The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 141 Arrogant at First, Obsequious Later (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"clang……"

A demon-suppressing guard from the Demon-Suppressing General's mansion walked into the streets of Yangzhou, banging a gong and shouting at the top of his lungs as he went.

"I hereby declare to all my fellow villagers that this demon, known as the Dragon King of Chaohu, has gathered hundreds of his followers in Chaohu Lake, ruling the lake as his own and wreaking havoc on the region. The boatmen who travel there live in constant fear and suffer unspeakable misery. Upon hearing this news, my general rushed to Chaohu Lake alone and fought this fiend in the lake for three days and three nights. He slew this fiend on the shores of Chaohu Lake, wiping out his entire territory and exterminating countless of his followers. This is to comfort the spirits of the aggrieved people in heaven, to uphold the orthodoxy of humanity in our Great Zhou Dynasty, and to serve as a warning to others!"

The demon-suppressing guards who cleared the way roared hoarsely, their faces flushed, and their expressions were full of pride!

Behind him, Xu Wu personally led three hundred demon-suppressing guards in bright armor, neatly surrounding a "flower cart" made up of two prison carts, parading the corpse of a six-legged black crocodile through the streets.

The two prison vans were three or four feet taller than a normal person, and the carcass of the six-legged black crocodile lay on top of them, visible no matter how dense the crowd was.

Even though it had been dead for more than three days, the six-legged black crocodile's corpse showed no signs of decay and still retained a ferocious and tyrannical aura. Even a casual glance from afar would send shivers down the spine of an ordinary person, making them instinctively want to stay away.

But the more terrifying and frightening something is, the more exciting and urge people to move forward.

Wherever the floats passed, large crowds chased after them, and the throngs of people formed a dense, dark mass that completely blocked the wide street, bringing traffic to a standstill!
If it weren't for the three hundred Demon-Suppressing Guards surrounding the float, each with a cold, expressionless face like unapproachable black-faced gods, the people along the way would probably have all come up to touch them.

"My goodness! This giant dragon is probably taller than my house!"

"Look at that big mouth, look at those teeth. If it bit someone, wouldn't it tear them in two in one bite?"

"Two pieces? If it takes one bite, you'll only have half a piece left..."

"Ah, General Erhu is truly a divine being!"

"Still called General Two Tigers?"

"That's right, from now on we should call him General Wang!"

Amid the crowded throng, exclamations of surprise rose and fell.

Hearing these exclamations, Xu Wu, standing in the crowd, nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself that it was worth the commotion he had caused.

Wang Wen only instructed him to pack up the carcass of the six-legged black crocodile as soon as possible and transport it to the capital to present to the emperor.

But he felt that things shouldn't be done so carelessly.

What if the items are quietly delivered to the Demon Suppression Division of the capital? What if those big shots above them embezzle them?

If they don't leave any trace, people will have nothing but gossip and let others talk behind their backs.

They need to leave some trace so that they can have evidence in case of disputes later.

Furthermore, there are some things that the leader can ignore, but those of them who are subordinates cannot ignore.

What's that saying again: "To return home in glory and wealth is like wearing fine clothes at night!"
My elder brother braved wind and rain, how much effort did he put in? How many beatings did he endure?
We can't always let our talents go to waste, can we?

Isn't that bullying honest people?

Although they didn't expect these people to bring much return to their elder brother, they still had to accept this favor.

If we don't let them know anything, won't these people say that our brother got the position of Demon Slayer General of Huainan by paying money and using connections?
There's no need for my elder brother to worry about such a small matter; Xu Wu can handle it.

This is what I do...

Xu Wu walked through the crowd with a cold face, occasionally using his icy gaze to stop the Demon Guards who were trying to accept the reward money handed to them by the common people.

In any organization, there has to be someone who plays the good cop and someone who plays the bad cop in order to establish rules and keep people in check.

If his older brother plays the good cop, then he has to play the bad cop!
After being far outmatched in personal combat by his elder brother, Xu Wu became even more determined to define himself as a mere "white paper fan."

……

After parading along the main north-south thoroughfare, the massive crowd eventually returned to Taipingqiao Wharf, where the six-legged black crocodile carcass would be loaded onto a ship bound for the capital.

Just then, on the second floor of a tavern facing the street by the dock, a tall, slender man in a green robe, with long, flowing hair and an almost otherworldly handsome face, stood by the railing. He narrowed his long eyes and looked down at the dark mass of people below with a half-smile. One of his slender fingers casually shook a delicate-necked celadon wine pot...

