Chapter 91 - 84: Demon: He’s Here to Join Us
Jiang Mu sighed to himself, still feeling a bit unsatisfied.
’What a shame.’
’If only there were another den of demons nearby...’
Just as the group was clearing the battlefield and gathering the spoils, a scout suddenly came stumbling over.
His face was deathly pale and he was gasping for breath, his eyes filled with terror:
"Masters, an urgent report!"
"What is it?"
Yan Fenghuo frowned.
The scout said urgently:
"The brothers from Patrol Team Two sent an urgent message! About a mile to the northeast, at Chaotic Stone Slope, they found signs of large-scale demon activity. Our initial intel suggests... it’s the remnant force under the Black Tiger Demon!"
"What?!"
Yan Fenghuo’s expression changed in an instant. "Are you certain it’s the Black Tiger Demon’s forces?"
"Absolutely certain!"
The scout nodded forcefully.
Yan Fenghuo took a deep breath, then turned to Jiang Mu and said in a low voice:
"Master Jiang, this Black Tiger Demon was once the vanguard general for that Mist Demon. When Hu State City fell, it was the first one to slaughter its way in. It’s notoriously vicious, earning it the name ’Tiger Vanguard’! Its forces are all savage demons, too."
’Tiger Vanguard?’
Jiang Mu’s eyes brightened.
’He sounds like an experienced, elite mini-boss. Definitely loaded!’
"Let’s go. We’ll go have a look!"
Jiang Mu was decisive.
...
A moment later, the group arrived at a hidden ravine.
Members of Patrol Team Two were already there.
The one who had passed on the intelligence was a Demon Slayer Envoy in his fifties, a Third Realm Cultivator. He was currently leaning against a rock while a comrade bandaged his bleeding arm.
"Master Yan!"
Upon seeing Yan Fenghuo, a fervent light ignited in the old Demon Slayer Envoy’s eyes.
The reputation of "Desperate Yama" was well-known among the lower ranks of the Demon-slaying Bureau, earning him the deep admiration and respect of many.
"Give me the short version," Yan Fenghuo said, his expression grim.
The old Demon Slayer Envoy pointed to a series of rolling hills in the distance and said:
"This humble one risked approaching to scout and has a good grasp of the situation. Hidden there is the main force left behind from the Black Tiger Demon’s last defeat. Their numbers... are around five hundred!"
"Five hundred?!"
Yan Fenghuo and the men behind him all drew in a sharp breath.
That number...
It was already the size of a small Demon Army.
The old Demon Slayer Envoy nodded.
"However, the Tiger Vanguard himself isn’t there. His whereabouts are unknown; perhaps he’s gone to find other remaining troops. The ones currently in charge are a pair of Leopard Demon brothers under his command, both of whom have a Tier Four Cultivation Level.
"Furthermore, there are over thirty Tier Three Demons, and the rest are all lesser demons of Tier One or Tier Two.
"From what I can tell, these demons were separated from the main army after the last rout and are just lying low and hiding there for now.
"However, as I was leaving to deliver the report, they had already started packing their things. It looked like they were preparing to relocate and retreat, likely because they’ve received some kind of order."
Yan Fenghuo’s brows knitted into a tight knot.
Over five hundred demons!
Even without the Tiger Vanguard leading them, it was still an incredibly terrifying force.
And their group, all told, numbered less than twenty, even including Jiang Mu.
Worse still, they had all just been through a bloody battle. Their Star Power was heavily depleted, and everyone was exhausted.
Cultivators weren’t perpetual motion machines, after all.
Once their energy was too depleted, they needed rest or Pills to recover.
And Pills were only a temporary fix, not a long-term solution.
The same was true for him, a Fifth Realm Cultivator.
Although he was confident that his Fifth Realm Cultivation would allow him to carve his way in and out of the demon horde a few times, trying to annihilate all five hundred of them was a fool’s dream. He would just be worn down and killed in the end.
It was like a grown man fighting a hundred children; eventually, the man would collapse from exhaustion.
Besides, if he truly enraged them, the demons would inevitably counterattack with full force.
He himself could escape, but what about his men?
This fight was impossible.
"Sir, we’ve been spotted!"
Ma Wenliu cried out from beside him, pointing at the sky.
Everyone looked up.
They saw several enormous, black-feathered hawks circling overhead, with faint traces of demonic energy swirling around their wings.
They were the demonic scout birds commonly used by the Demon Army.
...
Atop Chaotic Stone Slope, on a massive, weathered rock.
Two imposing figures stood side-by-side, gazing from afar toward the ravine where Yan Fenghuo and his men were hiding.
These two demons both had the heads of leopards and the bodies of men.
