Chapter 99

Chapter 99: Jiujiu

Loosening his grip on the demon's neck, Abu gave him a kick. "Scram."

The demon ran away as fast as he could.

"Any plans now?" Abu cracked his knuckles and turned to Ji Huan.

After interrogating the demons who had delivered goods with Tianhe and the little grey demon, they learned that there were four demons who took Little Grey away that day. One seemed to be an outsider, while the other three wore cloaks of the locals. One of them had a peculiarly long index finger that stood out from the rest...

Aside from that, they didn't know anything else.

Ji Huan fell silent for a moment before shaking his head. "I can't think of any other way for now either."

Abu rubbed his chin, then looked at the position of the sun. Suddenly, he said, "Aren't you supposed to go back to work? Hurry up and go. I don't have any jobs these few days, so I might as well wander around." Waving at Ji Huan, Abu turned and walked into the crowd.

His height made him stand out among the demons, and even from afar, Ji Huan could see his head towering over the others.

Then, Ji Huan returned to work, his mind restless.

Regarding the events of that early morning, Adan made no comment. After accepting Ji Huan's apology and gratitude, he wrapped himself in his cloak as usual and sat by the entrance, only moving when there was work to be done.

Rushing back to the testing area before the break ended, Ji Huan quickly took a seat beside Adan.

Not long after he sat down, heavy footsteps echoed from afar. Looking up, Ji Huan saw a thin and scrawny monster approaching with an enormous stone that towered above its own height. The rock appeared incredibly heavy, and with each step, sand and soil cascaded from it, falling onto the head of the monster below. For a moment, Ji Huan couldn't make out the creature's features.

The monster was heading straight for them.

Upon reaching the entrance of the testing area, the slender monster placed the stone on the ground beside its feet.

The instant the stone hit the earth, Ji Huan felt a tremor run through his body.

Perplexed by the creature's intentions, Ji Huan discreetly poked the snoring Adan.

"It's you," Adan's eyelids seemed to flutter, though his eyeballs remained concealed—his lids hung too low.

Observing how Ji Huan had instinctively reached for paper, Adan stopped him, "No need for that, this kid is here to settle a debt."

Then Adan plopped down on the ground with a thud, kicked the stone the other had brought, and weighed it in his arms.

"That one's acceptable. I'll take it."

Upon hearing this, the thin, wiry demon creature opposite him beamed broadly.

Seemingly realizing that the sand on his body was obstructing his view, he shook himself off. By the time he was clean, all the sand had flown onto Ji Huan and the old demon.

Ji Huan: ...

Seeing the old demon instruct the creature to place the stone in the testing area behind, he finally recalled who this demon was.

This must be the creature that broke all the test stones during the strength test and was ordered by Adan to find replacements, right?

His strength was indeed considerable.

It was completely unguessable from his appearance – looking at the beanpole-like, slender figure before him, Ji Huan thought to himself.

"You only have one. You still owe me fifteen. When will you pay up?" Adan tilted his chin up as he supervised the placement of the stone in its designated spot.

"Well... This is the only stone I've found after searching for so long." The thin and wiry monster scratched his unruly hair, which was curly like bean sprouts and colorless, appearing dusty and disheveled.

"You'll continue to beat me up here every day until you gather all the stones. Don't you think that's rather shameful?"

"But... There really are... very few stones around here." This incredibly strong monster seemed to have a speech impediment. He spoke slowly and mumbled, "Some say there are more stones outside... but... since you said only Ye Falar's stones would do... I didn't dare go."

"Hmph, you're not going anywhere until you settle your debt with me." Adan tossed his neck arrogantly, causing his eyelids to flicker as well, though... his eyes remained unseen.

"Sigh... Then... we won't find work..." The thin monster sounded somewhat dejected.

"You've dirtied both our clothes. Clean them before returning."

Pointing at their own and Ji Huan's dirty, earth-covered outfits, Adan made a new request.

In the next second, Ji Huan was left in nothing but his underwear.

The old monster standing beside him was also reduced to a pair of underwear. He took out a large umbrella and held it over their heads, serving as a makeshift sunshade.

The thin and wiry monster, on the other hand, carried their pile of dirty clothes to wash them.

"He's a weapon. It's not wise to release him too soon." As Ji Huan was lost in thought, the old demon beside him suddenly spoke up. But when Ji Huan turned to look at him, the elder demon's mouth was tightly shut, as if he hadn't been the one who just spoke.

"I've released only one weapon before, and that has become the sole regret of my existence." Just as Ji Huan assumed Adan wouldn't speak further, Adan's voice echoed in his ear again.

"The children here vary in strength. Some are weaker, some stronger. Due to their challenging lives, they tend to be more daring than the demons outside. Generally speaking, they're stronger.

With most of them lacking parental guidance, they have to fend for themselves. Many times, their first job outside can be a trap.

