My Avatar is Becoming the Ultimate BOSS-Chapter 208 - 138: Nian Beast, War, Traffic Lights (Request for Monthly Ticket)

In the private room of the Xiang Cuisine Restaurant, Zhuge Hui and Ke Qirui were chatting back and forth, while Zhou Jiuya occasionally interjected.

Ji Minghuan, feeling bored as he sat across from them, sent Su Zimai a game of Gomoku invite using a WeChat applet.

Su Zimai replied with "You’re crazy," but still accepted the game invite.

The brother and sister started playing on their phones in the private room, ignoring the world outside.

Zhou Jiuya yawned and closed his eyes, "Let me rest for a bit; don’t call me unless it’s something urgent."

"Old Crow, you really need to get your narcolepsy treated... You’re always like this; on rainy days, you’d sleep like a dead pig," Zhuge Hui said. "Speaking of which, my family has a particularly skilled old Chinese medicine doctor—how about I ask him to prescribe you some herbal treatments?"

"Shut up," Zhou Jiuya replied.

Ke Qirui reached for the menu on the table, opened it, and glanced at the dishes, asking casually, "Have you ordered yet?"

Zhuge Hui smiled slightly, "No need, we’re regulars here. We don’t need to order; the manager treats us with the same menu every time."

Zhou Jiuya lay back on the sofa to rest and said offhandedly, "Who’s a regular with you? It’s my first time eating here."

Ke Qirui took a puff from his pipe, lowered his eyes, and then slowly spoke, "Speaking of which, I heard from the chairman that Lake Hunting plans to make a move on the ’Nian Beast.’ Is that true?"

"Nian Beast?" Ji Minghuan was slightly stirred, "I remember... when I just joined the White Crow Travel Brigade, Anluns mentioned it to me."

He recalled what Anluns had said while continuing to play chess with Su Zimai.

....

"Don’t be fooled by Bai Tanlang’s appearance; he’s actually quite interesting... Every day, we hear many amusing tales from the Demon Realm through him. He says the head of the demons in China is a Nian Beast, extremely powerful, yet had to hide in the mountains due to Lake Hunting’s reputation. We used to hear him talk about that Nian Beast every day... It seems he was once a subordinate of that demon, later fell for a human woman, and came to the human world."

....

Lost in thought, Ji Minghuan placed a black stone casually on the phone board, deliberately losing to Su Zimai.

He ignored her middle finger raised from under the table and her smug little grin, and lifted his gaze from the phone screen to Zhuge Hui.

He thought, "So, Bai Tanlang knows the ’Nian Beast’ they’re talking about, which was once part of the Chinese demon circle as well."

Zhuge Hui waved his folding fan, "Yes, lately those demons who retreated to the mountains are becoming more rampant, even showing signs of crossing the boundary, so the old folks in our family are getting restless, constantly pressuring us, saying the last generation of Lake Hunting drove those demons into the mountains—you guys, this generation, must keep up the spirit, follow through, and eradicate those filthy things, especially that ’Nian Beast.’"

He laughed and cried at the same time, "The four of us were so pestered we had no choice but to start making plans. In a few days, we’ll head up the mountains, at least to curb these demons’ arrogance, make them behave a bit."

Upon hearing this, Ji Minghuan thought to himself, "So are the Exorcists and demons going to officially clash, or is it just a negotiation?"

Most high-level demons, like Bai Tanlang, have intelligence comparable to humans. Since Chinese demons have been dormant for so long, their Nian Beast leader probably doesn’t intend to wage war against humans.

But perhaps it’s not unwillingness to fight, but a gathering of strength. Those demons have been entrenched in the mountains for so long; a war might bring significant upheaval to human society considering their numbers now.

But at that time... could just the four of Lake Hunting slay all these long-gathered demons?

"Keep it up, big brothers of Lake Hunting," Ji Minghuan said.

"What a sweet-talking little brother," Zhuge Hui laughed.

"Can you not speak in that tone? It’s disgusting," Su Zimai nudged Ji Minghuan with her leg.

"I’ll speak however I want; what’s it to you?" Ji Minghuan propped his chin with one hand, speaking without looking back.

Perhaps due to knowing Zhuge Hui, the waiters served the dishes very quickly, and soon the table was filled with delicacies, replacing the fruits and teacups.

Ji Minghuan pocketed his phone and ate quietly, not only acquainting himself with Zhuge Hui and Zhou Jiuya but also gathering information on ’Urushibara Ryuri’ and the ’Nian Beast’. This trip was worthwhile, so he and Su Zimai left the Xiang Cuisine Restaurant after a hearty meal.

When the siblings returned home, it was already late, but there was still no sign of Gu Zhuo Case and Gu Qiye in the house.

Ji Minghuan quickly freshened up, changed into clean, loose pajamas, and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes.

At the same time, in another corner of the world, on a stretch of sea near Tokyo, Japan.

Xia Pingzhou and Ayase Origami were hiding in the cargo hold of the Human-Snake Ship. A bulb with a warm orange light hung above them. The ship swayed, causing the light to flicker.

He turned his head slightly and glanced at the kimono-clad girl quietly gazing at a haiku collection.

Then he shifted his gaze from her face to stare blankly at the ocean outside the window.

The white cargo ship meandered slowly over the sea, its black hull cutting through the waves as it carried the ship in the direction of a small country near Japan.

Once this human-smuggling ship reached the neighboring small country, they would follow the hacker-arranged flight schedule to board a plane at the local airport, heading to Venice to meet other members of the brigade.

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