RIIDMDR chapter 26

Tingchuan didn’t return for the next two days, which was within Nanxu’s expectations. Zhuyu Mountain is vast, and the distance to and from the mountain is considerable. A round trip would take at least seven or eight days, not counting the time Tingchuan would need to defeat the wild boar demon.

With no customers coming, Nanxu immediately started completing the side quests issued by the system. He had originally planned to postpone building the chicken coop for two months, but now that the system had urged him, he realized that, by then, it would be the height of summer and that work would be much more difficult. So, he willingly headed up the mountain to look for wood.

“Guan’er, go! Clear the way!” Nan Xu picked up his axe and called to the puppy running around in the yard.

Speaking of names, Nan Xu had originally considered naming the dog something auspicious, like Lai Fu[mfn]来福 (Laifu) Good Fortune[/mfn] or Wang Cai[mfn]旺财 (Wangcai) Prosperity[/mfn]. But just as he was contemplating it, Guan’er suddenly swooped down and knocked over a small ceramic pot that Nan Xu had prepared.

Heartbroken, Nan Xu grabbed the dog by the scruff of its neck and led it to the broken porcelain shards to lecture it. Before he could begin, the puppy seemed to realize it had done something wrong, tucking its tail and hunching its head. He lifted the puppy up and saw tears welling in its eyes. Its expression was awash with guilt and resentment. Unable to offer any more words of instruction, Nan Xu ended the lecture with a whimper.

As he collected the ceramic pieces, Nan Xu muttered, “You broke one of my jars, so you’ll hold it up. From now on, your name is Guan’er[mfn]罐儿 (guàner) literally means “jar” or “pot.”[/mfn].”

It was just a remark, but unexpectedly, the puppy barked as soon as Nan Xu finished speaking. That’s when the puppy’s name was finally established.

Tingchuan returned five days after Xuji left, much earlier than Nanxu expected. It was evening when he arrived, and two familiar faces followed behind him. To say they looked familiar was a stretch; after all, the two wild boar demons looked truly ferocious, their dark complexions barely concealing the bruises and bruises covering their faces.

Still maintaining his celestial demeanor, Tingchuan strolled into the courtyard, his robes flowing freely. He sat down in a recliner with a carefree air.

Nanxu couldn’t help but twitch his lips. It would have been fine if Tingchuan hadn’t arrived so early. This contrast made the two wild boar demons look even more miserable.

In fact, Nan Xu was also quite surprised that Tingchuan had let the two boar demons live. After all, he’d stayed up all night chasing them, only to beat them in the end. This didn’t seem like Tingchuan at all.

It was unclear what the two boar demon brothers had been through. The last time they met, they were plump, but in a short time, they became emaciated.

Seeing Nan Xu size up the wild boar demon, Tingchuan lazily said, “It would be too easy to just kill it. I’ll bring it back to help you with your work.”

Tingchuan didn’t know how Nan Xu managed to stay so busy every day, but he understood that human life was short and made the most of it. He didn’t like working, so he could occasionally help out, but having him constantly follow behind would be too much.

Since Nan Xu wasn’t keen on taking their lives, Tingchuan would have to find another way out for them. He couldn’t let them off so easily.

He’d take them back to the mountains to do hard labor. With him keeping them in check, the two boar demons wouldn’t cause any more trouble. The extra distance would save Nanxu a lot of energy.

Seeing them every day was annoying for Tingchuan, but he’d put up with it for Nanxu’s sake as the landlord.

Tingchuan’s thoughts raced. He was somewhat proud of his rationality. However, the situation was completely different from what he had expected. Nanxu was now in a dilemma. These two wild boar demons had repeatedly demonstrated their poor character through their actions. Tingchuan had left them in the inn. Not only did Nanxu have to be on guard against them, but he also had to provide them with food and lodging.

Nanxu weighed the pros and cons, and his expression naturally wasn’t pleasant. Tingchuan, who had just lain down, saw this and sensed that something was amiss. He sat up silently and asked, “Do you think this is bad?”

Nanxu didn’t know if all demons were so careless. If he didn’t express his thoughts, though, Tingchuan might not understand. So, even in front of the wild boar demons, Nanxu explained directly that they had a history of bad behavior and were unsuitable for staying in the mountains.

After listening to Nan Xu, Tingchuan probably understood his thoughts. He was wrong. His Taoism was far superior to that of the two wild boar demons, so he didn’t feel threatened by them. For Nan Xu, however, it was just the opposite. Remembering that the two wild boar demons had tried to kill him before, Tingchuan’s kindness disappeared. He immediately stood up and said decisively, “Then I will throw them down again.”

