Chapter 14: Meeting the Demon King, Each with Their Own Destiny

On Black Wind Mountain, there was a place called the Black Wind Cave. To Mo Fan, this was nothing surprising; the only thing he found fault with was the poor naming skills of these monsters.

The so-called Black Wind Cave was not at the summit of Black Wind Mountain but still far above the halfway point, shrouded in mist and clouds.

It was a vast cave carved out by human hands, guarded outside by several burly little monsters wielding spears made of refined iron.

These little monsters, like the Blue Faces and others, had mostly human-like forms: their upper bodies resembled humans, but their lower halves were still covered in fur and scales, retaining beastly features.

Despite this, these monsters were somewhat more respectable than the newly transformed ones like Mo Fan. At least they wore tattered hemp garments that covered their bodies.

Looking at these mismatched creatures, Mo Fan couldn’t help but grumble, “Looks like the monsters here are really poor. There were monsters before who couldn’t get enough to eat. Now even the soldiers here dress so raggedly. Put them in human territory, and they’d be nothing but a bunch of refugees!”

“We have come to see the Great King. Is he inside the cave?” One-eyed spoke, addressing the guards at the cave entrance.

“So it’s the One-Eyed Lieutenant under the Fourth General!” a small monster, whose species was hard to discern, responded.

“Lieutenant, the Great King is inside the cave, drinking with the three generals!”

“The Fourth General is here too? That’s perfect. We’ll go in right away!” One-Eyed’s eyes brightened, then he said to the Blue Faces and others, “Bring these fellows into the cave and present them to the Great King for judgment!”

“Yes, my lord!” The Blue Faces nodded and immediately began pushing Mo Fan, the Rabbit Demon, and the husky inside.

Nearby, a black-robed demon guard and three small monsters under his command followed them in.

“Hahaha… This time, Poison Fang did well. I’ve long wanted to capture a human woman for a taste, but that stinky woman from the Bixiao Sect was watching too closely. The woman you brought this time isn’t bad—not as pretty as that stinky woman but not ugly either. It’ll change my palate.”

“Though the Great King has many beautiful concubines, all of them are monsters like us. Over time, it inevitably grows tiresome. So I brought this human woman to ease the Great King’s carnal desires.”

As Mo Fan was dragged into the cave, he heard voices from within.

He instinctively looked up and saw numerous monsters inside. Seated in the main seat was an exceptionally tall, burly man dressed in black.

The man’s chest and belly were exposed, his large belly protruding. His dark face was covered in a thick beard, and even his chest was covered in hair, resembling the Black Whirlwind from the Liangshan heroes.

In his arms was a petite woman.

Her skin was fair, clad in a green long dress, her slender waist only just fitting into the rough large hand of the black man. She was crying bitterly, her eyes swollen and red, body trembling.

Compared to the black man, she looked like Beauty and the Beast, the contrast in appearance and physique striking.

Though seated, the man’s towering stature left no doubt.

“What a Black Whirlwind—just sitting, he’s taller than me by far. Standing up, he must be over three meters tall,” Mo Fan murmured to himself, then shifted his gaze to the other monsters in the cave.

On either side of the black man’s stone chair stood two pig-headed monsters, each wielding a giant pole axe. They were tall and mighty, exuding a fierce aura—likely boar spirits.

Below them were various other monsters, most of whom, like One-Eyed and the black-robed guard, had mostly human forms.

What caught Mo Fan’s attention most were three monsters sitting cross-legged behind a special stone table.

These three were unlike the other humanoid monsters; compared to them, these three were hardly monsters at all—they appeared entirely human.

Unlike the others, who still showed some monster traits despite their human bodies, these three had no monster features whatsoever. They looked exactly like men.

Compared to the visually shocking ugliness of the black man, these three looked more human.

One wore a red robe, his skin as white and smooth as jade. His delicate features and narrow eyes gave him a somewhat effeminate air. If the red robe were replaced by scholar’s robes, he might pass as a learned man.

