A warm face against a cold stove-this brat must not live!

There was a moment of silence in the cave.

The Golden-Mane Boar bent over, holding the wooden box, not daring to straighten up or urge it any further.

It fell in love with the Lady Musk at first sight; it had never seen such a beautiful demoness in its entire life!

Ever since it learned that the Lady Musk's cave was next to its own, it has come over every day to say hello.

He even personally repaired the scenery outside the cave, sent countless delicacies and precious utensils, and even went so far as to raid several shops in human towns to deliver women's clothing.

It's not for anything else.

It was precisely so that they could get closer in the future, visit each other more often, and most importantly, be able to pass through the stone gate that had blocked their way for so long.

A woman's voice drifted out from behind the stone wall, languid and soft, like someone waking you from a nap.

"Leave it by the door."

The Golden-Mane Boar tightened its grip on the box.

Immediately afterwards, a surge of joy welled up from my heart.

If you leave it at the door, it means they're willing to accept it.

If they accept it, there will be a next time.

It turned its head to the side and called out in a low voice towards the valley entrance.

"Lift him up! Be gentle! If he bumps or scrapes himself even a little, I'll break his leg!"

In the shady spot above the valley entrance, Yang Xiao lay hidden in the shadows of the rocks, watching the little demons carry wooden boxes and baskets into the valley.

Using the shadow of the cliff, he silently moved another hundred feet closer and stopped behind a protruding rock.

The little demons carried the boxes and baskets onto the flat ground in front of the cave, and opened the lids one by one.

The first box contained a whole black bear pelt, which, when laid out, could cover an area of ten meters in radius. The fur was so thick that a fist could be buried inside it, making it incredibly comfortable to step on.

The second box contained various mountain delicacies, the third box held jewelry such as hairpins and jade bracelets, and the remaining boxes were filled with neatly folded silk skirts in various colors, which felt as smooth as water.

The Golden-Mane Boar looked at each item with great satisfaction, believing it had given away everything it could find.

"Your Majesty."

She bent her waist down another half inch, her voice becoming both rough and soft.

"This fur rug is made from the hide of a black bear from Lingbei. I killed it myself and had it tanned three times. There's not a trace of fishy smell. It keeps the stone bed dry and warm."

"These mushrooms were picked this morning; you can't find this fresh taste anywhere else."

"This garment is made of the finest silk from every human silk shop. I searched the entire town. If you don't like it, I'll go look in the Commandery City..."

It went into more and more detail.

"From now on, Your Majesty, just tell me what you need. There's nothing on this mountain that I, Old Pig, can't find..."

"I'll get these when I have time. You can go back now."

A woman's voice from inside the stone wall interrupted it; her soft voice revealed a hint of impatience.

"..."

The Golden-Mane Boar's smile froze for a moment; the corners of its mouth remained open, but the warmth in its eyes cooled slightly.

A moment later, the flesh on his cheeks twitched, and a smile returned.

"Oh, Your Majesty, please rest. I won't disturb you..."

"I was just thinking, there's no guard at the entrance of this valley, and the mountains are high and the forests are deep. What if some ignorant little demon disturbs Her Majesty's peace..."

"How about I leave a few of my capable brothers to guard the mountain pass? They're all the most clever ones under my command, working in shifts for twelve hours a day!"

The cave fell silent.

Lady Musk looked annoyed; she had been too lazy to pay attention to her earlier, but this time she was quite angry.

Ever since we passed the mountain range where the Golden-Mane Boar lived when we arrived at this cave, that dead boar has stuck to us like a leech, no matter how hard we try, we can't shake it off.

Should someone be left to guard it?

She came here to avoid being seen. Having so many people guarding the cave means there's someone here.

"No need, just bring fewer people next time."

"The fact that I live here..." She paused, then said, enunciating each word clearly, "You are not allowed to mention it to anyone, not a single word!"

Broken.

Hearing the change in tone inside, the Golden-Mane Boar bent its waist even lower, almost forming a hook.

"Hey! Hey!"

It responded immediately, its fangs trembling.

"I'm tight-lipped! My mouth, Old Pig's mouth, is stitched up!"

"Don't even mention not telling anyone; even if you put a knife to my throat, I won't utter a single word!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, you can rest assured a thousand times over!"

At the entrance to the cave, the porcupine finished speaking, but its feet didn't move.

