“Instalments?” He Yao was momentarily stunned, seemingly not quite understanding.
“Like this: every month, I’ll provide you with ten dragon loaches until the five hundred are paid off. How about that?” Mo Fan grinned, “After all, you know these things are hard to come by!”
“Ten is too few. Fifty per month, or no deal!”
“This is for your life and future. Don’t you think it’s worth it?”
He Yao flashed a brilliant smile, leaning against the edge of the bird’s nest, crossing her legs, fully revealing her long, slender leg to Mo Fan’s eyes.
Mo Fan didn’t rush to respond, pondering for a good while before saying gravely, “Deal!”
Hearing this, a satisfied expression crossed He Yao’s face.
“Lai Bao, right?”
“You’re an ambitious fellow, and you’ve successfully made me remember you!”
“But to replace that scorpion demon, my word alone isn’t enough. You’ll need to gain Lu Tan Tan’s approval too!” He Feifei said with a smile.
“I understand, no need for you to worry about that, He Dingmu!”
Mo Fan flashed a grin, showing two rows of white teeth, then cupped his hands and said, “In that case, I’ll take my leave. I’ve got to make a trip to Lu Dingmu next.”
“Go on, interesting little fellow!”
“I’ll get you the remaining forty dragon loaches for this month in half a month!”
With that, Mo Fan turned and left.
After he had completely left He Yao’s cave mansion, He Yao summoned two small demons, a chicken and a duck, and instructed them, “Go find out about this newly promoted Lai Bao demon. I want to know his background!”
“Oh, and don’t meddle in things that aren’t your business!”
“Yes, Madam!”
…
Mo Fan was unaware that He Yao was investigating him, but even if he knew, he wouldn’t care.
After leaving He Yao’s cave mansion, he headed toward Lu Yao’s cave mansion.
Lu Yao and He Yao were both close followers of the Third General, so their cave mansions weren’t far apart, located on the same peak.
At the entrance to Lu Yao’s cave mansion, two small deer demons stood guard, both of Lu Yao’s kin.
These two deer demons didn’t make things difficult. Upon learning that Mo Fan was a demon soldier and his purpose, they were respectful and promptly went to report.
“Hahaha, who do we have here? It’s Brother Lai Bao!”
“Your name precedes you, truly!”
Mo Fan didn’t wait long before a lanky young man emerged from the cave mansion, greeting him with enthusiasm.
“???”
Mo Fan’s mind filled with question marks, wondering, “Have I met this guy before? Is all this enthusiasm necessary?”
The young man was dressed in a grey robe, his narrow eyes carrying a hint of mischief. He grabbed Mo Fan’s hand, pulling him into the cave mansion while asking, “Which general do you serve under, Brother Lai Bao?”
“…”
Mo Fan was speechless, thinking, “Didn’t you just say my name precedes me? So you don’t even know who I am?”
As for the name Lai Bao, it was the one Mo Fan had given when introducing himself earlier.
“Does Lu Dingmu not know me?” Mo Fan asked with a half-smile.
“I’ve heard a bit about you, but that’s not important. Since you’re here, you must need something from your big brother. As long as you’ve brought enough gifts, no matter’s too big!” Lu Tan Tan chuckled, brimming with enthusiasm.
He had just ushered Mo Fan into the room and ordered his underlings to pour wine.
But Mo Fan caught the implication: this guy hadn’t heard of him at all; he was just treating him like a walking wallet!
Mo Fan didn’t rush to speak, his gaze falling on a few glowing stones in the room, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
Those stones were none other than spirit stones!
He still had over a hundred of these spirit stones in his internal space!
“What’s this? Do you recognise these stones?” Lu Tan Tan’s eyes flickered, and he asked eagerly, “Or have you seen them before?”
“Before I answer that, can you tell me what they are?” Mo Fan turned to Lu Tan Tan.
“It seems you’ve definitely seen them…” Lu Tan Tan’s eyes narrowed, then he chuckled, “If you’ve got stones like these, hand them over to me, and I’ll make sure to help with your request!”
