Bell
Lu Congxing dragged his oversized suitcase into his new home, avoiding further eye contact with He Zhouyan.
He could feel the man’s gaze lingering on him, stirring a strange restlessness in his spiritual energy, as if urging him toward something.
The new home was exquisitely decorated, seemingly designed by a renowned master.
When he opened the refrigerator, it was fully stocked with meat, eggs, and vegetables.
Hmm… and mushrooms—something he didn’t like.
Without hesitation, Lu Congxing took the mushrooms out and threw them away.
There was also a separate fridge filled with milk and dairy products, all stocked with snacks that cubs would enjoy.
A note was stuck on the fridge, stating that everything inside was free for use—a thoughtful touch.
Unfortunately, his cooking skills barely extended to not blowing up the kitchen. When he was young, he spent all his time with his father, who cooked delicious meals that no restaurant could compare to.
On his sixteenth birthday, his father disappeared. Left with no choice, he tried to cook for himself, but after half a year of near-starvation, he was taken in by the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs.
The high-ranking demons there adored him, trying to make up for all he had lacked by giving him the best of everything.
As a result, he rarely cooked. But a few months ago, after turning eighteen, he left the bureau to open his own agency. In the short time since, he had learned to make some simple home-cooked dishes.
Still, most of the time, he was fed by the bureau’s director—an obsessive foodie due to his Taotie nature.
Feeling a rare spark of motivation, Lu Congxing rummaged through the fridge and took out some tomatoes, eggs, and meat to cook a meal.
The meat was of the highest quality, and even the rice was a special spiritual grain reserved for demons.
Lingya rice—this type of rice had an extremely limited yield—barely a small amount every hundred years. Eating it could enhance spiritual energy, making it one of the most coveted foods among demons. Yet, very few ever had the chance to taste it.
And now, Lingya rice was stored in the kitchen in large buckets, as if it were ordinary white rice.
Ever since he had turned into a cub, Lu Congxing had been eating delicacies from the mountains and seas. He had no particular concept of spiritual grain rice—he just thought it smelled nice and made his body feel comfortable after eating it.
Determined, he looked up a recipe to follow.
Half an hour later…
Lu Congxing emerged from the kitchen, unfazed by the lingering scent of burnt food, carrying a bowl of steaming, fragrant, and appetizing—plain white rice.
The only thing he had successfully cooked was the Lingya rice.
A panda-shaped alarm clock climbed out of his suitcase, blinking its round black eyes as it watched the little cub bustle around the kitchen, only to emerge with nothing but a bowl of rice. Without hesitation, it immediately notified the bureau’s director that the cub was about to eat.
Ten minutes later, Lu Congxing finally had a proper meal—complete with vegetables and meat, a well-balanced lunch.
The one who delivered it was none other than the nine-tailed fox1 elder sister.
Hu Jiujiu was overcome with motherly affection, barely stopping herself from transforming into her true form and drowning the cub in the embrace of her nine fluffy tails.
“Oh dear Xing Cub, why did you move here? Now I won’t be able to visit you whenever I want,” she said, slightly regretful. She was quite wary of that Bai Ze, but for the cub’s sake, she still rushed over to bring him food.
Not wanting anyone to know that his assigned guardian demon was that bad Bai Ze, Lu Congxing casually made up an excuse about the plumbing breaking at his old place.
Hu Jiujiu, as an enchanting nine-tailed fox, was completely captivated by the cub. Whatever the cub said was absolute, and Hu Jiujiu nodded earnestly in agreement.
“He’s not here right now, is he?” she asked nervously, glancing toward the door.
Lu Congxing obediently replied, “He left this morning.”
“He’s probably at his company. He co-founded a corporation with a Pi Xiu2, and he seems really busy every day. He’s actually quite famous in the human world, with a high social status,” Hu Jiujiu said, relaxing a little and even indulging in some gossip.
“Oh, right! I was supposed to take on a lead role in a film and even recommended Di Jiang for a part, but my clan suddenly scheduled a meeting, so I have to leave the human world for half a month. That means Di Jiang will have to handle the filming alone,” she added apologetically.
Only then did Lu Congxing remember that Hu Jiujiu was a famous actress who had starred in numerous films over the years.
In fact, she had started acting a long time ago, but to avoid suspicion from humans, she had faked her death and started over with a new identity.
Even after restarting, her beauty and acting skills quickly propelled her back into stardom.
