Yokai Fear Humans More

"No problem."

As the buyer waited anxiously, Luo Qiu nodded gently. "We can sell you the safety for one night. However, I have one more thing..."

Before Luo Qiu could finish, the new customer immediately said excitedly, "No, if you do that, you'll just raise the price!"

Luo Qiu smiled and said, "Don't misunderstand. It's just a personal interest of mine. If possible, I just want you to let me see what you look like... Of course, if you're unwilling, I won't force you. It was my fault for not explaining clearly; whether you show me or not won't affect the terms of our transaction."

"Really?"

Luo Qiu nodded.

The new customer seemed to consider for a long, long time before finally nodding. Their hoarse voice sounded, "Okay, but only you can see. Don't tell anyone else."

The Club owner's manual clearly stated that Luo Qiu was absolutely safe within the Club.

After all, it was the first time in his life he had seen what a legendary Yokai looked like. His intense curiosity made Luo Qiu readily agree. He had You Ye return to the inner hall to wait, and then he eagerly anticipated the new customer beginning to remove the clothes covering them.

The new customer still seemed hesitant. "I'm afraid... I'll scare you."

Luo Qiu shook his head. To ease the atmosphere, he said, "Don't let my appearance fool you, I actually quite enjoy watching horror movies or zombie films. Those should be the limits of terror or ugliness that humans can imagine... However, if you truly don't want to, I won't force you. Perhaps we could discuss where you'll be staying tomorrow night... ah, you must stay in, in what you call the wilderness?"

"I... understand."

The new customer slowly stood up and first began to untie the scarf wrapped around their neck, unwinding it layer by layer. When the scarf was completely removed, Luo Qiu saw a layer of dark green material, full of wrinkles, covered with sparse, dry hairs... but just the neck alone was enough to make him feel disgusted.

But it was still within his tolerance. Luo Qiu took a deep breath and focused even more intently on the other party's face.

The hat was taken off, the sunglasses removed, the mask pulled down, and finally, even the black overcoat wrapped around the body was shed.

With each item removed, Luo Qiu's eyes flickered, and his breathing became slightly more rapid.

He finally understood what it meant to pay the price for his curiosity—but thinking that this was his own choice, he forced himself not to dwell on it too much.

Even though the visual impact of the new customer before him was incomparable to anything in movies or television.

The body was similar to an Alien, but the skin was the same dark green as the neck, and also full of wrinkles. But it wasn't just that; the skin was cracked in many places, seemingly like wounds. Patches of green skin hadn't completely peeled off, and green liquid occasionally seeped from the wounds.

What looked like insect claws supported the sleeves of the white shirt. As for the head above the neck, it was a complete insectoid appearance.

It was simply the head of a very large insect, with a circular mouthpart and needle-like teeth. It seemed to have no nose, and then there were two enormous black eyeballs, hanging on either side above the mouthpart, with no eyelids.

Luo Qiu saw nothing resembling ears, and certainly no hair.

Of course, even the head showed areas of skin cracking, as if rotting.

When Luo Qiu came to his senses, the new customer had already put their clothes back on and asked, "I... didn't scare you, did I?"

Luo Qiu took a deep breath and steadied himself. "I feel alright."

"No need to lie. I know I'm very ugly."

Luo Qiu shook his head. "But it's also a form of life. I think there must be a reason for you to look this way. Our human aesthetic standards are different; perhaps to your own kind, you might even be considered beautiful this way."

The new customer said faintly, "Originally... not like this. At least not... this ugly. Humans... polluted food... hard to eat... became like this."

Eating polluted food caused this decaying condition? Luo Qiu calmed himself. This Yokai looked like a transformed insect—there was no such rule as "no transforming after the founding of the nation," because a living Insect Yokai stood before him.

What do insects usually eat? Luo Qiu's first thought was plant roots, stems, and leaves.

He had indeed heard about how industrial pollution in recent years had caused acid rain in many areas, damaging vegetation. Some factories had also indiscriminately discharged wastewater containing chemical substances or metal waste, leading to water source mutations and subsequent illnesses.

He just hadn't expected that human pollution of nature had become so severe that even Yokai couldn't withstand it.

Luo Qiu put the jade token back into the wad of newspaper and pushed it towards the new customer. "Please keep this jade token for now. Our rule is that we only collect the transaction fee after the goods have arrived. Also, you can stay here until tomorrow night. Of course, if you don't like it, you can come back tomorrow night."

The new customer was stunned. "I... can keep it?"

"Of course, there are quite a few empty rooms here, actually." Luo Qiu smiled. "And, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a Yokai to chat with... ah, to chat about Yokai matters."

The new customer was silent for a moment before asking, "You... don't... dislike it?"

Luo Qiu shook his head. "As I said, the visual impact doesn't mean anything. To humans, you might look the ugliest, but to your own kind, perhaps you look the most normal, or even beautiful. I just want to know more about different life forms."

Saying this, Luo Qiu smacked his lips. "Of course, I don't dislike it, because I'm more interested."

The Insect Yokai seemed to be hesitating or considering, but in the end, Luo Qiu didn't get the answer he wanted. Because the Insect Yokai refused his kind offer and hurriedly left the Club, only leaving behind the specific time and location for their meeting tomorrow night.

After the Insect Yokai left, You Ye emerged from the inner hall.

However, as she came out, You Ye was holding a black handgun on a tray—if Luo Qiu wasn't mistaken, it was the one taken from Jin Zifu.

Looking at the maid doll's action with some surprise, Luo Qiu reached out and took the handgun.

"If you need to protect the guest tomorrow night, You Ye might not be able to take good care of Master's safety. However, it's impossible for others to harm Master." You Ye said softly, "What I wanted to say is, if Master feels bored, you can play with this handgun."

Luo Qiu was taken aback and chuckled wryly, "Yokai, are they afraid of bullets?"

You Ye said calmly, "Weapons created by humans actually instill fear in many Yokai. Yokai are also a form of life. Although Yokai have many more abilities than humans and are much stronger, they are still flesh and blood. Most of them cannot withstand high-lethality weapons created by humans. Otherwise, with so many different types of Yokai lurking in the world, why do so few humans know about them, and why don't Yokai operate in society in their true forms?"

Luo Qiu weighed the UPS handgun in his hand and suddenly said, "It's because, rather than humans fearing Yokai, Yokai are actually more afraid of humans."

"Does Master know how to use a gun?" You Ye asked with a light laugh, changing the subject. "You Ye can teach some simple techniques."

Luo Qiu shook his head.

But his body suddenly turned, facing a wall on one side of the Club. At the same time, Luo Qiu's legs spread slightly wider than shoulder-width, knees slightly bent, and his toes angled slightly inward. Simultaneously, his arms extended naturally, his right hand gripping the gun while his left hand, with the tiger's mouth upwards and palm facing inward, supported the grip, encircling the trigger guard.

He then made a feint towards a vase on the wall.

"When my father was still around, he taught me how to shoot a gun,"

Luo Qiu said nostalgically.

PS1: Afraid of me shooting? Afraid? Raise your hand and vote quickly, or I'll have nutritional drinks in my left hand and nutritional drinks in my right, with unlimited bullets. Are you afraid?

PS2: Unless something unexpected happens, I'll be updating two chapters daily, usually around 9 AM and 5 PM