Koujia Town
Since ancient times, the Seven Demon Mountains have been the leaders of all demons, and all demons submit to them. The human race and the demon mountains are clearly separated and do not interfere with each other, but in the places where the two sides meet, some heresies always arise, such as the Immortal Town and the Praying Spirit Mountain.
Because the town of Zhexian is adjacent to the Five Directions Continent inhabited by humans, it is somewhat affected by the Nine Heavens Yellow Springs Formation under the Five Directions Continent. Demons here are subject to many restrictions, so they dare not act recklessly.
However, Qiling Mountain is different. It is also located in one of the seven demon mountains. It is famous for the fact that humans and demons live together, which is despised by the demon race. There is also a circle of demon races around it who are eyeing it covetously and want to take its place, but in the end, none of the demon races succeeded. Instead, over the years, the surrounding demon races, large and small, have gradually come to regard Qiling Mountain as the leader.
The vast Qiling Mountain is covered with towering peaks and verdant pines and cypresses. From west to east, the five major demon clans live within the mountain, establishing Yin Palaces. Within the five major demon clans, human demon masters have also established Yang Palaces and taken root there, making it a paradise for human inhabitants.
This 'Shangri-La' is somewhat like swatting a fly on a tiger's head—what audacity!
"I heard that one of the Six Immortals, the Demon Slayer, has recently returned? He's acting very aggressively; I wonder what big thing is going to happen?"
"What? That demon slayer, She Liuying, who can kill a demon with a single arrow? Goodness... why is she here? Could it be that another foolish demon has come here to die?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? I have a relative who's a demon master." The speaker was a little old man with a mysterious expression. "Don't you know that Immortal Archer has a daughter? I heard... she's coming to marry the personal disciple of the Alchemist Master..."
"Really? Isn't that girl a half-demon?" Suddenly someone raised their voice, quickly attracting several gazes from the surroundings. Seeing this, the old man immediately stuffed a bottle of wine into his mouth and lowered his voice, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. If you mention half-demon again, you might not even know how you died!"
The voices gradually subsided, and the crowd began to chatter amongst themselves. Then, the conversation shifted to the three great demon masters currently in charge of the Yang Palace.
"...Without the three great demon masters guarding us, how could we possibly be a match for those demons? In the old days, not to mention the distance, just the distance from here to Zhexian Town, without the protection of the demon masters, it would have been a miracle to have returned alive!"
"Speaking of which, it seems that Liuxiangfang received a batch of spices from Zhexian Town this year. I heard they will arrive in the next few days. According to you, without a powerful demon master accompanying them, let alone spices, even people would have a hard time getting here alive!"
"Tsk... You know what, Zhexian Town is full of hidden talents, much more powerful than here. They might even arrive ahead of schedule..."
As they were talking, a tabby cat darted into the inn, its golden eyes seemingly scanning the entire inn before finally settling on the hurried waiter.
The waiter had dark skin and was short in stature, but he was efficient and decisive in his work. He never missed serving anyone the right food or drinks.
Just as he swiftly placed the wine jar on the table, he suddenly seemed to sense something and turned around to look.
Meow~
In an instant, all was silent, and time seemed to stand still.
The waiter's pupils suddenly contracted, and he retreated rapidly, like a beam of light darting out of the kitchen window. But as soon as his feet touched the ground, a bright light suddenly appeared above his head, and the array beneath him flickered. Before he could react, his short figure instantly grew taller, with sharp ears, fangs, and an aura of demonic power emanating from him.
He looked flustered and confused. When he looked up and saw the tabby cat on the eaves, he blurted out, "I didn't do anything. I'm just working here."
"Why would a demon like you come to Koujia Town to work?" The voice came from behind him.
The tabby cat tilted its head, meowed, and leaped over his head, landing steadily in his arms.
He turned around abruptly and saw that the person who had come was a woman dressed in light green clothes with special talisman patterns embroidered on her cuffs, who looked like a demon master.
"What is your name? What race do you come from? Why are you here?"
Under the formation, the little demon could not lie, but he was also frightened and panicked, so he stammered out his answer.
"My name is Cunshe, and I am..."
She frowned, somewhat impatient. Recently, several inexplicable incidents had occurred in Koujia Town, disrupting her cultivation. The less experienced disciples had only reached the stage of recognizing demon spirits, and the little demon beasts were still ignorant, like newborn babies. The powerful senior brothers had to be on guard against the demon race outside at all times and had no time to spare. So, she could only rely on those of them who had formed spirit contracts.
“…Master, spare me! I didn’t hurt anyone, I really just…” Cun She cautiously observed the woman’s expression.