I've set a standard here. Those who meet it can find work, while those who don't must continue to hone themselves. In short, I hope they accumulate some experience here before venturing out, so they learn from their mistakes with me and encounter fewer pitfalls once they leave."

Ji Huan: On the surface, it sounds reasonable and touching, but there seems to be an issue with one part.

The old demon fell silent quickly.

Ji Huan's thoughts, however, were in disarray.

If Little Grey hadn't submitted his resume, would he have found work so easily? If he didn't find work, perhaps he wouldn't have been taken away?

Amidst Ji Huan's jumbled musings, Abu's voice suddenly rang out from not far away.

"I found that monster! The one with a finger that stands out from the rest!"

Ji Huan leaped to his feet, his excitement palpable despite his usually stoic demeanor when it came to Little Grey's whereabouts.

"I disguised myself as a job-seeking monster and lined up everywhere! Who would've thought I'd spot a monster in a job recruitment queue with a finger that seemed different from others? Then I kept my cool, pretended to be a candidate, and when it was time to sign the contract, I confirmed it when they extended their hand!"

"Quickly, check where the contract is for? They must have taken Little Grey there!"

With a broad smile on his face, Abu waved a contract in his hand, though the scars on his face distorted the expression into something menacing.

Contract? An ominous thought flashed through Ji Huan's mind. He snatched the paper from Abu's hand and, after a single glance, felt as if icy water had been poured over him.

"You..."

The paper in Ji Huan's hands turned out to be a contract for an underground fighting arena participant!

Valid for half a year! Life and death were not guaranteed! The rewards would be subject to a twenty percent cut by the other party!

But what was worse, there were two fingerprints at the signature line – one belonging to the other party, and the other, shockingly, Abu's!

"Do you know what this contract is?" Ji Huan's lips trembled slightly as he looked up at the towering demon behind him.

"Of course, it's a gladiator's contract for the underground arena," Abu blinked. "When I passed the second round of the job interview, they told me about it."

"Why did you still sign it then?"

"It's the fastest way to find Little Grey!" Abu spoke frankly, revealing his thoughts.

"He's not just your friend, but mine too!" A smile spread across Abu's face.

"Oh, I've already told my previous employer that I'm changing careers. After my promotion, my old contract was void, so I can quit anytime now…" Abu lowered his head and began to ramble on.

Staring blankly at this side of Abu, Ji Huan glanced down at the contract in his hand once more. Then, the corners of his lips turned up slightly, forming the first smile he'd had in two days.

"Boss Adan, I... might need to take some time off. If that's inconvenient, then I'll just resign..."

Before Ji Huan could finish, Adan suddenly snatched the contract from his hand.

"Forget it, no need for leave. You'll come on this business trip with me."

Folding the contract neatly, the old monster slipped it into the waistband of his loincloth before clapping his hands to summon the monster who was washing their clothes.

A sprout-like creature hurried over, clutching the now shredded laundry.

"Currently, you owe me two more sets of clothing," the old monster said, prodding the creature's forehead with two fingers. "I'll give you a chance. Come on a business trip with me to buy stones. You'll be responsible for carrying them."

The small monster nodded eagerly, like a pecking chick.

"To you, book tickets for tomorrow, destination Rugman. One first-class ticket - for me, and three economy class tickets - for the three of you." This was directed at Ji Huan, who promptly nodded.

"Lastly, take me to the one who gave you this contract," the old monster instructed Abu.

The four of them swiftly took on their respective tasks and dispersed.

Tickets were promptly booked, and upon understanding Adan's intentions, Ji Huan felt a mix of reassurance and anxiety. Naji, the sprout-like monster, was currently crouched at his feet, lost in thought.

Unaware of what was to come, he seemed to be pondering nothing at all.

As Ji Huan waited anxiously, the old monster returned with Abu.

Abu's body bore traces of blood, though it appeared to be from another person.

"Grandfather took me to engage in a fierce battle with others, it was so impressive!" Abu whispered to Ji Huan, noticing his concern.

Led by Abu, Adan located the squad that had hired the three demonic creatures and promptly gave them a thorough beating. Had it been only Abu, they likely would have been suppressed quickly, but with Adan present, the three demons swiftly confessed to the events of the previous day. The leader of the trio was indeed from a major city, scouting for gladiators. When they took their client to a bar for entertainment, he took a liking to Little Grey and spirited the demon away, leaving the trio to continue recruiting to fill the remaining spots.

"The little grey demon willingly signed the agreement, there was no, no violation of the principle of voluntariness... ah..." Despite being beaten and howling, the three demons still knew the limits here, and they quickly took out the copy left by Little Grey.

Tucking the copy neatly into his waistband, the ancient monster returned with Abu in tow.

Coincidentally, Ji Huan's flight ticket was also purchased.