novelraw Chapter 1194: Precocious
Chapter 1194: Precocious
When Liu Minghao received the notice to come to this city for a mission, he already knew it wasn’t going to be a good assignment—not because of the case itself, but because this city was True Dragon of Divine Land’s personal domain.
If it were only about True Dragon, Liu Minghao wouldn’t be too worried. After all, as one of the top advisors of the Management Bureau, as long as they didn’t provoke him, there wouldn’t be any trouble. The problem was that this city had too many Demons living in it.
True Dragon’s territory had the highest proportion of Demons among all urban populations nationwide. Wandering around here aimlessly could easily get someone tangled with a Demon.
Liu Minghao and Wei Zidào had already been as careful as possible, avoiding any trace of Demon aura during their movements. Yet, they still ended up running into a Demon—and not just any Demon, but a high-ranking one, and a witch at that.
The offspring of humans and Demons could either be born extremely powerful or completely powerless due to the imbalance of bloodlines. Hybrids always went to extremes.
According to the data, the Sea Eagle Witch was one of the powerful types. Against a high-level Demon, the Bureau would normally send at least three or more fully armed senior agents to deal with it.
And she was a witch on top of that.
A drop of cold sweat slid down Liu Minghao’s face. He was grateful that Tara seemed like a reasonable person—at least after they proved their identity, she didn’t make any further moves.
“What did my friend do wrong?”
The strange tattoos on Tara’s body had faded away. Now she looked like an ordinary young woman, though her tone still carried a trace of irritation.Friend… not boyfriend?
Wei Zidào instinctively glanced at Chen Mingming, waiting for Liu Minghao’s lead—whatever he did next would determine what Wei Zidào should do.
Liu Minghao retracted his metal whip and smiled politely. “Miss Tara, it’s an honor to meet you. According to our archives, your record is excellent.”
“You still haven’t answered my question.” Tara frowned.
Liu Minghao gestured for Wei Zidào to lower his custom revolver, the one that could fire Spell Bullets, and began explaining the situation.
“…That’s the story, Miss Tara. Your friend happened to be among the traces we were investigating, so we were just following protocol.”
Tara frowned again, thinking for a while before shaking her head. “I’ve known him for almost a year. He’s just an ordinary person—I can guarantee that. According to you, the culprit must have some kind of ability, so it obviously isn’t him. There are so many Demons in this city—shouldn’t you be focusing your investigation there instead?”
We’d like to, too…
But there were only the two of them—Liu Minghao and Wei Zidào. Wei Zidào was still a rookie, and both were mid-to-lower-level agents of the Bureau. In a city packed with powerful Demons, offending the wrong bigshot could be disastrous.
In truth, after inspecting the corpse at the detention center, Liu Minghao had already wanted to close the case. The victim was a criminal anyway, and it didn’t seem worth wasting Bureau resources on. Cases like this—where a supernatural individual had likely killed someone unjust—had piled up by the thousands over the years.
If not for the later death of Chang Xiao, the two of them would’ve long since closed the file and gone home.
“Since Miss Tara is willing to vouch for him, there’s no problem.”
Liu Minghao nodded. “Apologies for today’s incident, but rest assured, Miss Tara, your friend is only asleep. We were simply conducting an investigation—we wouldn’t harm any citizen.”
Tara nodded slightly.
The relationship between supernaturals and the Management Bureau was delicate. Both sides tried their best to avoid unnecessary conflict.
“Then we’ll take our leave, Miss Tara.”
Liu Minghao and Wei Zidào started packing up their equipment.
“Wait!” Tara suddenly said. “Leave your contact information.”
“??”
Tara shrugged. “You’re investigating a case, right? If I find any clues, I’ll need to contact you! Isn’t helping the Bureau supposed to grant Demons more civil privileges? I’m saving up for my travel visa points—I want to visit the Bashu region this summer!”
“…Alright.”
Indeed, the Bureau’s regulations on Demon residency were strict. Once a Demon settled in a region, they couldn’t leave freely. Any travel required registration and approval.
Still, plenty of them broke the rule quietly.
Liu Minghao hadn’t expected this powerful half-human, half-Demon girl to be such a law-abiding citizen. After exchanging contact info, the two agents quickly left.
