Heartless Bai Mang

Near dawn, the vagrant army returned. Sparse movements echoed outside the courtyard, and the courtyard door creaked open.

The little girl was back.

She had likely taken a bath and bought a set of new clothes—plain-colored ones. Her face was no longer dirty, and her white hair was no longer a mess. Though her frame remained thin, she looked quite refreshed.

She was just an ordinary little demon girl. The horns on her head were just beginning to show, two short nubs, and her tail wasn't long, hidden beneath her skirt-trousers.

Driven by curiosity, Xu Xian had previously asked around and found that demon reproduction was quite novel; they mated by connecting their tails.

When a demon reached adulthood, the organs within the tail would mature accordingly.

[Cannot go into more detail here.]

Thus, there was an old saying in the Demon Abyss: one does not touch a tiger's backside, and one does not pull a demon's tail.

However.

The fact that it took them ten years of pregnancy to give birth to a single child was somewhat absurd.

On average, each of them was like carrying three little Nezhas.

Fortunately, these demons generally had a lifespan of around two hundred years. They were long-lived and very resilient.

Yet, their development cycle was almost the same as that of humans.

When the little girl returned, she carried a bamboo basket on her back and a vegetable basket in her hand. The bamboo basket was filled with daily necessities like pots, bowls, and ladles, while the vegetable basket contained freshly bought vegetables and meat.

She had everything organized quite well; it actually looked like a proper household.

After entering the courtyard, she saw Xu Xian sitting in meditation in the main hall, which had neither doors nor windows.

She deliberately lightened her footsteps and remained silent, heading instead to a corner of the courtyard where a shed stood. The shed had halfway collapsed and was a mess inside, covered in dust.

She was likely thinking of setting up a kitchen there; after all, what courtyard didn't have a place to cook?

She began to tidying up on tiptoe, cleaning, organizing, and arranging everything...

In the Demon Abyss, there were no four seasons. They only had the rainy season and the sunny season, each lasting half the year.

The rainy season consisted of constant rain—not torrential downpours, but a misty drizzle that lasted for six months.

As for the sunny season, it didn't rain at all. The heavens were as punctual as a pre-programmed piece of code.

Not a second off.

Clearly, it was the sunny season when Xu Xian arrived.

Though it was the sunny season, it wasn't arid, and with no sun, it wasn't hot or dry. It was the most comfortable season in the Demon Abyss.

In contrast, the rainy season was humid, damp, and bitingly cold. Especially in this Vagrant Alley, the smell of sour decay would be everywhere, making it miserably unbearable.

So, Xu Xian's luck was quite good.

The youth did not open his eyes. Continuing to circulate his qi while sitting cross-legged, he asked lazily, "Bai Gan, where is my wine?"

The busy girl froze and suddenly looked back.

With his eyes still closed, Xu Xian's brow furrowed slightly. "Did you forget?"

The little girl glanced at her small back basket. Vegetables, a pot, bowls, a knife... everything was there, except for wine. She really had forgotten. Her throat bobbed, but she said without a hint of a blush or a racing heart, "I bought it."

Xu Xian slowly opened his eyes and looked across the room at her. He held out his hand and said, "Bring it to me."

The little girl pretended to rummage through the basket, but in reality, she quietly took out a jar of her own precious hoard. With a pained heart, she stood up and brought it to Xu Xian, handing it over with a beaming smile. "Young master, here is the wine you wanted."

The wine jar wasn't large and was quite exquisite. Xu Xian held it in his hand, examining it. He broke the seal and took a light sniff; a mellow fragrance filled his nose. He took a small sip, and a unique flavor hit his taste buds.

Xu Xian had been drinking for a long time. He wasn't picky about his wine; at first, he did it purely to look cool, then later to quench his thirst, and over time, he developed a bit of a habit.

He didn't care for women, didn't smoke, didn't gamble, and didn't have a phone to scroll through videos, so this was his only remaining hobby.

However, even he could tell that this wine was extraordinary.

