The Demons Attack!

Atop Black Mountain.

A completely black willow tree was coiled there.

This willow tree was enormous, eclipsing the sun and moon. Countless dense black willow branches hung down, possessing a metallic texture, shining black, and emitting a dark luster.

Beneath the black willow.

Three towering figures sat in meditation.

A tiger Demon, with a human body and a tiger's head, its chest muscles bulging, exuding explosive power, draped in a tiger skin, like a tiger-shaped human.

Unlike the human forms of other Demons and Devils, it had evolved from a tiger's form into a human shape. Its two hind legs had transformed into human-like legs, and its two forelegs had become human-like hands. However, no matter how it changed, it gave the impression of a tiger walking upright.

A Wolf Demon, with a human body and a wolf's head, powerful and imposing, its breaths like thunder. Unlike the tiger Demon, it fit the appearance of most Demons and Devils transforming into human form, its body entirely human-like.

It wore animal skins, but the husky-like wolf head on its neck indicated it was no ordinary human, but a well-cultivated Wolf Demon.

The last figure was a White Ape, its fur disheveled, with a thunder-god's mouth on its furry face. Although it most resembled a human, its face was filled with a savage expression.

Most surprisingly, a vertical eye grew on its brow. Its two eyes were closed, but the vertical eye on its brow was always open. That eye seemed to possess its own intelligence, its eyeball rolling around, as if it were smiling.

These were the famous Black Mountain Three Demons, the tiger Demon Mountain Lord, the Wolf Demon Xiaoyue, and the Ape Demon Three Eyes!

Just then.

A white dove flew past the foot of Black Mountain. The branches of the black willow tree suddenly pierced the air, extending more than half the length of Black Mountain to impale the dove, killing it, and then bringing its corpse to the base of the tree.

A message tube was tied to the dove's leg.

The three Demons sitting beneath the black willow tree all opened their eyes.

Three Eyes directly crushed the message tube from the dove's leg, retrieving a letter.

"This is a plea for help addressed to Zuo Qianqiu."

"All Demons in Ping'an County have been slaughtered, and even Cao De committed suicide out of guilt."

"They fear we will attack Ping'an County after learning of the events in the county town, so they are seeking help from Zuo Qianqiu, hoping he can dispatch a Spirit Aperture Realm martial artist to pacify Black Mountain!"

Three Eyes looked at Mountain Lord and Xiaoyue, speaking in a deep voice.

"We three brothers have stayed out of worldly affairs, cultivating in seclusion on Black Mountain. We only occasionally send our subordinates down the mountain to feast. Yet, we do not wish to kill, but some ignorant clowns want people to kill us. They truly deserve death!"

"They don't even consider that if we had the intention to kill, a nobody like Cao De couldn't have stopped us. We could have violated the agreement and turned the entire Ping'an County into an empty city."

"We don't cause trouble, yet someone kills our subordinates and wants to seek aid from Prefecture City, to slaughter all of us Demons on Black Mountain. This is truly unbearable!"

"Big Brother, give the order. Annihilate Ping'an County city, and use their blood to warn the human race!"

The Wolf Demon Xiaoyue bared its teeth in anger, looking at the tiger Demon Mountain Lord.

"Lord Willow, what is your opinion?"

The tiger Demon looked at the towering tree beside it and asked.

Their brothers' current achievements were all thanks to the guidance of Lord Willow before them.

Lord Willow was not only a teacher who imparted knowledge and cleared doubts for them, but also the master of the entire Black Mountain, and a respected elder!

"The arrow is on the string, and it must be loosed!"

"I can intercept this white dove today, but I cannot guarantee it every time."

"Since the other party already has the intention to destroy Black Mountain, why not strike first?"

"After annihilating Ping'an County, we will leave this place. The world is vast, and we can roam freely!"

An old face appeared on the trunk of the massive black willow tree, speaking in a deep voice.

