The Insects Don't Eat Vegetables

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￥￥￥￥￥￥The Main Text Follows￥￥￥￥￥￥

Talking with the Insect Yokai had been different. This time, there was a high chance they would have to fight—and fight a yokai at that. Luo Qiu could not help feeling a little nervous.

Nervous, but not afraid—his life and soul belonged to the club. There was basically nothing in this world that could take them away.

However, as the club's owner, Luo Qiu had not lived for thousands of years. Human emotions still made up the overwhelming majority of what he felt, so of course he would be nervous.

As for not being afraid... Since he could not die, what was there to be afraid of?

Luo Qiu and his strongly justice-minded father were not the same kind of people, but the words Old Luo had always kept on his lips had remained deeply engraved in Luo Qiu's heart over the years.

Old Luo had said: Don't chicken out. Meet them head-on.

In his hand was the USP You Ye had prepared for him. Luo Qiu loaded it immediately, gripping it with both hands while pointing the muzzle diagonally at the ground.

You Ye seemed much more relaxed. Perhaps she did not take the Mantis Yokai that was about to appear seriously at all. She simply stood there, no different from usual.

The Insect Yokai looked worse off. The black overcoat wrapped around him kept swaying faintly because of his trembling. Seeing this, Luo Qiu moved a little closer and stood in front of the Insect Yokai.

The three of them happened to have their backs to the river, with the woods in front and to either side. If the Mantis Yokai came, approaching from the river would obviously be more troublesome.

Suddenly, an even sharper shriek rang out. At the same time, the instant clouds drifted across the moonlight, a Black Shadow suddenly burst from the woods on the left!

Before Luo Qiu could react, You Ye had already stepped forward into the night. Two clangs abruptly rang through the air.

When the crescent moon once again emerged from behind the clouds, Luo Qiu saw that You Ye was now holding a telescoping black Metal Rod. Beneath the moonlight, there was also a fourth figure... No, a fourth yokai.

"Who are you?"

An ominous voice came from ahead. Luo Qiu focused his attention and found that his vision had suddenly become much clearer.

The Mantis Yokai stood with his legs slightly spread, but both arms hung straight down, the fingers on his palms pressed tightly together—in other words, fingers.

Because what Luo Qiu saw was clearly a young man with a slightly pale complexion, complete and sharply defined features, and, unexpectedly, a rather handsome appearance by ordinary human standards.

He wore a casual dark blue pinstriped suit jacket, with trousers of the same color. If not for his strange posture, he would have looked like a highly professional clothing model.

The only flaw was the sinister, vicious expression on his face, which thoroughly ruined the favorable impression his looks might otherwise have given.

Hmm. The Mantis Yokai's style was clearly different from the Insect Yokai's.

Luo Qiu even felt that this was more in line with the way he imagined a yokai ought to look when it appeared.

"Sir... um, Mr. Mantis, if possible, I hope you can leave," Luo Qiu said after considering his wording. "The... friend behind us is currently under our protection. If possible, could you leave tonight?"

Starting a fight at the slightest disagreement was foolish. When matters could be resolved without using one's fists, one should not use one's fists. That was more in line with modern society's values—and definitely not because he wanted to avoid effort while casually earning transaction money!

However, the club had some clear rules. One was that its existence could not be casually revealed to outsiders. This was especially true when there was an antagonistic relationship; they absolutely should not invoke the club's name.

You Ye had said that many beings knew of Trafford, or had heard rumors about it, but even more knew nothing. There was no need to let people who knew nothing learn too much.

The waters surrounding the club ran deep.

Luo Qiu knew he probably would not be able to truly understand it for quite some time. Its existence stretched back far longer than You Ye's years of service. What the Maid knew had probably been absorbed over the past few centuries from the previous owner.

The previous owner might occasionally mention a few things, but considering that the former owner was a middle-aged shut-in who could stay in his room listening to a music box all day, Luo Qiu estimated that much of You Ye's knowledge had been infused with a heavy dose of personal fanfiction...

Just as Luo Qiu habitually lost himself in thought, the Mantis Yokai moved.

"Hmph."

The Mantis Yokai gave a contemptuous smile. His gaze clearly passed over Luo Qiu and landed directly on the Insect Yokai at the back. "I was wondering how you still had the nerve to show your face. So you found two helpers. But, little brat, do you really think this will let you escape my grasp?"

The Mantis Yokai suddenly took a step forward, and the viciousness in his expression deepened.

The Insect Yokai instinctively took a frightened step backward and cried out, "Don't come any closer!"

The Mantis Yokai laughed loudly. "You wretched bastard who hasn't even lived fifty years—do you really think I want you that badly? If the larger Spirited Objects in the mountains hadn't all been eaten by me over the past few years, leaving this great master without even a proper meal, do you think I would be willing to swallow a greenhorn like you?"

