relief as she withdrew her hand.

“That said, I do have a few questions I’d like to discuss with your girlfriend. Would that be alright?” Lu Wuqi continued, her gaze shifting to Qin Hupo behind Qin Xin.

According to the Action Bureau’s intel, Qin Hupo’s true form was a white tiger. She had originally been offered as an auspicious omen to the emperor by a local official. Thanks to the faith of the populace, she had evolved from an ordinary white tiger into one with spiritual intelligence.

Barring accidents, a being who attained the dao through faith wouldn’t count as a demon—it would be more like a demigod or half-immortal.

Unfortunately, that emperor had encountered assassins while touring and succumbed to his wounds, leaving behind a mere radish-headed prince. That led to regents seizing power, feudal lords rebelling everywhere, and the dawn of a long era of chaos.

The white tiger’s original path of faith cultivation became warped as a result, severing her road to immortality or godhood. She could only become a spirit monster, treading the path of demon cultivation.

Having become a demon, this white tiger’s claws were undoubtedly stained with blood. The only question was whether it was the blood of the virtuous or the wicked.

“A misunderstanding? They were plotting to attack Qin Xin—that’s no misunderstanding. I heard it myself and saw it with my own eyes,” Qin Hupo retorted.

Taking advantage of Qin Xin not looking back, she bared her teeth in a grin, revealing sharp tiger fangs.

Well, if Qin Hupo were in her white tiger form right now, it would have been quite intimidating.

But in human form, those little tiger teeth only came off as cute—like a kitten yawning, all milk-fierce and fluffy.

“Ahem. I just think what Miss Hupo heard and saw might not be the full story, so I’d like to sit down and talk it through properly,” Lu Wuqi said, coughing twice to chase the odd thought from her mind.

Her tone was earnest. “How about just the four of us talk face-to-face?”

Half an hour later.

The four of them were seated in a bustling hotpot restaurant. Though it wasn’t mealtime anymore, it was still packed with college students chasing discounts.

The choice of venue was easy to guess: lots of people and eyes everywhere made it hard for any tails to get close.

The other reason? It kept Lu Wuqi and Sheng Xu in check. If things soured, Qin Hupo could easily seize a crowd as hostages.

“I can represent the Haishi Action Bureau and solemnly assure you this: our ultimate goal is peaceful coexistence. We hope you’ll sign an agreement promising not to harm ordinary people or human celestial masters without provocation.”

“The Action Bureau can provide you with a monthly stipend—money or whatever else you need. All negotiable.”

Lu Wuqi paused before adding, “All Miss Hupo needs to do is submit her personal location at set intervals. If you’re leaving Haishi, just give the Action Bureau at least two hours’ notice.”

“Is this disguised surveillance? Tracking my every move?” Qin Hupo frowned. She was a great demon, after all—how was she supposed to get by if humans kept tabs on her?

“What does ‘fixed intervals’ mean? Once a day? Reporting every few hours?” Qin Xin wore a disapproving expression too.

Reporting positions—wasn’t that the same as tagging a criminal? Hupo deserved her freedom; she shouldn’t be treated like this.

“If you’re staying in Haishi, it’d be about once every three days,” Sheng Xu chimed in. “The Action Bureau has no desire to surveil Miss Hupo. This is just a way to help more people lower their guards around her.”

“It’s only a general location—no need to detail what you’re doing at the time,” Sheng Xu added. “If Ms. Qin Xin were willing to join as external personnel with the Action Bureau, she could handle collecting Miss Hupo’s movements and submit a fixed report at month’s end.”

Qin Xin wavered a bit at Sheng Xu’s clarification.

Did that mean she’d be the one tracking Hupo’s whereabouts? With a monthly report, the Action Bureau wouldn’t get the info for at least a month.