I Grind My Demons in Journey to the West Author: AmaoZhao Chapter 1: A Minor Demon of Journey 1 July. The sun blazed like fire. The sky was clear without a single cloud. The Langlang Mountain range. At the peak of a verdant mountain. Beneath a flourishing large tree. A figure covered in white fur lay sprawled on its back in the green, shaded grass, snoring contentedly. Beside it. Two humanoid monsters, one with a black bird head and one with a pig head, glanced at each other. The black bird-headed monster immediately raised a foot and kicked the white-furred figure in the grass, scolding, "You were supposed to patrol the mountain, and you're sleeping right here!" "Gr..." Lu Fei, who had been sleeping soundly, was woken by the kick. He immediately rolled over with a foul temper: "Which son of a..." His words hung in the air. Lu Fei opened his eyes and looked at the two monsters before him: one with a black bird head, one with a brown-red pig head, wearing grass skirts, holding wooden staff-spears. His eyes widened instantly, and he swallowed all the unvoiced curses back down. "What are you looking at?" Seeing the white-furred wolf with his eyes wide open, looking as if he'd never seen the world before, the Crow Monster said again, "Did you sleep your wits away?" "Hurry up and get on your feet. The Great King is calling us for a meeting..." "If we're late, the Bear Head Leader will whip us..." After the Crow Monster said this, he turned and walked away, and the Pig-headed Gourd Monster followed suit. Lu Fei stood there dazed, half-understanding the bird-headed monster's words as he watched the two leave. Even though he was usually calm, he was completely dazed. His mind was processing frantically, on the verge of burning out, unable to figure out what had just happened. Until he instinctively looked at himself. Fur. White fur. His whole body was covered in white fur... "Holy..." Lu Fei's face showed shock. Trembling slightly, he raised his hands—also covered in white fur—and touched his head. Two fluffy, erect ears, a long snout, and four long fangs on his upper and lower jaws. At that moment, Lu Fei finally realized. He had transmigrated. He had become a monster similar to the two he had just seen. Erect ears, long snout, fangs... He had become a dog, a wolf, or perhaps a fox. Looking at his body type, he guessed it could be a dog or a wolf; a fox was unlikely. Soon, a more important question crossed his mind. So, he reached down and pulled open the green-leaf grass skirt around his waist. "Thank goodness..." Lu Fei felt a small amount of comfort. At this point, he noticed something new inside his mind. He immediately tried to grasp it. Quickly, he understood. This was Langlang Mountain. He had transmigrated into a small demon who had just gained sentience and recently transformed into a humanoid form. A wolf demon... With the original owner's memories, Lu Fei immediately understood what the bird-headed Crow Monster had meant. Without time to think further, he stood up, looked around, found his weapon—a wooden staff-spear with a low-quality iron head—and shouted after the two receding demons: "Wait for me..." "What meeting did the Great King call?" Quickly catching up to the Crow Monster and the Pig-headed Gourd Monster, Lu Fei asked right away. With the original owner's memories, he now knew who these two monsters were. The one with the black bird head was a crow demon, with no specific name, usually called Crow or Black Fur. The one with the pig head, carrying a yellow gourd on his back, was a wild boar demon, also without a specific name, generally called Wild Boar Monster or Red-Skin. These two minor demons were the original owner's closest and best friends. As the Great King had called a meeting and they hadn't seen the original owner, they had come looking. As for the original owner, he was a wild wolf demon with white fur, who naturally got the nickname "White Fur." "I don't know..." In response to Lu Fei's question, the Little Pig Monster Red-Skin shook his head. "I heard..." The Crow Monster stopped, glanced around, then whispered to his two companions, "We might be going to war with the demons of Shepan Mountain to the west." "How do you know?" The Little Pig Monster Red-Skin asked immediately. The Crow Monster chuckled, "Three years ago, we fought the snake king of Shepan Mountain. After that battle, I had just transformed and followed our Great King." "But yesterday, I overheard some news..." As the Crow Monster spoke, he proudly pointed to his feather-covered ears, then walked on. With the original owner's memories, Lu Fei knew that the Crow Monster's innate talent was related to his ears. He could hear very far and pick up sounds other minor demons couldn't. This was also the main reason the Crow Monster was a gossip with a big mouth. "What did you hear?" The Little Pig Monster Red-Skin was curious and asked as he caught up. Lu Fei followed close behind. The curiosity in their eyes greatly satisfied the Crow Monster's desire to show off. Though he had been beaten for his gossip before, he was careful. He slowed down, checked the surroundings, and whispered, "I heard the Wolf Commander tell the Great King that the time has come. He said there are too many minor demons on our mountain..." "I also heard that six years ago, we fought Shepan Mountain once." "So, every three years, it's been three years now. It's definitely going to happen again..." Before the Crow Monster finished speaking, Lu Fei, who had sensed something was wrong, stepped forward and grabbed the Crow Monster's beak, saying sternly, "Besides me and Red-Skin, who else did you tell?" Surprised by the White Fur's unusual expression, the Crow Monster shook his head, "Just you two. No one else." Lu Fei released him, "Good. Don't say any more..." Before he finished, "The Great King called a meeting. Why are you three lingering?" A harsh voice suddenly appeared. The three demons were startled. They turned to see a