Chen Zhou was the only one left in Jingwu Hall. Lin Yujing had hung a sign reading "Closed Today" at the entrance early in the morning before hurrying out, saying she was going to gather intelligence.

She hoped Chen Zhou would stay hidden and that they could discuss their plan to kill Zhao Shuanghe upon her return. It wouldn’t take long—only about the time it took to burn an incense stick.

Chen Zhou had no objections. It was better to be prepared before taking action.

But as he waited, his stomach growled—he was hungry.

He hadn’t eaten all day… Killing was strenuous work; he needed energy before doing it.

Since he had promised Lin Yujing he wouldn’t leave Jingwu Hall, he decided to see if there was anything to eat inside.

Chen Zhou walked to the kitchen and soon found some noodles. Then he glanced at the chickens roaming the yard…

Forget it. The title of ‘chicken thief’ was quite unpleasant—better to just cook noodles.

There were many bottles and jars in the kitchen, most likely seasonings. Chen Zhou tasted each one to confirm their flavors.

Not that he was afraid of being poisoned. After a night’s rest, his health bar had fully recovered, so even if he lost some health, it wouldn’t matter.

Soon, a bowl of steaming hot noodles was ready. Chen Zhou sat at the stone table in the courtyard and ate heartily.

"Mmm, my cooking skills are still as good as ever…" he sighed, reminiscing. In his previous life, cooking had been his hobby. But as work consumed him, he barely had time to cook and had to rely on takeout—heavy in oil and salt.

Years of stress and an unhealthy diet had completely worn his body down.

After living two lives, Chen Zhou finally realized—nothing in the world was more important than oneself.

If a man didn’t live for himself, heaven and earth would punish him.

Just as he was sighing, he saw a small figure swiftly climb over the wall and land lightly in the courtyard.

The figure was clad in a black robe and appeared to be a young child. However, the three-meter-high wall was not something an ordinary child could scale.

"What a nice smell…" The figure sniffed the air, looking longingly in Chen Zhou’s direction.

Chen Zhou narrowed his eyes. Beneath the hood of the black robe, he glimpsed a feline face.

A demon.

Chen Zhou, having experienced much more than Gou Wa'er, recognized it instantly. Even if he had never eaten pork, he had at least seen pigs run.

Lin Yujing had mentioned before that Zhao Shuanghe might be colluding with demons, but Chen Zhou hadn’t expected one to come straight to him.

However, this little cat demon… didn’t look particularly frightening.

Perhaps it was because he had been human for two lifetimes. In his past life, he had seen countless depictions of demons—some terrifying, some grotesque. He had become desensitized to their appearance.

If some of the die-hard ‘furry’ fans from his past life saw this little cat demon, they would probably be ecstatic.

As Chen Zhou observed the demon, the little cat demon—Honghong—was also curiously examining him. She had followed the enticing aroma here, and upon climbing over the wall, she had discovered a new ‘friend.’

This one was bigger than her last friend, but not by much.

More importantly, he wasn’t afraid of her at all.

Looking around and seeing no one else, she thought—this friend could be eaten too!

But before eating, she needed to ask about the delicious-smelling thing in his hand.

Just as she was about to speak—

Chen Zhou raised a single finger.

What is he going to do?!

Sssss!!!

A golden light flashed!

Before Honghong could react, a brilliant arc of electricity burst from the young man’s fingertip and shot toward her at blinding speed!

Bang!

Honghong didn’t even see the trajectory of the attack. One moment, her vision was normal—then everything was consumed by dazzling golden light. The next instant, she lost consciousness.

"So weak…"

Chen Zhou looked at the charred little cat demon lying motionless on the ground, mildly surprised. He had only been testing his abilities, yet she had gone down in a single blow.

Lin Yujing hadn’t exaggerated—this "Purple Yang Electric Power Technique" was indeed powerful.

And the thrill of effortlessly defeating an enemy with just the movement of his fingers… It was simple. Clean. Satisfying.

[Knocked out a man-eating cat demon. +10 Good Deeds.]

The notification from "The Record of Merits" made Chen Zhou’s expression darken.

A man-eating cat demon?

His heart sank. This demon looked young, but it had already consumed human flesh…

Something like that couldn’t be allowed to live.

Chen Zhou flexed his fingers, and golden sparks crackled at his fingertips, ready to strike again—then he paused.

This demon was too young. Killing her wouldn’t yield much… But if he used her to lure out her elders and killed them all together?

Now that would be more profitable.

A plan forming in his mind, Chen Zhou calmly picked up his bowl and resumed eating, leaving the unconscious cat demon sprawled in the courtyard.