Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Even though it wasn't the weekend, the zoo still had plenty of visitors—mostly couples or families with children. Some kids were still in strollers, so young they were probably just there for the show.

This zoo was quite famous in the city for two reasons. First, they had a ton of animals that were way bigger than normal.

For example, there was what could be considered the world's largest wild boar, about four meters long and weighing nearly 600 kilos. It lived in its own dedicated enclosure with its own separate ticket, and daily viewing tickets were limited. Lots of people came just to see this massive beast in person.

Second, the animals here were super smart. Some of the friendlier ones had semi-open areas where they could interact with visitors across protective ditches. A bunch of them had become internet famous.

When Bai Zhizhi entered, he took a good look at the formation on the gate. The formation was quite powerful, casting a barrier over the whole zoo—evil beings could get in but not out.

Lu Mingyu figured Bai Zhizhi would be too scared to go in. After all, if they could keep demons here, the security level would only be higher than at the Administration Bureau. Otherwise, how would they keep those untamable demons from sneaking off when nobody was looking?

But instead, Bai Zhizhi just waltzed right in after him.

Lu Mingyu: "Aren't you scared you won't be able to get out?"

Bai Zhizhi: "Why wouldn't I be able to get out?"

Lu Mingyu glanced around: "Don't you sense the formation?"

Bai Zhizhi nodded: "I sense it, but what's that got to do with me?"

Lu Mingyu laughed and joked: "Actually, I deliberately tricked you into coming here. Jiang Lin isn't around, so the people at the courtyard can't control you. I'm locking you up here first, and we'll deal with it once Jiang Lin's out."

Bai Zhizhi laughed too, then just stepped out like there was nothing there.

Lu Mingyu was shocked when he saw the formation didn't react at all. His first thought wasn't about Bai Zhizhi—he figured the formation here was broken. Maybe that's how the fox demon in the park had gotten out and hurt someone.

Bai Zhizhi stepped back in: "This kind of demon-suppressing formation has no effect on me."

Lu Mingyu instinctively gripped his magic weapon: "What do you mean?"

Bai Zhizhi: "Exactly what I said. I'm not some evil being."

He was from the Qingqiu Fox Clan, a legitimate royal bloodline. Both his parents had gone through tribulation and become Immortals. He cultivated orthodox immortal techniques. How could a formation meant to suppress evil beings affect him?

In this world, whether because of thin spiritual energy or a break in the tradition, a lot of creatures that had become spirits didn't follow the proper path. Even their awakening was all kinds of random coincidences.

As a result, these demons still kept a certain beastly nature. Since they still had their animalistic tendencies but had started cultivating, the mix created demonic energy.

This demonic energy had a certain evil quality. Those who could control themselves and stay on the straight and narrow could slowly get rid of that evil. But those who couldn't, who went off the rails or let their beastly nature lead them to bloodshed, became evil demons.

In Qingqiu, the three races—celestials, demons, and humans—weren't that different as long as they didn't fall into demonic corruption. It was just about different roots. Not like here, where just being a demon automatically meant being evil.

Lu Mingyu clearly didn't get it: "You're not a demon?"

Bai Zhizhi: "Demon cultivators are demon cultivators; evil beings are evil beings. You humans also have righteous cultivators and evil cultivators. They're all human—does being a righteous cultivator or an evil cultivator make them the same?"

Lu Mingyu was taken aback. He'd never thought about that. All demons looked the same to him, the only difference being whether they could be controlled or not.

But you couldn't blame him for thinking that. Every demon he had encountered was basically like that. Bai Zhizhi was the first of his kind he'd ever met.

Now wasn't the time to discuss this. Lu Mingyu pushed the thoughts aside and headed for the fox enclosure, but he was even more wary of Bai Zhizhi now.

The fox area wasn't as busy as the others. The red fox spent its days sleeping in the enclosure, barely interacting with visitors. The other regular foxes, intimidated by the red fox's demonic energy, kept way back, looking scared like they were being mistreated.

Visitors couldn't help complaining—was the red fox bullying the others? After all, it was obviously several times bigger than the other foxes and looked pretty mean.

