RIIDMDR chapter 100

 

The little deer demon nodded when he answered like that. “Thank you, owner.”

He went upstairs with his head down, clearly trusting Nan Xu completely.

This attitude stirred a sense of guilt in Nan Xu. He found a small stool nearby, sat down, and started to browse the system mall.

The items in the mall had been updated after the last major quest upgrade. Most of them were now flashy but impractical and expensive. Other than the occasional limited-time food ingredients, Nan Xu hardly spent silver coins on anything anymore.

He looked again—still the same things. After searching unsuccessfully for a substitute for a long time, his attention returned to the “Special Functions” section. His gaze lingered on the words “Soundproof Function” for quite a while. The price—ten thousand silver coins—made his heart ache. However, when he remembered the trusting look in the little deer demon’s eyes, Nan Xu steeled himself.

Add to cart. Pay. Confirm? No.

The whole sequence was smooth as water.

Nan Xu sighed. It was his first “luxury item” since coming to the demon realm, but he still couldn’t bring himself to buy it.

Half an hour later, Nan Xu carried a pile of miscellaneous materials from the warehouse to the second floor. The little deer demon was daydreaming by the window. When he heard a knock, he responded and opened the door, but he froze for a few seconds.

Nan Xu was carrying things the little deer demon couldn’t identify, and he had a hammer tucked at his waist. When he saw the deer demon, he flashed a grin that made him look simple and kind.

“Owner?” The little deer demon asked, puzzled. “Is something wrong?”

Nan Xu shrugged and motioned toward the things on his shoulder. “I’m renovating the room, installing soundproof panels.”

The little deer demon furrowed his brows, confused. “Soundproof panels?”

Nan Xu nodded. “Cotton insulation. I bought four big bags.”

Little deer demon: “…”

In the end, the little deer demon still believed Nan Xu’s nonsense. He moved to the next room to enjoy the view while Nan Xu secured the cotton with woven bamboo sheets to create a soundproof layer. After a long afternoon of hammering and clanging, Nan Xu emerged drenched in sweat.

He was physically exhausted, but saving nine thousand silver coins made his heart feel lighter than air.

The little deer demon returned to his room and stared blankly at the crude walls before turning to look at Nan Xu.

Their eyes met, and Nan Xu thought he saw a faint hint of disdain in the deer demon’s dark eyes.

Nan Xu grinned. “It might look rough, but it works. Try it, and you’ll see.”

The little deer demon hesitated. “Yes, but…”

Before he could say something unpleasant, Nan Xu quickly said, “Just tell me—does it block sound or not?”

Little Deer Demon: “…It does.”

Nan Xu snapped his fingers, signaling the end of the conversation. With one major task completed, he happily went downstairs. The little deer demon watched his retreating figure, ladder in hand, speechless for a long moment.

Adding soundproofing to the inn would consume some spiritual power, but it shouldn’t be difficult for the owner of Zhuyu Mountain. After all, the inn’s food and surroundings reflected abundant energy. He just didn’t understand why the innkeeper bothered doing all this by hand.

After closing the window, though, the room truly became much quieter—just a little darker.

Maybe the owner just had good craftsmanship!

Nan Xu put the ladder back in the warehouse and remembered the jujubes he had brought home from the courtyard.

He’d carried a large basket that morning—over a dozen kilograms of jujubes. He planned to eat some fresh and dry or stew the rest to preserve them.

As he thought about this, he stepped into the courtyard and saw Yao Lin sitting there, eating the jujubes straight from the basket—two bites per fruit—with a pile of pits already at his feet.

Yao Lin looked a little guilty when he saw Nan Xu arrive. After all, these were the owner’s harvest, but who among the bird clans could resist such sweet fruit?

“Innkeeper, these jujubes are so sweet! Where did you pick them?” Yao Lin asked, still feeling guilty, but he snuck a few more into his mouth before Nan Xu reached him.

Nan Xu: “…”

Feeling uneasy, he walked over and peeked into the basket. Only a third of it was left. He clutched his chest, heartbroken.

Startled, Yao Lin jumped up. “Ah! Are you okay? I heard humans die easily!”

Nan Xu’s chest hurt even more. What nonsense had Zhixing been telling him again about humans dying easily?

“I’m fine,” Nan Xu said through clenched teeth. “Not dead yet.”

His tone was so gloomy that Yao Lin shivered instinctively. He didn’t know whether to spit out the pit in his mouth or not and opened his mouth awkwardly halfway.

Well, they’d already been eaten. It wasn’t wasteful. Nan Xu wasn’t petty enough to argue about it. He waved his hand, letting it go.

Yao Lin chuckled awkwardly and stuffed two more into his pocket.

Nan Xu picked up a broom and began sweeping the courtyard. The cloud demon sat under the loquat tree with his short legs dangling and swinging back and forth.

