Rise of The Demon General

Amon feigned hesitation. He asked Di Ying, ”Are you sure? I have mentioned before that the bond is a sacred thing between a cultivator and a spirit beast. It is not something to be taken lightly.”

”I don’t mind if it is you. I trust you,” Di Ying said.

Amon displayed a contemplative expression before saying, ”Very well. If that is your wish, let’s do it. We will save your mother together.”

”Yes!” Di Ying exclaimed. She felt excited. Being involved in a quest or a noble mission was something she had only experienced in stories. She was thrilled to experience one in real life.

”The bonding process would take some time and cannot be interrupted. I worry that your uncle might intrude on us. You should check first whether he...”

”He won’t bother us,” Di Ying said before Amon finished his sentence. ”He won’t come up here for at least another five hours.”

”How can you be so sure?” Amon asked.

”She is down there, enjoying his lava bath,” Di Ying answered. ”I know, because I prepared his bath for him this morning. He will be there for at least half a day. It is his favorite pastime.”

”Perfect. Then we shouldn’t waste any time. Let us begin.”

Di Ying agreed and nodded. Amon proceeded to tell her the beast-taming method and what to expect when the process began. He, of course, avoided using the term, beast taming. Instead, he called it a special bond, as if it were a relationship equal for both parties.

After Di Ying understood, Amon began the process. They synchronized their aether. Di Ying had difficulty because she was inexperienced, but Amon’s explanation was methodical and precise. She was also a quick learner.

With cooperation from both parties, the process didn’t hit any roadblocks. It was the same as when he formed a mental link with Lin Li. Within a short time, Amon’s energy cord had linked with Di Ying’s energy core.

Because he had experienced it before with Lin Li, he knew that a cooperative mental linking could produce an aftereffect stronger than when he tamed a beast normally. When he first connected with Lin Li, they shared memories. Amon still didn’t know how much sharing was done then. Lin Li never said, and Amon never asked. He didn’t wish the same to happen this time, because if Di Ying gleamed into his memory, she would know that Amon hadn’t been truthful.

Thus, Amon readied himself and protected his mind with a mental shield, just as their mental link formed. His preparation allowed him to block Di Ying from accessing his mind, but they still shared their senses intensely. The intensity caused Di Ying to reel back.

The sensation lasted for a while. After it ended, Di Ying remained lost for a while. Finally, she said, ”That... was something.”

”It is. How do you feel?” Amon asked.

”I don’t feel much different,” Di Ying answered.

’Maybe because we are near each other,’ Amon spoke by projecting his thought at her.

”I hear your voice in my head!” Di Ying exclaimed.

Amon smiled. He continued to converse with her using thoughts, ’If we are away from each other, you will be able to feel my presence. You will never feel alone anymore. We can also speak with each other using our minds. Try it. Send a thought to me.’

’Um... Like this?’

Amon heard her voice in his mind, but its volume was smaller than it should have been. He surmised this was the misty border’s effect. If he and his tamed beasts were close, they could still communicate using their minds. Their ability to converse diminished the further they were, just like how he could not communicate with Lin Li at the moment.

Amon explained this to her. He told her that once they were outside the misty border, the power of their mental link would be better. They could talk to each other over great distances, and as their connection improved, they could share their senses again.

After explaining their mental link’s abilities, he proceeded to go over their plan about leaving this place.

*

”It’s time for you to leave,” Thien Huo said on the morning of the one-week limit he gave Amon.

”Uncle, the limit is today, so he can still stay until tonight,” Di Ying protested.

Thien Huo grunted. ”I’ve checked his pulse just now. He is perfectly fit already. There is no point in staying any longer.”

Di Ying pouted at the remark, which made Thien Huo feel awkward. Di Ying was always obedient. He didn’t expect having a stranger would affect her to this extent. He knew he had made the right call to chase Amon away as soon as possible.

Amon pretended to mediate. ”How about this. I will tell Di Ying one more story. Take it as a farewell gift. After that, I will leave.”

”Make it a short one,” Thien Huo said. He went to the side and took a seat.

Amon did as he said and told Lin Li a story. He was actually repeating a story he had told before. Their true conversation was in their minds, where he went over their plan another time before he left. Lin Li was to wait two days before sneaking out, while leaving a letter.

The letter must convince Thien Huo that she was roaming the misty border instead of human territory. It must be convincing, so Amon told her what to write. The letter was to be written only before she left, to avoid the chance that Thien Huo found it before she left. She had to be the one who wrote it because Thien Huo recognized her writing.

Amon asked her to recite the content of the letter three times. After he was sure she had memorized every word, he ended the bogus story he was narrating.

”Done?” Thien Huo asked when Amon stopped speaking. He had tuned out during the middle of the story.

”Yes, I am ready to leave. Thank you again for your hospitality, Senior Thien Huo.”

Thien Huo waved him away. ”I said it already. Do not thank me. If it were up to me, I would have thrown you out.”

Thien Huo and Di Ying escorted Amon out of the cave. Amon said farewell to the two and flew toward the wall of mists. The two watched as his figure vanished into the mists.

”You are calmer than I imagined you would be,” Thien Huo said to Di Ying. ”I thought you would be persuading me to let him stay longer.”

”I... I understand that Uncle is right. We shouldn’t associate with humans,” Di Ying answered.

”Mm, it is good that you understand.”

*

After entering the mists, the first thing Amon did was sense Lin Li’s direction and head that way. He did not doubt the multi-tailed fox Thien Huo had mentioned was Lin Li. She must have tried to enter Thien Huo’s territory to look for him, but didn’t dare enter too far because it was a deity beast’s territory. Hence, he believed she wasn’t far away.

As expected, his sensing of Lin Li’s presence got stronger as he moved. Soon, he could begin hearing her voice in his mind. He guided her as he proceeded forward until they finally reunited.

”Brother!” Lin Li exclaimed happily. He was in his fox form. After getting his ninth tail, she could speak even in his fox form.

Amon saw multiple wounds on her body. A part of her rear and several of her tails were charred.

”It’s good that you still live,” he told her.

”It’s not easy,” she said. ”Many strong beasts prowled this place. I haven’t truly rested these past few weeks. I’m glad Brother is alright. I have been worried sick.”

”Where is Yuka?” Amon asked.

”I don’t know. I stay away from her.”

”You already know what she did to me?”

Lin Li nodded. ”I felt it. Later, after the incident where Brother was taken, she admitted it when I confronted her.”

”Hmph, we will deal with her when we meet her again.”

”Do you think she is still around here?”

”I don’t know, but she can track me. Probably you as well. I believe she will come for me again sooner or later.”

”Then we’d better leave this misty border as soon as we can. It is too dangerous here. She can jump us without us knowing.”

”No. I must wait for someone else before we leave.”

”Who?” Lin Li asked.

”You will see. We have agreed to meet two days from now. We will stay in this area until then. In the meantime, do you know the spot I have been before I was taken?”

”I do.”

”Bring me there.”

Amon followed as Lin Li ran through the place. Not long after, they arrived in a devastated area. Even through the mists, they could see that the place had been burned badly. The fire probably lasted for a few days before it went out.

”Found it,” Amon said. It was the Titan Battle Puppet. It was badly damaged. He hoped Zee Whang could repair it. He stored the battle puppet in his black space ring.