Little Rabbit’s gaze shifted with interest between Yan Jing and Shi Pengpeng.
After a moment, she pursed her lips and said innocently, “I just wanted to chat with him. Is that not allowed?”
Shi Pengpeng thought for a moment, then nodded.
“It’s not entirely out of the question.”
Yan Jing’s face immediately darkened.
Just as he was about to speak, Shi Pengpeng looked at Little Rabbit and continued with a smile, “But you’ll have to go through me first.”
Yan Jing: “??”
Little Rabbit: “???”
The bartender, who had been washing glasses nearby, promptly turned off the faucet and subtly moved closer, ears perked up.
Little Rabbit blinked, looking confused. “Are you joking?”
“Haha, just kidding. But seriously, he’s such a handful,” Shi Pengpeng sighed, looking troubled.
“People are always trying to snatch him away from me, so I’ve decided that anyone who wants to get close to him has to pass my test first.”
Yan Jing was puzzled at first, but then it dawned on him.
No wonder this little witch was suddenly so openly “managing” him—it seemed Little Rabbit was up to something.
The faint sense of delight he had felt earlier vanished instantly.
Yan Jing’s expression soured even more, and he glared at Little Rabbit with increasing disdain.
“That’s right,” he said irritably.
“She’s just that domineering. I do whatever she says. So, whatever you’re planning, you’ll need her approval first.”
Little Rabbit:”…”
What a spineless man!
But, she liked men like that.
“Every man is this obedient in front of his girlfriend. Even in a bar, they’re all good men,” Little Rabbit said meaningfully, glancing at Shi Pengpeng.
“So, what do I need to do to pass your test?”
“I’m a reasonable person,” Shi Pengpeng said with a friendly smile.
“Let’s go outside and have a proper discussion.”
Little Rabbit: “………..?”
She looked so polite was this really the attitude one should have toward a third party?
The bartender chimed in helpfully, “Do you need a private room? I can arrange one for you. Don’t worry, the soundproofing here is excellent.”
“No need,” Shi Pengpeng declined gracefully.
“I have strong lungs. I prefer talking in open spaces.”
Bartender: “……”
Little Rabbit eyed Shi Pengpeng suspiciously, wondering if the girl was planning to lure her outside for a confrontation.
If so, it was rather childish.
Men who were out to flirt wouldn’t be deterred by such antics; instead, they’d just see her as an unreasonable shrew.
Of course, even if it came to a fight, she wasn’t afraid.
“Alright then,” Little Rabbit said, rising gracefully and throwing Yan Jing a sultry glance.
“It’s not easy just to have a word with you.”
“Tch,” Yan Jing remained unmoved, only smirking slightly.
“You brought this on yourself. Her ‘reasoning’ is quite something.”
Little Rabbit: ?
As a regular at the bar, Little Rabbit led Shi Pengpeng and Yan Jing to a dark, deserted alley behind the building.
“Here we are,” Little Rabbit stopped.
“No one comes here at this hour.”
“Good,” Shi Pengpeng looked around.
“No surveillance, right?”
Seeing how cautious Shi Pengpeng was, Little Rabbit became even more convinced that she was planning to make a move-perhaps even calling for backup.
Unfortunately, this time, the main wife was destined to hit a brick wall.
She wanted to teach Xiao Tu a lesson in a secluded place, and coincidentally, Xiao Tu had the same idea.
Thinking of this, Xiao Tu’s lips curled into a triumphant smile: “No need, big sister…”
As she spoke, her eyes glowed with a faint red light, staring intently at Yan Jing like a predator, her voice turning greedy, “Don’t worry, whatever we do here won’t be noticed.”
“That’s good.” Shi Pengpeng nodded, flipping her palm to reveal a yellow talisman between her fingers, “One-on-one.”
Xiao Tu was stunned.
Xiao Tu exclaimed in surprise: “You’re a mage?!!!”
“Good eye!” Shi Pengpeng fully acknowledged her intelligence, her hands moving swiftly as she completed a hand seal in an instant, “Let me see your true form.”
