Chapter 114: My Teammates Are So Incompetent
In the tavern’s back kitchen, jasmine petals drifted everywhere.
“What a pity, such delicious demonic energy—why didn’t you save any for me?”
The Scholar Demon held a single flower in his hand with peculiar interest, then slowly dropped it to the floor and crushed it underfoot…
The jasmine flower instantly shattered into pieces.
The other little demons scurrying about the kitchen were terrified and scattered in all directions…
But before even stepping out of the kitchen, they were caught as ink splattered from the brush in the Scholar Demon’s hand stuck to them…
Then, as if drinking freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juice, the Scholar Demon began to draw the demonic energy from these small demons out of thin air.
The yellow-furred dog was immobilized by the bamboo slip the Scholar Demon held, unable to move…
Yet, when it saw this scene, it struggled desperately, tears welling in its eyes, unable to believe this was truly happening.
Miss Ming Shan had been harmed trying to protect the stove.
This woman, usually carefree and lively—
This cook who had always taken such good care of him—was just gone…
Do you remember the promise you once made to me?
You haven’t even fulfilled it yet…
How could you die just like that?
We agreed…
That there would be leftovers to eat for a lifetime, didn’t we?
Unforgivable…
The yellow dog struggled with all its might, trying to let out a howl…
The more it struggled, the tighter the bamboo slip around its neck constricted…
Still, it forced out a desperate howl until blood trickled from the corner of its mouth…
“You yellow-haired beast, you really think you’re a demon? You’re nothing but a dog the shopkeeper picked up—a mere watchdog.”
“Come on, scream more, louder! This is so thrilling, so exciting…”
The Scholar Demon watched the dying dog struggle and laughed—a twisted, perverse laugh…
Even the soldier demon thought their leader had lost his mind, perhaps driven mad by anger earlier.
If he kept acting like this, he’d be beaten in the streets by dog lovers.
However—
The Scholar Demon wasted no time observing the dog’s dying moments; his target was the stove before him…
He had worked so hard for this day, to destroy this very stove…
Born to a prestigious demon clan with a noble lineage, he was unfortunately born lacking demonic energy, inferior even to the flashy demon courtesans outside, scorned and discriminated against by his own people, unable even to step through the tavern’s threshold…
The root of such discrimination and ostracism from other demons was this stove before him; because of it, this damned tavern of monsters existed.
Thankfully, years ago, he had a chance encounter with an old demon named Ren, from whom he learned the great art of absorbing demonic energy. By slowly draining the energy of other demons, he had finally established his footing in the clan…
Today, I will destroy you…
The Scholar Demon felt like a failure student who had been singled out by teachers since childhood, now grown up…
Carrying a box of test papers back home…
To complete them in front of his old teacher…
Then shout loudly…
“I still can’t do it even now!”
But so what?
Now I burn all these papers with a single flame…
I have the power now; what can you do to me?
His mindset had become almost twisted.
The Scholar Demon gazed at the stove, still steaming with heat, his eyes gleaming as he wielded the brush and swiped at the stove…
A powerful gust of wind erupted, sending the kitchen furniture flying in chaos.
Amid the crashing of plates shattering on the floor…
The Scholar Demon froze—this stove showed no reaction whatsoever…
Unwilling to accept defeat, he gathered his energy again, a fierce demonic aura wildly swirling around him.
He shouted, channeling all his demonic power into the brush, then struck the stove with a sudden force…
Though not world-shattering, the power was enough to blow apart this small kitchen with ease…
Yet…
Apart from the kitchen tables, chairs, and utensils being shaken and vegetables and fruits flying everywhere, the stove stood firm, unmoved, without even a scratch…
The Scholar Demon, displeased, tried several more times, but the result was the same…
“Boss, maybe your big move’s posture is wrong?”
“Boss, why don’t you try using chakra or activating a second form?”
“What nonsense! The boss’s skill stacks damage; look how hard he’s working on it…”
His subordinates gathered around him, critiquing his moves. When they got excited, they even stood up to teach their boss how to do it right…
“Boss…”
“Quiet! You all!!!”
The Scholar Demon gave the impression of being refined and well-mannered, but now he was completely fed up with his subordinates.
“Come over here and help me…”
His face darkened; after much effort, sweat dotted his brow as he called his subordinates closer.
“Boss, I’m so touched, you…”
“Run! The boss’s gonna kill us!”
“The boss’s going to drain our demonic energy!”
Seeing their leader’s grim expression, the soldier demon was the first to react. A boss who could absorb inner energy would, in the final moments, crazily drain his subordinates to increase his strength…
These scenarios were clearly written in countless stories, and as a professional underling, he had memorized them all perfectly…
Boss Scholar Demon’s current situation was exactly like one of those scenes. If he didn’t run, he’d be left to die as a mere extra…
So,
The soldier demon signaled the other three demons and quickly fled…
Unexpectedly, the soldier demon, running ahead in his haste, failed to notice the scattered vegetables and fruits on the floor, slipped, and fell…
The three demons following behind, equally foolish, collided into him one by one, slipping and falling as well…
The soldier demon’s eyes rolled back as he fainted; the other three imitated him and also passed out…
The Scholar Demon watched this scene and suddenly sighed: the ones who defeated me weren’t others, but my own people. These people were truly foolish beyond measure…
He had only asked them to help lift the iron pot on the stove so he could investigate, never imagining such a ridiculous scene would unfold…
Being a leader is exhausting…
Being the leader of a bunch of idiots is even more exhausting…
But this made the Scholar Demon realize something: if he still couldn’t destroy the stove, perhaps it was due to insufficient demonic energy. Absorbing energy was the solution…
He crouched down before the unconscious demons, ready to drain their demonic energy…
However…
The demons, already passed out on the floor, all shifted their lying positions and buried their heads in the ground…
…
The Scholar Demon was dumbfounded. Had these fools been watching too many movies? He wasn’t some ancient demon from Black Mountain…
He couldn’t absorb energy mouth-to-mouth…
What were they hiding from?
He was truly exhausted, leading this group of idiots…
Thinking this, the Scholar Demon waved his paper fan at the “playing dead” demons on the ground; their bodies trembled uncontrollably…
Their demonic energy had been completely drained by him…