My Demon Friends

Chapter 746 746: 706

Last night, it snowed again.

Except for the coldest period of winter, snowfall in the small mountain village usually wasn't too heavy. It often meant waking up to find some snow lying at the foot of walls, along the eaves, and in the bushes and woods. With temperatures rising, it would typically disappear by nine or ten in the morning.

Now was the coldest time of the winter season.

Zhou Li, carrying a bowl, stepped out the door and saw the entire world blanketed in white. However, on the little path in front of the courtyard, there was a set of tiny footprints.

To be precise, there were two sets, close together, pressed into the fluffy snow, leaving behind just a series of small holes. It was vaguely discernible that they had come from the right, passed through the yard, and continued onward.

It was very cold outside.

The porridge in the bowl cooled at just the right rate; every bite Zhou Li took was warm, neither scalding nor cold.

He had just finished a bowl of plain porridge when the owners of the two sets of footprints returned.

Xiao Yuan, with his hands clasped behind his back, looked somewhat comical with his round and rotund body. Lao Hui, on the other hand, moved with stable steps, his gaze and expression steady as they chatted leisurely while walking.

"Yu Country is powerful indeed! Long live Your Highness!"

"Of course," Lao Hui stated blandly.

"It's just a bit regrettable. We moved here just over a year ago and only enjoyed the crops for one season. It really is a good place."

"Yes," Lao Hui sighed, "a good place."

"I'm somewhat reluctant to leave here."

"Coming and going, bustling about, we're all just passing through. You should have understood this by now."

"It's a pity it's winter now, everything covered in snow..."

"It would have been better if it was spring or summer."

"But I still remember what it was like here in the spring, summer, and autumn, the paths lined with blooming flowers," Xiao Yuan said in his childlike voice, like a cute cartoon character. "I heard it's a world similar to this one, also overflowing with a lot of plants, but without any animals. Do you think the plants there will be like the ones here?"

"The same, I expect," Lao Hui, far more knowledgeable, replied. "I've seen on human television that planets out there are pretty similar to Earth."

"Oh... hey, Zhou Li!"

Xiao Yuan noticed Zhou Li standing in front of the yard. He immediately raised his hand excitedly to wave at him and then, along with Lao Hui, walked into the courtyard. "Were you having breakfast?" he asked. "When we came by this morning, we noticed you hadn't opened the door yet, so Lao Hui and I went over there to check it out."

"Have you eaten?" Zhou Li asked.

"We've eaten, had some peanuts and a few pine nuts," Xiao Yuan replied. "It really is cold today."

"Yes, come in quickly, it's warm inside."

"We're not afraid of the cold, you know..."

But Xiao Yuan still followed Zhou Li into the house, scraping his feet on the doorstep to clean off the mix of snow and mud. Lao Hui, on the other hand, stood at the door and shook his fur. It seemed tiny, barely visible ice pellets were still falling outside. After shaking off a pile of icy particles, Lao Hui lightly jumped over the threshold.

At that moment, there came a meow—

"MEOW!"

Lord Dumpling popped out, greeting Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan with a lively voice, the pitch rising slightly at the end to indicate an excited mood:

"Lord Xiao Yuan! Predecessor Lao Hui! Good morning!"

"Greetings, Lord Dumpling," Xiao Yuan said, bowing his head.

"I cannot claim to be your predecessor, as I may not be as old as you. Besides, I am not a cat," Lao Hui said, his voice resonant.

"You are a cat!" Tuanzi explained to him.

"I'm not," Lao Hui replied. "I am a demon that resembles a cat."

"Hmm? Then Lord Dumpling isn't a cat either! Also a demon!"

"We're not the same kind of demon. I am a Lightning Demon, while you appear to be a shape-shifting demon."

"Is that so... MEOW..."

Lord Dumpling became a bit confused by his explanation, but that didn't matter. She extended a warm invitation to Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan, "Would you like to join us for a meal, MEOW?"

"We've already eaten," they replied.

"Oh..."