"hiss……"

He suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a jet-black snake tongue. His jet-black eyes instantly turned into amber vertical eyes, and then returned to normal in the blink of an eye.

He picked up the wine jug, aimed it at the departing six-legged black crocodile, and whispered, "Goodbye, Big Blackie!"

"Gurgling..."

He tilted his head back and gulped down the wine in the pot. The glistening liquid overflowed from the corners of his mouth, ran down his slender neck, and disappeared into his loose blue robe.

After finishing the pot of wine, he lowered his head and sighed softly.

Just then, a heavy footstep came from the bottom of the stairwell.

"Boom."

"Boom."

The heavy footsteps seemed to be pounding on the rhythm of a heartbeat; each step was full of pressure, making the roof beams seem to be rustling with dust.

The man in the green robe initially frowned in displeasure, thinking to himself that the waiter at this tavern was really rude. He had clearly booked the entire place and told them not to bother him unless absolutely necessary...

But soon his brows relaxed, and he turned around, looking at the stairwell with a half-smile.

Before long, a burly figure wearing a black robe with gold trim and long hair tied in a thick, cone-shaped bun on top of his head with a small silver hairpin appeared at the top of the stairs. He walked up to the second floor step by step and turned his head to look at the man in the green robe with a half-smile.

The newcomer sized up the man in the green robe, then chuckled nonchalantly, "So it's you... Your information network is quite impressive!"

"hiss……"

The man in the green robe opened his mouth, his lips splitting to his ears, and sniffed the newcomer's scent with his purplish-black forked tongue. He then smiled nonchalantly and said, "General Wang Erhu, the Demon Slayer?"

Who else could it be but Wang Wen, who had just arrived home?
And what kind of demon is this man in the green robe if not the green snake demon from Hongze Lake?

Upon hearing his address, Wang Wen's smile suddenly turned cold, and he grinned arrogantly, saying, "What kind of class do you have that you dare to call me Erhu? Call me General Wang and let me hear it!"

Upon hearing this, the Green Snake Demon laughed heartily, as if it had heard a very funny joke.

Looking at his unrestrained behavior, Wang Wen slapped his thigh, pointed at him, and burst into laughter...

There seemed to be an invisible force colliding violently in the air, sparks flying everywhere!
With a loud bang, the square table that was between the human and the demon suddenly exploded, and the fine wine and delicacies on the table were splashed all over the second floor.

Not a single drop of soup or wine splashed onto the clothes of the human and the demon.

Both the human and the demon stopped smiling.

The green snake demon glanced at the scattered food and wine on the ground and shook her head regretfully: "What a pity!"

Wang Wen nodded in agreement: "It really is too wasteful!"

He strode forward, and two chairs flew over automatically, landing in front of him and the Green Snake Demon.

He casually sat down in a chair and gestured to the chair opposite him, saying, "Please sit down."

The green snake demon, finding his mannerisms amusing, stepped forward and sat down, even elegantly crossing her legs...

The human and the demon were only five or six feet apart. Despite the seemingly calm and relaxed atmosphere, the muscles hidden beneath their robes were taut like stretched rubber bands. Any slight change could cause them to suddenly erupt and draw their swords to kill each other.

If someone could see from God's perspective, they would see that both the human and the demon harbored a faint sense of regret.

Wang Wen regretted that after killing the six-legged black crocodile in Chaohu Lake, he should have gone straight to Hongze Lake to deal with this freakish snake as well... He really underestimated the bond between monsters and ignored the fact that monsters are not mindless beasts.

Meanwhile, the Green Snake Demon was also regretting that it shouldn't have been so arrogant as to enter its opponent's home ground. Fighting on land would have reduced its combat power by at least 30%. How could it have expected that this contestant, who looked like a valiant warrior no matter how you looked at him, would actually possess a divine sense capable of covering an entire prefecture?
Both the human and the demon are hesitant to act rashly, yet both are fearless!

'The worst outcome is simply taking a gamble!'

After a few moments of silence, Wang Wen spoke first: "Are you here for revenge, or to join in the fun?"

The green snake demon asked with great interest, "How should one seek revenge, or how should one join in the fun?"

Wang Wen responded calmly, "I welcome revenge, but I don't welcome people joining in the fun!"

That short sentence almost made the Green Snake Demon's brain burn out.

After several breaths, it finally reacted and sneered, "General Wang, you truly have quite the spirit!"

Wang Wen shook his head earnestly: "I just don't have enough courage for you to sit across from me and talk to me."

