In the end, the leader of the Calamity-Serpent clan still chose to retreat. The snakes that had surrounded the Devouring clan also began to slowly withdraw.

Seeing this, Lin Mo turned back, about to ask his spirit pet how she’d been these past few years, when Qu Ruyan reverted to her true form and pounced toward a few snake demons that were retreating more slowly. Looking at the several snake demons she’d hunted to the ground, she said in satisfaction, “Nice, I get to have roast snake again tonight.”

The Calamity-Serpent clan’s leader also noticed what was happening over here, his face going dark.

Lin Mo hurriedly grabbed Qu Ruyan, who still wanted to keep hunting, and reminded her, “You silly girl, their clan leader hasn’t even left yet. Can you tone it down a little?”

Qu Ruyan blinked and asked, “Senior Brother, so once he leaves I can go wild, right?”

Lin Mo was speechless for a moment. Faced with Qu Ruyan’s “understanding” of things, he really didn’t know what to say.

Fortunately, the Calamity-Serpent clan’s leader hadn’t heard her last sentence. He chose to turn a blind eye to what had just happened, gave Qu Ruyan a look as if she were a plague god, and waved for his clansmen to retreat quickly, lest that crazy girl treat them as food again.

After the Calamity-Serpent clan had completely withdrawn, an elderly man at the head of the Devouring clan, a bit on the plump side, came forward. Looking at Qu Ruyan, he asked, “Yanyan, how come I’ve never heard that you have a senior sister with phoenix blood?”

“Grandpa Tun, she’s the one I told you abo—”

Qu Ruyan had just started to explain when she realized she couldn’t speak again.

She stood there, “woo-woo”ing in a daze.

Old Man Tun’s eyes showed confusion. “What’s wrong, Yanyan?

“I remember you saying you met a very remarkable senior brother in the human world and even formed a master–servant contract with him.

“That senior brother shouldn’t have anything to do with this young lady, right?”

At those words, Lin Mo clearly heard a faint trace of hostility in the old man’s tone.

He recalled that back in the demon clan’s secret realm, the realm’s master, the Six-Tailed Fox, had also been very averse to master–servant contracts.

Lin Mo immediately understood what this old man, Tun, was suspecting.

Master–servant contracts could only be signed between humans and demons.

It seemed that, just like Kun Hao, the leader of the Kun Kun clan, this elder was also doubting his identity.

“Old Tun, you can rest easy!” Kun Yu stepped out at this moment to vouch for Lin Mo. “My mother has already examined him. Young Master’s bloodline is perfectly pure, and there’s no contract on him. Otherwise, how could my mother have let him pass?”

“We naturally trust your mother,” the Devouring clan’s leader said with a smile. “But it’s only normal that this old man worries. Who told such a tragic incident to befall our demon race a thousand years ago?

“Everyone knows that once the master–servant contract developed by humans is formed, even one’s closest kin will turn their blades on us.

“This old man was just being extra cautious, that’s all.”

Lin Mo walked a few steps forward to stand before the old man. “I’ve been a demon living in the human world since birth. It’s only reasonable for you to be suspicious, Elder. If you want to examine me, go ahead.”

Seeing Lin Mo take the initiative like this, the clan leader named Tun apologized briefly, then sent his demonic aura probing into Lin Mo’s body. Only after confirming there was no master–servant contract inside did he finally set his mind at ease.

“Young lady, please, come inside.”

Lin Mo followed the Devouring clan’s leader back into their territory, and along the way asked about Qu Ruyan’s situation.

The Tun clan’s leader asked, “Miss Lin, you should know about Yanyan’s condition, yes?”

Lin Mo nodded. “She’s a silly, sweet airhead, doesn’t think too much. A very simple girl.”

The leader shook his head. “I meant her bloodline.”

Lin Mo smiled. “YYou mean the matter about the Shadow-Serpent bloodline?”

