Xiao Li's unusual actions caught Jian Lin's attention. She turned her head and met the Demon Lord's gloomy gaze.
"Ah!" Jian Lin stumbled and fell to the ground. She gave a sheepish smile and said softly, "Demon Lord, you're back. Did you find out any news?"
"What is it you have to say that you must hide to speak?" The Demon Lord's gaze shifted, landing on Xiao Li's face. "And you, you seem quite energetic. Were you faking it before?"
Xiao Li nimbly jumped off Jian Lin's lap, landing on all fours. She wagged her tail and walked to the Demon Lord's feet, circling him affectionately. She then tilted her chin up, parted her three-lobed mouth, and let out a soft "Meow."
Jian Lin was stunned. This little creature was truly something! Ever since they met, Xiao Li had always walked upright on two legs, mimicking human behavior. Now, why was she pretending to be a cat?
As fate would have it, the Demon Lord was a sucker for fluffy creatures. His complicated relationship with Hong Qu originated from this very trait. Now, with her acting like a cat, she had struck a chord with the Demon Lord's soft spot.
As expected, the Demon Lord slowly bent down, reached out, and scooped Xiao Li into his arms. He skillfully stroked her fur, saying with disdain, "I've never seen such a dirty cat. I suspect you never groom yourself."
Xiao Li nudged the Demon Lord's chin with her nose, her attempt to please him too obvious. She let out another soft meow in response.
Jian Lin was speechless. Fine, she was indeed the most foolish one.
And so, Xiao Li successfully transitioned from Jian Lin's embrace to the Demon Lord's lap, sleeping soundly and comfortably.
Of course, the most upset was not Jian Lin, but Hong Qu. Seeing that little creature occupying the Demon Lord's lap, she couldn't help but recall her own past. Truly, he was both heartless and sentimental, with an unchanging habit of loving every creature he encountered.
Tao Niang shook her head helplessly and turned to offer Jian Lin food. "Miss A Pei, I found some more mushrooms. Would you like to roast some?"
Jian Lin's eyes lit up. Back at Chuyun Pavilion, she had often showcased her culinary skills. She hadn't expected Tao Niang to remember her fondness for roasted mushrooms. Tao Niang was truly kind, and Jian Lin felt like crying.
The mushrooms Tao Niang found were naturally safe. Jian Lin didn't hesitate. She immediately took out bamboo skewers and seasonings from her Qiankun Bag, moved a few stones to build a simple grill, and skillfully threaded the mushrooms onto skewers. Tao Niang lit a small demon fire for her. The two cooperated seamlessly, and soon, several skewers were cooked to perfection.
Xiao Li, smelling the aroma, stopped pretending to sleep. She immediately jumped off the Demon Lord's lap and stood on the stones, gazing blankly at the roasted mushrooms.
Jian Lin smiled proudly, "Never eaten this before, have you? This is a delicacy."
Xiao Li's eyes were glued to the mushrooms. She stuck out her tongue, licking her lips. Jian Lin deliberately picked up a skewer of roasted mushrooms and flaunted it in front of Xiao Li, teasing her, pretending to give it to her, but actually just waving it around before handing it directly to the Demon Lord.
The Demon Lord looked at Jian Lin with disdain, reluctantly took the skewer, then beckoned Xiao Li over and gave her a skewer of the cooked mushrooms first. After Xiao Li ate, she passed the remaining ones to Hong Qu.
He certainly knew how to manage everyone, Jian Lin scoffed disdainfully. She then gave the next skewer to Tao Niang. Xiao Li, that cunning creature, immediately ran to Tao Niang and acted cute, begging for food. As expected, she managed to get several more skewers.
Jian Lin had spent a lot of effort roasting them, but most of them ended up in Xiao Li's belly. She was both amused and exasperated. She poked Xiao Li's nose and said, "Eat so much and you might get indigestion. I promise you, there will be more delicious food later. Don't eat so much every time. You're so unpromising."
Xiao Li was indifferent. She licked her lips with her tongue and hopped back onto the Demon Lord's lap, full and satisfied, ready to continue sleeping.
Unexpectedly, the Demon Lord directly picked her up, casually placed her on his shoulder, and announced loudly, "Pack up quickly, we need to depart."
The sun was setting, painting the sky with fiery colors. Tao Niang extinguished the demon fire, and Jian Lin covered all traces with dirt. The group returned to the mountaintop, gazing at the distant Yuheng Mountain Range.
As the last rays of sunlight disappeared, the Yuheng Mountain Range began to twinkle with scattered lights, eventually forming a continuous glow, like a flowing river of stars.
"The Bird Demon tribe nests on the mountaintop; that is their territory," Tao Niang explained kindly to Jian Lin. "Look down, to the southeast, that's the Tiger Demon tribe, and to the southwest is the Lion Demon tribe."
"The Yuheng Mountain Range is filled with spiritual energy, nurturing four great demon tribes," the Demon Lord continued. "However, currently, three of these tribes are preparing to join forces to excavate the spiritual脉 of Yuheng Mountain and offer it to the Demon Emperor. Tonight, they plan to encircle the Bear tribe. The show is about to begin."
Jian Lin didn't understand. "Why would they dig up the spiritual脉? If the spiritual脉 is removed, how will the four great demon tribes survive?"
"Because it is said that the spiritual脉 of Yuheng Mountain is the dragon bone of an ancient divine dragon," the Demon Lord explained softly. "The demons do not care about the four great demon tribes; they only care about which tribe will receive the Demon Emperor's favor and become the Grand Preceptor, above all other demons."
"The four great demon tribes have been in conflict for many years," Hong Qu spoke up now. "Lord Bai Mei once told me that the spiritual脉 belongs to the Bird Demon tribe. The other tribes are trying to forcefully seize it. They are the masters of the spiritual脉, and all other demons deserve to die."
