When Mo Fan reached the main hall of the cave, he found neither Fang Ru nor the children anywhere in sight.
“While you were in seclusion these past two days, I found a good place for the children in a valley to the north,” White Yao Yao explained, leading Mo Fan out of Spring Pool Cave and flying toward the northern part of Black Wind Mountain.
Soon, Mo Fan looked down and spotted a vast valley. Dozens of houses had been built, and children were playing in the open spaces. Surprised, he asked, “How is there a valley here?”
“It’s always been there, just hidden under thick vegetation, making it hard to notice. When I saw you heading to the Southern Border to find a scholar, I searched for a place suitable for humans and found this valley, which I cleared with my powers,” White Yao Yao said, smiling. “With so many human children, it wouldn’t be ideal for them to live among demons on the mountain. Though our Black Wind Mountain demons are orderly, they’re still demons, not yet tempered by moral teachings. Over time, some might revert to their beastly nature and accidentally harm a child, which would surely enrage our scholar.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” Mo Fan nodded approvingly, then flew down into the valley.
As the two demons approached, Black Robe, clad in white, appeared in their view.
“Black Robe greets the Great King,” Black Robe said, bowing respectfully to Mo Fan and nodding to White Yao Yao.
“To be safe, I’ve stationed Black Robe and White Robe here. With them guarding, even a Demon King would struggle to harm the children,” White Yao Yao said, smiling.
Mo Fan nodded, scanning the surroundings. The valley’s buildings were mostly made of wood and bamboo. Though not large, the valley was filled with birdsong and blooming flowers, with a winding stream running through it, creating a picturesque scene.
Soon, Mo Fan spotted White Robe playing with a group of children. To avoid harming them, White Robe had suppressed his ghostly aura. Though his appearance was still unusual, the children weren’t frightened and enjoyed playing with him.
This surprised Mo Fan. In his mind, White Robe was a cold, ruthless genius demon cultivator, hard to reconcile with this cheerful image.
“My brother is actually a kind demon, always hiding his true self for my sake. This is the first time I’ve seen him so happy,” Black Robe murmured, looking at White Robe surrounded by children, a rare smile on her face.
Seeing Black Robe smile, a rare sight, warmed Mo Fan’s heart. The siblings had long been estranged, and this change delighted him.
At this thought, Mo Fan sent a private message to White Yao Yao, “Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. After following you for so long, I’ve come to see Black Wind Mountain as my home. Besides, I know that handling these tedious matters lets you focus on your cultivation,” White Yao Yao replied, smiling.
Her words touched Mo Fan, and together with the two demons, he walked deeper into the valley.
“Hi, Big Brother!”
“Hi, White Sister!”
“Hi, Black Robe Sister!”
Greetings filled their ears, making Mo Fan, accustomed to demon mountain life, feel slightly out of place, as if he’d returned to Pingyao Town.
“Do they know we’re demons?” Mo Fan asked curiously.
“They do,” Black Robe replied.
“Then why aren’t they scared?”
“Because you took them in, Great King. Compared to us, those ferocious villains frighten them more,” Black Robe explained.
“Makes sense,” Mo Fan mused.
Guided by Black Robe, Mo Fan reached a bamboo building where Big Head, the fish demon, was dozing against a wall, clutching his Wave-Breaking Halberd.
Sensing Mo Fan’s presence, Big Head jolted awake, grinning, “Greetings, Great King! Greetings, Lady White!”
“Is Fang Ru here?” Mo Fan asked.
“She’s in the study, reading,” Big Head replied, smiling. “Should I inform Teacher Fang, Great King?”
“No need,” Mo Fan waved, thinking to himself, “Big Head’s got the makings of a sycophant.”
As Black Wind Mountain’s Demon King, Mo Fan found it odd that Big Head’s first instinct was to report to Fang Ru, which irked him slightly.
“What’s this about a study?” Mo Fan asked White Yao Yao. He hadn’t brought any books back, so how could there be a study?
“I gave Fang Ru some old, unused books,” White Yao Yao explained simply.
Mo Fan nodded, then called toward the bamboo building, “Mo Fan of Black Wind Mountain requests to see Teacher Fang!”
With a creak, the door opened, and Fang Ru’s cool voice followed, “Since when did Your Excellency the Demon King become so polite?”
Mo Fan looked up and saw Fang Ru at the second-floor railing. She looked as she had before, with a scholarly air restored, her hair neatly tied in a scholar’s bun, lending her a touch of masculine charm.
“You can call me Young Master Mo,” Mo Fan said with a wry smile.
“You called me Teacher Fang first,” Fang Ru replied calmly, withdrawing her gaze and descending the stairs.
Mo Fan froze, his smile turning bitter, while White Yao Yao watched with amusement.
“Who’d have thought the mighty Black Wind Demon King would have such a side? Quite a rarity,” White Yao Yao teased, earning a roll of Mo Fan’s eyes.
As Fang Ru approached, Mo Fan regained his composure, smiling, “Have you settled in these past two days?”
“Much better than the capital. At least I don’t worry about being eaten by demons in my sleep,” Fang Ru said, looking at Mo Fan with a sigh. “It feels unreal. I’m living in a demon’s den, yet I feel safer. Why is that?”
“Because we haven’t harmed you. Not all demons want to eat people,” Mo Fan said, smiling. Then, turning serious, he added, “I came today with business. If you’re ready, I think we can start your lectures.”
“But I don’t know how to lecture, and I’ve never done it. Can you tell me what lecturing means?” Fang Ru asked, troubled.
Mo Fan opened his mouth, unsure how to respond, and glanced at White Yao Yao.
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know either,” White Yao Yao said.
Mo Fan paused, then said to Fang Ru, “I once heard a sage say, ‘The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.’ The ways of the world are ever-changing, not fixed. To me, lecturing is sharing your understanding of the world’s truths. That shouldn’t be too hard for you, right?”
Sharing truths? Fang Ru paused, thought for a moment, and nodded.
Seeing she had no further questions, Mo Fan decided to hold the lectures in the valley, perfect for setting up the Spirit Gathering Array.
He soared into the air, spat out several small flags, and began forming hand seals. He placed eight flags around the valley, then waved the remaining one, letting out a low shout.
“Array, activate! Gather spirits!”
