Pleasure Doing Business

"W-Where are you going?! We're not yet through!" General Qilin roared as he moved to chase Xu Rouguang. However, the Head Patrol Commander blocked his path. "General Qilin, please behave yourself. We're in the human realm."

"That criminal is getting away, and you want me to behave?" General Qilin aimed his spear at the Head Patrol Commander. "Are you clear of your own orders, Commander?"

"General Qilin, are you clear of your own?" The Head Patrol Commander eyed at the already-heavily injured general. "You are unfit to fight anymore. General Xu might end up killing you."

"Killing me? Hah! If he dares!" General Qilin evaded the commander and darted towards General Xu. He was so determined to wound the deathless general at least. The spear's tip lit up again as he got closer to the deathless general. "You think you can just ignore me?!"

Xu Rouguang didn't want to look at the man again. However, he was too bothersome, and that kind annoyed Xu Rouguang from the depths of his soul. The supposed indestructible switchblade slipped out of his sleeve and was caught by his hand. The deathless general then spun and threw the blade at the awful cat. General Qilin only moved his head to dodge the blade and continued with his attack, a smug grin slapped on his face.

What he wished to see in the next few seconds was Xu Rouguang losing his head from his point-blank blow. However, what he didn't see was that the blade was manipulated by essences that Xu Rouguang could control at will. It missed on purpose, only to strike the back of General Qilin's neck. The immediate pain rendered him paralyzed; he was lucky the deathless general avoided his cervical spine.

The speed of General Qilin's attack was faster than a bullet. Like a crashing airplane, he fell from the night sky and gradually lost his aura. He was going to hit the ground face first, and the impact could be enough to break his neck. The spear flew off from his numb hand, and his lifeless body plummeted to the ground. The wind caused him to close his eyes, and he grew to accept such a pathetic death.

However, as if a net was woven to support him, he felt his body sink into a thick mesh of fabric. This stretchy fabric slowed him down to a stop even before he met the ground. Instead of bouncing up, the fabric disintegrated; and he fell from less than a meter. An immortal was never harmed by such action, and so he was alive. His eyes welled in disbelief of what happened, but his heart was still racing.

Pluck! A hard pull took the blade out of his neck, the pain stinging him and giving him body the chance to move again. General Qilin cried as he grasped at his neck, hoping the bleeding would stop. He rolled to his side and saw Xu Rouguang bent down with his blade at hand. The immortal cat's eyes widened as the deathless general only regarded him coldly.

"You sound like an honorable person. How could I let you die like a cat hit by a truck?" Xu Rouguang smiled despite his cold gaze. After that, he wiped his blade clean and left like nothing had happened. He was aware that a number of immortals had gathered, but he cared too little about their presence. The deathless general walked off, glancing at his wristwatch.

With both auras withdrawn, the demonkind was left in awe. Of course, it was because Xu Rouguang withdrew his aura first and in an instant. Lai Mingjie broke out of his hotel suite and ran down to the hotel's lobby. He was deemed safe down there as he anxiously dialed for Xu Rouguang's phone. If he failed to answer, something could have gone wrong.

Perhaps, he was really worried... but Emodao wished to focus on the fact that Xu Rouguang was still his ticket out of Lai Mingjie's life... and all the reincarnations that would follow. If something happened to him because of those gangster immortals, he would be very frustrated.

"Hello?" Xu Rouguang's voice sounded as he picked up his phone while walking along the street side. "How can I help you?"

"Damn, you're supposed to say 'who's this' first. What are you, still a phone secretary outside work hours?!" Lai Mingjie growled at the phone before mellowing his voice as the receptionist cast a gaze at him. "Nevermind that, are you okay?"

"Ah, I'm all good. Jie, where are you?" Xu Rouguang asked, but he already stopped walking. He knew where Lai Mingjie was, but he just didn't know why they weren't allowed to meet. "Are you coming home?"

Lai Mingjie sighed and glanced at the receptionist once before turning his back to face her. He whispered to the phone, "Your aura washed over the city and then vanished. I thought you died or something..."

Xu Rouguang paused as he listened to the change in Lai Mingjie's tone. He then smiled as if he was in front of him instead. With his eyes closing, he fused his consciousness with the essence in the wind to take a peek at where the demon king was. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I just ran into a feral cat. I think they wouldn't be disturbing me again. When are you coming home?"

The demon king frowned deeper and deeper at every word he said. He then mumbled, "Feral cat? Who's that?"

"...He called himself Immaculate Ivory Qilin..."

"...who is that?"

Xu Rouguang only shrugged his shoulders as he continued walking, headed to Lai Mingjie's unit. "I have no idea. I just thought you'd know him. The other people were scared of him, too."

Lai Mingjie sighed as he straightened his back, a heavy stone removed from his shoulders. "Nah, I'll just ask around tomorrow. You should go home now and keep yourself from trouble. Geez, what am I going to do with you?"

The general only looked up as he saw the giant condominium that he was about to enter. "Jie, please sleep tight now. Nothing's going to happen to me. I wish the same for you. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Yeah, goodnight."

Xu Rouguang smiled as he ended the call and went up the stairs leading to the doors of the lobby. Then, he got on the elevator, but he didn't get off on their floor. Instead, he went ten floors higher and alighted at a rather unvisited floor. He flattened his palm on the door and released a drop of his aura. The door opened, and he entered the place.

It seemed to be an emporium with all the junk of ages ago. There were old paintings and almost rusted armor that predates before the establishment of the republic. By the counter was an old woman. She was polishing her counter with a rag.

"We're already closed. Come back tomorrow."

"Auntie, you said I should come at night today." Xu Rouguang smiled at the granny who recognized him.

She then made an excited face before beckoning him to follow her inside. They arrived at one of the rooms where plants were grown on shelves, but they ignored all the others. What the woman stopped by was a shelf filled with golden-yellow peaches. She took out her shears, harvested three peaches, and placed them in a basket. The old granny then handed it to Xu Rouguang.

"Here, here. Three God-Given Peaches grown to perfection." She smiled as she handed it to Xu Rouguang. "Pleasure doing business!"