Chapter 297: Captain Luo's Visit
Inside the mall, the snake demon was exceptionally lively. Though she hadn't intended to buy any clothes, upon entering the mall, she seemed to completely forget that fact.
The snake demon, who had never set foot in a shopping mall before, somehow managed to unleash a woman's innate shopping prowess to its fullest, seamlessly selecting, trying on, returning, and inquiring about clothes. She was incredibly skilled and exhilarated.
Yang Haoran stayed by the snake demon's side. He wasn't one to meticulously pick and choose items; he simply bought whatever caught his eye, a straightforward process that didn't take much time. Therefore, he planned to wait until the snake demon had finished her shopping before he began looking for his own necessities.
At this moment, he appeared to be smiling, but his mind was still preoccupied with Faith Power.
His understanding of Faith Power was far too limited, which left him feeling quite passive in this regard. After some thought, he sent Old Master Wu a text message.
The message was simple: he asked Old Master Wu to help him collect some books—tales of strange people and wonders, myths and legends—any books that documented the supernatural side of this world.
Old Master Wu quickly replied, telling Yang Haoran to rest assured and leave the matter to him.
Yang Haoran didn't know how many such books Old Master Wu would be able to collect, but he trusted Old Master Wu's efficiency and knew he wouldn't be disappointed.
However, whether he would find what he was looking for among the collected books remained to be seen.
The snake demon shopped for over two hours, her enthusiasm undiminished. She didn't rest for a single minute during that time. She tried on many clothes but didn't buy a single one. Yang Haoran hadn't wanted to rush her, but seeing that it was getting late, he finally spoke up to remind her.
In the end, after much deliberation, the snake demon bought a tracksuit, while Yang Haoran bought a light suit, a watch, and a children's outfit for Xiao Kang.
He had originally intended to buy a small gift for Xu Meijing as well, but after some consideration, he gave up on the idea, as he had already prepared a gift for her for their upcoming trip to Ancheng.
Emerging from the mall, the snake demon still looked as if she hadn't had enough. From her expression, if Yang Haoran hadn't urged her, she probably could have continued shopping for several more hours without her enthusiasm waning.
Back home, Xiao Kang was busy in the second-floor kitchen under Xiujuan's guidance, while the shop on the first floor was open but unsupervised.
Yang Haoran wasn't surprised by this. He had specifically requested it, as he was merely running the shop for fun now, with no intention of turning a profit. So, if there was time, he'd look after it; if not, he wouldn't bother.
Ascending to the second floor, the snake demon excitedly rushed back to her room, while Yang Haoran entered the kitchen.
Yang Haoran's appearance delighted Xiao Kang. Upon learning that Yang Haoran had bought him new clothes, the little fellow became even happier.
Yang Haoran told Xiao Kang to try on the new clothes to see if they fit, then took over Xiao Kang's work and began busying himself in the kitchen.
The snake demon, clad in her new tracksuit, looked incredibly vibrant. She was quite surprised to see Yang Haoran busy in the kitchen.
"You can cook? " the snake demon asked, watching the busy Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran nodded, smiling as he replied, "Just a little."
"Even if you don't eat, you won't starve to death, so why bother wasting your time on this? " the snake demon asked, puzzled.
"You could also survive without eating people, and cultivate your strength by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so why do you still eat people? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile, still busy.
"The nature of the two is different. I eat people to absorb the Human Spirit within their flesh and blood. What benefit could you possibly gain from dining like an ordinary human? " the snake demon pressed.
Yang Haoran didn't answer the snake demon's question. He glanced at her, now dressed in a tracksuit, and smiled, "The clothes are nice. They fit you well."
The snake demon chuckled, exuding a charming allure. She smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, and thank you for paying. It feels a bit rude to let you do all the work alone, so I'll help you."
With that, the snake demon rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to assist.
"Are you sure you know how to? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile, seeing her demeanor.
"Of course I do! Have you forgotten how delicious the noodles I made were?"
