“What, not even one to come greet the guest?”
Demonic energy gathered and transformed into billowing wolf smoke rushing straight into the clouds.
The terrifying demonic atmosphere tore apart the surrounding heavy fog, and inside the manor, a filthy demonic energy also rose up.
Compared to the demonic energy released by the wolfhounds, this demonic energy was filthy and extremely disordered.
It was like comparing willow catkins to diamonds.
Whether in quality or quantity, it paled far in comparison to the demonic energy erupting from the wolfhounds.
“Hahahaha!”
Accompanied by the muffled, unpleasant laughter, a fat, black shadow also flew out from the manor.
Before this shadow could reach the wolfhounds, it laughed loudly, “Esteemed guest in person, apologies for not going out to greet you earlier, please forgive me, forgive me!”
The voice echoed all around, and a fat giant Mouse King also landed at the entrance of the manor, in front of the wolfhounds.
“I’m terribly sorry Esteemed Guest, I have sincerely offended you!”
After the fat Mouse King landed, he casually stomped and killed the greeting mouse at the entrance, turning it into meat paste. He also raised his paws and laughed as he bowed with clasped hands to the wolfhounds.
The wolfhounds looked indifferently at the Mouse King, their expression unchanged, aura unfazed. As the smoky wolf aura above their head slowly spun, the Mouse King also carefully observed the wolfhounds.
As the Mouse King observed the wolfhound, Du ke on its back took a look at the meat paste under the Mouse King’s feet, and he also took two careful looks at the Mouse King in front of them.
The Mouse King had an extremely wide waist, with fat bulging out of his rat face. His eyes were just slits, and his protruding front teeth stuck out of his mouth.
The less than four-foot tall Mouse King wore gold and silver like a mortal king or prince, and even wore a white jade heavenly crown that could only be seen in burial objects on his head.
Several of the dangling pearls and jade on the crown were missing, which paired with his rat face looked especially ridiculous.
“Are you the demon monster of this place?”
As Du ke transmitted his voice fluctuating spirit ripples, the Mouse King also laughed, “Just a minor demon of meager abilities, living in seclusion here.”
“Valued by the surrounding brothers, I was given the title of Mouse King.”
“Oh? You seem to have the bearing of a king or prince.”
Du ke laughed softly, while the wolfhound continued to put on an expressionless face, working hard to cooperate with Du ke’s act.
“I don't know which esteemed mountain the noble guest is from, what business brings you here?”
“What, wanting to find out this general’s background?”
As soon as Du ke said this, the wolfhound's expression also turned unfriendly.
The Mouse King's expression remained unchanged, and he laughed again, “I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!”
“It's just that the noble guest seems unfamiliar, not like a demon from my Cangzhou. I'm a bit curious, that's all.”
Speaking to here, the Mouse King also tentatively asked, “You should know, all the demons of Cangzhou have to be registered at the Demon Registry in Cangzhou Demon Market. Otherwise, they would be nameless and lowly stray demons, who could be casually beaten and eaten.”
Hearing the Mouse King's words containing warning and probing, Du ke coldly snorted, and the demonic energy also fluctuated violently.
"People often say that dogs catching mice is meddling too much. As the King of Mice, what do you think about this?"
"This..." The Mouse King blinked, cursing inwardly that this wolfhound was too unreasonable. He just casually asked a question, yet this wolfhound wanted to yell about beating and killing.
"We are both cultivated beings, naturally incomparable to common mortals. Esteemed guest, please don't tease me!"
"Humph, you teased me first!"
The wolfhound coldly snorted, then said, "Speaking with sarcasm and probes, prying into my background, yet putting on an overbearing demeanor!"
"You really live up to your name as the King of Mice, unable to tolerate the slightest grain of sand in your eyes!"
"In that case, I shall take my leave!"
"I still have matters to handle for my four-eared elder brother!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the wolfhound turned and left, not hesitating at all.
Hearing this, the Mouse King was shocked. Four-eared elder brother?
Could it be that Four-Eared Jin Yi Bandit who has been the talk of all the Demon Markets recently?
If the wolfhound in front of him was someone's brother, then if news of what happened today reached the other party's ears...
Shuddering at the thought, the Mouse King's entire fat body trembled. He hurriedly ran forward two steps.
"Hey, hey, esteemed guest, please wait!"
The Mouse King chased up to the wolfhound in a few steps, and familiarly put his arm around the wolfhound's neck, speaking honeyed words.
"It was my fault, I offended the esteemed guest. Please allow me to apologize!"
"You came from afar, how could you just leave after passing by? What would your fellow cultivators think of me if word got out?"
"Please, come with this Rat King and grace us with drinking a cup of wine!"
After the Mouse King's persuasion, the wolfhound also glanced sideways at him.
"Hmph, at least you still have some conscience!"
"Since it's like this, then lead the way!"
"Please, this way!"
The rat and dog pushed and pulled each other, and the wolfhound followed the Mouse King into his manor.
Just as the wolfhound passed through the shadow wall with the Mouse King, Du ke on his back felt his eyelid jump.
Inside the manor, seats had already been set up banquet-style, and the seats were completely filled with all kinds of monsters.
In sight, one could see boars, raccoon dogs, deer, waterfowl, feral dogs and other monsters. These monsters sat crossed-legged on their seats like humans, copying humans by toasting and drinking wine, appearing very comfortable.
The mountain macaque from before was also sitting behind a table, directly holding up a wine jar and drinking heartily. The other monsters at his table revealed looks of disgust, very much disliking this big monkey with a face like a peeled melon.
