"Those villagers should be thanking me, Uncle Hei. Sure, I used my Curse Power on their wives so they'd only have daughters, but girls are so in-demand these days. They're filial, and you can even collect a bride price when they grow up."

"What's the damn point of having a boy? Not only are they unfilial, but you have to find them a wife when they grow up. It's a total waste of money and effort."

This was clearly a crow that understood human culture very well. He spoke with such conviction, as if cursing people to be unable to have sons was a favor they should be deeply grateful for.

"But you can't just extinguish an entire village's family line," Tu Xiao'an couldn't help but interject.

"Serves them right for having their line extinguished! Who told them not to worship me, Uncle Hei?"

The crow squawked indignantly, as if he'd been gravely wronged. "Before, I, Uncle Hei, passed through a town, and that town was actually holding a Snake King Festival for some mediocre Snake Spirit! The entire town was prostrating themselves and worshipping that Snake Spirit, with endless offerings of incense! How absurd! It's not fair! It's so damn unfair!"

"A mere Snake Spirit, just a crawler! How can it compare to me, Uncle Hei?"

"Hey, hey... Rant all you want, but don't drag other people into it."

The large blackbird suddenly seemed to remember. "Forgot you're a Snake Spirit, too. But I wasn't talking about you."

"You were talking about me. I'm that 'mediocre' Snake Spirit you mentioned, the one beloved by the people of an entire town."

The large blackbird: "..."

Getting called out for badmouthing someone behind their back was a bit awkward.

Tu Xiao'an wasn't being kind, either. He'd specifically emphasized those four words, "beloved by the people," just to spite the crow.

"So you're that Snake Spirit! You make me, Uncle Hei, so jealous!"

The crow exploded with excitement. He could still remember the magnificent scene of hundreds of thousands of people prostrating themselves before a snake statue.

It was a sight that inspired pure envy, jealousy, and hate.

He, on the other hand, couldn't even get a single village to believe in him.

Not even by cursing the entire village to be unable to produce sons.

"Snake Spirit, tell me, how did you do it?" The crow looked at him, then suddenly remembered a crucial question. "You clearly haven't achieved apotheosis yet, so how can you take human form?"

"It's a special ability of mine."

Tu Xiao'an knew many would find that hard to believe, so he'd already thought of an excuse.

"You're really lucky then."

Creatures with superior bloodlines would gain innate Skills upon awakening, just like how the crow could unleash its Curse Power.

There were also some Human Awakened who could control other creatures, and it was even possible for some to control Elemental Attribute Power.

Although Tu Xiao'an's excuse wasn't entirely convincing, who didn't have a few secrets? Especially an Awakened Creature.

Dropping the subject, the large blackbird wholeheartedly begged Tu Xiao'an to teach it how to win the faith of so many humans.

Tu Xiao'an looked at the crow's desperate expression and found it hilarious.

It was like a teenager obsessed with becoming a celebrity.

Just as Tu Xiao'an was about to start spouting nonsense with a straight face, the driver from before returned. With a cold expression, he said, "Come with me."

"You're in for it now," the crow snickered.

Tu Xiao'an shrugged, stood up, and calmly followed him.

'He wanted to see just what these people, who had laid a trap to capture him, planned to do with him.'

After all, Tu Xiao'an hadn't committed any crimes like murder or arson. He had only just arrived in Wencheng. He could even swear to the heavens: 'I'm a good Demon.'

'A law-abiding citizen. A very, very law-abiding citizen.'

Soon, Tu Xiao'an was led into a 20-square-meter office. Inside was a desk with a laptop. The cute little girl was sitting comically in the chair, pretentiously sipping coffee.

She looked just like an urban professional.

But with her tiny frame, drinking coffee really didn't suit her.

If she were holding an ice cream cone, the picture would have been much more harmonious.

When the little girl saw Tu Xiao'an arrive, she watched him with a wide smile. Her thin lips were smiling, her bright eyes were smiling, and the small dimples on her cheeks were smiling, too. Her smile was so complete it creeped Tu Xiao'an out a little.

It was like the Big Bad Wolf eyeing Little Red Riding Hood.

"Why did you capture me? Did I murder someone? Or commit arson?"

Back in the small hall, Tu Xiao'an had noticed that all the creatures brought in had been captured because they had harmed humans.

But as far as he knew, he hadn't done anything since arriving in Wencheng.

His conscience was clear.

The little girl just smiled again and turned the laptop on the desk to face him. It was playing a video of the magnificent scene from the Snake King Festival when the Snake King manifested.

"A Snake Spirit, the totem Snake King of Bai Town. You first appeared three months ago in the Bai Town Snake Market. Not long after, you were worshipped by Snake Catchers on She Mountain. Two months ago, you were captured by Dr. Snake, Chen Mo, of the Shanye Group for experimental research. You were injected with the Giant Snake Gene, but you managed to escape."

"After that, your power skyrocketed and your body grew in size."

"Later, another snake in Dr. Snake's possession—a Mutated Bloodsucker Snake also injected with the Giant Snake Gene—rebelled. It acknowledged his apprentice, Jiang Xingze, as its master, escaped from the Shanye Group, and came to She Mountain."

"The Vampire Snake was ferocious and bloodthirsty. It constantly devoured people, which led to She Mountain being sealed off. It was you who killed the Vampire Snake and restored peace to the people of Bai Town. As a result, you earned their love and officially became the local Snake King."

The little girl paused briefly, then said with a grin, "Am I right so far?"

Cold sweat dripped down Tu Xiao'an's back. He stared at her as if he were seeing a ghost.

The little girl raised an eyebrow and continued:

"On the day of the Snake King Festival, a Martial Cultivator used Mutated Mosquitos to wreak havoc, poisoning hundreds of people and putting them in grave danger. It was also you, the Bai Town Snake King, who intervened and ensured that there were no deaths or injuries."

"And after that, you, this Snake Spirit, came to Wencheng. Today is your second day here. I'm not wrong, am I?"

'So the Demon Management Bureau had been watching me all along, and I was the only fool who had no idea.'

A bitter feeling washed over Tu Xiao'an. 'I underestimated this country. I underestimated Human Martial Cultivators.'

"If you know all that, then why did you capture me? I haven't harmed anyone. On the contrary, I've saved a lot of people."

Tu Xiao'an stared coldly at the little girl.

"Based on all that, you really are a True Snake. But," the little girl looked at him mockingly, "can you say you've never killed a person?"

Tu Xiao'an didn't answer. Of course he had killed people, but only those who deserved it. He had never killed an innocent person indiscriminately.

For a Snake Spirit to exercise such restraint was already incredibly difficult.

The Vampire Snake, by contrast, had been utterly malevolent, wantonly devouring people to increase its strength. Compared to it, Tu Xiao'an was practically an angel.

"Don't be nervous. Killing people is perfectly normal. You're a Demon. How could a Demon not kill? Even eating people is normal."

'Why does this feel like she's setting a trap for me?' Tu Xiao'an thought.

"What is your purpose in Wencheng?" the little girl asked when he remained silent.

Tu Xiao'an replied coldly, "I have no purpose. I just wanted a change of scenery."

"Don't you know you've crossed a boundary? As a Spirit Monster, you entered Wencheng without authorization. For that alone, I could have you arrested."

'What's that supposed to mean? I'm not allowed to come here? Or is she saying I'm an illegal, without a valid ID?'

'Crossing the border like this is basically illegal immigration.'