Chapter 25: Chicken Versus Leopard

“He’s here, the Lord of the Mountain has arrived.”

As the words were spoken, a pungent odor drifted in. Xiao Yang stepped back in disgust. The two fierce bandits were so terrified, they wet themselves on the spot.

A subtle shift took place in the mood. The flock of speckled chickens parted in an organized fashion, as though making way for some distinguished figure.

In the next moment, every chicken lowered itself to the ground, as if bowing in welcome to their king.

Out strode a magnificent rooster, proud and imposing. He swept his gaze over the crowd, like a leader inspecting his domain. Once he confirmed that all the chickens had submitted, he turned his attention to the center.

His eyes fell first upon the two bandits, cowering in their disgrace, and a flicker of contempt crossed his gaze. In the past few days, he had wiped out seven or eight bandit camps, each with hundreds of men. He despised these bullies who preyed on the weak.

His gaze continued, soon settling upon Zhou Yan. His body gave a violent shudder, and he instinctively took two steps back.

The Rooster King remembered all too well—it was this woman who’d tried to stew him. She’d chased him with a hatchet across several hills, determined to eat him. Had he not fought desperately, he would surely have met a grim fate.

He slowly began to turn, clearly ready to bolt.

Finally, Xiao Yang couldn’t hold back any longer. He roared, “Rooster King!”

The Rooster King, just about to flee, trembled and looked toward the voice with delight.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” It was his master!

Almost instantly, he dashed forward. His speed even took Xiao Yang by surprise. As he neared, he launched himself in a flying leap, aiming to embrace Xiao Yang.

“Damn!” Xiao Yang rolled his eyes and sidestepped. With a single hand, he deftly caught both of the Rooster King’s wings.

“Thud, thud!” Without another word, he delivered two swift kicks.

“Rooster King, are you trying to ascend to heaven?” Xiao Yang shouted in fury.

After only six days apart, his rooster had somehow gathered a whole army. Moreover, according to the bandits, the nearby bandit groups had all suffered in the past few days. Though those bandits were no saints, if there were no more bandits in the area, would these chickens start attacking travelers?

Xiao Yang dared not dwell on the thought. If this continued, it would surely attract the attention of the Giant Spirit Sect. Eventually, the martial lords would intervene. Even if there were tens of thousands of chickens, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

If they really started investigating, it could implicate him as well. In the end, he might foolishly become the chief of the bandits!

“Lord of the Mountain, you’re really something!” He kicked again.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” The Rooster King cried out in misery. Instantly, the flock of speckled chickens grew restless. This two-legged creature dared to strike their king—he must be tired of living.

The previously quiet chickens became agitated once more.

“Damn!” Xiao Yang cursed under his breath. He turned to the Rooster King and demanded, “Make your followers clear out!”

Zhou Yan and the two bandits were dumbfounded.

Utterly bewildered. That was the Rooster King? The Lord of the Mountain? Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined a connection between the two.

“Senior brother! Is that the big rooster from the other day?” Zhou Yan, though she already knew the answer, couldn’t help but ask. It was simply unbelievable.

In just six days, a single chicken had accomplished a feat. From nothing, he had risen to rule several hills, all in six days. He’d even defeated the notorious Ma Jinghong, chief of the Heavenly Wolf Bandits. His exploits were worthy of a book.

A furious cry echoed, “Cluck, cluck, cluck!”

The three looked over to see the Rooster King hopping about in anger, scolding his followers with sharp clucks. The chickens that had been eyeing Xiao Yang now lay flat on the ground again, silent and obedient.

Once he’d finished reprimanding them, the Rooster King trotted back, rubbing gently against Xiao Yang’s leg.

“Heh!” Xiao Yang rolled his eyes. The thought of his rooster leading thousands of chickens in mischief made his teeth itch. Thankfully, he’d arrived in time. Who knew what might happen if this went on?

What troubled Xiao Yang most was that the Rooster King’s cultivation had reached the seventh tier of Demon Master. No wonder Ma Jinghong had been chased across the hills. With only three hundred men, he could never stand against these chickens.

