Reincarnated as a Demi-Human

Chapter 8: The Kongbu Yeshou Gang

The earth shook with each step Tanlan took as he marched toward the siblings and Aizhen. Jun and Camille, Aizhen still in her grasp, took a large step back to keep their distance from the giant demon—backs against the table as his towering shadow engulfed them. Looming over the three was a giant of a demon, tall as a light pole one might mistake for a bulky olive green tree, wearing a faux fur vest, mahogany pants, and clawed boots. He cracked his knuckles as he was ready to bust some skulls and use them as cups to compensate for his fallen boba tea.

Tanlan led the Kongbu Yeshou Gang, Megapolis's most notorious and terrifying gang. He and his men were known to stage robberies by ambushing vendor trucks to steal 'one-of-a-kind' shoes, arcade machines, and once a grocery truck taking only the coolers filled with meat and fish. From petty theft to shaking down folks on the street and stealing cars before stripping them down for their parts.

Their boss, Tanlan, was the strongest, most ruthless and most ferocious to lead his fellow demons to cause chaos and destruction wherever they roamed. Nobody dared to challenge him for picking a fight with Tanlan is asking to be sent to the hospital twisted in a pretzel, bound in a bungee cord, and shaved from head to tail. One rumor had that he was challenged to an arm wrestling match by a panther demon who bragged to have the strongest guns-he ended up having his arm ripped off and struck mercilessly with it.

The biggest rumor that made this gang horrific was those who wronged them, let alone even standing up against such monsters, were never heard from again. Some say that the Kongbu Yeshou were a gang of cannibals that feasted on humans and demons alike- their bones were used for furniture and weapons; some turned into eerie instruments that played a haunting song that, when you listen closely, sounded like the screams of their past victims. Those were just rumors. Scary stories that demons tell their friends to rattle their bones. One thing was true, though: Crossing their paths is asking for a death wish, and unfortunately for Aizhen and her friends inadvertently have been granted an ill-fated wish when saving Aizhen from falling to the ground during her episode. He anchored down to get a good look at the troublemakers who'd make a fool out of him.

"Well, now, you think it'd be a riot to trip me with your tails back there?" he asked, his rancid breath escaping his crusty, jagged fangs as it washed over them.

Aizhen covered her mouth at the whiff of his breath. It smelt of rotten meat boiled in spoiled milk. Jun's shirt defended his mouth from the wretched odor, and Camille's tail was slightly wrapped around her mouth and pinching her nose.

"You have a lot of gowl to pull a stunt like that while I had my guard down enjoying a nice cup of boba tea-which has now found its way into my hair.", he said pointing to his drenched hair.

"And on your horn, apparently...", Aizhen spoke up, pointing to his right horn.

He gazed momentarily at the cup hanging from his corn, plucked it off, and crushed it between two fingertips. Jun let out a startled yelp-any moment they'd be the crushed cup between his beefy fingers.

"L-L-Listen, Tanlan, we-we meant no disrespect. I-It was an accident!" cried Jun, trembling in fear.

"Ex-exactly!" cried Camille, her voice muffled as she kept her nose pinched, but her tail unraveled to allow her to speak. "It's a funny story, really...You see, our friend got up a little too fast after having a kebab eating contest with Jin and Yin, and she got all wobbly an-"

"I didn't have a kebab eating contest with Jin and Yin. If I did, I'd win hands down-I could pack it in as they say," replied Aizhen.

"That's because you had 'food-nesia' after your 40th kebab when you were starting to black out."