Chapter 50: A New Mission

Before this, since he had only just arrived in this world and knew very little, and was constrained by circumstances, Lu Fei couldn’t live alone and had to squeeze into a cave with the Crow Monster and Redskin. But now, as the ragtag demon horde of Wandering Mountain was absorbed into the more formal-looking company of great demons at Wild Desolation Mountain, the conditions had changed.

Naturally, Lu Fei wanted his own place. It was not only for greater comfort, but also for privacy. As his strength gradually increased, there were some things better kept from his two companions’ eyes. Even though he had accepted them, and regardless of how close their relationship grew, a certain distance was necessary.

The Crow Monster and Redskin didn’t understand this now, but once their own powers grew, they would naturally come to realize it.

“So where are we going to live?” the Crow Monster asked, quickly shifting focus from the inevitable separation to the prospect of his new home. Just as their big brother had said, they could each choose their favorite spot to settle down, decorate their own nests, and wouldn’t be too far apart. The little pang of disappointment he’d felt was soon replaced by excitement.

Redskin, on the other hand, wasn’t as simple-hearted as the Crow Monster, whose moods turned as quickly as the wind. When he first joined Wandering Mountain, the big and second brothers were the first to speak to him, befriend him, and accept him. He’d always regarded them as his elder brothers, for they had taught him many things. At first, he learned most from the Crow Monster, who always seemed to know everything. Gradually, however, he began to look up to the eldest brother.

They played, ate, lived together, and undertook missions side by side. Though Redskin was the quietest among the three and rarely spoke, his feelings ran deep. And though outsiders might think he constantly quarreled with the Crow Monster, that was just their way of getting along—deep down, he truly acknowledged him as his second brother.

At this moment, when the eldest suggested living separately, Redskin was the one least willing to part, though he said nothing aloud.

“This will be the main mountain in the future. We’ll have to report here every morning, so living too far away won’t do…” Lu Fei explained as he led his two brothers down the slope, talking as they went. “But staying too close to the General isn’t ideal either—not enough freedom, and it won’t be convenient to go out at night…”

“So, let’s not consider the main mountain…” he said, lifting his head to watch as most of the little demons rushed toward the two peaks flanking the main mountain, while only a few headed to the large mountain opposite.

He, too, had his sights set on the mountain opposite.

“Let’s go take a look at that one…” Lu Fei signaled with a nod.

The Crow Monster and Redskin, ever loyal to their eldest brother, had no objections and followed him straight down the mountain. From above, the lay of the land was unclear; only upon reaching the bottom did they realize there was a ravine separating the main mountain from the one opposite. The ravine wasn’t wide, but downstream there was a deep pool filled with large fish swimming in clear view.

“Big brother, look—fish!” The Crow Monster ran up to the pool, delighted.

Lu Fei and Redskin joined him, smiling at the scene—they were all reminded of the early days on Wandering Mountain, when they’d feasted on fish together.

“We’ll catch these fish later…” Lu Fei glanced at the sky. “It’s getting late; let’s find a place to stay first—we need three spots…”

With that, he led the way toward the opposite mountain. The Crow Monster nodded, and he and Redskin followed.

By dusk, Lu Fei was the first to find a suitable dwelling: a spacious stone cave facing east, so that the very first rays of dawn would spill inside. Even the Crow Monster, usually hard to impress, was amazed by the cave—though naturally, it already had an owner: a massive black bear, two and a half meters long, who called it home.

At first, the bear thought dinner had walked right in, but once the three of them released their demonic auras, the formidable beast was stunned into immobility—then, inevitably, became their meal.

Lu Fei wasn’t about to be polite with such a conveniently delivered supper. For someone who wanted to live comfortably, finding the cave was only the first step; there was no way he would move into a foul-smelling den vacated by a black bear. He had Redskin, who was skilled at digging, expand the cave according to his wishes, and the Crow Monster gathered fresh pine needles for bedding. Stones were brought in to build a makeshift hearth, and finally, with his brothers’ help, they even chiseled a skylight in one corner of the cave so moonlight could pour in at night.

Lu Fei was particular about this.

By the time everything was set up, night had fallen completely. Seeing the Crow Monster and Redskin slumped on the ground, panting from exhaustion, Lu Fei decided not to drag them out to search for places to live. Instead, he lit a fire on the new hearth and began roasting meat for supper.

He still had a great haul of demon meat stored from last night’s banquet, thanks to his storage ability. But since the three of them had only just gorged themselves, with the effects of the meat and medicines still lingering, tonight’s main course would be ordinary black bear, with a little demon roast on the side.

Both the Crow Monster and Redskin agreed with their big brother’s wisdom. After all, it wouldn’t be easy to get more demon meat in the future, and they should take their time consuming and absorbing the stores he had.

“Phew… I’m stuffed…” The Crow Monster sprawled across the cool ground, patting his belly with satisfaction. “Big brother, this place is great. Tomorrow I’m going to find a cave like this for myself!”

This time, Redskin didn’t bicker with him. Instead, he voiced his concern: “The spirit herbs the General mentioned today—we’ve never seen them. Where are we supposed to find them?”

“I’ve seen them!” the Crow Monster piped up.

“But do you know where to look? How to find them?” Redskin pressed.

At this, the Crow Monster had to think for a while, then finally admitted, “I don’t know…”

After drying the newly acquired, glossy black bear pelt, Lu Fei laid it over the pine needle bed. Then he scooped up the little creature darting about the cave, settled by the fire, and said, “Don’t worry about it tonight. We’ll know tomorrow. The General wouldn’t send us off to find spirit herbs without any clue.”

The Crow Monster chimed in, “Big brother, what does ‘without a clue’ mean?”

Lu Fei was at a loss for words.

The next morning.

Sunlight filtered through the woods, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Watching the eager horde scatter into the forest, all excitedly shouting about finding spirit herbs, Lu Fei and his brothers wore grim expressions.

For the three of them had been singled out by Bear Leader for a new assignment: mountain patrol.

For the next half month, they were to circle the newly christened Wandering Mountain territory—spanning dozens of miles of peaks—every single day.

“This isn’t fair! Bear Leader is just giving us a hard time, keeping us from searching for spirit herbs!” the Crow Monster cried indignantly as the other demons dispersed.

Lu Fei’s face darkened at his words. “Quiet!” he barked. “Let’s get out of here…”

With a grim expression, Lu Fei shifted into his true form and led the way down the mountain, with the Crow Monster and Redskin following obediently behind.