The wolf demon, staring at the flames on the fireball talisman, turned pale with fear and hurriedly said, “I’ll talk! I’ll talk! I heard that the Black Wind Demon was involved in the attack on the Hu Clan back then, but I don’t know the details.”
“Are you sure?” Chen Ping asked.
“I’m sure!” the wolf demon said quickly, “I overheard it from a conversation between the stronghold leader and the deputy.”
Chen Ping and Hu Mazi exchanged a glance, a flash of anger in their eyes.
They hadn’t expected the Black Wind Demon to be involved in the Hu Clan’s extermination. It seemed all the forces around Nine Coils Mountain were tied to the massacre.
“You can die now,” Chen Ping said, and with a swing of his Dragon-Slaying Sword, he killed the wolf demon.
“What do we do now?” Hu Mazi asked.
“First, dispose of the Green Snake Valley Lord’s body, then report back to the Black Wind Demon,” Chen Ping said. “We’ll pretend we know nothing and use the chance to gather more information in Black Wind Stronghold.”
The two disposed of the Green Snake Valley Lord’s and the wolf demon’s bodies, then took the snake’s head and returned to Black Wind Stronghold.
Back at the stronghold, they presented the Green Snake Valley Lord’s head to the Black Wind Demon.
The Black Wind Demon looked at the head, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. “Good! Good! Good! I didn’t expect you two to actually kill the Green Snake Valley Lord. Impressive! From today, you’re part of Black Wind Stronghold.”
“Thank you for taking us in, Leader,” Chen Ping said.
“No need for pleasantries,” the Black Wind Demon replied. “I’ll arrange a place for you to stay. Rest for now, and I’ll assign tasks tomorrow.”
The Black Wind Demon had his subordinates lead Chen Ping and Hu Mazi to rest, while he took the Green Snake Valley Lord’s head and entered a secret chamber behind the council hall.
In the chamber, an old man in a grey robe sat in a chair, eyes closed, meditating.
The old man’s face was gaunt, his hair white, appearing ancient, yet he exuded a powerful aura, no less formidable than the Black Wind Demon.
“Master, the Green Snake Valley Lord is dead,” the Black Wind Demon said, bowing respectfully to the old man.
The old man slowly opened his eyes, a glint of sharpness in them. “Well done. What about those two human cultivators? Are they trustworthy?”
“They seem fine, but I don’t know their backgrounds,” the Black Wind Demon said. “I plan to observe them for a while. If they’re reliable, I’ll use them. If not, I’ll kill them.”
“Hm,” the old man nodded. “Things are uneasy around Nine Coils Mountain lately, and there’s movement from the Black Fiend Demon Palace. Stay cautious. Also, regarding the Hu Clan incident, keep it secret. No one must know.”
“I understand, Master,” the Black Wind Demon said.
The old man closed his eyes again, and the Black Wind Demon bowed before leaving the chamber.
Meanwhile, Chen Ping and Hu Mazi were taken to a guest room.
Though simple, the room was fairly clean.
“Who was that old man?” Hu Mazi asked. “His aura felt stronger than the Black Wind Demon’s.”
“No idea,” Chen Ping said, “but he’s likely the real power behind Black Wind Stronghold.”
“What now?” Hu Mazi asked.
“Rest for now. We’ll sneak out tonight to gather information,” Chen Ping said. “The stronghold’s defences are tight, so we need to be careful.”
They rested briefly, and when night fell, they quietly left the guest room, heading towards the secret chamber behind the council hall.
They knew the Black Wind Demon and the old man might be discussing important matters there, possibly revealing clues about the Hu Clan’s extermination.
Carefully avoiding patrolling demon cultivators, they reached the chamber’s entrance.
