Chapter 35: Concerns

The Moon-viewing Terrace was located near the top of the mountain, an open pavilion with a breeze from all sides. The pavilion was built on a square platform that extended from the mountain, hanging high in the air. Even though there were black railings all around, it still made Cheng Shan’s heart pound. However, compared to the dark, damp, and lightless caves below, staying here was much better.

After Yang Taizai brought Cheng Shan up, the sky darkened. Cheng Shan stood by the railing, fascinated to find herself at the summit, surrounded by mountains. In the distance, there were rolling green forests and faint clouds lingering around. Looking up, a bright star in the sky seemed within reach. Cheng Shan immediately said to Yang Taizai, “This place is nice. There’s no need to hurry to rebuild the Feiyun Tower.”

Yang Taizai nodded approvingly, seeing her adapt. With a few young-looking female demons, the Niu Butler came up, adding beds, tables, chairs, tea bowls, lamps, stoves, dressing tables, and other items. They covered three sides of the pavilion with felt curtains and one side with bamboo curtains. In a short time, the pavilion took on the appearance of a charming room.

After a while, everyone left, leaving only Cheng Shan. However, she was not in the mood to rest. She opened the bamboo curtain and walked out of the pavilion. Leaning on the railing, she looked into the distance. As the night deepened, the distant mountains turned ink black, and the starlight above became even more dazzling.

Cheng Shan sighed as she leaned on the railing, thinking about when her family could reunite. Her father’s matters no longer concerned her, but her mother’s situation had not seen the dawn. A sense of loneliness and confusion overwhelmed her, leaving her unsure of where to go next. She couldn’t help but call out in her heart, “Master?”

Before long, Han Luo’s voice echoed in her mind: “What’s up?”

Cheng Shan just subconsciously wanted someone to talk to, and Han Luo responded. However, she suddenly didn’t know what to say. With a dejected look on her face, she aimlessly spoke, “When are you coming out?”

Han Luo said, “The Ghost Emperor will probably keep me in for a few hundred years to cool off.”

Cheng Shan thought of a female ghost still in the netherworld, wanting to save him but finding it difficult. She sighed. “That long?”

Han Luo had a nonchalant tone: “I don’t have much to worry about outside. Whether it’s a few hundred years or a few hundred days, it doesn’t make much difference.”

“Then you can worry about me.” Cheng Shan leaned on the railing, looking at the starry sky with a lack of enthusiasm. She didn’t realize the inappropriateness of her words, feeling that she couldn’t get used to this solitary life. There was a sense of emptiness, as if she needed some connection with someone to feel grounded.

Han Luo chuckled lightly, remained silent for a while, and said, “Why did you ask about Tiger Wolf City before? What happened?”

Cheng Shan grunted, venting her grievances about Yang Taizai. After complaining for a while, she noticed Han Luo’s silence and asked, “Huh? Did you fall asleep?”

Han Luo said, “Various forces intersect in Tiger Wolf City. Yang Taizai wants to use you as a figurehead to unite the demon race. It’s a bit naive, but because of that, you may have a chance to turn the tables.”

Cheng Shan brightened up, realizing the opportunity. Just as she was pondering, she heard a slight movement behind her. When she turned around, she was startled. A wolf was standing quietly on top of the pavilion, its green eyes staring at Cheng Shan. Cheng Shan immediately confirmed that this was not an ordinary mountain wolf but a demon, and its cultivation seemed not to be low.

Zi Dian was still inside the pavilion. Cheng Shan felt a chill on her scalp, secretly figuring out how to rush into the pavilion as quickly as possible. However, it seemed that the wolf demon saw through Cheng Shan’s intentions. It said, “No need to be nervous. I’m just curious to see who the guest brought back by Yang Taizai is.”

Cheng Shan frowned and said, “Appearing silently behind someone is not a proper way to treat guests.”

The wolf demon remained silent, staring at Cheng Shan. Suddenly, it jumped down from the pavilion and approached Cheng Shan. With a hint of surprise in its voice, it said, “Have you seen my brother?”

“How would I know who your brother is?” Cheng Shan said, then realized her mistake. She had seen more than one wolf demon. She had witnessed Ming Yan killing one called “Hualao” with his bare hands, and another one had entangled with her at Cheng’s house, ending up dead at Han Luo’s hands, with its core swallowed by her.

