Black Mountain enunciated every word of "Fellow Daoists, please stay!" with perfect clarity, his bear face still wearing the "friendly smile" he had learned from Si Chen.
He thought his opening had been absolutely perfect.
Polite, friendly, and carrying just the right warmth for an encounter with his own kind.
The Demon Race group opposite him stopped in unison, more than twenty pairs of eyes fixed on the black bear who had dropped from the sky.
Their leader was a Wolf Demon with bluish-gray fur, also at the Third Tier.
He did not answer immediately. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Black Mountain from top to bottom, then bottom to top.
His gaze traveled from Black Mountain's round belly to his plump, smiling face, finally settling on the "Peace on Every Journey" Jade Token around his neck, a gift from the head cook of the Joyous Union Sect's Dining Hall.
He examined him for quite a while.
That look was less like someone regarding his own kind and more like someone choosing meat at a market-and finding it too fatty.
Black Mountain grew a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny and was just about to say something else...
Then the Wolf Demon waved a hand.
"Beat him."
Two words, crisp and decisive.
Black Mountain: "...Huh?"
Before he could react, three or four demons had already lunged at him. With a thud, a fist landed squarely on his left eye.
The blow knocked Black Mountain's head sideways, and a lump immediately swelled over his left eye. He was stunned. Utterly stunned.
Wait... what the hell was happening?!
He had asked for directions perfectly nicely, even cupping his paws politely like people did. Why had they started swinging without another word?!
"Are you all sick in the head?!"
Black Mountain finally reacted,