After the gray-black rat landed, its crimson eyes darted around, scanning the Bone Altar and the General-Summoning Platform before finally fixing on the direction of Chen Zhou's spiritual form.
Its shrill voice was full of arrogance. "Are you the kid making all this mess? You dare drag your Lord Rat out of his nest? Tired of living, are you?"
Chen Zhou looked at this 'rat demon' the size of a peanut and couldn't help but find it amusing. It wasn't even as big as a fingernail, yet its presence was even more imposing than the snake demon from before.
He intentionally teased it in a cold tone, "You're quite arrogant for a rat spirit."
"Hmph!"
The little rat kicked off with its hind legs and actually stood upright like a human, tilting its head back to curse shrilly, "You're the rat spirit! Your whole family are rat spirits!"
It put its front paws on its hips, puffing out its chest.
"How dare you compare Lord Rat to those lowly demons? Lord Rat is a fiend!!!"
"I'm so mad I could die!!!"
Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A fiend?"
Seeing his astonishment, the rat became even more smug, its tail curling high. "You can't even tell the difference between demons, fiends, ghosts, and spirits? What kind of thing are you?"
As it spoke, it suddenly sniffed the air, a flash of surprise crossing its eyes. "Wait... this aura... you're an evil spirit?"
Chen Zhou remained noncommittal and said flatly, "I am an Evil God."
"An Evil God? Hahaha!"
The rat suddenly let out a shrill laugh, running in two circles around the General-Summoning Platform. "Interesting! Truly interesting! In all three hundred years Lord Rat has lived, this is the first time I've seen an evil spirit with its own thoughts!"
"But a little thing like you dares to call himself a god? You've got quite the nerve!"
In its pride, it suddenly tried to back away, only to find the faint black mist surrounding its body was like an invisible rope tethering it, preventing it from moving even a step.
"Hey! Evil spirit! What kind of trick is this?!"
The rat struggled violently, its short legs kicking rapidly, but it couldn't move an inch. Panic finally appeared in its crimson eyes.
"What's going on? What kind of ghost technique are you using to control Lord Rat?"
Chen Zhou spoke slowly, "I forgot to tell you, from the moment you were summoned, you belonged to me."
The rat froze, looking down at the mist coiled around its paws, then up at the ghostly blue flames atop the General-Summoning Platform. Its expression slowly crumbled.
It instantly understood that the incantation power within those flames was faintly resonating with the black mist.
"You kid... you played dirty?! Lord Rat won't accept some crappy restraint!"
It tried to channel its fiend qi, and a sliver of dark green energy emerged from its body. However, as soon as the fiend qi stirred, most of it was sucked away by the black mist, and even its shrill cry weakened.
After struggling for a long while, the rat finally wilted, its tail drooping and its crimson eyes full of resentment. "Don't think you can make Lord Rat submit with such despicable methods!!"
The black mist gradually dissipated.
Chen Zhou heard a system notification.
【You obtained a stage-5 Ghost Attendant—Plague Rat】
【Current Ghost Attendants: 1/2】
"A stage-5 Ghost Attendant?"
"For such a small creature, your strength is actually quite decent," Chen Zhou said with some surprise.
The Plague Rat wore an expression of someone forced into a shameful profession with no choice but to comply. "Let me emphasize again, Lord Rat is not a demon! I am a fiend!"
"Lord Rat is naturally powerful. If you're scared, hurry up and release me."
Though it looked intimidated, it remained defiant and didn't forget to talk big.
Chen Zhou smiled. "Is that so? What's the difference?"
He could roughly guess the difference; he had read many supernatural novels in his past life, so the setting was likely similar.
But he still wanted to tease the Plague Rat.
It had been over half a month since he transmigrated to this world, and Chen Zhou rarely had the chance to converse with anyone.
In front of his followers, he had to maintain his persona as an Evil God and couldn't be so carefree.
And while Chen Zhou was an evil spirit, he still had the heart of a human.
Humans were social creatures; even an Evil God would occasionally feel lonely.
The Plague Rat immediately adopted a look that suggested he finally recognized quality, saying with a face full of pride.
"We fiends are naturally born from heaven and earth, the very embodiment of evil forces. we are gifted by the creation of the world. How can we be compared to mere animals that cultivate into spirits?"
Chen Zhou interjected, "Then what is your power? Is it plague?"
The Plague Rat was shocked. "How do you know? You're just a mere Umbral Grade evil spirit. Even having stage-3 peak strength would be pushing it. How did you see through Lord Rat's origin!!"
'I guessed from the name on the system panel.'
Chen Zhou chuckled and didn't say it aloud, instead changing the subject.
"Look, since you belong to me anyway, why not work for me? I guarantee you a life of luxury and wealth in the future."
As he spoke, he took out two second-stage Flesh-Reconstitution Pills.
"Pfft, you think you can bribe Lord Rat with such scrap?"
"Do you think Lord Rat is some monster that hasn't seen the world? Ridiculous!"
The Plague Rat covered its nose with its small paws as if disgusted by the stench of the Flesh-Reconstitution Pills and took a few steps back.
It could sense the decent flesh-and-blood energy within the pills, but to it, the amount was too small—no different from pouring a drop of water into the ocean.
If the energy were thousands or tens of thousands of times stronger, it might have some appeal.
Besides, it smelled too bad!!
Even rats like to stay clean, alright!
"You've only restricted Lord Rat's freedom. You want to command Lord Rat to work? No way!"
"You evil spirits have such filthy hearts! Lord Rat is just going to lie here. Hah, what can you do to me?"
"Stay mad!"
"Hmph!!!!!!"
The Plague Rat lay down on the ground, its front paws cushioning its head and its hind legs crossed, directly opting to just lie flat.
Facing this mockery, Chen Zhou wasn't angry.
To use a phrase from his past life, this little rat's insults were like a tantrum; there was nothing to be upset about.
He hadn't expected to entice a stage-5 fighter with just Flesh-Reconstitution Pills anyway. As a fiend, the little rat was bound by him, so it was natural for it to be unwilling.
He would have to take it slow.
While he couldn't put the Plague Rat to work for now, using it for entertainment was a good alternative.
...
On the other side.
Lakeglow Ridge.
Nie Hailong was coiled at the Lake-Heart Pavilion, lazily basking in the sun.
The Mother Snake beside him, however, was restless, her tail occasionally slapping the water's surface in anxiety.
"Husband, Nie 41 has been gone for some time now, yet there hasn't been a single word. Could something have happened..."
Nie Hailong opened his eyes, a trace of impatience flashing through them. His pitch-black scales shimmered with glints of gold under the sunlight.
He wanted to refute her. Though there were many great demons in Thousand Isles County, in a backwater place like Qudao County, there was only one stage-3 White Jade Old Ghost.
Now that the White Jade Old Ghost could barely protect himself, as long as one didn't act recklessly in White Jade City, Nie 41 could walk through Qudao County with no problem at his strength.
Logically, there should be no danger at all.
But things were indeed strange.
Nie 76 was young and it was fine if he returned late due to playfulness.
Nie 41 had always been steady. Ordinarily, after devouring the human pens of Shideng Village, he should have returned to report long ago. Why was there still no word?
Could it be that a great demon from elsewhere had entered Qudao County?
Rate on N.U.