The Mantis Yokai snorted coldly again. "Your mother was eaten by me. I still remember her screams! Do you remember? Hahahaha! Back then, your mother came out to die in order to protect you. Did you think I didn't know you were hidden beneath the soil? Don't make me laugh. You were only a cub, and I wasn't in the mood for you! I let you live only so you could grow up and fill my belly! Ah, just thinking of your mother's screams when she died gets me excited! How do you think I should eat you? The same way I ate your mother back then? Should I tear off your arms first, or twist off your head? You remember, don't you? When your mother died, I twisted her head off!"

"Stop... talking!!! Aah!!!!"

With a shrill cry, the Insect Yokai completely lost his reason and charged straight past Luo Qiu toward the Mantis Yokai.

Unexpectedly, perhaps because this body was truly too clumsy, Luo Qi could not help sticking out his leg in front of it, directly knocking the Insect Yokai to the ground.

"It seems Mr. Mantis is truly first-rate at provoking hatred. Even I, an onlooker, feel that not taking out our weapons and attacking right away was a mistake." Luo Qiu shook his head. "Stand up. You are under our protection now. If a guest under our protection still charges into battle, we will lose face."

"I..."

Perhaps the fall had brought the Insect Yokai back to his senses. He was now both shocked and terrified upon realizing the Mantis Yokai's intentions.

"Mind your own business. I'll eat you first!" the Mantis Yokai sneered and suddenly leaped high into the air.

In midair, the Mantis Yokai's pair of pale hands suddenly began to lengthen. The sleeves around his arms burst apart at the same time, and both arms transformed into sharp scythe blades, slicing down from above.

Although he had not the slightest experience fighting yokai, when Luo Qiu saw the Mantis Yokai hurtling down from the air, growing clearer by the second, he still quickly raised the USP in his hand.

Bang bang bang!!!!

This is practically a perfect target. If I don't fire a few shots, I'd truly be letting all those bullets I wasted practicing my aim go to waste.

"These human toys think they can hurt me? Naive!"

The two arm-blades blocked his face. The .45-caliber bullets failed to penetrate them!

The Mantis Yokai landed in front of Luo Qiu and swept his arm-blades horizontally! They were astonishingly sharp; they could slice through rock with ease.

Seeing this, Luo Qiu hurriedly crouched down, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Of course, even if he had not dodged, it would not have mattered. He could not die even from a bullet through the head. If his body were cut in half, it would probably heal automatically as well.

It feels like having an immortal body should make me more confident... But it hurts!

When Jin Zifu had shot through Luo Qiu's head, he was alive and kicking now, but at the time, the pain had been so intense that he had nearly cried out.

He had no intention of becoming a masochist. Nor did he possess some bizarre martial art that made him take a beating first—getting thoroughly pummeled so the opponent could feel good—before finally allowing him to strike back and gain several centuries of power. Naturally, Luo Qiu had no desire to endure pain.

And another thing: what kind of mindset did the people who invented those absurd martial arts have? Why did they insist that someone had to be beaten until they were battered and bleeding before their power could skyrocket?

Luo Qiu had once again lost himself in thought. He had only just crouched down when the Mantis Yokai viciously kicked out.

But the kick that should have landed directly instead struck empty air. Luo Qiu appeared three meters away from the Mantis Yokai like a ghost.

Hmm. He was still crouching.

Perhaps he felt that this posture did not quite match his identity as the mysterious club owner, so Luo Qiu hurriedly stood up.

Sorry, last night he had enjoyed emptying more than a dozen magazines, but after returning home, playing around with this teleportation ability had been even more fun. If he had not kept playing until late at night and ended up mentally exhausted, he would not have failed to notice even Ren Ziling—the post-(god)mother—leaving the house that morning.

He was not normally like this.

The Mantis Yokai was clearly stunned, but he had a vicious nature and had fought and killed for over a hundred years. He was not the sort to let something strange affect him. It did not matter that his kick had missed; his target was still nearby.

Just as the Mantis Yokai swung his arm-blades again, intending to cut Luo Qiu open, the back of his head suddenly seemed to explode. A thunderous roar rang out, leaving his soul shattered. Before he could form another thought, his body collapsed to the ground, limbs twitching as foam spilled from his mouth. Then his body slowly began to undergo a strange transformation.

He revealed his true form.

What a huge mantis!

Luo Qiu could not help giving You Ye a thumbs-up.

That telescoping black Metal Rod had clearly delivered an excellent sneak attack. Of course, getting close enough to strike such a vicious blow without alerting the Mantis Yokai required considerable skill. Amateurs should not attempt it lightly.

The Insect Yokai had never imagined that his old enemy would be knocked to the brink of death so easily by a single blow, immediately revealing his true form.

At that moment, he suddenly let out a shrill cry and hurriedly crawled toward the Mantis Yokai's body.

Judging by that speed, he was countless times faster than when walking upright.

You Ye seemed somewhat disgusted. When the Insect Yokai approached, she had already retreated several steps.

The Insect Yokai then lunged straight at the Mantis Yokai and bit down.

Good grief... So the Insect Yokai wasn't a vegetarian after all?

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PS2: Wondering why there was a PS1 at the beginning? That's right—because this is PS2 at the end! I'm telling you, that's called bookending the chapter and tying it back to the opening... Actually, it's just so I can ask for more bookmarks, recommendations, and rewards a second time.