Chương 27: The Fortress Isn't for Humans

Without further ado, the group exchanged names and headed up the mountain toward the fortress. Dagou led the way, while Zhonggou and Xiaogou flanked Fang Cheng on either side, as if afraid he might bolt. The mountain path was a narrow trail. There were stone steps, but they were steep and uneven. Thorny vines lined both sides. It was rough going, nothing like a road made by human hands. In truth, it wasn't made for humans at all. About halfway up, they came across an old black fox.

It walked upright on two legs, its forelimbs swinging back and forth like a person's. Its face was smeared with rouge, though the wrinkled skin made it look like an old woman who'd just learned to wear makeup. Behind the old fox trailed a pack of little foxes, also walking upright, imitating her steps. Their fur was a riot of colors, their eyes big and round, adorable really, except their forelimbs were held stiffly in the air, as if they didn't know where to put them.

The little foxes spotted the strangers and immediately dropped their act, dropping to all fours and swarming around Fang Cheng. Their round eyes fixed on him, tongues lolling, drool pooling on the ground, snuffling greedily. The old fox glanced at Fang Cheng and let out two low, sly chuckles. She said to the three brothers, "You lot are quite capable. Found our king another meal, have you?" Dagou quickly explained, "Old Fox, this is a new errand boy we hired. Not for eating. Not for eating." The old fox laughed.

"True enough. The boy's as skinny as a monkey, barely any meat on him. Our king wouldn't fancy him anyway." As the old fox and Dagou chatted, some of the little foxes had already climbed onto Fang Cheng, baring their teeth to bite. Fang Cheng pretended to be terrified, but secretly channeled a burst of energy, shaking them off.

"Squeak!" The little foxes couldn't speak human language yet, so they could only screech in pain. The others erupted in a frenzy, wanting revenge for their companion. They let out piercing shrieks that echoed through the forest, shaking leaves from the trees and sending birds scattering in panic. The old fox's face darkened.

"You insolent brat! You dare hit my pups? Hmph, I'll have to rip open your belly and use your intestines as compensation." Dagou winced inwardly. This Fang Cheng was an idiot, picking a fight with the demon lords. Xiaogou's legs were already trembling so badly he could barely stand.

"B-Big brother, what do we do?" Zhonggou, the second brother, remained calm. He stepped up to the old fox and said, "Old Fox, please calm down. The boy's new, he doesn't know the rules. I'll have him go into town another day and buy you a few boxes of your favorite rouge to apologize." The old fox's brows relaxed at that.

"Hahaha! Second Dog, you know how to talk. Fine, I'll let him off this once. But remember, I like pink rouge."

"Understood. Understood." Zhonggou nodded with a servile smile.

"Good. Now, pups, move along. Don't waste time." The old fox waved at the little foxes behind her. But they wouldn't let it go. They wanted revenge. The old fox snorted and said, "King Yellow and King Green are visiting our king today. He's ordered us to pick fruit and prepare snacks ahead of time. We can't afford to be late. If you ruin our king's business, being skinned alive will be the least of your problems."

"Squeak squeak..." At those words, all the little foxes fell silent, too terrified to cause any more trouble. They followed the old fox away. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Once the foxes were gone, Zhonggou turned to Fang Cheng.

"Brother Fang, since you've seen this much, we might as well be straight with you. Besides us three brothers, the fortress is nothing but demons. But don't worry, as long as you do as you're told, you'll live."

"I'll behave. And thank you, Brother Zhonggou, for speaking up for me. Seeing a fox talk really scared me." Fang Cheng clutched his chest, putting on a fearful face, but inside, he was already thrilled. Ever since the Underworld Bureau issued its warning, cultivators had stopped coming to the Everlasting Mountains, allowing these little demons to thrive. He'd passed a few spirit beasts on his way here, but he'd been in a hurry and hadn't had time to tell if they were good or evil.

Now he had all the time in the world. And everyone knew man-eating monsters weren't good monsters. Eating these bad monsters would fill his belly. Though somehow, it felt like it'd be missing something.

