Mo Fan stepped out of the Hundred Weapons Pavilion, only to find Mr. Pig still standing obediently on the steps at the entrance, his eyes somewhat dazed, lost in thought, unaware of Mo Fan’s approach.
“What are you thinking about?” Mo Fan asked with a smile.
“I… ah, my lord, you’re out?!”
Mr. Pig snapped back to reality, hurriedly bowing respectfully to Mo Fan.
“I told you, just call me Master from now on.”
Mo Fan said as he walked forward, noticing that the burly man in the corner was gone. He paid it no mind and said to Mr. Pig, “Were you just feeling lost about your future?”
“M-Master, how did you know?” Mr. Pig quickly corrected himself.
“Because I’ve felt that same confusion before, but later I made some good friends, and now they’re my demon subordinates,” Mo Fan said with a slight smile.
“Then Master, you must be very powerful, a highly capable demon, for them to willingly follow you!”
“Perhaps.”
“What I’m trying to say is, I’m telling you in advance that you’ll follow me just like they do, so you’ll have plenty of friends in the future. No need to feel lost about what lies ahead.”
Hearing this, Mr. Pig felt a wave of relief. He had never understood why Mo Fan saved him, but these words stirred a touch of emotion in his heart. Choking up, he said, “Thank you, Master!”
“No need to thank me. If you want to thank anyone, thank your own efforts and that child who taught you to read back then.”
Mo Fan spoke calmly, then said no more, leading Mr. Pig towards the outskirts of the market.
When entering the market, Lu Tantan had told him to meet up when the bell rang.
Soon, he arrived at the place where he had entered the market, seeing many cultivators streaming out through a large gate. He also spotted Lu Tantan leaning against the entrance, yawning.
“You look a bit tired?” Mo Fan approached, frowning slightly at him.
“Three at once, how could I not be tired?”
Lu Tantan rolled his eyes and asked, “What good stuff did you pick up here, kid?”
“A few things. I’ll tell you later. Let’s get out of here first; this place isn’t exactly safe,” Mo Fan cautioned.
“True… huh?”
Lu Tantan nodded, about to turn and leave, when he noticed Mr. Pig behind Mo Fan. Curiously, he asked, “Who’s this shorty behind you?”
At those words, Mr. Pig immediately stared at Lu Tantan warily, his instincts telling him this seemingly overindulgent fellow was not to be trifled with.
“I bought him at the Spirit Beast Academy to join my mountain patrol team,” Mo Fan explained.
“I see.”
Lu Tantan lost interest but then grinned mischievously, “I heard the Spirit Beast Academy has plenty of hot demon girls. Why didn’t you buy one?”
“I need partners who can help me, not demonesses who’d drain my vitality,” Mo Fan replied coolly.
“You boring guy. If you don’t want one, I do!”
“You could’ve given one to your big brother!”
Seeing Lu Tantan’s lustful expression, Mo Fan felt a headache coming on.
In his view, his cultivation was still low, merely at the Demon Soldier Realm, with a lifespan of just a hundred years. If he didn’t focus on cultivation and wasted time on carnal desires, he’d likely turn to dust when his century was up. Wouldn’t that be a regret?
Instead of indulging in women, he’d rather focus on cultivation. Once his cultivation was high, what kind of woman couldn’t he have?
“Let’s go. If we don’t leave soon, the market will close.”
Mo Fan reminded him again, wary that this lust-driven guy might drag him to the Spirit Beast Academy to buy a demoness.
“Sigh! I wanted to buy a demoness before leaving, but it seems it’ll have to wait until next time!”
Lu Tantan sighed, then led Mo Fan and Mr. Pig through the gate.
After the three demons left, a group of rogue cultivators emerged from the shadows, led by the three brothers.
“Big Brother, they’re out!”
“I can see that, stop stating the obvious!”
The eldest of the three brothers grumbled, then turned to the others beside him, saying gravely, “You all saw, they’re probably two Demon Soldiers, and that shorty is just a minor demon, not worth worrying about. If we pull this off, we’ll gain plenty!”
“Indeed, these demons are getting too bold, swaggering right under the noses of us human cultivators. Do they think we’re pushovers?!” a cultivator nodded, sneering.
Another cultivator chuckled, “This job’s worth it, but for maximum profit, we shouldn’t kill these three demons. Sell them to the Spirit Beast Academy, and that’s another hefty sum!”
…
Atop the tallest bell tower in the underground market, a hunched, silver-haired old man leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant gate.
“Foster Father, you seem quite interested in that Demon Soldier?” a red-robed woman beside him asked.
“Interested?”
“Perhaps I see in him a turning point for the fate of our entire demon race,” the silver-haired old man said with a bitter smile, his words shocking the red-robed woman.
“Foster Father, just a Demon Soldier, is he really that important?” the woman, called Xiao Rou, frowned.
“Xiao Rou, never underestimate anyone. Our demon race is made up of countless demon cultivators, each with their own destiny. They may seem insignificant now, but who’s to say they won’t become a pillar of our race in the future?”
The silver-haired old man smiled, then, as if recalling something, asked, “What did the Spirit Beast Academy say?”
“Oddly enough, they told me that Demon Soldier devoured all the minor demons he bought in one go!” Xiao Rou said gravely.
“Not devoured, swallowed. Even I couldn’t eat like that. This is a divine ability!” the old man’s eyes gleamed.
“A divine ability?”
“A swallowing-type divine ability? That’s indeed rare,” Xiao Rou nodded.
In her view, this might be the real reason her foster father valued that Demon Soldier.
For the demon race, those who awakened divine abilities weren’t many, but they weren’t rare either. However, divine abilities varied in strength, and swallowing-type abilities were exceptionally powerful. If that Demon Soldier didn’t fall, he might well become a titan of the demon race.
“By the way, Foster Father, I heard some shady folks are targeting that Demon Soldier. Should we help deal with them?” Xiao Rou asked.
“No need. If he can’t handle this bit of trouble, then he’s destined to die.”
The silver-haired old man shook his head, then said gravely, “What’s been going on with those two human powerhouses lately?”
“Unusually quiet. Only a small group of their disciples are active around the Hundred Thousand Mountains,” Xiao Rou replied.
“Quiet, huh… seems like a storm is brewing.”
The old man frowned slightly, then asked, “Xiao Rou, do you still believe there’s a chance for peace between the demon race and the human race?”
“I… Rou’er has always believed there’s a peaceful way to resolve things in this world. Endless killing will only lead to a vicious cycle, benefiting neither humans nor demons,” Xiao Rou bit her lip.
“So that’s why you refused to stay at the Holy Mountain and insisted on coming here to open this market?”
This time, Xiao Rou didn’t reply, her gaze resolute with a hint of stubbornness.
“You’re just too much like her!”
The silver-haired old man froze slightly at the sight, then gave a bitter smile, keeping his thoughts unspoken.
