In an izakaya far away in Kunming, customers drinking sake at the bar were just gathering. For them, the vibrant nightlife was just beginning.
Shuten-dōji pushed open the door, looking somewhat disheveled. The commotion was so loud that many unsuspecting guests turned around to see what was happening.
However, upon seeing that the person who entered was a single guest, many people instinctively turned their attention away and continued chatting with their companions about the topic that had just been interrupted.
Shuten walked a few steps to the bar and rudely tapped on the counter at the handsome young man in a waiter's uniform: "Give me a drink!"
"It seems your trip hasn't gone too smoothly!" The young man wasn't angry; he just smiled and quickly brought over what Shuten wanted. After watching Shuten gulp down several cups of sake, he chuckled and spoke with a hint of schadenfreude: "The master is already getting impatient. You'd better be careful going in empty-handed!"
"Shut up!" Shuten downed another glass of wine, practically spitting out the two words through gritted teeth, before slamming his fist on the bar counter. He glared fiercely at the smiling bartender, then turned and lifted the curtain beside the bar, heading towards the relatively quiet second floor.
The izakaya wasn't very big; the business area was on the first floor, while the second floor was a relatively private space. Although Shuten's attitude seemed arrogant and domineering before he went upstairs, once he started, it was obvious that his steps became slower and more hesitant.
Like a ferocious beast trapped in a cage, no matter how fierce it is outside, it has no choice but to lower its head and submit.
"You're back?" Shuten moved all the way to the Japanese-style wooden door at the far end of the corridor. Before he could kneel down to ask for permission, he heard a low sigh from inside: "Come in!"
"My lord, it was my fault for failing in my duties. Please punish me!" Shuten did not rush in. Instead, he knelt down and kowtowed to the ground, respectfully admitting his mistake and asking for punishment.
"I know your strength very well. Since you failed, something unexpected must have happened! Now is not the time to talk about these meaningless things. Let's get down to business!"
The male voice inside paused for a moment, and when it spoke again, it was still very gentle and kind, with a comforting closeness that subtly dissipated much of the tension and worry that Shuten had felt outside.
He respectfully said "Yes," then carefully opened the wooden door and bowed deeply to the man sitting at the head of the table: "My lord, I originally intended to capture that Pixiu as you instructed!"
However, to my surprise, there was also a Taotie next to that Pixiu!
"What did you say? Taotie?!" The man, who was focused on writing something on the table, paused slightly, looked up at Shuten-dōji kneeling at the door with some surprise: "Are you sure this information is correct?!"
"I'm sure!" Shuten nodded, then, after thinking for a moment, honestly replied, "That's how he introduced himself, and according to him, he's the mate of that Pixiu! So, I..."
"So you didn't even exchange a single blow with him, and just based on his self-introduction, you ran back with your tail between your legs?!" Before Shuten could finish speaking, he was interrupted by an even more unrestrained chuckle from inside the room. The man with the folding fan covering his face laughed utterly arrogantly: "Where has your courage and boldness as a demon king gone? Has it all dwindled to almost nothing with the passage of time?!"
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