23: reunion

When he looked up, he met her gaze, which held a hint of curiosity. She pointed at the phone in his hand, a faint smile on her lips: “This communication tool is much more convenient than the Kasugai Crow we use.” As she spoke, she actually pulled a smartphone from an inner pocket of her haori, adding with a touch of embarrassment, “If it’s not too much trouble, could we exchange contact information? It would be good to inform each other promptly if anything happens in the future.”

Lin Luo watched her meticulously fiddle with the phone, an amusing contrast to her image as the “Flower Hashira” standing with a blade just moments ago. He couldn't help but chuckle. He readily brought up his QR code: “Of course. It’s my honor to stay in touch with Miss Kanae.”

Her movements were serious as she scanned the code, her fingertip gently tapping the screen. Lin Luo looked at the newly added “Kochou Kanae” in his contacts, then put away his phone in a good mood.

“I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave first.” He nodded to Kanae, then glanced at Ogata Ichirō, who was already bandaged. “Ogata-kun, please rest well.”

“Mr. Lin Luo, take care.”

“Thank you, sir!”

After parting ways with Kanae and the others, Lin Luo didn't linger. With a few swift movements, his figure blended into the urban night, heading swiftly towards Longevity Manor.

Completely different from the quiet and deserted atmosphere of his last visit, this time, even before he got close, Lin Luo felt a vibrant vitality and a subtle Spiritual Pressure. Under the night sky, Longevity Manor seemed to have awakened from its slumber.

Within the walls of the ancient courtyard, a soft and mysterious bright green light emanated, like flowing aurora. Specks of spiritual light, like fireflies on a summer night, or perhaps living spirits, floated and danced gracefully in the air, illuminating the entire mansion as if in a dream.

Mr. Long, dressed in a simple, elegant long gown, was already waiting under the gnarled ancient pine in the front garden. Seeing Lin Luo arrive amidst the spiritual light, a gentle smile appeared on his face, and he stepped forward two paces to greet him.

“You’ve arrived?” Mr. Long’s voice held a hint of familiarity. “Come, they’re all in the backyard. Knowing you’ve stretched your muscles tonight, it’s perfect; the ingredients that arrived today are excellent. We’ll welcome you, and also… chat about the new things you’ve encountered.”

He gestured for Lin Luo to follow, leading him through the spirit-light-shrouded corridor. The air was filled with the smoky scent of a wood-fired stove, the rich aroma of stewed meat, and the fresh smell of vegetables, making one's mouth water.

Passing through the corridor and stepping into the backyard felt like crossing into a market of another dimension.

The air was filled with the smoky scent of charcoal, the sizzling sound of oil, and an indescribable mixture of Demonic Qi, spiritual power, and human vitality. The courtyard was a lively scene of intertwined light and shadow.

A few humans were busy around a huge grill, on which large, sizzling pieces of wild boar meat were cooking, their aroma wafting everywhere. Even more striking was a high school girl in a school uniform, smiling brightly, holding a rice bowl piled high like a small mountain. She was still diligently eating, with several empty bowls already beside her.

Several figures, holding rough pottery wine cups, laughed heartily, their voices booming. Among them, translucent ghosts floated leisurely, murmuring faintly like wind chimes; several Little Monsters, knee-high and of various forms, played and chased a glowing orb among the table and chair legs; a calm, large dog lay in a corner, lazily observing everything, merely lifting an eyelid at the passing ghosts. It was a bizarre yet strangely harmonious scene.

Mr. Long smiled, leading Lin Luo forward, and began to introduce them one by one:

“This is Mr. Landlord.” He pointed to a huge, egg-shaped figure standing upright. Mr. Landlord wore a white kimono with a purple sash, possessing only a pair of tiny, bean-like eyes. In his almost invisible hands, he tightly clutched a large ledger inscribed with the characters for “Rent,” and he swayed his body slightly towards Lin Luo as a greeting.

“That’s Fukase Akira. Don’t let his appearance fool you; he’s a painter.” Mr. Long pointed to a young man by the grill, wearing a leather jacket and pants, with messy hair, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and a fierce look in his eyes. He was flipping the barbecue with a wild flourish, looking more like a biker gang member than an artist.

“Isshiki Reimei. Don’t let his appearance fool you; he’s a famous great writer.” Mr. Long introduced one of the people drinking at the table. He had a somewhat vacant, simple face, like a child’s doodle.

“That big eater is Kuga Akine, a third-year high school student and an exorcist, still in training.” Mr. Long pointed to the girl with the mountain of rice. Akine, in the midst of her busy eating, looked up, puffed out her cheeks, and waved energetically at Lin Luo.

“That’s the Antique Merchant.” A tall man in a black overcoat and a large eye patch sat alone at a table slightly further away, leisurely sipping his wine. Behind him stood five unusually short “people” in matching servant uniforms, as quiet as statues. He raised his cup in Lin Luo’s direction, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

“Xiao Yuan and Xiao Bai.” Mr. Long’s tone softened a bit. A little boy, about two years old with pure eyes, was sitting on a cushion, playing with a small, pure white dog. They were both spiritual entities, yet they appeared as warm, solid forms under the apartment’s barrier.

