Chapter 8

Rocky Mountain lay northwest of Thunderclap Mountain, a journey of four to five thousand li that would take ordinary mortals nearly half a year to traverse. But for great demons capable of flying through the clouds and riding the mist, shrinking the earth into inches, it was merely the blink of an eye.

The Little Fox Cub, who had never ventured far from home in his life, let out an awestruck sound, eager to experience it again.

Once he finished his current tasks, he’d go find the Carp Spirit in the river to boast—hey, that fellow lived underwater and surely had never felt such exhilarating speed. He’d be so envious he’d cry himself into a dried carp.

A novice fox arrived at the summit of Rocky Mountain with three mighty figures in tow, their faces all wearing identical expressions of disdain upon surveying the surroundings.

This? This was it?

A puny mountain and a small pool—far inferior to their Thunderclap Mountain.

After their disdainful appraisal, the novice fox and the mighty figures all reverted to their true forms.

The slender Little Green Snake coiled around the Spotted Deer’s neck, while the vibrantly colored Little Chicken perched atop the deer’s head. The fox cub spread his front paws, intending to clutch the deer’s antlers—already envisioning the majestic scene of riding the deer with a triumphant “giddyup!” to charge through wind and waves. After waving his fluffy little paws a few times and grasping nothing, he belatedly remembered the mighty figures were all in spectral form.

The little one puffed his cheeks, reluctantly abandoning his free ride.

Shi Qilin, ever patient, shook his head gently to ensure Yuan Feng stayed balanced and wouldn’t fall, then enveloped the disgruntled Little Fox Cub within his protective barrier before vanishing silently into the water.

The Azure Wave Pool appeared ordinary above the surface, but its depths concealed another world entirely.

The Dragon Palace glittered with opulence, its archway exquisitely carved, where the Azure Water Golden-Eyed Beast was tethered.

Zu Long flicked his tongue and snorted, transmitting his thoughts telepathically: “Judging by its appearance, it’s likely a descendant of your Qilin lineage. Seems your grand vow was useless—your juniors have been reduced to mounts for other demons. What was the point of that vow?”

Shi Qilin withdrew his gaze from the beast and countered leisurely, “This creature can traverse sky and sea. It’s more likely to have dragon bloodline.”

Dragons sired nine offspring, none resembling their sire. Just because it looked like a qilin didn’t mean it was one—perhaps some dragon’s wayward spawn. Don’t pin this blame on him.

Aquatic plants swayed at the pool’s bottom, bubbles occasionally rising to the surface. The drowsy Azure Water Golden-Eyed Beast, unaware of the two mighty figures’ disdain, stood and pranced about several times to shake off the odd sensation creeping over it.

The Dragon Palace had methods to repel water, preventing the external currents from breaching the archway. Fu Li observed the underwater scenery with childlike wonder, fascinated by everything he saw.

Shrimp soldiers and crab generals bustled about, while glimpses of turtle spirits and fish monsters—mostly humanoid bodies topped with their original large heads—made their origins unmistakable at a glance.

“Fox cub, come here,” Yuan Feng called, summoning the little one who’d been extending his paws to study the palace’s water-repelling mechanisms, lest he accidentally get swallowed by the Azure Water Golden-Eyed Beast.

A morsel that small wouldn’t even be worth chewing.

Seeing that neither the beast nor the surrounding shrimp soldiers reacted to Senior Shan Ji’s voice, Fu Li twitched his ears and scampered over. “Astonishing” hardly captured his feelings. “Senior, can they not hear us?”

“Of course, though we may have lost our physical forms, we still have some skills left,” the Little Chicken said, tilting its head. Its pitch-black beady eyes resembled smooth black pearls, and its arrogance made it seem unlike a native mountain pheasant. “Stay close. There’s music inside—probably a banquet. Don’t get lost.”  

“Don’t worry, Senior. I’ll stick right behind you,” the Little Fox Cub perked up, no longer chasing after the scattered river delicacies on the ground.  

The grand archway at the entrance was already lavish, but the interior of the Dragon Palace was even more resplendent, adorned in gold and jade.  

