With the rabbit demon joining, Mo Fan’s group grew stronger, expanding from one demon and one tiger to two demons and one tiger.
During this time, Mo Fan removed the arrow from the rabbit demon’s leg and chewed some wild herbs to apply as a poultice to stop the bleeding.
Due to its leg injury and the effects of the Demon-Intoxicating Pill, the rabbit demon couldn’t walk for a while, so it enjoyed the rare experience of riding atop the tiger.
Er Ha was thoroughly displeased about this. In its eyes, a rabbit was mere food, and it never imagined one would ride on its head one day.
Though unhappy, with Mo Fan, its unreasonable master, nearby, it didn’t dare complain.
“Er Ha, don’t feel grumpy. This rabbit is leading us to Demon Mountain. If we’re lucky, you might even become a demon this time, a true demon like your Grandpa Mo!”
To soothe Er Ha’s discontent, Mo Fan painted a grand picture for it.
Sure enough, at these words, Er Ha stopped grumbling, and its running pace seemed to lighten.
“Toad Lord, you’re already a ferocious great demon. Why go to Black Wind Mountain?” the rabbit demon asked, puzzled.
“Stop calling me Toad Lord. I have a name. Call me Mo Fan.”
“Got it, Toad Lord!”
“…”
On the way to Black Wind Mountain, Mo Fan was in high spirits and didn’t mind chatting more with the rabbit demon. He said, “Us stray demons who’ve transformed by chance need to find powerful demons to back us. First, for protection. Second, to seek more cultivation methods.”
“I get seeking protection, but why look for cultivation methods? Isn’t being a happy little demon enough?”
The rabbit demon lay on Er Ha’s broad back, tilting its head to look at Mo Fan.
Hearing such naive words, Mo Fan smiled and said, “You think being a little demon is happy because you haven’t faced danger. Like that old hunter trying to kill you—you could only flee. But if you’d cultivated well, would he dare chase you? He’d be too scared!”
“That makes sense. But I heard the demons on Black Wind Mountain are ferocious, always ready to feast on humans. Aren’t you afraid, Toad Lord?”
“Demons eating humans is only natural. What’s there to fear?”
“But even if I’m afraid, what can I do? To cultivate, you need courage. If you’re scared of this and that, how can you cultivate?”
Mo Fan shrugged. He’d already eaten humans, so he saw demons eating humans as perfectly reasonable.
It was like humans eating animals.
If demons didn’t eat humans, could they still be called demons?
The rabbit demon didn’t understand, just tilting its head as if pondering Mo Fan’s words.
“By the way, you mentioned something about village guardians and demon catchers earlier. Can you tell me more?” Mo Fan suddenly asked.
He knew too little about this world, less even than this little rabbit demon. He was desperate for more information.
Curious about this world’s humans, he noted from the old hunter that humans here weren’t just powerful, domineering immortals but also ordinary people.
He still carried that book and would need to deal with humans to learn its contents.
The rabbit demon, without ulterior motives, answered promptly, “Village guardians and demon catchers are among the stronger humans.
From what I know, every human village has a guardian to protect against demons like us eating people. They’re powerful, with methods to rival us demons.
Demon catchers are even stronger. They have no fixed home, wandering everywhere. Some powerful ones even enter our Demon Spirit Mountain Range to capture our stronger kin.”
“Besides guardians and demon catchers, are there other powerful humans? Like immortals or such?” Mo Fan pressed.
Though guardians and demon catchers were strong, they seemed different from the witch he’d met, whose mountain residence hinted at a remarkable background.
“I’ve heard of even stronger human cultivators, but I don’t know more,” the rabbit demon shook its head.
Seeing no further answers, Mo Fan dropped the topic and looked ahead at a peach grove, his expression growing tense.
This was the territory of those crazed monkeys.
Er Ha, sensing it was monkey territory, grew cautious too.
“Are we in the long-tailed monkeys’ domain?” the rabbit demon asked, eyeing the peach branches overhead.
“You know?” Mo Fan looked at the rabbit, surprised.
“Yeah, these monkeys are tough to deal with. Best avoid the old peach tree where they nest, or they’ll chase you as a wine thief.”
The rabbit demon clearly knew these monkeys well, and its words explained why Mo Fan had been chased before.
So, the monkeys mistook him for a wine thief?
But where did monkeys get wine? Could it be the legendary monkey wine?
Pondering, Mo Fan patted Er Ha’s head and said, “Let’s detour, avoid the big peach tree in the center.”
With the rabbit demon’s warning, Mo Fan avoided the crazed monkeys’ pursuit this time, though he occasionally spotted a few monkeys watching from the trees as his group left.
Though curious about the monkey wine’s taste, Mo Fan didn’t dare risk it.
Leaving the peach grove and passing several beast territories, with the rabbit demon’s guidance, they navigated safely. After traveling south another ten miles, they emerged from the dense jungle into a broader mountain valley.
In the distance, they saw towering, layered mountains.
Some peaks were shrouded in mist, exuding grandeur.
“That mountain ahead is Black Wind Mountain!”
The rabbit demon stood on Er Ha’s back, gazing at the distant mountain.
After the journey, the Demon-Intoxicating Pill’s effects had mostly worn off, and its leg wound had scabbed, its recovery remarkable.
“Gurgle…”
Mo Fan’s stomach growled, and he scratched his head awkwardly, surprised he was hungry after just half a day.
Since becoming a demon, his appetite had grown, and he got hungry faster.
“Toad Lord, are you hungry? There’s so much lush grass here, sweet and juicy. You can eat your fill!”
The rabbit demon hopped off Er Ha’s back and started nibbling.
Mo Fan’s face twitched. His tongue flicked out, grabbing a grass blade, chewing it twice. It was tasteless, like wax, with a foul grassy smell, and he spat it out.
“Damn it, I’m a toad. My favorite is meat. Why am I eating grass like this rabbit demon? Must be something wrong with my head!”
Cursing inwardly, Mo Fan sent Er Ha to hunt nearby.
The world was vast, but food was paramount!
With Black Wind Mountain in sight, there was no rush.
But after two incense sticks’ time, Er Ha returned empty-handed, infuriating Mo Fan, who scolded and beat it.
No food meant continuing hungry, hoping for something to eat at Black Wind Mountain.
Halfway there, Mo Fan saw a white bird flying overhead, circling above them.
“What a plump bird!”
Starving, Mo Fan perked up, grabbed his bow, nocked an arrow, and shot.
“Little bird, come to your Grandpa Mo’s mouth!”
Whoosh!
The arrow struck true, and the bird let out a pained cry, cursing, “You wild demon, daring to shoot me! Stay there if you’ve got guts. I’m heading back to the mountain for reinforcements!”
The white bird circled once, then flapped toward Black Wind Mountain.
“A… demon?”
Mo Fan was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected the white bird to be a demon too!