bear-headed, human-bodied monster, over two meters tall and powerfully built, standing at a nearby crossroads, glaring at the three, "Do you want a whipping?" The Bear Head Leader whipped his black lash from his waist. "Crack..." A spark burst out with the sharp, piercing crack of the whip. The three minor demons—Lu Fei, the Crow Monster, and the Little Pig Monster Red-Skin—pale-faced, shouting they didn't dare, and ran quickly toward the Great King's cave. They ran until the Bear Head Leader was out of sight, reaching the mountain path not far from the Great King's cave. They watched many misshapen demons gather toward the Great King's dwelling. The three minor demons finally slowed down. "Close call..." The Crow Monster finally feared for his life, patting his chest. If White Fur hadn't covered his mouth, and he had kept talking, the Bear Head Leader would likely have heard him. The stronger the cultivation, the sharper the five senses. The crime of slandering the Great King and the Bear Head Leader would surely lead to execution. The Crow Monster just couldn't help sharing secrets to show off, and would slip his tongue. He often regretted it later, but the mood would get to him. "White Fur..." The Crow Monster, looking at his unusual companion, opened his mouth again. "Shut up!" Lu Fei glared at the Crow Monster, "We'll talk when we get back." "Oh..." The more Lu Fei acted this way, the more the Crow Monster wanted to say. But knowing better, and having been scared by the Bear Head Leader, he didn't dare talk more. Beside them, the Little Pig Monster Red-Skin kept turning to look at White Fur. He felt something was different today, but couldn't articulate what. For a moment, the three minor demons were silent, following the other demons toward the cave. Half an hour later. The three appeared on a winding mountain path. The Crow Monster's face was animated, "I told you so..." "I said the Great King..." Realizing his mistake, the Crow Monster immediately covered his mouth. After checking the surroundings, he continued, "I said we would fight Shepan Mountain..." "Won't that be dangerous?" The Little Pig Monster Red-Skin asked. The Crow Monster hesitated, "I haven't experienced it. It will likely be dangerous, but it's a good thing." "Only by fighting can we earn merit. Only with merit will the Great King reward us with treasures and food. Then we can advance faster and become as powerful as the Bear Head Leader..." The two answered and asked. Lu Fei listened silently, his mind wandering. The Crow Monster noticed, "White Fur, why aren't you talking?" Lu Fei snapped back, "Let's hurry. If we're late, we'll just get the broth." On this hint, the two demons realized. The Crow Monster cried out, "Hurry..." "If we're late, we'll be hungry..." He ran forward immediately. The Little Pig Monster Red-Skin showed a reaction unbecoming his appearance. He had already sprinted ahead, faster than the Crow Monster. Watching the two race for food, Lu Fei couldn't smile. Langlang Mountain only provided one meal a day for the lowest-tier demons. Hunger was common. So at midday, the lowest-tier demons were most eager. "Gurgle..." Hunger in his stomach made Lu Fei unable to think much. Seeing the two far ahead, he had to run earnestly. Soon, when the three and a few stragglers reached the open-air canteen, a spacious grove, they saw food buckets lying haphazardly, some even being licked clean, and monsters around laughing and watching. Every day, many unfortunate ones went hungry. "What do we do?" The Little Pig Monster Red-Skin asked his companions. "Let's go back and sleep for now..." The Crow Monster's eyes darted, whispering, "We'll figure out the rest at night..." In this situation, they had to find food themselves. Soon, the three separated. The Crow Monster and Red-Skin went back to sleep, as sleep didn't make you hungry. Lu Fei continued his patrol duty. With the original owner's memories, he patrolled the route. After a while, he entered a dense thicket of weeds and thorns. Then, he eagerly summoned the thing inside his body. Swish, swish, swish... Virtual characters, glowing pale white, appeared before him. [Host: Lu Fei] [Realm: First-Rank Demon Soldier (33/100)] [Technique: Demon Race Breathing Method (Novice) (12/100)] [Abilities: Spear Technique (Novice) (18/100); Bow and Arrow Technique (Novice) (6/100)] [Divine Abilities: None] [Talent: Celestial Wolf Swallows Moon (Novice) (7/100)] [Soul Power: None] [...] Looking at the ink-like virtual data, Lu Fei's eyes widened. This must be his cheat ability. He had noticed during the Great King's meeting earlier, but only now had time to summon it. Lu Fei looked at the virtual panel, combined with the original owner's memories. The "Realm" column was easy to understand—it was his current White Wolf demon body's power. First-Rank Demon Soldier meant he was the lowest-tier minor demon on the mountain. The "Demon Race Breathing Method" under "Technique" was the cultivation method taught by the Bear Head Leader after the original owner gained sentience, transformed, and joined Langlang Mountain. All the lower-tier demons practiced this. Lu Fei didn't know what the upper-tier demons cultivated. The "Spear Technique" and "Bow and Arrow Technique" under "Abilities" were easy to understand. Below, "Divine Abilities" probably meant skills or spells. As the lowest-tier minor demon, the original owner didn't know any. Next, the "Talent" column. This was easy. Every demon that gained sentience and transformed successfully would comprehend one innate talent. Like the Crow Monster's far-hearing ears, or Red-Skin's sharp, hard boar bristles. Lu Fei's body's talent was for aiding cultivation; on moonlit nights, his cultivation speed increased. The bottom line, "Soul Power." Lu Fei didn't quite understand it. He would figure it out slowly in time. Thinking this, Lu Fei looked around and found a good place to slack off. He lost the will to continue the patrol. He moved to a more comfortable