03. Not registered
"Hey, you kid carrying the roasted sweet potato skins."
Tang Xi and the others looked in the direction of the sound and stopped in their tracks.
The street leading to the residential area gradually became deserted. Sometime later, an inconspicuous man sat on the street, dressed in tattered clothes, wearing sunglasses, with a chipped small bowl in front of him containing three grayish dice. Because of his sunglasses, Tang Xi could not tell his real age, only that he looked greasy and mature for his age while holding a hookah.
The man took a deep drag on his water pipe, shaking his head as he spoke: "Alas, your youth has been filled with hardship, your fate fraught with misfortune, your family ties distant, and your fortune turbulent... I see your forehead is dark; you must have encountered something strange recently."
Tang Xi was taken aback and immediately felt that this person was unfathomable, so she immediately squatted down in front of him.
"Master, Master."
The master's sunglasses reflected Tang Xihe's bluish forehead. He pretended to take off his sunglasses, his eyes darting around as he looked up at Tang Xihe. Just as he was about to speak, his throat tightened, and his cunning gaze stared at Tang Xihe's face in astonishment.
illusion?
Why does it look like this person's forehead is covered in dark clouds?
"master."
Tang Xihe's call drew the man's attention back. "I have indeed encountered something strange recently. I don't know what to do with it, and I'm worried that it will affect the future and cause bad things to happen... Do you mean it will bring bad luck?"
"Ah, yes, yes."
The man blinked, put his sunglasses back on, took another puff of his hookah, and the smoke he exhaled automatically turned into two butterflies in mid-air before gradually dissipating: "Want to get rid of this calamity? It's simple, 180 immortal coins."
180 coins!
Tangxi gritted her teeth and bought 180 coins for 18 servings of roasted sweet potato skins.
Seeing Tang Xi hesitate, the man took off his sunglasses, grabbed the temple with one hand, and twirled them in his hand. The sunglasses suddenly transformed into a magnifying glass, with a circular array faintly imprinted in the center of the transparent lens. The man's eyes, looking through the magnifying glass, appeared somewhat eerie: "If this isn't handled properly, it could cause a lot of trouble! This is already beyond what you can handle."
!!
What is the limit of what can be tolerated? Does the end of the world count?
Tang Xi immediately tensed up; what he feared most was the world-ending ending in the novel. "What should I do?"
The man flipped the magnifying glass in his hand, turning it back into sunglasses, and rubbed it against his face with three fingers.
Tangxi and Huiyi, despite the pain in their hearts, counted out 18 gleaming gold coins and handed them over.
The man solemnly accepted the celestial coins, tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth, muttered a few words while pinching his fingers, and then, as if by magic, pulled out a talisman folded into a triangle from the chipped bowl.
"Take this safe." The man in sunglasses whispered, adding mysteriously, "Never open it. Keep it with you at all times. Only open it if your life is in danger..."
Just as Tang Xi was about to take the talisman, the man in sunglasses suddenly craned his neck and leaned closer, whispering in a serious tone, "Remember this! You can only open it once! Once it's used, it's invalid! Understand?"
Tang Xi took the talisman with some skepticism, "...Is it okay if I just take this?"
"Yes, if you don't believe me, just wear the talisman close to your body for three to five months. If it doesn't work, come find me!" The man in sunglasses slapped his thigh. "Don't worry, I also graduated from a magic university. I don't lie to my fellow students!"
Tangxi and Mengdong returned home with the talisman in their pockets.
Once Tang Xi and the man in sunglasses had walked away, he immediately turned to count his incense coins, grinning so wide his gums were showing: "Oh my, I haven't seen such a generous fool in a long time!"
"You've mastered the [words becoming law]?"
The man in sunglasses was startled and nervously hid the celestial coins in the broken bowl. The glittering coins fell into the bowl with a clink and disappeared into thin air. When he turned around, he saw a disheveled man walking towards him.
"Extensive knowledge? Aren't you writing a thesis? How come you have time to spare?"
