Chapter 18: The Mountain Patrol Team and the True Nature of the Demons

Amid the chirping of sparrows, Mofan quickly met his three new teammates.

“Woof!”

“What’s all the fuss, little sparrow? Can’t you see I’m having a sweet nap?”

A large yellow dog crawled out from a hole beneath the great banyan tree, speaking with a rather disgruntled tone.

“Damn it, the sun’s almost overhead and you’re still sleeping? Aren’t you afraid of dying right there in that tree hollow?”

The sparrow grumbled and promptly dropped a pile of bird droppings on the dog’s head, sending the dog into a furious howl.

“Chirpy, is this toad the new arrival?”

At that moment, a rough voice sounded nearby.

Mofan turned to see a massive black water buffalo striding toward them, with a large rabbit perched atop its head, busily gnawing on a carrot.

“Yes, yes, that ugly toad is the new one!” Chirpy eagerly nodded and flew over, landing on one of the buffalo’s horns. With a sharp beak, it pecked at the carrot held by the rabbit.

“Scram! That’s my food—go catch some bugs elsewhere!” the rabbit snapped, glaring and hiding the carrot behind its back.

“Tch! Stingy rabbit. It’s just a carrot—what’s the big deal?” Chirpy sneered.

“So this toad is the newcomer, huh?”

The yellow dog suddenly stepped up to Mofan, scrutinizing him with dog-like eyes before releasing a swirl of black mist from its body.

In the next instant, the dog transformed into its spirit form.

Before him stood a creature with long yellow hair, a slightly darkened and pronounced nose higher than a normal person’s, and two human-like hands, though its body remained that of a dog.

Even so, it was far stronger than Mofan, whose spirit form was limited to just a head.

“Since you’re a newly promoted little demon, it’s only proper to offer a token of respect on our first meeting. Present your token, so I can take good care of you in the future!” the dog demon boasted to Mofan.

“That’s right, little toad, do you have a token to offer?”

Nearby, the rabbit demon atop the buffalo quickly put down its carrot and chimed in.

“Uh... what exactly is a token?”

Mofan was puzzled by their words.

“You really are a dumb little demon, not even knowing what a token is. What on earth did our Lord Dì Mù see in you?” the dog demon mocked.

“A token is something beneficial!”

“By the way, I almost forgot to introduce you. This dumb toad’s name is Laibao, which sounds a bit like Laifu, your name,” Chirpy explained.

“Laibao, a treasure has arrived? That’s a fine name—surely Lord Dì Mù himself named you!” the buffalo nodded, then addressed the dog Laifu and the rabbit.

“Alright, the new little demon just came up the mountain and surely has no tokens yet; he’s probably poor. Don’t be too hard on him.”

“Exactly!” Chirpy hopped excitedly on the buffalo’s horn.

“Laibao, welcome to our mountain patrol team. I’m Dali, the eldest in our group, having been here on Black Wind Mountain for over thirty years,” the buffalo Dali said kindly.

“Oh, Brother Dali! I’m honored!” Mofan quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

“Human customs don’t hold much weight here on Black Wind Mountain, so you don’t need to be so formal. Just be yourself and focus on doing your part in the patrol missions. Don’t drag down Lord Heizi’s name,” Dali advised.

“Understood,” Mofan nodded, then glanced at the rabbit gnawing a carrot atop Dali’s head. “And what should I call this brother?”

“My name’s Redeye, given by the Lord. You can call me Brother Redeye, but about that token, you owe me one. When you have something good, don’t forget your brother!” the rabbit said.

“Of course, I’ll never forget Brother Redeye!” Mofan smiled warmly.

Being new here, he naturally wanted to establish good relations with these demons.

“Hey! Laibao, we all share the surname Lai, so don’t forget Brother Laifu’s token in the future!” the dog demon Laifu, seeing Redeye and Mofan getting along well, grew a little anxious at the thought of missing out.

“Got it, got it. Don’t worry, brothers, when I make it big, I won’t forget your kindness!” Mofan assured them with a smile, then shifted his gaze. “Brothers, do you all live near this banyan tree?”

“Yes, I live in the hole beneath this tree. Chirpy lives in the bird’s nest up above, and Redeye and Dali live on the nearby hillside,” Laifu explained.

“If you all have your own dwellings, where will I be staying?” Mofan asked promptly.

Having just arrived at this demon mountain, it was only natural to settle his living arrangements first.

If it were the wilds, he could simply carve out a cave wherever he liked.

But this was Black Wind Mountain, teeming with demons who seemed to have grudges among themselves. Being unfamiliar with the place, randomly digging out a dwelling might spark misunderstandings, which would be unpleasant.

“Laibao is right—since you’ve accepted our help, we should do our best to find you a good place to live,” Dali spoke up.

“Well... alright then! Laibao, remember the brothers’ kindness and don’t forget your tokens...”

Dali seemed to have considerable influence among these little demons, so his words were taken seriously, and they began searching for a suitable home for Mofan.

“Laibao, do you have any preferences for your dwelling’s location?” Dali asked.

“I like damp places, so it’d be best if the cave could be near a water source,” Mofan replied thoughtfully.

“Toads like damp places—that’s understandable!” Dali nodded, then thought for a moment. “There’s a spring right behind the small hillside where I live. We usually get our water there. You’re in luck!”

Mofan’s face lit up with joy. “Thank you, brothers, that’s really kind of you!”

“Hop on; I’m the fastest. I’ll carry you there!” Dali offered.

Mofan hesitated briefly but couldn’t refuse, so he climbed onto the broad back of the buffalo.

“Brother Dali, I want to ride you too!” Laifu’s dog eyes suddenly gleamed.

“Alright, but you’ll have to ride me for a while first,” Dali said, glancing at Laifu.

Laifu immediately sulked and ran ahead without another word.

“Laifu’s always trying to take advantage of us little demons. Laibao, you’ll need to watch out for him,” Dali warned kindly.

“Got it,” Mofan nodded.

From his dealings with these demons, he had already grasped their personalities.

Chirpy the sparrow was a chatterbox.

Laifu the dog demon liked to freeload.

Redeye the rabbit was a stingy fellow.

Dali the buffalo was honest and, so far, the most dependable of the four.

Soon, the group of five demons arrived at the so-called spring.

Mofan looked on with delight.

Though called a spring, it was not a mere trickle of water but a deep pool several meters across.

As he approached the pool, a wave of coolness washed over him, and the air was thick with dampness, which instantly refreshed his entire body.

“Laibao, this is the spring. Do you think it’s suitable?”

“If you agree, point to a spot and we’ll dig your dwelling there!” Dali said.