spot. Then, following the original owner's method, he sat cross-legged, formed a mudra, pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, and half-closed his eyes, beginning the Demon Race Breathing Method. Time passed slowly. When the sun sank west and the sky dimmed, Lu Fei woke from his meditation. He looked up, poked his head out to check, and finding no other demons, took his spear and exited the thicket. He stretched, brushed the dust off his backside, and walked forward with his spear on his shoulder. Chapter 2: Journey to the West Little Demon 2 The sky grew increasingly dark. The forest had already fallen into darkness. However, no matter how dark the sky became, it had no effect on Lu Fei, who had already become a White Wolf demon. He could see in the dark. He hummed a small mountain patrol tune all the way as he headed back toward his residence. Lu Fei had already accepted his current predicament. After all, back on Earth, he had been nothing more than a Yellow Knight from the very bottom of society, with no attachments or ties. Now that he had transmigrated into another low-level Minor Demon, shifting his perspective, he actually found that he did not have much resistance to becoming a demon. Besides, he had a cheat on his person, with the opportunity to cultivate and bring great power to himself. Lu Fei's attitude shifted quickly. By the time he returned to his residence, a mountain cave formed of stacked rocks, the sky had gone completely dark. As soon as he stepped into the cave, where a faint light shimmered, Lu Fei heard the voices of Crow Monster and the Little Pig Monster Red-Skin coming from inside the cave. Crow Monster: "Why hasn't that White Fur guy come back yet..." Little Pig Monster Red-Skin: "At this hour, he might be on his way back..." Crow Monster: "I'm starving. I didn't even eat my fill yesterday..." Little Pig Monster Red-Skin: "I didn't eat my fill either. It feels like there's less food nowadays. It's decreased..." Crow Monster: "We should just start fighting. Then we can earn merit. I can barely wait..." Little Pig Monster Red-Skin: "I still think that starting a fight is very dangerous..." "Of course it's dangerous..." As Lu Fei spoke, he walked into the cave and saw that both Crow Monster and Little Pig Monster Red-Skin were sitting on their respective hard stone beds, chatting. Yes, Lu Fei, Crow Monster, and the Little Pig Monster had been assigned to live in the same rock cave. This was also the reason their relationship was so good. In a corner of the rock cave stood an old, tattered oil lamp, emitting a faint light. Although the three Minor Demons could see each other even without an oil lamp, the light obviously gave them a different feeling. "You're finally back, you guy..." Upon seeing Lu Fei's figure, Crow Monster immediately cried out, "Let's go, let's go. I'm starving." Saying this, he got up and was about to leave. "Where to...?" Lu Fei sat on the stone bed next to Little Pig Monster Red-Skin, looking at the large yellow gourd on his back and asking, "Is that gourd filled with water?" Little Pig Monster Red-Skin nodded: "Yes. My mother prepared it for me." Lu Fei: "Can you let me drink some?" Little Pig Monster Red-Skin nodded: "Sure. I change this water every three days. It's very clean." "Change it every three days..." Hearing the Little Pig Monster's words, Lu Fei was stunned for a moment, looking at the gourd being handed to him. Despite his hunger and thirst, he hesitated a few times and still waved his hand, saying: "I'm not thirsty right now." "Oh..." The Little Pig Monster didn't mind. Seeing that Lu Fei refused, he put the gourd back on his back. Seeing this, Crow Monster beside them immediately said, "Aren't you hungry? We are, of course, going to find food. I know where we can find some." "Where?" Lu Fei continued to ask. Crow Monster quickly walked to the cave entrance, took a look, then came back and said in a low voice: "We go to the village at the foot of the tail of the mountain. There are chickens, ducks, and pigs raised by humans there. We can go steal from them." "Down at the mountain..." Little Pig Monster Red-Skin replied: "I hear it's far. I've also heard there are many humans there. They have bows and arrows. They're hard to deal with." Hearing this, Crow Monster immediately became unhappy: "We are demons. How can we be afraid of humans? Besides, as long as we can eat our fill, what's the point of being afraid it's far..." Listening to the conversation between the two little demons, Lu Fei couldn't help but sigh in his heart. How embarrassing! Not only was he starving on the first day of becoming a demon, he had to steal food just to get a bite to eat. However, he did not deny Crow Monster's plan. Because the large group of demons on the entire mountain was hunting without restraint. Over the years, the animals in the mountains and forests had run away or died, becoming increasingly scarce. The closer to the mountains where the demons resided, the more severe it became. On the main mountain where Lu Fei was standing, there were basically no animals visible now, as they had long been preyed upon and exhausted. The demons of the hunting team, wanting to hunt, had to go to even more distant forests and mountains. This was also why Lu Fei could not deny Crow Monster's plan. After all, compared to going to the distant great forest to take chances, going to the village at the foot of Langlang Mountain to steal chickens and dogs was clearly more reliable. Because quite a few Minor Demons had already tried it. Although quite a few little demons had died because of it. Seeing that Little Pig Monster Red-Skin did not speak up, Crow Monster looked at Lu Fei and asked: "White Fur, what do you think?" At this moment, Lu Fei had already thought of a river at the foot of Langlang Mountain. Perhaps they could find a way to catch some fish or something. But it was night now, so that was definitely not possible. Facing Crow Monster's