Chapter 25: A Plaster Statue? The Terracotta Army!

How many more capabilities does the Tree of Demons possess that I haven't figured out yet? Can it suppress the Demon Spirits of others while absorbing their gene fragments? What is the point of these Demon Spirits? They aren't going to feed on my Fog of Emotions, are they? I can barely afford to keep one, let alone three...

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! I’m talking to you!"

Yun Xiao waved her small hand frantically in front of Ren Jie, finally pulling him back to reality.

"What is it?"

Ye Yue’s expression turned serious. "This matter is of great importance. I hope you can return to the Demon Suppression Bureau with us for a detailed investigation."

"The people from the Demon Claw didn't target you just because you are a Demon Contractor. This involves the Tarot Cards. If not handled properly, your days ahead will be far from peaceful."

"Those figures hiding in the shadows may still come after you."

Ren Jie shivered. "What? Again?"

Ye Yue patted Ren Jie on the shoulder. "Don't worry, the Demon Suppression Bureau will take responsibility for your personal safety."

"We just need you to come with me to report to the Director and file a record, including your abilities, the type of demon you contracted, the cost, and the influence of which original sin the demon carries. I hope you can understand..."

After all, Ren Jie's performance just now was something no ordinary First-Rank Awakening Demon Contractor could achieve. Especially that terrifying demonic pressure. Perhaps he had contracted a purebred demon, or even royalty.

Ren Jie looked troubled.

Ye Yue smiled. "Don't overthink it. Every awakened Demon Contractor needs to be registered with the Demon Suppression Bureau. It’s not targeting you personally. As for the reason, you know..."

The existence of Demon Contractors was inherently unstable; the Bureau’s policy was understandable.

Ren Jie wiped his nose. "Alright then... safety is important, after all."

At this moment, Yun Xiao leaned in, full of curiosity.

"Hey, hey! What kind of demon did you contract? You used a Demonization ability just now, right? What was the cost?"

"Don't tell me your cost is having to look at a girl's panties?"

Ren Jie rolled his eyes.

"Pfft! A gentleman like me, how could I have such a perverted cost? You really want to know?"

Yun Xiao nodded frantically. Ye Huai, Wu Yunqing, and Ye Yue were now curious as well.

Ren Jie looked mysterious and gestured for them to lean in.

"Come closer. I'll tell you quietly, but don't you dare tell anyone else."

The group crowded around Ren Jie, eyes wide, ears pricked.

"My cost is... it's..."

As he spoke, Ren Jie pulled a small spray bottle from his pocket and blasted it directly into their eyes. The red mist hit all eight eyes squarely, and he turned and sprinted away.

The four of them froze in place. Yun Xiao’s tears flowed like a fountain as she covered her eyes and rolled on the ground in agony.

"Ahhh! My eyes! My eyes!"

Ye Huai wailed, rubbing his eyes frantically, only for the pain to intensify.

"What is this! Pepper spray? I’ll be damned..."

Wu Yunqing knelt on the ground, banging his head against the earth in pain, tears streaming down his face. Even Ye Yue was caught; she stumbled backward, rubbing her eyes and crying while sneezing uncontrollably.

"REN! JIE!"

But Ren Jie didn't look back, vanishing in a cloud of white smoke.

How’s my secret-recipe tear gas, huh? Hahaha!

It was a potent spray concentrated with ghost chili oil, green onion, ginger, garlic juice, lemon juice, thirteen-spice powder, star anise powder, and black pepper. Even the toughest man of steel would be reduced to tears. Compared to this, ordinary pepper spray was nothing.

"Cost: Paid!"

With the sense of crisis averted, Ren Jie let out a long breath.

Trying to fight me? You guys are still too green.

Go back to the Demon Suppression Bureau with you? Forget it! With so many secrets hidden in the Tree of Demons, wouldn't you just dissect me? Reveal my cost? That would be handing over my own leverage. Ren Jie wasn't that stupid.

