Two months later, in the Qingmeng Mountain region, at Mulian Village.
The military had once been stationed at Mulian Village, but not long after the Monster Catfish incident in the river, the authorities had withdrawn all of their personnel.
Currently, most of the villagers who had relocated from Mulian Village feared the miasma; having accepted government compensation, they had moved to neighboring districts and counties.
Only one or two households of elderly residents, like Grandpa Shi, still remained in the village.
The blooming orange tree had already returned to normal, yet official researchers still came every few days to collect samples.
To avoid triggering unnecessary conflicts, the Special Investigation Bureau dispatched a portion of their personnel to stay in Mulian Village disguised as villagers, monitoring the developments in Qingmeng Mountain in real time.
However, the commotion during this period was simply too immense.
Naturally, the anomalous movements in Qingmeng Mountain could not be concealed from the Special Investigation Bureau.
Word had spread that the Mountain Lord, after days in seclusion, had issued widespread invitations to demons across the realm to hold something called a “Demon Core Tasting Assembly.”
According to intelligence from various regions, even demon clans from as far as the Northeast had secretly crossed Shanhai Pass, traveling thousands of li across more than half of Huaxia to rush toward Qingmeng Mountain.
Humans, animals, and plants all coexisted within the same space.
Any shift within one species would inevitably have profound consequences for another.
That humanoid great demon dwelling in the mountains had stayed silent for half a year, yet the moment she emerged from seclusion, she caused such an enormous uproar.
Certain hardliners within the Special Investigation Bureau had even declared that preparations should be made for a future war between humans and demons.
Regardless of what the future held, humans and the demon race had coexisted peacefully for many years; they could not rashly trigger a war based on mere suspicion.
The global landscape was shifting rapidly at present, with extraordinary factions taking the stage one after another.
The Special Investigation Bureau would not—and did not want to—provoke a humanoid great demon as an adversary.
Thus, as spirits and demons converged on Qingmeng Mountain from all directions, the Special Investigation Bureau received orders from above:
Let them pass.
Observe only; do not take action.
Under no circumstances should any actions be taken that could invite misunderstanding or be exploited by ill-intentioned individuals to incite conflict between humans and demons.
At this moment, the Special Investigation Bureau needed to unite all forces that could be united.
Consequently, by official directive, flights and train schedules heading to Xixiang remained unaltered and operated without impediment.
Roadblocks were established along the routes, but mostly to prevent contact between wild animals and humans, avoiding any incidents of animal attacks.
That night, the moonlight was clear as water.
Standing at the village entrance and gazing into the distance toward Qingmeng Mountain, the members of the Special Investigation Bureau could not help feeling a surge of tension.
A hazy white mist arose from Qingmeng Mountain, cloaking the peaks and veins of the land.
Under the bright moon hanging in the sky, spiritual energy circulated through the air, and ribbons of fresh, earthy scents vied to penetrate the lungs.
Thick pythons hurriedly traversed the border, slithering silently into the dense fog, not daring to harm even a stray mountain branch along the way.
Hedgehogs the size of soccer balls brought along their entire families; from largest to smallest, each bit the tail of the one in front, forming a long chain as they vanished into the mountain.
A herd of massive Asian elephants arrived in a rush across the misty veil, noticeably leaner from their long trek.
Wolves, reptiles, tigers, leopards, apes, bears, deer, wild boars, as well as musk deer, muntjacs, foxes, weasels, badgers, and rats.
Hundreds of animal species marched in utter silence, vanishing into the heavy fog right before the eyes of the Special Investigation Bureau.
Beyond wild beasts, there were even numerous pets.
A large golden retriever with dull fur and a goofy smiling face nudged its owner’s palm, bit through its leash, and bounded into the mountain without looking back.
A macaw with a two-meter wingspan, its plumage shimmering with iridescent colors under the moonlight, squawked and chattered as it flew straight into the dense forest.
A turtle the size of a millstone was unloaded from a car by its owner; the moment it touched the ground, it scurried forward at astonishing speed, terrified of falling behind the others.
The agents from the Special Investigation Bureau even spotted a giant panda that had rushed over in a dedicated chartered car.
Well, it looked rather familiar.
“Menglan! Oh Menglan, you have to stay safe! If you can't fight for it, just give up and come back home to drink your milk bowl!”
The keeper cried his heart out, wishing desperately that he could go along with it.
He looked practically like a heartbroken soul who had just been dumped out of the blue.
“Quit cryin’, quit cryin’.”
The chubby, adorable giant panda stood up on two legs with a nursing bottle hanging around its neck and patted the keeper’s shoulder in an uncannily human manner:
“What’re you cryin’ for, you silly dummy? Once I catch the Mountain Lord’s eye and make progress in my cultivation, I’ll come back and take you flyin’ high with me!”
The Special Investigation Bureau agents: “...”
Perhaps they had just woken up too abruptly, but they had actually witnessed a panda speaking human words.
There were quite a few pet owners who had followed their animals here, but under the reminders of the Special Investigation Bureau, they could only gather outside Qingmeng Mountain, praying for the safety of their fur babies.
