Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Tiger Demon

"Is that Black Wind Mountain ahead?" Shen Chang'an gazed at a peak not far in front of him and asked.

Seeing Yu Qingxian nod, Shen Chang'an could not help but look puzzled. The mountain range was lush and verdant, with clear waters and not a hint of dark wind or malevolent energy to be seen; it was hard to fathom why it was named Black Wind Mountain.

It had been about five days since the two began their journey together. Traveling at a brisk pace, they had finally arrived at the foot of Black Wind Mountain on this day. The mountain happened to lie in the same general direction as Shen Chang'an’s destination, which was one of the reasons he had ultimately agreed to the trip. Another reason was that the General of Black Wind Mountain intended to capture hundreds of people to serve as food for his wedding celebration.

Shen Chang'an cared little for the fate of a princess; he couldn't be bothered to intervene. She wasn't dead, after all, just marrying a demon, which had nothing to do with him. But with hundreds of human lives hanging in the balance, Shen Chang'an felt compelled to act. He was not the type to meddle in everything, but he could not remain indifferent to the loss of hundreds of lives.

"Black Wind Mountain is teeming with demons and ghosts. If the two of us go up there, our vitality will shine like the midday sun. We wouldn't make it two steps before those creatures identified us."

Shen Chang'an’s pure, refined cultivation made his aura extremely conspicuous in the eyes of demons and ghosts. If the blood of a lesser spirit were to touch him, it would likely evaporate instantly. Yu Qingxian was no different. If they were to walk in so brazenly, they would be exposed within minutes.

Yu Qingxian nodded and produced a talisman. As soon as it appeared, a wave of Yin energy surged forth, looking eerie and sinister—its purpose unclear.

"What is this?" Shen Chang'an asked, intrigued; he had never seen such a talisman before.

"A Phantom Yin Ghost Talisman. It was forged using the spirit of a fierce ghost and can make one appear as a phantom. It lasts for about three to five hours. To ordinary eyes, you will look like a ghost. However, you cannot engage in combat; the moment you do, your true aura will flare, and this ghost energy will instantly dissipate."

"I only have two of these talismans. I hope they are enough for us to rescue the people inside."

Shen Chang'an realized the situation. After a moment of thought, his own aura shifted, and he began to exude a faint trace of demonic energy.

"Oh? Daoist Shen, what are you doing?"

Shen Chang'an smiled slightly and said softly, "Years ago, I consumed a demonic core, leaving a bit of demonic energy in my body. I didn't expect it to come in handy now. You can save one of those talismans, just in case we run out of time or run into trouble."

Yu Qingxian looked somewhat doubtful but did not press the matter. Ordinary demonic cores could not possibly grant someone demonic power; she feared Shen Chang'an had done something far more extreme than just consuming a core.

Shen Chang'an remained composed. The demonic energy he had obtained from the little fox, Yiyi, was indeed excellent for disguise. He felt he could maintain it for a day or two without issue. However, like the Phantom Yin Ghost Talisman, it would be exposed the moment he engaged in battle. This was the limit of his capability, as this power was borrowed from the little fox, not a true manifestation of his own divine abilities.

To this day, Shen Chang'an had not integrated the three Divine Fox Arts into his combat repertoire. It wasn't because they weren't powerful, but because he struggled to push them to their full potential. "Shift Form" and "Ward Off Evil" were manageable, but "Illusion Pupil" clashed with him somehow, and its effects were lackluster. It was difficult enough to fool mortals, let alone evil cultivators or great demons. Furthermore, he couldn't shake the feeling that his own cultivation was actively repelling the fox power. Perhaps one day, when his cultivation reached a higher level, the fox power would be purged entirely.

The two were in no hurry to disguise themselves just yet. Instead, following the clues Yu Qingxian had gathered, they rushed toward a mountain manor at the foot of the hill.

"There should be a tiger demon in that manor. If we kill him and seize his invitation, we can attend the banquet on Black Wind Mountain."

Shen Chang'an was stunned. "Do these demons not check for credentials?"

"Check for what?" Yu Qingxian sighed. "They are all demons; there’s nothing to check. They thrive on internal slaughter; whoever wins is the boss. If we kill the tiger demon, the manor becomes ours, and naturally, we become the ones invited to the banquet."

Shen Chang'an thought of the demons under Master Yu Chan. While they had been restrained under Yu Chan’s command, he could see the friction and malice between them, held back only by the master's divine might. It was no wonder that in this world plagued by demons, humans remained the protagonists. Humans viewed all other species as demons, yet the demons themselves did not see each other as a single race; they slaughtered one another, failing to match the sheer numbers of humanity.

"We're here."

The two rushed to the gate of the manor. Shen Chang'an caught the scent of demonic energy. He had already activated the Zhonglong Jade Talisman, and upon catching the smell within, he furrowed his brows. It wasn't just the aura of a demon; there was a heavy presence of ghosts as well.

Just then, two ghosts drifted out. Upon seeing the Mingguang Armor of the Demon Purification Division on Yu Qingxian, their expressions changed, and they scrambled back into the manor.

"They are Chang ghosts!"

A Chang ghost is the spirit of someone killed by a tiger. Legend held that the soul of a victim was bound by the tiger, forced to serve it by luring others to their deaths. This was the origin of the saying, "acting as a tiger's accomplice." Clearly, these ghosts were bound by the tiger demon, and upon seeing the two, they had rushed back to sound the alarm.

"After them!"

Shen Chang'an did not want to give the tiger demon time to react. He lunged forward, smashing open the manor gates. Yu Qingxian followed closely, her armor emitting rays of light. The two charged into the manor one after the other.

As soon as they stepped inside, a thunderous tiger roar echoed through the air!

"What petty thieves dare to intrude upon your Grandfather Hu’s territory? You're courting death!"

The tiger roared, followed by a howling gale. A massive figure leaped out, brandishing a large ringed saber, and struck directly at Shen Chang'an!