The green snake demon was stunned for a few seconds before she understood his words. She blinked her amber vertical pupils and looked at him incredulously: "You actually had designs on me?"

Wang Wen was puzzled: "Deal with that big crocodile first, then deal with you, isn't that the logical thing to do?"

His sincere question immediately silenced the Green Snake Demon.

Wang Da Guanren, a man who stunned the Dragon King of Hongze Lake three times with just three sentences!

The green snake demon racked his brains for a long time, but still couldn't figure out where his mysterious confidence came from. He then angrily flicked his tongue and roared, "Can you even keep me here? You dare to spout such nonsense? Aren't you afraid that I'll just have to do nothing else but serve your Demon-Slaying General's Mansion from now on?"

Wang Wen suddenly laughed: "Do you think you can leave this world if we can't reach a satisfactory outcome today? Do you think there will be a future for you?"

The green snake demon's pupils suddenly contracted, then it slowly adjusted its posture and said softly, "Is this Yangzhou...?"

Wang Wenye said softly, "So what? I am the Demon-Slaying General, and you are the demon."

"Good good..."

Even the Green Snake Demon was trembling with rage at Wang Wen's shamelessness: "What a splendid General of Huainan Road! He has truly broadened my horizons and made me utterly admire him!"

"look……"

Wang Wen remained unmoved and even kindly explained to him, "We humans have neither your venom, nor the sharp teeth and claws of tigers, nor the powerful physique of rhinoceroses and elephants... So why is it that we humans are in charge of this land, and not you?"

He tapped his temple lightly and chuckled, "Just because we have this, and you don't."

"So let's have a proper talk and try to reach a result that satisfies me."

"It's quite remarkable that a snake like you has cultivated to such a level."

"It's such a pity that he died like this..."

Green Snake Demon: 'I'm so damn grateful for your concern!'

It couldn't understand why, when it was the one who came, it had become the one who had to come up with a result that would satisfy Wang Erhu.
After racking its brains in utter confusion, its CPU practically smoking from exhaustion, it finally came up with a convincing explanation: 'If Wang Erhu can kill Big Black, then I, too, am no match for him in a land battle. If a fight breaks out, he'll sacrifice others' lives, while I'll have to gamble my own… That's definitely not a worthwhile trade!'

It suddenly realized what was happening, and subconsciously put down its crossed legs and sat up straight.

Wang Wenzheng pretended to casually look around at the furnishings, but when he caught a glimpse of its posture out of the corner of his eye, he immediately knew that this move was in the bag.

To be fair, what he said wasn't exactly empty threats.

If this lunatic is determined to take all the people of the city hostage and hold him hostage, he will really risk destroying the city to forcibly keep this lunatic!

Hit a punch, lest a hundred punches come!

After racking his brains for a long time, the Green Serpent Demon tentatively managed to utter, "I will leave the city immediately and never set foot in Yangzhou again!"

Wang Wen scoffed contemptuously and said, "You swear by the Heavenly Dao that you will lead your Hongze Lake Dragon Palace to serve under my Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, and from this day forward, you will serve this general!"

The green snake demon suddenly sprang to its feet, hissing as it flicked out its long, forked tongue. Large patches of green scales rose on its cheeks as it roared angrily, "Why don't you just go and steal it?"

Wang Wen stared at him expressionlessly, his gaze quickly turning cold, and dazzling lightning power flickered around him.

Seeing this, the Green Snake Demon quickly sat back down in his chair: "Let's talk this out, let's talk this out... Here's what we'll do: I will leave the city immediately and never set foot in Yangzhou again. In addition, I promise you three things: you can summon me to do three things for you that will not endanger my life!"

Wang Wen: "Kneel down before this general immediately and become his lackey!"

The green snake demon, who had just sat down, sprang up again with a "whoosh," and hissed angrily, "I've already yielded a step, but you're not giving way and keep raising the price? Do you even know how to do business? Don't you understand the rule of asking for the moon and then settling for less?"

Wang Wen frowned, looking at it: 'This scoundrel actually knows how to ask for an exorbitant price and then bargain? This thing is a human expert! No, I'd better get rid of it; keeping it around will only cause trouble…'

The moment his murderous intent arose, the green snake demon opposite him seemed to sense his thoughts and immediately sat back down in her chair with a "thud." Her face changed like a mask, instantly switching from an angry and exasperated expression to a fawning smile.

"Look at you, you're in such a hurry again..."

(End of this chapter)