Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 50: Black Sea and White Moon (2)

Dragon Raja 3

“Brother, you’ve been playing the clown for so long that you’ve forgotten who you really are,” Lu Mingze said softly.

“Clown? Who are you calling a clown?”

“How could I be insulting you? You’re my client! We are ethical soul merchants, and we never insult our clients. No matter how cowardly they are, we provide excellent service. The customer is always king!” The little devil smiled. “A clown is someone whose true emotions, whether happy or sad, never show because they have painted a smile on their face. Caesar has started planning the wedding, and the girl you like is about to marry someone else—dressed in a white wedding gown, she’ll say her vows of love in front of all the guests. Meanwhile, you’re still busy trying to save the world. Caesar is the last person you want to see right now, yet you still call him ‘boss’ this and ‘boss’ that. A flower boy? No, no, you’re more like a ball boy—standing on the sidelines with a fake smile, ready to fetch the ball whenever it’s needed.”

“So what? What’s it to you?” Lu Mingfei couldn’t take it anymore and started getting agitated. “Aren’t you just trying to get me to sell my soul to you? Fine, fine! I’ll make a deal with you. Make Nono fall in love with me, and I’ll trade my soul!”

Lu Mingze scratched his head, looking troubled. “Honestly, that wish is beyond my capabilities. What I said before was that I could help you take Nono, not make her fall in love with you. Taking a girl and making her love you are two different things. I could get you a harem in no time—a harem divided into different groups. Su Xiaoqian as the queen group leader, Liu Miaomiao leading the princess group, and Chen Wenwen as the artistic group leader. Su Xiaoqian would help you with your homework, Chen Wenwen would make your lunch, Liu Miaomiao would play piano for you, and Zhao Menghua would shine your shoes. Nono would be your empress, and whatever you wanted her to do, she’d do. Sexy lingerie, see-through outfits, uniforms—it’s all possible! She’d even say, ‘Your Majesty, you’re so wise and powerful!’”

“What the heck, are you suggesting I use force to turn good women into prostitutes?”

“No, no, in my scenario, you’re the emperor. The emperor’s women aren’t called prostitutes; they’re called the harem,” Lu Mingze corrected him.

“What difference does it make? So I get a bunch of beautiful, puppet-like girls who don’t actually love me—or they only love my power, which I got by selling my soul. In reality, I’m just a loser, right?”

“There’s really not much difference. Even if they don’t love you, I could make them wake you up every morning singing, ‘Mingfei, Mingfei, I love you, just like a mouse loves rice.’”

“You’re just an ignorant brat who knows nothing about love,” Lu Mingfei snorted. “You look like you haven’t even hit puberty yet!”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about that. Devils don’t understand love; devils only understand desire,” Lu Mingze said softly. “If you want to make a deal for love, you’re knocking on the wrong door. You’d better try turning right and see if there’s an angel-run exchange.”

“I knew you couldn’t do it,” Lu Mingfei said quietly. “Just like how Chen Wenwen didn’t really like me back then, even though she thought I was nice.”

“Actually, the reason I’m here today is to inform you that I’ll be on leave for a while,” Lu Mingze said after a moment of silence. “When we formed our contract, I did say I’d always be available, but I forgot to mention the clause that I wouldn’t be able to offer my services during vacations.”

Lu Mingfei was stunned for a few seconds, unexpectedly feeling a bit of emptiness. Although the little devil was essentially a death bringer, always watching his limited lifespan like a hawk, Lu Mingfei had wished to get rid of him. Yet, when he realized his calls would go unanswered, he couldn’t help feeling a bit lonely.

“Praise be to heaven and Buddha, I guess my fervent chanting of the Vajra Demon Subjugation Mantra worked. But I intended to curse you to death—why did it just send you on vacation?” Despite the emptiness in his heart, Lu Mingfei’s sharp tongue remained firm. “How long are you going on leave? A thousand years?”

“Sigh,” Lu Mingze sighed. “We small-time employees don’t get much paid leave. Just a month. Brother, please pity me—if you’d sell me some souls, I might get promoted and earn an extra week of paid leave each year.”

“What do devils do on vacation? You’re not just gonna hole up and play video games like me, are you?” Lu Mingfei asked.

“I’m going to ride a train in Peru. There’s a 1920s-style old-fashioned sleeper that runs from Hiram to Bingham, passing through the Urumba River to reach Machu Picchu. High mountains, plains, and the old Incan Empire along the way… Maybe I’ll even meet some beautiful she-devil to share a compartment with and have a wicked little affair.” Lu Mingze licked his lips. “Besides, brother, the place you’re about to go isn’t within my jurisdiction. I have no authority there.”

“I don’t have any plans to go anywhere,” Lu Mingfei said, puzzled.

“Your travel notice will arrive soon enough. I’ve already packed your luggage for you to avoid any last-minute scrambling.” Lu Mingze’s face was full of anticipation.

“Where am I going? You said it’s out of your jurisdiction? That’s great—does it mean if I stay there forever, I can avoid your hellish knocking forever?”

“Take a guess. It’s every shut-in’s dream country, famous for Gothic lolitas, violent video games, perverted uncles, subway gropers, and adult videos.”

“What the heck! Japan?”

“Correct! Are you happy? Surprised?”

“Avoiding you would be the greatest happiness and surprise.”

Lu Mingze turned to look at Lu Mingfei, his expression a bit pitiful, as if on the verge of tears. “Brother, saying that really hurts my feelings. Honestly, this vacation is not just for relaxation; it’s also my last chance from the company.”

“Last chance? Your boss is going to fire you? Did they find out they were using underage workers like you?”

“Not getting fired, but if I come back from vacation and still can’t produce a decent report, I may have to be transferred to another region. My superiors say my performance lately has been incompetent. I’ve been following you, a VIP client, for so long without managing to buy your soul. Historically, most clients are quick to sell their souls—they make four wishes within a few months. ‘I want Solomon’s wealth! I want to be the king of the world! I want the sexiest woman in the world to sleep with me! Oh god, the loneliness of power, the solitude of strength—I want my heart to feel warm…’ Four wishes, done and dusted, and the soul is ours.” Lu Mingze sighed heavily. “But you—you’re such a twisted client. You don’t want wealth, you don’t want power, and you’re not interested in women…”

“Bullshit! Don’t deny my interest in the opposite sex! I just don’t need you to provide me with a harem!”