Detective Agency of the Bizarre-Chapter 1366 - 206: Devil’s Son

Chapter 1366: Chapter 206: Devil’s Son
The devil cannot repress Lu Li.
Dusky sandstorms swept through the room of the tower like drapes, but whenever they enveloped Lu Li, his silhouette would reappear outside. The outline of the Abyssal Demon disintegrated into granules, able to invade dreams like an Alien God, yet unable to fully capture him.
Perhaps as it should be... if hell were truly mightier than the human world, they would have long since invaded without the constraints of heaven.
Yet, one must remain cautious towards devils—the devil known as Abyssal Demon surely cannot only manipulate sand granules.
Realizing that this peculiar soul was not prey, the sandstorm reformed the outline of the Abyssal Demon, placing Lu Li on equal footing: "...So, strange soul marked by the Lava Demon, what is your true purpose here."
The Lava Demon, the origin of all these tales, the devil that left an inverted pentagram brand upon Lu Li.
"A transaction."
Lu Li had changed his mind.
He extended his palm, and within it, the staff that had been grasped by the granule outline appeared.
As Lu Li infused the staff with 0.1 portions of humanity, a small patch of moss-like dense green sprouts emerged from its surface. But it was not enough... Lu Li continued to infuse humanity, stopping only after conferring a full portion.
And that oak staff transformed, due to humanity, into a staff brimming with verdancy—the Emerald Staff.
"How much is this staff worth now?"
Lu Li, perceiving a business opportunity in selling plants from the Abyssal Demon’s reaction, inquired.
"...Priceless."
Parchment reappeared, and a flame arose upon the floating parchment; as it burned, the delicate script upon it changed, then fell back before Lu Li: "...This is the new contract."
Lu Li’s gaze swept over the contract; prominently on the parchment was written that Abyss City would purchase plants at appropriate prices.
What caught his attention was not the content, but the signature at the bottom: Demon of the Earth.
"You are not the Abyssal Demon?"
"...That is my father."
The expansion of the Dreamwalker inflated Lu Li’s estimation of the power of the Cursed Title.
He was not prepared to deal with a Devil’s Son: "I wish to make a transaction with the Abyssal Demon."
"...You are unqualified to meet my father; he only wishes to control you knowing your power." The Demon of the Earth appeared to lack the cunning one would expect from a devil, frankly stating: "...I am my father’s most beloved offspring; by dealing with me, our relationship is equal."
"But you cannot represent your father."
"...I possess the rights of a Devil’s Offspring in Abyss City."
With the cautionary tale of the Devil’s Daughter, Lu Li did not believe in familial affection among devils, suspecting even that the Demon of the Earth itself might be deceived... However, the notion of "equality" indeed caught Lu Li’s attention.
Lu Li seized this dialogue to ask: "How does your strength compare to that of a true devil?"
This unrelated to the transaction, yet the eager to transact Demon of the Earth answered: "...I am my father’s most powerful child, possessing half of his strength."
Quite possibly exaggerated, yet a devil’s power should not vastly surpass its offspring’s.
If it did, the Devil’s Daughter would not dare to betray her father.
Regarding the swiftness of infiltrating a Dreamwalker, the Devil’s Offspring before him and the Mother of the Marsh were comparable. The Twisted Shadow surpassed the Mother of the Marsh, and the Abyssal Demon, too, should surpass the Twisted Shadow.
Devils indeed possess the power to invade a Dreamwalker; however, whether an expansion in the Dreamwalker’s domain compensates for it remains to be seen.
Returning to the transaction itself, it could be foreseen that were it a devil negotiating, the notion of "equality" would never be broached.
A Devil’s Offspring is indeed a suitable collaborative partner.
The contract, however, requires amendment.
"...What would you like to amend?"
Casually, Lu Li pointed out the contract’s loopholes and ambiguities: "’Purchase at appropriate prices,’ what constitutes as appropriate?"
"...A suitable price."
Lu Li did not accept the Demon of the Earth’s answer, raising the Emerald Staff: "For instance, this ’priceless’ staff—how many souls do you intend to purchase it with?"
The Demon of the Earth fell silent.
Regrettably, Lu Li could no longer actively contact the Devil’s Daughter. Having its input and corrections would have maximized the avoidance of loopholes in the contract.
Ultimately, Lu Li settled for a profit share based on the sale: 70% and 30%.
"...Why only 70%?" inquired the Demon of the Earth.
"70% is mine; you get 30%."
The Demon of the Earth was dissatisfied with this distribution, hoping to receive seven, or at the very least an equal share.
"Because you bear no cost, nor require any effort, merely attracting customers through your status as a Devil’s Offspring, something any other offspring could achieve."
Lu Li’s clear conveyance proved more persuasive than expected, altering the transaction split to 80% for Lu Li and 20% for the Demon of the Earth.
The earnest actions of the Devil’s Offspring made Lu Li suspect it might be a trap; yet the Demon of the Earth indeed paid an earnest deposit for this: all the souls it carried, totaling ten thousand.
Even if the Demon of the Earth vanished with the Emerald Staff, Lu Li garnered unexpectedly immense gains: 1 portion of humanity transformed into 100 portions.
The agreement reached, Lu Li still refused to sign the contract, opting for direct transactions with the Demon of the Earth, scavenging for loopholes on the contract proving too elusive.
Lu Li’s caution left a significant impression on the Devil’s Offspring: "...Did the Lava Demon leave you branded in fury and humiliation?"
"Something like that."
Regarding the irritation and humiliation part.
When the box containing ten thousand souls was handed to Lu Li, he also passed the Emerald Staff to the Demon of the Earth.
The surging granules gently cradled the precious, crucial, one-and-only Emerald Staff—the only one perhaps in all of hell. The Demon of the Earth had not yet left, with one last matter unresolved.
"...You killed my father’s pet."
Lu Li’s response was to toss it a book: "Your father’s pet’s recent reading."
Granules lifted "I Will Become the King," its pages rustling in the wind, briefly flipping through, the Demon of the Earth ceased dwelling on the death of Wild Lion Demon.
"How do you plan to sell the staff?" Lu Li asked it.
"...I know of a collector of rare items, who will fancy it." Before leaving, the Demon of the Earth added: "...Would you care to become the Town Chief?"
"I merely require a place undisturbed."
"...As you wish. You are now the Town Chief in name; I’ll dispatch subordinates to maintain order."
Eager to depart, the Devil’s Offspring dispersed into granules and flew out of the tower.
At the window, Lu Li observed a cloud of yellow sand flying out of the town.
Two hours later, as promised, the Devil’s Offspring sent ten minions. With the town regaining calm, demons and caravans began approaching the town.
Unaware of prior events, they only sensed a maddeningly lethal aura upon nearing the Town Chief’s Tower.
A sense encountered not too long ago, known only to the Devil’s Offspring and its followers, and the newly arrived Flowing Demon caravan.
Several hours after the inverted pentagram brand burned for the fourteenth time, a strange yellow sand raged in from afar.
Lu Li opened the window, watching as the wind-borne sandstorm coalesced into the massive outline of the Devil’s Offspring outside the tower.
"...The plants have withered." It demanded: "...What have you done?"