Realm of the Night God

Inside the shopping mall, the serpent demon appeared quite lively. Despite not originally planning to buy clothes, she completely forgot about it upon entering the mall.

This serpent demon, who had never been to a shopping mall before, unexpectedly showcased her feminine talents to the fullest. She effortlessly selected, tried on, and inquired about clothes, displaying great skill and excitement.

Yang Haoran accompanied the serpent demon, not being one to meticulously choose his purchases. He bought whatever he liked, making quick decisions. As a result, he was ready to start shopping for himself only after the serpent demon finished.

Appearing cheerful on the surface, Yang Haoran's thoughts were still occupied by the power of faith. His understanding of the power of faith was limited, leading him to feel passive in this regard. After some contemplation, he sent a text message to Master Wu.

The message was brief, asking Master Wu to help him gather some books on extraordinary people, myths, and legends that documented the mystical aspects of the world.

Master Wu quickly responded, reassuring Yang Haoran that he could handle the task. Although Yang Haoran didn't know how many such books Master Wu could collect, he trusted Master Wu's competence and believed he wouldn't be disappointed.

However, whether he could find what he wanted among the books Master Wu collected was uncertain.

If he could find what he wanted in those books, that would be ideal. If not, it was still okay, as reading more books could broaden his knowledge.

The serpent demon enthusiastically shopped for over two hours without showing signs of fatigue. She tried on many clothes but didn't buy a single one. Yang Haoran didn't want to rush her, but realizing the time, he reminded the serpent demon.

In the end, after much deliberation, the serpent demon bought a sportswear set, while Yang Haoran bought a small suit, a watch, and a children's outfit for Xiaokang.

He had initially thought of buying a small gift for Xu Meijing too, but after some consideration, he decided against it since he had already prepared a gift for her on this trip to Ancheng.

Leaving the mall, the serpent demon still seemed eager. If it weren't for Yang Haoran reminding her, she probably would have continued shopping for a few more hours.

Back home, Xiaokang, under Xiu Juan's guidance, was busy in the kitchen on the second floor. The shop on the first floor was open but unattended.

Yang Haoran didn't find this strange because it was what he had requested. He treated the shop as a leisure activity and didn't intend to profit from it. If he had time, he would look after it; if not, he wouldn't bother.

On the second floor, the serpent demon happily ran back to her room, while Yang Haoran entered the kitchen.

Seeing Yang Haoran made Xiaokang happy. Learning that Yang Haoran had bought him a new outfit made the little guy even happier.

Yang Haoran asked Xiaokang to try on the new clothes, and he took over Xiaokang's work, getting busy in the kitchen.

The sight of Yang Haoran in the kitchen surprised the serpent demon. She couldn't help but ask, "Can you cook?"

Yang Haoran nodded and replied with a smile, "A little bit."

"You won't starve even if you don't eat. Why waste time on this?" the serpent demon questioned, puzzled.

"You won't die even if you don't eat people. You can enhance your strength by absorbing the spirit qi of heaven and earth. So why do you still eat people?" Yang Haoran asked while working.

"The nature of the two is different. I consume people to absorb the spirit within their blood and flesh. Why do you, like an ordinary person, bother with meals? What benefits do you gain?" the serpent demon asked.

Yang Haoran didn't answer the question. He glanced at the serpent demon, who was now wearing sportswear, and said with a smile, "Nice clothes. They suit you well."

The serpent demon chuckled, displaying a seductive demeanor. She said, "Thank you for the compliment and for covering the expenses. It feels awkward to see you busy alone, so let me help you."

With that, the serpent demon rolled up her sleeves, ready to lend a hand.

"Do you know how?" Yang Haoran asked, amused by the serpent demon's attitude.

"Of course, haven't you forgotten how delicious the noodles I made were?" she replied.

The serpent demon's words made Yang Haoran's mouth twitch slightly. He couldn't help but think of the woman's head that had been stewed, and his smile became somewhat unnatural.

However, he didn't refuse the serpent demon's offer of help.

The unnatural smile on Yang Haoran's face was noticed by the serpent demon. Her own smile deepened a bit, and she deliberately spoke, "Cooking humans and cooking pigs are actually not much different. I'll show you my skills later. You go ahead and do your thing; I'll take care of it here."

Yang Haoran didn't leave because of the serpent demon's words. Although they had spent some time together today, he would not completely trust the serpent demon. He remained cautious.

If he handed the kitchen over to the serpent demon and she planted some hex in the food, not only would he end up like the crazy woman, but Xiaokang would also be affected.

This possibility couldn't be ruled out, considering that a short time spent together couldn't truly help Yang Haoran understand the serpent demon. Whether the serpent demon's behavior in front of him was genuine or an act remained uncertain.

Of course, it was also possible that Yang Haoran was overthinking, but with his personality, he preferred to think more rather than be caught off guard. If he were really caught off guard, it would be too late for regrets.

Seeing that Yang Haoran had no intention of leaving, the serpent demon frowned and said, "What? Afraid I'll poison the food?"

Yang Haoran smiled, his expression natural, and replied, "How could that be? You're overthinking."

"You can deceive children with that kind of talk. I'm not as naive as a child," the serpent demon retorted.

Yang Haoran just smiled and didn't say much.

With the serpent demon's help, they quickly prepared the meal.

The hot and steaming dishes were served, and the three of them enjoyed their meal in the living room.

Xiaokang had to eat, there was no need to discuss that. Yang Haoran ate out of habit and to satisfy his taste buds.

As for the serpent demon, she had little interest in human food. Being a serpent demon, she not only ate humans but also various beasts. However, since beasts lacked human spirit in their blood and flesh, she would prefer to eat humans if given the choice.

But at the moment, she didn't have a choice. Plus, she had contributed to this meal, so she picked up chopsticks to taste it.

Taking a bite, the serpent demon found the taste quite good. Although there was no human spirit to absorb, at least she could enjoy the flavors, prompting her to take a few more bites.

After dinner, Xiaokang skillfully helped clean the dishes. He volunteered to wash them, but Yang Haoran declined, asking him to watch and learn instead.

Yang Haoran hoped Xiaokang would learn to be self-sufficient as soon as possible. However, he had no intention of treating Xiaokang as a servant, so most of the time, he aimed to teach Xiaokang with the purpose of learning rather than just doing tasks.

Once the cleaning was done, Yang Haoran returned to the study. Instead of continuing to draw symbols, he picked up a book and started reading.

The serpent demon returned to her temporary room, sitting cross-legged on the bed to absorb the spirit qi of heaven and earth for healing and recovery.

As for Xiaokang, he went back to the first floor, standing by the counter. He watched over the grocery store's business while working on the assignments laid out by Xiu Juan.

Late into the night, Yang Haoran closed the grocery store's door, allowing Xiaokang to rest in his room. Yang Haoran stayed in the study, engrossed in reading, without closing his eyes all night.

With his strength, not only could he stay awake for one night, but even several days without sleep would not affect him.

However, the reason he didn't sleep was due to his lack of trust in the serpent demon.

Early the next morning, Yang Haoran's grocery store welcomed a guest. This guest was none other than the team leader of Lecheng Spirit Police, Captain Luo.

Yang Haoran had originally planned to head to Ancheng, but with Captain Luo's arrival, he had to temporarily put that aside.

In the study, a cup of tea was placed in front of both Yang Haoran and Captain Luo. Yang Haoran took a puff of his cigarette, smiling as he looked at Captain Luo.

"Captain Luo, what brings you here today? Got some free time to visit me?"