"Big Brother, we've been waiting for so long.
How come we still haven't detected that Wild Wolf Demon's aura?"
the youngest of the three Raccoon Monkey brothers asked doubtfully.
"Maybe that Wild Wolf Demon used some trick to escape already,"
the second of the three Raccoon Monkey brothers guessed.
"Impossible! That Wild Wolf Demon only has a Qi Refining Fourth Layer Cultivation.
Even if he has some tricks, he can't possibly escape my senses."
The eldest of the three Raccoon Monkey brothers was resolute.
"Let's wait a bit longer. This is just a contest of patience! I refuse to believe his Secret Technique can last this long!"
"Okay, Big Brother."
The three Raccoon Monkey Demons lay quietly on the ground, waiting for the Wild Wolf Demon's aura to appear.
"Gentlemen, were you waiting for me?"
Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind them.
"Who?"
A chill ran down the spines of the three Raccoon Monkey Spirits.
Turning their heads, they saw the Wild Wolf Demon they had been so eagerly anticipating.
He was now standing right behind them.
"It's you!"
"Wild Wolf Demon!"
The three Raccoon Monkey Spirits were aghast.
Their years of experience as Tribulation Cultivators made them react instantly.
They all unleashed their techniques, trying to seize the initiative.
To be fair, the combat prowess of the three Monkey Spirits was decent.
Though not as cunning and experienced as the Toad Spirit, their years as Tribulation Cultivators and life-or-death struggles had forged them impressive Magical Combat Skills.
Unfortunately for them...
They were facing Xu Chang'an.
Even at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, Xu Chang'an could plot and kill a Qi Refining Seventh Layer Old Demon.
Let alone now, at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer Realm.
With the element of surprise on his side, it only took a few rounds for him to subdue the Raccoon Monkey Spirits.
"Tell me, who sent you."
The voice of the Wild Wolf Demon, who was Xu Chang'an in disguise, was icy and cruel.
"If I tell you, will you spare my brothers and me?"
"If you tell me, you'll have a sliver of a chance to live. If you try any tricks, even death will be a luxury."
The three Raccoon Monkey Spirit brothers understood they had provoked a formidable foe.
Combined with their resentment toward the Dog Demon Shopkeeper.
If the Dog Demon Shopkeeper hadn't passed them false information, the three of them would never have ended up in this situation.
They immediately told Xu Chang'an everything, holding nothing back.
After verifying their story several times through his own methods, he confirmed they weren't deceiving him.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
As the Magical Artifact flew, several screams rang out.
The Demon Bodies of the three Raccoon Monkey brothers fell to the ground, as dead as they could be.
"In your next life, be more careful about who you cross!"
Xu Chang'an retracted his Magical Artifact, his voice flat.
'Since they chose the path of a Tribulation Cultivator, their lives and deaths were dictated by fate.'
'They lived with their heads hanging by a thread.'
'They couldn't blame him for killing them!'
'They could only blame their own choices!'
'From their respective standpoints, neither the Raccoon Monkey Spirits nor he, Xu Chang'an, was in the wrong.'
'If one truly had to assign blame, then the Raccoon Monkey Spirits' only mistake was being too weak.'
'The Demon Path is arduous. Some Demons walk ahead, while others fall behind.'
'Some have a smooth journey on the Demon Path, while others perish along the way.'
'And Xu Chang'an intended to be the Demon who walked at the very front.'
'He did not want the Raccoon Monkey Spirits' fate today to become his own tomorrow.'
'Let this be a warning to strengthen my Dao Heart!'
'Never forget!'
After collecting the Storage Bags of the three Raccoon Monkey brothers
and checking to make sure he hadn't left any traces, Xu Chang'an left the area.
...
The midday sun shone down on the white maple leaves of White Maple Mountain, creating a picturesque scene.
On a small hill extending out from White Maple Mountain,
the Dog Demon Shopkeeper of Ruyi Pavilion was staring intently into the distance.
'The three Raccoon Monkey brothers were a relatively famous gang of Tribulation Cultivator Demons around the White Maple Mountain Marketplace.'
'One at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer and two at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.'
