Chapter 47: A Deal with Second Lady Liu

“Don’t give me any excuses. I know exactly what you’re thinking. Between us, there’s no need to talk about friendship—only transactions. One hundred Spirit Substitute Talismans. That’s the price for staying by my side and enjoying my protection,” Zhang Kai said, raising a finger and looking intently at the tree demoness, Lady Willow.

Lady Willow shrieked, “A hundred? I’d sooner die than produce that many! Do you think they’re cabbages, just lying around for the taking? I may have stockpiled quite a few in the past, but over the years I’ve used up most of them. I only have five left now. If you’re sincere, we can—”

“Fifty,” Zhang Kai interrupted.

“Impossible. Even if you sold me, I couldn’t scrape together that many. Eight at most—any more and I’d be completely drained. If you don’t believe me, feel for yourself, I’m all shriveled up.”

Zhang Kai couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. “Stop messing around. Ten. That’s my bottom line. Otherwise, I’ll turn hostile right now.”

“Deal,” Lady Willow agreed immediately, revealing her cunning, fox-like nature. She was a master of reading people, having already figured out every nuance in Zhang Kai’s tone and demeanor.

Zhang Kai had seen her tricks before and wasn’t bothered. Ten Spirit Substitute Talismans would be enough to protect his family.

He never actually intended to get rid of the curse. After all, while it was a curse on him, it was also the perfect hidden weapon against others. No, he wouldn’t weaken the curse; in fact, the more forbidden places he ventured into and the more divine curses he accumulated, the stronger the curse would become—and that, to him, was a good thing.

“By the way, I have a question,” Lady Willow asked again.

“What is it?” Zhang Kai replied.

“How many Spirit Substitute Talismans would it take to sleep with you?” Lady Willow stared at him, eyes wide.

Zhang Kai: ???

“In your dreams,” Zhang Kai retorted impatiently, then turned and walked over to the wounded Uncles Ying.

“So you made a deal with a demon? Weren’t you sent by the Buddhist order to slay monsters and exorcise demons?” one of the Uncles Ying demanded, his eyes burning with anger.

Zhang Kai sighed. “It’s complicated. The details would be hard to explain. But in short, this mission to slay the demon was a success, and you all have performed a great service. Uncle Ying, I’ll send you back now. In your current state, will you still be able to deal with your original enemies?”

Uncle Ying: “…”

You summoned me here, left me maimed and broken, and now you want me to go back and fight other monsters? Is this really something a Buddhist emissary would do?

For a moment, Uncle Ying felt a deep resentment toward the Buddhist order—this was utterly heartless!

“Just send me back. I don’t need the Buddhist order meddling in my affairs,” Uncle Ying replied coldly.

Zhang Kai gave an awkward smile, grabbed Uncle Ying, took out his phone, opened the movie Uncle Ying belonged to, and brought him close to the screen. Miraculously, as Uncle Ying neared the phone, he shrank down instantly. But when Zhang Kai placed him back into the movie, the paused film suddenly crashed and turned to static.

Zhang Kai: “…”

Seriously? Even a crippled Uncle Ying could crash a movie world? And with several other severely injured or maimed Uncle Yings left, what now?

For a moment, Zhang Kai was at a loss. He turned to look at the others; one of them, sensing something, widened his eyes, struggled to speak, then stiffened and collapsed, dead.

After a brief silence, Zhang Kai went over and, one by one, picked them all up—even the one crushed under a boulder, whom he dragged out and returned to the movie world.

He also threw the remains of the Evil Spirit Rider back into its original film.

After all, these weren’t people from the real world. Who knew what effect their presence might have? He had no data or information—better to be safe and send them all back.

Lady Willow watched the whole thing, her eyes blinking in wonder, but she didn’t ask any questions. As an ancient demon of ten thousand years, her power might be at its lowest, but her wisdom and experience were intact—she knew what should and shouldn’t be asked.

Yet she remembered three things:

This man claimed to be connected to the Buddhist order and to have dealings with a Buddhist emissary.

He possessed a miraculous summoning artifact, capable of calling helpers.

Though young, his heart was black and his methods ruthless.

As for the Buddhist emissary claim—she reserved judgment. If even the Buddha himself was gone, what could a mere emissary do?

But the summoning artifact was intriguing; perhaps she could learn more about it in the future.

As for his ruthlessness—using people, then discarding them without reward or healing, simply sending them back to their fate. She herself couldn’t do such a thing. She would at least compost the remains for her own benefit, but to leave them crippled for life—that was too cruel, even for her.

Once he had tidied up the scene, Zhang Kai turned to Lady Willow.

“You’re still too conspicuous in your current form—far too large for the modern world. Can you shrink any further?” he asked.

Lady Willow grinned. “That’s easy. Watch what I can do, master.”

With a shimmer of green light, she shrank again, soon becoming no bigger than a bean sprout. Leaping two meters into the air, she landed on Zhang Kai’s shoulder. In this tiny form, she looked even cuter, her roots mimicking arms and legs as she sat on his shoulder, propped herself up, crossed her legs, and puffed out her leaf-wrapped chest. “Master, how do I look now?” she asked with a giggle.

Zhang Kai replied expressionlessly, “I have a pocket. If there are strangers around, hide in there. Also, I don’t know much about the current state of the world, so don’t stray too far from me. If anything happens, I won’t take responsibility. And don’t call me ‘master.’ We’re simply partners—I protect you, you provide me with talismans. That’s it. Let’s not meddle in each other’s business, and don’t cause me any trouble. Otherwise, I reserve the right to deal with you. This is not a joke.”

Lady Willow pouted and smiled. “Alright, master.”

Zhang Kai’s lips twitched, but he didn’t argue further. This woman was too quick-witted to outtalk—so long as she stayed out of trouble, he didn’t care about the rest.

After that, Zhang Kai walked over to where the weasels had been.

They were still trapped by Lady Willow, unable to even struggle, glaring at Zhang Kai with bitter hatred. Their souls were filled with resentment, driven only by a thirst for revenge, with no real intelligence left—a lingering threat if left alive.

Without another word, Zhang Kai stepped forward and crushed them one by one, channeling his internal force to make sure of it.

Lady Willow watched with secret delight.

Heartless and ruthless, blessed with destiny, decisive in action—he possessed all the qualities of a hidden dragon in these troubled times.

At last, fortune was turning in her favor. Perhaps this era would be her time to shine.