Chapter 44

It was already six o'clock, and Hao Ren hurriedly washed his face, washing away the lingering drowsiness from his long sleep. Then, he and Vivian, who was full of resentment due to lack of rest, went down to the first-floor restaurant. Behind them, Lili followed like a wandering soul: the werewolf girl had been energetic since the middle of the night and was now finally at her "nap time," as exhausted as a dead dog.

Hao Ren truly found it amazing how a person's biological clock could be so powerful.

"Landlord, I want to sleep... I also want to have lunch, and I want to lie on the ground and rest..." Lili mumbled behind Hao Ren, her voice weak and listless, looking like a tired dog that wouldn't budge from its owner's feet. However, even Vivian wouldn't dare to say this out loud at this moment: Lili's pride as a "werewolf" was incredibly strong. Even in this half-asleep state, if you compared her to a pet dog, she would still jump up and bite you, even through three layers of anti-stab vests.

"The meal at this time should be breakfast," Hao Ren looked at the morning light outside the restaurant, which hadn't fully brightened, and helplessly reminded the confused werewolf beside him. London had shed its industrial fog city image, but the area still had foggy mornings, heavy clouds, and changeable weather. The weather wasn't good today, though the sun had risen, the sky still looked a bit gloomy, and the next few hours would likely be foggy or overcast.

"Look, there he is," Vivian suddenly tugged at Hao Ren's sleeve, pointing to a very noticeable table outside the restaurant. "That 'Nangong,' he's quite punctual. I didn't expect much from someone associated with demon hunters, tsk tsk."

Because Nangong might have some connection to demon hunters (or even a one percent chance of being a real one), Vivian had an instinctive dislike of him. It wasn't quite hostility, but she certainly wouldn't smile when mentioning him.

"After watching TV yesterday, I suddenly think we don't really need to travel with this dangerous guy," Hao Ren hesitated. "The Joford Castle is now full of people looking for ghosts. Do we really need a guide?"

"Of course we do," Vivian rolled her eyes at Hao Ren. "Do you know how to get from London to Brusar?"

Hao Ren was taken aback; he had indeed forgotten about that.

At this moment, Mr. Nangong had also seen the three of them and immediately waved to greet them, looking very friendly. Hao Ren realized it was too late to turn and leave, so he led Vivian and Lili over. "Good morning."

"Morning, you're not late either," Nangong smiled slightly, then looked somewhat surprised at Lili, who was swaying with her eyes closed behind Hao Ren. "Um, what's wrong with this girl?"

"Jet lag, she's napping at noon," Hao Ren shrugged helplessly. "Shall we leave now, or have breakfast first?"

Nangong said there was no rush, and a delay of ten to twenty minutes wouldn't affect their travel plans. So Hao Ren decided to have breakfast first: the hotel provided a free buffet breakfast for each guest, and he wanted to get his money's worth before checking out. Lili was getting increasingly drowsy, almost unconscious, but the werewolf girl didn't let this affect her eating. Hao Ren prepared a plate of food for Lili according to her preferences, and she ate it all with her eyes closed, relying on her sense of smell, leaving not a single piece of food behind...

Nangong watched in amazement, which made Hao Ren and Vivian nervous. They were afraid this so-called demon hunter would see through Lili's non-human nature from her unusual condition. But Nangong either really was a fraud or a fake—he was just amazed and didn't suspect that the "demon" he was hunting was sitting right next to him.

After breakfast, the group went to the front desk to check out and left the hotel with their luggage. The three of them didn't have much luggage, just one large travel bag in total. Normally, this would be the responsibility of the male, but Vivian unceremoniously tied the bag to Lili: in her half-asleep state, Lili suddenly had an extra few dozen kilograms of weight, but she still managed to sleep! She closed her eyes and followed Hao Ren, sniffing the air just like the day before.

"The only good thing about her is her strength. Not letting her carry it would be a waste of talent," Vivian saw Hao Ren's strange expression and waved her hand indifferently. "Don't worry, she's happy about it—though she's sleeping now."

Hao Ren felt uncomfortable. He saw Lili, who was sleeping and carrying the luggage of three people, walking like a wronged little wife (purely a psychological effect). In the end, he couldn't resist taking the bag from her and putting it on his back. "Forget it, don't bully her."

Lili opened her eyes groggily and still knew what had happened. "Thank you, Landlord. I'm not tired..."

Vivian snorted. "Typical macho thinking, you guys haven't changed a bit in all these years."

Hao Ren laughed dryly and glanced at Nangong, the tall, thin man who claimed to be a demon hunter. He had much more luggage than the three of them. It was no wonder he claimed to travel the world every few days; his luggage was even larger than the one Lili had brought when she first came to their home. It was a large, sturdy, and heavy suitcase, bigger than Lili's, and the sound of it dragging on the concrete was deafening. Who knew what was inside.

"What's in that suitcase?" Vivian, who was wise with age (though she shouldn't hear those words), immediately put on an innocent look and asked curiously.

"Everything I need for 'work'," Nangong, dragging the huge suitcase, still maintained his neat and tidy appearance. His white shirt and black trousers made him look like a successful businessman heading to a meeting, even with the suitcase behind him. "I use them to fight evil. This suitcase has suppressed at least a hundred demons and evil spirits."

"Real demon hunters don't need so many tools," Vivian returned to Hao Ren's side and whispered. "They are the weapons themselves. Looks like we can relax."

At this moment, Hao Ren was thinking: why can men have such different images? The other man, dragging such a large suitcase, looked like a businessman heading to a meeting, while he, carrying a travel bag, looked like someone on the way to demand wages...

Thus, the two groups, each with their own ulterior motives (was this the right idiom to use?), set off on their journey to Brusar. Regardless, having a professional who frequently traveled and knew the way made things much easier. With Nangong's help, Hao Ren and his group managed to navigate the ancient and complex streets of London and smoothly boarded the train to their destination.

The journey was uneventful, and the four of them spent the entire day on the train.

Because of the stranger, Hao Ren and Vivian couldn't discuss too many confidential matters, making the trip particularly dull. The only noteworthy event was Lili waking up from her "nap" and sulking in her seat for a while, then getting drowsy again as the train approached the station. Despite her initial excitement, she had spent most of her time in Britain sleeping or daydreaming, and even her rare moments of leisure were spent on the train.

When the train arrived at the small station in Brusar, it was nearly dusk. Few people got off, indicating that not everyone was interested in visiting such a remote and desolate place. Hao Ren, following the familiar-sounding announcement, stepped onto the platform and found the place even more remote and desolate than he had imagined.

The small train station was tiny, with only two railway lines, one of which was abandoned. The area around the station was mostly barren land, with yellowish-brown gravel and sand filling the view, and the only greenery was wild grass and shrubs growing haphazardly. From the station, one could see the nearby town of Brusar, which looked somewhat old and small, almost like a village.

He wondered how this town had been built in such a desolate place, which reminded him of the Earth Office of Heaven—Wangbatuo.

Nangong sniffed the air and showed an interested expression. "I smell the presence of a 'big one'."