While Du ke was secretly shocked, the Mouse King also loudly called out, "Everyone, everyone!"
With this shout, it attracted the attention of all the monsters in the yard towards the wolfhound. Yet the wolfhound remained expressionless as he followed beside the Mouse King, slightly raising his head with a superior overlooking gaze at these monsters.
Humph, even if I'm a dog, I've also seen big scenes before.
How could I be frightened by a group of lesser monsters!
Let alone anything else, have you ever seen an initiated black cat whose paws are bigger than grinding discs? That kind.
As the monsters looked towards the wolfhound, the Mouse King also loudly said, "We have an esteemed guest joining our celebratory banquet today. Why aren't you coming to greet them?"
Upon hearing this, the monsters immediately bowed with cupped fists to the wolfhound, just like humans, coming to greet the wolfhound.
The wolfhound coldly snorted, not even glancing at these monsters. Under the Mouse King's accompaniment, he entered the front hall.
Seeing the wolfhound's performance, Du ke on his back was astonished and clicked his tongue.
The doggie is actually a method actor. Not only is he not panicking in front of so many, he's actually so calm and composed, really exuding an aura of arrogance and dominance.
But Du ke didn't consider that ever since being stranded outside with him, the wolfhound had experienced all kinds of storms.
Let alone the bloodthirsty man-eating monsters of Steaming Cloud Mountain, just the occasional beatings by the black cat and Old Li's death stares were enough to give the wolfhound an unperturbed temperament.
Moreover, Du ke was currently accompanying the wolfhound.
With Du ke's company, the wolfhound feared nothing!
After the wolfhound entered the front hall with the Mouse King, the group of lesser monsters in the yard also whispered.
"Which demon is this, looking down his nose at people like that?"
"Nonsense, if I had his abilities, not only would you not get to see my nostrils, even catching a glimpse of my rat's ass would be giving you face!"
"Indeed, the demonic aura that erupted just now is still making my legs tremble."
"Yeah, that kind of aura made me recall the great demons I once had the fortune to see at the Monster Market."
"Too scary, this wolfhound's abilities are at least at the Great Demon realm!"
"But why is he born so short?"
"Maybe that's just his original form's physique!"
"Great Demon? Then isn't he stronger than the Mouse King?"
"The Mouse King is just at the Innate Realm according to human great demon realms. He still needs to cross a threshold to reach Great Demon."
"I heard that the Mouse King can attain the Dao, so why is he still lingering in the prenatal state?"
"Isn't it because of that magnificent heavenly majesty? Ask yourself, which monster under heaven would be willing to walk under the Heavenly Tribulation?"
"Some years ago, there was a Lord Yinshan who appeared on the mountain next to ours. He was a big bug with lofty brows and bright eyes. He ate people and kept ghosts. He was extremely fierce and formidable."
"But how much can fierceness amount to? Under the Heavenly Tribulation that comes with attaining the Dao, all living beings are equal. The thousands of ghosts he kept were shaken by the thunder until their souls scattered. All the preparations he made were reduced to ashes by a flash of lightning."
"That Lord Yinshan couldn't even withstand a streak of lightning. He was directly turned into flying ashes without even leaving a single bone fragment behind!"
"Hiss, is the Heavenly Tribulation really that terrifying?"
"Then why do you think so few Great Demons have attained the Dao? Isn't it because they couldn't make it through that tribulation when attaining the Dao?"
"But I heard that the Blood Monster passed the tribulation and attained the Dao."
"That's an extremely rare case even among the seeds of the monster clans. Even the Twenty-eight Demon Kings with resounding reputations would have to give him three points. You and I are just beasts who gained awareness in the mountains. We don't even qualify to enter the Monster Market, let alone anything else."
"You're right. Attaining the Dao is too distant for us. Why bother thinking about that? Let's drink!"
"Yes, drink, drink!"
..........
Amidst the banquet in the courtyard where the monsters were toasting each other, Du ke also followed the Mouse King into the inner hall and took the seat in the front row to the Mouse King's left.
There were also a few monsters in the inner hall. Judging from their aura, the strongest was only slightly weaker than the Mouse King.
As for the weakest, they were still not those Du ke could match.
Right after Du ke was seated, the monsters in the inner hall also looked over at him.
"Yo, whose esteemed guest is this? How come he looks so handsome?"
The huge black crow with feathers all over its body and a beak like a drill bit and claws like hooks opened its mouth and let out an obscure laugh. At the same time, it also attracted all the monsters' attention towards Du ke.
Seeing this, the Mouse King smiled and said, "This esteemed guest works for that legendary figure, so it's better not to ask too much."
"Oh? A legendary figure?"
Another ox monster was surprised and asked, "I wonder who it is?"
"It's the one who entered under White Lord's command and became White Lord's right-hand man, Si Er!"
When the Mouse King said this, all the monsters looked at Du ke in shock. A spotted hyena with yellow fur all over its body also blinked and said, "You mean that famously righteous and generous Si Er?"
"Righteous and generous?"
Du ke blinked. Was this hyena talking about Si Er the Brocade Thief?
Could he have misheard?
How could the spiritual cat of Si Er the Brocade Thief have a personality like this?
This would be a complete betrayal of his ancestors!
However, Du ke thought, Qian Sui as the Black Tiger with Moonlight Eyes has a tsundere personality, while Men Dou as the Lion-Faced Arhat is a miser. So it's not too weird for Si Er the Brocade Thief's spiritual cat to be generous and open-minded..... Like hell it isn't!
Du ke thought, it's not him saying this, but what's with this generation's spiritual cats all being so wrong?