“That Poison Fang’s injuries clearly haven’t fully healed, or he wouldn’t have brought two other demon generals to guard him,” Bai Yaoyao said with a regretful sigh as they made their way back to Spring Pool Cave.
In her view, that had been a perfect chance to kill Poison Fang.
“No matter, there’s plenty of time. No need to rush,” Mo Fan said with a smile, adding, “At least this encounter taught me one thing.”
“What’s that?” Bai Yaoyao asked, looking at him curiously.
“It showed me that Poison Fang isn’t invincible, and he’s probably starting to fear me,” Mo Fan said, grinning.
“That’s it?” Bai Yaoyao rolled her eyes, not quite following his logic.
“That’s enough,” Mo Fan replied. “At least next time I face him, he won’t be such a threat.”
He flashed a toothy grin.
“You shouldn’t show yourself anymore. Stay deep in Spring Pool Cave to avoid any dirty tricks from Poison Fang,” Bai Yaoyao warned.
“Got it.”
Both Mo Fan and Bai Yaoyao knew Poison Fang might use her beauty to set a trap, luring Black Wind Demon King to the cave.
If Black Wind Demon King discovered Mo Fan hiding a beautiful demon, it could spell serious trouble.
In Mo Fan’s eyes, Black Wind Demon King was nothing but a lecherous old fool.
When the two demons returned to Spring Pool Cave, they found Pig Sir and the other lesser demons sprawled out, snoring loudly like thunder, undisturbed by their own racket.
“Damn it, you lot are far too carefree. Aren’t you afraid some evil demon will come in and wipe you all out?” Mo Fan grumbled, kicking Red Eye the rabbit demon in the rear, prompting a yelp as he leapt up from the ground.
Red Eye’s cry woke the others, who, seeing Mo Fan, were startled and quickly stood in line, respectfully greeting him.
“Master, you’re finally back!”
“If you hadn’t returned, we were about to divvy up your stuff!” Red Eye said after his yelp, promptly kneeling before Mo Fan, clutching his leg and sobbing dramatically.
“Damn it, your master’s not dead yet! Go cry somewhere else!” Mo Fan snapped, kicking the rabbit demon aside.
“Master, I’m just overcome with joy. Don’t misunderstand!” Red Eye wiped his tears and sidled back with a cheeky grin.
“Master, you’ve been gone nearly ten days. We were really worried, thinking something might’ve happened to you,” Pig Sir chimed in.
“Worried? And yet you’re snoring like thunder?” Mo Fan scoffed, smacking Pig Sir’s head before turning to Big Strength the ox demon. “Everyone been alright these days? No trouble?”
“Rest assured, Master. The first couple of days, we were so scared we couldn’t eat or sleep, but after that, we’ve been fine. Eating better than before, though our mouths are full of fishy taste. We really miss your boiled fish!” Big Strength said with a simple grin, sparking laughter among the demons.
Looking at these carefree lesser demons, Mo Fan felt both exasperated and amused, letting out a helpless sigh.
“Alright, since I’m back, I’ll cook you lot some fish to satisfy your cravings,” Mo Fan said, warmed by the demons’ lively atmosphere.
Though this trip had been fraught with danger, even costing him his good friend Deer Greedy, the gains were significant.
The greatest was achieving the Myriad Poison Spirit Body. Now, facing demon generals, he could stand a bit taller, less cautious.
Days passed in a flash.
To Mo Fan’s surprise, Poison Fang didn’t come looking for trouble, nor did Black Wind Demon King show up. This made Mo Fan suspect Poison Fang’s injuries were far worse than he’d thought.
He even sent his lesser demons to Poison Dragon Peak to gather information.
Frustratingly, none proved capable. They were beaten back by Poison Fang’s minions as soon as they arrived, let alone gathered any intel.
Still, they picked up some indirect news: Great General Golden Armor and Second General White Demon hadn’t returned since entering Poison Dragon Cave that day. No one knew what the three demon generals were up to.
This kept Mo Fan from acting rashly.
He considered reporting Poison Fang to Black Wind Demon King but ultimately decided against it.
If Poison Fang were dead, the Demon King might believe him. But with Poison Fang alive, accusing him now could backfire, putting Mo Fan in a deadly bind.
One was a demon general who’d served Black Wind Mountain for countless years, a trusted confidant of the Demon King.
The other was a lesser demon who’d been there less than a year.
It was obvious who Black Wind Demon King would trust.
For his own safety, Mo Fan chose to bide his time.
One day, a figure unexpectedly visited his cave.
To Mo Fan’s surprise, it was Crane Fly.
“You’re still alive?” Crane Fly’s first words upon entering infuriated Mo Fan.
“Hey! What kind of talk is that? Cursing me?” Mo Fan rolled his eyes.
But he was equally shocked by her appearance.
In the past two months, he hadn’t seen her and assumed she’d met a grim fate. Yet here she was, looking quite well.
“I came to tell you something,” Crane Fly said, looking into Mo Fan’s eyes gravely. “Deer Greedy is likely dead.”
Mo Fan fell silent, taking a deep breath before nodding. “You’re right. He’s gone.”
“What?” Now it was Crane Fly’s turn to be stunned.
Mo Fan thought for a moment and recounted the entire incident to her.
“What?!”
“You’re saying the mastermind behind it was Fourth General Poison Fang?” Crane Fly’s eyes widened, her face darkening before she turned to leave the cave.
“What are you doing?” Mo Fan quickly blocked her path.
“I’m reporting this to Grandpa Demon King to get justice!” Crane Fly said through gritted teeth.
“You think Grandpa Demon King will believe a mere demon soldier like you over Black Wind Mountain’s Fourth General?” Mo Fan rolled his eyes.
Crane Fly fell silent.
She wasn’t foolish; her anger had momentarily clouded her judgment. Mo Fan’s words brought clarity.
“But Deer Greedy can’t have died for nothing!” she said gravely.
She and Deer Greedy were both close followers of Third General Mountain Phoenix, sharing a strong bond. His death hit her hard, like a shared sorrow.
“Don’t worry. Deer Greedy won’t have died in vain, nor can he,” Mo Fan said, his voice low, his eyes burning with intense killing intent. “I’ll personally make sure everything is repaid!”
“It looks like Black Wind Mountain is about to get chaotic. This is no small matter. I’m leaving for Demon Spirit Valley to report to Third General,” Crane Fly said. “Take care of yourself here and don’t lose your life.”
With that, she spread her wings, soared into the night sky, and vanished.
As time passed, more demon soldiers went missing from Black Wind Mountain, finally catching the Demon King’s attention.
Furious, he vowed to investigate thoroughly. To Mo Fan’s astonishment, Fourth General Poison Fang volunteered to take on the task.
Fortunately, that same day, the Demon King summoned all Black Wind Mountain’s demon soldiers to gather at the mountain peak for collective cultivation, a form of indirect protection.
Time passed in monotonous cultivation, and soon, the decade-long Demon Spirit Valley Trial arrived.
