Rat in Yellow Wind Ridge, rising from plundering entries

Chapter 39 A Righteous Cause, Heaven Shall Assist, Success Is Certain! A Martial Master Among Humans!

In the camp, with the King of the Battlefield title boosting his speech, King Yellow Wind’s words were passionate and inspiring, rousing the blood and morale of the demons.

The demons raised their weapons and shouted together, “Righteous Army!”

“Righteous Army!”

“Righteous Army!”

“Heaven will assist us, and we will succeed!”

The entire camp echoed with fervor as the demons straightened their chests. They were fighting to defend their homeland. They were fighting to protect Yellow Wind Ridge. They were fighting to eliminate disaster and punish evil!

A sense of honor and justice welled up in their hearts. The atmosphere became electrified, and the energy of the camp soared. Even the few humans present in the camp couldn’t help but feel their blood rush with excitement in this atmosphere.

“Long live the Rat God!”

“The ghostly creatures have occupied Flowing Sand City and have been disturbing our villages. Are they finally going to be eradicated?”

“Great! Let’s kill them!”

“With the Rat God’s protection, Yellow Wind Ridge is blessed!”

The people who had come to work here had already accepted the existence of demons. Unlike the Eastern lands, where there were many immortal cultivation temples and demons had vanished, Yellow Wind Ridge was often filled with demons and monsters.

Many of the residents here had dealings with smaller demons and had come to view them as part of life. Over time, their fear of the creatures had waned.

Moreover, with Old Black Fox’s advocacy and their firsthand experiences with King Yellow Wind’s amiable side, the human workers felt more at ease. After witnessing King Yellow Wind’s personal presence and his efforts to communicate peacefully with the demons, they felt a sense of unity with the forces heading out to battle.

Of course, the main reason was that many of them were former citizens of Flowing Sand Kingdom, which had been overtaken by the ghosts. How could they not feel anger toward the invaders?

King Yellow Wind overheard their discussions, and a thought stirred within him.

“This is an opportunity to foster better communication between humans and demons.”

He didn’t rush into battle and instead summoned Old Black Fox, giving him a few instructions.

“You’ll do it like this, like this…”

Old Black Fox’s eyes lit up.

“A great plan, my lord!”

He went off to discuss the matter with a few of the elders. A group of elders soon arrived.

“Your Majesty!” They bowed.

Among them was “Black Scene,” who asked, “Is what the King says true?”

King Yellow Wind replied with confidence, “The heavens above know no lies. It is true!”

The elders exchanged glances and bowed again.

“We will lend our strength to Your Majesty.”

King Yellow Wind smiled.

“Good!”

“Now, go with Chancellor Linghu back to the villages and gather the young and strong to form a supplementary force. They will march with me.”

“Understood!”

King Yellow Wind then called Mouse General. “Go to the armory and fetch a hundred sets of weapons. Take them with Chancellor Linghu.”

“Understood!”

Mouse General, being clever and well-acquainted with dealing with humans, understood King Yellow Wind’s intent. Having done business with humans before, it knew exactly how to handle such interactions.

Old Black Fox and Mouse General led a group of demon soldiers, accompanied by the human elders, to the area near Hundred Fox Mountain. Hundred Fox Mountain was not just one peak—it was surrounded by five or six villages, home to about fifty to sixty thousand people. These were the survivors of Flowing Sand Kingdom.

When the demons appeared, the villagers reacted in various ways. Old Black Fox and Mouse General didn’t enter the villages, instead leaving the elders to return to their respective towns.

“The Rat God from Wu Zhen Mountain is going to fight the Ghost King of Flowing Sand City. Would any of you brave villagers like to join the army?”

The villagers were surprised but looked indifferent.

“Join the demons in battle? Are we going to be their blood food?”

“Indeed, we worship the Rat God for protection, not to go and fight evil ghosts.”

One elder angrily shouted, “Have you forgotten the national grudge, forgotten the massacre in Flowing Sand City from over a decade ago?”

“If not for Chancellor Linghu and his family’s protection, you’d all have been devoured by those ghostly creatures long ago.”

“Is there not a single courageous man in your tribe?”

The villagers looked ashamed but, remembering the terrifying ghosts and demons, lowered their heads.

“I’ll go!”

A burly butcher emerged from the meat shop. He had wild hair, one eye covered with an eye patch, and a scar on his face. The villagers were surprised, but not entirely.

“It’s General Zhuo Jin! He was one of the Rat God’s dream followers but didn’t believe in the supernatural, leading to his family’s tragic death.”

“It’s said that ten years ago, General Zhuo Jin fought a sudden appearance of a powerful ghost, but was defeated and severely injured.”

“Luckily, Chancellor Linghu saved him.”

The butcher gripped his dark, bloodstained butcher’s knife, exuding a murderous aura. When his single eye scanned the crowd, those who had spoken quickly fell silent.

As the butcher stepped forward, over ten others joined him in volunteering. Some had been his soldiers, others had lost family members to the ghostly creatures and could not quell their hatred.

When no more volunteers came forward, Old Black Fox urged the elders to speak again.

“For those joining the army, you will receive five taels of silver, three bushels of rice, and future protection as village warriors under the Rat God’s favor.”

“We are only recruiting one hundred people, and the slots are limited.”

The villagers were stunned.

“Five taels of silver, three bushels of rice? That’s a generous offer!”

The villages weren’t huge, but they weren’t small either. The people who had worked in Wu Zhen Mountain were already receiving gold, silver, rice, meat, and other provisions. The villagers had long been envious of them.

At first, they didn’t want to volunteer because going to Wu Zhen Mountain meant working; but going to fight alongside the demons meant risking their lives, especially against powerful, hideous ghosts!

Who wouldn’t be scared?

But now, with the offer on the table, fear seemed to fade.

“Three bushels of rice will last a family for a month and a half, and five taels of silver can buy a lot of things.”

“Hey, Old Black, why didn’t you mention this sooner? I’ll go!”

“Isn’t it just risking our lives? We don’t have much to lose, so why not?”

The villagers’ enthusiasm surged, and soon, the one hundred spots were filled. Zhuo Jin, watching this unfold, turned to Old Black Fox with curiosity.

“Why didn’t you mention these benefits from the start?”

Old Black Fox stroked his beard and smiled.

“If I’d told them from the beginning, we wouldn’t have seen the true courage of these warriors who aren’t afraid of death.”

Zhuo Jin and his followers proudly raised their chests, understanding now that they were different from those who joined for money.

Old Black Fox added.

“You will lead these people. Only by turning sheep into wolves will they tear apart the enemy.”

Just then, dark clouds and strong winds swept across the sky. Old Black Fox looked up.

“The King has arrived.”

Zhuo Jin and the others looked up to see a well-disciplined and powerful army of demons, flags waving and clouds billowing behind them. They were formidable.

The villagers, upon seeing them, fell to their knees, worshiping and crying out, “Rat God!”

King Yellow Wind looked down upon them and shouted, “Zhuo Jin will command the auxiliary troops. Take a moment to arrange your soldiers and join me in slaying evil!”

He had already had his eye on this brave general.

What a powerful general! Even among humans, there were those with immense strength. Zhuo Jin, feeling the long-dormant military energy stir inside him, clasped his hands and said loudly, “I, your humble servant, will follow your command!”