...
The Demon Core Tasting Assembly was held on a higher peak within the Qingmeng Mountain range.
Upon entering the mountains, the enlightened demons grew increasingly overjoyed.
Spiritual energy was abundant in the mountains; with every breath, vaporized particles of spiritual qi filled their lungs. The cultivation environment here was immeasurably superior to the outside world!
In this era, cultivation was inherently grueling for the demon race. Aside from the powerful Five Families of the Northeast who banded together for survival, other demons either underwent austere, low-profile cultivation deep in the mountains or disguised themselves as ordinary animals to scrape by in the mortal world.
On the small mountain, the night wind rustled. The spirits and demons gathered together—some crouching beneath trees, some rolling around on the ground, others perched upon branches, huddling shoulder to shoulder.
“Sigh, being demons, we truly can’t compare to humans. They’re born with spiritual awareness from the start.”
An alligator opened its broad snout and rumbled from its throat:
“I attained enlightenment by chance a couple of years after the founding of the republic. All these years, I’ve been scraping by at the Jingnan Zoo.
“Those humans kept calling me a Class II protected species or whatever. This time, hearing that the Mountain Lord was hosting a feast, I finally broke out and crawled all the way here hidden inside a seafood transport truck.
“How did the rest of you get here?”
“I hitched a ride on a cycling vlogger’s bike and rode along the whole way.
“Humans are easy to fool. Just roll over, show your belly, and rub against them a bit. Once they think you’re smart and affectionate, they’re more than happy to take you along.”
An old dog who had lived for over forty years guarding a courtyard in the countryside bared its teeth and spoke in a gruff, muffled tone:
“Sigh, protected animals have it easy. I’m just a native mutt, guarding someone's house day in and day out.
“When I got old, that family grew scared of how long I was living. Terrified I’d turn into a spirit, they were planning to take me to a slaughterhouse.”
“Heh! That really is rotten luck.”
A macaw perched on a tree squawked twice, the tail feathers behind its rear dulled with dust from the long trek:
“I was originally raised by my former owner and his girlfriend. When they broke up, they planned on dumping me too.
“I heard from some roadside sparrows that the Mountain Lord of Qingmeng Mountain was hosting a Demon Core Tasting Assembly, so I flew all the way here.”
“A lot of demons didn't dare to come.”
A small beast in the grass spoke up timidly:
“I heard the Mountain Lord has slain many troublemaking demon beasts. Everyone was afraid of angering her and getting swallowed in one gulp.”
“A bunch of silly fools! The ones the Mountain Lord took out were all wicked monsters that ate and harmed humans.”
The panda with the nursing bottle around its neck shifted its rear and plopped down onto the shell of an old turtle, chirping in a crisp voice:
“There’s a monumental opportunity right before our eyes. Those cowards will be too late to even catch scraps!”
An old cat chimed in with a thick Tianjin accent:
“Aiyo, brother! What’re ya tryin' to say? In all my long years, I ain't never seen many humanoid great demons before.
“Heard tell that among the Five Families of the Northeast, some demons have already thrown in their lot with this mountain king?”
“Hah! How many years has it been? The Five Families of the Northeast fell from grace long ago.
“Who even knows if the Heavenly Court and the Underworld are still functional? It’s been ages since anyone saw soul reapers hooking spirits away.”
“Auv! A grand master from the capital! Greetings to you! Now that the world's spiritual energy is reviving, I wonder if the Underworld and the Heavenly Court can reopen.”
“You're all thinking way too far ahead. Right now, if we can catch the Mountain Lord’s favor and quickly break through to the first-revolution of the demon core to take human form, our cultivation speed will increase by bounds and leaps!”
“What’s the point of hiding away in some mountain ditch cultivating in secret? Following the Mountain Lord would be infinitely more glorious!”
The demons bickered, traded jibes, and clashed verbally with one another. Only Hu Ban'er of the Hu family, leading a pack of foxes, sat calmly like a fisherman confident of his catch.
As the night deepened, the clouds parted and the fog dissipated.
Suddenly, a fierce tiger's roar resounded. Atop a cliff beneath the round moon, the mighty, muscular silhouette of a colossal tiger flashed past:
“Roar—!”
An overwhelming pressure surged forth like a tidal wave.
The noisy mountain valley instantly fell into dead silence.
Every spirit and demon was rendered immobile. Reverting to their original forms, they lay prostrate on the ground, baring their most vulnerable necks in the instinctual manner of beasts to signify submission, crying out, “Mountain Lord!”
A few older demons struggled to lift their eyes, stealing a glance under the crushing pressure.
Clouds follow the dragon; winds follow the tiger.
Yet beneath the giant tiger’s paws, wind stirred, and a cluster of clouds seemed to follow its every movement.
The swirling mist drifted in wisps around the white tiger’s back, looking remarkably as though it had grown a pair of wings!
It was not merely an illusion—there was truly a cloud hovering there!
The demons grew all the more shocked, sheer awe gripping their hearts!
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