inquiry, Lu Fei thought for a moment and still nodded: "Then let's go to the village." "But setting off now is too early. We might easily be discovered by other demons. Those humans probably haven't gone to sleep yet. Let's go later." His stomach was painfully hungry. Let's just fill our bellies first and talk later. After all, you can't expect a demon who is starving to have much high moral awareness. "Yes, White Fur, you're right..." Hearing Lu Fei's words, Crow Monster immediately reacted, nodding: "Going now is too early. We easily get spotted by Greyhide and the others..." "Then we'll wait until they're all asleep before going..." Crow Monster said this as he sat back in his original spot. Once he stopped talking, the rock cave immediately fell silent. Under the circumstances of a hungry stomach, it is very difficult to focus on things. For humans, especially so. For the naive little demons who had unexpectedly obtained the opportunity to open their spiritual wisdom, it was naturally even harder. So, most of the bottom-tier Minor Demons were usually slacking off, sleeping, or playing, rather than sitting still and meditating in the Breathing technique. Only a small minority of demons opened their spiritual wisdom early, or were precociously gifted. These demons were smarter than the average little demon. After transforming their form, they knew to work hard to cultivate and improve their cultivation. In the demon clan, most of the demons who could be promoted to leaders were this type. Hearing the conversation between Lu Fei and Crow Monster, Little Pig Monster Red-Skin silently took off the gourd from his back, turned and lay down inside the stone bed, and began to sit in a meditation posture against the stone wall. Lu Fei took a glance, but did not find it strange. In the original host's memories, the Little Pig Monster was always the most diligent of the three little demons. At this time, it was still early for the time to go down the mountain. Lu Fei did not think too much, got up, and returned to his own stone bed. He sat against the stone wall and assumed a cultivation posture. Seeing that both of his buddies had started their breathing and meditation practice, Crow Monster, who had originally laid down to sleep, could not lie still anymore. After muttering a few words, he too turned and sat against the stone wall, being drawn into starting his breathing meditation. The two little demons were cultivating. Before Lu Fei began his breathing meditation, his mind moved slightly. Swish, swish, swish... Streams of virtual data emitting a pale white light began to appear before his eyes. Chapter 3: Journey to the West: A Minor Demon 3 【Host: Lu Fei】 【Realm: First-Rank Demon Soldier (34/100)】 【Technique: Demon Race Breathing Method (Beginner) (14/100)】 【Abilities: Spear Technique (Beginner) (18/100); Bow and Arrow Technique (Beginner) (6/100)】 【Divine Abilities: None】 【Talent: Celestial Wolf Swallows Moon (Beginner) (7/100)】 【Soul Power: None】 【...】 Watching the ink-brush style characters that kept appearing before his eyes. Lu Fei quickly noticed the changes in the data on the virtual panel. The data after the Realm bar had increased slightly in experience points compared to before his breathing practice at noon. The data after the Technique bar had also gained two experience points compared to before his practice at noon. As for the rest, there was no change. Lu Fei estimated that he had spent at least four or more hours meditating while hiding and slacking off during his mountain patrol at noon. Let's count it as four hours. That meant meditating for four hours would increase his realm value by one point. If he practiced the breathing and meditation technique without sleep for twenty-four hours a day, he could gain six realm points. Based on his current realm value, he would need only about eleven days to level up. But continuous meditation for twenty-four hours a day was obviously impossible for him now. Because he was just the lowest-ranking minor monster on the mountaintop. He had to work every day, and he also had to eat food. The time available for breathing practice was only from after work in the evening until he got up for work the next morning. He had experienced that while practicing breathing and meditation, there was a certain relaxing effect, but it could not replace sleep; at least not for Lu Fei at his current level. So, in addition to his meditation practice, he needed to set aside time to sleep to restore his spirit and physical strength, so that he could go to work the next day. He did the math. He usually finished work when it got dark, which was around five or six in the evening. The next day, after the morning sun rose and the light shone into the forest, they would gather for work, which was around eight or nine in the morning. That gave roughly fifteen or sixteen hours in between... Lu Fei thought for a moment and decided to take about half of that time, eight hours, for breathing practice. Based on his experiences today, eight hours should allow him to gain two realm points. Gaining two points a day, with his current realm value, he would need only thirty-three days, or about a month, to level up to a Level 2 Demon Soldier. Given how slowly monsters cultivated, this speed of his was very fast. As for the technique value, it was also easy to calculate: four hours of practice increased it by two points, meaning one point every two hours. Eight hours a day would increase it by four points. Based on his current technique value, he would need only about twenty days to fill up the technique value and allow the "Demon Race Breathing Method" to level up. Moreover, this estimate did not even include the meditation practice he did during his work hours in the afternoon, using slacking-off time to meditate. It also did not include the cultivation boost during moonlit nights. In short, after this analysis, Lu Fei immediately felt that his future was "bright and full of promise." Of course, first he had to survive the battles with the monsters on Shepan Mountain in the future. Thinking of this, Lu Fei did not think any more and dispelled the virtual data before his eyes. He held back his hunger in his belly and began to practice breathing and meditation. Time passed slowly. He did not know exactly how much time had passed. Lu Fei woke up to the sound of the Crow Monster speaking and opened his eyes. "It's very late now. I checked, and they have all fallen asleep. We can go..." The Crow Monster's excited voice sounded. Lu Fei did not respond; instead, he immediately summoned the virtual panel. Swish, swish, swish... Faint white data began to flicker and appear. 