Bai Zhizhi had been keeping his own aura hidden. The red fox was just a newly awakened little demon, so naturally it couldn't sense that Bai Zhizhi, with his hidden aura, wasn't human. But when they approached, the red fox immediately lifted its head and glared menacingly—not at Bai Zhizhi, but at Lu Mingyu, who clearly carried the energy of a cultivator.

Lu Mingyu glanced at him, then went to the office. Soon, the red fox was brought over, turning from a fox into a fair-skinned, delicate-looking short-haired young man with reddish hair.

He didn't know Lu Mingyu, but he could tell he was a cultivator. Suppressing his temper, he endured his irritation with humans and sat down obediently.

Lu Mingyu: "Hu Fei, I need you to help with something. Where were you between two and five this morning?"

Hu Fei disliked his interrogative tone, but with lower cultivation, he had to submit. Displeased, he said: "Where else would I be at that time? Sleeping in the dormitory, of course."

He ate and lived in the zoo now, with an employee dormitory. Other demons lived there too—like the boar demon, the bear demon. Though they didn't share rooms, they were in the same building. During the day they stayed in their enclosures, and at night they attended classes together. If they passed their exams, they'd get a day or two off for leisure.

But outside, everything cost money. The human world had many rules—no stealing, no robbing. The zoo's salary was pitiful, so even if they wanted to have fun, they had no money.

The key point was that the Administration Bureau had said once they graduated from their studies, they'd be free and no longer have to work at the zoo. Freedom would come, but so would the loss of free room and board.

He and the other demons had discussed it: it was easiest being taken care of. Better to save up now so they wouldn't starve outside later or be forced back into the mountains. After getting used to human food, raw meat from the mountains didn't taste so good anymore.

To save money, even on their days off, they just went out for a bit. How could they be out at four or five in the morning? Sleeping outside cost money!

Lu Mingyu: "A murder has occurred. A family of three was killed. They had claw marks on them, and we detected that the demonic energy on the marks belongs to you."

Hu Fei: "Impossible! Don't try to frame me! I never left the zoo! What does someone dying have to do with me!"

Bai Zhizhi spoke to him: "Let me see your nails."

This human cultivator interrogating him was bad enough, but who was this guy with no cultivation? Hu Fei immediately grew annoyed: "Who do you think you are!"

Bai Zhizhi released a faint wisp of demonic energy: "Your ancestor!"

Just that one wisp made Hu Fei's fur stand on end. He let out a startled yelp, a pile of clothes fell to the ground, and a red fox scurried to hide under a stool in the corner.

His fear was instinctive. Between demons, besides the gap in cultivation, there was also the suppression of bloodline. Although he was a fox that had become a spirit by accident, with no inherited knowledge, the nature of his bloodline was etched into his bones. Even after becoming a spirit, it couldn't change.

Seeing the terrified, bristling Hu Fei, Bai Zhizhi said: "Come here."

Despite his fear, he obeyed.

Hu Fei practically crawled over, his fluffy tail tucked between his legs, and rubbed against Bai Zhizhi's foot. His pointed fox face was full of flattery, barely stopping short of rolling over to show his belly. Fortunately, he had learned some manners during his time in the mortal world and didn't grovel too outrageously.

Bai Zhizhi: "Show me your nails."

Hu Fei lay on the ground and obediently extended both paws.

Bai Zhizhi examined the nails carefully and said: "You've trimmed your nails. Who trimmed them? Where are the clippings?"

The red fox, with its furry face, spoke human language, its voice noticeably more childish than when in human form: "I trimmed them myself. I sold them."

Bai Zhizhi was puzzled: "Selling nails?"

Hu Fei whispered: "Demon nails and fur carry demonic energy and cultivation. Some people buy them to ward off evil."

But fur and nails were different. Fur with demonic energy came from specific areas. Though pulling it out didn't affect one's cultivation, it hurt a lot. Trimming nails didn't hurt, so selling nails was most convenient.

To save money, they really did try hard.

Bai Zhizhi looked at Lu Mingyu: "The source of the demonic energy is solved."

Lu Mingyu stared at the fox: "Who did you sell them to?"

Hu Fei didn't respond, staying obediently at Bai Zhizhi's feet, his fluffy tail sweeping back and forth on the ground.

Bai Zhizhi said to Hu Fei, "Put on your clothes and change back."

