“Haven’t you noticed that the gloves I’m wearing are quite special?” Henry Clark’s words made Little Debbie focus her gaze on her own right hand—a fingerless leather glove. At first, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual about it, but when she looked at the four strange black stones embedded in the four-finger section, Little Debbie’s pupils involuntarily widened. “Looks like you already know? These are sarira, refined from the remains of accomplished monks after their passing. They’re very valuable, and especially effective against little demons like you. If I wanted, I could snap your tail off with my bare hands right now. Want to try what that feels like? I hear it takes a hundred years for you to grow a tail—wonder if that’s true?”

“You! You… I give up…” After a bout of heavy breathing, Little Daisy finally gave up all resistance…

Chapter 7: Jorōgumo

Lying on the cold and filthy ground, the giant three-tailed fox’s breathing gradually steadied. As for the bastard behind her who was gripping her tail, Little Daisy could only glare at him with fierce eyes. He, on the other hand, looked utterly emotionless, wearing an infuriating smile.

“Two days ago, I saw a strange demon…” At last, Little Daisy seemed to realize the bastard behind her was a complete scoundrel and began to speak. “She transformed into a woman, wore a white dress, had long black hair—a classic beauty. It was nighttime, and a strong man was standing in front of my shop watching me. Just as I was about to make a move, she, standing across the street, acted first. With just a glance, she lured away my prey. Her bewitchment technique left no trace—she was very skilled. She must be an old demon with considerable cultivation…”

“Don’t tell me you just watched her take your prey away…” Henry Clark wanted to hear the rest of the story.

“You think I’m that easy to bully?” Little Daisy’s eyes flashed with disdain. “I followed her back to her lair. There were a lot of men she’d bewitched there, all naked and completely drained of their yang energy. It was clear she wasn’t just collecting yang for cultivation—she meant to kill them to silence them.”

“So, my esteemed Miss Fox, can you tell me her exact location?” For once, Henry Clark used a polite tone.

“And why should I?” Little Daisy acted coy, playing hard to get.

At the same moment, Henry Clark’s right hand tightened, making Little Daisy let out another muffled groan, like a prostitute performing in bed.

“All right, all right, you win, I give up!” The poor fox pleaded helplessly, knowing that taking advantage of Henry Clark wasn’t so easy. “She’s in an abandoned textile factory on the outskirts of West City. If you can’t find it, go buy yourself a map!”

“Thanks.” Henry Clark let go of the fox’s tail with satisfaction and straightened up, like a worker finishing his shift, naturally taking off his glove. Little Daisy, meanwhile, leapt back three meters, turning to glare at Henry Clark, baring her fangs as if she was about to eat him.

Turning away, Henry Clark headed for the entrance he’d come in through, completely ignoring the fox’s naked hostility behind him. Instead, it was Grace Miller who stood frozen in place, her legs trembling uncontrollably, clearly frightened by Little Daisy.

“Come on, what are you staring at? The foxes in the zoo are way cuter than that one.” Patting Grace Miller on the shoulder, Henry Clark made his usual sarcastic remark.

“It… it looks like it wants to eat you?” Grace Miller wasn’t sure what Little Daisy’s look meant—maybe she just wanted to tear apart the man beside her…

“Don’t worry. Fox spirits are probably the smartest kind of demon. They know who they can mess with and who they can’t. If she attacks, I’ll be forced to kill her…” Henry Clark’s words were calm, with no hint of a joke. “They know how to weigh the value of life against a moment’s anger. That’s one of the reasons I like dealing with fox spirits…”

“Kid, I’ll remember you. Don’t forget what you promised me. I’m definitely taking your virginity!” With that, the giant fox transformed back into the form of a beautiful woman—only now, her snow-white skin was completely uncovered, her voluptuous body on full display.

With a few agile leaps, Little Daisy jumped onto the rooftop and disappeared into the city night.

Back in the car, Henry Clark’s phone rang, the lullaby ringtone sounding especially… old-fashioned.

“Mouse, did you find any useful information?” The caller ID showed Henry Clark already knew who it was, so he skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

“I searched for ages, looking at the time and manner of death and all sorts of clues, and found a demon that fits perfectly.” On the other end, Harvey’s voice was accompanied by the sound of typing. “There’s a record in Japan’s ‘Encyclopedia of Yokai’—a female demon that takes the form of a human, specifically seducing strong men. On the third night after a man is seduced, the demon eats his head. This demon is called—Jorōgumo.”

“I’ve already found her exact location. I’m going to take her out now. Tell everyone to pack up—we’ll be able to go home soon…” Henry Clark spoke with utter ease, as if handling the most routine task in the world.