Chapter 39: The Beautiful Demoness, Mutual Probing

The woman did not look old, yet she could not be called young; judging by her face alone, she appeared to be around thirty-six or thirty-seven. She was quite beautiful, possessing an air of understated elegance—a truly charming matron.

In her arms, she cradled a child of six or seven years, who was currently fast asleep.

Seeing this, Mo Fan’s suspicions were dispelled. He did not believe she could be a cultivator; if she were, why would she be traveling through such deep mountains carrying a small child?

"Who’s there?!"

Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks. She turned toward the spot where Mo Fan was hiding and scolded with a hostile expression, "Get out here!"

*Damn it!*

Mo Fan felt a jolt of alarm. Realizing his cover was blown, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step out.

"Greetings, ma'am. I mean no harm."

Mo Fan forced a smile onto his face and waved at her with an awkward look.

Seeing Mo Fan, the woman furrowed her brows, narrowed her eyes slightly, and asked, "Who are you? Why were you sneaking around spying on me?"

*Spying?*

Mo Fan felt a bit frustrated at the accusation, but explained, "You misunderstood, ma'am. I wasn't spying on you. I’m a hunter from these mountains. I was out hunting, but my prey got away, so I stopped here to rest. I didn't mean to startle you."

As he spoke, Mo Fan raised the long spear in his hand and pointed toward the bloodstains left by the wild boar nearby to verify his story.

The woman in the black robe looked a bit more at ease upon hearing this.

"I don't know where you’ve come from, ma'am, but that child in your arms looks rather cute. Is he your grandson?" Mo Fan suddenly asked in return.

Just a moment ago, he had sensed a faint aura of his own kind emanating from the woman. He also noticed that she had been walking for quite a while while carrying the child, yet she showed no signs of breathlessness. This piqued his interest.

*This woman is likely a demon!*

"Yes, you guessed right. This child is my grandson. My grandson and I were on our way to visit some relatives in the mountains, but the little one got tired on the way and fell asleep, so I’ve been carrying him," the woman said with a smile. "Since it was just a misunderstanding, we’ll be on our way. I don't want to get to our relatives' house after dark."

With that, she ignored Mo Fan and walked straight ahead. Mo Fan observed that the direction she was heading led deep into the heart of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

***

*Damn it, this place is desolate. Even hunters wouldn't dare go this deep. You, a beautiful woman, bringing a child to visit relatives? That excuse is way too flimsy.*

*And I intentionally called that brat your grandson, and you actually went along with it? How incredibly stupid! This woman is probably a man-eating demon who kidnaps human children!*

After a moment of thought, Mo Fan called out, "Ma'am, wait a moment!"

"Anything else?"

The woman stopped, turned around to face him, and frowned, looking displeased.

"Oh, it's like this: I haven't eaten all day. Could I trouble you for some food?" Mo Fan said casually. He then glanced at the woman's ample chest and laughed, "I see you have two large 'steamed buns' tucked in your tunic. Would you mind sharing one with me?"

The woman’s forehead vein throbbed at his words. Her gaze turned instantly icy, but then she began to laugh. With a wave of her hand, a fragrant roasted chicken appeared on the ground. She looked at him and said, "Since we are of the same kind, let's drop the games, shall we?"

"Uh..."

Mo Fan was stunned, instantly rendered speechless. He hadn't expected her to be so direct, revealing her identity in one go. It made the rest of the script he had prepared useless.

After a moment of silence, Mo Fan laughed, "That was just a joke, sister, please don't take it to heart. May I ask which mountain you hail from?"

"I've traveled from afar and haven't yet joined any demon sect or mountain domain. What about you, little brother? Where are you from?" The woman looked at him with curiosity, then smiled, "If you can't give me a good answer today, you might just have to stay by my sister's side forever."

Hearing this, Mo Fan tensed up. He looked at her closely but saw no obvious demonic traits, which led him to realize that she was at least a Demon Captain!

This realization made him extremely vigilant, but he replied honestly, "I am from Black Wind Mountain, a minor demon under the command of the Third General. I'm afraid I cannot stay by your side; the Third General wouldn't allow it, and even the Demon King himself wouldn't be pleased—he'd lose face."

"So you're a demon from Black Wind Mountain. I thought you were just a wandering rogue demon!" The woman sounded slightly disappointed, but then she asked, "How far is Black Wind Mountain from here? Where is it located?"

"It's three hundred miles to the west. Are you planning on visiting, sister?" Mo Fan asked.

"Hard to say. Perhaps I will, who knows!" The woman chuckled, then picked up the roasted chicken from the ground and handed it to him. "Since you serve at Black Wind Mountain, why are you here?"

"That’s a long story. May I eat first?"

***

Mo Fan didn't answer. Playing it mysterious, he took the chicken and began to gnaw on it without hesitation.

In reality, as soon as the chicken meat entered his mouth, he used his "Devouring Heaven" ability to transport it directly into his internal space; none of it actually entered his stomach. Mo Fan dared not consume food of unknown origin so easily.

"It seems that although your cultivation isn't high, you hold some status at Black Wind Mountain?" The woman ignored his wolfish eating habits and continued to probe.

"It's alright. The Third General of Black Wind Mountain is my little brother!" Mo Fan said, his mouth full of chicken, his words slightly slurred.

"Oh?"

"Oh... I mean, the younger brother of the Third General of Black Wind Mountain is a good friend of mine." Mo Fan covered his tracks immediately, cursing inwardly, *Damn it, that was close!*

"I see." The woman nodded and fell into deep thought.

Mo Fan didn't know what she was pondering, but a sudden flash of inspiration hit him. He raised his sleeve to cover his face, and when he lowered it, he held a bowl of fragrant, fine wine.

"Meeting is fate. Since you were kind enough to give me the chicken, I must return the favor."

"This bowl of spirit wine was gifted to me by the Third General. Please, have a taste!"

Mo Fan smiled and offered the wine to the woman.

She took the bowl but didn't drink immediately. Instead, she stared at him with a cryptic smile and asked, "This wine isn't poisoned, is it?"

"Sister, you jest. We’ve met and hit it off so well, why would I poison you? Besides, with your cultivation, what poison could possibly harm you? If you're worried, just give it back to me!"