Reunion with an Old Friend

"Hahaha! It's you, the haggling She Zhongmang."

Lu Shaolin burst into laughter. He had not expected to run into a familiar demon the moment he returned home.

"Human, what is so funny? Are you here to ask for my help or not?"

The Snake Demon kept flicking its tongue as it asked coldly.

"Hahaha, with my current strength, I no longer need your help. But we are fated, so this spirit fruit is for you!"

Lu Shaolin laughed again and flicked his wrist, tossing over a spirit fruit.

The Snake Demon stretched out its tail and instantly curled it around the fruit, its tongue darting out twice to taste it.

"This spirit fruit contains tremendous energy. I can help you ten times. Take this scale—so long as someone comes bearing it, I will lend them my aid. After ten times, I will take the scale back."

The Snake Demon swallowed the spirit fruit whole, then spat out a black-gold scale that shot toward Lu Shaolin.

Lu Shaolin extended two fingers and caught the scale between them.

"Human, I will not keep you any longer. I need to digest the spirit fruit."

The Snake Demon swayed its body and slithered into the ruined temple.

Lu Shaolin smiled. This Snake Demon was still as it had always been—cold to the bone, yet still true to its word.

After storing the scale in the System Space, Lu Shaolin reverted to his original appearance. His figure flashed, and he vanished abruptly, activating the divine ability Shrinking Space to an Inch as he sped toward the Great Xia capital.

In the time of two breaths, Lu Shaolin arrived outside the capital gates.

The area outside the capital was a sea of people, buzzing with noise as the commoners lined up to enter the city.

Lu