The powerful talisman technique descended like a thunderbolt.
With just one move, Xiao Tu knew she was no match.
Terrified, she turned to flee, but two talismans instantly appeared on the other side, weaving a net of spells that blocked her escape.
“Master, I was wrong!” Xiao Tu decisively knelt, clasping her hands together and bowing repeatedly to Shi Pengpeng, “I shouldn’t have tried to steal your boyfriend. I was blind not to recognize your greatness. I’ll never dare again. But I’ve always been an honest demon, I’ve never harmed anyone. Please, spare me!”
Shi Pengpeng laughed: “Honest demon? Never harmed anyone?”
Xiao Tu paused, then added a qualifier: “I’ve never harmed honest people!”
Seeing that she was somewhat sensible and her demonic power wasn’t strong, Shi Pengpeng withdrew one of the talismans and asked, “What is your origin?”
Feeling the pressure of the talismans on her body lessen slightly, Xiao Tu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and dared not hide the truth, “Master, I am an E Beast.”
With that, she lowered her head and transformed into her true form.
She still retained her beautiful human face, but now had a pair of long rabbit ears, and her body took on the appearance of a feline.
Even in her beast form, her posture remained graceful, her every movement exuding a soft, alluring charm.
Shi Pengpeng had expected this and wasn’t surprised.
The so-called E Beast, true to its name, is a demon beast that is eloquent and skilled in deception.
Ancient texts describe it as ‘shaped like a rabbit, with a human face and the ability to speak, often deceiving people, saying one thing but meaning another, speaking evil but acting good.’
The E Beast uses deception as its technique and feeds on lies, hence it thrives in places where rumors and deceit are rampant.
Those afflicted by the E Beast’s curse gradually lose the ability to speak the truth.
Xiao Tu claimed she came from the southern border, originally living deep in the mountains.
One day, a cultivator entered the mountains to capture demons and caught her, bringing her out.
Fortunately, Xiao Tu was clever and managed to escape along the way.
Since then, she had been wandering in human society, eventually making her way to Xiluo.
In this big city, there were many people and even more lies.
Xiao Tu thrived here and decided to settle down.
Later, she found her way to a bar, a place rife with gossip and intrigue.
With her striking looks and natural eloquence, she blended in seamlessly, becoming a social butterfly that many sought after.
However, despite having many suitors, Xiao Tu only liked those deceitful scoundrels and boastful pretenders.
People at the bar thought she had poor taste and questionable morals, but in reality, what she truly sought was their hypocrisy and delusions.
On the contrary, honest and upright men were of no use to her; she couldn’t even be bothered to glance at them.
That’s why she dared to claim that she had never harmed an honest man.
In just a few months of frequenting this bar, Little Rabbit had gone through more than a dozen boyfriends.
The most recent one was Liu Yuguang.
“This guy is both pretentious and sleazy. Every time he opens his mouth, he either brags about his career or spreads slanderous rumors about women. I took a liking to him right away,” Little Rabbit licked her lips.
“He didn’t disappoint me either, giving me a good feast…”
Liu Yuguang was deeply immersed in Little Rabbit’s tender embrace, unaware that he had unknowingly fallen victim to the deceitful magic of the E-Shou (a mythical creature adept at deception).
The more rumors he spread, the deeper he fell under its influence.
And the deeper he fell, the more he lost the ability to speak the truth.
Eventually, his mind would become completely disordered, unable to distinguish between truth and lies.
Moreover, those under the influence of this magic would inherit some of the E-Shou’s natural talent for deception, making their lies even more persuasive.
This was why, even though Tan Wei and Fu Xi’s other colleagues had a good relationship with Shi Pengpeng and knew her character, they were still unconsciously influenced by the rumors spread by Liu Yuguang.
It seemed that Tan Wei, as the boss, had a firmer resolve.
She eventually went to Shi Pengpeng to verify the truth, or else the rumors would have continued to spread unchecked.