“Lu Dingmu, you haven’t answered my question yet,” Mo Fan pressed.
Lu Tan Tan pursed his lips, casually tossing a milky-white stone into his hand before saying slowly, “No harm in telling you. These are called spirit stones. They’re not much use to us demons, but human cultivators love them.”
“Look, they even glow. Pretty, right?”
Spirit stones…
Mo Fan’s expression didn’t change much, but inwardly he was shocked, thinking, “So these really are spirit stones!”
“Since they’re spirit stones, they must contain spiritual energy. Why do you say they’re not much use to us demons?” Mo Fan asked again.
“Good question!”
Lu Tan Tan’s eyes lit up, increasingly convinced that this fellow had seen spirit stones before. He didn’t find Mo Fan’s persistence annoying and, after a moment’s thought, said, “It’s not that they’re useless. Do you know spirit stones come in different types?”
“Different types?” Mo Fan was taken aback, not quite following.
“Exactly. Spiritual energy isn’t just the kind we usually cultivate. In truth, it’s divided into the five elements of heaven and earth, and spirit stones are the same,” Lu Tan Tan said matter-of-factly.
“The five elements… you mean metal, wood, water, fire, and earth?” Mo Fan thought for a moment, looking at Lu Tan Tan.
“Eh… are you really a newly promoted Dingmu? You even know this?” Lu Tan Tan glanced at Mo Fan in surprise, then nodded, “But you’re absolutely right. So a smart guy like you should understand what I meant earlier, yeah?”
Mo Fan fell silent for a moment before saying, “If spiritual energy is divided into the five elements, then what we demons need should be a milder type, with wood-attribute spiritual energy being the most common. Spiritual herbs and fruits between heaven and earth happen to carry wood-attribute spiritual energy.
What you meant earlier is that there are other types of spirit stones, like fire-attribute ones?
The spiritual energy in those stones, compared to wood or water types, is more volatile, so it’s not suitable for us demons to absorb?”
“Tch tch… you’re sharp as a tack. I’m really starting to wonder which general you serve under!” Lu Tan Tan stared at Mo Fan in amazement, his eyes practically sparkling.
Hearing this, Mo Fan understood he’d guessed correctly.
So that’s how it is?
Mo Fan murmured to himself. It wasn’t hard to figure out. He’d once heard Dali mention that demons couldn’t cultivate during the day, or rather, they couldn’t absorb the essence of the sun, as it would burn them to death with heavenly fire. This showed demons were averse to, or even unable to absorb, more volatile energies!
Moreover, among the demons Mo Fan had encountered, most transformed by consuming spiritual herbs or fruits. Even when tributes were required, they were collectively referred to as “spiritual herbs,” which said it all.
“Thanks for the info. It’s been enlightening. So I’ll get straight to the point!” Mo Fan suddenly flashed a smile, looking at Lu Tan Tan, “I’m a demon under the scorpion demon Heizi, but he’s gone now, and I’ve just broken through to the demon soldier realm. So I’m here to gain your approval, Lu Dingmu!”
“I see…” Lu Tan Tan nodded, then frowned, “Is that venomous scorpion just missing, or is he gone for good?”
“Isn’t that the same thing?” Mo Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Are you messing with me?” Lu Tan Tan’s face suddenly darkened, his gaze turning cold as he stared at Mo Fan. “Is it the same thing?”
Mo Fan was taken aback, not expecting this deer demon to flip so suddenly, but he didn’t lose his cool. Calmly, he countered, “It can be the same thing, can’t it?”
“Hahaha… you’re too much fun!” Lu Tan Tan, who had just been grim, burst into laughter again, tapping the table with his finger, making a “thud thud” sound, and said, “Of course it can be the same thing. But even among family, you’ve got to show some sincerity. Let’s see how much you’ve brought!”
Hearing this, Mo Fan laughed too.
He knew he’d passed this hurdle with the deer demon!
