Chapter 7: Clear Division of Labor

Crossing over the main peak where the Great King’s Cave was located, the three little monsters appeared at the foot of the neighboring mountain, deep within an expanse of dense bamboo forest.

“This is the place...” said Lu Fei, who had taken the form of a giant white wolf, gazing at the sea of bamboo before him.

With a clatter, the crow demon tossed down the three hatchets he’d been carrying in his claws and asked in confusion, “Why have we come here?”

The small pig demon, Redhide, who had returned to his wild boar form, also looked up at Lu Fei with a puzzled expression.

Without answering directly, Lu Fei transformed into his wolf-headed, human-bodied form, picked up one of the hatchets, and replied, “Naturally, we’re here to make arrows...”

With that, he strode forward into the bamboo grove, hatchet in hand. He selected a trunk that was straight and of suitable thickness, then raised the blade and chopped. It took two or three swings to cut through—the hatchet was too dull.

Under the watchful eyes of the crow demon and Redhide, Lu Fei took a section, sharpened the end, and handed it to the crow demon, who had now assumed a bird-headed human form. “Take a look,” he said.

“Wow...” The crow demon gasped in surprise as he examined the bamboo arrow, and then his face brightened in delight. “This is much sharper, straighter, and better than anything I made before.”

Indeed, compared to the arrows he remembered from the original host’s memories—split from tree branches, shaved thin, and then roughly pointed—arrows made from bamboo were obviously superior in both straightness and sharpness.

“Let me see...” Redhide stepped forward, took the arrow from the crow demon, and nodded in approval. “This is good...” He glanced up at the seemingly endless expanse of bamboo and said happily, “With all this bamboo, we’re sure to finish the task this time.”

Watching how easily Lu Fei produced a suitable arrow, both the crow demon and Redhide’s previous worries vanished at once, and their faces lit up with newfound confidence.

Lu Fei observed their reactions, realizing once again that the emotions of demons were indeed quite different from those of humans.

Having just demonstrated the process, Lu Fei saw that both of his companions were eager to start making arrows themselves. However, after testing the sharpness of all three hatchets, Lu Fei assumed the role of teacher, instructing the other demons on how to grind their blades.

A well-sharpened blade does not hinder the chopping of firewood—a universal truth.

“Sharpen them well, and make sure to finish mine too. I’m off to relieve myself—I’ll check your work when I return,” Lu Fei said, striding towards the small river at the foot of the mountain.

He had discovered this bamboo-covered mountain by chance after failing to steal chickens from a human village the previous night. When the Bear Chief gave them their assignment, the image of this bamboo mountain had immediately come to mind. Moreover, from the original host’s memory, Lu Fei knew that the arrows made by these demons had no arrowheads—only the tips were sharpened. He was confident, then, that the task could be accomplished.

As for the Bear Chief’s hostility toward him and his two little companions, Lu Fei paid it little mind. The bear’s attitude was much the same toward all his subordinates—dominance through violence, as was the way of demonkind. At least, violence was all he had to worry about. Worse were certain demons given to depravity—goat demons, snake demons, and their ilk. Under such leaders, when female demons were scarce, even male subordinates were not safe from violation. That was a far more dreadful fate.

Having finished his business, Lu Fei walked to the riverbank. Though called a small river, it was actually quite wide—about six or seven meters across. The water was crystal clear, and from the bank Lu Fei could see countless fish swimming below, of all sizes and packed together.

“With resources like this, any fisherman would be overjoyed,” he thought, recalling the jokes about anglers back on Earth. He chuckled, squatting down to wash his hands—the leaves he’d used had left some residue. After washing up, he stirred the water and was about to wash his face when he caught sight of his white-furred reflection and paused.

Though he’d taken a humanoid shape, with hands and feet fully formed, he was still covered in thick fur. Lu Fei regarded his appearance: a body of white fur, upright pointed ears, a long snout, and a pair of cold, amber eyes—all the features of a classic wolf. Judging by his size, his coat, and those eyes, he was certainly a handsome wolf—even if, at the end of the day, he was just a wolf.

He shook his head, dismissing further thoughts. He’d learned to accept reality long before he’d even come of age.

After washing his face, Lu Fei took a closer look at the fish in the river, then turned back toward the mountain. Yesterday’s hearty meal still had him feeling full, and completing the Bear Chief’s assignment was a higher priority. He had no intention of fishing before hunger struck.

Back at the bamboo grove, Redhide had already finished sharpening one hatchet and was working on the second.

The crow demon, busy grinding his own blade, spotted Lu Fei’s return and called out, “Whitefur, is my blade ready yet?”

Lu Fei walked over, took the blade without a glance, and went to a bamboo stalk, bringing the hatchet down in a swift motion. The stalk was cleanly severed with a single blow. Though not quite as sharp as he’d like, it was much better than before—good enough, considering the abilities of a demon.

“It’ll do. Try it yourself,” Lu Fei said, tossing the hatchet back to the crow demon, before turning to inspect Redhide’s work. He picked up the freshly sharpened blade and was pleasantly surprised—it was even better than he’d anticipated.

For someone like Lu Fei, who had grown up in an orphanage and learned to cook from a young age, sharpening knives was a trivial skill. With their tools ready, he led his two companions in the grand undertaking of cutting bamboo and fashioning arrows.

To work more efficiently, Lu Fei divided the tasks: the crow demon, with his restless nature, was assigned to chop bamboo; Redhide, for all his dopey appearance, was clearly the more thoughtful and steady of the two, so he was put in charge of sharpening arrowheads. Lu Fei himself focused on selecting and preparing arrow shafts.

Time slipped by. With the three demons working together, by early afternoon a sizable pile of bamboo arrows had accumulated before Lu Fei and Redhide.

Just then, the crow demon arrived, panting and lugging a bundle of bamboo poles. Dropping his load, he looked at his busy companions and asked, “How many arrows have we made? Can I take a break?”

Lu Fei kept working, not looking up. “I haven’t counted, but it’s not enough yet.” He efficiently lopped off the last usable segment from his bamboo rod, then glanced up and continued, “It’s still early—get back to work. The Bear Chief gave us a heavy task. We can’t stop now.”

The crow demon groaned, “But I’m hungry! I want to eat. And the food in the kitchen up the mountain must be ready. Shouldn’t we head back?”

Lu Fei shook his head. “We’re not going back to eat today.”

Before he could finish, the crow demon cried out, “Then what are we supposed to eat?” Redhide, pausing in his work, also looked over.

Lu Fei replied calmly, “We’ll eat fish.”