My Demon Friends

Chapter 753

The Dog Gang had also been kept well under control and hadn't scared anyone. During their passage, they crossed paths with the local village gangs. But since this area was a regular route for Miss Zheng when she descended the mountain to enter the city, it wasn't the first or second time the Yin Yang Temple Dog Gang had passed through here. The two sides were quite familiar with each other. After confirming their identities, they tacitly maintained peace.

...

By the time Zhou Li got home, it was past eleven o'clock. He had reaped a wealth of rewards, but more importantly, he was in a good mood after a wonderful experience.

The full moon had quietly changed positions, casting the village nestled in the mountains in an even more ethereal and silent glow.

Zhou Li lay on his bed, staring at his phone.

The time slowly passed midnight.

Huai Xu sat cross-legged on the bed. He formed a hand seal that no one else could understand, one that even he himself couldn't replicate exactly. He pushed it fiercely towards Zhou Li, but nothing changed. Still, he said to Zhou Li with a serious expression, "You have received the Great Devil King's blessing. It is incredibly precious."

He didn't say what the blessing was.

Almost simultaneously, Zhou Li's phone began to vibrate.

Huai Xu glanced at his phone and, still serious, said, "As long as you haven't read the message, I'm still the first one. How about that? Moved?"

"Moved," Zhou Li nodded.

I'll just consider him the first then.

Zhou Li unlocked his phone, and there were more messages than he had expected—

Li Daimao: Happy birthday, you dumbass

Li Daimao: [Peach Heart]

Li Daimao: [Red Packet: Here's one cent for you]

...

Little Zheng: Happy birthday

Little Zheng: So this is how these characters are written

...

Hong Ran: [Red Packet]

Hong Ran: Happy birthday, little brother. You're another year older. Have you grown up any?

...

Zhu Shuang: [Red Packet: Wishing Big Brother a happy birthday, may you always be happy]

Zhu Shuang: Big Brother, you got this!

...

Aunt Jiang: [Red Packet: Happy Birthday, son]

...

Ms. Ji: [Red Packet: Happy Birthday, son]

...

Zhong Xin: [Red Packet]

Zhong Xin: Happy birthday, Handsome Zhou

...

Baozi: Happy birthday, cousin

Baozi: /bow

...

Comparatively, Little Cousin's bow seemed so simple and unpretentious, so unique that it immediately caught Zhou Li's attention.

But Zhou Li wasn't in the mood to tease her. He still had to reply to so many messages, and as he did, more birthday wishes kept arriving from people like Xiao Hua and Junior Sister Xiao Xiong. How do they even know? he wondered. Reminders from the Chinese perpetual calendar, perhaps?

Right, I'll tease her later.

Zhou Li found himself swamped.

Zhou Li: Today also marks two years since I became sworn brothers with Big Brother. Do you remember, Big Brother?

Li Daimao: I don't remember

Zhou Li: That's heartbreaking

Just then, a scratching sound came from the door—quick, frequent, and persistent. It was accompanied by a soft, high-pitched, childlike voice:

"Zhou Ni, open the door!

"Zhou Ni, open up!

"Let Lord Dumpling in! Oh, go in!"

"Just hold on a second! I'll be right there!"

Zhou Li immediately put down his phone and got up to open the door. He looked down at Lord Dumpling crouching at the doorway and said, "The door wasn't locked, Lord Dumpling. You could have just jumped up and opened it."

"Lord Dumpling forgot."

"Is that so..." Zhou Li nodded. "Does Lord Dumpling have something to tell me?"

"I do!" Tuanzi looked up at him earnestly.

"What could it be?" Zhou Li asked curiously.

"Lord Dumpling wishes you a happy... birthday!" Tuanzi said seriously. She then tilted her head, thought for a moment, and added, "Your Highness also asked me to pass on a message for her, but I don't know how to..."

"I've already received it!" Zhou Li said, looking both surprised and delighted. "Thank you, Lord Dumpling and Your Highness!"