They came five or six times in a row, delivering loads of goods, but we never even saw what the inside of the cave looked like.

The stove is cold; we haven't even touched the stove door yet.

Having already conveyed the message to this extent, and with the Empress having chatted with me for a while longer, I just don't know if we can go further and allow me to go in and take a look.

"Your Majesty... I've come several times already, won't Your Majesty let me in for a seat?"

This time, the silence inside the cave was the longest.

"Aren't you annoying?"

Lady Musk's last bit of patience was gone.

"Get out of here! Do I have to ask you to leave?"

The Golden-Mane Boar's smile was truly gone this time.

His wide smile gradually drooped, his thick cheeks tightened, and his tone betrayed his disappointment.

"I'll come again in a few days."

It bowed again towards the cave entrance before turning around and leading the group of lesser demons out of the valley.

Deep within the cave.

Only when the footsteps faded into the distance did Lady Musk sit up from the stone bed.

She raised her hand and fanned her nose twice, as if the fishy, foul smell had drifted in through the cave entrance and clung to her.

She doesn't dislike people who fawn over her.

In the Hundred-Thousand Demon Mountains, the Demon King who revolve around her can stretch from the foot of the mountain to the top. Her obsequiousness is her capital, her face, and her livelihood.

Before trying to curry favor, one should consider their own appearance.

This dead pig.

The fangs protruded from the corners of its mouth, the stench was so strong it couldn't be blocked even through the stone wall, and the mismatched clothes—everything about it annoyed her.

She rested her cheek on her fingertips and mentally reviewed all the Demon King of Yellow Wind Mountain.

The one with the antlers is too wooden; you can't get a word out of him even after three blows. The one with the sheep's head can't even speak coherently. And the gray-robed Black Rock is too well-behaved...

"Those two little tigers are quite Zhou Zheng, and their strength is decent too."

She thought of the White-Forehead Hanging-Eyed Tiger brothers, their fur gleaming, their bodies upright, and they looked incredibly strong. If she ever got bored, it wouldn't be bad to summon them for some amusement.

"His appearance is passable, but why haven't we heard from him in the last few days?"

Outside the valley.

The Golden-Mane Boar led the way, its face grim the entire way.

The little demons behind them carried empty boxes and baskets, stumbling along, barely daring to breathe.

"What are you dawdling for! Are your legs made of lead?"

It turned around and cursed.

A rabbit demon in front tripped over a stone, its basket edge hitting the stone and breaking off a corner.

Clang.

"Are you blind?!"

The Golden-Mane Boar kicked over a basket by the roadside, which tumbled and crashed into a tree root, falling apart completely.

The little demons trembled and knelt on the ground.

"He can't even lift something properly!"

What's the point of keeping you around?

It grumbled and kicked over the second basket, finally venting the anger that had been building up inside it for half a day.

The group of demons walked another ten miles or so.

The mountain road turned into a shady pine forest, where the ridge blocked the sun, leaving only fragmented shadows on the road.

Footsteps sounded from the shadows beside the road, neither too light nor too heavy, landing in the middle of the road.

The Golden-Mane Boar looked up, and a young man stood in the middle of the road ahead.

He wore Cold Iron Mystic Armor, a dark red cloak hanging down his back, and a long spear slung diagonally behind him.

Demon Suppression General?!

It has been in this Black Ridge for five hundred years. It recognizes the attire of the Demon Suppression General, but it has never seen him travel alone.

Its gaze swept past Yang Xiao, across the road it had come from, and then across the pine forest beside the road.

After confirming several times, I could only detect a faint scent. How strange!

"Which prefecture are you from? How dare you come looking for your grandpa Pig all by yourself?"

Yang Xiao took out Qi-Gathering Bottle from his waist and channeled his Spiritual Power with his fingertips.

A wisp of crimson-gold Yao Qi emerged from the bottle's mouth, trembling slightly several feet away in the direction of the Golden-Mane Boar.

"Golden-Mane Boar?"

"It is indeed me." The Golden-Mane Boar squinted. "How about it?"

"Who lived in the cave you just visited?"

This guy was just following me and even saw the Lady Musk's cave!?

The Golden-Mane Boar's pupils contracted sharply, its heart skipped a beat, and a murderous glint flashed in its eyes.

The whereabouts of the Lady Musk must not be revealed to the Demon Suppression Division.

This child must not be allowed to live!