Chapter 282: Guess What
Yang Haoran not only didn't answer the female demon's question, but instead pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket and offered it to her.
As Yang Haoran walked towards the female demon, her heart was filled with vigilance, simultaneously wondering if Yang Haoran would suddenly attack her. She had already prepared for such a scenario; if Yang Haoran made the first move, she would undoubtedly retaliate.
But what she hadn't expected was for Yang Haoran to actually pull out a pack of cigarettes and ask if she wanted one.
The female demon was momentarily stunned, then, recovering herself, she waved a hand.
"No thanks, I have no interest in such things."
Yang Haoran nodded with a smile, said nothing, and then put the cigarette pack back into his pocket.
"Are you a demon or not? " the female demon asked again. This was already her third time asking the question.
"Whether I am a demon or not, does it matter? " Yang Haoran asked.
The female demon smiled and nodded, giving an affirmative reply.
"On the same side? " Yang Haoran's smile deepened. He asked, "If I were a demon, would I necessarily be 'on your side' in your eyes? Besides, even if we were 'on the same side,' what then? Humans can kill each other for profit, even disregarding familial ties. Wouldn't demons do the same?"
His words momentarily stumped the female demon again. Then, she reacted, smiling, and said, "Demons certainly kill each other, that's a given. However, if you are a demon, and we are both trapped here now, then we have every reason to join forces to break these Demon Sealing Talismans and regain our freedom, don't you agree?"
Yang Haoran maintained his smile, not answering the female demon's question. Instead, he looked at the bundles of white bones on the ground.
"So many white bones. . . how many people must have been killed to create such a spectacle?"
Seeing that Yang Haoran deliberately avoided answering her question, the female demon decided not to press further.
Regardless of whether Yang Haoran was human or demon, he was currently trapped here. If he wished to regain his freedom and leave, he would have no choice but to destroy the Demon Sealing Talismans. Therefore, she couldn't be bothered to care what he was; as long as the talismans here were destroyed, her objective would be achieved.
When Yang Haoran inquired about the bundles of white bones on the ground, the seductive smile remained on the female demon's face, though a deep sense of revulsion flickered in her eyes.
"You're talking about them? Heh heh, they were practically begging for death; how can you blame me? Do you think they were all good people? Every single one of them coveted my body; some even on the verge of death still wanted to pin me down on a bed. They all thought they were scholars, all wanted to ride a cross-border train. But unfortunately, in my eyes, they were merely food. Do you fall in love with what you see as food?"
Yang Haoran smiled and shook his head, saying, "Some people might, but I wouldn't."
"There are Demon Sealing Talismans here; I can't get out at all. If they didn't actively run into my house, what would I have used to harm them? Don't you think they were seeking their own deaths? " the female demon asked with a smile.
Yang Haoran didn't answer the female demon's question. He pointed to the pot on the stove and asked with a smile, "May I see what's stewing inside?"
As the pot was covered, Yang Haoran didn't know what was stewing inside, but it smelled surprisingly fragrant.
"Inside, huh? Heh heh, it's definitely something good. These are all for my human guests, not for entertaining you. But if you just want to take a look, that's fine too. Go ahead and look," the female demon said with a seductive smile, then gestured for Yang Haoran to proceed.
Yang Haoran didn't stand on ceremony. He took a puff from his cigarette, then slowly exhaled.
As the smoke billowed from his mouth and nose, the pot lid, entwined with a wisp of Yin Qi, slowly slid aside, gradually revealing what was stewing inside the pot.
What Yang Haoran first saw was a dark, mushy mass, very soft and pliable.
However, as the liquid in the pot boiled and bubbled, he finally discerned what this dark, mushy thing truly was.
It was hair. To be precise, it was long female hair, a dark, mushy layer floating on the surface of the water.
"Since I've shown you what's on top, I might as well let you see what's below, lest you accuse me of being stingy."
The female demon said with a seductive smile. Her words were full of innuendo, every syllable brimming with temptation. As she spoke, she gently waved her jade-like hand, and a human head slowly floated up from the pot.
It was a woman's head; the entire skull had been stewed until it was soft and falling apart, but only her long hair remained perfectly intact, deeply embedded within the skull.
Before opening the pot lid, although Yang Haoran didn't know what was stewing inside, he knew one thing: whatever was in the pot was definitely not anything good.
However, when he saw the head rising from the pot, the smile on his face couldn't help but stiffen slightly. It wasn't fear he felt, but rather a hint of revulsion.
"I know humans like to eat cooked food, so to entertain them, I specially prepared a different kind of noodles. Except my noodles aren't boiled; they're stewed, and the longer they stew, the more fragrant they become. If it weren't for my guests, I'd be tempted to try a bite myself," the female demon said with a laugh.
Yang Haoran's smile vanished. He took a drag from his cigarette, his gaze shifting from the stewed head to the female demon beside him.
"Don't you find what you're doing cruel? " Yang Haoran asked.
"Cruel? " A humorous expression appeared on the female demon's face. Then she asked Yang Haoran, "In our eyes, she's just food. I merely processed the food a little; how is that cruel? Do you prefer to eat raw?"
"She's human," Yang Haoran said, frowning.
"I know she's human. Humans can eat animals, cooking them however they please. So why can't animals eat humans? Why can't we cook them as we see fit?"
"Animals are eaten because the vast majority of animals are weaker than humans, and humans need plants and animals as ingredients for survival, so plants and animals are eaten by humans."
"But in the eyes of us demons, ordinary humans are equally weak, and we also need to consume them to supplement ourselves. We capture them and use them as ingredients; isn't that perfectly normal?"
The female demon's words made Yang Haoran's brows furrow a little deeper. For a moment, he actually found himself at a loss for how to retort.
"This world has always operated on the law of the jungle. Whether it's humans eating plants and animals, or plants and animals eating humans, or even kin killing kin, these are all the rules of this world. As long as one lives in this world, no one can escape these rules, and everyone must abide by them. If you don't want to be eaten, you must become powerful. This is the strongest rule of survival."
"As for cruelty, heh heh, it seems humans are even crueler than us demons, don't you think? It's just that humans have long grown accustomed to their own cruel methods, so they don't find them cruel themselves. But they rarely encounter demons, devils, or ghosts, so when similar methods are employed by us, they become difficult for them to accept. Tell me, am I right?"
Yang Haoran frowned deeply. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, "You're right. This world indeed operates on the law of the jungle; it's an unchangeable rule that all living beings must obey. However, beyond this 'survival of the fittest,' one must also have their own stance and principles."
The female demon covered her mouth with a laugh, then asked Yang Haoran, "Heh heh, and what are your stance and principles?"
Yang Haoran didn't answer immediately. He looked at the female demon, and then, surprisingly, a smile slowly returned to his face.
"My stance and principles, huh? Heh heh, sometimes I have my own stance and principles, but sometimes I'm quite capricious. Isn't that contradictory, rather strange? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
The smile on the female demon's face deepened. She then chuckled, "It is indeed a bit strange. However, at this moment, which is your attitude? The former, or the latter?"
Yang Haoran didn't immediately answer the female demon. Instead, he raised the cigarette held between his fingers and took a drag, only to find that the cigarette had long since burned down and extinguished. In this situation, he didn't pull out another to light. Instead, he unceremoniously flicked the butt away with his finger, then asked the female demon with a smile, "Well, as for that. . . you guess?"
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