Seeing the Rooster King finish disciplining his flock, Xiao Yang said coldly, “Disband your followers and come with me.”

No matter what, he had to bring the Rooster King back today. If he continued to expand, chaos would ensue.

Just recalling the past few days’ events made Xiao Yang chuckle bitterly. Lord of the Mountain—the reputation was already made. The place was so close to the Giant Spirit Sect, and with a seventh-tier Demon Master’s power, lingering here would definitely attract the sect’s attention. When they sent people to eliminate the Lord of the Mountain, the consequences would be unthinkable.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” The Rooster King called out in protest, clearly unwilling to part with his followers.

Suddenly, he bit down on Xiao Yang’s pant leg and tugged him toward the depths of the forest.

“What are you doing? What’s the meaning of this?” Xiao Yang eyed the Rooster King, but eventually followed. Before leaving, he made sure the Rooster King instructed his minions to keep watch over the bandits and Ma Jinghong’s corpse.

That was fifty thousand silver—if another demon beast ate it, he’d lose a fortune.

“Junior sister, let’s follow and see.”

“Mm.” Zhou Yan still felt as if she were dreaming. This Lord of the Mountain was not only a chicken, but a domestic one. Just days ago, she’d chased him across the hills; now, he ruled over several peaks.

They hadn’t gone far when a dark shadow darted from the undergrowth and blocked their path.

“Roar!” A beastly cry rang out, full of dominance.

The two finally got a good look at the demon beast: its body was black as ink, over ten feet long, and its eyes shone like lanterns in the night.

“A Shadow Leopard Demon, third tier Demon Master.”

Zhou Yan’s brow furrowed. The leopard’s aura was unstable—likely on the verge of a breakthrough. Zhou Yan wanted to kill it now, lest it become even more troublesome after evolving.

“Roar!” The Shadow Leopard Demon glanced at the two, its eyes glowing with a ferocious light. It looked at Zhou Yan warily; she was obviously powerful, and it doubted it could match her. Xiao Yang’s aura, however, was much weaker.

“Roar!” It raised its head and prepared to pounce on Xiao Yang.

Seeing this, Zhou Yan chuckled. “What a foolish leopard, choosing my senior brother. This should be entertaining.”

In the eyes of demon beasts, Xiao Yang was just a second-tier martial artist—a weakling. But when he got fierce, he was more dangerous than someone at the seventh or eighth tier.

As the Shadow Leopard Demon eyed him hungrily, Xiao Yang touched his nose and sighed. “Ah, handsome people are always the center of attention,” he remarked casually.

“Pfft! Senior brother, you have no shame, hahaha!” Zhou Yan was thoroughly amused. Obviously, the leopard thought he was easy prey, yet he spoke so elegantly.

Whoosh!

The Shadow Leopard Demon lunged. But Xiao Yang didn’t even need to lift a finger.

A small figure appeared out of nowhere and delivered a flying kick. That tiny body sent the ten-foot-long Shadow Leopard Demon soaring.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” The Rooster King cried out in fury.

He’d been leading the way, and now someone dared target his master? Did the Lord of the Mountain have no dignity?

He glared angrily at the Shadow Leopard Demon.

“Roar!” The leopard scrambled to its feet, its eyes red with rage. It looked up, preparing to see who had ambushed it, but when its gaze settled on the Rooster King, it couldn’t help but shudder. Its pupils widened with terror, its tail drooped and tucked tightly between its legs.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” The Rooster King grew even more enraged. Without giving the leopard a chance to explain, he pounced, clawing and pecking fiercely. Each peck drew blood.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!” The Rooster King screamed in indignation.

The Shadow Leopard Demon curled into a ball, trembling and too terrified to fight back.

“Huh?”

“This guy is impressive,” Xiao Yang muttered, stunned.

Good heavens, pinning a leopard to the ground—only the Rooster King among the speckled chickens could pull this off.

Zhou Yan found herself pitying the Shadow Leopard Demon. Once, the speckled chickens had been nothing but food; today, the food was pinning her down.

Ah, truly tragic.