Staring at the cold, sharp arrowhead, Mo Fan dared not make a single reckless move. Though fear gripped his heart, he was also plotting a way to escape.
He knew there was no fleeing now. The only way to survive was to kill this old hunter.
But to kill him, he first had to deal with the sharp arrow in the man’s hand.
“I wonder if my Heaven-Devouring Technique can swallow his arrow?”
Mo Fan thought to himself, seeing no other option.
Yet he also knew that if he failed, his hard-earned demon life might end right there.
He needed the perfect moment to act!
If there wasn’t one, he’d create it.
Nearby, the rabbit demon, with one foot pierced by an arrow, lay wailing on the ground. As the old hunter approached, it was so terrified it couldn’t maintain its human guise, reverting to its rabbit-headed form, baring its teeth at him.
“Still glaring at me?”
“If you weren’t worth a good price, I’d be fine with a braised rabbit head!”
“You beasts, even after becoming demons, are still worthless, only fit to be guard pets for us humans!”
The old hunter sneered repeatedly, keeping an eye on the toad demon to prevent escape. He pulled a small porcelain bottle from his waist, poured out a red pill, and forced it into the rabbit demon’s mouth.
The moment the pill entered, the struggling rabbit demon fell still. Apart from its blood-red eyes glaring at the hunter, it couldn’t move a finger, completely limp.
Satisfied, the hunter kicked the rabbit demon, confirming it was immobile, then smirked and approached Mo Fan.
But the old hunter was cautious. He didn’t get too close, instead pouring another red pill from the bottle and tossing it toward Mo Fan. Raising his bow and arrow, he aimed at him and growled, “Behave and swallow that Demon-Intoxicating Pill, or I’ll sever your beastly tendons!”
Mo Fan’s heart chilled, but he instinctively picked up the red pill from the ground. Instead of swallowing it, he spat out a milky-white stone and pleaded, “Sir, I’m just a small mountain demon. If you let me go, I’ll give you this.”
His heart pounded with nerves. He wasn’t sure if the hunter knew the stone’s value, so he prepared to fight for his life if needed.
With the Heaven-Devouring Technique and a body stronger than a human’s, Mo Fan figured he had at least a thirty to forty percent chance of winning, even if not an even match.
Sure enough, the old hunter froze upon seeing the milky-white stone, then his eyes lit up with joy, clearly recognizing it!
The hunter hurried over, picked up the stone, examined it closely, and pressed it to his forehead for a moment. Then he tossed it into his waist pouch and asked Mo Fan, “Where did you get this stone?”
Seeing a chance, Mo Fan quickly answered, “I found it in a cave. There are lots more like it there. If you promise to let me go, I’ll tell you where the cave is.”
“Hmph! You think I’m as foolish as you, beast?”
The hunter sneered, raising his arrow again to threaten Mo Fan. “Take me to that cave now. If you’re telling the truth, I’ll let you go. But if you dare trick me, I’ll cut every tendon in your body and sell you to the demon catchers!”
Mo Fan’s heart tightened, but after a brief hesitation, he glanced sideways and said, “I’ll take you there. I hope you keep your word. But I’m curious, what are these stones?”
“You don’t know?” The hunter seemed surprised but muttered, “Makes sense. A lowly beast like you, just turned demon, wouldn’t know immortal treasures. I’ll ask the village guardian when I return.”
Hearing this, Mo Fan stopped asking. He realized the hunter didn’t fully know what the stones were either, only that they were likely tied to immortals.
This sparked some excitement in Mo Fan.
Over the past two months, he’d used the gold coins in his mind to duplicate over two hundred of these stones.
Though he didn’t know their exact use, the hunter’s reaction suggested they weren’t ordinary.
As Mo Fan pondered, the hunter hoisted the limp rabbit demon, tying it with cloth and slinging it over his shoulder. Then, with his bow and arrow, he forced Mo Fan to lead the way.
Mo Fan didn’t dawdle and started walking.
But he didn’t head straight for the cave. Instead, he led the hunter in circles through the forest, leaving subtle marks with his toes.
He knew the terrain within this twenty-mile radius like the back of his hand, so he wouldn’t get lost. The hunter, though experienced, struggled to navigate the dense, lush forest.
After wandering for a while, as the hunter grew impatient, Mo Fan finally led him toward the tiger’s den.
“How is it still not here?”
“How much farther? If you dare trick me, beast, I’ll skin and boil you!”
After some time, the hunter’s excitement turned to menace.
“Don’t worry, you’ve got a deadly weapon. How could a small demon like me dare deceive you? I just hope you’ll keep your promise and let me go,” Mo Fan said with a bitter smile.
“Less talk! How far is this cave?!” the hunter demanded fiercely.
“Not far, just in the ravine ahead.”
They trekked another two miles through the forest until a dark cave came into view.
A glint flashed in Mo Fan’s eyes as he took a deep breath, catching a familiar musky scent. His heart steadied.
“Sir, this is the cave. There are lots of those stones inside. You should let me go now, right?”
Mo Fan turned to the hunter.
“You dare trick book
me?”
The hunter’s face darkened, sneering, “You think I don’t know this is a tiger’s den? The air reeks of that pungent tiger stench. You dare lead me into a tiger’s lair? Are you seeking death, beast?!”
Mo Fan’s heart jolted. He hadn’t expected the old man to be so sharp—did he have a dog’s nose?
But he forced himself to stay calm, feigning frustration and saying bitterly, “Sir, you’ve got it wrong! This isn’t a tiger’s den. A tiger did come here once, but it left. I made this cave my home, and my scent lingers. Smell it if you don’t believe me!”
The hunter’s expression softened slightly. Decades of hunting had honed his ability to track beasts.
Though the tiger’s musk was present, so was the toad’s muddy scent. He’d already calculated this, and his earlier words were just a test.
“Enough nonsense. If there’s no tiger, you go in first, or I’ll kill you!”
The hunter snorted, forcing Mo Fan into the cave with his bow.
“You… fine!”
Mo Fan feigned anger and walked into the cave.
As the toad demon disappeared into the cave’s darkness without a sound, the hunter’s guard gradually lowered.
After waiting a while with no noise from inside, he put away his bow, grabbed his spear, and followed.
But the moment he entered, a massive figure lunged at him!
“Roar—”