“That’s how it happened,” Little Rabbit said meekly, standing with her hands down, her eyes subtly observing Shi Pengpeng’s reaction.
“Strictly speaking, I think I actually did a good deed by getting rid of a harmful person.”
Shi Pengpeng remained silent, deep in thought.
Seeing this, Little Rabbit thought she had grasped Shi Pengpeng’s thoughts and shifted her gaze to Yan Jing, flattering him, “Speaking of which, Master Yan has a good eye. The boyfriend he chose is completely devoted to you…”
“You talk too much,” Yan Jing’s expression turned slightly uncomfortable.
Shi Pengpeng, however, didn’t take it seriously and laughed, “Alright, stop with the flattery. He’s not my boyfriend.”
“He’s not?” Little Rabbit blinked, not entirely convinced.
“But he didn’t even glance at me just now…”
Shi Pengpeng pondered, “Is it possible that he simply looks down on people?”
Little Rabbit: “?”
Yan Jing slowly turned his head, sneering, “You sure know me well.”
Shi Pengpeng stifled a laugh, pretending not to hear, and asked Little Rabbit, “You mentioned earlier that you were captured from the mountains?”
“Yes,” Little Rabbit nodded.
“That can’t be,” Shi Pengpeng narrowed her eyes, suspicion evident on her face.
“Are you lying to me?”
Little Rabbit quickly defended herself, extending her right arm to reveal a wound.
“Master, look, this is from when I was captured. The person used a sword made of thunderstruck wood. I wasn’t paying attention and got slashed, leaving this mark.”
Shi Pengpeng examined the wound, which was black, clearly left by a magical weapon.
She couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “Strange.”
Generally, cultivators were not allowed to enter the mountains to capture demons, as the mountains were the territory of spirits and monsters.
Humans and demons had their own separate domains.
Only when demons from the mountains caused trouble in human society would the relevant authorities step in to capture and deal with them.
Most of the time, as long as the demons abided by the law, cultivators would turn a blind eye.
Actively going into the mountains to capture demons was undoubtedly unreasonable and against the rules.
Shi Pengpeng sensed something was amiss, but Little Rabbit only knew so much, and for the moment, she couldn’t figure out the details.
She decided to set it aside for now and focus on the matter at hand.
First, there was the curse Little Rabbit had cast, which needed to be removed.
Little Rabbit had compiled a list of names, over a dozen in total, all of them the worst scoundrels in the bar with the most notorious reputations.
These men had, to varying degrees, noticed something was wrong with them recently.
Some were already too deeply cursed, their minds in disarray.
Others had angered both heaven and people with their lies and slander.
Those with a bit more sense had either gone to a psychiatrist or sought help at Qinglian Temple.
As she was halfway through the list, the back door of the bar suddenly opened.
Little Rabbit quickly hid in the shadows.
“Get out, and don’t ever show your face here again!” Two security guards forcefully pushed out a familiar figure before slamming the door shut.
The man was covered in vomit, disoriented and dizzy.
After stumbling around for a moment, he finally steadied himself and locked eyes with Shi Pengpeng.
Shi Pengpeng smiled politely and greeted him, “Manager Liu, what a coincidence to see you here again.”
Liu Yuguang, upon seeing her, immediately recalled everything he had experienced in his dream.
His teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
“You…you…”
Before he could finish, his girlfriend’s head peeked out from the shadows, asking gently, “Brother Liu, what happened to you?”
“L-Little Rabbit, help me…” Liu Yuguang desperately tried to call for her aid, but when he looked closer, his soul nearly left his body.
Her face was still the same, but her body had transformed into that of a massive beast.
“You… I…” Liu Yuguang stammered incoherently before finally collapsing in a faint.
“Useless man!” Little Rabbit cursed, then turned to Shi Pengpeng with an innocent look.
“Master, this isn’t my fault. He’s just too cowardly.”
Shi Pengpeng didn’t comment.
She stepped forward to check Liu Yuguang’s spiritual state and began to dispel the curse.
