Chapter 23: The Spicy Eating Contest, A Shattering of Worldviews

Over the past few days, Mo Fan had gained a rough understanding of the demonic hierarchy on Black Wind Mountain. The supreme master of the entire mountain was the Demon King "Black Whirlwind," whom he had encountered in the Black Wind Cave; beneath him were four Demon Generals. Each general commanded three lieutenants and five demon soldiers. Below the soldiers were three squad leaders and five mountain-patrolling minions. In total, the mountain was home to hundreds of demons. Mo Fan had initially thought this estimate was an exaggeration, but seeing the current scene, it seemed entirely accurate.

Before long, a large circle had been cleared on the flat top of the mountain by the gathered demons. "Look, the generals are here!" someone shouted, instantly drawing everyone's gaze. Mo Fan looked up to see three figures descending from the sky, landing swiftly at the front. These were the three Demon Generals he had seen in the cave, all possessing the ability to traverse the air. As soon as they appeared, their respective lieutenants stepped forward, setting up tables, chairs, wine, and fruit for them. The squad leaders, like Heizi, lacked the status to be seated and had to bring their own chairs to avoid embarrassment. As for low-level minions like Mo Fan, there were no chairs at all; they either sat on the ground or sprawled about in a disorderly fashion. The entire scene could only be described as chaotic.

"Demons are truly demons; they have no discipline at all, completely incomparable to the human race!" Mo Fan shook his head, feeling a sense of disdain, momentarily forgetting that he was one of the many demons on the mountaintop himself.

As the three generals settled in, the atmosphere on the peak reached a climax. The demons chatted noisily, and some even began to brawl. The squad leaders watched with amusement, making no effort to intervene, while the minions cheered them on, eager to see someone get hurt. The three generals sat drinking, looking quite pleased with themselves. Of course, the fighting was just a minor interlude that died down by the time the sun rose.

"The Great King is here!" the earlier voice rang out again, and the demons looked toward the sky. Mo Fan saw a black cloud descending at high speed, landing instantly between the three generals. The mist cleared to reveal the burly Demon King, surrounded by a bevy of beauties of all shapes and sizes. These were his concubines. Mo Fan counted over a dozen of them, all having fully manifested their human forms with only faint traces of their bestial origins.

This meant these concubines were all at the level of demon soldiers. Mo Fan spotted the rabbit demon he had seen before. She had fully manifested her human form, save for the pair of rabbit ears atop her head, and was wrapped in a thin red veil that left little to the imagination, radiating a seductive charm.

"How have I never seen that rabbit lady before? She’s stunning!" the sparrow demon chirped beside Mo Fan.

"Indeed, she is incredibly alluring!" the dog demon Laifu agreed with a grin, then chuckled, "She looks like a rabbit demon. We have a rabbit demon in our squad too—Red Eye is probably going to be green with envy!"

As they spoke, the ox demon Dali suddenly shouted, "Damn you, Red Eye, are you acting up on my back?"

The scandalous nature of the remark drew everyone's attention. Red Eye, caught in the act, stammered, "I... I didn't..."

"You still say you didn't?" Dali was furious, then looked stunned. "Wait, what are you doing?!"

"What's wrong?" Laifu asked, intrigued. When he leaned in to look, he gagged and cursed, "That horny rabbit is in heat!"

The surrounding demons erupted into laughter. Even Mo Fan twitched his face, stunned by how brazen Red Eye was to act out in such a public place. Was he a beast? No, that was too mild; he was simply absurd.

"You bastards, keep your voices down! Do you want the King and his lady to hear you?" Heizi, sitting at the front, turned around with a dark expression. He glared at Red Eye, who looked mortified on Dali’s back. "You useless wretch, you're on the list for the 'Hot Chili' challenge later!"

"What?" Red Eye cried out, "Master, you know I’m a rabbit by nature; I’m not built for that!"

"Haha, well played, Master!" "I support your decision! Who told you to act up, you horny rabbit? Regretting it now?"

The demons roared with laughter. Only Mo Fan was confused, not understanding the source of their amusement until the Demon King stood up.

"The monthly 'Hot Chili' contest begins now! As is tradition, my beloved concubines will perform for you all!" The Demon King pulled the rabbit demon, Bai Xue, to his side. "This is Bai Xue, my new favorite. You lot better keep your eyes peeled; if anyone dares bully her, you'll be the ones ending up in the deep-fryer!"

With a wave of his hand, the dozen concubines began to dance. "First round: impromptu performance. Each squad, send your representative!"

The squad leaders complied, each selecting a minion to step into the center. Mo Fan noticed these minions all looked grim, making him wonder what was coming next.

"Bring the stakes!" a guard shouted. Strong demons stepped forward, carrying thick wooden poles, which they drove into the ground before tying the chosen minions to them.

"What is this for?" Mo Fan was bewildered. "Isn't it a dance?"

"Don't rush, the show is just beginning!" the spider demon Lao Ba chuckled nearby.

Suddenly, the concubines approached the tied-up minions, dancing provocatively. Mo Fan was stunned—the performance was genuinely professional, reminiscent of modern-day girl groups. He thought, *If I brought them back to my world, they'd be stars.*

However, his shock reached a new level when basins of bright red chili powder were brought out. When he realized the nature of the "Hot Chili" challenge—applying the spice to sensitive areas—his entire worldview shattered. It was a spectacle that left him speechless. He finally understood why Heizi had asked him that question when he first arrived on the mountain. For the first time, Mo Fan felt a strange sense of relief regarding his own physiological limitations.