Chapter 82: A Bountiful Harvest, Wandashan No. 1

High above the valley, at another battlefield fraught with tension, Lu Fei was completely unaware of the storm brewing. At this moment, he was hiding within the forest that bordered the battlefield below. He gazed upon the blood-soaked carnage in the valley, listening to the booming voices, curses, and the seemingly unreasonable shouts that echoed from the sky. Only then did Lu Fei realize that those fearsome, powerful great demons and demon kings were, in some ways, no different from the lowliest minor demons below. A scoundrel remains a scoundrel, regardless of strength.

Just like the infamous Hou Jun of Gale Ridge, often mentioned by his own Third Lord—by all accounts, clearly a notorious scoundrel. Of course, this was Lu Fei’s perspective as a denizen of Great Wilderness Mountain. Yet, judging solely from the conversation between his Third Lord and Hou Jun, it was plain to see: Hou Jun had lost the fight, and in his humiliation, had lashed out at the demonlings of Great Wilderness. Moreover, from the Third Lord’s words, it seemed Hou Jun not only couldn’t accept defeat, but was also prepared to resort to force.

“Amusement...”

At that moment, Hou Jun’s thunderous voice rang out once more, his conversation with the other demon king continuing high above.

“No, no, we have no intention of amusing ourselves at your expense... We simply wish to reopen negotiations over those mountains our Gale Ridge and your Great Wilderness have contested for over five centuries. We had hoped to reclaim them through an honorable duel. But you— you borrowed that treasured fan... In that case, if you three brothers won’t yield, then we five will have to take matters into our own hands... Just as you did, all those years ago...”

Hou Jun’s booming declaration reverberated above the valley. But the clever demons listening from the surrounding woods had already heard enough; without hesitation, they turned and fled deeper into the mountains. Lu Fei did the same, immediately turning to run.

The implications of the two demon kings’ exchange were too great. If he lingered, he might end up like those demons left on the battlefield—crushed without reason or recourse. With a deep breath, Lu Fei swept along the ground atop a swirl of black mist, darting toward the depths of the forest. Once he judged he’d put sufficient distance between himself and that perilous valley, he prepared to disperse the mist and continue on foot, for greater safety and stealth.

Suddenly, from a dense thicket ahead, two figures leapt out—a tall bear demon with a black bear’s head wielding a spiked hammer, and a squat boar demon carrying a mace. They blocked his path.

“Wolf brat, surrender quietly or we’ll make your death a misery...” the bear demon snarled menacingly, but broke off to ask his companion, “Black Ghost, how strong are those flying demons again? I forget.”

The boar demon, upon catching sight of Lu Fei in his armor and riding the black mist, gave a startled squeal. In a flash, he reverted to his true form—a massive black boar—and bolted in terror.

“Hey! It’s just a wolf demon, what are you afraid of, Black Ghost—” The bear demon didn’t finish. Lu Fei was already upon him, iron rod in hand, bringing it down in a swift, brutal blow to the bear demon’s skull.

A muffled crack. Bone and blood spattered everywhere. The bear demon’s burly body collapsed instantly. Lu Fei snatched up the fallen spiked hammer and stowed it in his magical storage, then vaulted over the thicket, chasing in the direction the boar demon had fled.

Before long, atop his black mist, Lu Fei caught sight of the fleeing black boar. Once again, he hefted his iron rod and hurled it with deadly accuracy. The rod struck the boar demon, sending him sprawling. As the creature struggled to rise, Lu Fei closed the distance, a newly conjured long-handled axe in hand, and with a single stroke, decapitated the demon.

A guttural scream was cut short; a great head rolled to the ground. Headless, the boar demon staggered forward for several dozen yards before finally toppling, twitching in the dirt. Lu Fei retrieved his iron rod and, arriving at the corpse, noticed several new bodies beside it—a fox and a leopard demon, alongside various sundries and a mace. Clearly, these were spoils kept in the boar demon’s storage magic, released upon his death when his demonic power dissipated.

Lu Fei collected the mace and rummaged through the boar demon’s loot. Upon picking up a heavy cloth pouch, his eyes lit up. He poured out its contents to discover several small, irregular blackened lumps and balls of metal, all pitted with bite marks, yet oddly heavy—far denser than any iron he’d encountered.

After careful examination, the truth dawned on him: “Damn, this is silver!” Absolutely! He remembered a colleague from his days as an urban courier who wore a silver chain that turned black within two months that summer—exactly the color of these lumps. The thought made him reflect on those shoddy period dramas, where characters casually tossed around pristine, identical silver ingots as if they’d just come from the mold. No wonder real silver was almost unrecognizable at first glance.

Silver, now that was a treasure.

Lu Fei quickly pocketed it. Clearly, the bear and boar demons made a habit of highway robbery—otherwise, why would the boar carry a silver pouch? They were formidable, both mid- and late-stage demon soldiers, but luck and judgment had failed them.

After picking up the boar demon’s mace, Lu Fei left the corpses where they lay. His storage space was nearly full; there simply wasn’t room for more bodies—an utter waste, as demon corpses were second only to spiritual herbs in value. Such was the brutal truth: fortune favors the bold and the strong on the battlefield.