It was top-tier wine.

The money he had given her definitely couldn't have bought this. Moreover, when she entered, Shuer had seen that there was no wine in the basket. Thus, the case was closed: this wine wasn't bought; it was the girl's private stock.

And it wasn't cheap.

"Young master, how does it taste?"

He smacked his lips and feigned a casual air. "The taste is alright. Barely acceptable."

The little girl grumbled inwardly. Either he was doing it on purpose, or he simply didn't understand wine.

This was God-Demon Drunk, the premier vintage of the Demon Abyss. Its production was extremely low and reserved exclusively for the heavenly demon race.

Its grade was similar to imperial wine. Forget drinking it; ordinary people might not even see it in their entire lives.

And here he was putting on airs. Truly exasperating.

She forced a smile. "As long as the young master thinks it's alright."

Xu Xian took another small sip. Seemingly nonchalant, he intentionally dug a pit. "How much did you pay for it?"

Without thinking much, the little girl replied casually, "It wasn't expensive. Only twenty demon coins a jar."

Xu Xian nodded and didn't speak.

"Young master, then I'll get back to work."

"Mhm!"

She turned to leave, rolling her eyes in secret.

"Wait."

Xu Xian called her back.

She turned around and immediately changed her expression, asking with a smile, "Is there something else, young master?"

Xu Xian pulled out a demon note from the Demon Abyss Bank and slapped it onto the ground. He said flatly, "Here is one hundred thousand demon coins."

The little girl tilted her head, looking bewildered. "Um..."

What did this mean?

Xu Xian raised his voice. "Go buy me five thousand jars."

"Ah!"

Xu Xian narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"

The little girl was completely stunned. Her small fists were tightly clenched beneath her sleeves as she squeezed out a smile. "Five thousand jars is too many. I won't be able to carry them back."

Xu Xian said speechlessly, "Just have them deliver it to you."

The little girl bit her lip tightly, her teeth grinding audibly, yet she maintained a forced smile on her face.

You really are something!

Xu Xian was displeased. "Is there a problem?"

The little girl steeled herself and shook her head. "No problem."

"Then go. Go right now."

She narrowed her eyes and uttered a single word. "Fine!"

Just as she turned to leave, she was called back by Xu Xian again.

"Wait."

She changed her expression once more. "Are there any further instructions?"

Xu Xian pointed at the note in front of him and said airily, "You didn't take the money."

She had no choice but to walk back and bend over to pick up the money. In the moment she raised her head, she said with a fake smile, "Then I'm going."

"Go on. Hurry back."

She smiled slightly and turned to leave. The resentment in her eyes was like a bursting flood, surging out. She gnashed her teeth in anger, her entire body seemingly trembling.

Take the money?

Take what damn money? What was one hundred thousand coins enough for? One hundred thousand wasn't even enough to buy half a cup.

Not to mention five thousand jars.

That was five thousand jars! Where was she supposed to get five thousand jars?

It was intentional. Bai Mang was definitely doing this on purpose.

She now desperately wanted to slap herself. Why had she been so meddlesome? Why had she insisted on being stubborn? Would it have killed her to say she hadn't bought it?

She also desperately wanted to stab Bai Mang. She could stab him anywhere, except for his conscience.

Because he didn't have one. Stabbing it would be a waste of time.

She had seen people take advantage of others, but never to this extent. He was taking advantage of her to the point of death.

She walked out of the courtyard and out of the alley. No longer able to contain herself, she let out a frantic scream.

"Aaaaah!"

"Bai Mang, you really deserve to die!"

She thought she was just Bai Gan—working for free—but now she was literally paying out of her own pocket, paying until she was dead.

Shuer saw her frantic state clearly, and so did Xu Xian.

Shuer sighed. "Master, you're truly ruthless. You catch one opportunity and grind someone to dust."

Xu Xian took small sips of his wine, feeling content and smug. "Heh... You like to act? Then I'll act with you. I'll act until you're bankrupt."