But that still didn't matter, because Lord Dumpling had eaten too.

So she offered Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan a second warm invitation, "There's so much snow outside! Soft and powdery. Let's all go roll around in it, MEOW?"

"We've just had a walk," they responded.

"Oh..."

Tuanzi hopped back onto the stool and sat down without speaking.

Zhou Li then started talking with Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan. They mostly discussed matters of relocation: the proposal of plans, advance preparations, relevant technologies, and the target planet, among other things. Lao Hui found these subjects and the conversation very interesting, and it so happened that Zhou Li knew more about them than he did.

Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan were planning to leave.

When asked about it earlier, Huai Xu had given a roundabout answer: Lao Hui and Xiao Yuan were curious and eager to experience what a new world was like, which was a great thing for them.

After all, they were young.

Xiao Yuan was the youngest. Lao Hui, a bit older and more mature, was still nowhere near as old as Xing Hui and Li Bai. He was probably the equivalent of a human in his thirties or forties, with much of life still ahead of him.

As they chatted, Zhou Li glanced over—

Huai Xu was sprawled across the table, writing something earnestly on a sheet of paper.

Zhou Li furrowed his brow. "What are you writing?"

Without looking up, Huai Xu replied:

"I'm making a list."

"What list?"

"Those hard-to-find, quality items. I'm compiling a list so we can stock up on them before the Old Land World is gone. I'll buy extra," Huai Xu said, continuing to write nonstop without once looking up at Zhou Li. "That way, we won't have a hard time finding them later and won't need to take trains and planes."

"..."

This old monster's way of thinking is truly peculiar, Zhou Li thought, quite impressed.

「On the third night.」

It was a quiet night. The snow had stopped, and the little mountain village was exceptionally peaceful without the howls of the Evil God.

Most members of the Dog Gang had taken refuge in the doghouse, huddling together for warmth. However, two remained outside: one lay at the entrance of the doghouse, watching out, while the other lay beside Zheng Zhilan, keeping its master company.

In the courtyard sat several guests unseen by them.

Xiao Yuan bowed politely and respectfully to the several people and demons. "We've been in your care for some time... Thank you, Little Zheng and Lord Qinghe, for providing us with a place to stay, and sometimes inviting us over for meals or bringing us food."

Little Zheng was not good at speaking. "I, I didn't... It's okay... You're welcome..."

Qinghe remained silent.

Xiao Yuan turned in another direction. "In any case, thank you. And also thanks to Lord Xing Hui and Lord Ji Bai for your care during this time. Lastly, I want to thank Zhou Li, Huai Xu, and Lord Dumpling. You've been helping us since long ago; we will always remember it."

"We are merely neighbors," said Xing Hui.

"That's right," Ji Bai added.

"You have also helped me a lot," Zhou Li managed a forced smile. He still didn't know whether Sister Hong Ran would stay or go, and his mind was in turmoil.

"Are you trying to set a mood?" Huai Xu asked, his expression blank.

"You're welcome, MEOW!" Lord Dumpling replied, knowing only to respond this way when thanked.

"In any case, thank you," Xiao Yuan said again.

"I won't say much about farewells." Lao Hui, standing beside him, spoke. "We will go see what the new world looks like on behalf of all of you."

"Well said," nodded Xing Hui.

"Please... check on Lord Evil God for me," Little Zheng hurriedly said.

"Of course." Lao Hui slightly raised his head, a mane-like ring of fur around his neck. "We met here, and today we part. It's likely there won't be another chance to meet, as the distance of the Xing He is beyond our ordinary strength to cross. It's already good to think of each other from time to time. I hope everyone stays well."

"We're leaving now," Xiao Yuan quickly added.

Ripples then began spreading across the world. They quickly enlarged and became intense. In the blink of an eye, they obscured the figures of Xiao Yuan and Lao Hui.

This scene was not only unfolding in the small mountain village but elsewhere too. Those demons who weren't particularly close to humans often sought out Heavenly Masters with whom they had interacted. Sometimes they found ordinary people they had seen many times, or simply went to a place they frequently passed by—a familiar street corner—to bid farewell to this world.