【Host: Lu Fei】 【Realm: First-Rank Demon Soldier (35/100)】 【Technique: Demon Race Breathing Method (Beginner) (17/100)】 【...】 Watching the virtual data that kept appearing before his eyes. Lu Fei silently noted in his heart: "The realm value went up by one point, and the technique value went up by three points..." Based on the shorter interval in the technique value, he must have meditated for about six to seven hours, less than eight hours. So the current time should be past midnight. "White Fur..." At this moment, the Crow Monster's voice rang out. Lu Fei then dispelled the virtual data and looked at the Crow Monster, saying, "The timing is just right. Let's start..." As he spoke, he got up. "Rustle..." One of the grass blades on his lower grass-leaf skirt was stepped on and was immediately crushed off. Lu Fei looked at his roughly made grass skirt and thought that he must switch to cloth ones as soon as possible. Otherwise, he didn't know which day he would be walking on the road and it would just fall apart. Soon. The three minor demons walked out of the stone cave. After peeking around carefully, they heard only the varied, overlapping snoring of monsters in the surrounding caves, but they did not see the shadow of a single monster. "This way..." "We can avoid the night watchmen on this path..." The Crow Monster led the way, and Lu Fei and Little Pig Monster Hong Pi followed closely behind. Before long. After leaving the minor demons' living area, the Crow Monster immediately transformed into a large black crow, about one meter tall with a wingspan of two meters. Little Pig Monster Hong Pi transformed into a brown wild boar, over two meters long. As for Lu Fei, seeing that both minor demons had transformed into their true forms, he raised his head and gave a low howl. His body rapidly grew larger and longer, and in the blink of an eye, he had become a pure white giant wolf nearly three meters long. Among the true forms of the three minor demons, only Little Pig Monster Hong Pi was slightly smaller in size. The True Forms of Lu Fei and the Crow Monster both far exceeded ordinary beasts. The reason Hong Pi was smaller in size was that he was the youngest; he had obtained an opportunity to open his spirit and transform into a monster before he had even fully grown. "Follow me..." The Crow Monster flew into the upper air. After calling to the two companions below, he immediately flew forward. The white giant wolf and the small wild boar quickly followed. In their true forms, the three minor demons were fast. Under the Crow Monster's lead, it did not take much time for them to charge down the peak and race towards the distant mountain where the human village was located. More than two hours later. The three monsters appeared at the edge of a mountain forest. Looking at the village appearing in the distance in the darkness. The Crow Monster, flying in mid-air, excitedly said, "That's the place. We must have a full meal tonight." Although they had encountered many wild beasts fleeing in panic on the way, the three monsters had no desire to pursue them and still chose to go to the human village. It was because of food, but also because they wanted to see the world. Except for Lu Fei, the other two minor demons had only heard others talk about humans. The information they knew about humans was basically second-hand; they had never truly seen humans, much less a human village. "I asked Greyhide, who has been there before, carefully..." The Crow Monster continued, "Listen to me a moment from now on..." Little Pig Monster Hong Pi grunted and nodded, "I will." Lu Fei looked at the giant wooden fence surrounding the building in the distance—which was less like a village and more like a village fort—and nodded, not objecting to what the Crow Monster said. After all, he was still too unfamiliar with the humans of this world. "Then let's go..." The Crow Monster spread his wings and flew forward. The white giant wolf and the wild boar followed suit. The night sky had no moon and very few stars. In the pitch black where you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face, the three monsters smoothly approached that simple wooden castle. Standing outside the village, looking at the giant wooden fence that was over ten meters high, with its tips sharpened into spikes. Among the three monsters, only the Crow Monster could easily fly over it. Lu Fei estimated that in his true form, a height of seven or eight meters was no problem for him. But beyond ten meters, especially with spike-tipped fencing, there was no need to try. As for the small wild boar Hong Pi, there was no need to mention it. "I'll go in first and open the main gate wide. Wait here..." The Crow Monster gave the instructions, then flapped his wings and flew over the fence. When he flew over the watchtower room above the fence, the Crow Monster looked through the window and saw a human, just like the other monsters had described, sleeping under a faint oil lamp, drooling a lot of saliva. "The gate is right below the watchtower. The gate switch is inside, blocked by three large wooden bars..." Recalling the information he had inquired about, the Crow Monster quietly flew over the giant fence, glanced once into the village, and immediately began looking for the large