Due to the demon-hunting operation, Yin Luan and the others stayed in the village for an extra day.
They took the opportunity to warn the villagers that the mountains might be restless for some time, so it was best to cut back on venturing out.
After all, the money Eldest Young Lady Ren Tan had given them was enough to cover their expenses for the year. There was no need to take such risks.
As for the mutton they had hauled back…
“Burp.”
“The villagers said—burp—they don’t dare bury stuff like this in the village. Burp. We’ll drag it into the mountains—burp—and toss it.”
“……”
Ren Tan looked at Yin Luan and Little Radish, their mouths gleaming with grease, and couldn’t bring herself to call them out on it.
The mutton had vanished without a trace, but the sheep horns were preserved.
Two pairs—four horns in all—dark gray in color and rough to the touch.
“These are good stuff,” Little Radish explained. “Earth Louse horns can be forged into weapons. They won’t kill on impact like its Mythic Ability, but turn them into blades, and they’ll slice through flesh, snap tendons, and shatter bones with ease—pure destructive power.”
The shape made them tricky for swords or sabers, but they’d make fine arrowheads or spear tips.
For now, though, the trio lacked both the skills and the time. They stowed the horns away, planning to hand them off to a smith once they got back.
With their food stores replenished, the three set out once more.
The deeper they pushed into the ancient woods, the thicker the unnatural auras grew.
Human adventurer teams and lone demons lurked amid the shadowed trees, each keeping a wary distance from the others.
Evidently, even with the Demon Subduing Division watching over Great Zhou Kingdom, the lure of treasure proved too strong for some.
“Mountains ringing us on all sides, streams forking off, clear skies overhead, no wind stirring the ground,” Little Radish surveyed their surroundings and nodded. “Yep, this is the spot.”
They had found the location.
But no village in sight.
Little Snake Demon flicked out her tongue to taste the air. No hint of a settlement.
The next puzzle: tracking down a “village that doesn’t exist.”
Little Radish Spirit had no better ideas. All her intel pointed right here.
“So many people around,” Yin Luan sniffed at the mingled scents hanging in the air. “It’s getting lively… What if other demons show up? Y’know, cows or horses or pigs—I could do the people a real service!”
“Your schemes are clanging loud enough for the folks back in Luo City to hear,” Little Radish shot back. “We probably won’t run into another Mythical Demon. And anyway, not every Mythical Demon goes around harming folks like the Earth Louse.”
An Earth Louse devours humans out of pure instinct. Without a solid cultivation base, it can’t rein those urges in.
Most Mythical Demons don’t bother with people at all… Humans simply aren’t worth their notice.
“Are we just gonna sit here twiddling our thumbs?” Ren Tan asked. “Even if the village pops up, I doubt we’d beat this crowd to it.”
“That’s what they’re thinking too,” Little Radish said with a frown. “Let’s wait till nightfall and see what shakes loose. Something’s bound to happen.”
Night descended, cloaking the woods in gloom.
Here and there, campfire glows pierced the trees, casting flickers of shadows from unseen figures.
Lighting a fire in conditions like these—broadcasting your position—demanded more than guts. It took real power.
The forest reeked of damp, chillier than any village or town, the breeze prickling uncomfortably against the skin.
The silence dragged on until the full moon crested overhead.
Then—
“Ah!”
A scream pierced the quiet.
“Someone’s making their move?”
Little Radish extended her tender pink hands toward the campfire flames, murmuring under her breath.
Mutual standoffs only hold when the powers are evenly matched. With the village still missing and the treasure hunters multiplying, it was only natural that some adventurers would try thinning the competition first.
“That one’s got some real beef on him—beef’s delicious!”
Yin Luan swallowed hard, eager for her generous donor to stumble into view.
Branches snapped. Leaves rustled. Closer, closer. Little Snake Demon’s drool pooled thicker.
And then…
“Help!”
A young maiden in a white dress, about Ren Tan’s age, beautiful and soft-spoken, tumbled right into their midst.
She didn’t rise. Instead, she kowtowed before the three seated by the fire.
“Predecessors, save me! This humble girl has nothing to offer in return, but I swear, afterward I’ll devote my life to you!”
“Tch…”
Yin Luan gave her a once-over and lost all interest.
This “girl” carried a scent that was anything but human. Clearly, another sprite in human form, just like Radish Spirit.
Beautiful as she was, wreathed in a subtle floral fragrance, her delicate air made that promise of devotion… rather tempting.
“Lily?” Xiao Luo said in a puzzled tone. “What are you doing here?”
“No, I’m absolutely not a flower spirit! I’m just a weak woman being chased by evil people… Xiao Luo? What are you doing here?”
The frail woman lifted her head. Upon seeing the little girl, surprise flickered across her face.
They had barely exchanged a few words when other voices echoed from the woods.
“Flower spirits fetch a good price.”
“Better to catch her alive.”
“Don’t let anyone else snatch her.”
“I know this person,” Xiao Luo whispered to Yin Luan. “Can you help her out?”
“Let me have a few more licks later…”
The little snake demon rose reluctantly. Moments later, the sounds of clashing and banging rang out from the woods.
“Run!” “This isn’t a place to linger!” “Wait for me!”
The band of humans pursuing the flower spirit weren’t particularly strong. With just a couple of swings from the little snake demon’s fists, they fled in terror.
Ren Tan stepped forward and helped the young maiden to her feet. Noticing the numerous wounds on her body, she took out some medicinal powder she carried and bandaged them.
The flower spirit named Lily glanced at the human young maiden, then at the little radish spirit, her face brimming with curiosity.
“Heh heh,” Xiao Luo scratched her head and grinned. “Got lucky and ran into two experts. Now I’m tagging along with them for meals.”
“Do they know you’re…?”
“Mm-hmm.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yin Luan—having chased off the petty thugs—stretched lazily. She lay on her side across from the flower spirit, propping her head on one hand as she appraised her.
“A flower spirit, huh? No wonder you smell so fragrant. You just mentioned offering yourself as payment, right… Can you eat flowers?”
“……?!”
“Enough, don’t actually scare her,” Xiao Luo soothed, turning to the flower spirit. “How did you end up here? Daring to come all by yourself?”
“Mm…”
The flower spirit shot Xiao Luo a glance, her eyes darting about as if she were scheming something.
Seeing this, Xiao Luo smacked her lips.
“Don’t get too greedy. Just share whatever clues you have. Even if you snag the treasure, do you really think you could hold onto it?”
“Mm, I can’t spill it for nothing…”
Lily muttered.
“You weren’t so picky when you were running for your life,” Xiao Luo shot back at her friend with an eye roll, then waved her hand. “Yin Luan, lick her.”
“No way,” the little snake demon rolled over, rubbing her belly. “I’d rather eat radishes…”
“Are you even on my side?!”
“Fine, fine,” the flower spirit shrugged and came clean. “Half a month ago, while I was drinking from the river, a bamboo basket happened to float by right in front of me…”