"You're welcome!"

"Will Lord Dumpling sleep with me tonight?"

"Good night, Zhou Ni!"

Tuanzi turned and scampered off, smoothly slipping through the crack under the door of the neighboring room, from which an orange glow emanated.

Zhou Li stood smiling for a while, then returned to his room.

He got back to his replies.

「The sixteenth of the first lunar month.」

「Morning.」

Zhou Li, holding his mouthwash cup, squatted outside the courtyard. He took a sip of water and rinsed his mouth.

The electric hot water faucet Brother Nan had installed was really useful. Although it couldn't get the water very hot in winter, at least it provided warm water. Otherwise, brushing his teeth in the morning or evening with cold water would have been an intensely chilling experience.

Too bad I won't be able to use it for much longer.

As he was thinking, a figure approached and squatted beside him, holding a small bowl—it was the old monster.

Zhou Li didn't immediately stick his toothbrush in his mouth. Instead, he turned to look at the old monster, feeling both curious and amused. "This seems to be the first time I've ever seen you brush your teeth..."

"It's not 'seems'."

Huai Xu also took a sip of water, swished it around in his mouth—GURGLE, GURGLE—and then, as Zhou Li watched, swallowed it with a GULP. Only then did he say to Zhou Li:

"This is my first time brushing my teeth in my life."

With that said, he stuck the toothbrush in his mouth and scrubbed haphazardly.

Zhou Li silently looked away.

Another figure appeared beside Zhou Li. It was a little cat girl, squatting down—a tiny thing. She held a small cup in one hand and a toothbrush with just a speck of toothpaste in the other. She turned her head to stare at Zhou Li with her large, distinctly non-human eyes, her voice soft and bright:

"Good morning, Zhou Ni~~"

"Good morning, Lord Dumpling."

"Zhou Ni, do you see anything different about Lord Dumpling?"

"Hmm, let me think..." Zhou Li thought for only a moment before answering, "You've become cuter!"

"That's not it!" The little cat girl, still holding her cup, wasn't in a hurry to brush her teeth. She shook her head and said, "Try again!"

"Smarter!"

"That's not it either!"

"Then you must have gotten stronger!"

"That's right!"

Only then did the little cat girl nod in confirmation and repeat, "Lord Dumpling got stronger!"

"I could tell from the start. It's just that besides getting stronger, Lord Dumpling also got cuter and smarter, so I didn't get it right immediately. I was saying them one by one," Zhou Li said to Tuanzi, a mix of regret and honesty in his voice. Then he asked, "But why? Why did Lord Dumpling suddenly get stronger? I want to get stronger too."

"Because Lord Dumpling runs around outside every day. Her Highness said that makes you stronger."

"Is that so?"

"Yes! At first, Lord Dumpling would get tired, but not anymore!"

"I see," Zhou Li nodded. "Her Highness really goes to great lengths to help Lord Dumpling get stronger."

"Exactly!"

By now, Huai Xu had haphazardly finished brushing. He spat out the foamy water, then stirred the contents of his small bowl with his toothbrush, tapping it against the side before emptying it.

GURGLE, GURGLE... CLINK, CLINK...

Glancing at them, he stood up and headed inside, remarking, "A pair of brain-dead, childish idiots..."

Zhou Li and Lord Dumpling looked at each other.

Then a third figure arrived.

It was Miss Zheng.

Miss Zheng was very demure. She walked over to them, said nothing, and silently squatted down to begin brushing her teeth.

Seeing this, Zhou Li and the little cat girl quickly began as well.

A fourth figure appeared—a tiny girl, flying in the air. She glanced at them casually. "Humans are so foolish and troublesome... If you manage to please me, I might consider teaching you a spell to cleanse yourselves at will."

"Your Highness, I want to learn! I want to learn!"

"You can forget about it."

"Oh..."

Zhou Li and Miss Zheng exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away. Neither spoke; it was inconvenient to talk while brushing their teeth.