Chapter 24: Manor Level 24

When He Xi said he knew Luo Ling, Ai Ling immediately perked up, eyes sparkling as she asked, “Really? Who is she? Why did she summon us to kill the Demon King?”

He Xi gave her a cold glance. “Naturally, because the Demon King is vicious and evil, and everyone wants him dead. Didn’t Fluffy Ball tell you?”

Ai Ling shook her head, looking a bit regretful. “No, it never tells me anything about Blue Star, the Xi Slayer Project, or the Demon King. All it does is nag me to kill, kill, kill all day long. It has zero compassion.”

He Xi frowned. “It didn’t say anything? So that’s why you don’t want to kill the Demon King? Because you don’t know his crimes, so you have no motivation?”

Ai Ling shook her head. “Not exactly. It’s mainly because I think it’s pointless. Look at me, just a total rookie, running off to kill the Demon King—clearly a suicide mission. I’m not that dumb. I’m timid and just want to live a peaceful life.”

He Xi asked again, “Then if you knew the Demon King was a heinous criminal with blood on his hands, would you still refuse to kill him?”

Ai Ling thought for a moment, then said a little aggrieved, “Someone like that certainly deserves to die, but what does his evil have to do with me? I don’t even know what this place is. The time I came from didn’t have any Demon Kings. If someone has to kill him, it should be one of his enemies, right? Why me? I’m not some righteous hero or anything.”

He Xi was silent for a while, then finally shook his head and said, “In the end, you will kill him. It’s not up to you.”

“That’s right, Ai Ling. It’s not up to you!”

No one knew when Fluffy Ball had suddenly barged in. It looked very serious as it faced Ai Ling:

“Your earlier thoughts were extremely dangerous and deeply selfish. If everyone turned a blind eye to the suffering of others and ignored their pain, how could the universe ever get better? Even if you have no personal grudge against the Demon King, what he’s done is a challenge to the entire universe. No matter what, you can’t just stand by and do nothing. Even the world you came from is part of this universe, isn’t it?”

Ai Ling was stunned by those words.

What Fluffy Ball said was true. If everyone shrugged off responsibility, how could the universe ever improve?

But then she remembered how she ended up in this world in the first place—because she stood up for someone else and ended up getting hit by a car.

Sure, this world was kind of nice, but her grandma was still back there.

Her dearest, most beloved grandma… What if she had gotten sick from grief after losing her? Who would take care of her now? Who would even care about her pain?

No matter what happened—even if she really had to kill the Demon King—she had to find a way to go back and see her grandma one more time.

Before that, she had to survive!

Every time Ai Ling thought of all this, she’d feel drained, and that little longing buried deep in her heart to go home would secretly rise again.

She glared fiercely at Fluffy Ball. “You’ve got the nerve to show up now? Where were you when I was working myself to death? You’re just a ^[1]“白眼狼” (bái yǎn láng), literally “white-eyed wolf,” is an insult that means someone is ungrateful or betrays the kindness they’ve received. It’s like calling someone a … Continue readingwhite-eyed wolf who found a girlfriend and forgot about his ‘mom’—and now you’re preaching righteousness and justice to me? Talking about ^[2]“Drawing your sword to help the weak” is a metaphorical phrase that originates from classical Chinese literature and martial arts culture. It means to step in and defend those who are … Continue reading‘drawing your sword to help the weak’? Keep it up and I’ll cook you first!”

He Xi glanced lazily at Fluffy Ball, gave a slight smile, and casually lifted the glass on the coffee table for a sip. Just as he swallowed, he suddenly remembered something, his expression changed, and he slammed the glass down hard on the table.

“Bang!” The loud noise startled both Ai Ling and Fluffy Ball.

He Xi pointed at the glass. “From now on, this cup is mine. If you dare drink from it again, I’ll cook you too!”

Oh, even bandits aren’t this unreasonable, are they?

Ai Ling was indignant. “This is my cup. If you want it, just tell me how to get back to my original world, and I’ll give it to you!”

He Xi narrowed his eyes, puzzled for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Didn’t they tell you this too? After killing the Demon King, not only can you choose to rule this planet, but you can also choose to return to your original world. But…”

He looked coldly at Fluffy Ball. “As for how to kill him, whether or not you can succeed, that depends on your skills as a Xi Slayer!”

Fluffy Ball was so frightened by He Xi’s sharp gaze that it quickly darted behind Ai Ling. “This isn’t because I didn’t say it. It’s just that once Xi Slayers hear they can be the rulers of the universe, their eyes light up, and they can’t even hear what I say afterward. Besides, who would want to go back once they can rule? No one’s a fool!”

Ai Ling, however, stared intently at He Xi. “Is that true? After killing the Demon King, I can really return to my original world?”

He Xi snorted. “If you want to know whether it’s true, just ask Fluffy Ball. Anyway, that’s not why we’re here. We didn’t come here to discuss killing the Demon King. Have you noticed the strange weather recently?”

Ai Ling didn’t pay attention to his words. She was lost in thought. If killing the Demon King really could send her back home, she was definitely going to kill him!

