Chapter 143: Harmonious Neighborhood

Containment Room Zero.

It was, by all accounts, the largest of all the containment rooms.

Chen Huai’an sat on the couch and cracked open a can of cola.

His daily life hadn’t changed much—in fact, he was now living off free food and drinks.

Even though he had told the Demon Slayer Bureau not to bother with room decorations, they had still recreated his rental apartment down to the smallest details. The windows, for example, had been replaced with holographic projections that displayed a fake outdoor view, complete with fans simulating a natural breeze. At a glance, it almost felt real.

Containment Room Zero was at the end of the corridor, with Containment Rooms One and Two on either side.

Both were already occupied.

When he passed by, Chen Huai’an caught glimpses of his new "neighbors."

Containment Room Two housed something even weirder: a sniper rifle with an eerie design. Its gun body was wrapped in dark red chitin, with visible muscle tissue moving between the cracks. The sniper scope wasn’t a lens but a single, large golden eyeball that actively swiveled around.

Chen Huai’an had locked eyes with the sniper rifle once.

The damn thing had laughed at him.

A high-pitched, shrill cackle.

Honestly, after just one day of living here, he could already tell—this place had strong local charm, and the neighborhood relations were truly harmonious.

Containment wasn’t just for creatures the Demon Slayer Bureau couldn’t destroy, like the plush bear. Some items, like the sniper rifle, couldn’t be controlled but still had potential value.

Apart from that, Chen Huai’an had made another interesting discovery.

His room shared walls with both Containment Rooms One and Two. Each of these walls had a sliding metal door, revealing thick glass windows when opened. Through them, he could observe his two "neighbors," though he wasn’t that curious.

His windowsill had the same setup as before.

Baji, his black cat, was there. The water basin for his big green fish had been replaced with a luxurious aquarium, and the Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid sat on top of it.

For some reason, ever since moving in, Baji had become unusually dazed, constantly staring out the window in a trance.

Chen Huai’an scooped a bowl of cat food, patted Baji’s head, and smiled kindly. “Eat up. A nice lady bought this for you. Honestly, not abandoning you guys is the best I can do right now. You’re still so small—if you were out there on your own, you wouldn’t last long.”

Baji glanced at the cat food. Then at Chen Huai’an.

After a long silence, two tears rolled down its furry face.

Internally, it screamed:

No, damn it! LET ME GO! I WANT TO LEAVE! WHY DID YOU DRAG ME INTO THIS HELLHOLE WITH YOU?!

YOU’RE WILLING TO BE LOCKED UP, FINE, BUT WHY BRING ME ALONG?!

ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN?!

The doors and windows had no suppression talismans anymore.

They didn’t need them.

Baji had tried to escape.

But the walls and glass were specially reinforced with some unknown material that suppressed demonic energy.

To Baji, this place was nothing less than a demon prison.

At this point, its only option for escape was waiting for the big boss to fully awaken.

But if the big boss woke up completely, it would be devoured instantly.

If the big boss chose to stay trapped here forever, then Baji’s life would be no different from before—except instead of guarding the severed head of the ancient war god Xing Tian, it was now guarding its own master.

At least before, it could leave whenever it wanted.

Now?

That dream was dead.

—

Look at that.

Even the stupid cat was moved to tears.

Chen Huai’an sighed. I really am a kind and compassionate pet owner.

He flopped back onto the couch, zoning out.

Touching this, glancing at that—no matter what he did, he just couldn’t calm down.

The moment he sat still, all he could think about was Bearded Guy’s death.

Guilt, regret, shame—how could he ever face him again?

If he had never gone for cancer treatment… Bearded Guy would still be alive, right?

He picked up his phone, thinking some music might help.

But he couldn’t listen to a single song.

The cheerful ones felt out of place.

The sad ones felt like pretentious mourning.

In the end, after much hesitation, he opened My Virtual Girlfriend.

Maybe this was the only thing that could ease his tormented soul.

To him, the screen beyond was his safe harbor.

And knowing that Li Qingran was real only made this feeling more profound.

Someday… they would meet, right?

But as soon as he launched the game, his screen went black.

[Your remaining lifespan: 37 days!]

[Today’s fortune: Misfortune—financial loss. Favorable for relocation.]

[Notice: Dear player, due to excessive advance spending, your recharge system has an outstanding balance of ¥687,500. Until the debt is repaid, all in-game purchases have been suspended. Thank you for supporting My Virtual Girlfriend!]

“…Bro. That one million was real money!”

Chen Huai’an nearly lost it.

At the time, he had thought it was just a dream, just his subconscious.

So when the option to spend a million appeared, he had maxed it out without hesitation.

Looking back now… thank god the limit was one million.

If it had been ten million, he’d be financially doomed.

Honestly, before all this, one million wasn’t a big deal.

He could just grind Demon Slayer Bureau missions and earn it back quickly.

But now? He was in containment. Where was he supposed to make money?

Wait… could he start a livestream from the containment facility?

That giant bear that could punch through walls, plus the mutant lobster sniper rifle—both had insane entertainment value.

He’d call Zhao Ying later and ask if it was possible…

“Master?!”

A familiar voice called out from his phone.

Chen Huai’an snapped back to reality.

Li Qingran was staring at him through the screen.

Every time he logged in, she sensed his presence instantly.

“Master, how are things on your end?” Li Qingran leaned on her desk, standing up so quickly that she knocked over her chair.

Her voice was soft, but her peach blossom eyes were filled with worry and urgency. The handkerchief on the table was crumpled into a ball—clearly, she had been restless while unable to reach him.

[I’m fine. Thanks to you, I had a chance to catch my breath.]

Chen Huai’an pressed the transmission talisman.

Looking at Li Qingran, all his frustrations about his massive in-game debt disappeared.

The girl on the screen was real.

His very own, personal Dao Companion.

Even if they were separated by two whole worlds…

Just knowing that fantasy had turned into reality made his heart race.

He had to survive.

Make money.

Make Li Qingran the strongest cultivator in Cangyun Realm.

“…Master?”

For some reason, his gaze today felt unusually intense.

Like he wanted to devour her.

Li Qingran bit her lip, letting out a soft meow-like whimper.

She suddenly remembered how she had asked for a hug before.

Her face flushed red.

Her ears burned.

Her legs went weak.

Hurriedly, she picked up her chair, sat down properly, and pressed her hands tightly on her thighs, flustered.

Her gaze fell on the tea sachet on the table.

Without thinking, she grabbed it and held it in front of her face, only leaving half of it exposed.

“…Master, the tea sachet you asked for is ready,” she whispered. “As for the pillowcase… I still need a bit more time…”