Cheng Shan unconsciously swallowed, wondering if the wolf demon had figured it out. As the wolf demon approached, Cheng Shan didn’t want to show any weakness or flaws. But despite her words, she couldn’t resist the pressure from the wolf demon. She took a small step back and bumped into the railing. Helpless, she had to use the railing for support, desperately controlling the trembling in her legs. She adopted the posture of a queen, saying, “You don’t need to be anxious to know who I am. Yang Taizai will introduce you sooner or later. For now, please step back.”

The wolf demon was momentarily stunned by her calm and arrogant demeanor. At that moment, a red figure appeared out of thin air and stood in front of Cheng Shan. With a deep voice, Hong Ying said to the wolf demon, “Stay away from her.” It was indeed Hong Ying.

The wolf demon squinted its eyes, hesitated for a moment, then sneered and leaped into the night sky, disappearing.

Cheng Shan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and asked Hong Ying, “How did you come here?”

“Elder Yang asked me to keep watch.” Hong Ying spoke and, in a flash, leaned against the railing with her arms crossed, closing her eyes. “Go inside and rest early. Tomorrow, you have to attend the Elder Council.”

Cheng Shan couldn’t help but bitterly smile. “Do you also agree with Yang Taizai’s approach? You all know very well that I am not a demon queen.”

Hong Ying, with closed eyes, said, “Whether you are or not doesn’t matter. If Zidian acknowledges you, you will be more convincing than others. But if you are willing to hand over Zidian, I can consider helping you leave.”

Cheng Shan inwardly rolled her eyes, not wanting to consider this proposal at all. With her limited cultivation, without Zidian’s assistance, she could only unleash about sixty to seventy percent of her Qi. That was why she had been unable to defeat Ming Yan. After experiencing so much, Cheng Shan could not accept returning to being an ordinary person, vulnerable to manipulation. Cheng Shan turned around immediately, opened the bamboo curtain in frustration, and returned to the pavilion, spending the night in silence.

Early the next morning, Cheng Shan, accompanied by a young female demon, got ready and had breakfast before following Hong Ying down from the Moon-viewing Terrace. Hong Ying briefly explained some details about Tiger Wolf City, similar to what Cheng Shan had seen the day before.

There were a total of 81 stone houses in the caves, along with outposts, watchtowers, and other structures. Nearly 30,000 demons lived in the entire Tiger Wolf City, consisting of the Tiger Guard and Wolf Guard Army. In addition to the three elder leaders, there was another elder known as “Medicine Sage,” who was a close confidant of the current demon king, Night Owl. However, Night Owl had been missing for a long time, and it was unknown whether he would appear today. In addition, during major gatherings, leaders from various tribes would also come to Tiger Wolf City.

Cheng Shan couldn’t help but think of Ming Yan impersonating Night Owl. She felt a bit amused, realizing that Yang Taizai’s group was still in the dark and being manipulated by Ming Yan.

The so-called Elder Council was held in the stone house Cheng Shan visited yesterday, the one under the Feiyun Tower. When Hong Ying led Cheng Shan there, the three elders were already sitting at the stone table.

On the left was a burly man exuding a powerful aura, and on the right was a thin man with a slightly dark complexion. His gaze seemed to casually sweep over Cheng Shan. Both were wearing brass armor, and Cheng Shan guessed they were the leaders of the Tiger Guard and Wolf Guard Armies. Glancing around the room, Cheng Shan saw only these few people, indicating that the “Medicine Sage” would not appear

Curious, Cheng Shan suddenly saw a small figure dropping down from the open cave entrance above and landing directly on the stone table where everyone sat. The figure had its back to Cheng Shan and said to the others, “Who has the face to summon me like this?”

Cheng Shan, recognizing the voice, felt a sense of familiarity. When she saw the back of the small figure, a scene from outside Luocheng suddenly jumped into her memory. She couldn’t help but angrily say, “It’s you!”

“It’s you!” The small figure turned around upon hearing Cheng Shan’s voice, also expressing surprise. It was the little potato who had snatched the Dark Soul Furnace from Cheng Shan’s hands outside Luocheng.