When Mo Fan returned to the base of the bell tower, looking rather disheveled, he saw the porcelain-doll-like little girl once again gnawing on her pig’s trotter, as if she had completely forgotten the earlier incident.
“You…?”
Mo Fan opened his mouth, but ultimately didn’t know what to say, his face full of helplessness.
“Brother Mo, I forgot to introduce her. This is our Second Sister. You can call her Bing Er!” Bing Jiu hurriedly stepped forward, awkwardly making the introduction, fearful that Mo Fan might provoke Bing Er again.
Bing Er?
Mo Fan was taken aback, then carefully studied the tiny girl, barely a meter tall, unable to reconcile this explosively cute child with the human-shaped weapons like Bing Jiu and the others.
But recalling the terrifying strength of this seemingly harmless girl, Mo Fan could only give a wry smile, inwardly cursing, “Monster!”
“Well, I’m…” Mo Fan scratched his head, about to introduce himself, when Bing Er cut him off. “I know you, Black Wind Old Toad!”
“…”
Mo Fan was speechless, his face twitching slightly as a sudden urge to hit someone surged within him.
Black Wind Old Toad, my foot!!
“Ahem… Second Sister, it’s Black Wind Old Demon, Toad King!” Bing Jiu coughed, correcting her from the side.
Mo Fan rolled his eyes at this.
Fine, Old Toad turned into Old Demon…
“Damn it, it must be those little demons on the mountain deliberately twisting this king’s image. Good deeds stay hidden, but bad ones spread far!” Mo Fan cursed inwardly.
The terms Black Wind Old Demon and Toad King had long circulated among the lesser demons of Black Wind Mountain. Though they sounded grand, they carried a hint of ambiguity.
Mo Fan didn’t like these titles, but considering the demons’ near-illiterate culture, he couldn’t be bothered to correct them. Yet, he hadn’t expected the names to reach the Broken Temple Market.
He couldn’t help but wonder if the market had spies planted in Black Wind Mountain. How else could Yun Rou know he was coming to find her the moment he arrived?
“Doesn’t matter what you’re called. Just don’t pinch my face again, or I’ll beat you up!” Bing Er huffed nonchalantly, her childish voice utterly adorable as she waved her greasy little fist, looking cute as a button.
But Mo Fan was on guard, knowing this tiny bean sprout, though adorable, was a far more terrifying human weapon than Bing Jiu and the others!
She might look young, but who knew how many years this old monster had lived!
“Fellow Daoist, the lady is still waiting upstairs. Let’s head up!” Bing Qi said with a smile, leading the way into the bell tower.
Mo Fan hurriedly followed, though the little bean sprout munching on her pig’s trotter trailing behind made him feel somewhat uneasy.
Entering the bell tower, Mo Fan once again experienced the teleportation array, reminiscent of an elevator from his past life.
Upon reaching the top, he saw the same red-clad figure as before.
Steadying himself, Mo Fan bowed slightly, clasping his fists. “Mo Fan of Black Wind Mountain pays respects to Senior!”
“Mo Fan, are you aware that a great calamity is upon you?” A cold voice rang out as the red figure turned, her bright eyes fixed on Mo Fan.
“I know, which is why I’ve come to seek Senior’s help. Please save my Black Wind Mountain!” Mo Fan said solemnly.
“For the sake of my adoptive father’s regard for you, I can save you. Just stay here in my market,” Yun Rou replied.
Mo Fan frowned slightly, his voice firm. “Senior, you must understand my meaning. As the king of Black Wind Mountain, how could I abandon my mountain’s demons? I beg Senior to help me!”
“You, a mere toad, are getting a bit too bold!” Yun Rou snorted, her tone turning cold. “Saving your life is already an act of kindness from me, yet you dare to ask me to save your entire mountain of demons?
Hah!
Who do you think you are?
Whether those demons live or die has nothing to do with me!”
Yun Rou’s words left Mo Fan silent. How could he not know his request was overreaching?
But as he had said, as the king of Black Wind Mountain, how could he care only for his own safety and abandon his demons?
“Senior is right, but I still wish to ask for your help. For this, I’m willing to pay a price!” Mo Fan took a deep breath, his gaze resolute as he looked at the veiled woman before him.
“A price?” Yun Rou let out a light laugh, as if she’d heard a joke, teasing, “What kind of price could a mere demon general like you offer to make me willing to provoke the Lei Yu family, who have a demon ancestor?”
Despite the mockery in Yun Rou’s words, Mo Fan remained calm, transmitting mentally, “After the battle with the Celestial Being, Senior White Tiger Saint King left me something.”
“Hm?” Yun Rou’s expression shifted slightly, her brows arching. “What is it?”
Mo Fan glanced at Bing Qi and Bing Er nearby, hesitating to speak.
“They are my trusted confidants. No need to hide anything. Speak freely,” Yun Rou said.
Mo Fan nodded and spat out an object.
It was the piece of palm bone left by the White Tiger Saint King after his battle with the Celestial Being!
The Heaven-Devouring Demon Bone!
This was Mo Fan’s true trump card!
He had studied the bone and found nothing particularly special about it, aside from sensing a faint kinship aura.
Initially, he suspected it was a secret treasure, as the White Tiger Saint King had said it suppressed his divine abilities. But after various attempts, Mo Fan concluded it was just an ordinary palm bone, not a treasure at all.
Even so, he knew the bone was extraordinary, or the White Tiger Saint King wouldn’t have left it to him.
It was precisely because it came from the White Tiger Saint King that Mo Fan believed he could use it as a bargaining chip to persuade Yun Rou to act.
“It’s really this!” Yun Rou’s expression changed the moment Mo Fan produced the bone, her gaze turning complex as she looked at him.
“You recognize it?” Mo Fan was surprised, then gave a wry smile. “I forgot, as the daughter of Senior White Tiger Saint King, you must have seen it before.”
Yun Rou ignored his words, asking instead, “Do you know what this is?”
“I… don’t know. I only know it was left to me by Senior Saint King,” Mo Fan said after a brief pause, shaking his head.
Yun Rou nodded, and with a wave of her hand, the palm bone flew into her grasp.
The moment she held it, her body trembled slightly, and she looked down at the bone with a complex expression, lost in thought.
“Senior?” Seeing Yun Rou lost in thought, Mo Fan spoke softly.
“Since this bone was left to you by my adoptive father, keep it safe,” Yun Rou said, snapping out of her reverie. With a wave, the bone returned to Mo Fan.
But Mo Fan’s expression changed, and he said firmly, “Senior, I’m willing to offer this in exchange for your help!”
“I beg you to save my Black Wind Mountain!”
“I said, this belongs to you!” Yun Rou’s brows furrowed, and she snorted coldly. “My adoptive father thought so highly of you, yet you’re a fool swayed by emotions!
Mo Fan, remember this: a king must prioritize their own interests and, if necessary, cast aside certain things.
Only then can you go far!
I won’t help you, nor can I. Leave!”
With that, Yun Rou turned away, no longer sparing Mo Fan a glance.
“I understand, but allow me to say one thing: a king needs not only their own interests but also to care for the world! A short-sighted ruler cannot become a true king!”
“I take my leave!” Mo Fan said with a faint smile, though it carried a trace of bitterness.
He hadn’t expected even the Heaven-Devouring Demon Bone to be insufficient to save Black Wind Mountain…
Since Yun Rou was unwilling to help, there was no reason for him to stay. He turned to leave.
But at that moment, Yun Rou’s voice reached his ears.
Unlike her earlier coldness, this time her tone was noticeably softer, reigniting a spark in Mo Fan’s dimmed eyes!!
