13. Li Bai's Demoness

Tuman Restaurant provided excellent service, especially to regulars like Dong Keyan. They quickly settled the bill and even called her a taxi.

Fifteen minutes later, Dong Keyan was on an IV drip in the emergency room, and the pain gradually subsided.

Li Bai continued eating from the takeout boxes he'd brought from the restaurant. Seeing the meat-loving beauty anchor gazing at his food with pitiful longing, he gestured toward the sausage in his hand.

"Want a couple?"

"I can't risk it!"

The beauty anchor, who couldn't keep her mouth under control, was nearly in tears. She'd forgotten to take her medicine before dinner, and the attack had hit just as she was enjoying her meal.

She loved Germany but couldn't speak German. She loved meat, yet had gallstones that meant she had to avoid it. What a frustrating predicament.

Li Bai advised, "You should get the surgery sooner rather than later!"

Get it removed, and you won't have to suffer anymore.

"I still have to work as an anchor, and I still want to immigrate. When would I have the time? Would you come settle in Germany with me?"

After a few mournful sighs, Dong Keyan stared at Li Bai without blinking.

He was fairly tall and a little handsome, and he was reasonably witty. He had at least a master's degree, and he could even pay with his own card. He just barely passed muster, so she decided to give him a chance.

Li Bai could naturally guess what Dong Keyan was thinking. It was as if that invisible sheet of paper between them was about to be pierced.

But he merely shrugged and said, "Sorry. My parents are here, so I won't travel far. I haven't had enough of being Chinese in this life."

"All right, I understand. Anyway, thank you!"

Dong Keyan was the kind of woman who could take things in stride, so she graciously let the matter drop.

They hadn't even begun before it was over. More accurately, they were just new friends, and nothing more.

Since he'd already been given the nice-guy treatment, all he could do was see the good deed through to the end.

After taking the meat-loving beauty anchor home once her IV was finished, Li Bai returned with the food-filled pet carrier.

He took out his keys and was about to open the door when he heard a noise behind him. Turning around, he saw Yang Fa, his neighbor across the hall, opening his door.

Li Bai immediately greeted him. "Brother Yang! What a coincidence!"

Yang Fa was Li Bai's landlord. When the buildings were demolished twenty years ago, he had received five apartments in this building as compensation. His family lived in one and rented out the other four. They were all cramped little places of only forty or fifty square meters, but the rent each month was enough to keep the Yang family quite comfortable.

Leaning against the doorway, Yang Fa said lazily, "Yeah. Xiao Li, good timing. I have something to tell you. Starting next month, rent's going up by thirty percent, and renewals have to be paid a year at a time."

"Brother Yang, you already raised it by twenty percent at the start of the year. It's only been a few months, and you're raising it again? It's already gone up by almost half since I first rented the place."

Li Bai didn't mind paying a year's rent at a time. It was the frequent rent hikes that were hard to swallow.

"Save it. Take it or leave it. If you think it's too expensive, go live in a farmhouse out in the suburbs. It's cheaper there. I've got plenty of people lining up to rent my place!"

Yang Fa yawned as he delivered his ultimatum.

"Fine, fine. I'll give you the money later."

Li Bai had no interest in arguing with a landlord who had money for brains, so he could only accept it.

If he really moved to the suburbs, the rent would be cheaper, but commuting to and from work would take over four hours a day. He only worked eight hours as it was. Wasting more than half that much time on the road would hardly be better than getting more sleep.

"What have you got in that box? Smells pretty good!"

Yang Fa sniffed and looked at the pet carrier in Li Bai's hand.

The guy really did have a dog's nose. He could even smell the takeout boxes inside.

Li Bai had no choice but to open the carrier, take out a food box, and hand it over. "I ate out and brought this back. I haven't touched a single bite. Take it to your wife to try."

He had to keep the landlord happy somehow. Otherwise, what if he raised the rent again? When you rented someone else's place, you wanted a peaceful home, not trouble for yourself or anyone else.

"Oh, German sausage. Not bad!"

Yang Fa took the box and opened it, looking surprised. He actually knew his stuff and recognized the German sausage. He immediately took one, then retreated into his apartment, satisfied. Speaking indistinctly, he added, "Don't think a box of leftovers is going to get you a rent discount. Not a penny off."

Bang! The door shut again.

Faint voices drifted from behind it.

"Dear, come try the sausage the kid across the hall gave me. It tastes pretty good."

"We're about to sell the apartment. Why are you still collecting a whole year's rent from him? Don't you feel guilty?"

"Pfft. Money in hand is what matters. Who cares about feeling guilty? The sale doesn't break the lease. He can sue me if he wants."

"..."

Li Bai had just opened his door and heard everything happening across the hall. He shook his head. People really had changed.

