In the Netherworld, there was dead silence.
The last image on the scrying mirror was Vic happily playing with the Dragon Talisman.
Bai Tza's Source Essence, like a weary bird returning to its nest, had happily drilled into his body and even "thoughtfully" paid "rent."
The water mirror flickered a few times before finally extinguishing completely, turning into a wisp of smoke and dissipating.
Leaving behind a deathly silence and an atmosphere thick with the smell of "emotional damage."
Po Kong, Tso Lan, Hsi Wu, Dai Gui... the gazes of several Demon Sorcerers unanimously turned to Bai Tza, who was slumped on the ground.
At this moment, Bai Tza had none of the majesty or rage of the Water Demon.
Her spectral blue body was limp on the scorched earth. Her tentacles drooped weakly. Her eyes stared blankly at the spot where the mirror had vanished, as if her soul and strength had been drained away. She didn't even have the energy to be angry.
The entire demon looked like a broken, discarded doll.
Even Hsi Wu, who usually took pleasure in others' misfortunes and lived for the drama, didn't let out his signature screeching laugh this time.
He hovered in mid-air, flapping his bat wings, looking at Bai Tza's miserable state. For once, his scarlet eyes showed a complex emotion... a sense of shared sorrow for their kind.
An unspeakable, heavy silence shrouded every demon.
They had lived for eons, witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations, fought brutal wars against the Immortals, and were finally sealed in this endless hell.
They thought they had seen all the absurdity and weirdness the world had to offer.
But... something this ridiculous? This was a first since the dawn of creation!
Demonic Chi—that was the source of their power, the symbol of their authority, the sharp weapon of corruption and control!
But now?
Bai Tza's Chi not only failed to corrupt that human brat named Vic, but it acted like it had found its true love, eagerly throwing itself into his arms!
It even brought its own "rent" and settled down comfortably in a "Kidney Suite" inside his body!
What was this?
This wasn't simple betrayal anymore!
This was like raising a daughter for thousands of years, only for her to suddenly elope with a sketchy street thug she met less than half a day ago.
And before leaving, she stole the family heirloom to use as a "dowry"!
A strong sense of humiliation and frustration gnawed at every demon's heart like venomous insects.
They were high and mighty ancient demons! Rulers of reality!
When had they ever suffered such an insult?!
"Uh..."
Dai Gui scratched his rocky head and broke the silence with his muffled voice, thick with confusion and a hint of worry.
"Big Brother... why do I feel... kinda scared?"
He pointed to his own stone chest.
"If Second Sister's Chi ended up like that... if we get a chance later... will my Chi also..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Thinking that the Chi he left in the mortal realm might one day act like Bai Tza's—not destroying anything, but instead serving a human like a slave and paying rent—Dai Gui felt his stone core go cold.
Po Kong's massive mountain of flesh squirmed uneasily. The lightning around Tso Lan crackled chaotically. The wind whipped up by Xiao Fung seemed weak and powerless.
Even the most heartless Hsi Wu subconsciously tucked his wings tighter, as if that would provide a sense of security.
Floating in the air, Tso Lan's eternally indifferent face was now deeply furrowed.
As the eldest and wisest of the eight demons, the shock he felt was far greater than the others.
This completely overturned his understanding of power, corruption, and the nature of reality!
That human named Vic... what kind of magic did he have?!
Are carbon-based lifeforms in the mortal realm this abstract now?
Suddenly, Tso Lan felt that the grand plans he had spent eons preparing for their return to the mortal realm seemed so... pale and laughable in the face of this "reality" that refused to play by the rules.
For the first time, he deeply doubted his own wisdom and schemes.
Bai Tza, paralyzed on the ground, was oblivious to her brothers' reactions.
She just stared blankly ahead, her lips moving silently, repeatedly muttering broken syllables:
"...rent... my Chi... paid rent... moved in..."
With each mutter, the water currents around her became more chaotic, their color dimming further.
Clearly, the Water Demon's sanity was teetering on the edge of collapse.
In Hell, the atmosphere of mournful solidarity was thick enough to cut with a knife.
