Chapter 177: The Middleman, Invasive Species (5k)

She had always kept one thing in mind: nothing is a matter of course.

So, she owed Wen Yan a huge favor.

And this time, the demons and monsters she helped stop would also owe her a big favor.

She was the one who profited most, even if she owed Wen Yan a massive debt; she was still the one who came out ahead.

So now, with Wen Yan coming to her for advice, she brought out her investigative edge.

Wen Yan hadn’t said much, but after pondering it a bit, she more or less understood that something important was involved, and it was necessary to prepare properly.

She flipped through her contacts, found a number, dialed it, and hung up after three rings.

Three minutes later, a call came in from a location she didn’t recognize.

A low, slightly hoarse voice sounded.

"Hello, Wan Jun. What’s up?"

"Uncle Meng, I’m buying some intel. Name your price."

"Go on."

"Of those three contracts I sold you back then, who did you sell the second one to?"

"Heh... hehehe. Wan Jun, have you forgotten the rules? Skipping the middleman is a big no-no."

"Uncle Meng, do you really think I’m the sort who doesn’t know the rules?" Wan Jun’s tone was calm.

The other end fell silent for a moment.

"That contract... it got you involved?"

"Yeah. Uncle Meng, you know me. I have to get ready in advance. And I have no plans to cut you out of the deal; you know I’ve got no need to do something like that now, and I don’t need that kind of money anymore."

"As for the ultimate buyer, I actually don’t know. The person who came to me paid in gold bars. Probably another middleman. The end client was very cautious. If the terms hadn’t been straightforward and the payment high enough, I wouldn’t have hooked you up. Didn’t expect that, after all these years, it would still come back to bite."

"Uncle Meng, it’s not your fault. Business is business. I made the deal, so the risk is mine alone. Being a lawyer, I know better than anyone—there’s no such thing as a contract without loopholes. At the time, I thought there was no way I’d get dragged in. Uncle Meng, help me look into it. Trace that contract—who ended up with it? How much do you want?"

The other end went quiet for a while.

"If you’re not trying to skip the middleman, then it’s not really against the rules. But this won’t be easy to track. Two big yellowfish bars as a deposit. Later we’ll settle the rest depending on difficulty—pay extra if needed, no refunds if less. That okay?"

"No problem. Just debit it from what I’ve got on deposit with you."

"Alright. Wait. Fastest is a day, slowest three. You’ll get word."

After hanging up, Zhuge Wanjun thought for a moment and called out inside.

"Lady Lie, no need to cook tonight. I’m heading out."

Lady Lie poked her head out of the kitchen, looked puzzled, and asked,

"Aren’t you on leave? Got a case only you can handle?"

"No, I have to go to Virtue City."

Lady Lie hesitated as if she wanted to say something.

Zhuge Wanjun smiled, trying to reassure her.

"I’m no big shot who can just sit at home and chill, not needing to lift a finger, nothing to worry about. Relax, I’m just going to check things out and see if I can help. Should be fine. But I have to show my face."

Wen Yan hung up the phone, then glanced sideways at the Old Turtle. The Old Turtle’s tiny eyes flashed with a hint of terror, silently guessing—could it really be that much of a coincidence?

Wen Yan couldn’t be bothered to keep sparring words with this demon, who spouted nonsense at every turn.

"Feng Yao, about demons eating people, or swallowing souls, what’s the usual sentence?"

"What era do you think this is? If a demon eats a human? Immediate arrest, obviously. Swallowing souls—same thing. Detain them on the spot, if they resist, kill them right then and there."

Feng Yao answered without a hint of hesitation. Never mind how National First-Class or Second-Class creatures are now commonly known, and how almost all wildlife out there is under state protection.

That’s just maintaining biodiversity for regular folks; helps the bigger picture, wild game isn’t that safe anyway.

From the Scorching Sun Department’s point of view, it’s about stabilizing society, keeping demon groups under wraps, winning some over, making it impossible for demon kin to unite—easier to manage that way.

But if they eat people, or swallow souls—once caught and convicted, it’s a nailed-down death sentence, no question.

Most demons are aware of this, so when arrest goes down, it’s like cornered beasts—fighting to the death, resisting all out. Most end up shot dead on the spot during the process.

Wen Yan nodded, indicating he understood.

Jiang Yanyan saw what was coming, immediately raised the Golden Mace to strike, but Wen Yan reached out to stop him, expression serious.

"Joking around is one thing, but this—don’t get involved.

You just got recognized and commended. You’re now the model of demon kin, the model Water God of Nanwu County.

Don’t get bloody with demon kin, at least not today.

Just watch from the side, okay?"

"Brother Wen..." Jiang Yanyan’s lips trembled, tears almost spilling out.

"You call me Brother, so it’s my job to protect you. I can’t let anyone find an excuse at a time like this."

Wen Yan gripped the Chunjun Mace, walked up to the Old Turtle.

"Let me make this clear for you, save you from claiming I kill without warning. We’ll go through the motions, at least on paper.

You signed the contract. I know exactly what’s in it.

So here’s some advice: if you’re bad at lying, best not to lie at all.

You said you met He Changfeng. How’d you meet him? You slipped up, didn’t you?"