A Good-for-Nothing

177. A Task (1)

Translator: Dragon Rider

In a room.

After Zhou Yihao finished reporting, the man’s countenance didn’t change much, his eyes resting on the tremulous boy behind Zhou Yihao.

Zhou Yihao noticed the look in his eyes and pushed the boy forward.

The man narrowed his eyes in contentment. At the sight of the half of the man’s face which was hidden in the dark, the boy widened his eyes with horror and fell to the ground with a dull thud before a screech could issue from his throat, his whole body shaking violently apart from the patch of skin connected to the man’s hand by a column of black gas, and the next second, he started shriveling visibly.

After a mere minute, the youthful boy was reduced to a skeleton covered with skin, all his flesh gone, which was a blood-curdling sight.

However, this scene wasn’t evoking any particular emotion in Zhou Yihao, who merely went a little anxious because of the man’s seeming indifference to his report. “Master, the Human Devil had been sealed for so many years before getting free. Now people of the Supernaturalism Management Bureau (SMB) are trying to track him down, and I fear he hasn’t regained enough power to fight with them and might be a burden to you and bring you trouble.

My father and brother are doing their best to look for the other seals, but it’ll take some more time.”

“Given that the Human Devil still has his original vessel, he should be no less powerful than me. SMB will have a job taking him down.” The man gave an impenetrable smile. “Send the Human Devil a message. Tell him that the Demonic Seed is right in the hands of SMB, and he’s welcome to have it if he can get it.”

Zhou Yihao’s heart did a somersault. With the telepathy-like connection between him and the Demonic Seed, he had confirmed that the Demonic Seed had come into contact with the yin jade (In Chinese philosophy and medicine, yin and yang are the two opposing principles in nature, the former feminine and negative, the latter masculine and positive) thrown away by He Zheng, but he wasn’t sure whether or not He Zheng had the Demonic Seed.

“Master, isn’t the Demonic Seed in the He family?”

The man slid him a sideways glance. “Do you really need to ask me this question?”

Zhou Yihao gave a cough and immediately came to understand what the man meant. All demons were heartless, especially the Human Devil, who would by no means have gratitude to them for their setting him free or return the favor. His mater intended to use the Demonic Seed as bait to trick the Human Devil into disposing of those people of SMB for them!

Zhou Yihao hurriedly went to execute his master’s orders.

Shortly after Zhou Yihao left, a knock came at the closed door and then another two men walked inside, the one in front being none other than Zhou Congzhi, Zhou Yihao’s father.

On entry, Zhou Congzhi caught sight of the corpse on the ground which his son should’ve taken away and made a humble apology. “I’m sorry for my son’s lack of thoughtfulness and this mess he left behind, Master.”

Squinting his eyes, the man slightly turned his head aside. The patch of his human skin that had been in an unstable state owing to his previous infusion of demonic Qi into Zhou Yihao had now stabilized. He took little notice of Zhou Congzhi’s words. “Let’s just get down to business.”

“Master, we’ve found you a new abode. In addition, our men are on a constant search for the other seals. I believe it won’t be long before all the four remaining seals are located and your original vessel is restored.”

“My separated Qi can sense each other’s existence. The locations of the remaining seals have already come to my knowledge.”

It turned out the information which SMB had been trying to keep hidden for so many years had long since ceased to be secret!

Zhou Congzhi abruptly raised his head to look at the man. As the saying goes, ‘Aged ginger is more pungent’. Zhou Congzhi managed to retain his composure. “So what am I to do next, Master?”

The man gave a sneer. “It’s only a matter of time before I return to my original vessel. But I haven’t regained enough power yet. Now that the Human Devil has been freed, it’s not necessary for me to come into head-on conflict with SMB anytime soon.

If my house is ready, don’t forget my pets.”

“Of course, Master. I promise you won’t find yourself in short of ‘food’.”

“You may leave now.”

Zhou Congzhi respectfully took his leave, bringing the boy’s body with him.

The light in the room seemed to gradually dim as the two men walked out. Amid black gas which filled the whole space, the man stretched out his long-fingered hands. Where fingertips should have been was still black gas, but all the other parts of the hands were seemingly normal flesh.

‘I still need a little more time,’ thought the man.

…

SMB had uniformly bought trainees hard-sleeper (cars with semi-cushioned berths) tickets. What with the tight budget, SMB couldn’t afford to provide them with better means of transportation.

Having never traveled by train before, He Zheng had little idea of what lay in store. He had just walked through the security gate when Zu Zhichong grabbed his arm and breathed to him and Chen Qianlin, “You two are getting special treatment – soft-sleeper berths.”

Jin Qianlai, who had very sharp eyes, immediately noticed this and threw his arms around Zu Zhichong’s thigh, begging to be bumped up to a soft-sleeper car. Zu Zhichong snorted and said to Jin Qianlai clinging to his thigh, “They paid for their tickets. If you’re willing to do the same, I’ll get you a soft-sleeper ticket right away!”

This remark worked like a charm. Jin Qianlai went to the hard-sleeper car without a backward glance.

He Zheng didn’t have a clue in what way a hard-sleeper car was different from a soft-sleeper car. He only felt that the narrow aisle and the smell in the car were discomforting him. He Zheng knitted his eyebrows in misery. Chen Qianlin produced a surgical mask from somewhat, which was an even more dramatic reaction.

“Spare one for me,” said He Zheng, thinking, ‘He who would achieve greatness must not bother about small matters.’ At a crucial moment, an enemy could also be a friend.

“Stop dreaming. This is the only one I’ve got!”

Squabbling, the two of them made their way to a soft-sleeper car. Zu Zhichong took Chen Qianlin to a compartment, gave He Zheng a push and pointed at the compartment next door, slyly winking at him. “Don’t say I never gave you any special treatment. Your berth is in that compartment.”

Chen Qianlin heard this and was instantaneously on the alert. “What kind of special treatment are you giving him?”

“Alas, Xiao Chen, your performance in the training was very impressive. Let’s go in there and have a good long talk about it.” Zu Zhichong put his arm around Chen Qianlin’s shoulders and forced him into the compartment, twisting his head around to wink at He Zheng.

He Zheng, face full of perplexity, went to his compartment, which was doorless, not big and had two bunk beds in it. At this moment, there was only one person in it.

It was none other than Li Zong.