Seeing that Lin Mo already knew, the Devouring clan’s leader no longer concealed anything. “Actually, Yan is one of our own. All of us in the Devouring clan carry the Shadow-Serpent bloodline, and Yanyan’s mother even obtained the Shadow-Serpent’s legacy.

“She should have led our clan. But a thousand years ago, she fell in love with a human and then vanished without a trace.

“You could say her mother is a traitor to the demon realm.”

Hearing this, Lin Mo narrowed his eyes slightly. “So how do you view this junior sister of mine?”

The Swallowing clan’s leader waved his hand. “Miss Lin, don’t misunderstand.

“What the previous generation did has nothing to do with this generation.

“We won’t place her mother’s sins on her.”

Lin Mo’s expression eased a little.

“It’s just that you also know how restrictive master–servant contracts are for our demon race.

“Yanyan has already muddle-headedly signed one with a human.”

At this, Qu Ruyan cut in, “Hey! I didn’t. I only agreed because I like Senior Brother!”

The Swallowing clan’s leader looked helplessly at Lin Mo. “You see? This simple girl has already been sweet-talked into losing her senses by some insidious, cunning human.

“According to this old man’s guess, that human who signed the master–servant contract with Yanyan most likely used food to coax her into signing it in a daze.”

Uh…

Lin Mo had nothing to say to that.

Although he hadn’t actively tricked her, Qu Ruyan’s purest reason for signing the master–servant contract with him really had been to get fed.

The Swallowing clan’s leader’s guess was already very close to the truth.

“We intend for Yanyan to become the leader of the Swallowing clan, but with that master–servant contract in place, we have no other choice.

“Since Miss Lin is so close with Yanyan, I wonder if you might know that human who tricked her into signing the contract?”

“This old man doesn’t have the ability to erase a master–servant contract, but as long as we find that human, the contract will disappear.”

As he said this, a clear killing intent surfaced on the Swallowing clan’s leader’s face.

Qu Ruyan hurried to correct him. “Grandpa Tun, you really misunderstood Senior Brother Lin. He’s a really good person.”

“Senior Brother Lin?” The old man of the Swallowing clan turned his gaze on Lin Mo.

Lin Mo was also speechless. This girl Qu Ruyan had a strange talent: for someone so simple, every other sentence she said could either infuriate someone or get someone killed.

“Miss Lin, that cunning human also has the surname Lin?” the Swallowing clan’s leader asked in puzzlement.

Lin Mo immediately smoothed out her expression and said, “I don’t know that human.”

“But Miss Lin, your arrival is just in time.

“As Yanyan’s senior sister, there’s something we need your help with,” the Swallowing clan’s leader said.

Lin Mo asked, puzzled, “What is it?”

The Swallowing clan’s leader smiled. “A joyous matter.

“Sending a bride.”

Lin Mo: “???”

What? Sending who as a bride? Who’s getting married?

Seeing Lin Mo’s confusion, the Swallowing clan’s leader explained, “Right now, Yanyan is the only inheritor of the Shadow-Serpent bloodline. With a human master–servant contract on her, before that narrow-minded human uses it to do anything harmful to our demon race, we must ensure the continuation of the bloodline as soon as possible.

“During the time Yanyan’s been back in the demon realm, we’ve already found a suitable partner for her.

“Yanyan is very satisfied with him as well.”

Lin Mo scratched her head furiously and looked at Qu Ruyan. “Who did you take a fancy to? Who are you marrying?”

“I didn’t take a fancy to anyone!”

Qu Ruyan blinked, utterly confused. “Also, Senior Brother, what does ‘marry’ mean?”

The Swallowing clan’s leader coughed dryly and laughed. “Yanyan, weren’t you very satisfied with the young clan leader of the Li Tiger clan?”

Qu Ruyan was chewing on a piece of candy. “Who’s the young clan leader of the Lihu Tiger clan?”

Lin Mo frowned, her tone turning a bit sharp. “Old man, are you trying to fool me?”