wooden bars that controlled the gate. Because he could see clearly at night, the Crow Monster smoothly found the large wooden bars blocking the gate. However, it wasn't the three he had heard of, but a full six bars. The Crow Monster carefully removed the wooden bars one by one. When he removed the last wooden bar and excitedly went to pull open the door, "Creak..." The wooden door immediately made a sound. This sound, insignificant in ordinary times, was exceptionally piercing in the quiet depth of the night. The next second. "Woof, woof, woof..." Dog barking sounds immediately rang out from inside the village fort. Chapter 4: Journey to the West: The Little Demon's Adventure 4 "Woof, woof, woof..." As the first dog barked, a flurry of barks immediately followed. At this very moment, inside the small room of the watchtower above the massive wooden palisade. The watchman, who had been sound asleep, suddenly jolted awake. Realizing what was happening, he didn't even bother to wipe the drool from his mouth; instead, he grabbed the long-bow quiver by his side and rushed out of the room. At the same time. Within the pitch-black village, the barking of the dogs also began to ring out. One by one, dim lights started to flicker to life, quickly illuminating the area. Outside the wooden walls, Lu Fei, who had been waiting by the main gate, realized things were not good the moment he heard the dog barks. Just then. The main gate of the palisade was opened, and the figure of the Crow Monster appeared before the two monsters waiting outside. "We've been discovered. Let's run..." Watching the excited-looking Crow Monster inside the gate, Lu Fei spoke up immediately and then turned to leave. "Wait..." The Crow Monster called out hastily: "I just opened the door..." Before he finished speaking. "Swish..." An arrow fell from the sky, grazing past his large wing and embedding itself in the ground. Immediately after. "Monsters in the village!" "Monsters in the village..." "Kill the monsters!" Human shouts rang down from above. The Crow Monster turned his head in panic and saw that the village behind him had suddenly become fully lit. Large numbers of humans armed with bows, spears, and long staffs were rushing out of their houses. "Wait for me..." Having never seen such a spectacle, the Crow Monster's face changed drastically. With a shriek, he flapped his wings and flew out of the main gate. At this point. Lu Fei, transformed into his giant wolf prototype, had already escaped a hundred meters away. Little Pig Monster Red-Skin followed close behind. Watching his two companions quickly dart into the darkness, the Crow Monster, who had just frantically flown out of the fence, dodged the arrows shot from behind while shouting: "Wait for me..." Soon. The Crow Monster also plunged into the vast darkness. On the village's palisade, an old man with completely white beard and hair, surrounded by the villagers, gazed in the direction where the giant bird monster had disappeared and said: "It was probably just some minor demons who wanted to come to our village for a snack..." With that, the old man turned to the young man beside him, whose face still bore the indentation mark of a sleeping pillow, and rebuked him: "I told you to keep watch, not to sleep..." "Wait for me..." In the pitch-black night sky, the Crow Monster looked at the two figures ahead and shouted: "Wait for me..." Lu Fei ran straight until he reached the edge of the forest before stopping. Little Pig Monster Red-Skin, grunting and snorting, also stopped as well. Lu Fei turned his head and, seeing that no humans were chasing them, looked up at the Crow Monster in the air. Aside from some panic, the Crow Monster's flying posture was still relatively normal. He asked, "Are you hurt?" The Crow Monster quickly flew over and, after landing on the ground, shook his head immediately: "No, but I nearly got hit..." Seeing the terrified expression on the Crow Monster's face. Lu Fei said, somewhat speechless, "When you were listening to their bragging, didn't you hear them say that human villages have dogs for security? You should run the moment you hear the dogs barking?" The Crow Monster shook his head: "No, Greyhide and the others only said that dog meat tastes good." "Why do we run when we hear the dogs barking?" Little Pig Monster Red-Skin, who had slipped away earlier with Lu Fei and thus missed the subsequent scene with the humans, looked up at Lu Fei and asked. Lu Fei replied: "Because the barking will wake the humans." The Crow Monster said: "White Fur, are you saying that Greyhide lied to me?" Lu Fei knew that the Greyhide he was referring to was a rat demon, but since the original host hadn't been on familiar terms with him, Lu Fei continued: "But were the other things he told you true?" The Crow Monster replied: "Those were all true. The routes he described, and even the main gate of that human village, were exactly as he said." Lu Fei asked further: "When was the last time Greyhide came here? Who did he come with?" The Crow Monster answered: "A year ago. He came with a Yellow Cattle Demon and two other rat demons." Lu Fei asked: "Were they injured when they came back?" The Crow Monster said: "The Yellow Cattle Demon died, and the other two rat demons were hurt, but Greyhide himself was fine." Lu Fei said: "That makes sense. He's afraid of losing face, but it's also possible he wanted to see if you'd suffer the same misfortune..." Now, Lu Fei finally understood why a village could sit right at the foot of Langlang Mountain, where monsters lived. With such a tall wooden palisade, unless a leader-level demon took action, ordinary minor demons would find it difficult even to get inside. As for why more powerful demons hadn't acted. Lu Fei guessed it must be due to concerns over human cultivators. After all, in this world, beasts could transform into demons and cultivate. Humans must have the same ability. Thinking this way, Lu Fei's curiosity about this world