The creatures that Yue Nan Nan called "demons" weren't part of the human world. According to legend, they were the fallen angels from the Bible who rebelled against God and were forever bound in Hell, turning into demons. Their king was Lucifer, once God's most beloved archangel. Because of his favored status and immense power, he betrayed God, leading a group of angels to worship him, which provoked God's wrath. Though Lucifer was forever bound in the deepest pits of Hell, the other demons were not, and they frequently ventured into the human world to tempt humans into committing sins, using the evil energy generated by human wickedness to help free Lucifer from his bondage. These demons had their own title: they called themselves "Firebrand Angels," for the realm they inhabited was filled with searing flames, where they constantly suffered the torment of eternal fire. These events seemed like Western mythology to Xiao Jie, and he had yet to fully grasp their true nature. Yet, here they were, the Firebrand Angels standing before him.

The five creatures stood in a line before Xiao Jie and the others. The largest among them stood in the center, surrounded by a faint smoky haze. His complexion was ashen, his features somewhat human, but with two horns protruding from his forehead, making him rather frightening. Flanking him were four smaller creatures, resembling the one Yue Nan Nan had killed earlier. They also had horns, indicating that the fallen creature must have been disguising itself. Xiao Jie mused to himself, "They'd be perfect for a costume party. People would ask them how they got their horns to look so real." Despite the oddity of the situation, Xiao Jie was beginning to accept that he was a mission-bearer. No one wants invaders disrupting their world.

Zhu Zi, the first to step forward, said, "You trash dare to come to our doorstep! What do you want?"

The largest Firebrand Angel, who appeared to be the leader, looked at Zhu Zi and said, "Looks like we're about the same size. Heh heh heh, I know what you people are all about. We used to avoid you because our king wouldn't allow us to engage. But things are different now. Our king has fully awakened, and soon he'll break his bonds and enter this world. You're finished. To put it simply, I'm here to offer you a chance to surrender. It's your only way out. You have two choices: surrender or die. Think about it."

The professor replied, "Since we're being candid, we've long been aware of your resurgence. All over the world, people like us have been preparing for this. But I'm curious, you used to operate in the Western world or southern China. What brings you to the Northeast?"

The demon leader replied, "If you surrender, you'll find out. Otherwise, you can keep guessing. But I'll tell you one thing, I'm Jiaming Laijiaer, a Firebrand Angel of commander rank. I'm giving you a chance. Don't make me angry; the consequences will be severe."

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The smaller demon on the leader's left laughed mockingly, "Our commander is like a god. You should behave. I used to be human, just like you, but now I'm a Firebrand Angel. Ha ha! I'm much stronger than any human. Humans are just lowly creatures. Ha ha ha!"

Xiao Jie, a man with a strong sense of justice, was furious. The scene before him felt like a traitorous collaborator convincing villagers to submit to invaders, offering safety in exchange for their grain and daughters. It was infuriating. But as a professional salesman, he knew to keep his cool and observe before acting.

The Firebrand commander pointed to the laughing demon and said, "What do you think? He's your role model. He was human like you. He was from a county near Shenyang and used to work in Tieling as a chef. Now he has a permanent name, 'Quanpeng.' If you surrender, you can enjoy the same treatment. How about it?"

Xiao Jie felt disgusted by Quanpeng's groveling. But before he could respond, Zhu Zi took action. Without warning, he stepped forward and unleashed a palm strike. This seemed like something Zhu Zi had been holding back, as it was incredibly powerful. Quanpeng, feeling safe because he was close to the commander, was caught off guard. The palm strike hit him square in the face, sending him flying into the courtyard wall. When his body rebounded, a burst of electricity lit up the dark courtyard. After the flash, Quanpeng lay on the ground, clutching his chest, emitting a foul smell like burned flesh.

Xiao Jie raised his right hand, pointing his finger and blowing on it like a gunslinger. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he said nonchalantly.

Black-purple blood seeped from Quanpeng's body, and the smell of charred flesh filled the air. It was disgusting, but to the demons, a traitor's life held little value.

Jiaming Laijiaer clapped twice and said, "Not bad! If you join us and become Firebrand Angels, you'll be as strong as we are, maybe even stronger. What do you say? Join us, and you'll be treated like royalty."

Yue Nan Nan, who had been silent, stepped forward and said, "Enough talk. If you want to fight, I'll take you on." Her gaze was locked on the Firebrand commander.

The professor said, "Nan Nan, the big one is yours. Zhu Zi and I will handle the other three."

"And I'll join in," Xiao Jie added, taking a step forward. "Four against four sounds about right."

The professor smiled knowingly, while Zhu Zi seemed excited.

The smaller demons readied themselves for battle. It seemed there was no turning back now. Jiaming Laijiaer, however, remained nonchalant, looking at Yue Nan Nan with a smirk. "You're a pretty little thing. You'd make a nice gift for the Lust Demon Lord. Seems like today will be quite rewarding."

Yue Nan Nan's face turned livid with rage. The Firebrand king, Lucifer, had four demon lords under him: the Ashura Lord, the Soul Lord, the Wrath Lord, and the Lust Lord. The most notorious among them was the Lust Lord, who traveled between dimensions and realms, seeking powerful women to assault and drawing energy from them through dark rituals. The Lust Lord was the only demon without horns, as he often mingled among humans without drawing attention. Any woman he drained would die from the loss of vital energy. The idea of being offered to the Lust Lord infuriated Yue Nan Nan.