The Bull Demon King, seated in the place of honor as a guest, was currently pouring out his woes to the Wan Sheng Old Dragon. Flanking them on either side were other dragon-headed figures, clinking cups and reveling in merriment.  

The moment Fu Li spotted the Bull Demon King, his face darkened. Hearing the old bull’s conversation with the Wan Sheng Old Dragon only stoked his fury.  

If he couldn’t earn enough to support his wife and children, he should just say so. Among demons, poor financial skills weren’t uncommon—he wasn’t the only one who struggled to save money. There was no shame in admitting the truth.  

Live within your means—if you’re rich, enjoy it; if you’re poor, accept it. But to lack the ability to save yet still crave a life of indulgence? Since when did the world work that way?  

And then there was his claim that the siblings couldn’t uphold the family business, suggesting they needed a capable son-in-law like him to maintain stability. He even had the nerve to say that Tie Shan Gongzhu (Princess Iron Fan) should go to Thunderclap Mountain to seek employment and earn money for the household.  

Pah!  

Shameless!  

Utterly despicable!  

The Little Fox Cub was so enraged he nearly turned from white to red. If not for Yuan Feng holding him back, he would have lunged at the old bull and torn him to shreds—assuming his teeth were sharp enough.  

Yuan Feng restrained the furious, snarling, and irrational Little Fox Cub, then nudged Zu Long to look up as a male demon strode confidently into the hall. “Look, that’s the Nine-Headed Bug.”  

Though they only had their divine souls left, their keen eyesight hadn’t vanished with their bodies.  

Fu Li, still struggling, instinctively glanced toward the entrance, clutching his tail and muttering curses under his breath.  

Setting aside everything else, the Nine-Headed Bug had decent taste—handsome with a touch of roguish charm. Unlike other demons who only half-transformed, he appeared fully humanoid, standing out like a breath of fresh air among the river creatures.  

Zu Long scoffed. “Birds are all like this. Have you ever seen one that wasn’t vain?”  

Fu Li blinked. “Birds? But his name has ‘bug’ in it. How is he a bird?”  

Nine-Headed Bug—he had assumed this was a nine-headed snake. A dragon marrying a snake made sense, but a dragon and a bird? Wouldn’t there be reproductive barriers?  

Oh, right—this was an unscientific world. Demons didn’t have such limitations.  

Yuan Feng shot Zu Long a glance before releasing the now-calmer Little Fox Cub and explaining, “Among the five creatures—shelled, scaly, furry, feathered, and armored—the Nine-Headed Bug is a feathered one. In other words, a bird.”  

A nine-headed bird, no less. Coincidentally, his phoenix clan had those too.  

“I see,” Fu Li nodded, though not entirely convinced, before turning his glare back outside, eager to hear what other infuriating words might come from that wretched family.  

The Nine-Headed Bug strode into the hall, greeting the assembled guests with polite courtesy before taking his seat beside the Wan Sheng Old Dragon with a smile. “Has the Dragon Palace been lacking in hospitality? Why does our honored guest wear such a troubled expression?”  

At these words, the Bull Demon King heaved another sigh.

Both were sons-in-law, but this Nine-Headed Bug had won the favor of Wan Sheng Old Dragon, comfortably enjoying all the wealth before his eyes. Old Bull here was no worse than Nine-Headed Bug, and his appearance was even more imposing than that guy’s. So why was it that when he wanted to become a son-in-law at Thunderclap Mountain, they wouldn’t have him?

This didn’t make sense!

Old Bull downed another cup of wine, his resentment toward another son-in-law burning in his eyes, his words dripping with dissatisfaction.

Nine-Headed Bug: ???

Wait, what did this have to do with him?

When he had married into Wansheng Dragon Palace, he had been a lone demon with no attachments, and he and Ten Thousand Saints Princess had been genuinely fond of each other. It was only after several years that he had moved into the Dragon Palace. This old bull already had a family yet still wanted to marry in—wasn’t it perfectly normal for them to refuse?

Back when he had gone alone to Emerald Cloud Mountain, they hadn’t rejected him as a son-in-law either. Did Thunderclap Mountain’s refusal really leave him with no self-awareness?

