### Chapter 6: What Kind of Bewitching Soup Are You Drinking?
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Since the Monster Race appeared in this world, the Great Demons of the species have been locked in an endless battle, with no breaks in sight.
However, to avoid over-weaking their own power, the Great Demons had an unspoken agreement: unless absolutely necessary, if one side surrendered, they simply needed to bow down and acknowledge the conquering side as the superior cave, offering tribute monthly and following orders.
The superior Great Demon wouldn’t go for complete annihilation and wouldn’t interfere in the conquered side’s territory affairs.
This system resembles the feudal system of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and also echoes the military warlord system that dominated during more recent times, with subordinate factions pledging allegiance to a center.
Second Great King Cool Moon and her crew thought that once the Great King subdued the Tiger Demon and Wolf Demon, he would follow tradition, give them a good smack, and then let them go—turning Tiger Wolf Cave into the front-line foot soldiers of Cold Wind Cave. In future battles, they’d take the hit at the front.
But what they never expected was that while the Great King didn’t explicitly say it, their analysis revealed he was cooking up an idea that completely overturned tradition.
Talk about hitting them like a ton of bricks—those demons could hardly contain their excitement.
Especially Cool Moon. She tossed and turned in bed all night, overthinking every single word the Great King had said since arriving at Cold Wind Cave.
Recently, the Great King had taken her on a tour of Cold Wind Cave’s territories, finally turning to face the rising sun in the east, hands clasped behind his back.
In that moment, he bathed in sunlight like he’d been dipped in gold.
The Great King declared that everything must change; the three mountains crushing the Monster Race needed to be toppled.
She asked, “What three mountains?”
The Great King replied, “The oppression of the Human Race, the infighting within the Monster Race, and the enslavement by the Demon Race.”
He added that to achieve this goal, everyone needed to unify their thoughts and hold steadfast beliefs.
“Everyone is their own master,” he said, “and we must let them know what they’re fighting for, not just mindlessly obey.”
Soldiers armed with thought are those who will be invincible and unstoppable!
Listening to him, Cool Moon felt like she’d stumbled into the wisdom of the ages, and when she thought back on it later, it seemed even more profound.
Of course, she didn’t realize that the Great King was just a custodian for some red-ideology rural policy, but to her, his wisdom was as unfathomable as the depths of the ocean—certainly not something common folks could easily measure!
And that night, the orders the Great King issued synced perfectly with all that.
This road was going to be long and arduous, so instead of rushing, the Great King decided to take it slow, starting with dismantling the little demons of Tiger Wolf Cave.
Indeed, even the grandest of visions face tough beginnings.
Having the fortune of being the Great King’s right hand and witnessing the hope for the Monster Race’s future felt like a blessing that she must repay by living up to the Great King’s trust and doing this job well.
“Now, how many small demons, including those who surrendered, do we have in Cold Wind Cave?” Cool Moon asked.
Little Drill Wind replied, “A total of 403.”
“Great, no time to lose—let’s get to work today!”
“You mean… get the little demons to jump straight into building the new stronghold? As for the Tiger Demon and Wolf Demon, they still pose a threat to their former minions, so best use them as overseers,” he suggested.
Cool Moon shook her head. “Building the stronghold can be postponed. We have more important things to do. Let the Tiger Demon and Wolf Demon sit on their thumbs for now.”
Little Drill Wind was baffled, completely clueless about the Second Great King’s plans.
A stone cave within Cold Wind Cave temporarily became the residence of the captured Tiger Demon and Wolf Demon.
The stronghold on the surface covered the entrance of Cold Wind Cave, with guards patrolling day and night.
So there weren’t even dedicated guards watching over the two, as if they weren’t worried about them trying to escape.
“Brother, what does that female demon mean? She hasn’t bothered with us for two days; it’s like we’re invisible. If she wants to k*ll us, just do it! This kind of humiliation is intolerable! The Evil Merman never treated us like this!” the Tiger Demon slammed a fist on the table, veins bulging on his forehead.
“If it comes down to it, I’ll carve a bloody path tonight without a second thought.”
“Calm down, big brother.”
The Wolf Demon was a bit more prudent than the Tiger Demon.
“Big brother, this morning I ran into a little demon from our old crew, and I pulled him aside to ask what they’ve been up to. Why haven’t we seen any of them around?”
The Tiger Demon perked up, “What did he say?”
“He said they’ve been holding meetings.”
“Meetings? What can a bunch of little demons discuss? That female demon must have lost her marbles! We two great demons left out of the loop, but she calls in the little demons for a meeting? Haha, sounds like Cold Wind Cave is a sinking ship!” fumed the Tiger Demon.
The Wolf Demon whispered, “I also asked him what they were discussing, but he got all fidgety and wouldn’t spill any beans. When I saw others coming, I didn’t press him further.”
“Hmph, just a pack of little demons. What’s worth discussing? If he doesn’t say, then I’m not interested,” scoffed the Tiger Demon.
The Wolf Demon pondered, “Something feels off here. Why don’t we sneak in and see what they’re up to?”
The Tiger Demon shook his head. “I’m not interested in that. You go if you want. Anyway, if the Evil Merman doesn’t hear from us for a while, he’ll definitely come to check it out. That’ll be our chance to make our move again. Just wait and see, brother.”
“Fine, I’ll go check it out myself,” the Wolf Demon said.
To avoid being recognized by the other little demons, he donned a helmet, managing to squish his long snout down by half.
From a distance, he looked just like a porcupine.
With his head down low, the Wolf Demon effortlessly blended into the meeting site.
The Tiger Demon snored away in the cave for the entire afternoon, the sound echoing like a thunderstorm.
When he finally rubbed his eyes awake, he found the Wolf Demon had returned.
The Tiger Demon scratched his itchy nose and laughed heartily, “So, what were those little demons discussing all day? Was it what to eat today or where to go hunting tomorrow? Good grief, if I hadn’t promised to surrender, I would’ve hightailed it out of here ages ago! This is just painfully dull!”
But surprisingly, the Wolf Demon remained silent.
His unusual demeanor gave the Tiger Demon pause.
“Wait, brother, say something! What’s going on?”
After a long pause, the Wolf Demon finally sighed, “Big brother, you need to come with me tomorrow morning.”
“Where?”
“To the meeting.”
The Tiger Demon was completely dumbfounded.
“Big brother, I think it’s really important for you to go.”
Seeing the Wolf Demon’s strange behavior, the Tiger Demon felt himself get uneasy. “What did that female demon do to you? Ahhh, that little witch! I’m going to have it out with her right now!”
But before the Tiger Demon could storm out the door, the Wolf Demon firmly blocked his way.
“Big brother, please listen. Just come with me tomorrow, and you’ll see.”
“Can’t say anything now?” the Tiger Demon gritted his teeth.
The Wolf Demon shook his head. “Not right now. If you want to get out, you have to get through me first.”
The Tiger Demon pounded his fist against the wall, sending rocks tumbling down.
“Fine, I guess I’ll have to see what kind of bewitching soup that female demon made you drink that could change you like this after just one afternoon.”
