Chapter 112: Sharpening Weapons and Feeding Horses, Lu Wufei Distributes Treasures, The Old Ancestor of Yellow Wind

"Above my two elder brothers."

"There was an Old Ancestor."

"Last night, the Old Ancestor passed away."

Upon hearing this news from the Third King, the group of generals at the stone table were stunned. As demons at the level of Demon Commander, they were not the ignorant little demons from below. Naturally, they did not think there were no stronger beings above their own King. Above the King were the Demon Ancestors, also known as Old Ancestors.

Now, they had received confirmation from their own King. But hearing that the Old Ancestor, who was far more powerful than the King, had fallen, the first thought that crossed the minds of the Demon Commanders was: Can even an Old Ancestor die? Then, what kind of incredibly powerful monster could have done such a thing? And finally, if their own Old Ancestor was dead, what would happen to them? Would that monster who killed the Old Ancestor come for them next?

The stunned generals racked their brains in confusion. Lu Wufei was no exception. At this moment, his reservoir of knowledge was greater than any other general present. Even the Third King, despite being a whole cultivation realm above him, might not necessarily possess more knowledge than someone who had read through the entire collection of the Wuzhuang Temple’s洞天 library. He naturally knew of the existence of the Demon Ancestor on the Great Desolate Mountain. After all, the demon race was famously ruled by the law of the jungle. It was impossible for such a magnificent piece of land like the Great Desolate Mountain to exist without a high-level Great Demon guarding it. The Demon Ancestor corresponded to the Immortal realm in human cultivation. For a Great Demon of that level to suddenly fall...

At this moment, Lu Wufei immediately associated this with the sound that had shaken the entire Taiping Mountain range the previous night. "Could it be related to the fall of the Demon Ancestor that the Third King spoke of?" Thinking this, Lu Wufei looked at Bai Yunxiao beside him and saw that the other was looking back. The expression on his face suggested he was thinking the same thing.

As for the other generals, although they were momentarily shocked, they did not show much fear or worry afterward. Why? Because the Demon Ancestor was too distant from them. With their Third King, the Second King, and the First King above them, they felt secure. If it had been their own Third King who had died, the seven generals would certainly not be looking like this.

Thus, after a brief exchange of glances, they all turned to look at their King, waiting for orders. At this moment, the King was the one who should be anxious, not them.

"It seems you all understand what has happened." Looking at the gazes of his generals, the Third King, White-Faced, spoke again: "So, prepare yourselves. It won't be long before a great battle awaits us." Saying this, the Third King stood up, turned, and looked at the sky behind him. "A battle far more intense and cruel than any in the past!"

"Therefore, once you return, be ready at all times and await my command. By the way, a shipment of weapons and equipment has just arrived at the warehouse. Those of you whose subordinates are not fully equipped, go to the warehouse later to collect them. In short, this battle must be won, not lost. Go."

After speaking, the Third King waved his hand, then sat back down by the flower pond behind the pavilion, turning back into a fisherman, motionless. The generals immediately stood up, saluted, and walked out with various expressions.

Lu Wufei walked last. He was replaying the Third King’s words in his mind. He noticed that when the King spoke of the Old Ancestor’s death, his expression didn't change, and his tone lacked any trace of sadness or solemnity. It was light and airy. Furthermore, when he spoke of the upcoming battle, Lu Wufei could detect a hint of lightness and excitement in his tone. This was his own Old Ancestor, his own leader who had perished! How could he be so nonchalant, even feeling cheerful? Was there something wrong?

Convinced that his perception was correct, Lu Wufei glanced back at the Third King fishing by the pond, then quickened his pace. At this point, Bai Yunxiao, who was in front, slowed his pace and asked when Lu Wufei caught up, "What are you thinking about, so intently?"

"Nothing." Lu Wufei shook his head; what he had just been thinking was not something he could tell Bai Yunxiao. "Just thinking."

He was still pondering the great battle the Third King had mentioned. Most of his subordinates were new demons, and not many had weapons. He asked, "Brother, are you going to the warehouse?"

Bai Yunxiao nodded. "I was just about to go. There is still a batch of little demons without weapons; I want to get them sorted this time."

Lu Wufei nodded. "Then let's go together. My subordinates are in the same situation."