He was about to leave when he realized how far he’d come from the valley battlefield—over several hills, at least. Yet, there seemed to be no commotion from that direction. Lu Fei glanced about, selected the largest, sturdiest tree nearby, and, claws extended, scaled it like a great cat, nestling among the thick branches to peer back toward the battlefield.

The sky was empty; no figures in sight. Even his supernatural “Whisper” revealed nothing of use. Descending, Lu Fei decided not to go deeper into the forest, nor to return to the dangerous valley—for whatever became of his Third Lord and Hou Jun was beyond his strength as a mere demon lieutenant. All he could do was seize whatever tangible benefits he could. That way, regardless of who ultimately prevailed, he wouldn’t lose out. Of course, he still hoped for Great Wilderness’s victory—for if the Wolf Commander became a General, life on Langlang Mountain would only improve.

But events had changed with shocking speed; what had seemed a certain victory was now up in the air, making it all the more vital that he make the most of this rare battle. That meant upgrading his storage magic, “Between Inches,” on the spot to carry more spoils. Otherwise, leaving all these bodies behind would be a crime against opportunity—a great battle like this might not come again for years.

Safety first, though, when powering up—divided focus meant dulled senses for danger.

He circled the area and soon found a dense patch of black thorns a safe distance from the corpses. Crawling inside, he settled down, calmed his mind, and summoned his interface. Faint white characters floated before his eyes:

[Host: Lu Fei]
[Realm: Early Demon Lieutenant (266/2000)]
[Experience: 1801/300]
[Soul Power: None]
[Techniques: Demon Breathing Method (Proficient) (215/1000)]
[Skills: Spearmanship (Skilled) (6/500); Archery (Beginner) (21/100); Harpoon Technique (Beginner) (26/100)]
[Divine Powers: Celestial Wolf Devours Moon (Skilled) (225/500); Between Inches (Beginner) (34/100); Ambush (Beginner) (88/100); Whisper (Beginner) (22/100); Earth Escape (Beginner) (18/100); Inch Step (Beginner) (25/100)]

He skimmed the realm section, then focused on the glowing green experience bar—so green it seemed to drip with vitality.

“Eighteen hundred and one...”

The number felt like an icy drink on the hottest summer day, a rush of pleasure from head to toe. All the hardships of the past days felt worthwhile for this moment. With 1,801 experience, how much soul power could he extract? Lu Fei was eager to find out.

Wasting no time, he pressed as always. The first point of soul power brought the bar to [1501/400]. Knowing the thresholds would keep rising, he pressed again—[1101/500]. A third point—[601/600].

“So close...”

Seeing the numbers, Lu Fei’s heart leaped. He pressed once more. With the fourth flash, the bar read [1/700].

Four soul points—his best haul yet.

Without delay, he focused on the faint plus sign beside “Between Inches.”

[Upgrade will consume one soul power. Proceed?]
[Yes / No]

“Upgrade!”

With a flick of will, both soul power and divine powers flashed. Instantly, he sensed the change within—the cramped storage that had been packed with weapons, food, and oddments was now vast and empty, many times larger than before. If, before, “Between Inches” was a small studio, now it was a grand villa. He could carry far more than ever.

Just as he was about to convert more soul power, a distant footstep sounded. Lu Fei quickly dismissed the virtual interface and looked toward the sound. A tiger demon—no, not a demon, but a large golden tabby, a mere beast—was creeping cautiously through the brush, wounded and wary, drawn by the scent of the corpses he’d left behind.

In this demon-haunted forest, for a mere beast to appear now was astonishing. Its gait and posture showed both injury and desperate hunger. Watching its bold, clever struggle for survival, Lu Fei felt no urge to frighten it off; now that he had space, he could afford to let the tiger have a meal.

He’d always liked tigers—clean, fierce, handsome, and irresistible to pet. Life on this world, and the frequent sight of tiger demons, had dulled that urge, but now, a pang of sympathy rose in him.

But life is never without surprises.

“Hey, there are some demon corpses over there... and a tiger demon—wait, no, just a beast...”

Two figures appeared—a fox demon and a wolf demon.

“Even a beast dares eat demon flesh now?”
“In your dreams...”

They drew closer. The tiger, standing by the corpses, showed an expression of despair—but did not retreat. Instead, it lowered its head and growled at the oncoming pair.

“Heh, good karma for good souls...” Watching, Lu Fei grinned, grabbed his iron rod, and slipped from the thicket.

“I was chased by tigers back when I was a beast myself. Now a mere beast dares growl at me!” The fox demon laughed, bounding forward and swinging his hooked blade at the tiger.

At that moment, an iron rod fell from the sky. The fox demon’s head burst open; he died instantly. The wolf demon turned to run, but Lu Fei hurled his iron rod once more. In a few breaths, there were five demon corpses at his feet.

The golden tabby stared at Lu Fei, eyes wide with longing and hope.

“Come, children, return to me...”

Suddenly, a thunderous voice rumbled across the sky.

“It’s Third Lord’s voice!” Lu Fei’s eyes lit up. Stroking the golden tabby’s head, he said, “From now on, you’ll be Wanshan Number One... Come, I’ll take you home.”