They wore simple leather armor, their muscles bulging as if forged from iron. Dark golden spots shifted on their fur, and they radiated a ferocious aura.
They were the Tiger Vanguard’s personal commanders, Bao Da and Bao Er.
Bao Da, who carried twin sabers on his back, narrowed his eyes and sneered.
"Heh, I didn’t expect the Demon-slaying Bureau to have such a good nose, sniffing us out this quickly. Fortunately, it’s just a dozen or so little flies."
His younger brother, Bao Er, however, was a bit worried.
"Brother, our scouts confirmed the leader is Yan Fenghuo of the Fourth Hall. The guy is nicknamed ’Desperate Yama,’ and he’s a famous lunatic. You don’t think he’ll... just lead his men to attack us directly, do you?"
"HAHAHA!"
Bao Da roared with laughter.
"Second Brother, you’re overthinking things. If we only had two hundred of our brothers here, that lunatic might actually dare to risk it all.
"But now, we have five hundred warriors!
"Even if Yan Fenghuo’s been kicked in the head by a donkey and had it slammed in a door, there’s no way he’d be stupid enough to throw an egg at a rock!
"He’ll definitely send someone back to the city for reinforcements. We’ll just ignore them, stick to the plan, finish packing, and leave immediately. By the time their backup arrives, we’ll be long gone."
Bao Er tightened his grip on his Wolf Fang Club, a vicious glint in his eyes.
"In that case, Brother, since there are only a dozen or so of them, why don’t I take a team of our boys to charge down and devour them? I bet Yan Fenghuo’s flesh is nice and chewy."
"Nonsense!"
Bao Da’s expression darkened, and he scolded sharply,
"Yan Fenghuo is a genuine Fifth Realm Cultivator. He’s no pushover! Who do you think is going to kill him?
"How many of our brothers’ lives will we have to sacrifice?
"Don’t cause unnecessary complications. We leave as planned. If we wait for their reinforcements, we won’t be able to get away even if we want to."
Bao Er flinched at the scolding and suppressed his desire for personal glory.
Still, he mumbled uneasily:
"But what if... what if they have some reckless fool over there who doesn’t know any better and just attacks first, consequences be damned?"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Bao Da raised his head, his face a mask of arrogance and absolute certainty.
"Hmph. If even ’Desperate Yama’ doesn’t dare to make a move, then I ask you, what other suicidal fool would dare to throw their life away?"
...
Behind an earthen mound in the ravine.
"Send for reinforcements."
Yan Fenghuo took a breath, suppressing his frustration, and ordered his trusted subordinate, "Ma Wenliu, hurry back to the city! Report to the Bureau Chief and request reinforcements! Be quick!"
Ma Wenliu glanced toward Chaotic Stone Slope and frowned.
"Master, by the time reinforcements arrive in force, I’m afraid these demons will have long since vanished into the deep mountains, impossible to track."
"Then what do you suggest we do?!"
Yan Fenghuo glared at him with bloodshot eyes and roared in a low voice,
"I’m a madman, not an idiot! There are barely more than a dozen of us! Are we supposed to charge up there and be nothing more than a toothpick for those five hundred demons?!"
Ma Wenliu was left speechless.
Everyone fell silent.
Reason told them that calling for reinforcements was the only viable plan, even if it meant watching helplessly as the demons escaped.
"This humble one... will go at once."
Ma Wenliu gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
The frustrated Yan Fenghuo slammed his fist into the ground, punching a crater in the dirt and muttering a curse.
He turned to say something to Jiang Mu, but upon turning, he froze.
The spot beside him was empty.
"Where’s Master Jiang?"
Yan Fenghuo asked, dumbfounded.
Everyone looked around, but there was no sign of him.
One of the subordinates muttered under his breath:
"He heard there were over five hundred demons—you don’t think Master Jiang got scared and slipped away, do you?"
Just then, the old Demon Slayer Envoy’s eyes suddenly went wide. Pointing forward with a trembling finger, he stammered,
"He... he..."
Everyone turned to look, and they were all instantly petrified, dumbstruck.
There...
A lone figure, long saber in hand, was charging enthusiastically toward the demonic aura that blanketed the mountainside!
His retreating figure showed no hesitation.
It even conveyed a sense of impatient glee.
...
On the rock across the way.
Bao Da and Bao Er, who were in the middle of urging their troops to hurry up and retreat, also saw the lone figure charging toward them.
The two Leopard Spirits were stunned.
Bao Da scratched the furry back of his head, his face a picture of confusion. "What’s he trying to do? Is he lost?"
Bao Er looked just as baffled.
After a moment’s hesitation, he said uncertainly,
"Maybe... he’s here to join us?"