The snake demon's words made the corner of Yang Haoran's mouth twitch slightly. He couldn't help but recall that stewed woman's head, and the smile on his face became a little unnatural.
However, he didn't refuse the snake demon's offer to help.
The snake demon noticed Yang Haoran's unnatural smile, and the smile on her own face deepened slightly. Then, she deliberately said, "Cooking humans is really no different from cooking pigs. I'll let you see my culinary skills in a bit. Go busy yourself with your own things; I'll handle everything here."
Yang Haoran didn't leave because of the snake demon's words. Although he had spent some time with her today, he would absolutely not trust her completely just because of that. He remained quite wary of the snake demon in his heart.
If he truly left the kitchen to the snake demon, and she somehow infused the food with some demonic curse, not only would he end up like the madwoman, but Xiao Kang would also be implicated.
Such a possibility wasn't out of the question; after all, short-term acquaintance couldn't allow Yang Haoran to truly understand the snake demon. Who knew if her current behavior was genuine or merely an act?
Of course, it was also possible that Yang Haoran was overthinking things, but with his personality, he'd rather be overly cautious than be ambushed by someone. If he truly were ambushed, it would be too late for regrets.
Seeing that Yang Haoran had no intention of leaving, the snake demon pouted discontentedly and said, "What? Are you afraid I'll poison the dishes?"
Yang Haoran smiled, his expression natural as he replied, "How could that be? You're overthinking it."
"You can fool children with that, but I'm not so naive."
Yang Haoran merely smiled at the snake demon's remark and said nothing more.
With the snake demon's help, they quickly prepared the meal.
The steaming hot dishes were served, and the three of them enjoyed dinner in the living room.
Xiao Kang had to eat; there was no questioning that. As for Yang Haoran, eating was a habit, and also a way to satiate his culinary desires.
The snake demon, on the other hand, had little interest in human food.
She was a snake demon. She ate not only humans but also various wild beasts. However, since beast flesh and blood didn't contain Human Spirit, if given the choice, she would rather eat humans than beasts.
But at the moment, she had no choice, and since she had also helped prepare this meal, she picked up her chopsticks, ready to sample the fare.
After one bite, the snake demon found the taste wasn't bad at all. Although there was no Human Spirit to absorb, at least her taste buds could enjoy it, which led her to take several more mouthfuls.
After dinner, Xiao Kang skillfully helped clear the table. He volunteered to wash the dishes, but Yang Haoran declined his offer, instead asking him to watch and learn from the side.
Yang Haoran simply wanted Xiao Kang to learn self-reliance as early as possible, but he had no intention of treating Xiao Kang as a servant. Therefore, most of the time, his purpose was to teach Xiao Kang how to do things, rather than simply getting tasks done through Xiao Kang.
After cleaning up, Yang Haoran returned to his study. He didn't continue drawing talismans but instead picked up a book and began reading.
The snake demon returned to her temporary room, where she sat cross-legged on the bed, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to heal and regain her strength.
Meanwhile, Xiao Kang went back downstairs, guarding the counter, attending to the sundry shop's business while also working on the homework Xiujuan had given him.
As night deepened, Yang Haoran locked up the sundry shop, sent Xiao Kang back to his own room to rest, and continued to stay in his study reading, not closing his eyes all night.
Given his strength, not closing his eyes for one night, or even several days, would have no adverse effect on him whatsoever.
And the reason he didn't close his eyes was, naturally, still due to his lingering mistrust of the snake demon.
The next morning, Yang Haoran's sundry shop received a guest. This guest was none other than Captain Luo, the head of the Lecheng Spirit Police.
Yang Haoran had originally planned to set off for Ancheng, but Captain Luo's appearance forced him to temporarily set aside those plans.
Inside the study, a cup of tea sat before each of them, Yang Haoran and Captain Luo. Yang Haoran took a puff from his cigarette, a smile on his face as he looked at Captain Luo.
"Captain Luo, what brings you here today?"
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