The Bureau of Supernatural Affairs had countless ways to make people completely forget a face or an identity, which was why ordinary humans remained unaware of demons’ existence—only those in the high-levels of human society knew.
Hu Jiujiu and Di Jiang had met through the cub, and upon realizing they shared many interests, they became good friends.
“Where is the filming location?” Lu Congxing blinked in curiosity.
“They’re shooting deep in the mountains, and it’s a supernatural movie,” Hu Jiujiu replied, sounding a little disappointed. “I was supposed to have scenes with a really handsome male lead, too.”
Even though she was over a thousand years old, Hu Jiujiu still had a youthful mindset.
“Supernatural movie?”
“Yeah. Apparently, the crew even found a small, secluded village in the mountains to film in. It’s amazing they managed to locate such an isolated place,” she said.
Looking at the cub’s soft and adorable expression, she couldn’t help herself. She transformed into her fox form—this time, deliberately shrinking in size.
Instinctively, Lu Congxing caught the small fox as she pounced into his arms.
“What’s even more impressive is that they managed to convince the villagers. Normally, places like that would be extremely wary of outsiders, wouldn’t they?” he mused.
“As long as the money is in place, isn’t that enough?” Hu Jiujiu said nonchalantly, burying her face in his scent. She inhaled deeply, savoring the pure spiritual energy radiating from him, while her nine tails swayed and rubbed against him.
At that moment, she felt as if her entire existence had been fulfilled.
Ahhh! The cub smells so good!
Just as she left, a message arrived—this time from Di Jiang.
The Surging River Emperor Di: [Good news, good news! Got another gig! Once again, thanks to my silver tongue!]
The Surging River Emperor Di: [Didn’t I find that crew shooting a paranormal movie? Turns out, the director is superstitious and wants someone knowledgeable to accompany them up the mountain to avoid any taboos during filming!]
The Surging River Emperor Di: [The pay isn’t as high as the last job, but it’s still a solid 50,000-60,000 yuan a month. You in?]
Lu Congxing hesitated. He had just moved here, and now he was about to leave again.
But then he recalled the man’s intense, almost invasive gaze that morning. Maybe leaving for a while wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Besides, demons had teleportation arrays that allowed them to shrink space. If he installed one at home, he could easily travel between the film set and his house every day.
That way, he could drop by in the morning, absorb some of He Zhouyan’s spiritual energy, and then head to work without worrying about unexpectedly reverting to his cub form.
With that thought, Lu Congxing agreed. He happily sent a reply and, prompted by his panda alarm clock, obediently went to bed.
He slept soundly, dreamless.
When he woke up in the morning, he found it almost unbelievable. He had been so exhausted from moving and unpacking that he had forgotten to put up protective talismans in his new home. Yet, surprisingly, not a single ghost had disturbed him overnight.
That was rare.
Looking around at the unfamiliar bed and room, he silently repeated to himself: I’m Bai Ze’s neighbor. I’m Bai Ze’s neighbor…
Bai Ze’s presence alone could ward off evil ghosts. Some people even kept Bai Ze’s portraits at home for protection. With the real deal living so close, even wandering ghosts wouldn’t dare to approach.
That unexpected perk put Lu Congxing in a great mood as he got up to wash up. But just as he squeezed toothpaste onto his brush, his reflection in the mirror suddenly smiled at him.
“Good morning, Xing Cub.”
Lu Congxing’s expression froze.
The mirror ghost had reverted to his own form—a scruffy-looking uncle who lazily waved at him. “I think I heard that nine-tailed fox call you that yesterday.”
Lu Congxing frowned. “How did you follow me here?”
“No idea. Normally, mirror ghosts are limited to a small range of mirrors, but somehow, I can switch to different houses. Guess I’m a pretty special mirror ghost, huh?”
The mirror ghost was a type of earthbound ghost, and Lu Congxing hadn’t expected such an ordinary-looking ghost to actually follow him.
“Don’t exorcise me. I’m really powerful,” the mirror ghost spoke even more fluently than Di Jiang. “I just think you smell nice, so I wanted to follow you.”
Lu Congxing replied flatly, striking right at the heart of the matter: “If you were really that powerful, you’d be able to step out of the mirror.”
Chi Nan felt like he had just been insulted, but he didn’t bother arguing back. His eyelids drooped, completely devoid of energy. “Fine, I’m not powerful. Whatever. I was already feeling down anyway.”
