Chapter 31: Master Chu Foots the Bill

Inside the illustrated gallery, Chu Chen stood rooted to the spot like a wooden stake. Floating before him were two items: a "Thousand-Silk Needle," a hidden weapon designed to be worn around the wrist, and a square jigsaw puzzle piece.

Could his volatile master actually be a demon beast? Impossible. What kind of place was the Demon Suppression Division? She was a high-ranking general of the division; how could she possibly be a demon? Yet, the illustrated guide was devoid of emotion; its reward mechanism functioned like pre-written code and could not lie.

Chu Chen looked at the puzzle piece, where brown lines traced the shape of undulating waves. The phrase "Use demons to slay demons" echoed repeatedly in his mind. He recalled Bai Ning’s personality—irascible, cold, and emotionally stunted. Could it be that she was truly a demon who had taken human form? Had she been masquerading within the Demon Suppression Division all this time, only to be accidentally uncovered by his cheat code today? What was her objective?

No, that couldn't be right. Although he had only recently joined the division, he had heard stories of General Bai Ning slaying countless demons. If she were indeed a high-level demon in human form, wouldn't she be acting too ruthlessly against her own kind? Who could tell him if the guide’s code was faulty, or if Bai Ning was truly a great demon?

He suddenly thought of Wu Xingyao. Bai Ning treated him and Wu Xingyao like two completely different people. In Chu Chen's ingrained perception, the old demons in *Journey to the West* all liked to eat young boys and girls. The same was true in *Investiture of the Gods* and *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*. Chu Chen raised his hands and knocked on his skull. No, that wasn't right either. When he was on a mission in Huangling, he had heard Xu Xiaoyao mention that Bai Ning once took on a highly gifted disciple named Wu Kun. When he first became Bai Ning’s student, he was about the same age as Wu Xingyao, and he, too, had been scolded until he was utterly demoralized.

"Master Chu, Master Chu..."

Chu Chen was pulled back to reality by the repeated calls of "Master." The Demon Suppression Division employed many people to handle cleaning, cooking, and laundry. Their monthly wages were enough to support a family of five, and they held the staff of the division in high regard. Except for those with specific official titles, everyone was addressed as "Master." As a rising star in Jinnan County, it was no surprise that the servants knew his surname.

"Master Chu, we are here to clean the courtyard and dispose of the demon remains."

"Oh..."

Chu Chen responded, distracted by his heavy thoughts, and walked toward the house. He sat on the wooden steps rather than going inside, watching as over a dozen professionals, armed with tools, dismantled the spider demon, loaded the pieces onto carts, and hauled them out of the courtyard. Once they returned, they scrubbed away the fluids the demon had left behind, relaid the scattered cobblestones, cleared away the broken trees, and planted new saplings in their place. They worked until dusk, restoring the courtyard to its original state, as if the battle had never occurred.

"Master Chu, the courtyard is tidied up. We will be leaving now."

"Mhm."

Chu Chen replied, gazing blankly at the empty courtyard.

"Chu Chen will never die in battle!"
"I will make every demon in this world pay with their lives for Chu Chen."
"You are not to step one inch outside the Demon Suppression Division until you reach the Spirit Transformation Realm."
"What demon do you need? I’ll go catch it for you right now."
"You dog, how dare you try to snatch my people!"

Bai Ning’s words replayed in his mind. Having lived two lives, he was no longer a rebellious teenager who misunderstood his parents' intentions.

"Why are you sitting here? Where is Xiao Yao?"

Chu Chen stood up immediately, maintaining his usual demeanor. "I was afraid of disturbing Master’s rest."

Before Bai Ning could ask again about Xiao Yao, the little girl came running back, shouting the moment she saw them that she was hungry. For reasons unknown, Bai Ning felt an inexplicable affection for the girl and immediately ordered Chu Chen to go to the kitchen to fetch food. According to the rules, running errands should have been Xiao Yao's duty, but since his volatile master had spoken, he had no choice but to comply.

When Chu Chen arrived at the kitchen, he was shocked by what he saw. It looked much like a school cafeteria, with rows of tables and chairs in the dining area. Dozens of strapping young men and women, in the prime of their youth, were sitting there, each with nothing more than a small dish of pickled vegetables and a single steamed white flour bun.

What was going on? Was the Demon Suppression Division a sweatshop that fed its employees only this? In his previous life, if he had posted a video of this, it would have gone viral. If they wanted him to take the video down, it would have cost them thirty or fifty thousand yuan, no doubt.

Chu Chen looked at the serving window. The head chef stood there with a ladle in hand, looking helplessly at the array of delicacies—braised pork knuckles, lion’s head meatballs, shredded pork with green peppers, savory noodles, white rice, and coarse grain buns.

Chu Chen was even more confused. There was plenty of food, so why were they forcing themselves to eat so poorly? This wasn't a good culture. He decided to make a statement and walked up to the window.

"One braised pork knuckle, two servings of lion’s head meatballs, and that fish looks good, give me a braised yellow croaker too." Thinking of Wu Xingyao’s appetite, he held up five fingers to the chef. "And rice, this much."

"Five bowls?" the chef asked.

"Five jin!"

Finally, someone was eating like a normal person, but the chef still couldn't bring himself to be happy. He had contracted the kitchen services for the Demon Suppression Division, and if no one bought the food, he lost money. "Sigh... it’s such a pity to throw all this food away."

Chu Chen leaned his elbows on the serving counter and stuck his head in, whispering, "What is going on here?"

"It’s all the fault of Master Bai Ning’s disciple, Chu Chen. Everyone can’t afford to eat anymore."

Chu Chen blinked, determined to get to the bottom of it. "What does the disciple of General Bai Ning have to do with them not being able to eat?"

The chef shook the meatball in his ladle and muttered, "Young man, you look like a decent fellow. Let me give you some advice: never gamble. Nine out of ten gamblers lose. They... they bet with Master Pei, who was in charge of the review, on the outcome of the battle between Chu Chen and the demon. They all bet on the demon to win, and they ended up losing all their money. It’s thirteen days until the next payday. Look at them, the poor things..."

After the chef finished, he added, "Young man, it’s good that you didn't gamble."

Chu Chen couldn't afford to make more enemies. His master’s reputation in the Demon Suppression Division was already beyond saving; he couldn't follow in her footsteps. Cultivation wasn't just about fighting and killing; it was about human relationships and worldly wisdom.

"Clap!"

A gold ingot worth twenty taels slammed onto the counter, startling the chef so much that he began waving his hands in refusal. "Young man, that’s too much..."

Chu Chen gestured for the chef to come closer. The chef, not daring to slight this god of wealth, immediately leaned in.

As Chu Chen walked away with the food, the chef’s booming voice echoed behind him: "The kitchen will provide free meals for thirteen days, paid for by Master Chu, the beloved disciple of General Bai Ning!"