He didn't trust the Demon Claw, and he didn't trust the Demon Suppression Bureau either.

Without another word, he ran.

Ten minutes later...

Inside an SUV, Ren Jie was squeezed into the backseat like a docile rabbit, flanked by Ye Huai and Wu Yunqing. They stared at him with such fury and gnashed teeth that they looked ready to devour him alive.

Ye Yue sat in the passenger seat with her eyes closed, tears still streaming down her face. Yun Xiao was driving, sobbing as she steered. All of them had bloodshot eyes, and the skin around their eyes was inflamed and red.

Ren Jie clenched his fists, filled with regret. He had underestimated the physical constitution of Gene Warriors. I managed to escape, but they caught me again?

Ren Jie’s eyes darted around, and he immediately raised his hand.

"I need to take a massive dump!"

Ye Huai ground his teeth. "Hold it! Don't you try any more tricks. Everything will be settled back at the Bureau!"

Ren Jie glared. "I don't care! I need to go! As a citizen of Great Xia, I have the right to exercise my freedom to defecate. I haven't broken the law, and you have no right to restrict my freedom!"

"If you don't stop the car, I'm going to do it right here!"

Yun Xiao: !!!

What on earth is the "freedom to defecate"? This is my car, don't you dare do that in here!

Ye Yue rubbed her eyes. "Take him. Keep a close watch."

Yun Xiao pulled the car over outside a public restroom. Ren Jie got out, with Wu Yunqing and Ye Huai following closely behind, terrified he would slip away again. But once out of the car, Ren Jie didn't head for the restroom; he went straight to a nearby kiosk.

"What are you doing?"

"Buying tissues. Or do you want me to use your clothes to wipe?"

After buying tissues, Ren Jie entered the restroom. Ye Huai and Wu Yunqing tried to follow, but Ren Jie glared at them.

They had no choice but to wait outside. They didn't believe he could escape under their noses.

However, ten minutes passed, and there was no sound from inside. Ye Huai grew anxious and rushed into the restroom.

"Are you done yet?"

That shout startled an old man who had just finished and was walking out.

"Why are you yelling? You in a hurry to eat?"

Ye Huai’s mouth twitched, and he scratched his head. "Sorry about that."

He then lunged inside, checking every stall for Ren Jie. The old man grumbled as he walked out with his hands in his pockets.

Finally, Ye Huai reached the last stall.

"Ren... hiss—"

A firecracker was stuck in the toilet, its fuse burned down to the base.

"Oh, shit..."

"BOOM!"

With a loud explosion, Wu Yunqing flinched, and even Ye Yue and Yun Xiao in the car were startled, looking toward the restroom in shock.

No way? Was it that explosive?

Ye Huai came charging out of the restroom covered in filth, collapsing into the bushes nearby to vomit violently.

"Ugh—blech! Ahhhh! Ren Jie! Don't let me catch you! This is a blood feud! We are enemies for life, ugh—"

In a single day, he had been doused twice. Once in plaster, once in... something even worse. This kid was full of dirty tricks.

Wu Yunqing looked on in horror, leaping eight yards back. "Where is he?"

"Ugh—blech! He ran, cough, cough..."

Wu Yunqing was stunned. He had been standing at the door the whole time and hadn't seen him leave. How did he escape?

Ye Yue got out of the car. Seeing Ye Huai’s miserable state, she covered her nose, her mouth twitching.

She sighed. "You two go back. I’ll go find him. When you get back, have a Soul Reader examine the memories of those two corpses and see if we can find any useful clues."

She left, and Wu Yunqing hurriedly got into the car. Yun Xiao, terrified, slammed on the gas, and the car vanished around the corner in the blink of an eye.

Only Ye Huai was left standing there, disheveled in the wind.

"Hey, hey, hey? Don't leave! I haven't gotten in yet! How am I supposed to get back? Hey—ugh—"