Five hundred years ago, when the monkey had wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the celestial court had launched a massive crackdown on demons in the mortal realm. Countless mountain spirits and wild monsters had been caught off guard and lost their lives.

At that time, Old Bull had been tangled in his own troubles, constantly hunted by heavenly soldiers and generals. Yet even then, Princess Iron Fan hadn’t looked down on him. Now that the celestial court had moved on and stopped pursuing past grievances, he had barely enjoyed a few days of peace before he started complaining that Emerald Cloud Mountain wasn’t wealthy enough. Did he have no shame?

If he were Princess Iron Fan, he would’ve kicked this old bull out without hesitation.

Thankfully, Thunderclap Mountain had refused to take him in as a son-in-law. If they had agreed, those who knew the full story would say he was marrying in, while those who didn’t might assume Jade Faced Princess had become his concubine. If Old Fox King found out, he’d probably rise from the dead in fury.

This damn bull had failed to offer himself up and still refused to reflect on his own faults—what right did he have to come here and make a scene?

Nine-Headed Bug wasn’t exactly a patient demon—otherwise, he wouldn’t have fooled around with Ten Thousand Saints Princess in White Dragon’s bridal chamber. But since the guest was a friend of his father-in-law, he couldn’t very well make a scene at the banquet.

Come to think of it, judging by his father-in-law’s reaction, it seemed he saw nothing wrong with Bull Demon King’s behavior. Was he serious?

One marriage as a son-in-law wasn’t enough—he wanted a second? While keeping his first family, he was already looking for the next? Enjoying the blessings of two wives—how utterly shameless.

He had always known the dragon clan had no taboos when it came to such matters, but this was truly beyond the pale. Fortunately, Nine-Headed Bug wasn’t as particular as the phoenix clan.

Since he was already a son-in-law, he figured his current life was pretty good. No point dwelling on what-ifs—might as well make do.

Nine-Headed Bug shared a few drinks with Wan Sheng Old Dragon and Bull Demon King but couldn’t stand their conversation any longer. Excusing himself to find Ten Thousand Saints Princess, he vanished from the hall in a flash.

Fu Li didn’t want to listen to Old Bull’s nonsense. He figured following Nine-Headed Bug would yield more useful information. Judging by the guy’s expression, he was definitely going to vent about Old Bull later.

The little fox cub glanced at Senior She She and Senior Shan Ji, who were draped over Senior Lu Lu, then pointed in the direction Nine-Headed Bug had gone. “Seniors, I want to see what Nine-Headed Bug is up to. Who wants to come with me?”

Zu Long perked up cheerfully, but before he could speak, Yuan Feng smacked him back with a wing.

The little chicken hopped down from the spotted deer’s head, transforming into human form with a voice so sweet it made the other two shudder. “Let’s go, little fox. We’ll see what Nine-Headed Bug is doing.”

Zu Long coiled around the deer antlers, grumbling with a vicious tone, “Sooner or later, I’ll snap off his chicken wings and roast them to eat!”

Fu Li wasn’t paying attention to what Senior She She was saying. Unable to touch the three ghostly seniors, he transformed into human form to avoid getting lost.

Though small, the Wansheng Dragon Palace had all the essential facilities, with numerous large and small palaces too many to count with both hands. Nine-Headed Bug had been gone for a while, and it was unclear which path he had taken. “Senior, can you find Nine-Headed Bug?” Fu Li asked.

Yuan Feng nodded and was about to speak when the sound of an argument reached them from nearby.

The fox and the ghost exchanged glances—both being the type who loved stirring up trouble—and immediately followed the noise.

In a room at the rear palace, the Ten Thousand Saints Princess stood with her willow-leaf brows furrowed, her back turned to Nine-Headed Bug in refusal to look at him. “You said you were going to Golden Light Temple to cultivate, but instead you ran off to Eagle Grief Stream again! What does it matter to you whether White Dragon lives or dies?”

Nine-Headed Bug shrugged indifferently. “We’re old acquaintances after all. What’s the harm in checking on him?”

Fu Li: !!!

Wow, a messy love triangle—and it’s an ongoing drama!

Author’s Note: Fox cub (munching on melon seeds): Keep fighting, keep fighting! This show is right up my alley.