…
“Brother Hao, what a pity,” Wei Zidào sighed. “If we’d been a bit tougher, we might’ve gotten to question that young man.”
Liu Minghao replied, “Tara clearly cares about him. There’s no need to offend her—not because we fear her power, but because her identity is… sensitive.”
“Sensitive?” Wei Zidào asked. “Why?”
Liu Minghao answered seriously, “She’s a witch—specifically, the Sea Eagle Witch. The Eagle Totem is one of the three great totems of the grasslands. The people there aren’t like those inland. Their tribes have worshipped totems for generations. If she’s a spiritual leader of one such group, that could bring serious trouble.”
He wasn’t referring to the Demon race, but to the nomadic tribes who lived on the vast grasslands. Their population might be small, but they were still citizens.
“I see,” Wei Zidào nodded and opened the divination mirror. “There are still seven or eight left to check.”
“Let’s try to finish today,” Liu Minghao said after a pause. “If we still get nothing, we’ll have to change our approach.”
…
When Chen Mingming opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a girl’s face, softly lit by the sunlight.
He frowned slightly in confusion.
He was lying on a bench, his head resting on Tara’s lap. It was quiet all around—they were no longer at the bustling food festival, but in a resting area behind the plaza.
Chen Mingming tried to sit up, but Tara gently pressed him back down and covered his eyes with her palm.
Her gentle voice sounded by his ear. “Rest a bit longer—it’ll do you good. You suddenly fainted earlier; maybe you’re not feeling well.”
From her warm hand came a soothing heat that spread across his eyelids. The haze in his mind seemed to fade a little.
“Feeling better?” Tara asked softly.
“Yeah.” Chen Mingming instinctively answered.
“Do you need mouth-to-mouth?” Tara said, once again catching him off guard.
Chen Mingming quickly grabbed her hand to block his mouth.
“Hey?” Tara lowered her head, strands of hair falling around her face.
“Hm?” Chen Mingming responded quietly.
Tara smiled. “You actually want me to kiss you, don’t you?”
Chen Mingming replied with a dry joke. “Humans have evolved for so long, but I still haven’t evolved into a lower-half-driven animal. Sorry for lowering the average standard.”
Tara kept her hand over his eyes, her voice coming closer, her breath brushing his face. “A kiss isn’t always about sex, you know. Sometimes, it’s about wanting to be touched… to be acknowledged… to be seen.”
“Why?” Chen Mingming asked calmly.
Tara smiled softly. “Because I’m a Demon, I can touch the hearts of humans. You’re very lonely, aren’t you?”
Her hand slowly moved away from Chen Mingming’s eyes until it rested lightly on his lips. He could once again see Tara’s face clearly—so close that the sunlight gave her skin a jade-like glow. Then she leaned in and kissed him.
Only, it was through her hand.
For a brief moment, Chen Mingming felt a surge of panic, struggling to keep calm. Tara lifted her head proudly, chuckling. “Just imitating others doesn’t mean you can actually do it. Even if you understand someone’s thoughts, you’ll never truly be in the same world as them. From the beginning, you and that person were two separate beings.”
Chen Mingming opened his mouth slightly but said nothing.
Tara whispered, “I can see it… in that person’s eyes—there’s loneliness, yes, but also longing. You don’t have that anymore.”
Chen Mingming frowned.
Tara continued, “You can’t even see yourself clearly—how could you possibly see into someone else’s heart?”
Chen Mingming gave a faint laugh, covered his own eyes with his hand, and murmured, “Let me rest a little longer.”
Tara gently stroked his hair, soothing him as if comforting a child. “Good boy.”
…
When he woke again, Tara was gone. In his hand was a small slip of paper she had left behind.
— I’m leaving first.
It was already evening.
Chen Mingming hadn’t expected to sleep that long. Tara hadn’t left any other message, which somehow made her seem even more carefree.
He sat up but didn’t leave right away, quietly lost in thought. The resting area had grown emptier; most people had gone to the mall to eat or shop.
As the sky darkened and the lights came on, Chen Mingming slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, someone was sitting beside him—Luo Qiu, the man who had sold him the silver pistol.