“The one busy in the kitchen is Ruriko, our Genius Chef.” As Mr. Long spoke, a fair, elegant floating hand emerged from the kitchen window, carrying a freshly steamed, fragrant plate of shad. Its fingers wiggled nimbly as a greeting, then shyly retracted.

Finally, Mr. Long smiled helplessly, lowering his voice: “That’s Mariko…” A beautiful ghost with large eyes, a cute nose, and an excellent figure floated past, completely oblivious, her attire… well, as candid as ever, seemingly having forgotten the fact that she was female.

“Everyone, this is Lin Luo, my junior, and our guest for tonight.” Mr. Long raised his voice to introduce him.

The hubbub in the courtyard quieted for a moment, as various non-human and human gazes turned curiously towards Lin Luo, filled with friendliness and scrutiny. The charcoal crackled, the aroma of meat filled the air, and spiritual lights danced; this feast, belonging to the outliers and a few humans, officially enveloped Lin Luo.

This demonic apartment, hidden in the bustling city, seemed to possess a peculiar magic, capable of isolating all disturbances, leaving only the warmth and vitality of the moment. Lin Luo held the warm wine cup, feeling the unreserved enthusiasm around him, and his taut mind unconsciously relaxed. He even briefly forgot the mystery of tracking the Demon Slayer Corps, forgot his confrontation with the Lower Rank demon, and simply immersed himself in this rare, cross-species noise and peace.

“Luo-kun! Add me as a friend!” Kuga Akine finally put down her iconic giant bowl, her eyes sparkling as she leaned close to Lin Luo, waving her phone, her face flushed with excitement. “It’s rare to meet a Cultivator my age, and such a powerful one! We definitely need to exchange more in the future!”

Her overly direct enthusiasm made Fukase Akira and the writer, who were drinking together nearby, burst into laughter. Fukase Akira, cigarette dangling, jokingly mumbled, “Hey, hey, Akine, tone it down. Don’t scare away our new friend.”

“Exactly, a young lady should be more reserved,” the writer chimed in, though his tone was full of goodwill.

Akine puffed out her cheeks in protest, but her eyes remained brightly fixed on Lin Luo.

On the other side, the Antique Merchant had also approached at some point. He pushed his monocle up, a professional yet somewhat sincere smile on his face: “Mr. Lin Luo is indeed a connoisseur. How about this? A genuine Unicorn Horn, its life energy makes it a top-grade Material for talismans…” He mysteriously pulled a warm, jade-like, faintly glowing fragment of a horn from his wide sleeve.

Lin Luo could clearly feel the pure and powerful energy flowing within the fragment; it was definitely not a fake. His heart stirred, but upon hearing the astronomical price quoted by the Antique Merchant, he could only smile wryly and wave his hand: “It’s a good item, but unfortunately, my pockets are shallow, so I’ll have to pass.”

The Antique Merchant didn’t insist, laughing heartily as he put the treasure away, then turned to continue hawking his other “antiques,” whose authenticity was hard to discern.

The banquet gradually drew to a close amidst joyous laughter. After eating and drinking their fill, Fukase Akira and the writer familiarly put their arms around Lin Luo's shoulders.

“Come on, Lin Luo, let’s take you to a good place to sober up!”

“Mr. Landlord’s private bath is not something just anyone can enjoy!”

Lin Luo was half-coaxed, half-led through several corridors to an unassuming wooden door deep within the mansion. The moment the door opened, a humid, faintly sulfurous hot air wafted out.

Beyond the door was not an artificially constructed bathroom, but a naturally formed underground cave! Stalactites hung from above, shimmering in the light of an unknown source, and in the center of the cave was a steaming hot spring, its surface glowing with a milky white luster.

What shocked Lin Luo the most was that Mr. Landlord—the egg-shaped, small-eyed demon leading the way—walked to the edge of the pool and gently pressed his almost invisible small hand against the rock wall. With a low rumble, the rock wall slowly undulated like a living thing, and the hot spring pool actually expanded a bit, with more hot water gushing from underground!

“This… this is…” Lin Luo was uncharacteristically speechless.

Mr. Long had followed at some point and stood beside him, explaining with a smile: “Mr. Landlord is one of the true ‘managers’ of this land. Mobilizing a bit of the earth’s spiritual spring is merely a flick of his wrist. How about it? You can’t enjoy this kind of treatment anywhere else.”

Soaking in the slightly hot spring, feeling the threads of earth’s Spiritual Qi seeping into his limbs and bones, washing away fatigue and dust, Lin Luo gazed at the stalactites formed over millennia on the cave ceiling, filled with nothing but awe. Longevity Manor, and its “residents,” truly brought him one surprise after another.