Rat in Yellow Wind Ridge, rising from plundering entries

Chapter 2 The Vengeful Serpent, No Hesitation—Attack!

“Dead rat, come out!”

A dragon-like roar echoed through the cave, reverberating off the walls. An invisible force of pressure spread through the air, sending insects and snakes scurrying for cover.

The Yellow Wind King hesitated for a moment before striding toward the main hall. Inside, the shrine to Heaven and Earth stood in solemn reverence, and in front of it rested a golden bronze mirror.

He formed a hand seal, channeling his energy into his fingertip, and shot a burst of power into the mirror. The surface rippled like water, waves spreading outward.

The bronze mirror was part of a set—one primary and eight sub-mirrors. The refinement process was simple, and the eight sub-mirrors could reflect views from eight different directions.

In simpler terms, it was a mythological version of a surveillance system. The mirror cycled through eight different locations until it settled on a particular scene. There, a violent storm raged, sweeping up sand and stones. Dark mist filled the sky, thick demonic clouds roiling overhead. Upon them stood three figures.

The first—a single-horned red serpent, stretching over three zhang (approximately ten meters) long. Its thick body, large enough for a man to wrap his arms around, was covered in crimson scales.

The second—a boar demon with a large head and broad ears. Its curved tusks jutted out, and it stood upright like a man, its burly frame gripping a hefty axe.

The third—a gaunt wolf demon with a lean frame, wearing a simple cloth skirt tied at the waist. A tuft of white fur crowned its forehead, and in its hand was a large blade.

Upon seeing the single-horned red serpent, the Yellow Wind King felt a sense of familiarity. It didn’t take long for him to recall the past.

“That’s the Red Chain Snake? It’s here for revenge?”

Ten years ago, Two snake demons had come to seize control of his burrow. With the help of his traps and mechanisms, the Yellow Wind King had fought desperately, managing to kill the elder snake brother. However, the younger one had escaped, vanishing without a trace.

“And now it’s grown a horn… Its hiss has transformed into a dragon’s roar… It’s undergone a partial transformation?”

Demonic creatures didn’t always take on full humanoid forms when they evolved. Some ancient great demons retained their original forms, cultivating their bloodlines to tap into ancestral abilities and divine powers.

“A boar demon and a wolf demon… Never seen them before. Must be allies of the Red Chain Snake made outside. It brought reinforcements?”

“They’ve all transformed… Three against one? That’s trouble!”

As the Yellow Wind King pondered his countermeasures—The Red Chain Snake descended with a thick demonic mist, stopping at the entrance of the burrow.

The Wolf Demon surveyed the area and spoke, “Good burrow. This is just the place for us to take shelter.”

The Boar Demon snorted impatiently.

“Let’s hurry up and kill that rat! Then we’ll take this place for ourselves.”

The Wolf Demon nodded.

“Makes sense. Let’s go—”

“Wait!”

The Red Chain Snake quickly stopped them and said, “Brothers, that damned rat is cunning. We mustn’t rush in recklessly.”

The Wolf Demon frowned.

“If we don’t go in, that rat will just cower inside. How are we supposed to take the burrow?”

The Red Chain Snake flicked its tongue, its serpentine eyes cold.

“Go and chop some trees. I’ll smoke him out.”

The other two demons did as they were told, dragging a pile of trees to the burrow entrance and stepping back.

The Red Chain Snake opened its mouth, spewing forth crimson flames that set the wood ablaze. The Wolf Demon exhaled a gust of foul wind, fanning the thick smoke into the depths of the cave.

Meanwhile, the Boar Demon clambered up the mountain, scanning the area to prevent the rat from escaping through another exit. But patience was not its virtue—it soon grew bored and yawned.

“Setting fire to my burrow? That’s dirty play!”

Watching from within, the Yellow Wind King gnashed his teeth in fury.

“Hmm? What’s this?”

Suddenly, something odd appeared before his eyes—above each demon’s head, three exclamation marks (!!!) floated in place. They looked like status indicators from a game.

Curious, the Yellow Wind King focused on them.

The exclamation marks expanded, revealing detailed information.

_____

_____

“Well, damn!”

The Yellow Wind King was astonished—he could actually see their basic stats and traits.

He pondered for a moment.

“The most dangerous one is that snake. If I can take them down one by one, I might just turn the tables!”

He headed to his armory, picked up a blade, then reconsidered and took a white bone bow along with three bone arrows. Slipping out the back, he navigated through another tunnel and emerged at a vine-covered pit along the mountainside.

Crack!

The sound of chopping wood echoed through the slope. The Boar Demon was chopping down trees. Cunning and devious, the Wolf Demon and the Red Hǔi left the labor to the physically strongest among them.

Huff, snort…

The Boar Demon swung its axe. Two chops felled a tree. After cutting down seven or eight, it bundled them together with an iron chain. Unbeknownst to it, the Yellow Wind King had already masked his aura and was watching from nearby. He observed as the demon hoisted the logs and trudged up the mountain.

Silently, the Yellow Wind King nocked an arrow onto his white bone bow, pulling back the string as he infused it with demonic energy.

Hummm!

The bow glowed, and the bone arrow shimmered. This bow was crafted from a demon tiger’s bones and tendons, along with rare materials. Its spine formed the bow, its leg bones the arrows.

When charged with demonic energy, it radiated a tiger’s majesty. He took aim. With focused intent, he saw the Boar Demon’s weak point—its neck.

Release!

The white bone bow quivered with a resounding roar, launching the arrow like a shooting star. Trees shattered as it streaked through the forest.

In an instant, it covered a hundred zhang (approximately 330 meters). The Boar Demon sensed danger—but too late. The arrow pierced its thick neck, blasting open a gaping wound. Its head, barely attached by a strip of flesh, lolled to the side before its massive body collapsed. The Yellow Wind King was surprised.

As a speed-focused demon, he would have struggled in direct combat against the tank-like Boar Demon. But with the Critical Strike trait, he landed a fatal blow—one arrow, one kill!

Of course, the power of his white bone bow and arrows, personally crafted by his parents, was not to be underestimated.

In Journey to the West, a powerful treasure could easily turn the tide of battle—like Taishang Laojun’s Vajra Bracelet or Maitreya’s Golden Cymbal.

“Only one trait? But this one’s not bad!”

Rodents were naturally small, and most mouse demons were inherently weak, unless they were of a rare variant. Despite his Moon-Swallowing Mouse bloodline, it was only at 1%—practically negligible.

By fusing Thick Hide, he could enhance his physical resilience.

“Fuse!”

In an instant, The Yellow Wind King’s bones, muscles, and skin transformed. His once wiry frame now displayed defined muscles. He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of strength, endurance, and resilience—nearly double his previous level.

“That damned rat! Kill it!”

A furious roar erupted. Looking up, he saw demonic mist swirling atop the mountain—The Red Hǔi and the Wolf Demon had heard the commotion and were descending upon him. The Yellow Wind King retreated into the tunnels. The two demons landed, snarling in rage as they found their fallen comrade’s corpse.