"What was that sound?"
Lu Fei and Tiger exchanged a glance and immediately turned off the flashlight, standing guard by the door.
In the darkness, the sound of something crawling out of the water was unnervingly clear.
A wet, slimy body slithered slowly across the floor, making a sticky, squelching noise as it approached the storeroom.
Both Lu Fei and Tiger instinctively gripped their weapons tightly.
As the thing came closer, a damp, fishy aroma wafted through the crack in the door.
The scent was eerily identical to the steamed Wangyue eel dish.
Could it be that the Wangyue eel had crawled out of the tank?
Lu Fei frowned.
Could an eel even move out of water?
The wet creature paused outside the door for a moment before nudging it open and slowly slithering into the storeroom.
Something cold and slimy brushed past their feet.
The clammy sensation sent a shiver up Lu Fei's spine. The moment the thing fully entered, he shut the door and turned on the flashlight.
"Tiger!"
As soon as the light came on, Tiger raised his heavy ghost-head blade and struck at the long, slithering shadow on the floor without hesitation.
*Hiss!*
The shadow opened its mouth and let out a raspy, ear-piercing screech. Its snake-like body twisted and writhed, slipping away from the blade and lunging toward Tiger.
Tiger jumped back just in time.
The thing slithered under a cage, leaving behind a trail of sticky, slimy residue.
"What the hell is this thing? A python? Its skin is so tough! Even my blade didn't leave a mark!" Tiger muttered, clutching his weapon with unease.
Lu Fei crouched down and shone the flashlight under the cage, illuminating the dark shape.
The creature was coiled up, its skin a slimy, dark black. It was covered in mucus and as thick as an adult's thigh, resembling a massive snake.
*Hiss!*
The light made the creature turn its head and let out another raspy growl.
"Holy crap!"
When Lu Fei and Tiger saw its face clearly, every hair on their bodies stood on end.
It had a face—a face disturbingly similar to a human's!
"What the hell is that thing?!" Tiger whispered in terror.
"Could it be a demonized eel?"
Fighting the goosebumps crawling across his scalp, Lu Fei studied the creature carefully. Its body resembled a greatly enlarged eel rather than a snake, lacking scales and the typical length of a serpent.
Its human-like face had distorted, grotesque features. A flat nose, an unnaturally wide mouth with sharp teeth, and twisted expressions made it seem like a nightmare come to life.
Despite the face's human resemblance, the creature's black, soulless eyes contained only primal animalistic instincts, devoid of any human emotion.
The lambs in the cages huddled to the farthest corners, trembling violently as though paralyzed with fear.
"Could the lambs be used to feed this monster..." Tiger paused, the horrifying realization dawning on him. "No... it's not lambs—it's children."
The bald man was feeding this abomination with live children!
"Kill it!"
Lu Fei's eyes turned cold as he stepped forward, gripping the lightning-struck jujube wood stick.
Countless innocent children had likely met their end in the jaws of this monster. It had to be destroyed—there was no question about it.
The cages confining the lambs were small, but Lu Fei could reach the human-faced eel with his stick by extending his arm.
He crouched down, approaching the eel's hiding spot.
Tiger piled debris against the storeroom door to ensure the creature couldn't escape.
*Hiss!*
The human-faced eel opened its mouth repeatedly, letting out low, menacing growls.
Its black, beady eyes locked onto Lu Fei, emanating an eerie and unsettling gaze. They seemed like endless black holes, ready to swallow him whole.
Most people would be terrified out of their minds if they even glanced at such a creature, let alone meet its gaze.
But Lu Fei was no stranger to dealing with demonic entities. Despite his racing heartbeat, he kept his composure.
Channeling his spiritual power into the jujube wood stick, Lu Fei struck at the eel.
The creature, sensing the threat, twisted its slimy, muscular body and dodged with uncanny agility. Its dark skin oozed mucus, slick like snot.
A pungent, intoxicating aroma filled the air, spreading throughout the room.
Even with just a whiff, Lu Fei felt his head spinning, his body weakening.
"Corpse incense!"
Realizing the danger, Lu Fei quickly focused his spiritual power on his Baihui acupuncture point, regaining clarity in his mind.
"Tiger! Bite your tongue! Don't let the scent get to you!"
Tiger, already swaying on his feet with glazed-over eyes, snapped awake at Lu Fei's shout. He quickly bit down on his tongue.
The sharp pain jolted him back to his senses, and he shook himself out of the daze.
"This thing... is pure evil!"
In the cages, the lambs collapsed limply, their small bodies completely unresponsive.
"Damn it, what's wrong with them?" Tiger asked in alarm.
"They've been knocked unconscious!" Lu Fei said coolly, never taking his eyes off the cornered eel. "We have to kill this thing first. Otherwise, we won't be able to save the children."
"Boss, how do we kill it?" Tiger gripped his blade tightly, his fury overpowering his fear.
Lu Fei tried again to strike the eel with the jujube wood stick, but the creature was too cunning and agile. It dodged effortlessly and even lunged back to attack.
Whenever Lu Fei retreated to avoid its counterattacks, it would turn toward the unconscious lambs in the cages.
Lu Fei had to stay vigilant, guarding against its every move.
This stalemate couldn't last forever.
Eels were notoriously slippery, and this demonic human-faced eel was even more difficult to catch.
"Its skin is thick, and the mucus acts as a shield. Swords can't cut it, and it's impossible to grab." Lu Fei squinted, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Salt. Fish like this are terrified of salt. If we can dissolve its mucus with salt, it won't be able to move."
"But we don't have any!" Tiger said, frustrated.
"You've forgotten where we are. Do you really think there's no salt in this place?"
"Right! I'll grab some now!"
Tiger smacked his forehead, moved the debris, and opened the storeroom door.
"Tiger, be careful. Don't alert them until we've rescued the children," Lu Fei warned sternly. "The *Art of Creating Beasts* hasn't been broken yet. They could kill the children at any moment."
"Got it!"
Tiger nodded, hefted his blade, and cautiously slipped out of the flat house.
He glanced toward the bald man's residence, relieved to see no signs of movement, and made his way to the manor's kitchen.
Back in the storeroom, Lu Fei kept watch over the human-faced eel.
The malevolent creature crouched in the corner, still secreting its intoxicating, fragrant mucus.
The dense aroma filled the entire storeroom and began spreading toward the water tank.
The eels in the tank seemed to sense something, their splashing growing louder and more frantic.
Lu Fei maintained his focus, keeping his mind sharp with spiritual power. He refused to let the creature harm the unconscious lambs.
*Splash! Splash!*
The sounds from the water tank grew louder. More eels seemed to be crawling out, slithering toward the storeroom.
The faint rustling of their movements sent chills down Lu Fei's spine.
He hurled an exorcism talisman at the human-faced eel. While it flinched and dodged, he quickly grabbed some debris and blocked the gap under the door.