Chapter 38: The Price of Progress and a Demon’s Deliberation

One defining characteristic of modern cities is their astounding pace; no matter the extent of the damage suffered, they can recover as though nothing had ever happened within an incredibly short span of time.

The skirmish at the wet market quickly made headlines, garnering considerable attention, yet in less than a week, people were drawn to fresher news, and the memory of that battle faded.

The market, scarred by the conflict, was also undergoing reconstruction with increased government funding, expected to be completed within a week of the tragic incident.

This, however, was precisely what irked Mo Qiu.

‘Why couldn’t it be faster? Wouldn’t half a week be better? If the speed were doubled, I could step into the new market today and procure some truly fresh tilapia.’

Observing the several plates of sauerkraut fish before her, the young woman set down her chopsticks, her fingers lightly tapping the tabletop.

Ever since last weekend, she had once more attempted to master the dish, yet the outcome remained far from satisfactory.

‘It must be the fish,’ she mused.

Mo Qiu, after much contemplation, remained convinced that her cooking technique was not at fault. It had to be the subpar freshness of the supermarket fish that prevented her sauerkraut fish from achieving the desired flavor.

If it were Bai Chen, what approach would he take?

Mo Qiu could only conjure the image of his radiant smile, and promptly abandoned the thought.

‘Next time, I’ll invite him over again, under the pretense of seeking cooking advice.’

As Mo Qiu put all the sauerkraut fish into the refrigerator, she thought to herself, ‘This is all for my grand deception, my master plan, and certainly not to learn the proper way to make sauerkraut fish.’

Returning to her bedroom, the curtains drawn tight, she opened a news page and settled onto the floor, hugging her knees. In the dim surroundings, the screen’s glow cast a pallor upon her face.

“Let us thank the Demon Hunter Guild for their efforts, and every demon hunter for protecting our lives.”

The broadcast was, coincidentally, discussing the serial murder case, and Mo Qiu found it unfathomable that the Demon Hunter Guild had closed it so abruptly.

The host, beaming with a confident smile, announced that the perpetrator had been brought to justice and that the general public could once again venture out at night without fear.

The culprit was identified with Saluk’s name and photograph. The black and white image, she noted, suited his perpetually sullen expression rather well.

With the pall of gloom lifted from Wind Chime City, Mo Qiu noticed that the sounds from outside, when she slept at night, had become distinctly more boisterous.

‘But they couldn’t have found a body, could they? Did they just take Bai Chen’s word for it?’

Mo Qiu gazed at the ceiling, her body gently swaying.

‘The Demon Hunter Guild is as useless as ever; they’re absolutely worthless when you actually need them.’

No sooner had the words left her lips than she witnessed her bedroom ceiling crack like a shattered mirror, a large hand extending from the fissures.

“Libelle, it’s time for the meeting.”

As the massive hand seized the young woman’s collar, she simultaneously snatched the mask from her table and affixed it to her face.

After a bizarre inversion of space, Mo Qiu found herself once more in the obsidian palace. Her eyes, pupils like fractured stars, darted to where Saluk usually sat, finding the spot conspicuously vacant.

As her gaze met that of the miniature goat perched on the table, Mo Qiu offered a bright smile and a greeting:

“Hello there, Aiqi.”

“Mmm, hello.”

Aiqi, clearly lacking in spirit, lay belly-up in the very center of the round table. Had the distance not been so prohibitive, Mo Qiu would have been tempted to once again feel its soft belly.

‘Should I call Aiqi over? No, now doesn’t seem to be the right time.’

A somber atmosphere permeated the entire conference room, emanating from the demon master. Apart from Mo Qiu, who always wore a slight smile, everyone else’s faces were a mottled shade of puce.

“Do you know why I’ve summoned you all?”

Aiqi sat upright, sweeping their gaze around the circular table.

“You’ve all heard about Saluk, haven’t you?”

“Ah, it caused quite a stir.”

“He was always so volatile; it was only a matter of time before he lost his life.”

“A great pity.”

Mo Qiu, chin in hand, adopted a posture of keen interest, yet the two seats beside her remained empty, making casual conversation impossible.

The death of a mere demon would hardly warrant a full meeting. Saluk was no illegitimate child of a high-ranking cadre, to justify such an elaborate effort from Aiqi.

“As you all know, a cadre will be arriving next month.”

Aiqi’s words prompted Mo Qiu to mentally calculate the time, noting that the official start of the next month was just a week away.

“To earn the cadre’s favor, we must demonstrate our worth,” Aiqi declared, sighing. “However, our numbers are dwindling day by day. I worry they’ll arrive only to find me a commander with no troops.”

“How could that be? Don’t you still have yourself, Aiqi?” Mo Qiu chimed in playfully, tilting her head.

“How can it just be me? Am I supposed to do everything myself?”

Aiqi’s displeasure was evident.

“In any case, listen closely: during this period, behave yourselves. Don’t play too dangerously and lose your lives. Remember, the cadre’s arrival presents a prime opportunity – promotion and raises are not merely dreams!”