The two demons left the pavilion and stepped onto clouds, flying toward the mountains where the warehouse was located. Bai Yunxiao suddenly said, "We finally had over a decade of peace, I didn't expect to be fighting again so soon."

Lu Wufei nodded and sighed, "Indeed. Judging by the King's words, this time will be even more dangerous than before. I wonder how many demons will die."

Bai Yunxiao let out a long breath. "I thought there would be fewer battles after following the King, but it seems not. I wonder who the enemies will be this time."

That was a bit risky to say. Lu Wufei immediately looked around and higher into the sky, but saw no surveillance. Only then did he respond, "Who the enemy is doesn't matter as much. It's just a pity for my Taiping Mountain; it has only just begun, and I've recruited many new demons. I fear not many will survive this."

Although Lu Wufei did not fear battle, he truly did not want a major war now, especially when his career as a mountain lord had just begun. Seeing Taiping Mountain improve day by day, watching newly enlightened little demons arrive, and seeing his group of demons grow stronger under his leadership gave him a sense of accomplishment. In his past life, he felt attached to game characters in simulation games; naturally, he felt protective of the living, breathing demons who relied on him for survival.

He finally understood the feeling the Black General had had over a decade ago when he flew into a rage after receiving news from the Black Eagle manager before that great battle. The mortality rate of newly recruited demons in such wars was simply too high. But there was nothing to be done; the orders came from above. Besides, it wasn't just the little demons who died; the generals were equally in danger. The Black General who fell last time, and especially the many generals who fell on the side of Wind-Cloud Ridge, were proof of that. Once the top-tier combat power could not be contained, the Demon Commanders, acting as the backbone of the army, would face devastating targeted strikes.

If Lu Wufei ever encountered such a situation and could not escape, his last resort would be to reveal his sect. But if he met an ignorant Demon King or one blinded by bloodlust, revealing his identity might not work. After all, there were plenty of crazy monsters out there. Therefore, as long as there was war, there would be danger. If a divine Great Demon like the Old Ancestor could fall, what chance did a mid-level Demon Commander like him have?

While they talked, they soon arrived at the warehouse at the foot of a large mountain. After an exchange, as Lu Wufei walked in, he saw the Centipede Spirit and the Black Bear Spirit just walking out. Because of an unpleasant meeting a month ago, the two sides naturally looked at each other with disdain and did not even exchange greetings.

Soon, Lu Wufei and Bai Yunxiao entered the warehouse. Watching the warehouse manager easily approve the number of weapons Bai Yunxiao requested, Lu Wufei stood by, his mind racing. He currently had about 249 little demons on Taiping Mountain, with 190 brought from Langlang Mountain and the rest being newly enlightened demons he had found over the past month. Considering some might be defective, he needed about 300 weapons. He had five demon generals qualified to wear armor, and since they had already been armored when they arrived, he would ask for three to five more sets.

Thinking of this, Lu Wufei remembered the old Langlang Mountain and the Black General. Back then, Langlang Mountain was too poor. Most of the little demons had no weapons and went into battle bare-chested. After that battle, Bai Yunxiao took the Black General's place. The Black General's death had certainly contributed to that. Thinking about it now, it was a bit melancholic.

"General Bai," the manager, a Sheep Demon, finished with Bai Yunxiao and looked at Lu Wufei. "How many little demons do you have on Taiping Mountain? How many weapons and sets of armor do you need?"

Lu Wufei, who knew his mountain's affairs by heart, smiled. "My Taiping Mountain currently has 600 little demons and 13 demon generals. I need 600 weapons and 13 sets of armor."

As Lu Wufei spoke, Bai Yunxiao’s brow twitched. The Sheep Demon manager frowned immediately. "I heard your Taiping Mountain has only just been established. How could you have so many little demons in such a short time?"

"Manager, I gave General Bai some support with little demons," Bai Yunxiao interjected.

Lu Wufei followed up, "Yes, General Bai has supported me with many. Also, I have been lucky; the territory the King assigned me is good, and since it was just opened, many little demons have come drawn by the news, which is how I gathered so many so quickly."

The Sheep Demon manager nodded, muttered to himself, looked at Lu Wufei once more, and then stopped questioning. After registering the request, he stood up and said, "Follow me, Generals."

