Seeking Cooperation with Demons

Song Family Village.

Cui Lang pointed in one direction. "Old Zhao, head that way from here. Go into every household and take a look. I'll check this side."

After sending Zhao Changshan away, Cui Lang quickly arrived at the large residence where the female cat demon was hiding.

"Take me to the backyard. Don't let anyone come near," Cui Lang calmly instructed when he saw the steward.

The steward cautiously looked around, hurriedly shut the main gate, and led Cui Lang into the backyard.

The female cat demon was startled to see Cui Lang come during the day. "Why have you suddenly come? I haven't left the backyard these past two days, and I've only eaten mutton."

She had already followed the rules very carefully. Could something have changed again?

Cui Lang pulled over a chair and sat down. "People from the prefectural yamen came yesterday to investigate the demon situation in Cloud Mountain County. The county magistrate ordered all constables, yamen runners, and others to search the entire county for demon traces. He intends to personally strike and kill them."

The female cat demon sprang onto all fours, staring at Cui Lang warily. "I gave you all this month's Blood Pills in advance, and I agreed to every condition you raised that day. How can you treat me like this?"

At worst, she would fight. After killing Cui Lang, she could flee for her life quickly. She might still have a chance to return to the mountains.

Though danger lurked on every side in the mountains, it was still better than dying now.

Cui Lang remained calmly seated. "Why are you in such a hurry? Let me finish."

"We badly need Blood Pills, but you can't provide enough of them. Some people are unwilling to keep taking such great risks. Perhaps some also feel that Blood Pills no longer help them as much as before. It would be better to end everything, eliminate the hidden danger, earn some merit, get promoted, and leave."

"But I'm different from them. My strength isn't enough yet, and Blood Pills are still of great help to me. So I want to cooperate with you—or rather, with you and your husband."

The female cat demon looked at Cui Lang with disdain. "What did you say? Cooperate with us? What right do you have to cooperate with us?"

He was merely an ordinary constable, yet he had the nerve to speak of cooperation.

Cui Lang puffed out his chest. "Allow me to introduce myself again. I am currently acting as the chief constable of Cloud Mountain County. In other words, my authority is not much less than Constable Li's was before."

"But if I cannot make a breakthrough within a month, the prefectural yamen will send a new chief constable. When that happens, everything will change."

"So I need Blood Pills. Within this month, I need a great many of them. I hope you can provide them."

"In exchange, I can protect you and your husband, mislead the other officials, and even let you gain many benefits—improve your strength without needing to flee back into the mountains."

"Once your strength advances further, you'll have the qualifications to negotiate terms with the officials again. This is a win-win situation."

The female cat demon was stunned. Cui Lang had actually betrayed the others and wanted to cooperate with her and her husband alone.

"Why should I believe you? How can you guarantee that you can protect us?"

She was actually somewhat tempted. After all, she was carrying cubs. Staying here was better for both her and her young.

If she killed Cui Lang in a sudden attack now, not only would she have to face her enemies in the mountains in the future, but if she ever left the mountains again, she would also have to worry about being hunted by these people.

The moment Cui Lang heard the female cat demon's words, he knew he had persuaded her.

"In a few days, I'll take you to find a demon and kill it."

"If I kill a demon myself, then you and your husband will have leverage over me. If I'm not sincerely seeking cooperation, you can tell others about it and cast me into a state of eternal damnation."

"Afterward, I'll give you the demon's corpse to devour. A demon's corpse is far more nourishing than other blood food. Not only can it let you refine more Blood Pills more easily, it can also rapidly increase your strength."

"I'll tell the officials that those demons are merely hiding or have fled. We'll handle all these investigations, and whatever I say goes."

"For instance, on the surface, you and your husband will have fled back into the mountains."

"I can't guarantee I can conceal it for too long, but one or two months definitely won't be a problem. That will be enough time for all of us to advance further."

The female cat demon carefully considered Cui Lang's plan. It sounded feasible.

If they pretended to flee, with Cui Lang helping conceal the truth, they truly would not be easily discovered in the short term.

And although Cui Lang wanted her to help refine Blood Pills, she could devour other demons. Wouldn't her strength soar at a tremendous pace?

If both she and her husband could make breakthroughs and condense demon cores, the officials of Cloud Mountain County would not be able to touch them so easily. They would have to negotiate new terms of cooperation.

She could continue living here comfortably, raise her cubs properly, and return to the mountains to take revenge afterward.

"Fine. I can agree to this. Once you kill the demons and hand them over to us, we'll give you Blood Pills after devouring them, help you make a breakthrough, and let you become chief constable."

She thought there might be something wrong with Cui Lang's head. If he secretly cooperated with them, then once the others found out, they might not be able to do anything to her and her husband—but would they let Cui Lang off so easily?

Still, she and her husband stood to gain the most from this. It would also avert their present danger. Why not?

Cui Lang rose to his feet. "I'll come find you in three or four days. Then I'll take you to deal with other demons."

The plan had proceeded smoothly. Next, it would depend on whether these two cat demons were greedy enough.

That night, the female cat demon took the initiative to seek out the male cat demon.

"Why have you come? Have you thought it over? Are you ready to return to the mountains with me?" The male cat demon was somewhat excited.

Yamen runners had come to the village where he was hiding that day, investigating every household for traces of demons. There had been no prior warning about this, and he had nearly been exposed.

What was wrong with those county officials? Did they really want to tear up the agreement, kill them, and claim the credit?

The female cat demon snapped, "All you know is how to run back into the mountains. When something happens, do you not know how to use your brain?"

"The county officials really are about to make a move against us, but that doesn't mean we have no chance."

"I've already reached an agreement with Cui Lang. He'll help us cover up the news, help us kill other demons, and after we devour those demons, won't our strength rise at breakneck speed?"

"If you and I both condense demon cores, would we still need to fear those people in the county? Then we can cooperate with them again. We can also live here comfortably and raise our cubs..."

The female cat demon repeated Cui Lang's plan. The male cat demon pondered for a while, then suddenly said, "Your method is feasible, but we must move quickly. We can't give the other demons time to react. We must also find a safe hiding place where we can digest the blood food we devour and condense demon cores."

"What is Cui Lang? Is he worthy of speaking of cooperation with us? Does he think we don't know where the other demons are hiding?"

"We can't trust Cui Lang with these matters. Perhaps he'll take our Blood Pills one moment, then sell us out the next."

"Rather than wait for him to betray us, we should make the first move and devour the other demons. I know a very safe hiding place, one they will never think of."

"Once we both condense demon cores, there will be nothing left to worry about."