"Since you did not refuse, I will assu there is room for negotiation," Bai Mu stated.
"So, human, what can you offer ?" the black cat purred. "Your own life? Your life is not enough to trade for a witch."
"I never planned on trading my life for hers," Bai Mu replied. "However, if you refuse this deal, I might just have to stay in this house a little while longer."
"Did you not ntion earlier that a human lifespan is incredibly short? That by the ti you wake from a nap, we would be nothing but bleached bones? If that is the case, surely you wouldn't care what we do?"
The black cat finally dropped its aloof, lazy deanor. It narrowed its eyes, scrutinizing Bai Mu intently.
"As you can see, the current witch is a kind and innocent country girl," Bai Mu continued. "You must have tried to corrupt her quite a few tis. Unfortunately for you, she would rather die than murder on your behalf."
"If I were to propose that she help tear this house down, I bet she would gladly agree," Bai Mu declared. "She certainly wouldn't want such a malicious place to remain in this world."
"After all, she is the current master of the Ancient Manor. With her assistance, we could probably raze every single brick and tile to the ground."
"I don't see any reason to keep this basent intact, either. The magic tos, the spell formations—we can just toss them into a bonfire and scatter the ashes in the river."
"With the witch backing us up, destroying things like that animated suit of armor should be a breeze. And as for you, little black cat, since you love sleeping so much, we can just put you to sleep permanently."
"Human, this is rely an avatar. It is not my true body," the black cat hissed, its voice dropping dangerously low.
"Might as well try, we have nothing to lose," Bai Mu shrugged. "Besides, all you can do is conjure harmless illusions, right? Your lifespan is infinitely longer than mine, so I am sure a grand being like yourself will forgive my transgressions. After all, I will be a pile of dust in the blink of an eye. You can spit on my tombstone then, and I won't be able to do a thing about it."
"Still, tearing down such an antique manor is a bit of a sha." Bai Mu glanced up at the ceiling, feigning a sigh of regret. "I wonder how many years of ticulous renovation it took to get this Ancient Manor to look the way it does now?"
"For a demon incapable of physically interfering with the real world, building a manor like this could not have been easy. Did you have to track down a girl with the aptitude for magic, patiently groom her, tempt her with honeyed words, and trick her into doing hard labor just to expand this place?"
"Maybe a single generation of witches wasn't enough, forcing you to rely on several successions to get the job done. I imagine if the house was in ruins, harvesting souls would be quite inconvenient, wouldn't it? Well, whatever, that has nothing to do with ," Bai Mu concluded. "I will be long dead by the ti you rebuild it. A man must live in the present and focus on the task at hand."
Listening to this exchange from the sidelines, Scattered Fireflies couldn't help but cover her mouth and stifle a giggle.
Great Northern Wilderness and Yanyu were struggling to hold back their laughter as well. Bai Mu's tone was incredibly punchable; he was practically tap-dancing on the demon's nerves, screaming, "Co on and hit , you idiot!"
And by the looks of it, the black cat truly had no way to deal with them. It had always relied on using others to do its dirty work, acting exclusively through the witch. However, the current witch was fast asleep in Bai Mu's arms.
Whatever happened in the bedroom had clearly earned Bai Mu a great deal of the witch's trust. At the very least, she trusted him far more than a dubious black cat.
In a sense, Bai Mu had practically acquired a demolition permit. He might as well have spray-painted a massive "CONDEMNED" sign on the walls. With the black cat forced to watch helplessly as its precious building faced destruction, Bai Mu pulled another Cherry Bomb from his inventory. "I still have a few of these left to toss around. Let's start with the foundation. This basent seems like the perfect spot."
"Brother Bai, let help you with that!" Great Northern Wilderness volunteered, eagerly rolling up his sleeves.
He had finally figured it out: this black cat was all bark and no bite. It put on a tough front, but when push ca to shove, it folded instantly. "You can't leave out of the fun!"
Yanyu stepped forward with a smirk. She was still holding a grudge against the feline for terrifying her with those illusions earlier. She absolutely refused to miss a chance to take it down a peg.
" too, too!"
Scattered Fireflies eagerly chid in. Nancheng Port remained silent, but he had already casually picked up a heavy hoe. The group was completely leaning into the role of a demolition squad. The oppressive atmosphere of the Ancient Manor had weighed heavily on them; navigating through constant danger and the unknown had kept them on edge with every step.
After being pushed around for so long, they were desperate to vent their frustrations, and this was the perfect opportunity.
The black cat instantly bristled, its fur standing on end as its detached, uncaring facade shattered entirely.
Bai Mu had clearly struck a nerve. The demon had quite literally built this manor from the ground up, suffering through harsh weather and imnse hardship to place every brick and tile. An amusing image flashed through Bai Mu's mind: a dirt-covered little black cat laboriously hauling stone blocks into the forest. He pictured it carrying roof tiles on its back, clumsily leaping onto exposed beams, and using its jaws to painstakingly place each shingle to form an ugly little mud hut. After finally laying the foundation, the poor creature had to scour the lands for talent, desperately begging witches to sign contracts so it could teach them magic. It must have taken centuries of grueling labor for that miserable mud hut to evolve into this sprawling, luxurious estate.
Fortified by the magic of generations of witches, this manor was ant to be an indestructible fortress. But despite all its flawless defenses, an unprecedented glitch had infiltrated the system.
And this walking glitch was about to reduce centuries of the black cat's blood, sweat, and tears into a pile of aningless rubble.
The feeling was likely akin to an MMO account you had played since childhood. The inventory was packed with limited-edition items and discontinued skins. Every ti you logged into the server, you would strut through the capital dripping in legendary gear, practically invincible with your hands in your pockets. But now, you realize your account has been hacked. Worse, the hacker is live-streaming the entire ordeal, forcing you to watch helplessly as they dismantle your priceless gear into scrap tal.
It was pure, unadulterated cuckoldry—an absolute violation right before its very eyes!
"Enough, human!" the black cat shrieked, finally reaching its breaking point. "I will tell you how to take her out of here, just get out of my sight and never return!" Bai Mu glanced up at the feline. "Is that any way to beg?"
With that, he pulled out yet another Cherry Bomb, causing the cat's face to twist into an incredibly strained, constipated expression.
"If you were just going to cave, why put on such a tough act?" Great Northern Wilderness shook his head, turning to his brother. "I actually preferred it when it was acting all high and mighty."
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