"How can we see you swindling people if you don't come out?" Guangboshi clicked his tongue. "Bu Chengzhi, you don't even spare your junior's money."
Bu Chengzhi quickly picked up the broken bowl, grabbed his water pipe, and ran away, shouting, "Shh, keep your voice down! Is this something to be proud of? We're classmates, making money isn't easy, don't expose me!"
With that, Bu Chengzhi dashed away.
Guangbo shook his head helplessly and caught up with Tangxi and his direction.
"Tangxi and!"
From a distance, it seemed someone was calling her name. Tangxi turned around and found the person she was looking for.
I thought "that guy" would go first, after all, I just made fun of Xuan Yingxian, the eternal second place in the martial arts department.
As the other person approached, Tangxi and Guaiguai greeted him, "Senior Guang."
Guang Boshi looked at Tang Xihe with a subtle gaze: "Everyone says you're very shrewd, but I never expected you to have such a naive side."
"……What?"
The words, spoken with a hidden meaning, say: "Aren't you curious to see how the master guides your lost soul?"
"..."
Tang Xi suddenly had a bad feeling and flicked her thumb to remove the triangular talisman with one hand.
Tangxi's mind went completely blank, even blanker than the talisman, while her mouth murmured calculations.
"180 coins! How many servings of roasted sweet potato noodles are 180 coins?"
Guangbo chuckled. "That guy is a fraudster from Xingjun Academy, and his reputation is just as good as yours, the 'Task Master.' If you spend more time on the forums or hang out with your classmates, you'll definitely know him."
"Oh, so he's from our school?"
Tang Xi nodded vigorously, "Then it's alright, we'll get the immortal coins back someday."
Guangbo's lips twitched. His roommate was right; Tangxi and this person were extremely obsessed with money.
"That impudent monkey said you wanted to see me?"
Tang Xihe then remembered the important matter, and with her palms facing up, she used her spiritual power to create the shape of Pipi in mid-air.
"I once encountered a monster that looked like this, but I couldn't determine its level of demonic power. It wasn't registered in the 'Monster Encyclopedia.' I also checked with the Rare and Exotic Beast Research Institute, but the scan yielded no results... I wonder if you've ever seen one before? Is it a rabbit demon?"
Guangboshi frowned, staring at the monster formed from spiritual energy, as if trying to see through this strange thing.
Tang Xi added thoughtfully: "Its fur is a bit like that of a kitten or rabbit, with tortoiseshell patterns all over its body, mainly black, and it's not dirty... Its ears are very long, but its front paws are very small, unlike a rabbit demon."
Guang Boshi frowned as he stared at the illusion conjured by spiritual power for a long time. He shook his head slightly and looked at Tang Xihe with a look that, in addition to the loving gaze one might give to a fool, also carried a hint of suspicion as if to say, "Are you sleepwalking?" He replied, "You must have seen it wrong."
"..."
That's enough.
Tang Xi said dejectedly, "Even you, senior, don't know? Maybe I'm seeing things."
These words seemed to strike a nerve with Guang Boshi, whose eyes gleamed as he pressed, "Where is that monster?"
"……Um?"
"A human face and a beast's body, it might be connected to the Classic of Mountains and Seas. We can ask the people at the Institute of Rare and Exotic Beasts to study it! By the way, can I participate in the research? I'm sure no one in our Monster Department has studied this beast before, not even me. Could it really be a rare beast from the Classic of Mountains and Seas? I'll go back and look it up again..."
He became more and more excited as he talked about his extensive knowledge.
Tang Xi smiled bitterly. He had heard that Guang Boshi's obsession with monsters was outrageous, but seeing it with his own eyes was a completely different experience.
"Senior Guang, you truly are a walking encyclopedia. If I encounter this monster again, I will definitely tell you."
“That’s great! I happen to have some free time in the second half of the year. Since I have nothing to do anyway, why not write a paper and publish it in a journal!” Guang Boshi enthusiastically stepped forward and shook Tang Xihe’s hand. “Let’s exchange contact information.”
