When the dimensional rifts opened, the world entered an age of chaos. Monsters roamed freely, and human lives became cheaper than grass.
In truth, every person carries a demon locked inside their heart.
Under normal circumstances, that demon is restrained by chains called morality and conscience.
But the moment those chains loosen, the beast within will tear open its cage.
Humans?
They are merely demons wearing human skin.
Take Mr. Dai for example. His temperament was refined, his appearance gentle and cultured, the very image of an elegant and intellectual gentleman. Who would have imagined that behind that facade hid a demon obsessed with collecting human eyes?
Yes, thanks to humanity's collective struggle, the darkest days had already passed. Society had gradually stabilized, and order had returned—at least on the surface.
But the monsters had not disappeared.
They had merely learned to hide.
And beneath the city of Yangcheng, there were far too many "ordinary people" just like Mr. Dai.
Unable to awaken supernatural abilities. Unable to rise above others. Forced to live like ants beneath those with power.
That cruel reality only deepened their resentment, their suffering, and the twisted obsessions festering in their hearts. They continued wandering through the shadows of the world.
"You arrange it," Mammon said slowly after taking a sip of blood wine and thinking for a moment. "I trust you can handle something like this."
If all those people could be turned into demons, Mammon would instantly become one of the underground rulers of Yangcheng.
Their individual strength might never rival the great powers like the Li Family or the Dongfang Family.
But if all those desperate people were bound together into a single force…
They would become terrifying.
Especially once they became demons.
"To receive your trust is my honor."
Mr. Dai smiled calmly, the gesture refined and composed as he bowed politely, like a noble greeting his lord.
"You may begin making arrangements," Mammon continued. "Also prepare my school enrollment. I will be entering tomorrow."
"And get me a sun umbrella."
He swallowed the final piece of Black Forest elk meat, stood up, and spoke indifferently.
Compared to Mr. Dai's proposal, Mammon was actually far more interested in Li Shiqian's children.
After all…
They were his half-siblings.
A strange smile slowly curved across Mammon's pale face. His blood-red eyes flickered with a chilling light.
He could hardly wait to meet them.
In fact, he had already prepared a little gift for their reunion.
"Please rest assured."
Mr. Dai responded respectfully before personally opening the door and escorting Mammon to the hotel's luxurious top-floor suite.
The hotel itself belonged to Mr. Dai. Though he lacked supernatural abilities, his calm judgment and steady temperament had allowed him to thrive.
Calling him prosperous might be an exaggeration.
But within Yangcheng's shadow world, he was certainly an influential figure.
Originally, he had prepared a private residence for Mammon. But Mammon wasn't in a hurry.
Spending a night in a hotel didn't matter.
After entering the room, Mammon took a shower to wash away the smell of blood lingering on his body.
The Black Forest elk and the blood wine had tasted excellent.
But there was no denying that both carried a strong scent of blood that clung stubbornly to his skin.
"The weakness to sunlight must be resolved once the Yangcheng matter is finished."
Mammon removed his robe and frowned slightly.
Being unable to bask in sunlight meant he could only exist as a creature of darkness.
More importantly, it meant he couldn't go outside during the day to handle affairs—something Mammon found extremely inconvenient.
Now he could understand why Muzan Kibutsuji had spent centuries obsessing over solving that flaw.
After only two days of staying indoors during daylight, Mammon was already feeling restless.
In truth, it wasn't that he absolutely couldn't go outside during the day.
As long as direct sunlight didn't touch him, he would be fine.
A demon standing beneath the shade of a roof while the sun blazed outside could remain perfectly unharmed.
This proved one thing:
As long as sunlight didn't directly strike the body, it posed no real danger.
That was precisely why Mammon had asked Mr. Dai to prepare a sun umbrella.
The umbrella would prevent sunlight from touching him directly.
Of course, being under the sun would still feel uncomfortable. And if the umbrella tilted even slightly, allowing sunlight to touch his skin…
The pain would be intense.
But for now, there was no better solution.
Once everything in Yangcheng was settled, he would search for special genetic material to eliminate his weakness to sunlight completely.
Knock. Knock.
Just as Mammon was about to step into the bathroom, a knock sounded at the door.
"Mr. Mammon, Mr. Dai asked me to attend to you."
A soft female voice spoke from outside.
"Come in."
Mammon raised an eyebrow but did not refuse.
What were power and authority for?
To satisfy pride.
To fulfill ambition.
And to enjoy life.
The door opened, and a young girl in a white robe stepped inside gracefully.
Her long black hair flowed down to her waist, and her skin was pale and flawless.
"Mr. Mammon."
After closing the door, she stepped forward, lowered her head slightly, and bowed politely.
"As expected… a beautiful girl."
Mammon looked her over slowly.
From her body, he caught a very familiar scent.
Yes.
Extremely familiar.
He had just tasted her blood moments ago.
That's right.
The blood wine Mr. Dai had prepared to welcome him…
had been drawn from this very girl.