The Demon’s Menu
Chapter 1035: My Lord, Times Have Changed (part 2)

"Heh, heh heh."

Accompanied by such sounds, the man who called himself Jiro began to approach Hui Lijing.

"Is this it?"

Watching as the man, staggering like a zombie, walked towards her, Hui Lijing completely let down her guard.

She raised her hand and took out a lighter.

Click.

With a crisp snap, a flame emerged from the lighter.

Then, she lifted her ’Disaster Purging Spirit.’

Hiss!

As the ’Disaster Purging Spirit’ was pressed, a jet of flame shot out, a half-meter-long tongue of fire instantly enveloped the upper body of the man who claimed to be Jiro.

"Ahhhh!"

A scream shattered the quiet of the night.

The man with his upper body aflame began to stagger backward.

Hui Lijing, however, pressed forward step by step.

It was just like the time she stuffed cow dung into the mouths of boys who called her ’Hachishaku-sama.’

The only difference was that at that time she stared at those boys and made them chew and swallow the cow dung.

And now?

Thump.

As the flaming man fell to the ground, Hui Lijing lifted her foot and brutally stomped down on his head.

Her boots, with a layer of steel sandwiched in the middle.

They could walk soundlessly, yet could also provide effective offense and defense capabilities.

These were custom-made for Hui Lijing.

Just like the leather jacket she wore.

No kind of blade could penetrate it.

Crack!

With a crisp sound.

The man who called himself Jiro was silent for good.

His already shattered skull was completely pulverized.

Brain matter splattered in all directions with Hui Lijing’s boot as the center.

Sticky and gooey, enough to make the average person nauseated and vomit, but for Hui Lijing, it was nothing at all, she had experienced far more disgusting things countless times before.

If necessary, she would even jump into a cesspit.

And then, she would throw up for two days.

Those two days, let alone eating, even drinking water would make her vomit.

Her nose would pick up that nasty smell, as if it were always there.

For the following half a year, Hui Lijing completely refused to eat curry rice.

Even now, she still harbored considerable disgust.

Casually shaking her boot, she shook off the sticky substance, then Hui Lijing called out toward the main hall—

"Jason? Jason?"

"Master? Master?"

Her voice was loud enough, spreading far enough.

But, there was not the slightest response from the hall.

Without a doubt!

The worst-case scenario had occurred!

She was now in something akin to a ’Ghostly River’ projection.

Such a projection itself wasn’t scary.

What was terrifying was the person who created and laid out this projection.

Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Hui Lijing had seen him.

Her awareness of his power was crystal clear.

She was no match for him.

Tap, tap tap!

Just as Hui Lijing was feeling uncertain, a series of footsteps came from behind her.

Behind?

As this thought emerged from the depths of Hui Lijing’s heart, her body had already moved.

Whoosh!

Her body leaned forward, her foot lashed out behind.

Such an attack was not wise, exposing significant vulnerabilities. If one simply dodged the kick, they could easily gain the upper hand, and such avoidance was not difficult.

In fact, from some perspectives, even a slightly trained ordinary person could dodge it.

After all, such a strike was doomed to not be too fast, not too wide in range.

And the reason why the female detective, seasoned in mercenary training, was doing this naturally had a purpose.

The kick was a feint.

The quicklime in her hand was the real deal.

Whoosh!

A handful of white powder was thrown out.

Forming a perfect semicircle, covering the area behind Hui Lijing.

However, the anticipated screams did not sound.

To this, Hui Lijing seemed to have expected.

She increased the swing of her kicking leg, and at once, what was originally a back kick turned into a somersault of sorts.

At the same time, Hui Lijing took out her lighter again.

Click.

Whoosh!

A jet of flame from below to above appeared behind Hui Lijing, forming with the earlier quicklime a curved cross.

But, still to no avail.

The footsteps continued to approach.

Hui Lijing’s heart tightened.

Although she did not know what would happen after being approached by this unknown creature, Hui Lijing was not willing to bear such consequences.

Almost instinctively, Hui Lijing took out a hand grenade.

Just as Hui Lijing was about to pull the pin, a small red figure ran from behind her to her front.