The lights inside were still on. The Azure Flood Dragon wasn't playing Minesweeper anymore; she had a webpage open and seemed to be reading something. The breakfast he'd left on the kitchen counter was still there, untouched. The Demoness had been so absorbed in her computer that she'd even forgotten to eat.

"Qingyao, there's more food for you tonight."

Li Bai took all the food boxes out of the pet carrier and set them on the dining table.

Although he'd given one box to his landlord, there were still seven or eight left in the carrier, with a variety of sausages, pies, and other food.

Unfortunately, the beauty anchor had been going through her Golden Core tribulation and hadn't been able to enjoy any of it. She hadn't touched many of the dishes at all.

"More food?"

The Azure Flood Dragon turned around, flicking her tongue. She immediately abandoned Li Bai's laptop, sprang onto the dining table, and inspected the food boxes before greedily devouring their contents.

Compared to the beauty anchor, Dong Keyan, Qingyao Demoness was the real meat eater.

As Li Bai watched the Azure Flood Dragon wolf down one bite after another, his phone suddenly rang.

He thought the beauty anchor was calling to ask if he'd gotten home, but it was an unfamiliar number. Not knowing what was going on, he answered.

"Is this Doctor Li from Seventh People's Hospital?"

"That's me. Who is this?"

Li Bai didn't recognize the slightly hoarse voice at all.

"Doctor Li, the one million has been transferred. Thanks for your hard work this time. I hope we can work together again."

Before Li Bai could react, the caller hung up abruptly, without a word of introduction.

What was going on?

The cryptic remark about working together made no sense, but he quickly remembered the strange text he'd received during dinner.

A sense that he was caught up in a conspiracy rose in his heart.

Li Bai thought for a moment, then casually dialed a number.

Two minutes later, he hung up, feeling slightly reassured.

The enemy was hidden, while he was exposed and on his own. Li Bai was at a severe disadvantage and had to make some preparations in advance.

After Qingyao Demoness had swept up every last bit of the food he'd brought back, Li Bai cleaned up, tossed the pet carrier into a corner, and sat down on the sofa.

With a thought, he took a bottle of pills and a Spirit Crystal from his Storage Ring. The few wisps of Spiritual Power he'd cultivated last night with the Maha Bolan Sutra had run dry again.

He swallowed a pill. Soon, a faint warmth spread through his abdomen, flowing like a lively spring through his extraordinary meridians and eight channels. It swirled through his acupoints, nourishing the meridians, which had been drained of Gang Qi.

Martial cultivation was like charging up a fast-flowing river: stop advancing, and you fell behind. Without Gang Qi to nourish them, the extraordinary meridians and eight channels would gradually atrophy. Building them up again would mean enduring a great deal of hardship.

Li Bai didn't rush to use the Maha Bolan Sutra to condense Spiritual Power. Instead, he focused his mind on martial cultivation. The Canglang Jue he'd first learned was an exceptionally profound martial cultivation technique. Deep in his desolate, lifeless lower dantian, a faint mist began to form. After a moment, it grew denser, until it became a small cloud that started spreading into every corner of his dantian.

Just as he was immersed in martial cultivation, the local 17th Floor forum began buzzing again. Interest in the rich second-generation killer case remained high.

"Inspector: Wherever: Something strange happened last night. The Yao Family called Professor Hou from our Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the middle of the night."

"2014 Universe: Word is, Yao Bing really has a mental illness!"

"A Bottle of 1982 Nongfu Spring: What nonsense! This is just a rich person's trick to pretend to be mentally ill and escape legal punishment."

The audio was soon uploaded online. When people heard the clear recording of the phone call, the forum exploded.

"Fish's Eyebrows: Doctor Li is a conscientious physician. He would never take a bribe. Yao Bing really is mentally ill."

"Er Gouzi: They even uploaded a recording. What proof do you have that Doctor Li wouldn't take a bribe?"

"Tuzki: Yao Family lackey, get lost!"

"Star Luo: They must be paid shills. Shameless!"

Su Mei sat in front of her computer, tears streaming down her face.

These people online were slandering Doctor Li with the utmost malice. She did everything she could to defend him, but all she got in return was more ridicule and even foul-mouthed abuse. Some people slapped labels like "Yao Family lackey" and "Doctor Li's fifty-cent shill" on her. No one believed a word she said.

The killer, rich second-generation Yao Bing, had become a public enemy. Anyone with a different view or stance was treated as an apologist. A few people were specifically targeting Su Mei's online ID, "Fish's Eyebrows," and viciously hounding her.

"Li Bai's Demoness: You worthless keyboard warriors, all you do is run your mouths. You dare slander my Young Master? Bring it on if you've got the guts!"

"Star Luo: ..."

"Inspector: Wherever: ..."

"2014 Universe: ..."

"A Bottle of 1982 Nongfu Spring: ..."

Who the hell was this person?