At the summit of Black Mountain.
A pitch-black willow tree sprawled there.
The willow tree was enormous, blotting out the sky and sun. Countless dense black willow branches hung down, gleaming with a metallic texture and emitting a dark, inky sheen.
Beneath the Black Willow.
Three towering figures sat cross-legged.
One was a Tiger Demon, with a human body and a tiger's head. The muscles on his chest bulged high, his entire body brimming with explosive power. Draped in a tiger pelt, he looked like a man in tiger form.
He differed greatly from the human forms assumed by other demons. He had gradually evolved from a tiger's form into a human shape, his two hind legs turning into legs resembling those of humans and his two forelegs into hands resembling those of humans. Yet no matter how he changed, he still gave off the impression of a tiger walking upright.
One was a Wolf Demon, with a human body and a wolf's head. He was brawny and powerful, and each breath rumbled like racing thunder. Unlike the Tiger Demon, he matched the human form taken by the vast majority of demons; his body was completely human in shape.
He wore animal hides, but the husky-like wolf head growing from his neck declared that he was no ordinary human, but a Wolf Demon who had achieved success in cultivation.
The final figure was a White Ape. His fur was a tangled mess, and he had a hairy face and a thunder-god's beak. Though he looked the most human, his face was filled with savage ferocity.
Most astonishingly, a vertical eye had grown between his brows. His two eyes were shut, yet the vertical eye on his forehead remained open at all times. That eye seemed to possess intelligence of its own, rolling about as though it were smiling.
These were the renowned Three Demons of Black Mountain: Tiger Demon Mountain Lord, Howling Moon Wolf Demon, and Three-Eyed Ape Demon!
Just then.
A white pigeon flew past the foot of Black Mountain. A willow branch from the Black Willow suddenly shot through the air, extending across more than half of Black Mountain and piercing the pigeon through. It killed the bird, then dragged its corpse beneath the tree.
A message tube was tied to the pigeon's leg.
The three demons seated beneath the Black Willow all opened their eyes.
Three-Eyed Ape Demon directly crushed the message tube beneath the pigeon's foot and took out a letter from within.
"This is a letter asking Zuo Qianqiu for aid."
"All the demons in Ping An County have been slaughtered. Even Cao De committed suicide out of guilt."
"They fear that once we learn what happened in the county seat, we will attack Ping An County. Thus, they asked Zuo Qianqiu for aid, hoping he can send a Divine Aperture Realm martial artist to level Black Mountain!"
Three-Eyed Ape Demon looked at Mountain Lord and Howling Moon Wolf Demon and spoke in a deep voice.
"We three brothers have stayed out of worldly affairs and cultivated diligently here on Black Mountain. We only occasionally let our underlings go down the mountain to sink their teeth into something. We did not wish to kill people, yet some clown who does not know life from death wants to bring people here to kill us. They truly deserve to die!"
"Did they not stop to think that if we truly wished to slaughter, could trash like Cao De possibly stop us? We could have broken the agreement and devoured all of Ping An County until it became an empty city."
"We do not stir up trouble, yet someone killed our underlings and even wants to seek aid from the prefectural city to wipe out all the demons of Black Mountain. This is truly more than anyone can bear!"
"Big Brother, give the order! Let us destroy Ping An County and use blood to teach the human race a lesson!"
Howling Moon Wolf Demon bared his teeth furiously as he looked toward Tiger Demon Mountain Lord.
"Willow Lord, what is your opinion?"
The Tiger Demon looked toward the towering tree beside him and asked.
The achievements the three brothers possessed today were all thanks to Willow Lord's guidance.
To them, Willow Lord was both the benefactor who had imparted the Way, taught them their craft, and resolved their doubts, and the master of all Black Mountain, as well as a venerable elder!
"The arrow is already on the bowstring; it must be loosed!"
"I may intercept this pigeon today, but I cannot possibly intercept every one of them."
"Since the other side already intends to destroy Black Mountain, why not strike first?"
"Once Ping An County is destroyed, we shall leave this place. The heavens and earth are vast; we may roam free wherever we please!"