Before long, after saying goodbye to the manager and exiting the warehouse, Lu Wufei flew into the air. Bai Yunxiao, who had been waiting, immediately asked, "Does your Taiping Mountain really have 600 little demons now?"

Lu Wufei shook his head. "Of course not, less than 300."

Bai Yunxiao was surprised. "Then why did you dare to lie about the number, and by so much?"

Lu Wufei countered, "Do you report the truth every time, Brother?"

Bai Yunxiao: "Not exactly, I do inflate the numbers, but not by that much."

Lu Wufei was curious. "How much do you inflate it by?"

Bai Yunxiao: "Usually, if I have 100, I report 110 or 120."

Lu Wufei laughed. "Brother, you are truly honest. I just saw the manager agree to your request so readily, so I decided to try for more. I didn't expect it to actually pass."

"I am surprised too," Bai Yunxiao laughed, shaking his head. "It was never this easy before, but this time it seems exceptionally straightforward."

Lu Wufei: "That just shows that the coming battle is as massive and important as the King said."

Bai Yunxiao nodded, his expression serious. "That must be it."

At this moment, snow began to fall from the sky. In the distance, the dark wind-eye clouds rumbled, signaling a blizzard. Since the two were not on the same mountain, Bai Yunxiao sped off in one direction, while Lu Wufei turned into a streak of golden light and shot off in another.

By the time he reached Taiping Mountain, it was completely dark. Lu Wufei landed on the cliff at the summit. From a nearby cave, the squeaking of "Zhi-zhi-zhi" could be heard, and then Little White rushed out. Lu Wufei scooped Little White into his arms and walked into the cave, seeing his "daughter" Wandashan waiting for him. The Red-skinned Crow demon and others had already left.

"Father." Lu Wufei patted Wandashan’s head. "Why haven't you left yet?"

Wandashan did not answer immediately, but walked to the campfire in the center of the cave, scooped a bowl of steaming meat soup, and brought it to Lu Wufei. "Father, have some soup. This soup needed someone to watch the fire, and I’m not as busy as the uncles, so I stayed."

Looking at the hot soup and the thoughtful Wandashan, Lu Wufei felt a warmth in his heart. This was the best reward for adopting her. "Father is back now." He took the wooden bowl, feeling happy. "You should go back now, it's very windy and snowy out."

"Yes, Father." Wandashan nodded with a smile and soon left.

In the large cave, only Lu Wufei and Little White remained. Lu Wufei sat by the fire, eating from the pot and drinking wine alone. He thought of the sweet Wandashan, then of the unreasonable Lady Hua he had seen at the Great Desolate Mountain during the day. He shook his head; it seemed women—no, female demons—were just as troublesome as his ex-girlfriend. He didn't dwell on it, continuing to eat and drink while listening to the howling wind and snow outside. For a moment, he felt the true joy of life.

The next morning, the sky cleared. On the square halfway up the main peak of Taiping Mountain, the thick snow from the night before had been cleared away. About 250 little demons stood in the square, a dark mass. On the steps before the demons stood five demon leaders.

Just then, a massive aura descended from the sky. The demons watched as their General, riding a white cloud, flew down and landed on the elevated platform. At that moment, the noisy chatter of the little demons ceased instantly. The five leaders also became solemn.

Lu Wufei stood on the platform, silent, and simply waved his hand toward the empty space nearby.

*Clang, clang, clang...*

The sound of metal clashing together resonated as a large pile of various weapons fell from the sky onto the ground. The little demons widened their eyes, faces filled with joy and excitement. Whispers broke out among the crowd.

"Those weapons," Lu Wufei spoke, his voice instantly suppressing all the chatter. "There are enough for every one of you to have one. Your leaders will distribute them shortly."

He turned to the five leaders. "After the distribution, stop all chores and miscellaneous tasks. The five of you will arrange training for them. Training will go from morning until afternoon, with a meal break in between. Training starts today and will not stop without my command. Have you heard?"

"Yes, General!" the five leaders bowed respectfully. Although they didn't know what was happening, it was clearly a major event.

"The rest is up to you. Begin." Lu Wufei said no more, and flew back up into the sky, leaving behind a group of excited, noisy little demons and five bewildered leaders.