grew even greater. "What do we do now?" At this, Little Pig Monster Red-Skin asked. The Crow Monster chimed in: "Let's catch some wild beasts in the forests around here. We saw plenty on our way over..." Lu Fei nodded. Langlang Mountain only provides one meal. The leaders wouldn't mind if minor demons looked for their own food, but any spiritual medicine they found had to be turned in. Also, they couldn't kill any beasts that had awakened spirit intelligence. "Let's hurry. It's not far until dawn..." Saying so, Lu Fei turned and walked into the forest. Seeing this, the Crow Monster and the Little Pig Monster immediately followed. One hour later. Deep within the pitch-black, ancient forest. Faint lights flickered. The three monsters, transformed into humanoid forms with animal heads, sat around a fire. On a makeshift roasting rack before them, a skinned large grey bear was being grilled. The Crow Monster watched Lu Fei carefully carve the meat off the bear's skin, constantly comparing the size on his own body. After some hesitation in his expression, he still asked: "White Fur, aren't you worried the Bear Head Leader will give you trouble for wearing this?" "What's there to worry about..." Lu Fei picked up the nearly carved grey bear skin and held it in front of the fire to dry it, then turned to the Crow Monster and asked, "Do you think you're the same kind of creature as those unintelligent crows that just cackle randomly all day?" The Crow Monster immediately shook his head: "Of course not. They're just a bunch of unenlightened dumb birds." Lu Fei nodded: "The Bear Head Leader will think the same..." Not long after. When the grey bear meat on the rack was being grilled until it dripped with oil and began to emit the scent of cooked meat. The Crow Monster, sitting beside, couldn't help but ask again: "It's cooked now, can we eat?" Lu Fei glanced at the impatient-looking Crow Monster beside him, and then at Little Pig Monster Red-Skin, who was already drooling, and said: "Ready..." Saying this, he reached out and tore off a steaming bear leg himself. The impatient Crow Monster and Little Pig Monster immediately swarmed in. Chewing on the bear meat which had no salt, no chili, no seasoning of any kind, and wasn't even completely cooked through. Surprisingly, Lu Fei didn't find it unpleasant to eat. Perhaps changing bodies had also altered his sense of taste in his oral cavity. Anyway, on that summer night following his first failed attempt at infiltrating a human village, Lu Fei finally ate his first meal in this world. When the three minor demons returned to Langlang Mountain and to their stone cave. The eastern sky had already turned pale with the first light of dawn. The Crow Monster, having eaten and drunk his fill, immediately fell asleep. Little Pig Monster Red-Skin also had no desire to continue with his breathing technique or meditation, and likewise fell straight into sleep. Listening to the rapidly starting snoring sounds. Lu Fei did not sleep. Given his current physical endurance, he estimated he could easily go two or three days without sleep. Besides, at this hour, there wasn't much time to sleep for anyway. He climbed onto the stone bed, sat cross-legged, and quickly entered his breathing technique and meditation. When the mass of light rose in the eastern sky and sunlight shone through the forest. Outside the stone cave, a minor demon with a monkey's face and a human's body appeared before the stone caves where many minor demons lived. He held a brass gong in one hand and a mallet in the other. Listening to the snoring that came from the numerous stone caves. The monkey-faced minor demon looked excited and forcefully struck the brass gong in his hand. "Clang..." "Clang clang clang..." "Clang clang clang clang clang..." Chapter 5: Journey to the West Minor Monster 5 Clang clang clang clang... A huge, piercing, and highly penetrating gong resoundantly echoed across the mountain top. For the Minor Demons, whose alarm clock was the gong's daily ring, the piercing sound instantly woke them up. Then, after being stunned for a few seconds, the Minor Demons suddenly realized: Oh... it's time to get up. Lu Fei, who was meditating on the Breathing Technique, was likewise woken up instantly upon hearing the gong ring. Although he inwardly wanted to complain that being woken up this way every day would eventually drive him to a breakdown. He also knew that if it weren't for the gong being so rough, he simply couldn't wake the Minor Demons up. For the low-level Minor Demons, 'self-awareness' and 'self-discipline' were things that did not exist. They were accustomed to obeying the strong, to power, to roughness, to instinct, and not to anything else. Clang clang clang clang... The piercing sound of the gong kept ringing on. Lu Fei opened his eyes and saw the Crow Monster on the stone bed opposite, sitting up like a corpse with a blank expression, and the Little Pig Monster Hong Pi, who had just woken up with a groan. "Why do I feel like I just laid down..." The Crow Monster, whose eyes had finally focused, said. "You didn't misremember. We actually did just lie down a short while ago..." The Little Pig Monster Hong Pi rolled over and sat up, while talking, he kept rubbing the crust on his eyes. As the two Demons chatted. Lu Fei slightly moved his mind. Swish swish swish... A stream of virtual data with a faint white glow started to float up before his eyes. [Host: Lu Fei] [Cultivation: First-Rank Demon Soldier (36/100)] [Technique: Demon Race Breathing Method (Beginner) (19/100)] [Ability: Spear Technique (Beginner) (18/100); Bow and Arrow Technique (Beginner) (6/100)] [Divine Abilities: None] [Talent: Celestial Wolf Swallows Moon (Beginner) (7/100)] [Soul Power: None] [...] "The cultivation level has increased by one point, the technique level has increased by two points..." Watching the data and text that kept appearing before his eyes. Lu Fei, who had firmly memorized the data on his virtual