Chapter Twenty-Five: One Peach Kills Two Scholars

“Hm? Didn’t the Flower Demon King and the Tree Demon King say they’d be exempted from offerings as well? Why are they sending gifts again?” Yang Nan gazed at the hall where a group of lovely demon maids stood, feeling a headache coming on. It was nothing for a cultivator’s residence to have a few maids, but after acquiring Dieyi, Baiyi, the Clam Maiden, and the Snail Maiden, to add yet another flock of stunning servants—how could that befit a true cultivator?

He waved his hand in frustration, signaling the Fish Lady to take these demon maids away. After all, she excelled at managing household affairs; he would leave it to her.

Qian Ren, seeing the little uncle’s troubled look, grinned and said, “Uncle, I didn’t ask the Flower Demon King for anything. She insisted this was only her subordinate’s duty, and if you ever have use for her, she will surely serve you!”

Yang Nan was struck by sudden understanding. Not all demons were witless—this Flower Demon King had clearly probed into his future intentions and came forward early to express her submission, hoping to avoid being called to account later after he dealt with the other two demon kings.

A clever Flower Demon King indeed!

“Good! Qian Ren, you’ve done well. Take those spirit stones and divide them among your brothers. You’ve gained little enough from following me, but once this Demon Valley matter is settled, I will look after you all.” Inwardly, Yang Nan praised the Flower Demon King’s shrewdness.

Outer sect disciples were notoriously poor, so the Flower Demon King’s gifts would make excellent rewards for them. Yang Nan was never stingy with his own people; after all, he wanted them to see hope for the future.

Qian Ren and the other disciples were overjoyed. Had they not worked so hard precisely for the favor of this promising uncle? If he truly became a future pillar of Kunlun, any disciple under his care would reap endless benefits.

“Thank you for your generous favor, Uncle. We will serve with all our hearts and never let you down!” Qian Ren and the disciples bowed deeply in gratitude.

Yang Nan waved them away. As the days on Spirit Beast Mountain lengthened, he gradually assumed the dignity of a mountain lord. Over these days, he had not neglected his cultivation of the Supreme Demon Body Technique, the True Explanation of Rakshasa Yin Soldiers, and the Ghost-Devouring Record. With his level of power, the Supreme Demon Body could reach the strength of a thousand demons—his limit—but for the lesser demons, he could select only the strongest. With over a thousand demon soldiers led by the Great Crab General and eight hundred under the Goldfish Spirit, Yang Nan commanded close to two thousand demon soldiers.

In addition, each outer sect disciple under him commanded over a hundred demon soldiers, adding up to more than a thousand from just a dozen disciples.

And that was not counting the wild spirits covertly converted by Pighead. From this force of three to four thousand, Yang Nan selected five hundred demons at the demon master level and five hundred at the top rank of demon soldier—one thousand in all—to assist him in cultivating the Supreme Demon Body.

With a thousand demon masters supporting him, his Supreme Demon Body became even larger and more terrifying, and his strength broke through to the fifth level of grandmaster. Now, even against the Monkey Demon King, he might be able to shatter the Fierce Ape Avatar.

The Supreme Demon Body relied on an unimaginably powerful flesh!

As long as the demon soldiers did not perish, the body was indestructible.

With infinite might, even a mountain peak could be split in two!

Chi Yang and the Great Crab were secretly amazed at Yang Nan’s uncanny powers. With this Supreme Demon Body and the king-rank Black Serpent Weapon in hand, he now had the strength to contend with the Roc Demon King.

After storing away his Supreme Demon Body, Yang Nan frowned in silence. The technique was formidable, but it had many flaws. First, maintaining it drained his power constantly. Even with his Water and Shadow energies combined, he could not sustain it for more than the time it takes three incense sticks to burn.

Second, in battle, any injury to the Supreme Demon Body severely wounded or even killed the demon soldiers supporting it. The more grievous the wound, the greater their loss. And the will of a thousand demons was chaotic, far inferior to the focus of a true grandmaster.

Moreover, cultivating this technique made one’s heart savage and violent. At ten or a hundred demons’ strength, the effect was minor, but the malice of a thousand was terrifying—countless chaotic thoughts flooding in. Without a firm Dao heart, one could easily fall into demonic ways at ten thousand demon strength.

Though the Supreme Demon Body was created by a vengeful cultivator, even Master Buxu couldn’t say whether he’d succeeded in becoming a saint or immortal. Most likely, he was ultimately consumed by malice and became a bloodthirsty mad devil.

For a cultivator, the Dao heart was everything. Yang Nan’s Dao heart was steady, but whenever he used the Supreme Demon Body, he felt overwhelmed by chaotic thoughts. Without strong spiritual discipline, he would have succumbed to bloodlust long ago.

This was not a technique for everyone.

Even for himself, Yang Nan intended to abandon it entirely after reaching grandmaster status.

He’d considered teaching it to Chi Yang or the Great Crab, but after discovering these flaws, he thought better of it. Only the Goldfish Spirit seemed suitable—born of Buddhist origins, it carried an unshakable trace of Buddha-nature, making it resistant to the malice of the technique. Yang Nan freely taught it to him, earning the spirit’s deep loyalty and gratitude, so much so that he forgot his old grudge over the lost scales.

The old Crab General was deeply envious but dared not ask since his master withheld it. Still, as Yang Nan’s top general, he was not neglected—his treasures had been reforged by Huang Shan, now even more formidable. His Black Curtain Pincer and armor, refined with superior spirit iron, approached the level of a sacred weapon. Compared to the Goldfish Spirit, the Crab had not been shortchanged.