After hearing their conversation, she realized that Nan Xu wasn’t going to punish Yao Lin. Displeased, she took the chance to mock him for being greedy. Yao Lin immediately fought back, calling her pretentious. The fuse was lit, and soon their quarrel exploded like firecrackers—both red-faced and loud enough to last seven days straight.

Nan Xu had never heard such a noisy argument. His ears rang, and he faintly heard a window upstairs close. He thought: See? That soundproofing may look crude, but it’s useful!”

Satisfied, Nan Xu swept the two noisy demons right out of the courtyard with his broom and ordered them to argue seven miles away.

Peace returned. Nan Xu’s ears were saved. After cleaning up, he picked up the jujube basket. What was left would only be good for eating fresh, so he would have to wait to dry them.

As the sun was about to set, Nan Xu tidied up the rabbit pens. The rabbits had reproduced quickly, growing from just a few to more than twenty. Without the abundant cabbages in the field, raising them would have been a lot of work.

After cleaning, he squatted outside the pen with a bunch of leaves, teasing the rabbits. Then, footsteps approached from behind. Nan Xu turned around and saw Tingchuan strolling over, accompanied by Guan’er and a group of half-grown chicks.

These chicks were strangely attached to Tingchuan. Ever since they hatched, he had cared for them daily. Every morning, he took them up the mountain to forage and brought them home before dusk. He had put a lot of effort into them, truthfully.

Though Tingchuan looked elegant, the sight of him walking with a trail of wobbly chicks behind him ruined the image entirely. Nan Xu, squatting by the rabbit pen, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He laughed so hard that he had to hold onto the pen for support.

The rabbit reached up for the last bit of leaf in his hand. Its mouth opened wide, ready to bite Nan Xu’s finger, but he was too busy laughing to notice. Tingchuan, several meters away, didn’t have time to warn him and had to cast a spell. In an instant, the rabbit collapsed.

Hearing the thud, Nan Xu lowered his head. His laughter stopped. After staring blankly for two seconds, he muttered, “There was poison in the leaves.”

Tingchuan: “…”

—

Two days later, the deer demons’ stay was renewed. By then, the young deer’s antlers had grown to the length of a finger. Though they were still far from the majestic antlers he dreamed of, they were an excellent start.

The two guests left with the medicine prepared by Zhixing. The younger deer had a solemn expression and was clearly in a bad mood. Nan Xu didn’t know what had upset him, but compared to when he first arrived, the young deer’s emotions were far more apparent—he wasn’t as gloomy as before.

After saying goodbye to Nan Xu and Zhixing, the older deer demon returned to the young deer demon with the mountain specialties and herbs he had bought. He patted the young deer’s shoulder and said with a smile, “Your parents will be delighted when you get back this time.”

The young deer said nothing. As they neared the courtyard gate, he stopped and turned around to look back at the small courtyard, lost in thought.

Nan Xu, who was leaning on Tingchuan’s arm and quietly discussing adding a swing under the grape trellis, felt a gaze fall on him. He turned his head and saw the young deer still standing there.

Nan Xu straightened up. The young deer looked like he wanted to say something, but hesitated.

Nan Xu gently pushed Tingchuan aside, and sure enough, the young deer walked toward him. Remembering how he had snapped at the young deer several times before, Nan Xu felt a little embarrassed. After all, he was just the inn owner—no relation at all—and yet this sensitive young demon hadn’t taken his words too personally.

“Do you have something to say to me?” Nan Xu asked as the deer came to stand before him.

The young deer’s black eyes fixed on Nan Xu. He pressed his lips together and said, “My name is Wu Jiu.”

Nan Xu waited two seconds before realizing that was all. Thinking back, Nan Xu realized that he had never actually learned the deer’s name. This was the first time the deer had introduced himself.

Nan Xu nodded. “Nan Xu. My name is Nan Xu.”

The young deer had already learned that from others, but hearing it from Nan Xu himself felt different. It made him feel like he had truly gotten to know the owner. He opened his mouth again, but he couldn’t find the words. Finally, he said, “We’ll meet again someday.”

Nan Xu thought for a moment, then smiled. “Of course.”

The young deer didn’t move away. After a pause, Nan Xu asked, “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”

Wu Jiu said, “That room is really ugly.”

Nan Xu: “…”

Without waiting for a response, Wu Jiu turned and walked away, taking long strides. In a few steps, he was beside the older deer. The elder looked at his expression, waved to Nan Xu, and then the two figures disappeared from the courtyard.

Nan Xu watched them go and chuckled. That little deer really holds a grudge.

As for Wu Jiu, he quickly walked down the mountain without looking back. The corners of his lips were slightly raised, showing his good mood.

“You like this place a lot, don’t you?” the older deer asked.

Wu Jiu nodded without hesitation. “I do.”

He liked the clear breeze, the bright moon, the winding waters, the surrounding mountains, and all the new and strange things he’d never seen before. He also liked the lively courtyard full of people living peacefully. To him, it was like a true paradise.

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