The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The Mountain Leopard King’s armory held a large collection of weapons, including various spiritual blades, precious artifacts, armor, and shields, which were likely accumulated during the Mountain Leopard King’s centuries of campaigns and conquests.

These weapons emitted a dazzling aura, making it genuinely difficult to choose quickly.

The Yellow Weasel King held a fan, twisting and turning, touching a gold-inlaid broadsword one moment and a jewel-encrusted dagger the next, clearly struggling with her decision.

These weapons were not being taken for free. The Mountain Leopard King was determined to fight, and if they engaged the enemy, it was obviously better for her side to suffer as few casualties as possible.

This level of preparation was veteran expertise, befitting a battle-hardened Demon King. The first order of business was to inspect the armory and secure the wartime supplies.

If they could somehow steal the Icy Wolf’s armory, the enemy’s demon troop strength would be greatly reduced.

However, such armories were typically equivalent to personal treasuries, often stored in portable Mustard Seed Pouches, making them generally impossible to steal easily.

Just as Cang Ran was contemplating, the Mountain Leopard King picked up an invitation card and said in a deep voice, “The reason I invited both of you here today, besides discussing the move at the birthday celebration, is one more thing. Look at this—it was sent by the Icy Wolf this morning.”

A deep-red invitation card sprinkled with gold was passed from the Mountain Leopard King’s hand, circling between the Yellow Weasel King and Cang Ran.

The card clearly stated “Cold Moon Mountain.” Cold Moon Mountain was the location of the Icy Wolf’s cave dwelling. Since the Icy Wolf gained favor, the One-Armed Ape had moved to the Icy Wolf’s residence, and daily banquets and handling of demon clan affairs were conducted at Cold Moon Mountain.

The Yellow Weasel King sensed danger and warned cautiously, “Sister Leopard, this is a trap! If the Icy Wolf sets up an ambush at the banquet, and it’s on Cold Moon Mountain, we probably won’t be able to maneuver freely.”

The Mountain Leopard King’s face was solemn: “But the signature on the invitation is the One-Armed Ape personally inviting me. She said she missed me after a long time and remembered our days fighting side-by-side. Now that her health is somewhat better, she wants to have a drink and reminisce with me.”

The Yellow Weasel King stopped fanning and narrowed her eyes: “How could the One-Armed Ape recover so quickly from such a severe injury? This must be a trick by the Icy Wolf. We should just make our move directly at the birthday celebration and avoid this pretense with her.”

Cang Ran saw the worry etched on the Mountain Leopard King’s brow, suggesting she had other thoughts. She couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Leopard, are you worried that the One-Armed Ape has genuinely recovered, or do you still have affection for the One-Armed Ape?”

The Yellow Weasel King scoffed: “What affection? Everyone knows that our Sister Leopard saved the One-Armed Ape from peril countless times and took who knows how many blows for her. When the One-Armed Ape was not yet the Great Demon King, only our Sister Leopard was fiercely loyal to her.”

“A large portion of the Canglan Mountains’ territory was conquered by our Sister Leopard. Besides, the One-Armed Ape might have been coerced by the Icy Wolf! That’s why she is treating Sister Leopard so poorly!”

The Mountain Leopard King, who was originally hesitant, fearing other demons would accuse her of betraying her master, immediately straightened her back when she heard the Yellow Weasel King’s words. The logic was on her side.

The One-Armed Ape was truly heartless. Giving her small favors in the past was one thing, but after all these years of following her, she wouldn’t even grant her this respect, allowing the Icy Wolf to humiliate her so!

If her little daughter hadn’t been destined to live, she would have been killed by that scruffy wolf Han Jinzhi. This hatred could not be quenched without revenge!

When the Mountain Leopard King thought of this, anger surged: “Hmph, the affection has long gone! If I, a Void Refinement stage Great Demon, can’t even protect my own daughter, then I don’t deserve this high cultivation level.”

“I am not afraid of the Icy Wolf’s slander or her manipulating the One-Armed Ape! Even if I meet the One-Armed Ape face-to-face, I dare to confront her. She should never have treated me so dismissively!”

It was assumed that after the Mountain Leopard King finished venting her anger, she would abandon the idea of attending the banquet. However, Cang Ran and the Yellow Weasel King simultaneously saw the Mountain Leopard King’s eyes turn red, slowly filling with tears as she recalled the past.

Seeing this, Cang Ran and the Yellow Weasel King quickly stepped forward to console her: “Sister Leopard, why are you suddenly crying? Other demons know you’ve been wronged. It’s just the One-Armed Ape who is being ungrateful.”