Aiqi’s words sparked a wave of cheers among the demons, and Mo Qiu joined their ranks, her face wreathed in smiles, though internally she grumbled, ‘So, the workplace for demons isn’t all that different from humans after all.’

“Oh, and regarding Saluk’s death…”

Aiqi’s tone shifted abruptly, their gaze settling upon the young woman’s face.

The conference room, moments ago alive with undulating cheers, instantly fell silent, an eerie atmosphere pressing down on Mo Qiu.

Meeting the miniature goat’s vertical pupils, she maintained her usual composure, countering, “How could that be? I was hiding from him that day. Aiqi, aren’t you the one who knows that best?”

“Really?”

“It couldn’t be fake, Aiqi! Don’t you believe me?” Mo Qiu instantly wilted like a fading flower, on the verge of tears. “You were the one who discovered me; how can you be so heartless?”

Unable to withstand her onslaught, Aiqi quickly waved their hands. “Alright, alright, I believe you.”

Having successfully bluffed her way through, Mo Qiu flashed a peace sign and playfully stuck out her tongue.

The meeting was brief, with no further points of note. After its conclusion, Mo Qiu bid Aiqi farewell and exited the conference room.

Stepping out of the teleportation portal, a dazzling burst of sunlight forced her eyes shut.

‘Where have I been sent this time?’

Mo Qiu opened her eyes to find herself at the mouth of a narrow alleyway, facing a bustling street teeming with traffic. Having removed her mask, she was still clad in her loungewear and slippers, standing in stark contrast to the formally dressed passersby.

‘I’ll have to have a serious talk with Aiqi about this later; it can’t keep happening like this.’

‘Thankfully, it’s not too far.’

Mo Qiu walked home, and just as she reached her doorstep, she spotted the landlord of her residential building, who greeted her with a smile.

“Mo Qiu, I thought you were home.”

“Is something the matter?”

“This was given to me by a young man; he insisted I deliver it to you personally.”

Upon hearing this, Mo Qiu paused, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. She accepted the package and remained rooted to the spot, her palm clearly registering the warmth emanating from within.

Once home, Mo Qiu did not rush, instead heading straight into her room.

Following her observations over this period, she felt her grand scheme still required refinement.

First and foremost, there was Bai Chen. His power remained in its nascent stages of awakening, not only unstable but also susceptible to suppression.

Ultimately, his resolve was insufficient. She had to make him despise demons even more, ignite his fury against them, rendering him incapable of resisting the allure of power any longer.

Recalling the battle at the wet market, Mo Qiu still felt her efforts had been insufficient; her standing in Bai Chen’s heart remained quite low. She was, in fact, outranked even by an unknown individual he had met only once, many years ago.

‘To what extent must I go? The next time he encounters an attack, his mind must be able to hold only me.’

After spending over an hour organizing her documents, Mo Qiu finally remembered the package. She stepped out of her room, unwrapped it, and, as expected, was met with a familiar, tantalizing aroma.

‘Bai Chen actually brought me sauerkraut fish on his own initiative?’ Mo Qiu observed the fragrant fish soup, a hint of annoyance stirring within her.

Mo Qiu could easily surmise his reasoning: in his eyes, her attempt to buy fish at the wet market had failed, prompting him to personally prepare a dish of sauerkraut fish and deliver it.

‘Always doing extra things. Doesn’t this mean I won’t have a legitimate reason to seek him out?’

Snow-white, tender fish slices floated in the broth, teasing her olfactory senses, as if someone had doused the flames of her inner frustration with the very soup of sauerkraut fish.

She picked up a fish slice with her chopsticks, placed it into her mouth, and chewed slowly.

“Delicious,” the young woman exclaimed, as if transported back to last Saturday’s candlelight dinner with Bai Chen.

“This is the taste.”

After a few more bites, she set her chopsticks down. Tonight’s culinary struggle finally had a clear objective; she refused to believe she couldn’t replicate a passable sauerkraut fish now that she had a reference point.

Before nightfall, however, Mo Qiu had other pressing matters to attend to.

Another crucial element of her plan involved the connection between the Mysterious Person and Wind Chime City. Fortunately, she had already secured a sufficiently reliable source of information.

A half-human-sized mirror stood in her room. Mo Qiu approached it, extending a hand to make contact.

The mirror’s surface rippled like water, reminiscent of a clear lake disturbed by a tossed pebble.

Mo Qiu stepped through it, entering a magical space almost indistinguishable from her own room. The sole difference was that outside the window, instead of sunlight, lay an expanse of pitch-black void.

Mo Qiu sat on the bed, crossing her legs.

“Alright, let’s have a proper talk.”

“First, let’s be clear: you are only to answer my questions, and you have no right to ask any of your own. Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind severing your limbs and reattaching them.”

“…”

The demon, bound by chains, let out a low growl, their eyes filled with murderous intent as they stared at her, eager to tear her to shreds.

Watching Saluk’s futile struggles, Mo Qiu rested her chin on her hand, her lightless eyes like abysses.

“First question: what is this thing?”

Displayed on her pale palm was the strange object she had snatched from Saluk during their battle.

The jet-black metal felt cold to the touch, its eyeless-orb shape eerily fixated on the bound demon.