'For an ordinary Independent Cultivator Demon, they were already an extremely powerful force.'
'Normally, as long as they didn't provoke a Qi Refining Old Demon or a Demon with a powerful backer,'
'any job they took was practically guaranteed to succeed.'
'Over the years, he had been stationed at Ruyi Pavilion.'
'When a wealthy but average-strength customer came by, he would probe their background.'
'If they were a suitable target, he would dangle the bait of a small, private trade meet to lure the customer out.'
'At the same time, he'd pass on the information and have the three Raccoon Monkey brothers make their move.'
'They split the profits thirty-seventy.'
'He took three parts, and the Raccoon Monkey brothers took seven.'
'He was clever about it, and it didn't happen too often.'
'So he had remained safe all these years, reaping handsome rewards.'
'I wonder how many assets that Wild Wolf Demon has on him!'
'Judging by his extravagant behavior that day and his confidence in pursuing a Middle-grade Magical Artifact, his accumulated wealth should be no less than four hundred Demon Stones.'
'When I probe them later, I'll have to be careful not to get swindled by those three brothers,'
the Dog Demon mused to himself.
'Some years ago, he had taken a Qi Gathering Pill, but unfortunately, his foundation was damaged in his youth, and his Bloodline aptitude was limited.'
'He had failed to break through to the Late-stage Qi Refining Realm.'
'Now, he was getting on in years.'
'He only wanted to buy another Qi Gathering Pill before his time was up and give it one more try.'
'If he succeeded, his life would be extended by many years.'
'If he failed, he would have no regrets!'
'Why aren't they here yet! Could something have gone wrong!?'
'Or was this Wild Wolf Demon so wealthy that the three brothers decided to ditch our agreement?'
The Dog Demon thought to himself.
After thinking it over and over, he felt both scenarios were unlikely.
SWISH!
A flash of light shot toward the Dog Demon.
'What was that!'
The Dog Demon jumped in fright.
'He never expected to be ambushed here, near White Maple Mountain.'
In his haste, he activated a Defensive Magical Artifact.
A pale yellow light flared up, shielding his entire body.
BZZZZ—
The light wavered and trembled violently.
But the barrier ultimately blocked the surprise attack.
Before the Dog Demon could even breathe a sigh of relief, a Magic spell shot out and struck the barrier again.
'This is bad!'
Seeing the barrier was about to shatter,
the Dog Demon quickly pulled out a Defense Demon Talisman, preparing to activate it to protect himself.
At the same time, he channeled his Demon Power, wanting to activate an Attacking Magical Artifact to defend himself.
His proficiency with Magic was average, so it was better to forgo casting spells and instead simultaneously manipulate one attacking and one defensive Magical Artifact.
The Dog Demon's idea was sound, but he had been stationed at Ruyi Pavilion for years and hadn't fought in a long time.
The Magical Combat experience he had from his younger years had long since grown rusty.
Activating the Demon Talisman and deploying the Attacking Magical Artifact both required focus and time.
But a portion of the Dog Demon's focus was still on manipulating the Defensive Magical Artifact.
In his panic, the mental drain was even greater.
This caused a gap to appear as he switched between actions.
Although the moment was fleeting, it created an opening.
BOOM!
A Great Seal shaped like a Yuanbao crashed down in the gap before his Defense Demon Talisman could activate.
The Dog Demon couldn't react in time and was instantly suppressed by the Great Seal, unable to move.
The Wild Wolf, Xu Chang'an in disguise, quietly appeared before the Dog Demon.
"It's you!"
The Dog Demon's face was a mask of terror.
'He never would have imagined, not in a million years, that things would turn out this way.'
'Just moments ago, he was contemplating his profits from this venture, but in just two rounds, he was pinned beneath a Magical Artifact.'
'Life and death were separated by a single step.'
"Fellow Daoist, spare me! I..."
the Dog Demon's terrified plea rang out.
Xu Chang'an said nothing, only offering a faint smile.
He channeled his Demon Power, and the Yuanbao Seal crushed the Dog Demon before him into a bloody pulp.
"Have a safe trip."