An aged face emerged upon the massive black willow trunk, speaking in a deep voice.
"Then we will destroy Ping An County, avenge our underlings, and leave Black Mountain!"
Tiger Demon Mountain Lord said in a deep voice.
His son, Black Tiger, had also died in Ping An County. He had been his most beloved youngest son. Because of his greed for food, he often went down the mountain to enjoy delicacies, but this time, he would never return!
Previously, they had intercepted several white pigeons flying from Ping An County toward Dragon Abyss Prefecture. They knew that someone within the city was gathering evidence of Cao De's crimes, intending to bring him down.
They also knew that turmoil might arise in Ping An County.
But they had not expected Cao De to be such worthless trash. In just a few days, the situation had completely collapsed, and he himself had been killed.
And all of Black Mountain's underlings hidden within Ping An County had died as well!
"Ping An County and the towns under its jurisdiction have a population of tens of thousands. If we devour these tens of thousands of living beings, it will greatly benefit our cultivation."
"In my view, we should have done this long ago!"
Howling Moon Wolf Demon grinned, revealing a sinister smile.
"My useless younger brothers all died at the hands of that human martial artist called Chen Fan. I will tear that man into pieces to vent the hatred in my heart!"
All three of Three-Eyed Ape Demon's eyes opened at once, radiating chilling black light as he spoke coldly.
That night.
Led by Tiger Demon Mountain Lord, Howling Moon Wolf Demon, and Three-Eyed Ape Demon, the demon horde of Black Mountain surged toward Ping An County.
Every commoner in the towns and villages they passed became their bloody food. Wherever they went, not a living soul remained, nor did a single blade of grass grow!
"Why did they come so quickly?"
"The demons in Ping An County have all been killed by us. Even Cao De, Li Mo, and those other bastards who colluded with demons and betrayed their own Household are dead."
"Yet why was it that we only purged Ping An County yesterday night, and tonight the demon horde of Black Mountain has already arrived at Ping An County?"
Lu Xuening stood atop the walls of Ping An County, watching more than two hundred demons advancing mightily from not far away. Their howls made her shudder all over.
"The county seat is not particularly close to Black Mountain. They came from Black Mountain, and they brought so many demons at the first level of the Divine Treasury Realm. They could not have traveled quickly. They must have set out long ago!"
"Perhaps they already knew when we purged Ping An County and slaughtered the demons yesterday. Demons possess all manner of methods; they are impossible to guard against."
Chen Fan spoke meaningfully, then cast Lu Xuening a deep look. Lu Xuening immediately realized that she had said the wrong thing.
With a powerful enemy before them, her words implied that someone had colluded with the demons of Black Mountain and tipped them off.
At a time like this, such words detrimental to unity must never be spoken, lest they cause panic.
After all, no one wanted to be stabbed in the back by one of their own brothers while wholeheartedly slaying demons.
"That is true. The blood relatives of the Three Demons of Black Mountain all died in Ping An County. Perhaps they have some secret method for sensing news of a close relative's death."
"Demons are not the only ones with such methods. Some powerful human martial artists can do it as well."
Lu Xuening followed the opening and echoed his words.
She had only sent a request for aid to Dragon Abyss Prefecture that morning. Even if the carrier pigeon flew at top speed, it likely had not yet reached Dragon Abyss Prefecture.
Yet now, the Three Demons of Black Mountain had already arrived beneath the city gates.
A man's reputation was like a tree's shadow. The Three Demons of Black Mountain had carved out an enormous reputation within a thousand li. Even if she wished to underestimate them now, she could not!
Little did she know, the demon horde of Black Mountain had learned of what happened in Ping An County through the letter she had written to Dragon Abyss Prefecture. Otherwise, even after another ten days or half a month, the Black Mountain demons might not have learned what had happened in Ping An County.
But in that case, Dragon Abyss Prefecture would likewise have remained unaware. When the time came, the Black Mountain demon horde would still have poured out in full force to attack Ping An County, and they still would not have received reinforcements.
This truly was a blade whether they stretched out their necks or drew them back!
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