Yan Jing was visibly displeased. “Why bother with someone like him?”
“We have to,” Shi Pengpeng frowned slightly.
Although Liu Yuguang’s character was questionable, just as mortals who break the law must face legal judgment, there were also rules in the mystical world for dealing with curses and malevolent spirits.
Moreover, the harm caused by Liu Yuguang’s curse wasn’t limited to himself.
If left untreated, it could endanger others as well.
Seeing Yan Jing still looking unhappy, Shi Pengpeng thought for a moment and said, “How about I keep watch later, and you can punch him a few times?”
Yan Jing: “…”
He wasn’t that childish, and besides, hitting someone like that would just dirty his hands.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
He glanced at it, saw it was a work message, and walked away to deal with it.
After Shi Pengpeng dispelled the curse from Liu Yuguang, Little Rabbit finished compiling the list.
Shi Pengpeng scanned the names and asked, “Is this everyone? Did you miss anyone?”
“There’s one more, but I don’t know his name yet,” Little Rabbit said.
Shi Pengpeng: “Who?”
“Uh… it’s your friend…” Little Rabbit chuckled nervously, glancing at Yan Jing with a guilty expression.
“Earlier, when I saw he wasn’t falling for it, I got impatient and added a drop of my blood to his drink. By my estimate, it should be taking effect now.”
Little Rabbit, being a demon beast and a long-time frequenter of bars, had picked up all the tricks of the nightlife scene.
Earlier, while toasting Yan Jing, she had…
At that moment, she used a bit of trickery, squeezing a drop of her blood into his wine.
The flesh and blood of the deceitful beast were more potent than any dark magic, taking effect almost instantly.
“Is he really that careless?” Shi Pengpeng was somewhat surprised.
This guy was usually very cautious; it shouldn’t have been this easy.
“He was quite careful at first,” Little Rabbit said.
“But after you arrived, I noticed he seemed nervous and took a sip.”
Shi Pengpeng: “……?”
Was she really that intimidating?
Just then, Yan Jing returned after finishing his work and asked, “Done?”
“Almost, but you…” Shi Pengpeng started, then suddenly had an idea and quickly stopped herself.
Yan Jing: “What?”
Pengpeng looked at him.
This guy still had that arrogant young master demeanor, and his words were as unpleasant as ever.
She wondered if, now that he was under the influence of the deceitful beast’s magic, she could trick him into saying something nice.
She quickly came up with a plan, mentally patting herself on the back for being such a genius.
On the surface, however, she remained calm and casually asked, “Brother, do you usually lie?”
“What kind of question is that?” Yan Jing scoffed, maintaining his usual air of superiority.
“Why would I lie?”
Shi Pengpeng: !!!
“Really?”
Great, he’s starting to lie.
She smiled, pretending to be nonchalant as she casually brought up, “Then do you think I have a good personality?”
“?” Yan Jing’s expression stiffened slightly.
He hesitated for a moment before disdainfully replying, “Of course not. Don’t you know how terrible you are?”
Shi Pengpeng:?
This jerk, why is he still acting like his usual self?!
She almost rolled up her sleeves to give him a piece of her mind but then quickly realized another possibility.
If the blood of the deceitful beast had indeed taken effect, this guy was now saying the opposite of what he meant, but his words to her were still the same as usual.
Could it be that he usually…?
Shi Pengpeng fell into deep thought.
Shi Pengpeng was greatly astonished.
After pondering for a moment, she chose a more straightforward question: “Then do you think I’m cute?”
Yan Jing grew even more puzzled, feeling that her questions had suddenly become numerous and strange.
But he still instinctively replied, “Of course…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Having been tricked by dark creatures before, he quickly realized something and glanced at Little Rabbit beside him, only to see the deceitful beast looking at him with a playful expression.
Yan Jing: !!
Shi Pengpeng held back but ultimately couldn’t resist, exclaiming, “Brother, your mouth… is something else!”
With that, she gave him a thumbs-up.
Yan Jing:”…..”
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