"Why start patrolling all of a sudden?" Ju Huang was slightly surprised, but seeing Li Ling's grave expression, she asked no further questions and went straight out.
"Sister, what happened?" In the stone chamber outside, Qing Ji heard the movement and came over to ask.
Ju Huang relayed Li Ling's instructions.
Qing Ji said with some displeasure, "Making demons run around in the middle of the night?"
Ju Huang said, "A mighty expert possesses divine insight. He probably has good reason for this. I'll check outside first. Stay alert here, too."
"I know. Don't worry," Qing Ji said.
Nothing unusual happened that night. Zhuang Dongwang's subordinates had yet to track them here, and Ju Huang strictly followed Li Ling's instructions, never straying too far from Copper Bell Mountain.
Only the next morning, when daylight filled the sky, did figures arrive at the foot of Copper Bell Mountain, where they were hiding.
This was a party led by one of the Divine Dragon Cult's altar masters. They tightened their formation and advanced toward the mountain, keeping watch as they went. What greeted their eyes were fields Bai Xiaohuan had cleared with Taxue, Xiandie, and the mountain's lesser demons.
"Why are there vegetable gardens everywhere?" The altar master scratched his head, somewhat bewildered.
Another Foundation Establishment expert said, "They look like signs of demon activity in the mountains. Once demons gain intelligence, it's hardly strange for them to imitate humans, build homes, and work the fields."
The altar master said, "I've heard of that. Never mind demon cultivators-even monkey spirits know how to brew wine and gather honey. Demon kingdoms also have plenty of demon strongholds, with farming, smelting, weaving, market trading, and all sorts of livelihoods.
"But..."
At this point, he hesitated. "The person we're looking for was strong enough to