The monster is knocking on your door

The southern part of the city is the least developed, especially in the suburban area, where large mountains and farmlands can be reached within half an hour's walk to the south. The planning is irrational, the management is inadequate, and the markets between blocks are chaotic.

Ye Shu's small apartment is located on the southern edge of the city, surrounded by an old neighborhood as soon as you step outside. Apart from a main road leading to the city center, the rest consists of narrow alleyways where motorcycles roam freely, and stalls are haphazardly set up. The area has seen little development for many years, with wild dogs gathering in clusters, and no one bothers to catch them.

Ye Shu has always known about the abundance of wild dogs in the south, but it wasn't a concern until he discovered that some of these dogs are monsters. Now, he has to be cautious.

After a brief conversation with an older man, Ye Shu contemplates returning home. The sun has already set, and Ai Qi'er has awakened. Ye Shu brings a large bowl of chicken blood to the kitchen, using his ghost-nurturing technique to balance its properties.

As his blood mixes with the chicken blood, its color lightens, and the taste becomes milder. Ai Qi'er, hungry, rushes over, rubbing her eyes and saying, "Big brother, I'm so hungry."

Ye Shu smiles at her cuteness, holding the bowl and saying, "Hold on, let the big sister have a sip first."

As he speaks, Liu Youyou bursts out of her room, exclaiming with her nose in the air, "Give it to me, give it to me, just three minutes."

She snatches the bowl joyfully and heads back to her room. Ai Qi'er looks a bit disappointed, her expressions reflecting her resentment, which amuses Ye Shu.

"It's okay, just three minutes. We need the protection of the fox sister; we have to let her evolve."

Ye Shu reassures Ai Qi'er, who nods understandingly, although her expressions still carry a touch of resentment.

Ye Shu kisses her on the cheek, then casually walks to Liu Youyou's door to observe. Liu Youyou is sitting on her bed with the bowl of blood in front of her. She assumes a meditation posture, closing her eyes with her nose gently twitching.

It seems like ordinary meditation, but her tail extends from behind her, swaying gently. Occasionally, a faint light flashes, creating a mysterious sight.

After three minutes, Liu Youyou opens her eyes, her tail retracting. She pulls up her pants to cover her buttocks and jumps off the bed, saying, "Alright, give some to your sister now."

Upon hearing this, Ai Qi'er jumps out of Ye Shu's arms, eagerly takes the bowl, and quickly leaves, fearing that Liu Youyou might try to take her share.

Ye Shu finds it amusing but pays no attention. He still has questions for Liu Youyou.

"I encountered a butcher selling pork at the market who was chasing a dog. He told me about the situation with wild dogs in the south of the city; it seems quite serious. Are those wild dogs all monsters?"

Liu Youyou shakes her head immediately, "It's impossible. The majority of wild dogs are just ordinary animals. Only a few are monsters, perhaps from the mountains or turned into monsters due to some fortuitous encounter."

"Fortuitous encounter?"

Ye Shu is intrigued, and Liu Youyou explains, "It's hard to say. It's quite mysterious; some animals suddenly awaken as monsters one day. It's an extremely rare occurrence, a one-in-a-million chance, and they usually become formidable monsters. Some are born extraordinary, like the legendary Monkey King. The most common way, though, is by consuming rare and precious materials, although such items are scarce nowadays. If you want to turn an animal into a monster, you generally feed it monster crystals, helping it evolve into a monster."

"Monster crystals?"

Ye Shu learns another term from the world of monsters. He asks about the meaning of monster crystals, and Liu Youyou explains that they are the essence within a monster's body, equivalent to an elixir. When numerous essences condense into one crystal, it provides the monster with vital energy, making it the most important substance for monsters.

"In the chaotic times of the past, before the Monster Alliance was formed, monsters fought each other to seize monster crystals. The monster world was in turmoil, and weaker monsters had no chance of survival, often falling prey to stronger ones. Although the world has changed now, and everyone claims to be civilized, there is still a brutal undercurrent. Monster crystals are still sold in the monster market. Well, without trade, there is no killing. There are still many bad monsters."

It sounds quite cruel, and the monster world is no easy place.

After listening, Ye Shu reflects, "That evil dog must be a bad monster, right? Does it prey on little monsters?"

Liu Youyou ponders and replies, "I haven't heard of that. It seems to have a preference for females and is not interested in cultivation. We haven't had a maniacal monster killer in the south; after all, the feng shui here is not good, and powerful monsters don't want to come."

That's not bad; at least it's safer. However, that evil dog isn't a good character, and Liu Youyou's situation might be precarious. She could end up being taken away as a concubine.

"Do you need to reach two tails to defeat him? How long until you can evolve into two tails?"

Ye Shu inquires, and Liu Youyou sighs, "It will take at least four or five years. That's still considered short. But if you give me a pound of blood every day, I can evolve into two tails in a month. By then, I'll be a big shot in the south."

Are you kidding me? A pound of blood every day?

Ye Shu waves his hand, "Forget it, you'll have to take care of yourself. Don't let that dog catch you."

Liu Youyou sighs again, "I'm so miserable. Leaving my hometown, dedicating myself to serving the people, and now I have to endure harassment from a lustful dog. When will I catch a break?"

She pretends to be pitiful, but Ye Shu ignores her, turning around and heading back to the bedroom. Liu Youyou pouts and stomps her feet, then goes back to cultivate.

Saturday passes uneventfully, and Sunday is quiet as well. However, Liu Youyou loves to act cute and tease, causing Ai Qi'er to be annoyed.

Come Monday, Liu Youyou has to go to work. Ye Shu specifically advises her, "Be careful, don't get caught by the dog."

Liu Youyou, with a charming smile, says, "I didn't expect you to care about me. Are you jealous?"

"No, it's just that if you get caught, I'll be left without a bodyguard, and it won't be safe."

Liu Youyou rolls her eyes and walks away, pouting.

She returns in the evening, looking flustered and seemingly anxious. Seeing this, Ye Shu, in the process of balancing chicken blood, feels a sudden pang of concern and quickly asks what happened.

Liu Youyou sighs, whispering like a thief, "Bad news, I'm being followed by wild dogs."

It's like inviting trouble; although Ye Shu anticipated facing a dog monster one day, it seems to have arrived too soon.

Without a word, he grabs a kitchen knife and walks to the door, looking through the peephole. The building's main door is broken, usually left open, making it accessible to anyone.

Ye Shu nervously observes but doesn't spot any dogs coming up.

He turns to look at Liu Youyou, who looks anxious. "They're definitely following me; I can feel the monster aura."

Ye Shu frowns, turns back to observe, and soon sees that the wild dog has turned and left, wagging its tail as if in high spirits.

"It's gone. Is that guy a monster?"

Liu Youyou, avoiding eye contact, nods, "Yes, it's a monster. It exudes a strong monster aura."

Now it's troublesome; monsters have come knocking on their door. Not only Liu Youyou but even himself and Ai Qi'er might be in danger.

Ye Shu has a headache and quickly thinks of a solution, asking after a moment, "Do you have monster friends? Call them for help."

Liu Youyou shakes her head sadly, "My friends are weak, and the only old monster is on the brink of death. Besides, we communicate through WeChat, and they're not here."

This is inconvenient; how are they supposed to deal with this situation?