Chapter 0: My Heart is So Tired
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Since the mud in Cold Wind City will likely take a couple of days to fully dry up, aside from a few injured little demons temporarily squatting in Cold Wind Cave, the remaining soldiers and prisoners of war are all camping outside the city.
Seven Feathers enjoys an unexpected taste of freedom, as the only surviving Cave Master, he’s got himself a nice little tent all to himself. Maybe it’s because the captured little demons see him as their backbone; as long as he’s in the prisoner camp, they aren’t planning any great escape.
Night falls.
But no matter how hard Seven Feathers tries, sleep just won’t come. He’s not tied up with a single rope, and that powerful aerial tyrant, the Dark Feather Crane, is nowhere to be found. Right now, all he has to do is flap his wings and he could quickly fly away from here.
Even if he doesn’t return to Evil Merman Cave, he’s pretty sure there are plenty of caves willing to take him in.
But for some reason, he just can’t make up his mind.
It’s that image of meeting Cold Moon Great King during the day that haunts him relentlessly. Her wise yet unfathomable gaze keeps echoing in his mind.
The reason the Evil Merman Cave’s army was defeated was that their Great King had already seen through Evil Merman’s intentions before they even set off, and so began the slow unfurling of a massive trap designed just for them.
First, Spirit Tooth Cave and two other caves slipped into their ranks, setting the stage for victory.
Then, on their inevitable path through Tiger Wolf Cave, a surprise midnight fire attack cut down their numbers and morale.
Finally, when they began their assault, they delivered the killing blow.
Every part of the plan was intricately linked, flawless.
What were they advancing towards, really? They were practically queuing up to jump into a pitfall!
How could such a terrifying opponent not chill him to the bone?
What shocked him even more was hearing that before his own defeat, he would have thought that the Cold Moon Great King was mad! A mere Cave Master from Cold Wind Cave daring to reach for control over the entire monster realm?
The monster realm is vast, and right beneath White Feather City lie many Great Demons rivaling Evil Merman. Just being able to protect their own territory is impressive enough; daring to make other plans is just plain foolishness!
But today, after listening to Second Great King and others dissecting the Great King’s plans, he truly felt the gap in thinking between him, a former Cave Master, and Cold Moon Great King was as vast as the stars and the moon.
Though he was the leader of Bird Demons, he too had emerged from the ranks of little demons.
He knew all too well that the current monster cave system is just like an owner keeping a bunch of house servants.
Little demons cling to Great Demons for survival, and in return, Great Demons decide everything about little demons.
Once a Great Demon dies, the little demons scatter like leaves in the wind, seeking their next master.
From the moment Seven Feathers transformed into his current form, he thought such a system was as unchangeable as the heavens.
So even when he heard about the Black Fish Monster tormenting the Butterfly Demon, he didn’t bat an eye; to them, little demons were as expendable as flies.
He had never imagined Cold Moon Great King would utterly overturn this centuries-old cave system, turning little demons into their own masters!
At this moment, his whole body trembled, as if he’d suddenly landed in a new world, where all the potential vast changes of the future unfolded before him.
If this system actually succeeded, who knows? Cold Moon Great King might truly sweep through the monster realm and achieve her aspirations.
At that moment, he found himself deeply captivated by Cold Moon Great King’s charismatic persona.
In the entire monster realm, perhaps only a Great Demon with such formidable strength and extraordinary vision would dare to promote such a groundbreaking change.
He was lucky enough to survive and hear such heart-stirring, sleepless words.
Even though night had long fallen and the temperature was icy, his bl**d was still surging, wishing he could leap up and howl at the moon.
Yes, he was once a Cave Master under Evil Merman.
But to Evil Merman, how much different were they than the little demons? They were merely capable house servants to be driven as needed.
Creating an equal and free monster realm, where both Great Demons and little demons, regardless of their status, shared equal dignity and mutual respect.
Just the thought of such a world was intoxicating.
Seven Feathers suddenly flung the tent flap open, and a rush of fresh, slightly chilly wind hit him.
He took a deep breath, his heated bl**d finally calming a notch.
At this moment, the thought of escaping was banished from his mind.
If only he could have his own family, a goal to protect, and then fight on.
Cold Moon Great King, let me follow you; I just want to see if such a world can truly exist!
…
The next morning.
Seven Feathers rubbed his slightly swollen eyes and stepped out of his tent, only to see Wolf Demon strolling over with a beaming smile, giving him a bear hug.
“Welcome, brother!”
Seven Feathers was a bit dazed.
Why was the Wolf Demon suddenly so enthusiastic? Sure, he was a Bird Demon, and while perhaps a bit delicate looking, he was still a bona fide man! Surely, the Wolf Demon didn’t mistake him for something else!
“A defeated general dares not call himself ‘brother’ to a Wolf General!” Seven Feathers hastily took a step back.
The Wolf Demon laughed, “Perhaps you don’t know, Seven Feathers. The reason we weren’t guarded against you last night and let you roam freely in the camp was actually a test!”
“… A test?”
“Yes! Especially with a freshly defeated general; anyone with even the slightest ulterior motive would likely do something conspired in this situation. At the very least, they would sneak away. So, your ability to face temptation and remain still shows you still have a sense of responsibility toward your fallen comrades, rather than treating them as pawns to discard at will.”
With that, Seven Feathers felt warmth swell within him.
“Wolf General, to be honest, I did waver for a moment; however after careful consideration, I chose to stay because I see hope.”
“Is it because of the Great King?”
“Exactly! Before I came to Cold Wind Cave, I never thought there could be such a remarkable leader in this world. If I miss this opportunity, I might regret it for the rest of my life.”
The Wolf Demon sighed, “Indeed. Some things can’t be judged merely by their surface. The Great King’s intelligence and far-sightedness are not something we can easily grasp.
The only chance we have to learn even just a morsel is by staying close to her, and that little morsel could benefit us for a lifetime!”
Seven Feathers nodded vigorously, fully agreeing.
…
Inside Cold Wind Cave.
Lin Nan stared blankly at the pile of plans spread across the table.
Each page was filled with Cold Moon’s exquisite handwriting.
This place seemed like the only one she could write in.
The poor girl had burned the midnight oil to deliver them to her, eyes all black-rimmed.
How could she refuse them? Wouldn’t that just break her loyal subordinates’ hearts?
But upon seeing the cover of the plans, Lin Nan felt a pang in her heart.
“Strategies for a Surprise Attack on Evil Merman Cave,”
“Three Major Campaign Concepts for Capturing White Feather City,”
“Five-Year Plan to Control Chaos Forest”
…
“Draft Proposal for Establishing the Cold Wind City Management Agency.”
At least the last one made sense; the rest? Give it one more day, and she suspects they could punch a hole in the sky!
Having an excessively capable subordinate made her heart feel so tired.
