Thanks to Tao and Sai500 for the book coin reward. Thanks to Huijia and other book friends... the last four digits 4735 for the reward... The four of them followed Liu Ying all the way to her house.
Aitu Tu, standing not far away, felt a bit bored and said, "See? I told you she was going home. So boring. Sister Mu, let's go back."
Tang Miao always felt that something was off, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was... "Tang Miao, let's go back too. Her dad said we only needed to make sure she got home, and that would be enough." Ling Ling put on her small backpack and looked at Tang Miao.
Although he had some suspicions, just as Ling Ling said, the other party had already returned home, so it had nothing to do with them.
Their task was only to protect her safety outside; once she was home, they were no longer needed.
Tang Miao then said, "Alright, let's go back. You two be careful on your way back."
Mu Nujiao also felt something was amiss, but the girl was already home. Naturally, nothing else would happen.
Moreover, she and Tang Miao weren't very familiar, so since there was nothing left to do, there was no reason to stay.
After parting ways with Mu Nujiao and the other girl, on the way back to the Qingtian Hunter's Lodge, Tang Miao looked at Ling Ling, who was deep in thought, and asked, "Do you feel like something's not right?"
Ling Ling nodded her small head, then looked at Tang Miao and replied, "According to her father, Liu Ying always comes home very late. And every time she comes back, she looks pale. But today, she seemed fine. I just feel like something's off."
Tang Miao wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs, but thinking of the reward after solving the problem, he stopped and said, "How about we go back and check again?"
"Are you an idiot?!"
Ling Ling said angrily, "She's already gone home tonight; there definitely won't be any problems at her house. We'll just come and guard her first thing tomorrow morning!"
Being lectured by the little loli, Tang Miao pouted and said, "In Conan, don't the culprits always choose this time to act?"
"The security guards in this community are all Intermediate Mages! If they can't protect her with so many people, do you think you can do it alone?"
Hearing this, Tang Miao's mouth twitched... He really hadn't paid attention to that before. So, Intermediate Mages were even working as gatekeepers...
Seeing Tang Miao in a daze, Ling Ling smiled and said, "Does it feel hard to imagine?"
Tang Miao shook his head. He never doubted the saying, "Money makes the world go round." What they show on TV about money not being able to buy everything is all nonsense.
The world is just that realistic. If there were national wars, perhaps rich people wouldn't count for much. But in a stable and peaceful environment, whoever has more money is the boss.
Just like Zhao Manyan's older brother, what's wrong with him being in business? He still managed to defeat his magic-studying younger brother. If it weren't for him getting the halo and the help of Baxia, he would have been done for long ago.
"So, should we stay nearby tonight?"
"Mm."
Tang Miao followed behind Ling Ling, feeling helpless... How could he, a grown man, be so clearly commanded by a little loli?
As they passed a milk tea shop, Ling Ling looked at the puzzled Tang Miao and said, "I want milk tea."
"Okay, wait here."
Tang Miao felt a bit embarrassed, like a fawning dog, he scurried towards the milk tea shop. No choice, this little girl would not only be his little strategist but also potentially his lucky star who would cover for him in the future. He had to fawn over her! Besides, she was such a cute little loli, fawning over her wasn't so bad~
There were quite a few people in the milk tea shop, but the service was quite efficient.
In ten minutes, Tang Miao returned with two cups of milk tea.
After handing one to Ling Ling, they sat on a nearby stone bench.
Ling Ling took the milk tea, inserted the straw, and began to drink it with gurgling sounds, her small mouth pouting, utterly adorable.
Perhaps Ling Ling herself realized that her infatuation with milk tea wasn't very ladylike, so she changed the subject and asked, "What kind of demon do you think is causing this?"
"How would I know? This is my first time hunting demons."
Tang Miao shrugged, but he already had a general idea in his mind. After all, he hadn't caught a demon, but he had seen them! Based on the girl's daily situation, it was very likely the work of a blood race.
Ling Ling then said, "The Demon City is huge; it can be said to be an ecosystem. It's not just humans that reside here, but also many demons, ghosts, and even some strange species. They might be normal people during the day, but at night, it's completely unpredictable."
She paused, then turned her head and asked, "Do you know about vampires?"
Tang Miao paused, then said, "I know about Batman, Spider-Man, and Iron Man."
Ling Ling gave him a look of disdain, then spat out a single word: "Scram!"
He was just making a joke, he didn't mean anything else. However, it was clear that Ling Ling didn't like this joke.