Tang Xi and Guang Boshi, who was almost overwhelmed by the compliments, shook themselves like noodles: "Senior, I just happened to see you—"
"It's alright! It's okay! If you find that monster again, remember to call me! By the way, could you please show me the monster's appearance again?"
Tangxi responded blankly, using her spiritual power to create the image of Pipi in mid-air, instantly recalling Pipi's cries:
"I was walking peacefully in the forest, when many people came to capture me—"
Could it really be some kind of rare monster?
·
After exchanging contact information with Guangbo, Tangxi returned home and looked down at Pipi from a high vantage point.
"The Encyclopedia of Demons couldn't find you, Guangboshi didn't know anything about you, and even a mobile phone scan couldn't recognize you... What exactly are you?"
Pipi lowered her head guiltily: "I don't know either! My soul is inside you. My last memories are fragments of being chased and running away from humans. I was so scared that I forgot where my home is! It's all their fault!"
However, I still remember the important mission of wiping out humanity.
Like a thought etched into the deepest part of her soul, Pipi didn't remember which race of monster she was or where she came from, but she remembered this thought vividly. She felt guilty for no reason and dared not look up at Tangxi.
Tangxi, unaware of the little monster's guilt, even bent down to hand him a box of food.
"I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I bought this on a whim. Try it and see if you like it."
Oh my god!
Tangxi and!
Pipi's two long, narrow eyes were brimming with tears. "Can I eat human food?! What if I'm found out...?"
"I bought it for you to eat, and there won't be any Immortal Alliance people constantly monitoring what the pet monster eats," Tang Xihe pushed the takeout box, "Eat up."
Pipi couldn't wait to open it, and after taking a big bite, she exclaimed, "Delicious! Delicious! The crispy outer shell, the mild spices, and the tender filling wrapped around a variety of flavorful ingredients—what is this? It's sour, crunchy, and full of little bits..."
Pipi wolfed down his food, not forgetting to say to Tang Xi, "You're so good to me. My impression of humans has changed a bit. I've decided to start trying my best to help you keep an eye on everything starting tomorrow... But I'm still young, so I can only do my best."
Tangxi and Zheng were enjoying their meal when they heard this and felt something was off.
"Help me observe?"
On the way back, I did have a strong feeling that someone was following me.
?
—Is that you?
Pipi finished eating with gusto, and when she looked up, she found Tangxi staring at her thoughtfully. Taking a moment from her busy schedule, she urged, "I'm very capable, you know. Really, no contract? With a master-servant contract, I absolutely won't run away..."
"How powerful are you?" Tang Xi asked. "Can you make my wishes come true?"
!
Humans are indeed very greedy!
Pipi licked her lips and gritted her teeth: "B-Okay..."
Pipi, who had been lifted up, opened his eyes wide: "Hey! Wait, why? I can do it!"
Tang Xi shook her head as she walked towards the gate: "There's no such thing as a free lunch."
That stubborn brat!
Pipi struggled angrily: "I can get the money you just got scammed out of back!"
Tangxi and Dunbu clutched their wallets, which they had just been swindled out of, in shock and heartache.
"How did you know I was scammed when you never left the house?"
It really was you!
Pipi: "Are you stupid? My soul is still inside your body!"
"..."
I almost forgot.
Tang Xi touched her forehead guiltily, "Why does this thing look like a listening device? If you can hear me, you can see what's happening around me, right?"
“I can’t see it, but I can feel it,” Pipi tried her best to imitate Tangxi’s calm tone: “Master, Master—”
They learn bad things instead of good ones.
Tangxi criticized: "Of all the things I've said today, this is the only thing you remember?"
Pipi chuckled twice.
Tang Xi sighed and touched her forehead. "Let's make a contract. Hurry up and take away your primordial spirit, so you won't be eavesdropping on me all day long."
"Who wants to eavesdrop on your conversation!"
Pipi excitedly broke free from Tangxi's clutches and flew into the air: "Come on! The contract! Hold out your hand!"
"Smack!"
Pipi hugged her forehead, which had been flicked red, with a resentful expression.
Humans are really annoying!
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