「Yongzhou Pass, City Lord’s Mansion.」
Yu Duchuan stood tall before the sand table.
SWISH.
The piled golden sand stirred, though there was no wind. It quickly coalesced into the shape of a mountain range, so detailed that every path was clearly visible.
Over the course of several days, more than a hundred Captains had infiltrated the area. By observing the mountain’s aura and geography, they had managed to map out a portion of the Demon Mountain’s terrain.
"Please, General Hong."
Yu Duchuan glanced aside with a pleasant smile. "Let me see what the Demon-slaying Bureau is truly capable of."
"Mountain God Duchuan, watch the sand table."
Hong Wei stepped forward with confidence, extending his arm and opening his coarse hand.
A single drop of crimson blood, enveloped in Spiritual Light, slowly fell onto the golden sand.
Instead of being absorbed, it formed a small, crimson snake.
In an instant, the small snake seemed to come alive. It began to move slowly, slithering between the golden peaks.
All eyes in the room were fixed upon it.
On the left stood ten Core Formation True Masters from the Yu Family. On the right were nine Vice Generals and their subordinate Captains.
Ironically, the one watching most intently was the Black-faced Captain, who had the lowest cultivation of anyone present.
He wasn’t just watching the blood snake’s movements. He was also trying to burn the entire layout of the sand table into his memory.
Finally, the small snake coiled itself atop a high peak.
"What is this mountain called?" a Vice General asked, looking up.
"..." Yu Duchuan fell silent for a moment, shooting the man a look of displeasure.
Noticing the shift in the Mountain God’s expression, the others instantly fell silent.
This was the Yu Family’s Yongzhou Pass.
Not only was Yu Duchuan one of the City Lords, but he was also highly regarded by Immortal Qiheng and seemed poised to take command of the entire Border Region.
Yet a man of his noble station couldn’t even name the mountain, let alone describe the disposition of Demons in the surrounding area.
This small detail spoke volumes.
’These Mountain Gods didn’t seem like they were garrisoning the Border Region at all. They were just holed up in these grand mountains, living a life of leisure, too lazy to even pretend otherwise.’
"The mountain’s name isn’t important. What’s important is what’s inside it."
Hong Wei nonchalantly picked up the conversation, stating calmly, "Mountain God Duchuan, we deliberately let Demon General Duan Yue escape to use him as bait. Our goal is to draw out more Demons and annihilate them all at once."
Hearing the words "deliberately let escape," Ruan Xiangling glanced at the Profound Armor worn by a Vice General nearby.
The man’s chest bore a deep indentation, a palm strike that had nearly shattered his heart.
Even after taking a Life-extending Treasure Pill, he remained deathly pale, his aura chaotic.
She secretly rolled her eyes.
’Three Vice Generals ganged up on a single Demon, caught it completely by surprise, and not only did they fail to take it down, one of them almost died. How very "deliberate" of them.’
"My analysis suggests this Demon is an utter coward. It has never raised a banner of its own, nor does it have any history of attacking Immortal Families or the Demon-slaying Bureau."
"It’s obviously a coward who’s afraid to die."
"Being heavily injured, it will undoubtedly seek shelter with other Demon Generals."
Staring at the small mountain formed from the golden sand, Hong Wei said slowly, "I will present the heads of these two Great Demons. That should be enough for Mountain God Duchuan to give his family a proper accounting."
WHOOSH.
Yu Duchuan let out a long breath, feeling slightly unsatisfied.
’According to his original plan, he was supposed to use the Demon-slaying Bureau’s power to sweep through the mountains and establish a mighty reputation for himself.’
’He wanted those so-called Demon Generals to flee in terror at the mere mention of his name.’
’With that kind of prestige, he would cement his title as the Celestial Pride of the Yu Family and make a name for himself that would shake all of Yongzhou!’
But after a moment’s hesitation, he didn’t voice any objections.
He desperately needed a victory to salvage his precarious position and silence his contemporaries.
And then there was that master-disciple duo who had provoked him time and time again.
Yu Duchuan had heard the two of them still hadn’t left Yongzhou Pass.
’If they handle this quickly, he might even get a chance to put them in their place.’
At this thought, he gave a slight nod and shot Hong Wei a meaningful glance.
"Brother Changfeng."
Hong Wei instantly understood. He turned to the Ruan siblings and said magnanimously, "Mountain God Duchuan has the Border Region’s best interests at heart. He is a man of great generosity and is unwilling to let a moment of pique interfere with official matters."
"If you agree, the Mountain God is willing to let bygones be bygones and allow you to remain involved. The credit will be split evenly."
The rewards for slaying a Demon General were substantial, but they paled in comparison to the benefits of befriending a Celestial Pride from the Yu Family.
Hong Wei didn’t split hairs. Instead, he took on the tone of a senior offering guidance.
"..."
Ruan Changfeng was silent for a long time before suddenly speaking. "I suggest you think this through more carefully. Really use your head. If these mountains can produce a Demon General as fierce as Moon-Devouring, why has there been no sign of it trying to unify the other Demons?"
"Does that really make any sense?"
Demons are creatures of darkness, unable to integrate into the mortal world.
Whether out of loneliness or for self-preservation, it’s in their nature to band together.
It would be one thing if they all had peaceful dispositions.
But the moment one with any ambition appears, they almost invariably start recruiting followers and building up their forces.
For the Moon-Devouring Demon General to be so audacious and to display such incredible power, yet seem to be acting alone... There hasn’t been a single rumor of other Demons flocking to its banner.
"What exactly are you getting at?" Hong Wei’s eyes narrowed.
"What my brother means is, maybe this territory is already run by a Demon, get it?"
Ruan Xiangling said with a hint of exasperation, "Let me spell it out for you. The Cloud Dragon Demon Monarch, the one who was supposedly crippled, is very likely still here. This entire Demon Mountain has been his territory from the start!"
"This is a disaster on the level of a Golden Core Demon Monarch. It’s not something a few Vice Generals can handle. Scram back home and tell your families. Let the State Mansion know what a complete mess Yongzhou Pass has become."

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