The Mountain Leopard King was always an emotional person. She hastily wiped her tears: “The One-Armed Ape has never spoken such gentle words before! If she hadn’t been so focused on favoring that Icy Wolf, we wouldn’t have reached this point today!”

She just wants to drink and reminisce. There wasn’t even an apology, so how could that be considered ‘gentle words’? Under the circumstances, Cang Ran understood. The Mountain Leopard King was set on going.

Hearing her old sister, the One-Armed Ape, say she missed her, all the pent-up grievances of the past few days exploded. Even if it was a trap, the Mountain Leopard King had to go to the One-Armed Ape to clear things up.

But at this time, how could one so easily attend a trap? Never mind whether the One-Armed Ape truly got up from her sickbed to invite her for a drink; it was entirely possible that three hundred swordsmen were lying in ambush at the banquet.

Seeing that the two demons were silent, the Mountain Leopard King asked again, “I still have to go and seek justice. Otherwise, if word gets out, people will think I’m afraid of the Icy Wolf. If the One-Armed Ape still shields the Icy Wolf at the banquet, I will naturally break ties with her. I’ll also see if her injury is truly healed. Even if we have to make a move, we’ll have a justifiable reason.”

Cang Ran saw that the Mountain Leopard King was emotional and couldn’t be persuaded. She advised one last time: “That might be extremely dangerous. What if the invitation for a drink is false, and setting an ambush at the banquet to harm you is true? If you absolutely must go, then please prepare demon troops in advance to wait outside for backup, and also arrange some insiders at the banquet.”

The Mountain Leopard King grabbed both Cang Ran’s and the Yellow Weasel King’s hands, nodding: “Good. Both of you will take weapons and accompany me to the banquet. We’ll also find three thousand demon troops, led by the Azure Steel Dog, to lie in ambush outside the Cold Moon Mountain cave dwelling. The Bloodthirsty Spider will also bring twenty of her spider soldiers, transform into their original forms, and secretly infiltrate the feast. If anything happens, we’ll smash a cup as a signal!”

Cang Ran and the Yellow Weasel King looked at each other. The Mountain Leopard King seemed determined to go. This arrangement was indeed quite meticulous. They both nodded: “Good. We will comply with your orders.”

“Since you all agree, hurry up and pick your weapons.” The Mountain Leopard King personally picked out a Coiling Serpent Bright Silver Hammer for Cang Ran and handed it to her: “Here, try holding this. I see you’re at the ninth stage of the Transformation period. You should have a handy weapon.”

The Coiling Serpent Bright Silver Hammer felt as light as a straw stalk in the Mountain Leopard King’s hand, wielded effortlessly. As soon as Cang Ran gripped it, all her muscles tensed up.

This hammer probably weighed a thousand jin. Although she had undergone body tempering and bone refinement, her physique was strong, but lifting it was still strenuous. She swung it twice and put it back on the ground.

Cang Ran rubbed her wrist and shook her head: “No, this is a bit heavy. I can’t handle it.”

The Yellow Weasel King also tried it. She used all her strength but still couldn’t lift it. She awkwardly fanned herself: “Mhm, this hammer is indeed crudely made.”

The Mountain Leopard King laughed heartily, unconcerned: “You usually don’t do enough body refinement. The next time you face the lightning tribulation, temper your muscles and bones again. I’ll help you find a lighter one.”

Just as she turned to look for a new weapon, a goose-yellow figure suddenly rushed in from outside, lifting her skirt, and quickly ran to the Mountain Leopard King’s side.

Dong Ming was dressed cutely today. She hugged the Mountain Leopard King’s arm, slightly angry: “Mother, why did you give Aunt Ran such a heavy weapon just now? You don’t even use that Coiling Serpent Bright Silver Hammer yourself. It’s too heavy for her!”

The Mountain Leopard King, who was selecting weapons, was startled by the sudden appearance of the little leopard. She patted her chest and pointed at Dong Ming’s forehead irritably: “You little mischief-maker, so reckless! Why aren’t you outside playing with your friends? What are you doing here?”

Dong Ming was poked on the forehead by her mother, letting out a delicate cry of pain. The Mountain Leopard King, suspecting her own strength was too great and that she had hurt the little leopard, immediately gently rubbed her forehead twice.

Dong Ming quickly glanced at Cang Ran. She saw Cang Ran’s cheeks slightly flushed from having lifted the heavy hammer, making her even more charming and beautiful. Her heart fluttered. She ducked away from her mother’s leopard claws.

She retracted her gaze, the corners of her lips curving up: “I came to help! I’m tired of playing with everything else. My eldest and second sisters think I’m too young and won’t take me along, so I have to come to Mother.”