After mastering the Supreme Demon Body with his thousand demon soldiers, Yang Nan stored them in his Mountains and Rivers Ring. With this new art of transforming his army into a force of three thousand, he felt even more confident. The Goldfish Spirit, after all, had only been captured by Buxu when his gills were pierced and his powers sealed. With sufficient cultivation, these two arts would be enough.

Armed with these powers and king-tier weapons, Yang Nan now looked forward to the coming battle of the Demon Valleys.

The Roc Demon King had sent him herbs and other gifts, hoping to make peace, but unexpectedly, a little demon reported that the Tiger Demon King had received a pardon from Jade Purity Peak, freeing him from servitude and granting him unchecked liberty to pillage and abduct. His cave now overflowed with gold, jewels, and beautiful women.

In comparison, the Roc Valley was like a neglected child, which the proud Roc Demon King could not stomach.

Immediately, he summoned Hun Yuan and furiously berated him. Hun Yuan, playing the humble subordinate, put all blame on the Tiger Demon King: the three demon kings had jointly offered countless treasures to Lord Yang Nan of Jade Purity Hall and made many promises to help him subdue Roc Valley. Under both threat and persuasion, Lord Yang Nan had no choice but to agree.

The Roc Demon King sneered, “So the Tiger Demon King dares to openly coerce Kunlun’s master? Is he not afraid Kunlun will destroy his entire line?”

Hun Yuan spread his hands helplessly. “My lord, though he’s freed from servitude, he’s paid many tributes and personally pledged to deal with you. The master was compelled!”

One side offers mere scraps, the other brings forth lavish gifts—who wouldn’t choose the latter? Hun Yuan’s expression was thoroughly resigned.

The Roc Demon King raged, “A mere brat and a lowly tiger dare to scheme against me? I’ll kill the Tiger Demon first and then hold Jade Purity Hall to account!”

Hun Yuan smiled, “The master said, if you can subdue the Tiger Demon King, his pardon shall be yours. From then on, Kunlun will never see you as a subordinate—you may stand alone, and if you wish, become an ally of the sect.”

The Roc Demon King fell silent, and Hun Yuan, knowing his mind, bowed and withdrew. Back at Jade Purity Hall, he told Yang Nan all, and everyone laughed. Yang Nan shook his head, “Since they’re already at each other’s throats, let’s fan the flames once more.”

The disciples, seeing their uncle’s command, bowed in unison, “As you wish, Uncle!”

A few days later, the Roc Demon King was seething in his valley. His beloved Lady Yanji had gone out to gather flowers and fruits and never returned. Not a single demon sent to search for her had come back either. As his anger peaked, a little demon rushed in, reporting, “My lord, Lady Yanji’s flower basket was found in Tiger Demon Valley! Many of our brothers were killed or wounded searching for her; those who returned confirm she was indeed seized by the Tiger Demon’s men.”

“Outrageous! How dare that Tiger Demon!” The Roc Demon King smashed a stone table to dust with a slap. “What are you waiting for? Muster the troops—bring Lady Yanji back to me!”

The demon soldiers, awed by their king’s fury, answered as one, “Yes, my lord!”

Soon, the avian demon army, led by the Roc and Eagle demons, surged forth in full force.

Meanwhile, the Tiger Demon King had been living in luxury these past months. With his pardon, he robbed and killed at will, savoring a freedom unlike anything before. Reclining in his cave amidst a crowd of mortal women, he was interrupted when a little fox demon brought in an exceptionally beautiful woman, saying, “My lord, I and a few brothers found this stunning woman outside the valley and brought her for you.”

The Tiger Demon King’s fierce eyes widened as he beheld her: lovely and delicate, radiant and slender, surpassing any beast-woman in allure. Overjoyed, he cried, “Excellent! A true treasure—this beauty outshines all the mortal women in my cave! Little Fox, you’ve done well—go claim your reward.”

The fox grinned and knelt, “Thank you, my lord.”

With a wave, the Tiger Demon King sent the other demons away, leering as he swept the beautiful woman into his arms. Her beauty was like peach blossom, her body soft as silk, exuding a fragrant breath, her limpid eyes full of sorrow—enough to move any heart. With a laugh, he ripped her garments to shreds and pressed her beneath him without another word.

The woman, bound by a restriction, could only weep and beg for mercy, utterly unable to resist the Tiger Demon’s overwhelming strength. Tears streaming, she endured his violence. To his astonishment, she possessed a rare treasure of the world—a Swallow’s Kiss—so exquisite that the Tiger Demon, though he had seized countless women, had never encountered such marvel. He cried out in delight, taking her again and again in a frenzy.

Her delicate body could not withstand such abuse, and before long, she fainted with a soft moan. The Tiger Demon stood, slapped his forehead in regret, and muttered, “Such a marvelous woman—truly a treasure of the world. I mustn’t break her; she’s to be savored slowly…”

“Someone, take the new consort away! Serve her well, and do not make a single mistake!” Wanting more, he waved for two women to carry the beauty away, then dragged over a few mortal women to continue his pleasures.

Before he could fully indulge himself, several demon soldiers staggered in from outside, crying, “My lord! Disaster—the Roc Demon King is attacking!”

The Tiger Demon King, interrupted at the height of his pleasure, flew into a rage. “That Roc Demon King has bullied me long enough, but to come here today—if I don’t pluck every feather from his body, what face will I have left?”