"Merciful heavens, that little demon king is back?"
"Where? Where?"
"He's coming through the mountain gate right now. That fellow really has reached late-stage Qi refining!"
"He's been traveling for years. He should have come back ages ago, but didn't he later say he'd glimpsed a chance at Foundation Establishment and sworn not to return until he achieved it? Has he come back to prepare for his breakthrough?"
"Heavens, why did it have to be someone like him..."
"No, we have to warn everyone to get ready!"
Amid a flurry of panic that sent chickens flying and dogs leaping, the mountain patrol disciples recalled the terror of those years under Shu Changsheng's tyranny.
A new disciple who did not recognize him could not help asking, "Senior brothers, senior sisters, who is that? Why are you so nervous?"
"Listen closely, kid. That's one of the great scourges of our Incense Accumulation Sect, the scum of all scum, the little demon king Shu Changsheng! Keep well away from him, or you'll regret it when he pranks you!"
"What? He looks perfectly ordinary. Is all this really necessary?"
"It's a long story. Anyway, don't say I didn't warn you."
Oblivious, Shu Changsheng smiled and greeted the fellow disciples he recognized on the distant mountain path. "Hey, isn't that Senior Brother Tong and Senior Sister Mo? Hello! I'm back!"
"Isn't he quite polite?" The junior disciple on mountain patrol turned to Senior Brother Tong.
"Don't let him fool you. You have to stay on guard around that fellow at all times," Senior Brother Tong said solemnly.
"Exactly!" Senior Sister Mo said through gritted teeth.
The junior was utterly baffled.
Shu Changsheng walked happily through the mountain gate. By then, members of the Shu Household had already heard the news and come out to welcome