The Mountain Leopard King’s leopard claws hung in the air. A trace of sadness appeared in the old mother’s heart. The little leopard was truly growing up; she wasn’t like this when she was small.

The Mountain Leopard King kept a straight face: “Childish. What’s so fun here? It’s easy to bump into things in the armory and hurt yourself. Go home quickly.”

“Aiya!” Dong Ming was annoyed by her unreasonable mother. She stomped her foot, her face rosy: “I told you I’m serious about helping! I come to this armory often. I know it better than you, Mother. I can definitely help Aunt Ran choose a suitable weapon!”

The Mountain Leopard King had no choice but to give in. As her youngest daughter and the only one she birthed herself, she always pampered the little leopard.

She set aside her usual authority and conceded to Dong Ming: “Fine, you can stay here if you want, but don’t cause trouble for anyone.”

Dong Ming let out an angry huff at her mother, adopting a posture that suggested she would not give up if her mother protested again.

The Mountain Leopard King helplessly said to Cang Ran and the Yellow Weasel King: “This little girl of mine is spoiled. Please excuse her.”

The Yellow Weasel King, however, embraced Dong Ming, stroked the little leopard’s beast ears, and raised an eyebrow: “Dong Ming is still young. It’s fine to spoil her as much as you want. How cute!”

Dong Ming had intended to go to Cang Ran’s side. She was suddenly hugged by the Yellow Weasel King and quickly struggled out of her embrace: “Aunt Huang, I’ve been an adult for a long time. I’m not little anymore! Have you chosen your weapon? I can help you see if there’s anything suitable for you.”

As Dong Ming spoke, she secretly glanced at Cang Ran. Cang Ran must have heard everything she just said, right?

Cang Ran was standing by the Mountain Leopard King, looking at other weapons, and was not looking her way.

A look of disappointment flashed across Dong Ming’s eyes. She helped the Yellow Weasel King choose a glittering Nine-Flame Flowing Fire Thorn. The Yellow Weasel King saw several red crystal marrow stones embedded in it and quickly tucked the Flowing Fire Thorn into her robe.

The Yellow Weasel King gestured with it, very satisfied: “This is great! It’s nimble to handle and looks very impressive.”

The Mountain Leopard King glanced at it. The weapon wasn’t very powerful; it just looked expensive. She didn’t pay much attention to it.

After choosing for the Yellow Weasel King, Dong Ming lightly walked to the corner, opened a mechanism, and took an object out of a special treasure box. It was the weapon she had chosen for Cang Ran in advance. She presented it to Cang Ran.

“Aunt Ran, look at this precious fan. I think it suits you very well.”

As Dong Ming spoke, she didn’t forget to turn her body sideways, blocking the view of the others in the armory.

It was a jade-ribbed fan with sixteen ribs. It felt cool to the touch. When the fan was opened, a cold light flashed. It seemed a dragon was traversing the fan’s surface. The words “Carefree” were carved on the first rib of the folding fan.

This didn’t escape the Mountain Leopard King’s eyes. The moment she saw the jade-ribbed fan, her eyes instantly widened.

The Mountain Leopard King knew something was wrong when she heard the movement. That treasure box was the Eight Directions Treasure Casket, holding her treasures accumulated over many years, which she rarely took out to admire.

Was this little girl really her biological daughter? Why was she always helping outsiders?

Cang Ran had never seen such a delicate object before. It clearly looked like a powerful, high-grade magical artifact. She couldn’t accept something so valuable.

Just as she was about to refuse, Dong Ming forcefully pressed the jade-ribbed fan into her hand. Her face flushed, she whispered, “Take it quickly! If my mother sees it, she’ll definitely regret it! I’ll only feel reassured if you have it for self-defense.”

Dong Ming accidentally touched Cang Ran’s hand, causing her heart to beat wildly. Sensing the Mountain Leopard King looking over, she immediately shielded Cang Ran, turned her head to face the Mountain Leopard King, and put her hands on her hips.

“You said we could choose whatever we liked! I heard it! You can’t go back on your word!”

Despite all the precautions, it’s hard to guard against family. The Mountain Leopard King, being such a large leopard, naturally couldn’t go back on her word.

Fortunately, it was being given to Cang Ran. A precious fan paired with a beauty was quite harmonious. If it were any other demon, she would definitely have reneged.

Just as the Mountain Leopard King was about to reluctantly nod in agreement, Cang Ran returned the jade-ribbed fan to Dong Ming: “This fan is excellent, but I don’t need it for now. I recently acquired a new spiritual sword that I’m using quite well. Any more would be a waste.”