She wasn’t strong enough yet, but once she developed more power and satisfied her rural cravings, she would find a chance to defeat the Demon King and happily return home to see her grandma.

If possible, maybe she could even bring her grandma back here. With her grandma by her side, she could live here forever.

Just as she was thinking, Fluffy Ball suddenly bumped into her from behind.

Coming back to her senses, she looked up and saw He Xi’s gaze that seemed like it could devour her.

Ai Ling quickly smiled and said, “Sorry, sorry, I got distracted. What did you just say?”

He Xi took a deep breath, gritting his teeth as he spoke. “I said, have you noticed that the weather has been strange recently?”

Only then did Ai Ling remember that the water system had been set up with He Xi’s help. She immediately stopped smiling and bowed to He Xi in gratitude.

“Thank you, He Xi. I just looked at the bamboo pipes you made, and they’re great! Also, thank you for saving me and the rice crops.”

He Xi’s expression softened slightly, and he turned his head. “It wasn’t a big deal. You should have asked me sooner.”

Ai Ling felt a little embarrassed. “Well… you left me a note, and it was written so clearly, telling me not to contact you again, and you even used such formal paper with golden powder. How could I have the nerve to call you?”

He Xi’s face turned red. He cleared his throat. “I wrote that for fun. Did you really take it seriously? Why is it that when you should take something seriously, you don’t, but when you shouldn’t, you remember it so clearly?”

Ai Ling was upset and asked, “When was I not serious when I should have been?”

He Xi finally seized the opportunity, pointing at the glass in front of them. “I told you not to drink from a cup someone else has already used. You drank from it once, fine, but why did you drink from it again just now? Can you at least be a bit more hygienic?”

Ai Ling hadn’t paid attention earlier and had drunk out of habit. Now she could only argue back. “But this is obviously my cup, and I just gave it to you a moment ago. Why are you being so unreasonable?”

He Xi leaned toward Ai Ling and said harshly, “From now on, no one is allowed to touch any of my used utensils or cups. Got it?”

Well, this was just unbelievable!

Ai Ling opened her mouth to retort, but then thought better of it. She decided to hold back. If she angered him now, things would become difficult later.

As He Xi had mentioned before, the weather had indeed been strange. Since the heavy rain a few days ago, the sun had been getting hotter every day, completely defying the natural order.

Looking out the window, she saw that both the forest and vegetation in the distance looked withered and weak, as if drained of energy.

The nearby grass had all withered and dried to death, and the ground was split open with cracks as wide as a palm—this was truly an extreme drought.

Logically speaking, in a place like this, with such a large stretch of primeval forest and a huge lake in the distance, this kind of weather just shouldn’t be happening.

So Ai Ling put on a serious expression and got back to the point. “You said the weather has been strange lately—what exactly is going on? As a local, you should know, right?”

He Xi stood up and walked out the back door, pointing toward the western mountains. “Not long ago, I saw strange red light flickering over there. After that, the heavy rain started.”

Red light?

Ai Ling suddenly remembered something and quickly responded, “Yes, yes! When it was pouring rain, I also saw a really bright flash of red light over there. After that, the drought began.”

He Xi nodded. “That red light is definitely the problem. Whenever it appears, it’s either followed by a drought or a downpour. So, I want to ask you for a favor.”

“A favor?”

Ai Ling looked reluctant. “What can I do? I still need your help with a lot of things.”

He Xi said, “I want you to go over the mountain and check out what’s going on. Find out who’s manipulating the weather. If the problem can be solved, it’ll benefit you and your plants too.”

Ai Ling let out a sigh of relief—this wasn’t too difficult. But still… “I mean, I can go, but wouldn’t it be faster if you went yourself? You could just fly over there, do a quick crack crack, and snap the guy’s neck.”

As she spoke, Ai Ling mimicked He Xi’s motion of snapping the cheetah’s neck, twisting her hands dramatically with a fierce expression on her face.

He Xi snapped, “Are you trying to die? Who told you to imitate me?!”

Ai Ling waved her hands and chuckled. “I only copied you because your move looked so cool. Don’t be so stingy!”

Only then did He Xi’s expression soften. He turned his head and muttered, “Even if it looked cool, you shouldn’t copy it!”

【Hahaha, I think He Xi’s blushing.】

【Sigh, he really doesn’t look like a demon king at all.】

【Right? Why is he even called Demon King? It makes no sense. Is it even possible for a demon king to be this handsome?】

【Kid, you’re still too young. Don’t trust what your eyes see.】

【Then what, should we trust what comes out of your mouth?】

【Stop arguing! Can I just quietly enjoy this rare moment of a stunning beauty blushing?】

【Don’t be scared, baby He Xi! Mommy will protect you—come into my arms!】

【He’s my baby. I’m taking him home!】

【Hello, dear mothers-in-law. Just wanted to introduce myself—I’m your daughter-in-law, He Xi’s wife.】

【Hubby, someone’s trying to steal you! Quick, kick her out! Boohoo!】