Chapter 78: Those Five Fools—Don’t Tell Me They’ve Gotten Mixed Up with the Cult of the Evil God Again!
Chapter 78: Those Five Fools—Don’t Tell Me They’ve Gotten Mixed Up with the Cult of the Evil God Again!
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After collecting the ingredients he needed for work, Lin Wei wasted no time slipping away.
The imperial capital pulsed with life beneath the morning sun, its streets awash in a ceaseless tide of people. Caravans from every corner of the continent converged here, while squads of elite soldiers marched past in perfect formation—a constant reminder of the Empire’s iron discipline at its very heart.
“First day on the job and I’m already working from home, huh?” Lin Wei stretched lazily in the sunlight, letting out a languid yawn.
Honestly, this was all according to plan. He’d intended to grab his supplies and immediately file for leave. After all, being asked to produce two hundred bottles of Top-grade Potion was absurd, even for him. If he really went all out, he could finish the entire batch in a single night—a feat that bordered on the miraculous.
But today, he wasn’t just heading home to get some work done.
He followed the gently sloping street to its end, stopping in front of a blue-roofed house that looked suspiciously like a giant cat’s den. Raising his hand, he knocked on the door.
“Afuduo~ Open up, Afuduo!”
A grumpy voice called from inside, “Ugh, who’s pounding on my door so early in the morning?!” A few seconds later, the door creaked open. There stood Afuduo herself, hair a tangled mess, yawning as she appeared in the doorway.
She was still in her pajamas, her face clouded with sleep, looking as if she hadn’t truly woken up yet.
Her features were striking enough on their own, but paired with that lazy, half-awake expression, she radiated a sort of feline, decadent charm that was oddly adorable. And that figure… Lin Wei couldn’t help but stare. Her pajamas barely managed to contain her curves—something he’d never noticed before, since she was always bundled up in those loose robes that hid her shape.
This girl’s proportions are downright outrageous!
Adorable, and… astonishing!
Just like the rumors said l… (ehmm...fill in the blank).
“It’s hardly early anymore, you know.”
“What were you even doing last night?” Lin Wei raised his hand and knocked her on the head, as if to jolt her spirit awake.
Ever since he’d gotten some dirt on her, he’d stopped bothering with pleasantries around this troublesome Catkin girl who’d nearly dragged him into social ruin. In fact, he was starting to feel a little like a Demon Lord himself—no need to stand on ceremony.
“Ow!”
It really did hurt, getting smacked on the head for no reason. But when she saw it was Lin Wei, the little Catkin didn’t dare argue.
“Oh, it’s you, Mr. Lin Wei… I just, uh, went out last night to pick up some odd jobs for extra cash…”
She could only clutch her head, grumbling and pouting as she shuffled aside to let him in, rubbing the sleep from her eyes while mumbling her explanation.
“I’m basically living in poverty here in the capital. If I don’t find ways to make money, I’ll starve.”
“It’s hard enough to get a little sleep, and then you come banging on my door… And on top of that, you hit me? That’s just mean.”
At least she was honest about her side hustles—her social class was clear as day. Lin Wei nodded in approval. He might not want to slack off himself, but watching someone else laze around while he was working always rubbed him the wrong way!
If you’re only sleeping in because you were working late, then fair enough.
“In that case, why don’t you just give me a spare key next time?” Lin Wei waved a hand, his tone casual. “That way I can let myself in and won’t have to wake you if you’re still sleeping.”
Afuduo’s expression changed instantly, her complaints forgotten.
“Are you seriously asking a single girl living alone to give you a key to her place?”
She hugged herself, eyes wary and suspicious as she sized him up.
Staring at the adorable Catkin girl, Lin Wei felt the wicked side of his human nature bubble up. Even though it was autumn, was he really going to make a move now? Shouldn’t he at least wait until evening, if not until spring?
Doing something this suspicious in broad daylight… Isn’t that a bit much?