panel, immediately noticed the changes. "With such clear data, I must have meditated on the breathing technique for four hours..." Lu Fei silently thought to himself; he had already calculated the passage of time by relying on the data changes on his virtual panel to a certain degree. Even though as a demon now, he was quite sensitive to changes in time and sky color. "Today the Bear Head Leader will definitely assign us a task. We must get there early..." "We should go..." "White Fur...?" At that moment, the Crow Monster's voice rang out. "Go..." Lu Fei came back to his senses and spoke one word; then the virtual data scattered and he got up from the stone bed. Although his main focus was on the virtual panel, he had still managed to hear the Crow Monster's remark. His ability to do two things at once was becoming more and more proficient. He pulled his grey bear skin down at his waist to tighten it. Lu Fei followed behind the Crow Monster and stepped out of the stone cave. The Little Pig Monster Hong Pi, walking last, saw the grey bear skin Lu Fei had wrapped around himself and, unable to resist, reached out to touch it. Lu Fei, sensing his butt had been touched, was startle and turned to look at the Little Pig Monster Hong Pi behind him and cried out, "What the hell are you doing, you little rascal?" The Little Pig Monster Hong Pi scratched his bristles and smiled, saying: "I just wanted to see if it was really soft." Lu Fei looked at the somewhat dolt-like Little Pig Monster in front of him and said with no good will: "Do you know it now?" Hong Pi nodded: "I know. I'll go get one too..." The Crow Monster cut in at the right moment: "Hong Pi, you're not even afraid of the Bear Head Leader?" Hong Pi shook his head: "Not afraid. I'm planning to collect some bird feathers to wrap up; it's definitely even softer..." The Crow Monster paused upon hearing this: "How did I not think of that..." Listening to the two Demons' conversation. Lu Fei couldn't help but speak up: "If you guys go any slower, we're definitely going to get whipped by the Bear Head Leader today..." When the three Minor Demons reached the mountain top where they usually gathered. A large number of Minor Demons had already gathered here. Based on the original body's memory, Lu Fei had already got a rough idea of the overall situation of Langlang Mountain. There was one Great King, who was a Bull Demon that had cultivated into a demon. Under the Great King, there were two Commanders. They were the Wolf Commander and the Sheep Commander. Under the Commanders were the Minor Leaders. Langlang Mountain currently had a total of nine Minor Leaders. Each Minor Leader commanded ten to twenty Minor Demons. From this, one could easily calculate the number of demons on Langlang Mountain, around two hundred in total. Lu Fei, the Crow Monster, and the Little Pig Monster Hong Pi, the three Minor Demons, belonged to the Bear Head Leader's command. After finding the Bear Head Leader's towering figure. The three Minor Demons quickly reached the group of Minor Demons who were also under the Bear Head Leader's command. The Crow Monster saw a group of familiar demons, especially when he saw a Greyhide rat demon with a rat head that was a bit over a meter tall, his desire to show off and chat immediately started to stir. So, with his head held high and chest puffed, he strode over with an air of nobility. Lu Fei glanced at the Crow Monster. He didn't even need to ask; he knew what that guy was going to say to the rat demon, nothing but bragging about last night's trip to the human village. Watching the Bear Head Leader in front, whose figure was over two meters tall and who had a massive body with a human face and a bear head, who seemed to be waiting for something. Lu Fei recalled yesterday's scene when he woke up and joined the meeting convened by the Great King. Because the Great King's cave was too small and because there were so many demons, a low-level Minor Demon like Lu Fei had no right to enter the cave. He was gathered outside the cave, and even so, his view of the cave entrance was blocked by numerous Bull Demons, Bear Demons, Tiger Demons, and Elephant Demons, who were naturally larger in size. So, yesterday, he and his two companions simply did not see the Great King's face, which belonged to the Wild Bull Demon with the strongest cultivation and highest strength. Even the voice they heard at the end was only when the meeting was about to end; the Great King finally gave notice of the battle against the monsters on Shepan Mountain, and then gave a few words of exhortation to the low-level Minor Demons. This was the whole process of yesterday's meeting called by the Great King. Speaking of it, since the virtual panel inside his body was there. What Lu Fei needed most now was time. As long as he had enough time to meditate on the breathing technique, he would continue to grow stronger. But he was now just a low-level Minor Demon with weak strength. If he did not want to leave Langlang Mountain, wander around, and become a wild demon whose life was constantly in danger. He had to obey orders. What he was most concerned about now was when the battle with Shepan Mountain that the Great King had announced yesterday would begin. [Previous chapter has slight changes] If possible, he wished this time would be as late as possible. Just as Lu Fei was silently praying in his heart. Suddenly, the previously sunny and clear sky was quickly covered by a large mass of dark clouds. Immediately after, a series of cold winds, mixed with wailing screams, curses, and wails, rose from nowhere, blowing the Minor Demons on the mountain top one by one with their faces pale, and their bodies trembling uncontrollably. As if feeling something, Lu Fei, enduring the extremely weak feeling caused by the frigid wind blowing through his body, raised his head with difficulty to look up. And saw a massive phantom, shaped like a small mountain, appearing above the mountain top.