My Evil Wife Is a Nine-Tailed Fox

It managed to leave a slight burn on the fox woman's hand, unlike Li Fei'er's talismans. The fox woman didn't even show any indication that she was hurt by it, though. 

"A human." Shen Minyao chuckled in amusement before adding: "An exorcist on top of that." 

"What did you say?" Jiang Chen's frown was only deepened by the fox woman's words. "Are you certain?" 

"Mr. Jiang shouldn't doubt Milady's words. It's indeed the doing of an exorcist," Xiao Bai explained, as they watched the burn on Shen Minyao's hand disappear without a trace. 

"I don't understand…" Jiang Chen's words trailed off. Exorcists were supposed to help cast away demons, not to help them feed on humans. 

So why would an exorcist set up a barrier to help the demons trap the human souls they collected from the road accidents they instigated? 

"Who knows?" Shen Minyao shrugged. "Unless we meet the person responsible for this barrier, we would never know the reasons behind it." 

They both decided to go back to the intersection to meet with Mu Qing again. 

"I feel like the psychic teams that are deployed here have failed to do their jobs," Jiang Chen said as he looked heavenward. The night had engulfed the whole town. The temperature in the city got colder, as their breaths started to fog. 

"Hn, I suppose they know for a fact that they are too weak to deal with it, but you are right. This wouldn't get out of hand if they managed to stop it earlier," Shen Minyao agreed with him. 

As she walked next to Jiang Chen, she didn't look like a high school student at all. Some human men couldn't help but turn their heads to give her a second and third look. It was impossible for them not to notice Shen Minyao's face in the crowd. 

However, because she was seen with Jiang Chen, none of those men attempted to strike up a conversation with her. They could only sigh and walk away in disappointment. 

They happened on a nearby bus stop at the intersection of the highways, and the two took a seat while they waited for Mu Qing's return. Several buses had already made their stops, unloading their passengers. However, neither of them made a move to get on board. 

"The accident cases here are quite high. The traffic lights keep on malfunctioning, leading to some drivers not being able to stop and hit their brakes, only to hit the crowd at the pedestrian lane. It was either that, or some motorists reported how their brakes stopped functioning, forcing them to turn their wheels on the side of the road." 

Jiang Chen couldn't believe that his fellow psychics had allowed this problem to persist. They could have reported what was truly going on in here, and he would drop some cases in his hands to accommodate the fourth district case. 

"Psychics can't do much against demons, you know," Shen Minyao said as if she knew what he was thinking. 

"Like I said, the person perfect for this job is a shaman like Li Fei'er or another exorcist who could destroy the demons for good. We aren't just talking about a single demon, Mr. Jiang. It wouldn't be that simple. Psychics like you could deal with malevolent spirits, not demons." 

"But they could have at least tried to lessen the casualties if they couldn't defeat the demons. I should have gotten here sooner." 

Shen Minyao could smell regret coming from Jiang Chen. While it's true that he had been aware of the sightings of the ghosts here, if he came here too early; it could only lead Jiang Chen to his own death. 

She looked at the passing cars in front of them. Demons were naturally solitary creatures, but the ones who tended to move in groups were the lower-level ones. It was their way to survive this wicked world, where the weaker ones were fated to be devoured by the stronger ones. 

Even for a fox demon like her, it would be impossible for her to identify what kind of demons they were dealing with due to the camouflage given by their mixed scents. 

Exactly an hour since Mu Qing vanished, he reappeared next at Shen Minyao's side with the same impassive handsome face that he had. With his tall height and regal posture, paired with a cold beauty; it was a shame that only the fox woman and the fat white cat could see him. 

"How was it?" Shen Minyao asked in a low voice, her gaze never leaving the highway. 

"It's hard to tell how big the barrier is. It covers the whole fourth district and a third of the neighboring district to the northeast." 

"Hey, that's huge already, Lord Hell," Xiao Bai commented, his eyes turning into slits, "So the demons here have the fourth district under their influence, and now they are spreading northeast?" 

"Miss Shen, I'm wondering… since the demons here have the fourth district in their hands, did it mean they could decide who can come and go? Are all demons aggressive towards someone who trespasses in their territories or challenges their authorities?" Jiang Chen asked. 

"Depends what kind of demons they are," Shen Minyao replied, considering her next words so they could easily be understood by a human like Jiang Chen. 

"Milady, please let me explain it to Mr. Jiang." 

Thankfully, Xiao Bai was with her, so she wouldn't have to do the hard work in educating this human about the way of the demons. 

"Lower demons don't usually have critical thinking skills, as they only know and prioritize how to survive and avoid stronger demons. Mid-level demons mostly have awareness around them and could think for themselves. However, some are territorial and would never allow other demons to trespass. Both usually come in groups or packs." 

"The way of the demons isn't that too complicated. It's more like we used our basic instincts to survive. It's ingrained in our psyche," Shen Minyao added.