Lily Smith stared into his eyes for a long moment before finally letting go of his face, saying coldly, “Now you know how terrifying the Lord of the Xu Residence is, right? Try not to joke around with such big monsters, and also try to stay far away from those guys. When they go crazy, no one can guarantee they won’t get swept up like a bug and die as worthless as wild grass.”

Brian Carter nodded, but in his mind lingered the sensation of Lily Smith’s hands pressing his face against the wall, the lingering fragrance of the young girl still swirling around him. The feeling was so new to him that his cheeks flushed slightly.

Led by Lily Smith, the two of them took the subway again and got off at Yaohuai Street Station. Exiting the station, they were already on Yaohuai Street, and Lily Smith’s home was only a hundred or two meters away. Lily Smith’s house was a quaint two-story building with a sign hanging above the entrance, painted with a big steamed bun. There were also steaming baskets at the door, and plenty of people coming and going to buy buns—the business was surprisingly good.

Lily Smith greeted her parents, put down her backpack, and even grabbed two buns, handing them to Brian Carter with a cheerful smile. Her parents were also very friendly, showing no sign at all of being monsters, which made Brian Carter feel just like he was visiting a female classmate’s house, with her parents being quite nice.

As Brian Carter munched on a bun, he followed Lily Smith to check out the entrance to the abandoned virtual realm. He had to admit, the buns at Lily Smith’s house were delicious, filled with rich, meaty broth but not greasy at all. Even after eating two, he still hadn’t had enough.

The entrance to this abandoned virtual realm was at the end of Yaohuai Street, in a rather desolate area with only one residence nearby.

This residence was different from Lily Smith’s house. There was a row of bamboo at the entrance, and through the gaps in the bamboo, one could see a very spacious courtyard inside. The environment was elegant, and a small river could be faintly seen winding around the yard, its water flowing with a gentle rush, giving the small courtyard a touch of landscape charm.

At first glance, Brian Carter liked it very much. He walked over and waved the bronze key, and the rows of bamboo parted to reveal a bamboo gate just wide enough for a person to walk through.

Brian Carter had just poked his head inside to take a look when Lily Smith gave him a push from behind, shoving him in.

Lily Smith didn’t stand on ceremony either; after pushing Brian Carter in, she followed him inside.

Once the two entered the courtyard, the bamboo behind them closed up automatically, turning into an elegant, tranquil courtyard wall—no door, no window, and no trace of the bamboo gate that had just been there.

After entering, Brian Carter realized the courtyard was quite large, about two or three acres. Not only were there rockeries and a small river about a foot wide encircling the yard, but also a three-story bamboo building. The view he’d glimpsed through the bamboo wall from outside was completely different from the real scene inside. Brian Carter immediately understood: there was some kind of illusion outside the courtyard, protecting the owner’s privacy from prying eyes.

Brian Carter couldn’t help but think to himself, “Monsters really know how to enjoy life. If a courtyard like this could be sold, it’d be worth at least ten apartments of the same size within the Third Ring of North City. Too bad this house isn’t mine—I’m just a caretaker, not even allowed to use it.”

Lily Smith let out a happy little cry and ran a lap around the courtyard before grinning and saying, “When I was little, I really wanted to come in and take a look, but I didn’t have the key. With my demon power, I couldn’t open this place at all. I never thought I’d finally get my wish today.”

Brian Carter couldn’t help but smile a little too, thinking to himself, “If only I could invite Lily Carter over and study here every day, how wonderful that would be.” Thinking of Lily Carter, he couldn’t help but smile at the corners of his mouth.

Lily Smith didn’t know he was thinking of Lily Carter; she just thought he really liked it here. She giggled and said, “Now that you’ve got your demon registration card, you can apply for welfare housing. Want to move to Yaohuai Street too?”

Brian Carter was a little surprised and asked, “Can any monster apply for free?”

Lily Smith nodded and said, “Any monster can apply. Our Ten Thousand Demons Association distributes housing for free, but everyone only has the right to live there. If you move out or die, you have to return it. You can’t even designate an heir, and buying or selling is not allowed. The eighteen residential areas in North City are all full, and there’s a shortage of welfare housing. Only when someone dies or moves out does a vacancy open up. Even if you apply now, you’ll have to wait a long time for a chance.”

Brian Carter couldn’t help but feel very disappointed!

Chapter Eleven: The Four Great Legions of the Monster World

Lily Smith glanced at the sky, reluctantly saying, “I should go home now. Let’s go to school together tomorrow, okay? I’ll wait for you at the entrance of Yaohuai Street.” The monster girl didn’t wait for his answer, just assumed he’d agreed, waved at him, and left as cheerfully as a little bird.

Brian Carter hesitated a little. He didn’t really want to go to school with this monster girl, but as he was about to leave, the monster girl turned back and gave him a dazzling smile, her pretty face blooming like a rare flower, so beautiful it made him a little dizzy. He didn’t even have time to say anything. Only after Lily Smith had disappeared did Brian Carter mutter to himself, “I never thought Lily Smith was this beautiful. If she looked like this at school, I wonder how many boys would try to win her favor.”