Rise of The Demon General

’Thousand Year Mandrake?’ Amon had read about this plant from the catalog of spirit plants. This catalog was one of the many books he had gotten from the legacy under the pyramid.

The Thousand-Year Mandrake was classified as a higher superior plant. The classification of spirit plants and spirit herbs was the same as spirit beasts. This Thousand-Year Mandrake was a potent ingredient to create pills that could help cultivation or many other different areas. However, it had one particular perk. If this mandrake was consumed by a cultivator of fifteen age or below. It could trigger a special constitution on the cultivator’s body.

A special constitution was something that gave the cultivator a unique ability. The ability was different for everyone. For one person it could be an ability to increase cultivation speed. For another, it could be an affinity to the fire element, and so on.

Normally this kind of special constitution was gained from birth and was very rare. The rate was probably one among ten million who might be born with a special constitution. Some pills could increase the chance. These kinds of pills were usually taken by a pregnant mother. The pills, however, were very expensive and their ingredients were very difficult to procure. Additionally, the success rate was still very low.

The highest chance one could hope for to gain a special constitution was by consuming the Thousand-Year Mandrake before one reached sixteen years of age. Yet, this Thousand Year Mandrake was no longer found in the outside world. If there was one here, it’s no wonder that these youths came for it.

Amon looked at the nightshade compass in his hand. The wooden needle seemed special. It was probably a kind of special wood that was attracted to the Thousand-Year Mandrake. For these clan youths to carry this compass meaning the existence of this Thousand Year Mandrake inside this dimension was public knowledge amongst the clans.

’Damn that Lin Bubai. He didn’t mention anything about this mandrake when he explained about this dimension,’ Amon cursed within.

Down there, Pai Wuci was still briefing the two newcomers from the Lin clan.

”If you don’t know about Ethereal Bronze-skinned Snakes, then let me enlighten you,” Pai Wuci said. ”They are a higher inferior beast. They can turn invisible and their skin is very hard to pierce. For the Strength stage cultivators like us, you can forget trying to pierce their skin. Unless you have a Runic weapon.”

Amon understood that a runic weapon was a higher grade weapon compared to an engraved weapon. He, however, had never laid his eyes on one.

”Since none of us have such a weapon, we must work together to get the Thousand Year Mandrake,” Pai Wuci continued.

”How should we work together?” Lin Fen asked.

”Before that, let us make clear who will get the mandrake first,” Pai Wuci said.

”Do you know how many Thousand-Year Mandrakes are there?” Lin Fen asked again.

”My sect brother who learned the eagle eye art said he spotted three,” Pai Wuci answered.

”Only three?” Lin Fen said and looked at the youths gathered here. There were thirteen of them.

”The White Cloud Sect will take two. The remaining of you will decide among yourself who will get the last one.”

”One? But… There are more of us than the White Cloud disciples!”

”One White Cloud disciple worth a hundred of you filthy clan brats!” Pai Wuci bellowed. The other clan youths were visibly dissatisfied hearing Pai Wuci’s condescending words. ”We have a secret method to lure the adult Ethereal Bronze-skinned Snakes away, leaving only the younglings. These younglings’ skin was not as hard as the adults. They also couldn’t turn invisible yet. So, we should be able to deal with them and get the Thousand Year Mandrakes.”

”Then why do you need us for?”

”Even if they were younglings and not as strong as the adults, they were still higher inferior beasts. Their numbers were also concerning. We can’t deal with all of them ourselves. That’s why we are willing to relinquish the third Thousand-Year Mandrake to you people. After we get the three mandrakes, you people can decide about this third one. Either by competition or real fight, we don’t care. So, are you in? The others have agreed to this condition.”

Lin Fen and Lin Cang looked at the other clan youths. They didn’t object to Pai Wuci’s words, which meant that he was telling the truth. The two thought about it. Even if they successfully got the mandrakes, they still had to fight the other clan youths for it. Was it worth it? Did they have the confidence to beat the other clan youths?

”If you don’t want to join. You are welcome to go ahead and try to take the mandrake by yourself,” Pai Wuci said when the two remained quiet. ”Perhaps then the snakes will become full after having a big meal. It will be easier for us to deal with them.”

The other White Cloud disciples laughed after hearing Pai Wuci’s words.

Lin Fen and Lin Cang looked at one another.

”We don’t have all the time in the world. Are you in or are you out?” Pai Wuci bellowed. ”If you are not in, then scram!”

”We… We are in…,” Lin Fen said weakly. A small chance was still better than no chance, she thought.

”Good. Now go there with the others. We will begin our operation tomorrow. We will see if more people come,” Pai Wuci said.

Lin Fen and Lin Cang went to the group formed by the clans. They preferred to stay away from the five of the White Sect. The White Sect’s youths had the same thoughts.

Amon observed them and then try to gaze at where the mandrake was supposed to be. Should he try to get those mandrakes before this group did? No, he had heard them. There was a nest of Ethereal Bronze-skinned Snakes around the mandrakes. He had personally experienced the danger of this snake. It would be suicide to go into their nest.

Pai Wuci mentioned he had a way to lure the adult snakes away. Amon figured he would just watch what they do and reacted accordingly based on the situation.

So, he stayed hidden in the tree while observing the youths below.

*

No new youth appear anymore. It was night. Some of the youths were sleeping while two of them kept a watch. One from the clans’ youths, the other from the White Cloud sect. They didn’t trust each other to have only one side keeping watch.

Amon stayed awake throughout the night while cultivating. His demon body allowed him to rest by meditating.

While he was in deep meditation, he felt a presence from his back. He abruptly turned and jumped away.

”Don’t worry, I mean no harm,” the person that was behind him just now said.

Amon frowned. Lei San? He looked down there. The sleep sack where Lei San used to lay was empty.

”Did you use a concealment art?” Amon asked. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible for Lei San to sneak behind him until so close.

”And a detection art. I won’t be aware of your presence otherwise,” Lei San answered. ”We should talk somewhere away. They might hear us if we keep talking here.”

Lei San moved away without waiting for Amon’s answer. After a brief pause, Amon followed after him.

The two went a distance away.

”Stop! There is no need to go out this far,” Amon said and stopped running.

Lei San complied. He approached Amon.

”Do not come too near,” Amon uttered as his Swan dagger appeared in his hand.

”You are a very careful person, Lin Mo,” Lei San remarked. ”Some people might mistake you for a coward.”

”Better be a coward than be dead,” Amon replied.

”I suppose that’s true,” Lei San said.

”Are you calling me out just for a chat?”

”I can see you are not a patient person as well. All right, I will get to the point. I want to offer cooperation.”

”Cooperation? For what?”

”There is no need to be coy. I know you are listening when that Pai brute was talking with the other two Lin youths. I assumed the three of you Lin youths are not truly tight?”

”I thought you are getting to the point?”

Lei San smiled. ”I want to propose for us to work together to get those mandrakes.”

”How will we do that?”

”You are interested? Good. How we do that is to wait for those White Cloud youths to lure the adult snakes away. Only they have that means to lure those snakes. We can’t do anything before that.”

”And once they did?”

”I will be with them, following their plan to clear out the young snakes.”

”So, where do I factor in this?”

”I have a secret art that should be able to clear out a path for a few short moments. When I do, you will be the one who snatches the mandrakes.”