C5 A Demon on the Road

Jee Faang was in high spirits; he had made a tidy profit from today's business. In his cheerful state, he decided to treat himself to some fine food and drink that evening.

Rising early the next morning, Jee Faang was puzzled to see that the number of dates on the jujube tree in his yard had significantly decreased overnight. Just yesterday, the tree was laden with fruit, but now, for some reason, many were missing. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the once thriving patch of green vegetables was now bare.

If Snowy weren't a cat, Jee Faang might have suspected her of being the culprit. "Looks like I'll need to head to the market later for more vegetable seedlings," he concluded.

With a plan in mind, Jee Faang picked up Snowy, locked up his shop, and set off for the market.

Soong City, nestled at the base of Immortal Crossing Mountain, was a bustling hub where mortals and immortals coexisted, and it was common to see sword-bearing cultivators walking the streets. The market was particularly lively, and Jee Faang, who seldom ventured out, found himself enjoying the atmosphere.

Snowy seemed less enthused, content to snuggle in Jee Faang's arms with her eyes closed, conserving her energy.

Before long, they reached a stall that sold vegetable seedlings. "I'd like to buy some vegetable seedlings," Jee Faang said.

"Young Master Jee, didn't you just buy seedlings a few days ago? Didn't they take?" the shopkeeper asked with concern.

"They grew quite well, actually," Jee Faang replied. "But for some reason, all the vegetables in one plot disappeared overnight..."

The shopkeeper looked surprised. "Disappeared overnight? Vegetables aren't exactly high-value items. Could it be..."

"What could it be?" Jee Faang inquired, intrigued.

Glancing around cautiously, the shopkeeper leaned in and whispered, "This Immortal Crossing Mountain is a sacred place for cultivators. Perhaps a rat has turned into a spirit or a Demonic Beast is responsible?"

Jee Faang doubted this theory. It seemed unlikely that a rat, even one with supernatural abilities, would need to eat his vegetables, and the dates from his tree as well.

The shopkeeper might have been overthinking it; it was probably just a petty thief.

"I'll be careful," Jee Faang assured him.

The shopkeeper, who had a kind heart, pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Young Master Jee, I have a Rural Dog here. Why don't you take him home? He can guard the outside of your house. At the very least, if there's any commotion, you'll be alerted and ready."

Adopting a dog to watch over the property was indeed a good idea.

Jee Faang nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'll take the dog."

The shopkeeper then packed up the seedlings for Jee Faang and brought out a small black dog named Hei.

"This dog might be a little shy at first, but he'll warm up to you after some time," the shopkeeper explained.

Hei was not a large dog, only about half the size of Snowy, yet it was peculiar how he trailed behind Jee Faang as if he had known him for years.

The shopkeeper himself was surprised; the dog wasn't usually so friendly, not even with his own wife, yet he showed such warmth to Jee Faang on their first meeting.

After completing the purchase, Jee Faang strolled through the market once more.

Having nearly finished his shopping, he began to head home. That's when a golden streak flashed by him from a distance.

What was that?

As Jee Faang stood there, stunned, the golden streak circled back, and he suddenly felt lighter around his waist. Looking down, he realized the jade pendant Duan Rou had given him the day before was missing.

Had the golden streak taken his jade pendant?

Could it be... a Demonic Beast?

Just then, two cultivators hurried past him. One, a woman with a sword slung across her back and striking features, glanced at Jee Faang.

"Where did that creature go? Kid, did you see a golden light?" she asked.

Jee Faang, still a bit shocked, pointed in the direction the golden light had vanished. The cultivators wasted no time and dashed off in pursuit.

"It really was a Demonic Beast. Luckily, it only took the jade pendant..."

While Jee Faang was quietly counting his blessings, Snowy suddenly leaped from his arms and in a few bounds, scaled a high wall, disappearing from Jee Faang's view.

Clearly, she had taken off in pursuit of the Demonic Beast.

"Snowy! Have you lost your mind? Come back!"

Jee Faang's voice was loud, but all he could do was watch helplessly as Snowy vanished from his view. No matter how much he called out, Snowy didn't look back.

"Where does this cat get her confidence? Even if you catch up, do you think you can defeat the Demonic Beast? Snowy, please come back."

Jee Faang quickly followed in the direction Snowy had disappeared.

...

At that moment, the two cultivators had caught up with the Demonic Beast by the lake.

The striking female cultivator brandished her sword and declared, "Bold Demonic Beast, how dare you invade Immortal Crossing Mountain and assault travelers? Surrender at once!"

A streak of gold reverted to its original form—a mouse the size of a calf.

Trapped between the water behind and the pursuers ahead, the Demonic Beast was cornered.

"You think I'm truly afraid of you? To have chased me all this way," the mouse said, its gaze icy as it eyed the pair. "I'm on the verge of a breakthrough. Devouring your inner essence will be perfect."

"How presumptuous!"

"Senior Sister, let's join forces and slay it!"

The beautiful female cultivator nodded. They positioned their fingers in front of them.

As the sword light intensified, two Immortal Swords were drawn, charging directly at the mouse with a chilling sword qi, resolved to capture it.

Boom!

The Immortal Sword, radiating a frigid sword light, was halted by an unseen 'wall' mere feet from the mouse.

Brilliant golden light burst forth!

Turning Qi into a shield?

They tried attacking from different angles, but they still couldn't land a hit on the mouse.

An invisible shield surrounded it, deflecting their attacks.

For a Demonic Beast to possess such power, its cultivation must surpass theirs.

"Impossible!"

The two exchanged glances, each seeing a mix of shock and disbelief in the other's eyes.

To think that such a formidable Rat Demon lurked at the foot of Immortal Crossing Mountain!

"Now that you've had your turn, it's mine. Prepare to witness my might."

Almost immediately, they detected a foul, fishy odor.

"Senior Sister, this is bad. We need to cover our mouths."

But it was too late; they had been poisoned as soon as they inhaled the scent.

Within seconds, both of them felt dizzy, and they found themselves unable to summon their Spiritual Energy.

Their bodies became rigid, and their faces drained of color in alarm.

The Rat Demon surveyed them with a cold gaze. "Who should I start with? That girl looks so soft and tender; she must taste delicious."

"Despicable beast, you dare?!"

Despite their defiant words, they lacked real conviction. The situation had spiraled beyond their control.

"There's nothing I wouldn't dare. Now that we're beyond the city limits, who would know if I devoured you?"

They were outside Soong City now, beyond the domain of Immortal Crossing Mountain. Even if they perished here, it was doubtful any Immortal Cultivating Expert would find out.

At this point, they deeply regretted their hasty decision to follow without fully grasping the circumstances.

"Any last words?"

The Rat Demon bared its sharp teeth and began to advance on them.

"Senior Sister, we need to get out of here!" The male cultivator realized that if they didn't flee now, they would never get away.

But the poison had taken a firm hold. As they tried to turn and run, they lost control of their limbs and collapsed to the ground with heavy thuds.

"Cackle... Time to die!" The Rat Demon's tongue flicked across its mouth hungrily.