East of Phoenix Cry Mountain, west of Blackwater River.
Deep within the endless mountain range lies a unique place.
This area, spanning a thousand miles, is a barren red wasteland, starkly contrasting the lush green mountains around it.
It took Mo Fan and his two companions two days to reach this place. Had Mo Fan not paused to verify if the terrain matched the map in his mind, it wouldn’t have taken so long.
The result shocked him. The map was strikingly accurate, making him wonder if it was crafted by some great power.
The map was incredibly detailed, even marking the locations of the nine sacred mountains of the demon clan’s holy kings.
“My king, that red peak ahead must be Red Fire Peak!” Er Ha suddenly spoke, pointing to a distant mountain.
Mo Fan focused, seeing a peak hundreds of zhang tall, bare of vegetation, as was the entire wasteland.
Though the region had many mountains, only this one truly stood out as a “peak.”
“Hm, let’s go down first,” Mo Fan nodded, guiding his demon cloud to the ground.
In the air, the three demons felt no heat, but upon landing, a wave of scorching air hit them, causing their brows to furrow.
“My king, this place lives up to its reputation as a fiery land. The air is so hot, breathing feels like swallowing flames,” Er Ha said, frowning.
“Indeed,” Bai Xue nodded, puzzled. “My king, we’re still dozens of miles from Red Fire Peak. Why not fly directly? It’d be cooler.”
Er Ha also looked at Mo Fan.
“The ground here, heated by earthfire, lacks moisture for plants. Without cover, we’d be too conspicuous flying,” Mo Fan shook his head. “We’re new here and unfamiliar with the area, so caution is best.”
From White Elephant, he had learned about Red Fire Peak. Though unique, it harboured many spirits, even demon kings.
While he didn’t fear demon kings, he saw no need to stir trouble. Unlike the peach grove, this was the heart of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Who knew what backers these demons had?
Provoking some might draw out ancient monsters, which would be troublesome.
So, until he understood the area, Mo Fan chose to keep a low profile.
He glanced at Bai Xue, thought for a moment, and said, “Bai Xue, revert to your true form. Your appearance is too eye-catching. We don’t want trouble.”
“My king, are you saying I’m good-looking?” Bai Xue’s face lit up, her eager gaze making Mo Fan uneasy.
“Heh, if the king says so, he must think our Bai Xue is a beauty!” Er Ha stepped between them, grinning at Bai Xue, showing sharp fangs, startling her back a few steps.
“How rude!” Bai Xue snapped. “I’m talking to the king, what’s it to you? And who’s your sister?”
Annoyed that Er Ha interrupted, she glared with disdain.
“No choice, I’m the king’s guard commander. Who else steps up in a pinch?” Er Ha said shamelessly, then sneered, “Some need to face reality and stop daydreaming. Dreams are just dreams, and you’ll wake up one day!”
Mo Fan looked at Er Ha, surprised. He hadn’t expected the reckless demon to say something so profound.
“What nonsense! A clueless oaf like you by the king’s side will only make him miss opportunities!” Bai Xue huffed, itching with anger, likely not grasping Er Ha’s words.
To Mo Fan, the naive little rabbit probably didn’t understand.
Er Ha could only grin foolishly at her anger.
With no choice, Bai Xue transformed into her true form.
Er Ha chuckled, reaching to pick her up.
“Foolish tiger, keep your filthy paws off! Who said you could touch me?!” the little white rabbit spoke, embarrassing Er Ha.
Mo Fan shook his head helplessly, waved a hand, and used demonic power to lift the rabbit onto his shoulder.
With her settled, he led Er Ha toward Red Fire Peak.
Though dozens of miles wasn’t close, for the two demons, it took just half an hour.
But as they reached the mountain’s base, two creatures emerged from the ground.
Two red-bodied rat demons, a zhang long, appeared in their true forms, not spiritual ones.
Mo Fan sensed they hadn’t reached the demon soldier stage, just fourth-tier minor demons.
“Where are you demons from?”
“What’s your business at Red Fire Peak?”
The rat demons spoke in tandem, their beady eyes darting, scheming.
“Greetings, brothers. We were sent by our king from the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains to cultivate using the earthfire here,” Mo Fan said with a smile.
The rat demons looked surprised, then exchanged glances. One spoke maturely, “You can cultivate here, but what tribute are you offering?”
“What? You two puny rat demons dare demand tribute from us?
Believe me, I, Ninth Lord, could crush your rat heads with one hand!” Er Ha laughed, incredulous.
Stepping forward, his head morphed into a ferocious tiger’s, a low roar scaring the rats into shrinking back and diving into their burrows.
“Rebellious rats!”
“Look at yourselves in a puddle first!”
Er Ha laughed, mocking their cowardice.
Mo Fan shook his head, not expecting this.
“Let’s go!” He didn’t scold Er Ha or bother the rats further.
Though he avoided trouble, he wasn’t afraid of it. If two minor demons dared extort him, giving in might invite worse from cat or dog demons higher up.
After Mo Fan’s group left, the rats peeked out, shaken.
“Such scary demons. Why do strong ones keep coming to Red Fire Peak?
If this continues, how will we extort tribute?” one rat said, troubled.
“Easy. Next time, we’ll pretend to be under a demon king. If they’ve no backing, even demon generals will pay up!
If they’re like those two with a demon king behind them, we let them pass.
What do you think?” the other rat suggested.
“Great idea! It’ll work!”
“The bold thrive, the timid starve. Let’s do it!”