"Then let's destroy Ping'an County city, avenge our subordinates, and then leave Black Mountain!"

The tiger Demon Mountain Lord said in a deep voice.

His son, Black Tiger, had also died in Ping'an County. That was his favorite youngest son, who, due to his gluttony, often went down the mountain to enjoy delicacies. This time, he would never return!

They had already intercepted several white doves flying from Ping'an County to Longyuan Prefecture before. They knew that someone in the city was collecting evidence of Cao De's crimes, intending to bring him down.

They also knew that Ping'an County city might face turmoil.

But they never expected Cao De to be so useless, with the situation collapsing completely in just a few days, and him being killed himself.

And all their subordinates from Black Mountain hidden in Ping'an County were also dead!

"Ping'an County and its subordinate towns have a population of tens of thousands. If we devour these tens of thousands of lives, it will greatly benefit our cultivation."

"In my opinion, this should have been done long ago!"

The Wolf Demon Xiaoyue grinned, revealing a sinister smile.

"My few unpromising younger brothers were also killed by that human martial artist named Chen Fan. I will tear this person to shreds to vent my hatred!"

Three Eyes opened all three of its eyes, emitting a terrifying dark luster, and said coldly.

That night.

The Demons of Black Mountain, led by the tiger Demon Mountain Lord, the Wolf Demon Xiaoyue, and the Ape Demon Three Eyes, marched mightily towards Ping'an County city.

All the civilians in the towns and villages they passed became their blood food. Where they went, not a single soul was left alive, and not a blade of grass grew!

"Why are they here so soon?"

"The demons and devils of Ping'an County have all been slain by us. Even traitors like Cao De and Li Mo, who colluded with the demons and devils, are dead."

"But why is it that we only cleared out Ping'an County last night, and tonight the demons from Black Mountain have arrived at Ping'an County?"

Lu Xuenning stood atop the city wall of Ping'an County, gazing at the more than two hundred demons and devils approaching in a grand procession. The roars of the demons and devils sent a chill down her spine.

"The county town isn't that close to Black Mountain. They came from Black Mountain, and they're bringing so many demons and devils from the first level of the Spirit Concealment Realm. They can't travel fast, so they must have set out a long time ago!"

"Perhaps they already knew when we cleared out Ping'an County and slew the demons yesterday. Demons and devils have various methods, making them hard to guard against."

Chen Fan spoke with deep meaning, then cast a meaningful glance at Lu Xuenning. Lu Xuenning immediately felt she had said the wrong thing.

With the enemy at the gates, her words implied suspicion that someone had colluded with the demons and devils of Black Mountain, tipping them off.

At a time like this, words that could undermine unity must never be spoken, lest they cause panic. After all, no one wants to be stabbed in the back by their own comrades while they are focused on slaying demons and devils.

"That makes sense. The blood relatives of three demons from Black Mountain died in Ping'an County. It's possible they can sense the death of their kin through some secret technique."

"Not only demons and devils possess such methods; even some powerful human martial artists can achieve this."

Lu Xuenning seized the opportunity to save face and agreed.

She had only sent a request for reinforcements to Longyuan Prefecture this morning. Even if the carrier pigeons flew at their fastest speed, they likely wouldn't reach Longyuan Prefecture by now.

Yet, the three demons from Black Mountain were already at the city gates.

A name precedes the person. The three demons of Black Mountain had made a formidable name for themselves within a thousand-mile radius. Even she couldn't afford to underestimate them now!

Little did they know, the horde of demons from Black Mountain learned about the events in Ping'an County precisely through the letter she had written to Longyuan Prefecture. Otherwise, it would have taken another ten to half a month for the demons of Black Mountain to learn about Ping'an County.

However, if that were the case, Longyuan Prefecture would also remain unaware, and the demons of Black Mountain would still have launched a full-scale attack on Ping'an County, and they still wouldn't have received any reinforcements.

It was truly a case of "sticking your head out is a stab, and tucking your head in is also a stab!"