"Alright, alright, you continue."
Ling Ling gave a delicate "hmph" before continuing, "What you see on TV is all fake. Of course, there are some people who get parasitized or infected, causing them to mutate from humans. Some mutated people still choose to live among people like normal humans. But there are also some who, perhaps for powerful strength, commit heinous acts."
Tang Miao nodded. How could there be absolute good or bad in the world?
"And Liu Ying's symptoms are consistent with the style of a vampire. These vampires are very tasteful; they don't just attack women, and they often meticulously choose their prey. This prey must also be those beauties in your eyes. Different vampires have different preferences; some like long, flowing hair, some like virgins, and some like fair-skinned ones..."
Listening to how picky this damn vampire was, Tang Miao felt a surge of displeasure. After all, he wasn't even that picky! As long as both parties were willing and the girl was pretty, wasn't that enough?
However, being lectured by a little girl who should be watching 'Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf' felt a bit awkward... But after listening to Ling Ling, Tang Miao's previous guess was confirmed.
Tang Miao's thoughts were very simple, especially when it came to things that harm girls. He clenched his fist and said, "Whatever it is, if it's found to be potentially life-threatening, just eliminate it directly."
In his opinion, while the chosen person might not die in the short term, it was unpredictable in the long term.
So, if he encountered it, he should just destroy it! After all, her father was offering a million for its head.
Of course, he was doing it to protect beautiful young ladies, not for money!
Ling Ling hesitated for a moment, then looked at Tang Miao and advised, "If the other party doesn't threaten lives, we'd better not provoke them, or we'll get into trouble."
"As long as there's... bah, with me, the embodiment of justice, what trouble should I be afraid of? When we find it, you just hide, and leave the rest to me."
Seeing Tang Miao's money-hungry attitude, Ling Ling was very curious and asked, "Since you're so short on resources, why don't you think about joining a major power? With your talent, I imagine any power would be willing to spend a lot of resources to cultivate you, right?"
Tang Miao looked up at the starry sky and smiled, "Everyone has their own aspirations."
Ling Ling didn't say anything. Sometimes, ambition doesn't represent everything. After all, without massive resource support, even extraordinary talent would only manifest at the intermediate stage. When it came to pushing for the advanced mage stage, the resource consumption would be enormous.
In this era, the reason why there are still so many mages willing to become lackeys for noble families isn't because they lack grand ambitions. Many people are defeated by reality.
A law-abiding mage who doesn't steal, kill, or plunder is no different from an ordinary person. Even if their work income is higher, the consumption is equally significant... Only people like Tang Miao and Mo Fan, who are born with cheat devices, can rise from humble beginnings without relying on any power. If he didn't have the Qilin Jade, with just two soul seeds, Tang Miao might have initially refused any power, but at his current level, he would likely choose to join the Judgment Hall and live a comfortable life as a slacker.
After all, even with the help of the Qilin Jade and having entered the Three-Step Tower, he was still only at the second level of the intermediate stage. Without the Qilin Jade's doubled experience points and any resources, he might only just be at the intermediate stage now, right?
"Alright, let's find a place to rest. We still have to protect her tomorrow." Ling Ling, seeing Tang Miao lost in thought, finished the last sip of milk tea and stood up, saying.
Tang Miao snapped back to reality and nodded... A moment later, the two arrived at a hotel.
Tang Miao took out his ID card, originally intending to book one room, but Ling Ling expressed great dissatisfaction! Helplessly, Tang Miao still splurged and booked two rooms. During this time, he also received a look of disdain from the front desk lady. She seemed to view him as a pervert... Tang Miao was filled with helplessness. Did he really look like a creepy uncle who wouldn't even spare a little girl!?
After the two went upstairs, Old Man Bao also walked in.
Tang Miao should have been glad he didn't let Ling Ling stay with him. Although he truly had no ill intentions, Old Man Bao, who was worried about their safety, was now extremely concerned about his little granddaughter.
However, after inquiring clearly, Old Man Bao felt much more at ease. He also booked a room and settled down there... In the room, Tang Miao comfortably took a shower, then called Tang Yue to inquire about Zhao He's matter, confirming that she hadn't tracked him down yet. After chatting with her intimately for a while, he immediately fell asleep.
Little Ling Ling, on the other hand, was completely immersed in computer data, even asking her sister some questions about vampires... As for Old Man Bao, he simply fell into a deep sleep...