74: Chapter 74 Exposed

Dusk settled, and a faint scent of blood permeated the mountain forest.

Shuli and Shuling huddled under a withered tree, their black bean-like eyes scanning their surroundings vigilantly.

"They're here."

Shuli suddenly pricked up his ears.

Heavy footsteps echoed from a distance, mixed with rough panting.

Two figures, one fat and one thin, pushed aside the bushes, revealing the Two Demons under Blood Fiend: Zhu San, the Pig Demon, and Hou Liu, the Monkey Demon.

Shuling immediately pinched herself, and tears instantly welled up: "Help! There's a villain killing Yao!"

"Husband, you... you don't have to worry about me..."

She pushed Shuli away, trembling, "Run quickly!"

Shuli hugged her tightly, his voice choked: "My wife! Our child has already been killed by that scoundrel; I can't lose you too..."

These words were like a knife, suddenly piercing Shuling's heart.

She didn't care about other things, so she could say whatever she wanted without feeling pain, but she truly had many children.

She thought of her more than a thousand rat pups; if they were truly gone, Shuling was overcome with grief and burst into genuine tears with a "wa" sound.

"I heard..."

Shuli sobbed, "Lord Blood Fiend in Prefecture City is protecting the Yao Race..."

"Husband, we are so weak, we can't even defeat those few Second-Rank Martial Artists. What if Lord Blood Fiend despises us?"

...Then we have no choice but to die.

"Wuwuwu..."

Sensing the footsteps, the Two Demons, Shuli and Shuling, cried even harder.

The scene was truly heartbreaking to hear and tear-inducing to witness.

"Wait!"

The fat and thin Two Demons, who were originally preparing to leave, finally stopped upon hearing the two little rats' pathetic state and the great name of Lord Blood Fiend.

"You just mentioned Lord Blood Fiend?"

Shuli secretly curled his lips into a smile—the fish had taken the bait.

He lifted his furry face and deliberately stammered: "Y-yes... Does this Lord also know Lord Blood Fiend?"

"Lord Blood Fiend, which Yao doesn't know him now..."

"However, you two are still too weak to seek refuge with Lord Blood Fiend. Why don't you follow this General instead!"

The fat Demon said, wanting to step forward and lift the two little rats to question them, but the thin Demon pulled him back.

"Third Brother, wait a moment. In this desolate wilderness, how is it that two injured Rat Yao suddenly appear at this time?"

"Beware of a trick!"

"In my humble opinion, why don't we just eat them both? These two little things are just on our menu. I used to eat Mortal rats, but I haven't eaten those that have Cultivated into spirits..."

As the thin Demon spoke, some suspicious liquid drooled from the corner of his mouth, and even the fat Demon, who was originally preparing to step forward to question them, couldn't help but swallow.

The fat Demon's original form was a wild boar spirit, and the thin Demon was a monkey.

Shuli and Shuling: "..."

Damn, too brutal.

Mortal rats were indeed on the menu for wild boars and monkeys, that was true.

But for those who had Cultivated to a certain level, that approach certainly couldn't be used anymore.

To just eat Yao who had gained sentience, it was simply against the Dao! You dead monkey, you're dead meat.

Shuling spat fiercely in her heart, but on the surface, she still pretended to be overly frightened, clinging to Shuli and squeaking frantically.

"Lord, Lord, don't eat us!"

"We have important news to report!"

"Yes, yes, Lord, if the news we provide is useless, it won't be too late for you to eat us then!"

"Not only are we being hunted by those few Second-Rank Martial Artists from Chang Sheng Village, but even the Yao Race Lords won't spare us. What sin have we committed, after all!"

"..."

"Wait!"

The fat Demon wiped the saliva from his mouth.

"Where did you escape from?"

Shuling pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

"It's Chang Sheng Village; there are many human Second-Rank Martial Artists in that village. Our home has been destroyed!"

"It is said that they have recently become obsessed with believing in Lord Chuping, and they force us to offer incense every day."

Upon hearing the three words "Chang Sheng Village," the thin old Sixth became interested, "You mean you were hunted by Second-Rank Martial Artists? Tell me in detail!"

The thin Demon narrowed his triangular eyes, suspiciously scrutinizing the two Rat Yao.

Seeing this, Shuli immediately clutched his chest and coughed violently, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"Old Sixth, I look at them in this state..."