“I’m heading out. If you cause any trouble, I’ll burn you when I get back.”
Maybe this mirror ghost was special somehow—Lu Congxing didn’t immediately exorcise him, just gave a warning instead.
After spending half an hour setting up a teleportation array, he grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge along with a sandwich Hu Jiujiu had prepared for him the day before.
As he ate, he kept an eye on the time. Yesterday, he had run into Bai Ze at the elevator around his usual work hours.
If he could arrange another “coincidental” meeting, he’d get another chance to absorb Bai Ze’s spiritual energy today.
To ensure this, he waited by the door ten minutes earlier than yesterday. The moment he heard the door open, he grabbed a small suitcase and followed.
“Hello.” This time, He Zhouyan was the first to greet him.
Lu Congxing’s delicate face remained expressionless as he responded, “Hello.”
There was no trace of the fact that, just moments ago, he had been crouching by the door like a total creep, waiting for someone to come out.
A strange fox-like scent lingered in the air.
He Zhouyan caught the smell and immediately frowned. Releasing a bit of his own spiritual energy, he effortlessly wiped away any lingering traces of the Nine-Tailed Fox’s aura from the cub.
Seeing the cub now completely clean of any foreign scent, He Zhouyan’s mood noticeably improved.
Lu Congxing didn’t notice this little episode at all. He only knew that the moment he got close to He Zhouyan, the spiritual energy he absorbed made him feel incredibly comfortable—like a pair of gentle hands soothing the turbulence in his dantian.
The impeccably dressed man and the casually dressed youth stood together, waiting for the elevator. Somehow, their auras blended seamlessly.
With a faint chuckle, He Zhouyan casually asked, “Where are you planning to go with that suitcase?”
“The mountains.”
So obedient.
He Zhouyan’s fingers twitched slightly. This was his first time having such a natural and close interaction with a cub.
“Taotie didn’t give you a Qiankun?”
“What?” Lu Congxing instinctively flinched. Having always hidden the fact that he was a demon, being asked so directly felt a little strange.
Though, from the start, he hadn’t held any real hope of fooling a Bai Ze into thinking he was just an ordinary young human.
“A Qiankun space,” He Zhouyan clarified, frowning.
How were those demons even raising the cub? They didn’t even provide the most basic tools.
A Qiankun space—also known as a mustard seed space—could only be crafted by divine beasts proficient in spatial magic. However, to Bai Ze, creating such an artifact was hardly a challenge.
He casually waved his hand, opening a small spatial rift, and retrieved a golden bell.
Lu Congxing had originally wanted to explain that he did have a Qiankun space, but the moment the bell appeared, his eyes were drawn to it.
He immediately recognized it—it was the same kind of bell He Zhouyan had used last time when he sent Ma Fu to Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Upon closer inspection, the patterns on this one were different.
A red string was looped through it, and when shaken, it didn’t make a sound.
Then, He Zhouyan reached out and took Lu Congxing’s hand, fastening the bell around his wrist himself.
“Keep it.”
Just two simple words, yet they carried the authority of an ancient divine beast. Lu Congxing had originally intended to refuse, but somehow, he ended up accepting it.
Awkwardly, he comforted himself with the thought that it was all for the sake of spiritual energy. Only then did he start curiously examining the little bell.
Against his pale wrist, the golden bell made his skin look even more delicate, the faintly visible purple veins beneath appearing fragile.
Visually, it seemed tailor-made for him.
The space inside was astonishingly vast, and time within it seemed to stand still.
Its quality was on par with the Qiankun space the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs had provided him. Though, judging by appearances, the one from the Bureau was already top-tier—even the Director didn’t have one as good.
Still, it had one flaw—it wasn’t compact enough. In comparison, the small bell was far more convenient to wear.
As expected of Bai Ze.
Lu Congxing placed his suitcase inside the little bell, then took the opportunity to explain things on the Director’s behalf. “It’s not that they didn’t give me one—I just forgot I had it.”
“Mm.” He Zhouyan’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he remained convinced that those demons weren’t properly taking care of the cub.
Hmph. Useless Taotie.
He glanced at the well-behaved cub, who was standing quietly beside him in the elevator, even making an effort to defend others.
His heart softened inexplicably.
Author’s note:
President He: “Can’t raise the cub properly? Hand him over.”