“I just don’t want to wake you again. If you’re asleep, I’ll come back later, that’s all.” Lin Wei rolled his eyes. “Seriously, where does a Catkin like you even pick up this kind of nonsense?”
Seeing Afuduo frozen in place, hugging herself as her cheeks gradually turned a deep, embarrassed red, Lin Wei let out a sigh and snapped his fingers in annoyance. A sudden chill swept through the room, snapping Afuduo back to her senses.
“Stop letting your mind wander to all that nonsense,” he scolded. “Let’s get back to business—how did the task I gave you yesterday go? Any news from the demons?”
Whenever it came to official matters, her aura really was a bit intimidating.
Now fully awake, Afuduo nodded eagerly and dashed into her messy room, rummaging through the chaos before returning with a sheet of letter paper, which she handed to Lin Wei.
“The intel you wanted has been sent to the demons,” she reported. “Their reply was pretty brief, but it sounds like things are moving in the right direction.”
“Oh?” That piqued Lin Wei’s interest. He took the letter and scanned its contents, which matched his expectations almost perfectly.
[Read. Orders as follows:]
[First:] The plan to feign surrender is approved.
[Second:] The recent raids on the Empire’s supply lines have nothing to do with the demons.
[Third:] An adventurer named Lin Wei from Lotai has recently arrived in the Empire. Try to gather information on him and report back—but do not make contact.
[Note:] Your three younger sisters have already been brought to live in Demon Lord’s castle. They miss you very much.
“My sisters… They really will be okay, right?”
Even now, having boarded this pirate ship, there was no turning back. Still, Afuduo couldn’t help but voice her worries, if only for a bit of peace of mind.
“And it seems that demon lord over there already knows your name, Mr. Lin Wei,” she added, her tone uneasy. “What’s going on? Have you done something recently to draw their attention?”
“Hm… I’m just as curious as you are about how they found out my name,” Lin Wei replied, his expression thoughtful.
He’d only intended to test the waters, but the response he received was far more revealing than expected.
If the letter’s contents could be taken at face value, then first, it was now clear that the recent supply-line raids truly had nothing to do with the demons. All signs pointed to the Empire’s nobles working behind the scenes. As for whether the Holy See was involved… There was a good chance, but no way to be absolutely certain.
More importantly, the demons not only knew his name, but were actively trying to keep tabs on him.
What’s going on…? Could my identity as the Demon Lord have been exposed!?
“I shouldn’t have left any holes in my cover,” Lin Wei mused, brow furrowed.
After all, as a transmigrator, he’d always been careful to keep his true identity under wraps. Back when he still held his divinity, he’d worn a mask at all times, concealing both his face and his aura to prevent anyone from seeing through him. Even on the day he abandoned his godhood and made his escape, the power he’d accumulated over the years should have been more than enough to keep anyone from recognizing his true form.
So why are they paying attention to me, a mere ‘ordinary adventurer’?
Could it be… something else I did?
But what on earth could that be?
“Wait a second—they know I’m from Lotai.”
“The goblin disaster incident!?”
The realization struck Lin Wei like a bolt of lightning. That was it—the most likely explanation.
He’d always found it odd: why would the [Pascal Labyrinth], a hotspot for adventurers, suddenly become the site of a goblin outbreak? Sure, he’d later discovered a Evil God Statue deep within the labyrinth, and with certain areas still sealed off due to the dungeon’s mechanisms, that had sort of explained things… for a while.
But now, seeing the demons’ spatial reply, he couldn’t help but connect the dots—and the more he thought about it, the more things didn’t add up.
“So it seemed like a coincidence—the Evil God Statue and the sealed-off sections triggered the goblin disaster.”
“But what if it wasn’t a coincidence at all? What if all those so-called ‘accidents’ were orchestrated by someone?”
“The Five Fools among the Four Heavenly Kings… Don’t tell me they’ve gotten mixed up with the Cult of the Evil God again? Are they really planning to betray our ancestors’ decision and Summon Evil Gods to war once more!?”