Because everyone knew that once gone, they could never return.

After entering the Old Land World, they would call upon the Old Land, which would then transport them to the nearest safe area. Then they would wait to depart with the Old Land World.

"CRACKLE..."

Huai Xu started a fire in the courtyard. The flames crackled, spreading warmth. He grinned and said, "With fewer demons around, and human Heavenly Masters unlikely to be a match for me, wouldn't I be free to do whatever I want? Hehehe..."

After speaking, he looked around and found that nobody was paying attention to him.

Huai Xu pouted. "Boring."

Time grew later and later. Zhou Li checked his watch; it was nearing midnight.

He then looked across at Zheng Zhilan, noticing she was quietly gazing at the fire, seemingly lost in thought, her delicate face tinged slightly red by the light of the flames.

He then looked down at his phone again.

He still hadn't received a reply from Sister Hong Ran.

Suddenly—

Both humans and demons sensed something and abruptly looked down.

Beneath their feet, the ground seemed to develop a double image. It was a phantasmal earth, semi-transparent, complete with potholes, mud, pebbles, and plants sustaining small creatures. This phantasmal earth was now slowly drifting away from the planet they stood on, floating diagonally upwards.

The area near the small mountain village that corresponded to the location in the Old Land World seemed to be a relatively small safe zone. Xiao Yuan and Lao Hui were standing there, and Lord Evil God was also there, spreading his wings and flying above them.

They were all just phantoms.

At this moment, it seemed not only the Heavenly Masters and demons on Earth could see the Old Land World, but the demons of the Old Land World could also see them.

And so their gazes met.

Xiao Yuan raised his paw and waved it, even hopping a bit, and Lao Hui nodded in their direction. The Evil God roared towards the sky and, with a dive, seemed to want to fly over to them.

"CLANG."

Little Zheng's stool clattered to the ground. She had already stood up and was looking at the semi-transparent, phantasmal Evil God.

"BANG!"

The Evil God crashed heavily onto the ground of the Old Land World, breaking a towering tree and scattering mud.

"ROAR!"

The Evil God got up and shook his head.

But the separation of the Old Land World paid him no mind; the speed at which the phantasm moved diagonally up was increasing.

Little Zheng's eyes were moist and reflective, but even now, she remained silent and didn't say a word. She just raised her hand and waved at the Evil God, then bowed her head, her hands tightly clasped together at her chest, silently praying.

The illusory horizon gradually rose past the rooftops. Zhou Li, who had been looking down, now looked up, enveloped in light and shadow, watching the phantasmal horizon recede further and further away.

The acceleration didn't stop for a moment.

Soon they could no longer see the horizon. All around and above, the illusory shadow of the Old Land World surrounded them. They found themselves enveloped within the Old Land World's interior. They were unable to make out details in the shadow, only aware that they were beneath the surface of the Old Land World.

This process lasted for about half an hour, until the separation of the Old Land World from Earth reached where they stood. Then, they saw the other side of the Old Land World.

This was another phantasmal expanse of earth, but it was receding much faster than before. The illusory light surrounding their location suddenly vanished. With the phantasm gone, they could once again see the clear night sky and the bright bonfire. Big Yellow lay at Zheng Zhilan's feet, yawning lazily. The line of separation between the Old Land World and Earth rapidly spread into the distance. In the night sky, they saw a huge planet swiftly pulling away from Earth.

Zhou Li saw many demons on the surface of the Old Land World. Like him, they were looking up, watching Earth drift away.

Perhaps, in their eyes, Earth is the phantasm, he mused.

Gradually, this phantasmal planet stopped again, suspended high in the night sky, distant but clearly visible. For a moment, the sight was impossibly magical and utterly beautiful.

Vast and terrifying energies were brewing. The fluctuations of spiritual power even affected Zhou Li from afar, causing his heart to pound.

Silently—

The phantom Old Land World suddenly vanished.

The night once again became quiet.