When Mo Fan arrived, he found Mr. Gu already dead.
Little Gatekeeper and the other children were kneeling beside Mr. Gu’s body, weeping, heedless of the blood soaking their clothes.
Not far away lay the headless corpse of a dog-headed demon.
“Great King, I was too late,” Black-Clad said, pursing her lips as Mo Fan approached.
“It’s not your fault. A scholar like Mr. Gu couldn’t bear to see human suffering. This was his choice. Even without us, the outcome might have been the same.”
Mo Fan shook his head. Beside him, White-Clad frowned slightly. “Master, many demon cultivators are heading this way, including several demon generals!”
“Mm.”
Mo Fan nodded, glancing at Mr. Gu’s body. After a moment’s thought, he raised his hand and touched his brow.
Buzz—
A golden tiger pattern appeared, and Mo Fan saw a solitary figure standing beside Mr. Gu’s body, trying to touch the surrounding children, only for his hand to pass through them, unable to make contact.
“Mr. Gu, the night has passed. Have you thought things through?”
Mo Fan spoke, using mental transmission.
Mr. Gu’s soul form froze, then looked up at Mo Fan, eyes full of astonishment.
Clearly, he hadn’t expected Mo Fan to see him in this state.
But soon, he turned his gaze back to Little Gatekeeper and the other children, then walked to Mo Fan and knelt, respectfully kowtowing three times before standing.
He gave Mo Fan a radiant smile, opened his mouth, and then, with a gentle breeze, Mr. Gu vanished from the world.
Watching this, Mo Fan sighed softly.
He had wanted to save Mr. Gu, but the man had been intent on death.
“Jie jie jie jie… So much blood food!”
“Who’d have thought so much blood food was hiding here!”
“Mine, all mine!!”
At that moment, several demons arrived, terrifying the crying children into trembling silence, their faces filled with fear and despair.
“Kill!”
Mo Fan uttered a single word.
Instantly, Black-Clad and White-Clad vanished, launching a bloody slaughter against the oncoming demon cultivators!
Black-Clad moved like a wraith, her scythe felling demons with each swing, her power striking fear into them.
White-Clad was even more ferocious and brutal. Though possessing the body of a unicorn demon general, his fighting style was as frenzied as ever, targeting vital points with every move, heedless of his own vulnerabilities, fighting as if he cared not for his life!
“You’re demons too?!”
“Since we’re all demons, why attack us? Aren’t you afraid of the Demon King’s wrath?!”
A demon general roared, having already seen that Black-Clad and White-Clad were not human cultivators.
But neither Black-Clad nor White-Clad responded. They obeyed only Mo Fan, and as long as he didn’t speak, they wouldn’t stop killing.
“Damn it!!”
“You traitors, daring to slaughter us for these weak blood foods! You’ll end up as a feast for the Pingshan Demon King!!”
A demon general bellowed, his voice shaking half of Dongling City, only to be blasted into a mist of blood by White-Clad’s fist.
Mo Fan ignored the slain demons and walked to Little Gatekeeper and the other children.
“Immortal… Immortal Master…”
Little Gatekeeper swallowed hard, a trace of fear in his gaze toward Mo Fan.
Clearly, he had realized Mo Fan’s true identity.
“As you can see, we are not immortal masters, but demons!”
Mo Fan spoke calmly, then looked at Mr. Gu’s body. “Before Mr. Gu left, he entrusted you to me, but I respect your fate.
“Those willing to live, come with me!”
With that, Mo Fan said no more, turned, and walked away.
Black-Clad opened her mouth but was stopped by White-Clad’s look.
White-Clad understood Mo Fan’s reasoning.
In the end, they were demons.
With countless humans suffering in the southern borderlands, could they save them all?
The only reason they saved these children was that Mo Fan was moved by Mr. Gu’s self-sacrificing righteousness.
The man was a bit foolish, but his principles were sound.
The children watched the three demons’ retreating figures in silence until Little Gatekeeper mustered his courage, tightly grasped Little Yard’s hand, and followed. The other children were stirred into action.
“Little Gatekeeper, what are you doing?!”
A child his size shouted angrily from the group.
“I want to live!”
“And I don’t want my sister or Mr. Gu to die here like this!”
Little Gatekeeper spoke without looking back, his gaze toward Mo Fan now resolute.
“But they’re demons!!”
The child gritted his teeth, inwardly cursing Little Gatekeeper’s wavering stance.
“Mr. Gu said humans have their way, and demons have theirs. They saved us before, which shows they’re different from other demons.
“Mr. Gu also taught us to be discerning, to judge right from wrong, and not to speak carelessly.
“Besides, they gave us that roasted goose!”
Little Gatekeeper spoke, then, without pausing, pulled his sister Little Yard and ran toward the three demons.
The remaining children looked at each other, then rose, leaving Mr. Gu’s body behind, chasing after Little Gatekeeper and his sister.
“Where did these wild demons come from, daring to cause trouble under my Pingshan Demon King’s watch?”
“Looking to die?!”
At that moment, a thunderous roar exploded across Dongling City.
Mo Fan frowned, turned, and looked at the bewildered children, smiling. “Close your eyes, and I’ll take you to a safe place!”
Little Gatekeeper and the others closed their eyes.
Mo Fan opened his mouth, drawing them into the spatial pouch within.
After this, he soared into the sky, Black-Clad and White-Clad following.
“Fengming Mountain’s Black Wind Demon King, here on Fire Phoenix Saint King’s orders. Apologies for any offense, brother!”
Mo Fan, now in the air, gave a slight bow.
“Fengming Mountain Demon King?”
Soon, a figure flew from the city, facing Mo Fan—a majestic leopard demon clad in armor.
A Demon King!
Mo Fan’s eyes narrowed.
He didn’t want conflict with this Demon King. With the southern borderlands invaded by Wangyue Valley’s demons, offending a great demon from the valley now would be unwise.
“Lai Bao from Fengming Mountain, greetings, brother!”
Mo Fan smiled, clasping his hands toward the leopard Demon King.
“So it’s a brother from Fengming Mountain. Since we both serve the Demon Saint King, I won’t make trouble for you and risk discord. A few minor demons dead are nothing!
“But this is a one-time thing!”
The leopard Demon King, hearing Mo Fan’s origins, shifted from domineering to jovial, though his eyes kept lingering on Black-Clad.
“Brother is magnanimous. Come to my Black Wind Mountain someday, and I’ll host you with the finest feast!”
“Easy, easy, haha!!”
“I have urgent matters from the Fire Phoenix Saint King, so I won’t linger!”
Mo Fan bid farewell to the leopard Demon King, then left swiftly with Black-Clad and White-Clad.
Watching Mo Fan’s retreating figure, the leopard Demon King, who had been all smiles, turned grim the next moment.
“Flying Silk!”
“Great King, I’m here!”
A tiny demon, no bigger than a fingernail, flew to the leopard Demon King’s ear. Humanoid, it had six pairs of transparent wings.
“Find out who these people really are!”
“Yes!”