Hmm?

Hui Lijing looked at the child monk with flushed skin holding a lantern and wearing monk’s robes, and couldn’t help but be taken aback.

"Run! Quick, run!"

The young monk shouted loudly at Hui Lijing.

Then he ran forward.

Hui Lijing frowned and immediately followed.

The reason was simple: if this monk-like being had wanted to harm her just now, she would have already been injured, dead even.

Therefore, she judged that the monk likely had no ill intent.

Following behind the young monk, Hui Lijing quickly rushed out of Tongshou Temple’s gate, then zigzagged through Tongshou Town’s streets, and soon saw the two stone pillars outside of Tongshou Town.

Naturally, she also saw her car.

Then, she heard the young monk’s words—

"Over here, over here, someone has been killed!"

"I am not the murderer!"

"It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me! I just wanted to tell everyone that there’s someone over there who needs help!"

"I won’t be used by a murderer!"

As the young monk’s voice fell, he disappeared into thin air.

Then, Hui Lijing saw a middle-aged man dressed in Onmyoji attire.

"Huh?"

The middle-aged man expressed his surprise upon seeing Hui Lijing appear.

Because, in his mind, this was just an ordinary woman who would certainly get lost within his ’Onmyojitsu’ and then become the perfect pawn to pry into the secrets of Tongshou Temple.

It seemed, however, that there had been some complications.

Still, when problems arise, they can be solved.

"I originally hoped to resolve this quietly and subtly."

"But now, I must resort to a more direct approach."

With a disdainful tone, the somewhat special Onmyoji spoke.

Then, he flicked his wrist, and a piece of white Talisman Paper appeared.

Just as he was about to shoot the Talisman Paper—

Bang, bang bang!

Gunshots rang out.

And not just one.

Gunfire flickered from the muzzle of the gun in Hui Lijing’s hands.

And this was not the end.

The very next moment!

Boom boom boom!

Three timed grenades were thrown out, landing at the feet of the Onmyoji.

Instantly, he was engulfed in flames.

Shrapnel whizzed and flew in all directions.

A semi-transparent shield appeared around the Onmyoji’s body.

Shrapnel hit this shield, sending ripples spreading out layer by layer.

The ripples undulated and collided with each other.

They quickly started to wobble as if about to collapse.

Finally, when the ripples overlapped and reached a peak—

Snap!

The shield shattered just like that.

Though the leftover shrapnel had little strength left, it still forced the specially dressed Onmyoji to dodge in an extremely sorry state.

His pristine robe turned black and tattered.

The black high hat fell to the ground, rolling away into the distance.

"Damn you, how dare you... Aaaaah!"

"It burns! It burns! It burns!"

The special Onmyoji shouted, but before he could finish, his mouth was filled with a liquid full of stinging odors.

Then came the burning sensation.

Concentrated chili water brought an intense level of spice.

This immediate burning sensation painfully stabbed at the Onmyoji’s nerves.

The spells in his mind, deprived by the burning sensation, vanished into thin air.

The talismans in his hands similarly dropped to the ground in disarray.

Only one thought remained in the mind of this special Onmyoji.

"Water!"

"I need water!"

"I have to drink water!"

And then—

Bang!

Hui Lijing shot right through the middle of his forehead.

Watching the man slowly fall to the ground,

Hui Lijing blinked, recalling the words of the old monk from Tongshou Temple.

"The invention of gunpowder has changed everything."

Is this what it means... that the era has changed?

Hui Lijing pondered silently.

But at that moment, a sinister voice sounded in her ears.

"As expected of Hui Lixiang’s sister."

As the voice emerged, Hui Lijing’s body was bound by an invisible force.

In the next moment, she found herself suspended mid-air, a feeling of suffocation immediately following.

Hui Lijing struggled continuously.

Her eyes were searching for the attacker.

The attacker did not hide.

After confirming that Hui Lijing was bound, they brazenly appeared in front of her.

Seeing the attacker, Hui Lijing stopped struggling.

Not out of giving up,

But because she saw that... tall and muscular figure behind the attacker.