The demons realized for the first time that this seemingly crazy human boy might shake the foundation of their existence more than any Immortal ever could.
Tso Lan's crimson eyes flashed with extreme confusion.
As the oldest and most knowledgeable of the demons, he naturally knew of the two fundamental forces maintaining the world's balance—
Dark Chi (Yin) and Light Chi (Yang), and their endless struggle.
This completely illogical scene forced him to come up with a theory similar to the one held by his "good brother" Shendu, who was trapped in a statue:
Could it be... this human is the chosen host of Dark Chi for this generation?
Only this explanation could barely justify why Bai Tza's Chi acted so... "fawning."
Why did good things seem to crash into his arms as if guided by destiny?
It was clearly Dark Chi trying its best to "favor" and "feed" its agent!
But...
A crack appeared on Tso Lan's stoic face.
Even if Vic is the Dark Chi Host, this "treatment" is too excessive, isn't it?
This wasn't just "favor." This was Dark Chi taking the family fortune it had saved for thousands of years and eagerly handing it over to "honor" this little ancestor!
That meticulous care, terrified that he might get a scratch... it didn't look like a father serving a son; it looked like a son serving a father!
And... where was the Light Chi?
Tso Lan's mind fell into deeper chaos.
according to the "pattern" of countless past cycles, whenever the Dark side made a move—especially when a host caused such a huge commotion—the Light side would always dispatch its agents in time.
Those human mages wielding Chi magic would come to stop and balance things.
Like the Eight Immortals who banished them to Hell.
But today?
Forget stopping him; there wasn't even a shadow of a Light agent!
This broke the rules!
Tso Lan felt his demonic logic crumbling.
Did the Light side give up?
Or... were they completely suppressed by the Dark side?
Impossible. The balance of Yin and Yang is a fundamental law of the universe...
A thought even more absurd—one that would shatter the worldview of anyone in the know—struck Tso Lan like lightning:
It can't be that... the Light side and the Dark side... are working together on this?!
This idea was too shocking. Even Tso Lan scared himself with it and subconsciously tried to deny it.
Yin and Yang, opposing and generating each other, eternally in conflict. That is the Iron Law! How could they cooperate? It's the biggest joke in the world!
Hahaha, I'm overthinking it. Definitely overthinking it.
---
"Joker Bomb! Haha! I win! Pay up, pay up! The pretty gems are mine!"
Inside the repaired Gremlin jet.
Jade jumped up from her chair, hands on her hips, issuing a triumphant declaration. Her small face was written with the arrogance of a "God of Gamblers."
She slammed the "Joker pair" she had been holding tightly onto the table with a crisp thwack.
Then, she skillfully picked up the pre-cut strips of white paper and—smack, smack—stuck them precisely onto the foreheads of Vic and Enid opposite her.
Vic looked at the handful of terrible cards he hadn't had a chance to play, then touched his cheek, which was almost completely covered in white paper strips.
With a look of utter despair, he picked out the highest quality ruby from his mountain of treasure and reluctantly pushed it toward Jade.
"Take it, take it... You little ancestor, are you sure this is your first time playing 'Fight the Landlord'?"
Vic's voice was full of suspicion and grievance.
"I've lost ten games in a row! Your luck is statistically impossible!"
He seriously suspected this little girl was using some unknown secret technique. How else could anyone explain this level of luck?
It was like she had been kissed by Lady Luck herself!
Enid didn't care much about winning or losing. Her blue eyes curved into crescents, finding the banter between Vic and Jade amusing.
She even kindly helped Vic re-stick a strip of paper that was sliding off his face.
"Vic, you have to accept defeat graciously."
Enid's voice was warm with laughter.
"Exactly!"
Jade snatched the ruby, held it up to the sunlight to admire it, and then stuffed it into her already bulging pocket with satisfaction. She stuck her tongue out at Vic.
"Blehh~ Loser!"
She was over the moon: This is way more exciting than running around looking for talismans with Jackie! Adventure AND winning gems? This is the perfect vacation!