Hu Fei let out an "oh," turned, picked up his clothes in his mouth, and ran to a corner to shift back, and then hesitantly knelt and sat at Bai Zhizhi's feet again.

Seeing how well-behaved he was, and since he was the first Fox Demon he had encountered here, Bai Zhizhi was a bit more patient with him: "Who'd you sell the stuff to? Got a record?"

Hu Fei nodded repeatedly, "Yes!"

He quickly pulled out his phone, showing the buyer's purchase record.

Lu Mingyu took it and looked—it was actually the trading platform on the Xuanmen Forum. He glanced at Hu Fei. "You even know about the Xuanmen Forum."

Hu Fei snorted and turned his head away. He had only been in the human world for less than a year, but there were seniors who had been here for several years and had already figured out all the rules of the human world. Wasn't it just about sneaking into human territory to sell a few things? They had done this more than once.

Making money by sneaking around pretending to be human—wasn't that shameful at all.

Hu Fei said he hadn't left, but Lu Mingyu only trusted his own investigation. He checked the surveillance footage and examined the entire park's formation. Indeed, there was no sign of it being triggered. With Hu Fei's level of cultivation, it seemed unlikely that he could have sneaked out.

After questioning the cultivator stationed at the park, who confirmed that no demon had left the park during these days when they weren't on vacation, Lu Mingyu finally believed him a bit.

"I'll look into who your buyer is. Stay in the park for now and don't go out."

Hearing this, Hu Fei immediately looked at Bai Zhizhi, "Little Ancestor, aren't you taking me with you?"

This ancestor looked quite young, so he couldn't call him 'Old Ancestor,' only 'Little Ancestor.' Anyway, he could feel his demonic aura—definitely a big-shot ancestor of their fox clan.

Bai Zhizhi said, "I'll come see you again after this matter is settled. I've just arrived; let me get settled first."

He still hadn't figured out the way back to Qingqiu from here, and he hadn't nailed down the schedule yet, so it wasn't suitable to keep a demon by his side. Once he got the round trip steady, he might consider taking a demon servant.

Hu Fei nodded obediently, swearing he'd wait patiently for the Little Ancestor to pick him up.

After the questioning, Hu Fei went straight back to the dormitory and pulled out that Human World guidebook, with lots of fast ways to make cash in the human world.

A demon on break who didn't have to perform in its true form strolled by and glanced at him, letting out a "whoa." "That diligent, huh?"

Hu Fei said, "Of course. I have to make money."

He wasn't just a lone fox anymore—he had an ancestor to support!

That Dog Demon shook his head in confusion. "Why make so much money? Isn't it enough to just have food and shelter here?"

Hu Fei looked him up and down, shook his head, and said, "You ancestorless demons wouldn't get it."

The Dog Demon: "???"

Ancestor? What ancestor? They were born of heaven and earth—where would they get an ancestor?

Getting the buyer's information from Hu Fei was a new lead. Lu Mingyu said to Bai Zhizhi, "I'll take you back to the small courtyard first. The rest will take time to investigate."

Bai Zhizhi said, "You humans are so slow at getting things done."

One clue after another—how long is this gonna take?

Lu Mingyu said, "I'm not a god. I can't just wave my hand and know it all. Of course, I have to follow each clue step by step."

Bai Zhizhi extended his hand, "You're not a god, but I am. Wait, let me do a reading for you."

The demonic aura was Hu Fei's. He had just checked, and Hu Fei had no blood aura on him, proving he hadn't killed anyone and wasn't the culprit. The remaining sinister aura must have been left by the real murderer.

He had been to the scene and extracted a wisp of sinister aura. Now, Bai Zhizhi released it and condensed it in his palm. He guided the aura with his own spiritual energy, and after a moment, he said, "It's in the southeast direction. Not too far, but not close either."

The second Bai Zhizhi finished speaking, Lu Mingyu's phone rang. After answering, his subordinate said over the phone, "Another murder has occurred on Wuta Road. The victim is eighteen-year-old Miao Sheng, found dead in his home. He's also a student at Mingde High."

Lu Mingyu stopped the car at the intersection, opened the map navigation, and glanced at Bai Zhizhi beside him. Wuta Road—right in the southeast direction.

He couldn't say the murderer was still there, but the crime had occurred, proving the killer had been there. And Bai Zhizhi was spot on.