Jian Lin frowned. Fine, she didn't understand, but she respected their perspective.
Throughout the night, countless fires flickered across the sky and earth. A great battle was underway in the darkness.
They were far away, watching from the mountaintop. Jian Lin couldn't hear anything, but she could imagine countless screams of agony.
"The Bear tribe is falling," the Demon Lord suddenly straightened up and waved his hand backward. "Let's go, let's go see the battlefield!"
Hong Qu transformed back into her original form and followed the Demon Lord as they leaped down the mountaintop, speeding downwards. Tao Niang, carrying Jian Lin, followed closely on a flying carpet.
As the distance rapidly closed, Jian Lin realized that the small points of light in the distance were actually massive conflagrations.
The Bear tribe's settlement in the dense forest was burning. Blood flowed like rivers on the ground, and countless Bear tribe corpses lay scattered. Their bodies bore tearing wounds, and almost none were intact.
The Demon Lord and his entourage landed. They were in a circular plaza. Looking up, they saw a golden-doored grand hall situated on a raised platform. Corpses were piled high on the steps, indicating that they had used the entire tribe's strength to protect something.
The Demon Lord stepped forward, crossing the sea of corpses and flames, and pushed open the grand hall's doors. Inside, it was a scene of utter devastation. The Demon Lord closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then continued into the back rooms. Finally, in a small secret chamber, he found the demon he was looking for.
"Bear Tribe Chief, you have been defeated," the Demon Lord said, standing at the doorway and quietly observing the bear demon seated behind a desk.
A long saber was plunged into the bear demon's abdomen, pinning him to the chair. The scene was brutally bloody, and Jian Lin couldn't believe he was still alive.
"Ah..." The Bear Tribe Chief let out a pained groan. His dim eyes looked towards the doorway, and he said weakly, "I didn't expect to be able to speak before my death. Who are you?"
"I am the Demon Lord, and the people behind me are my subordinates," the Demon Lord stepped forward, walked to the desk, and bent down to meet the Bear Tribe Chief's gaze. "I know you are a steadfast guardian of the spiritual脉, unwilling to collude with the other three tribes. You refused to hand over the key to opening the spiritual脉, so they joined forces to kill you and extract your Golden Core. Your Golden Core is the key, isn't it?"
The Bear Tribe Chief let out a bitter laugh. "To think it's the Demon Lord. To see a human before my death, how ironic, how ironic! Our demon race deserves to be the lowest, truly deserves it!"
Hearing his resentful words, the Demon Lord's expression remained calm. He asked, "Bear Tribe Chief, since that is the case, would you be willing to say a few more words, perhaps to accumulate merit for your reincarnation? Perhaps in your next life, you might be reborn as a human. I wish to ask you, does the Dragon Pill truly exist?"
"No," the Bear Tribe Chief denied. "The outside world claims the spiritual脉 is the dragon bone, and that much is true. However, there is no Dragon Pill. All demons of the four great tribes know this, but they insist on feigning ignorance, wanting to excavate the dragon bone and refine it into a Dragon Pill. That... is simply impossible."
"Thus, I understand," the Demon Lord reached out and grasped the hilt of the long saber. He said to the Bear Tribe Chief, "Thank you for telling me. I will send you on your way."
"Wait," the Bear Tribe Chief suddenly struggled to sit up, disregarding the pain from the saber. He slowly approached the Demon Lord, raising a trembling arm, indicating he had something for him. "Actually, my Golden Core is not the key. The true key is here. Take it, Demon Lord. You can do whatever you wish with it, as long as you don't give it to the demons."
The Demon Lord extended his hand and took it. It was a quarter of a coiled dragon jade pendant.
"Heh heh," the Bear Tribe Chief spat out blood foam, saying with unwillingness, "Our four great demon tribes have already established themselves. As long as we cultivate diligently and unite as one, we will one day build a great sect comparable to human immortal sects. We have the spiritual脉... the Demon Emperor... what is that... what is it..."
After uttering his last sentence, the Bear Tribe Chief suddenly lost strength, his eyes wide open in death.
The Demon Lord took a step back and gestured with his chin towards the women behind him, indicating that the task was accomplished and they could leave.
As Jian Lin walked out, she glanced back at the Bear Tribe Chief. His study was filled with books, suggesting he had worked hard for his goals. Unfortunately, he couldn't resist the betrayal of his own kind. It was truly a pity.
On the way out, a long saber suddenly lunged from the other side of the corridor. The Demon Lord easily dodged it, kicked open the door, and sent the demon who attacked flying backward.
A small brown figure stood up, glaring fiercely at the Demon Lord, and shouted, "You killed my father! I saw it! I will kill you to avenge my father!"
It was a small brown bear, who had somehow survived the annihilation of his tribe.
Jian Lin couldn't help but step forward, wanting to persuade the Demon Lord to spare him. Suddenly, she remembered how many times she had angered him. What if her plea backfired and had the opposite effect?
She took a step back, determined not to interfere.
As expected, the Demon Lord glanced at her, sneered, and said to the little brown bear, "Then work hard. I'll wait for you to cultivate your Golden Core and come seek revenge."
"I definitely will!" the little brown bear yelled in near despair. "Tell me, who are you?!"
"The Demon Lord Mo Yan. Remember me well, don't forget."
With that, the Demon Lord turned and walked away with a flourish. Jian Lin followed, looking back at the little brown bear with concern, wondering if he, the sole survivor of his tribe, would be able to grow up safely.
As they exited the Bear tribe's grand hall, a rumbling sound came from underground, like an earthquake, causing constant tremors.
The Demon Lord raised the jade pendant in his hand and said to the people behind him, "They must be working together to open the spiritual脉 gate. Let's go and see."