Dong Ming tightly gripped the fan, a heavy feeling crushing her heart. Her eyes were filled with disappointment: “Don’t you like it? If you don’t like it, I can choose something else for you. They say the more weapons you have, the better. It could save your life if you encounter danger.”

Cang Ran’s eyes shimmered. She said gently, “Sometimes, more weapons aren’t necessarily better. I have enough with just one spiritual sword now. If I had more, I’m afraid I would get flustered and grab the wrong one.”

Dong Ming dropped her head in discouragement. She looked at Cang Ran’s empty waist and persuaded her again: “You aren’t even wearing your sword right now. It wouldn’t hurt to carry an extra fan.”

The reason Cang Ran wasn’t carrying her spiritual sword was because she had been tempering the异火 (Ember) this morning, and was mocked by that stubborn eighty, so she had left eighty in the cave dwelling.

Just as she was wondering how to respond, Cang Ran suddenly heard the voice of the little hedgehog demon outside.

The little hedgehog demon rushed over from outside, carrying a spiritual sword on its back. It was stopped by two small leopard demons in front of the armory.

Its forehead was sweaty. It said anxiously, “Great King, that person asked me to bring the sword to you! For your self-defense!”

Cang Ran quickly walked outside to speak with the little hedgehog privately.

She took the spiritual sword and realized it felt light, like a thin piece of paper.

She turned the sword over and saw a leaf stuck to the blade. Complicated, profound runes flashed on the leaf. It must have been made by Qingqing.

She peeled off the leaf, and the spiritual sword returned to its original weight.

The little hedgehog demon saw Cang Ran holding the leaf and said happily, “Great King, that person is quite amazing! With just that leaf stuck on, I could carry the sword! Great King, why don’t you give me that leaf? I could carry other things next time!”

Cang Ran put the leaf into her palm and smiled: “No.”

Everything Qingqing gave her was a good thing. She wanted to treasure it and wouldn’t give it to anyone.

The little hedgehog demon saw the Great King tuck the leaf into her chest and knew it was hopeless. It rubbed its face: “Alright. That person also said for the Great King to keep the sword close and to be ready if danger arises.”

Cang Ran’s heart instantly felt sweet. Qingqing was so kind and cared about her so much.

Her eyes were full of smiles as she said to the little hedgehog demon, “Mhm, I know. Be careful on your way back. Tell her to cultivate with peace of mind at home. I will be safe.”

The little hedgehog demon nodded quickly. Seeing that the Great King had taken the spiritual sword and that it had completed the task assigned by that person, it turned and left.

That person looked simple and was very beautiful, but its little beast legs couldn’t help but feel weak whenever it saw her. It always felt afraid.

As soon as she spoke, it quickly ran to deliver the item to the Great King. It seemed it made it in time.

Dong Ming saw Cang Ran return, her spiritual sword at her waist. Her presence was even more outstanding, radiant, dazzling, and eye-catching. She then noticed the small fox ornament hanging on the sword hilt.

That ornament had the scent of a human. She had smelled it yesterday; it came from that mortal woman.

But Cang Ran still didn’t carry that woman’s scent on her. They must not have consummated their relationship. Why couldn’t Cang Ran be with her, then?

Dong Ming gripped the jade-ribbed fan in her hand even tighter, managing to keep a faint smile on her face: “Now that you have a sword for self-defense, I’m relieved. If one day you don’t want to use the sword or feel the sword is no longer good, I will keep the jade-ribbed fan for you.”

Cang Ran nodded, and then saw Dong Ming turn around, her skirt lightly swaying, and say to the Mountain Leopard King, “Mother, I have something else to do, so I’ll leave now.”

The Mountain Leopard King saw her daughter’s sudden change of expression and abrupt departure. Before she could react, she sighed to the two demons: “This little girl is getting more disobedient, coming and going as she pleases.”

The Yellow Weasel King’s eyes darted between Cang Ran and the departing Dong Ming a few times. She understood everything and comforted the Mountain Leopard King: “Children are like this. They’ll mature and become steady when they grow up.”

Though she said this aloud, she was gloating internally and transmitted a message to Cang Ran’s sea of consciousness: “Oh, that little girl Dong Ming is falling in love! I knew you wouldn’t like her. The little sister is too green; she doesn’t know anything. It’s better to be with a big sister. A big sister knows more and knows how to cherish someone.”

Cang Ran silently rolled her eyes at the Yellow Weasel King. She was too talkative and always improper. Her Qingqing was the best.

The Mountain Leopard King couldn’t sort out the matters between them. With a powerful enemy ahead, she waved her hand: “Since everything is prepared, I’ll make arrangements, and then we’ll all go together.”

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