Hidden Forest Mountain

(1/3)

A question mark slowly appeared on Chu Liang’s forehead.

Good heavens, he thought, have I just met the demon world’s version of Cao Mengde?

“I have no choice. He wields great power in Mount Hidden Grove, so I can only submit,” the Cat King said. “I don’t want to force my little sister, but before the Tiger King left, he said he’d go back and prepare the wedding. Three days from now, he’ll come to take her as his bride. If she’s not there by then, he’ll be furious…”

Chu Liang glanced at Lady Ming again and asked, “Didn’t you tell them you once received a decree from Mount Shu?”

“My sister told me I could seek help from Mount Shu, but… I dare not,” the Cat King replied, shaking his head. “We little demons of the wild fear you cultivators most. Not only do we not dare harm anyone, but even if we see humans lost, injured, or drowning in the mountains, we rush to save them. We’re afraid if a human dies here, your people will blame the monsters and launch a needless purge.”

Chu Liang could somewhat understand his predicament.

Among humans, the prevailing view still treats demons as mortal enemies; many wish to exterminate every monster they encounter. Some cultivators with ill intent even use monsters as ingredients for alchemy or soul refining, killing wantonly. After all, killing a human is a crime, but killing a demon is not protected by law.

All this only deepened the little demons’ fear of cultivators.

But the human fear of demons also has deep roots.

The evil acts of any group stem from a minority within it, yet the whole group often bears the consequences.

Monsters like the East Mountain Cat Clan, struggling to survive in the cracks between worlds, were by no means rare.

“As for the rest, I don’t know, but at least our Mount Shu Sect is reasonable,” Chu Liang could only say.

“Sigh…” The Cat King shook his head again. “If you take my sister away tonight, and the Tiger King’s wedding procession comes tomorrow, our East Mountain Cat Clan will surely be slaughtered. If you truly wish to help us, take my sister and leave quickly, so we have a little more time to escape.”

He glanced back at his subordinates. “But who knows if we’ll survive after leaving this territory.”

Chu Liang pondered.

For humans, leaving home is an emotional pain, but for demons, seeking a new home could mean bloody war and real danger. They needed food, shelter, and a suitable environment—survival was never as simple as claiming a patch of wilderness.

Moreover…

(2/3)

“Does the Tiger King command many demons?” Chu Liang suddenly asked.

“Mount Hidden Grove is the largest demon force within a hundred miles of Xingzhou City. The Tiger King’s underlings may number in the hundreds,” the Cat King replied.

“And what about the Tiger King himself? How strong is he?” Chu Liang asked again.

“He’s cultivated for seven or eight centuries. By your people’s standards, he would be a fourth or fifth realm monster,” said the Cat King.

“If…” Chu Liang spoke slowly, “If I help you get rid of the Tiger King, wouldn’t that solve all your troubles?”

“This, this…” The Cat King was shocked and suspicious, baffled by Chu Liang’s thinking.

Though Chu Liang could easily overpower him, he surely wasn’t a match for the Tiger King, was he?

Of course, Chu Liang had no intention of seeking death.

His greatest reliance was naturally the jade talisman his master had given him. With it, he could summon the Phoenix Princess herself—no matter how many followers the Tiger King had, she would surely slaughter them all, leaving not a soul to escape.

Besides, he’d yet to accomplish anything on this trip: no sect mission, no monsters slain.

The East Mountain Cat Clan were all good-natured little demons; it would be unreasonable to kill a few just for rewards.

If he simply took Lady Ming away, it would only bring disaster upon the cat demons.

Considering all of this, it was best to go directly to Hidden Grove Mountain and root out those evil demons. They were all notorious bullies; if he could kill a few and earn some rewards, his journey would not be in vain.

Of course, the most important thing was not the reward, but justice.

Yes.

With this in mind, he gave the Cat King a faint smile. “Since I asked, I’m confident I can deal with him. If you’re willing to help me, I can save your sister. What do you say?”

“I’m willing!” The Cat King looked at Chu Liang’s calm and gentle face, feeling that this man was indeed trustworthy. Deeply moved, he nodded heavily. “But young master, can you untie this rope first?”

…

Mount Hidden Grove.

(3/3)

Located a hundred and twenty miles east of Xingzhou City, the mountain was steep and thickly forested—a natural stronghold, easy to defend and hard to attack. In earlier years, it was a lair for bandits. As the main road nearby gradually fell out of use, the bandits faded away too. At some point, it became a haunt of demons.

Today, the wild mountains echoed with the clamor of drums and gongs, audible even from the mountain’s edge.

Climbing up the steep path to the summit, one could see a vast clearing below, filled with a tumultuous crowd of hundreds of little demons. Some were festively dressed in red, banging on drums and cymbals.

It was a scene of celebration.

Demons from the entire region had gathered, not just those of Hidden Grove Mountain, but also friendly demon kings from a hundred miles around, all here to offer their congratulations—for today was the Tiger King’s wedding day.

The Tiger King was mighty. In just a few years, he had become the region’s dominant demon lord. He was notorious for abducting women, with dozens of wives in his lair, but this time, he was making a great spectacle of it.

All the minor demon kings knew the Tiger King had recently been consolidating power, trying to bring the scattered demon clans under his rule. This gathering was less a wedding than a display of his strength.

Soon, a grand procession appeared.

At the very front was a gigantic elephant, its head adorned with a massive red pompom. Riding atop the elephant was a towering brute, over ten feet tall, his face covered in black whiskers. Despite wearing the groom’s attire, he could not hide his fierce aura. He was none other than the Tiger King.

Behind him, little demons marched in two rows, playing music. Eight of them carried a grand red bridal sedan chair.

The bride within was said to be the young cat demoness from the East Mountain Cat Clan—a name unfamiliar to most of those present.

At the rear of the bridal party followed a few demons from the bride’s family, apparently from East Mountain. The Cat King at their head looked utterly dejected, the others nondescript—clearly insignificant little demons.

Except…

Among these cat demons from East Mountain, one stood out.

His posture was upright. Though he was covered in fur like the others, he exuded a gentle and cultured air as he moved.

And—unlike the rest, who watched the crowd with fear, awe, or complicated emotions—his eyes shone with excitement and anticipation.

As if he were gazing upon a treasure trove.