"Kid, I'm Zhonggou. Not 'Second Dog.'" Zhonggou's expression soured, he clearly hated the nickname. He added, "When you meet demons, call them 'lord.' Be respectful. They like that, and they won't give you trouble."

"I get it. Demons like being treated like people." Fang Cheng shrugged. He'd met plenty of demons, especially the ones who hadn't fully transformed yet. They spent all day mimicking human behavior, thinking they were already human. Dagou explained, "I heard that's how they cultivate, first become human, then become immortal. If we serve them well, maybe we'll get to cultivate too and stop being mortals." Zhonggou shook his head.

"Big brother, forget those fantasies. Cultivation isn't that simple. We're better off staying mortal, eating and drinking with the demons, living easy. If the Underworld Bureau's great cultivators ever attack this fortress, we can pretend to be innocent victims and save our skins. If we play it right, we might even befriend a great cultivator and get an official post, even better." Dagou looked reluctant.

"But second brother, seeing King Tiger fly through the sky and shake the earth makes my heart itch. I really want to learn his skills." Xiaogou stepped in before the two brothers could start arguing again.

"Enough. Let's get back to the fortress and prepare. King Yellow and King Green should be here soon. We need to set up the cauldron, boil water, and get the hotpot ingredients ready."

"Right, right, let's get back to the pot. I'm already drooling." Fang Cheng urged them on. Dagou didn't argue further. He led the three up the mountain, and along the way, he told Fang Cheng about King Tiger's origins, hoping to instill some respect in him so he wouldn't act out and anger the kings.

"Our King Tiger was once a white-faced tiger roaming these mountains. By chance, he came across a spirit fruit and ate it. It transformed him completely. Now he can ride clouds and mist and take the form of a hundred-zhang giant tiger. Mighty and unstoppable. He only eats brains, which makes him smarter, helps him understand the Dao, and helps him ascend sooner."

"King Yellow and King Green are King Tiger's friends. King Yellow is a spotted leopard, wanted by the Underworld Bureau, famous far and wide. He's eaten countless humans, all ages. His favorite is a child's thigh, tender and fragrant, one sniff and you'd swoon. He only recently fled to Early Rebirth territory."

"King Green is a green python demon who's cultivated alone for three hundred years. He sits on Yellow Peak Mountain all day, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. But every year on the fifteenth of August, he descends to the villages below and finds an eighteen-year-old maiden to savor her heart and liver. Mmm, a maiden's heart and liver, so tender it makes you drool for miles." Dagou's vivid descriptions made Fang Cheng's eyes grow brighter and brighter. He swallowed hard, then caught himself. Wait.

As a righteous good person, he couldn't be this evil. He slapped himself to snap out of it. Zhonggou noticed Fang Cheng's odd behavior and frowned in confusion, but he didn't dwell on it. They had arrived at the fortress entrance: a towering cliff face. The cliff rose a hundred zhang high and seventy meters wide, built of black stone carved with strange symbols that glowed faintly.

It was already night, and rows of lanterns and torches lined the wall, their flames leaping and casting light that turned the fortress bright as day. Hundreds of caves dotted the cliff face at various heights. Occasionally, a minor demon would emerge from one cave and disappear into another, carrying fruits or vegetables on their shoulders, busy as bees. At the base of the cliff, a squad of demon soldiers stood guard outside the lowest cave.

They held weapons, wore iron armor, and stood as still as statues, expressions grim. The demon soldier captain, a gray wolf, spotted Dagou and strode over.

"What took you so long? I had the little ones wash the white pig. It's ready for gutting." Then he noticed Fang Cheng at the back.

"Where'd you catch this skinny monkey? Barely enough to fill a tooth." Dagou quickly explained it wasn't food, it was a new errand boy, great at roasting things. Sweet potatoes, he meant, no, meat.

"Can you roast intestines?" Captain Gray Wolf asked. He loved intestines, it was a canine thing.

"Haha, of course! Especially fresh intestines stuffed full. I can roast them so they smell like nature's own fragrance." Captain Gray Wolf nodded approvingly.

"Good, good. Hurry up and get inside. The three kings are waiting."