8: Drive away wolves and devour tigers

Before long, the Clam Maiden emerged, flapping her two large shells; her swimming speed was quite fast.

"Fellow Daoist Green Snake, you've come at the perfect time. Today, Lord Crab General is on duty, so come on in. Fellow Daoist Koi, you wait here for a while. You know the rules of Yunxi Palace—no entry without official business."

The Koi found a spot and lay down, while Gu Yuchuan followed the Clam Maiden inside.

The decor of Yunxi Palace was excellent. The palace was carved from a single massive stone. While not exactly magnificent, it possessed a natural solemnity. Upon entering, Gu Yuchuan felt a grave Aura, and his breathing became shallower.

Soon, they reached a cave entrance. The Clam Maiden knocked on the door: "Lord Crab General, a snake demon has come to settle in the Yunxi River. Is it convenient for you to process his registration now?"

A majestic voice came from inside the cave: "Enter."

The Clam Maiden made a welcoming gesture: "Fellow Daoist Green Snake, go in by yourself. I cannot handle the remaining matters. It's up to you now."

Gu Yuchuan wanted to bow to the Clam Maiden in thanks, but since he was currently a snake, he didn't know how. He simply slithered inside. The interior of the cave was quite bright; after all, the Night-Luminescent Pearl on the ceiling was so large it made even this little snake envious. Such an item would be a perfect match for his own cave.

In the center of the Immortal Cave was a large red crab. His Aura was far more powerful than Gu Yuchuan's. This must be the Crab General who killed him in the simulator. Gu Yuchuan suppressed his emotions, making sure they didn't show.

"Gu Yuchuan, the Green-Scaled Azure Snake, greets Senior Crab General. This is a Red Cloud Fruit I am offering to Great King Hui She; I hope the Great King does not disdain it."

He placed a fruit on the Crab General's desk. The Crab General glanced at it and nodded, his demeanor extremely arrogant.

"Low-Grade Demonic Beast Bloodline, and your Aptitude is decent. Cultivate well in the future. Take this Jade Tablet; it is your identification. Remember, in the Yunxi River, demons with a Jade Tablet cannot attack each other. If discovered by the demons of our Yunxi Palace, you will be killed without exception. Do you understand?"

Gu Yuchuan nodded repeatedly. This was definitely a good thing. With the simulator in hand, as long as he was in a safe place, he could rapidly increase his cultivation. Now that Yunxi Palace could maintain the safety of the Yunxi River, it was perfect for him. His eyes darted around as he began his calculations.

"Junior feels an immediate rapport upon meeting Lord Crab General. Unfortunately, Junior only brought one Red Cloud Fruit today. However, Junior's home is not far from here. Why doesn't Lord Crab General come home with me? Junior will certainly offer the two remaining Red Cloud Fruits at home to Senior."

The Crab General's eyes widened, clearly tempted. However, though greedy, he was suspicious by nature and felt something might be wrong.

"Senior, please do not overthink. It is simply that Junior is new to this precious land and unfamiliar with everything. If Lord Crab General could look after Junior more, that would be for the best."

So he was seeking protection. The Crab General lifted his head, looking very proud, and his tone softened considerably.

"You little snake seem to understand the rules. Very well, this Lord will accompany you. Of course, this isn't because I value your Red Cloud Fruit, but because I pity you. At such a young age, arriving here in an unfamiliar place, I shall provide you with some protection."

Gu Yuchuan was already cursing in his heart. What a piece of work—wanting the treasure while putting on such an act. You deserve to be schemed to death by me, you fool.

On the surface, however, he was all smiles: "Yes, exactly. You are truly too kind, showing such concern for us Juniors. Having a Senior like you in our Yunxi Palace is a blessing we've earned over several lifetimes."

This flattery made the Crab General feel like he was walking on air. Although the Crab General held a high position, what kind of intelligence could the Qi Condensation Early-stage cultivators below him have? They clearly couldn't say such sophisticated things. Hearing this, he was very happy and even planned to actually protect Gu Yuchuan.

"Now, those words aren't quite right. You are currently just a demon of the Yunxi River. If you want to join Yunxi Palace, wait until you reach the Mid Qi Refining Stage, which is the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. At that time, you can come to me, and I will recommend you."

Gu Yuchuan acted overwhelmed by the favor and said many more pleasant things. In reality, he didn't care about joining Yunxi Palace; in fact, he was starting to feel sick from all the fawning.

After they went out and picked up the Koi, they set off on the return journey. From a distance, Gu Yuchuan smelled the stench of monkeys. He could hardly control the expression on his face. As expected, that group of Monkey Spirits had attacked; they were currently slaughtering the aquatic tribes in the water from the shore.

The Crab General was furious seeing this. He shouted: "Audacious! You monkeys dare to kill my aquatic kin? See if your Grandpa Crab General doesn't kill you all!"

The Crab General burst out of the water, his two claws becoming massive in the air. In a few strikes, he killed three Monkey Spirits. The remaining Monkey Spirits retreated, but the Crab General pressed on.

This Crab General was a Fifth Level of Qi Refining demon cultivator. The highest cultivation among those monkeys was only at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, so they were naturally no match. The Crab General's claws, cultivated through some unknown secret method, were incredibly powerful. Several monkeys joined forces and launched numerous Fireballs, but he simply waved his claws and dispersed all the flames.

No wonder he had been killed so easily by the Crab General in the simulator. With those massive claws and his own small frame, he wouldn't be able to withstand it even with the Green Scale Armor. For instance, the monkey nearby had a golden glow on his body, clearly having cultivated a protective Spell, yet he was still snipped in half by the massive claws.

Soon, only the Qi Refining Fourth Layer monkey remained out of the ten. Suddenly, a staff flew from a distance and struck the Crab General. Small cracks immediately appeared on his claws. The Crab General instantly dove back into the water. An armored monkey appeared, his Aura making everyone struggle to breathe.

"Monkey King, this is the territory of my Yunxi Palace. Are you here to start a war with us?"

The Monkey King said nothing. He and another monkey took the corpses and left, though he was clearly very furious, his body trembling.

After the other party left, the Crab General began to curse: "These monkeys dare to be so insolent! I will definitely report them to the Great King! Who do they think they are, giving me such an attitude?"