Chapter 22: A Heart Turned to Departure, a Peak Carved by a Single Sword

Having had his venom extracted, Mo Fan suffered a severe blow to his vitality, and it took him a full five or six days of lying in his cavern to recover. This ordeal taught him that monsters are always monsters; there is no light on Black Wind Mountain, only a realm shrouded in darkness.

Mo Fan’s original plan to ask the demon corporal Blackie about the milky-white stone had to be abandoned. He had no desire to be slaughtered for his treasures by that wretched scorpion. At the same time, the thought of fleeing Black Wind Mountain began to take root in his mind. Although this place was a den for monsters, it was not where he wanted to stay, for one moment of carelessness could see him served up as a feast on a dinner table.

He had only been here for two days, yet he had already seen the cold, calculating nature of the mountain’s inhabitants. The Demon King dismissed him with contempt, the Demon General wanted to eat him, and even the demon corporal who took him in only did so to exploit him for his venom. In short, this place was truly terrifying.

Although the extraction of his venom would not kill him, Mo Fan realized that if all of it were drained, his demon body would suffer immense trauma. He felt that if he were subjected to this a few more times, he would surely perish.

"No, I must get out of Black Wind Mountain as soon as possible!" Mo Fan took a deep breath, his expression grim. Waiting for death was not his style.

Listening to the thunderous snoring coming from the next room, Mo Fan began to plot his escape. Through his conversations with the dog demon Laifu over the past few days, he understood that the monsters on Black Wind Mountain did not have many duties. Each demon corporal was typically assigned three personal attendants and five mountain patrol guards. The personal attendants were the confidants of the masters, living lives of leisure with almost nothing to do except occasionally hunt for food. The patrol guards, while not as well-off as the attendants, were not overworked either; their main task was to patrol the mountain, a duty that lasted for half a month before rotating.

If Mo Fan wanted to escape, the patrol period would undoubtedly be the best time. And the next rotation was due in just three days!

Having finalized his escape plan, Mo Fan drifted into a deep sleep.

The next day, he was awakened by Laifu the dog demon, and as usual, he joined the other monsters to pay his respects to Corporal Blackie. Even though Mo Fan’s vitality was severely drained, he still had to pay his respects without fail—it was the rule.

"Laibao, are you feeling better today?" Seeing Mo Fan again, Dali asked with concern and then urged him, "Get on my back; let me carry you!"

The other minor demons had heard about the master extracting Mo Fan’s venom, so they were quite sympathetic to his plight. For the past few days, it was almost always Dali who carried him to the Scorpion Cave.

"No need, I feel much better today, so there is no need to trouble you, brother."

Mo Fan felt a genuine warmth at Dali’s kindness. Among all the monsters, he felt closest to this simple, honest water buffalo.

"Very well, since you feel good, you should walk more. You have been lying down for quite a few days, after all," Dali nodded, then added, "Oh, I have some good news to tell you."

"What good news?"

Before Mo Fan could ask, the other monsters all looked at Dali with curiosity. Mo Fan also fixed his gaze on him, eager to hear what the news might be.

"Tomorrow is the fifteenth, and we will be holding a cultivation assembly across Black Wind Mountain in the evening! Laibao, didn't you want to know how to absorb moonlight to temper your demon aura? I can teach you tomorrow night!"

"Tch! Is that it? I thought it was real news!"

"Boring, so boring!"

The other monsters shook their heads, but Mo Fan’s eyes lit up. This was indeed good news for him.

"In that case, I will have to trouble you tomorrow night, brother Dali!" Mo Fan said happily.

"Don't mention it. We serve under the same corporal; we are the closest of brothers, and helping each other is only right!" Dali smiled honestly.

"By the way, does this mean the 'Sun-Spicy Contest' is happening on Flat-Top Peak today?" The rabbit demon Red Eye suddenly began to bounce excitedly on Dali’s back.

At the mention of the "Sun-Spicy Contest," the expressions of the other monsters shifted. Even the honest Dali looked uncomfortable, as if the subject were a great taboo.

"What is the Sun-Spicy Contest?" Mo Fan asked, curious. Since arriving on Black Wind Mountain, he had often heard the monsters mention this event, but he knew nothing about it.

"This... it’s better if Zhazha tells you!" Dali’s expression was grim.

"Silly, the Sun-Spicy Contest is just a performance of 'Sun-Spicy'!" chirped the bird demon Zhazha. "It’s our rule on Black Wind Mountain: the fifteenth of every month is the cultivation assembly, and the day before is the Sun-Spicy Contest. The Great King and the generals all attend, and if they are in a good mood, they even give out prizes. The corporals also use this as an opportunity to place bets. The spectacle is even more exciting than the assembly itself!"

Perform "Sun-Spicy"? Mo Fan was still unclear about the deeper meaning, but since it was happening today, he figured he would see it for himself and decided not to press further. After all, aside from the excited rabbit demon, the other monsters—Zhazha included—seemed to pale at the mere mention of it.

The group of monsters soon arrived at the Scorpion Cave.

The Scorpion Cave was a name Mo Fan had coined himself. In reality, it was just Corporal Blackie’s residence. Since the fellow was a scorpion demon, Mo Fan felt the name was quite fitting.

As usual, the three personal attendants were already waiting. Once everyone had gathered, they went in to pay their respects. Before long, the scorpion demon emerged, wearing his familiar black robe.

Blackie scanned the group, his gaze finally resting on Mo Fan. He smiled slightly. "Laibao, are you feeling better?"

"Thank you for your concern, Master. I am almost fully recovered," Mo Fan replied respectfully.

"Good, good. With a recovery rate like this, it shouldn't delay the next venom extraction."

Blackie nodded in satisfaction, but his words filled Mo Fan with hidden rage.

"Right, tomorrow is the fifteenth, which means the Sun-Spicy Contest is today. Let's head over early to secure a good spot. You all prepare yourselves; the old rule applies: we will draw lots, and whoever draws the mark will go up."

Blackie’s words made the monsters tremble in unison. Led by him, they began their trek up the mountain.

Although Black Wind Mountain was a single mountain, it had multiple peaks. One of them sat below the cloud layer, and because its terrain was exceptionally flat, it was aptly named "Flat-Top Peak."

When Mo Fan arrived at Flat-Top Peak, he finally understood why it bore that name. The entire summit was vast, yet it was unnervingly flat, as if someone had sliced the top off with a single sword stroke.

"Master, why is this peak so flat?" Mo Fan asked out of curiosity.

"Good question. You are smarter than these idiots; at least you know how to think. Unlike them, when they first saw this place, they just stared in a daze, saying nothing but 'holy cow' before falling silent." Blackie chuckled and explained, "When I first came to this mountain, I asked the Third General the same thing. He told me that it was flat because a great battle took place here long ago. A human master invaded Black Wind Mountain and severed the peak with one sword, killing the Demon King at the time. It was only because of that event that our Great King was eventually able to establish his domain here."

"So that’s how it was!" Mo Fan nodded, feeling quite stunned.

Flat-Top Peak appeared to be hundreds of yards wide at a single glance. What kind of sword strike could possibly shear off such a massive summit?

As the monsters talked, others began to arrive on Flat-Top Peak, settling into the surrounding areas. This was the first time Mo Fan had seen so many monsters together—dense and packed, easily numbering over a hundred.