The fat Demon rubbed his hands and said, "It doesn't look like they're faking it?"

Shuling seized the opportunity to lift her sleeve, revealing her bruised and purple foreleg.

"Those villagers... are too brutal. They want to cut us into pieces and eat us!"

"Outrageous!"

The fat Demon slammed his fist against a tree, shaking down a few withered leaves, "Mere Mortals dare to be so rampant!"

The thin Demon, however, suddenly laughed sinisterly.

"Since you two were able to escape from the village, you must know some inside information, right? For example... whether there are other Martial Artists in that village, and for example, the background of that Lord Chuping?"

Shuli and Shuling exchanged glances.

Shuli pretended to shrink his neck in fear, stammering: "L-Lord, please understand... Chang Sheng Village appears to be an ordinary village, but it actually hides profound mysteries..."

Shuling added at the opportune moment: "Many Second-Rank Martial Artists are hidden in the east of the village. These people often hunt our kin near the village."

"All Second-Rank, are you sure?"

"Yes, yes! All Second-Rank, they are very powerful!"

A glint flashed in the thin Demon's eyes, and he excitedly licked his lips.

Second-Rank might be formidable characters for these two little rats, but for the two of them, it was easily dealt with.

And they were Martial Artists; if they were captured and offered to Lord Blood Fiend... The thin Demon thought of this and turned to the two rats, revealing a ferocious smile: "Lead the way. If you dare to play tricks—"

He suddenly reached out and grabbed Shuling's neck, "I'll eat this little lady first!"

"Squeak! Husband, save me!"

Shuling kicked her four claws wildly, her acting truly Oscar-worthy.

"Let go of my wife!"

Shuli pounced and hugged the thin Demon's leg.

"We'll lead the way! But... but Lord, you must swear to keep us safe!"

"Heh, still bargaining?"

The thin Demon sneered, increasing the force in his hand. Shuling immediately rolled her eyes, her four short little legs flailing in the air.

"Lead the way, otherwise—" He bared his fangs sinisterly, "I'll taste rat meat right now."

The fat Demon also impatiently kicked them: "Stop wasting words! Hurry up and go!"

Shuli and Shuling exchanged glances, a hint of cunning flashing in their eyes, then they tremblingly got up and limped towards Chang Sheng Village.

***

The Four Demons continued their journey, but just as the thin Demon was about to step into the village entrance, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart.

He abruptly stopped, a trace of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

"Old Sixth, what's wrong?"

The fat Demon urged impatiently.

The thin Demon narrowed his eyes, secretly forming a Dao hand seal with his fingertips, and a wisp of his Clone silently escaped into the ground.

He grinned sinisterly: "Nothing, let's go."

Shuli and Shuling led the way, occasionally looking back in "panic," as if terrified of being discovered.

It was midnight, and the village was very quiet.

"It's there!"

Shuling suddenly lowered his voice, pointing to a dark building in the distance—it was the new temple that had just been repaired a while ago.

"Those Martial Artists are Cultivating inside..."

The fat Demon licked his fangs: "Old Sixth, I'll kick the door!"

"Wait!"

The thin Demon grabbed him, saying sinisterly, "Let these two little things go in first."

Shuli "trembled in fear": "L-Lord, our cultivation is low; we'll be beaten to death if we go in..."

The thin Demon suddenly erupted, kicking Shuli towards the ancestral hall door: "Stop wasting words! Go!"

"Bang!"

The moment Shuli crashed through the door, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from within the ancestral hall.

A purple divine lightning, as thick as a bucket, descended from the sky, striking precisely on the fat Demon's head!

"Ah—!"

The fat Demon didn't even have time to scream before he instantly turned into charcoal.

The thin Demon was already prepared and retreated rapidly, but half of his body was still struck by the lightning.

"Indeed, it was a trick!"

The thin Demon laughed ferociously, his mangled body exploding into a black mist with a "Bang" sound.

"It's a Clone!"

Shuling jumped anxiously: "Damn it! This monkey spirit had a backup plan!"

***

Thirty li away, in the mass grave, the soil suddenly stirred. A withered monkey claw broke through the earth, and the thin Demon's true body struggled out, half of his body charred black and festering.

"Chang Sheng Village... Lord Chuping..." He laughed wildly, spitting blood foam, "Wait for Lord Blood Fiend's wrath!"