"Leader Red, you are the General's sworn brother. Do you know why the General suddenly gave this order?" the Lynx leader, Jin Cheng, asked the Red-skinned demon. On the other side, the Spider Spirit leader, Lanzhou, also approached the Crow demon. "Leader Black, do you know what happened?"

The five leaders of Taiping Mountain—two were the General's sworn brothers, one was a former subordinate—gathered together to ask about the General's sudden move.

"I don't know either," said Red-skin, who had been appointed as the commander by Lu Wufei. He shook his head solemnly. "But the General went to the Great Desolate Mountain yesterday. I suspect this order is related to that. Regardless, when the General gives such an order, a major event must be unfolding. We must strictly follow his instructions so as not to disappoint him."

The other leaders nodded. "Indeed! The General wouldn't order this without reason."

"That's right, he gave everyone weapons and wants us to train—could there be a battle coming?"

"Leader Black-Tooth is right."

"But it's getting late, everyone, let's distribute the weapons to the little ones. They can't wait anymore."

Two days later, a significant event occurred on Taiping Mountain. The sworn brother of Leader Red and Leader Black, and the younger brother of the General himself—the Ferret Spirit Huang Gui—finally broke through the late stage of the Demon Soldier realm, successfully advancing to become a Demon General. He became the sixth leader of Taiping Mountain and the first to advance while stationed there.

On the third day, Lu Wufei went to Langlang Mountain. As the sky grew dark, he flew down and landed by the summit of Taiping Mountain.

"Come to my cave."

At the same time, the Crow demon, Red-skin, and Wandashan, all living in the caves on the main peak, heard Lu Wufei's voice. Before long, figures appeared before the warm, firelit cave.

"Big Brother!" "Big Brother." "Father."

They walked in, facing the cold wind, and saw the roaring campfire in the center, the large pot above it, and the rolling meat and mushrooms. Their faces lit up with joy.

"Sit down," Lu Wufei said casually.

"Alright."

Just as the three of them sat down, a slender figure appeared at the cave entrance. "Big Brother." It was Huang Gui. "You've all arrived. I'm late."

"You'll have to punish yourself with a bowl—no, three bowls."

"You wish! Big Brother only has a limited amount of wine each time, don't you dare drink more."

"Hehe."

After reaching the Demon General level, Huang Gui's speech, personality, and even his stature were completely different from when he was a Demon Soldier.

Seeing all three brothers and Wandashan present, Lu Wufei waved his hand, and four items appeared before them: a black-patterned iron staff, a ring-headed broadsword, a one-handed hammer, and a pair of boots faintly glowing with a soft light.

The four of them stared at the items, especially the black iron staff and the glowing boots, their eyes widening.

"These are all magical artifacts." Lu Wufei smiled. "The boots are for Wandashan; the three of you can divide the weapons."

"Thank you, Big Brother!" "Big Brother is the best!" "Thank you, Father!"

Wandashan held the short boots with joy; Red-skin caressed the one-handed hammer with glowing eyes; the Crow demon hugged the black iron staff Lu Wufei used to use, kissing it repeatedly; Huang Gui stared at the broadsword on his knees, smiling foolishly.

Lu Wufei watched them, holding Little White in his arms, feeling a sense of satisfaction. It had taken a lot of persuasion to get these two low-grade artifacts from his elder brother, but seeing them like this, it was worth it.

Seeing them still entranced, Lu Wufei laughed and scolded, "Alright, they're yours now, you can look at them later. If you don't eat, the meat will overcook!"

"Eat, eat!" "We're eating!" "Big Brother, I toast you with a bowl—no, ten!" "Go away, don't try to trick me out of my wine!" "Hahahaha."

The atmosphere at the top of Taiping Mountain was harmonious.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the Great Desolate Mountain, at the entrance of a simple yet magnificent palace atop a peak piercing the clouds, five figures with astonishing auras stood respectfully. If Lu Wufei were there, he would recognize the Third King among them.

Just then, a short figure wearing a golden robe, a small golden cap, and sporting two thin whiskers appeared.

The five figures, including the Third King, bowed in unison: "Welcome, Old Ancestor Yellow Wind."