He appeared out of nowhere, as if drawn by Chen Mingming’s unspoken thoughts.
…
“Have I… seen you somewhere before?” Chen Mingming frowned. “Even the first time we met, I had this strange feeling. Hard to describe.”
Luo Qiu smiled faintly. “Often, when we see someone, we feel as if we’ve met before.”
“You mean… the déjà vu phenomenon?” Chen Mingming asked.
Luo Qiu didn’t answer directly, only said softly, “Guest, is there something you’ve come to me for?”
“An experiment,” Chen Mingming replied after a pause. “Just like how I somehow ended up in your place that time—are there other ways to make you appear?”
“For example, by passing the gun to someone else?”
“So you knew.” Chen Mingming nodded slightly. “But when one receives something unknown, shouldn’t they first try to uncover its truth?”
“Fair enough.” Luo Qiu smiled. “Since the contract is already signed, the item is yours. How you use it is entirely up to you.”
Chen Mingming looked at him steadily and asked, “Do you think he’ll use it?”
Luo Qiu countered, “Giving and using are often bound together. Before you handed it over, hadn’t you already decided what you wanted to happen?”
Chen Mingming shook his head. “No. I just gave him two choices.”
“Ah, so you’ve given it two meanings.” Luo Qiu studied him for a moment, then smiled. “You’re a little like I once was—but not entirely.”
Chen Mingming frowned slightly.
“How about this,” Luo Qiu said with a small grin, “why don’t we make a bet on whether that gun will ever be fired?”
“A bet?”
Luo Qiu nodded. “Another guest once made a similar wager with me—though on something different.”
“And the result?”
“Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose,” Luo Qiu replied with his usual calm smile. “Of course, you don’t have to join. It’s just a spontaneous idea—perhaps I’ll change my mind in the next moment.”
“What’s the stake?” Chen Mingming asked coolly.
“If you win,” Luo Qiu said evenly, “I’ll give you something of equal value to the gun—free of charge. But if you lose, our contract will skip straight to the final clause. What do you say?”
“In that case, I refuse,” Chen Mingming said, shaking his head.
Luo Qiu raised an eyebrow. “Not tempting enough? I could raise the value—double, triple, even more.”
Chen Mingming still shook his head. “If there’s a chance of winning or losing, then nothing is absolute. I don’t like things I can’t control. Besides, what you can afford to lose, I might not be able to.”
“You’re a cautious man,” Luo Qiu said with a soft laugh, rising to his feet. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. It’s been a pleasure, dear guest.”
Chen Mingming sighed quietly. In this so-called conversation, he had been led along the entire time.
“I’ve enjoyed it too,” he said, then asked suddenly as Luo Qiu was about to disappear, “If the bet had started—would you have chosen to bet on it firing, or not firing?”
Luo Qiu smiled faintly. “I would choose the opposite of whatever you choose.”
As Luo Qiu slowly vanished, Chen Mingming didn’t blink. He stared into the empty space for a long time before exhaling softly and murmuring, “Completely… at a disadvantage.”
…
…
“See you tomorrow!”
“See you.”
The bright, pretty girl smiled sweetly, then turned and entered a dance studio.
Dong Shaofeng pulled his hand back from the car window and closed it.
Two teammates in the backseat snickered. “Heh, Boss Feng, I bet she’ll fall for you in a few days!”
Dong Shaofeng glanced back at them, his tone flat. “You drive. I’ll sit in the back.”
“Sure thing!”
It wasn’t exactly a luxury car, but among students, few could afford one worth hundreds of thousands. His teammates certainly couldn’t.
The two quickly swapped seats.
Just as Dong Shaofeng sat down, the teammate in the back suddenly glanced toward the street. “Boss Feng… isn’t that your mom?”
Dong Shaofeng frowned and looked out the window.
In front of a nearby boutique, a tall, handsome young man was walking arm in arm with a mature, elegant woman—his mother. They laughed and chatted intimately, oblivious to everyone around them.
“Drive,” Dong Shaofeng said flatly, turning his eyes away.
“Uh… y-yeah, okay!”
(End of Chapter)