He acted swiftly and without hesitation. In two or three steps, he reached the two boar demons. Seeing this familiar sight, the demons’ fur stood on end. He threw them down. There was no way to guess where they would land. Last time, they had escaped from that formation. This time, who knew if they might die there if they were thrown into it again?

The two boar demons immediately knelt before Nan Xu and begged to stay with him. They cried and wailed that they would do whatever he wanted and that they would never have any improper thoughts again. Their wails echoed through the mountains.

The noise made Nan Xu’s eardrums ache. He looked at Tingchuan in confusion. They hadn’t said their cultivation would be abolished; they only said they were being driven out of the mountain and would no longer be employed. Why were these two wild boar demons acting as if they wouldn’t be able to survive tomorrow?

Had finding a job in the demon world become so difficult?

Tingchuan remained stern. He used a spell to silence them, annoyed by their noise. The two wild boar demons howled in silence.

“If we drive them out directly, they won’t learn their lesson and will continue to do evil. There’s a formation at the foot of the mountain. Once inside, you’ll be like a person without magical powers, suffering from hunger, thirst, and illness. Whether you can escape depends entirely on luck,” Tingchuan explained.

Nan Xu instantly understood why the two wild boar demons had lost weight so quickly. That was what Tingchuan meant when he said he would send them down the mountain.

The two wild boar demons were terrified, their faces covered in tears—a sight that irritated Nan Xu.

In that life-or-death situation, hunger, thirst, and illness didn’t seem like a big deal to Nan Xu—after all, that was the reality of life for a human like him. But not knowing when they’d be released felt like a lifelong punishment—far too severe.

Just as Tingchuan was about to take them away, Guan’er heard the commotion and ran out to see what was happening. Nan Xu glanced at him and had a sudden thought.

“Can I form a spiritual power contract with them?”

Last time, Xu Ji had explained the restrictive nature of spiritual contracts, which were similar to contracts signed with the human world. He then confirmed with the system that his human identity wouldn’t affect the contract’s validity. Furthermore, because he owned Zhuyu Mountain, Nanxu could easily eject any demons he had signed a spiritual contract with from the mountain or into a formation with the help of the system.

This was a natural safeguard for Nanxu.

Spiritual contracts were common in the demon world. Tingchuan considered this and decided it was feasible. He then looked at the two wild boar demons in his hands. The demon brothers didn’t dare say no and hastily nodded, fearing they would be a second late.

Nan Xu then signed a spiritual contract with the two demon brothers. The eldest was named Zhuang Si and the youngest, Zhuang Wu. Boar demons could choose their own names, and their business was considered a family business because it had been passed down for generations. However, the adult boar demons were often away from home and paid little attention to their younger brothers’ education. Over the generations, this cultivated a greedy and cunning character, resulting in the boar demon clan having a poor reputation now.

They signed a two-year trial contract stipulating that if they acted rashly again, they would be expelled from the mountain. Tingchuan, who was watching from the side with his chin in his hand, slowly said, “Throwing them out of the mountain would be too easy. That formation could have been sustained longer if they had sacrificed a few more demons.”

The two wild boar demons looked at each other timidly, admitting that they dared not harbor any ill intentions. Nanxu trusted them for now. After all, this was their one chance, and he wouldn’t let them down.

Both parties signed and sealed the agreement. A halo of light shone on the stone slab, and golden ink filled the air before sinking into the skin of the three individuals. Marks appeared on Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu’s arms, but, as before, there was no trace on Nan Xu’s side.

Nan Xu was getting used to this. Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu opened their mouths, but they did not speak. Tingchuan’s gaze fell on his arm as he lost himself in thought.

“The inn has limited rooms, so there’s no room for the two of you. I’ll let you stay here tonight, but tomorrow you’ll need to find a place to build your own shelter,” Nan Xu said. “As for food, I’ll give you a share every ten days, deducted from your monthly salary.”

Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu had thought they could earn a living through hard labor, but Nan Xu didn’t give them the chance. Their hopes were dashed, and disappointment was written all over their faces.

“But if you perform well, maybe you can get a reward.” Nan Xu changed the subject, wielding his stick and dangling a carrot in front of them.

Nan Xu was already a master at dangling carrots.

As expected, the two brothers’ faces lit up with joy.