Another wore a white robe, his skin darker even than the black man’s, strikingly contrasting black and white. He was middle-aged, standing just over two meters tall, muscular and powerful, seeming to possess boundless strength.

The last wore a yellow robe, his appearance ordinary, with a simple, honest expression that seemed to never smile.

Mo Fan, of course, did not believe they were truly human.

Anyone who could drink wine in this monster cave was surely connected to monsters in some way.

As Mo Fan sized them up, they were also sizing up the newcomers.

“One-Eyed, didn’t you see that I’m drinking with the other generals and the Great King?” The red-robed monster spoke first, his tone tinged with displeasure, as if scolding One-Eyed.

“General, please calm down. I have urgent business to discuss with the Great King!” One-Eyed quickly explained.

The red-robed monster’s expression softened, then he glanced at the black-robed guard beside him and asked, “You, old Scorpion, are you here to see the Great King as well?”

So, he was a scorpion demon!

Upon hearing this, Mo Fan suddenly understood—no wonder he had four arms. Scorpions have six legs, so four hands plus two legs made sense.

“Reporting to the Fourth General, I have come to request some wine. I wonder if the Fourth General has any fine wine to share?” the black-robed guard smiled.

“This fine wine is brewed from Huang Jing; it’s a spirit wine. Such luxury is not for a lowly demon guard like you,” the red-robed demon sneered, then drank from his cup, ignoring the scorpion demon.

The scorpion demon was unfazed and, along with One-Eyed, turned to look at the black man in the chief seat.

That was the Monster King of Black Wind Mountain!

“One-Eyed, what is the matter? Speak so I may hear,” the Monster King’s gaze swept over him.

“Great King, it’s like this…” One-Eyed proceeded to recount the events involving Mo Fan and his companions, also having the Blue Face and the bird demon provide more details.

“Oh? Is that so?” The Monster King nodded, then looked at Mo Fan with disdain. “What an ugly creature!”

After speaking, the Monster King shifted his gaze to the trembling Rabbit Demon beside him.

“Rabbit Demon, lift your head so I can see you!”

The Rabbit Demon trembled but instinctively raised his head.

“What a beauty!” The Monster King’s eyes lit up, but then he frowned slightly. “You look quite lively, but your cultivation is far too low!”

With that, the Monster King spat out an object, waving his hand to send it floating before the Rabbit Demon.

Mo Fan looked closely and saw it was a half-length ginseng root, resembling the legendary mountain ginseng. A strong medicinal fragrance emanated from it.

“This is half a piece of Huang Jing, a lower-grade spiritual herb of the Yellow rank. It will help you further transform. Eat it!”

“Ah?” The Rabbit Demon hesitated, then looked up at the Monster King in disbelief. “This is really for me?”

“What nonsense! If I say it’s for you, then it’s for you!”

“You’re a young demon with some luck. Since you’re a newly promoted little demon of Black Wind Mountain, you should belong here. From now on, you will stay by my side and serve well!”

The Monster King waved his hand, sealing the Rabbit Demon’s fate with a single sentence.

“Thank you, Great King!”

Though silly and naive, the Rabbit Demon was not foolish. Understanding this was his chance, he immediately swallowed the half-piece of Huang Jing, chewing it down.

“Woof woof!” Suddenly, the husky, previously collapsed in a heap, let out a few low barks at the Monster King. He stood upright, wagging his tail vigorously, like a dog eager to please its master.

“You may not have transformed into a demon yet, but you have some spirit. Today, I’m in a good mood, so I’ll help you transform!”

The Monster King laughed heartily and then spat out a small purple herb, which floated before the husky.

“This Purple Yun Grass is not top-tier, but it is still a spirit herb. It will help you refine your horizontal bones and thus transform!”

The husky’s mouth watered as he eagerly swallowed the purple herb without hesitation.

Seeing his two companions receive such fortune, Mo Fan felt a surge of excitement and envy. He too looked up at the Monster King, his gaze full of anticipation.

He was waiting for his own chance.