She was agitated and had no patience. Although she had formed a spiritual contract with the little demon beast, which was equivalent to giving it intelligence and allowing it to use some demonic arts, dealing with the little demon beast in front of her was still too easy, but it was still too slow.
She vaguely remembered that more than 30 people participated in the Spirit Recognition Conference. She was one of four siblings, the second oldest, timid, helpless, and hesitant. But only she and three others were chosen as the real demon beasts.
Ordinary bird and beast cubs and demon beast cubs were mixed together. Those who could be chosen were all born demon tamers. That day, she felt as if she were dreaming. She was surrounded by a crowd of people as she entered the main hall. In her arms was a little tabby cat that looked just as timid and cowering among a group of birds and beasts.
"Meow~" The tabby cat scratched its paw, then suddenly came to her senses.
"...It's just that Ningxiang Bilu is only available here, and I really just want to earn money to buy a jar of wine myself..."
Fragrant Dew?
She had heard of this wine before; it was brewed by Shu Huixin, one of the Six Palace Immortals. When it reached Koujia Town, only Yijiu Workshop produced a similar imitation, and it was quite expensive, costing three gold beads for a jar. Why didn't they just rob it?
Thinking of this, she pinched her brow in distress. The array light flickered, but it did not launch an attack, indicating that the other party was not lying.
Even among demons, there are varying degrees of strength. Perhaps it was seeing her own childhood reflection in the other's timid eyes that softened her supposedly cold heart slightly. She softened her tone and dispelled the magic array, "Leave Koujia Town today. If I encounter you again, don't bother going back."
Cun She felt as if he had been granted a pardon, thanked him repeatedly, and then disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.
"Meow~" The tabby cat in her arms seemed to be in a good mood and rubbed against its owner's face.
But there was no smile on her face.
Her name is Kou Fen'er. On the day she was chosen as a demon beast, she became a demon-identifying spirit. Previously unknown in her family, she suddenly became the one who brought glory to her family. She was the pride of her parents and relatives, and the envy of her brothers and sisters. She once thought that she was the one destined for greatness. What are demons? They can still be trampled under her feet.
However, among the four of them, the one who formed a spirit contract the fastest was not her, but another boy who chose a piglet and blushed and stammered when talking to others.
This boy, whom she had never taken seriously, successfully transformed his piglet into a demon three years later, making him a true demon tamer. His rapid growth astonished everyone, and he was hailed as the true chosen one.
Shouldn't this be her?
Kou Fen'er tightened her grip on the tabby cat, which seemed uncomfortable and pawed at her a few times. She instinctively let go, and the tabby cat promptly jumped away.
Her brows furrowed again, and a voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
She's working so hard, why can't this stupid cat become a demon?
"Squeak, squeak..."
"Meow?"
The tabby cat on the eaves suddenly pricked up its ears and looked around intently.
What was that sound? A mouse?
"Squeak, squeak..."
"Meow..."
The tabby cat gave a warning, then suddenly arched its back, leaped up, and pounced on a large bamboo basket filled with rotten vegetable leaves.
"What are you doing? Come back!" Kou Fen'er hurriedly stopped him.
This is a back street, so there are hardly any people around. The roadside is piled with garbage and rotten vegetable leaves, so it's normal to have some rats. But her tabby cat is no ordinary kitten; it's impossible for it to be easily attracted by rats.
"Meow—" The tabby cat's cry was almost shrill.
Ignoring the filth and stench, Kou Fen'er overturned the bamboo basket. Amidst the rotten vegetable leaves scattered on the ground, she had just spotted a tuft of black fur when a large black rat suddenly darted out, startling her so much that she stumbled. Then, she saw the tabby cat turn around and pounce on the black rat.
"Come back!" Kou Fen'er could no longer contain herself.
The talisman on the cuff flashed, and just as the big black rat was about to die in the tabby cat's paws, it suddenly stopped moving. The big black rat nimbly rolled out from under the cat's paws, turned its head and pounced on the ignorant Kou Fen'er.
"Fen'er, get out of the way—"
A clear, unfamiliar female voice exploded in her mind. Her vision blurred, and she felt dazed. The next moment, a black light struck the big black rat like lightning.
With a bang, the big black rat exploded into pieces on the spot, and thick blood smeared her face. But she was so engrossed in the memory of that urgent cry that it seemed to be fading away.
"Who? Who's speaking?"
Ignoring the blood on her face, Kou Fen'er stumbled towards the tabby cat lying on the ground not far away, its pupils trembling violently.
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