Since returning to Liubang Town, Shuling had become increasingly “talkative,” always nagging at Qiao San, the troublemaker with endless bad habits. Her tone, expression, and manner of speaking all simultaneously made Qiao San both annoyed and strangely warmed.
He was annoyed, of course, because how could the great King of Rogues be scolded by his own servant? Where was the distinction between master and servant anymore?!
But at the same time, whenever Shuling lectured him, warmth welled up in his heart, and he would instantly transform from Bold San back into Xiao Qiao Sheng—the obedient, clever young scholar he had been over a decade ago.
Sighing, he thought, “If only Mother were still alive—she would probably scold me like this every day too. Shuling really is becoming more and more like her. If she evolves a few more times, perhaps… ah!”
At this thought, Qiao San’s heart suddenly tightened. His imagination ran wild, yet quickly shifted into something unusual. Memories of his mother’s childhood affection, and the intimate, hazy recollections he shared with Shuling, flooded his mind, intertwining and confusing him.
Overwhelmed, Qiao San abruptly sat upright, instinctively waving his hand as if to shoo away the chaos in his heart. His lips trembling slightly, he muttered mechanically, “No way… impossible! I must be going mad!”
“O Great King, you’ve nearly killed us!”
The uniquely irreverent way of addressing him echoed from outside the cave, interrupting Qiao San’s tangled thoughts.
Looking up, Qiao San saw his two trusted human henchmen, Baozi and You Tiao, entering the cave.
Though they had help from minor demons, the two were exhausted from climbing the mountain, collapsing onto the ground panting heavily, “Haa… haa… Boss, if you’re going to become a demon, why live so hard? Why leave grand mansions to live in this cold, damp cave?”
Qiao San cast a sidelong glance at his two subordinates with a smirk, teasingly asking, “Didn’t you two claim to have stayed in the Yihong Mansion for an entire month without coming downstairs? Now that you’ve had your fun, you finally remember your ‘big boss’?”
“Waaah… Boss, that’s unfair! You’re the one who dislikes ordinary girls, don’t blame us for lacking loyalty!”
Their voices paused briefly before the two dramatically burst into tears and wails, “Boss, you’ve changed! You don’t care about us anymore! Everyone says you’ve risen to power and forgotten your brothers! Now we have to climb this high mountain just to see you, nearly falling to our deaths several times, waaah… and endure the demons’ arrogance too!”
Protectiveness is human nature. Naturally, Qiao San favored his human subordinates more than the spirits of ghosts. Though he knew these two were faking, he couldn’t help but agree with the truth in their words—In a land where power reigns supreme, ordinary humans without magic are naturally looked down upon by demons.
Sighing, he said, “Alright, alright, don’t dirty my new clothes! I’ll figure something out!”
Before Qiao San even finished speaking, Baozi and You Tiao immediately stopped crying. Their expressions quickly turned sly as they chimed in, “Boss, we heard there’s a place in the Underworld called Xuanfeng Mountain. On it grows a legendary herb called the Golden Jade Grass. If ordinary humans eat it, they can instantly fly and become mighty warriors. Hehe… Boss, why don’t you go get some for us?”
“Hmph! So you little bunnies had this planned all along! You actually set a trap for your big boss!”
As expected of a true boss, Qiao San immediately saw through their trickery. He first gave both of them a sharp knock on the head, leaving stars dancing before their eyes, then curiously asked, “Who told you about this Golden Jade Grass? The leader himself didn’t even know about it!”
“Hehe… Boss, please forgive us! We just wanted to help you maintain your reputation, you know? Without some supernatural skills, how can we survive in the Underworld?!”
After some flattery, they finally revealed the truth, “It was the Twelfth Princess who told us. She also said Xuanfeng Mountain is ten thousand miles from our Ghost Forest, but for you, Boss, it’s just a sneeze away!”
The exaggeration pleased Qiao San greatly. Reflecting inwardly, he felt even more fondness toward the Twelfth Princess. Though the little fox girl had been busy managing the affairs of Liubang Town’s human residents lately, she still remembered to look out for him—truly thoughtful.
With the Golden Jade Grass, not only could his gang of rogues gain immense power, but their loyalty would become ironclad. It would also help him win the favor of the ghost forest spirits.
Only then could he truly form a rogue army capable of dominating all three realms!
The idea of such multiple benefits quickly solidified his resolve. Eagerly, the King of Rogues declared, “Fine! Lao Da will go get the Golden Jade Grass right away. You two go tell the others to prepare for the glorious days of flying and fighting!”
With a swoosh, the King of Rogues soared into the clouds. With a stomp of his foot, his mount appeared beneath him. In an instant, man and bird tore through space and vanished.
“Wow, the boss must really be bored. He’s never been this enthusiastic about anything before. He’s acting like he’s gone mad!” Baozi, round and perceptive, truly understood his boss well, hitting the nail right on the head of Boss San’s true feelings.
“Yeah… life in Liubang Town has become so dull. There’s no one left to oppose us anymore! Sigh…” You Tiao looked equally gloomy. Both rogues sighed in unison.
Before You Tiao even finished speaking, a fiery blur suddenly shot back, and Qiao San, riding his ancient divine bird, blushed slightly and coughed, “Which direction is Xuanfeng Mountain again?”
The two henchmen’s eyes widened in shock. Their faces twisted as they desperately tried to suppress laughter, finally pointing a trembling finger toward the distance.
In a flash of red light, the great King of Rogues soared off once more. Moments later, two figures rolled on the ground outside the demon cave, laughing so hard that even the gloomy Ghost Forest seemed a little brighter.
Beiju Luzhou, one of the four great continents, is a cold and damp land. The Heavens call it the Demon Realm, while the demons themselves refer to it as the Earthly Domain.
In truth, all four continents exist within the same world. The sun, the moon, the mountains, the rivers—everything is just like in the human world. The only difference is that this realm is inhabited by demons, while the human world is for ordinary people.
Xuanfeng Mountain lies between the eastern and southern gates of the Earthly Domain. A yin mountain standing a thousand zhang tall, it is constantly battered by cold winds and shrouded in mist. Truly, it is a perilous and formidable place.
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