The Demon King's Birthday

Seeing Qin Sang's dilemma, the Willow Tree Spirit murmured, "Treasures might be kept in all three grottos, or perhaps in only one of them. If Young Master Qin wishes to steal them, an opportunity will soon present itself. You can seize the chance to slip in during the longevity banquet held on Qianji Demon King's birthday." "A demon king throws a longevity banquet?" Qin Sang was surprised, but then quickly realized he had fallen into an error of assumption again. Great demons that had developed sapience—whether enlightened by Emperor Flowing Dew or having undergone transformation on their own—possessed intellect no lesser than humans, so holding a birthday celebration was hardly bizarre. After entering the Heavenly Demon Mound, Qin Sang had discovered that the words and deeds of these demon beasts showed even greater concern for etiquette than those of humans, as if they were terrified of being ridiculed for failing to shed their feral nature after attaining the Dao. "When beasts and spirits are still ignorant, they have no notion of the year or month they were born, and we plant spirits are even more oblivious. Therefore, most demons take the day they suddenly awakened sapience and learned to absorb heaven and earth's essence to cultivate as their birthday." After offering this brief explanation, the Willow Tree Spirit continued, "Ever since Qianji Demon King completed his transformation, he hosts a longevity banquet every time a cycle of sixty years passes. At that time, Qianji Demon King will leave his cave dwelling, and other demon kings familiar with him will send minor demons with congratulatory gifts. That is when the Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss is at its most chaotic, which might allow you to steal the treasures in the confusion. The next banquet is next year..." Qin Sang pinched his fingers to calculate. It was already late autumn, which meant Qianji Demon King's birthday banquet was only a few months away. The Willow Tree Spirit's suggestion was quite viable, but they knew nothing about the conditions inside the demon king's treasuries, and Qin Sang could not guarantee he could breach them one by one without alerting Qianji Demon King. "Young Master Qin, the old macaque and I still have some strength left. We can infiltrate alongside you," the Willow Tree Spirit offered. "Out of the question! You must stay outside. You can never appear before Qianji Demon King!" Qin Sang refused decisively without a second thought. The reason he dared to set his sights on a demon king's treasures was twofold: he relied on several supreme divine abilities, and he had the aid of Bai, who had comprehended a portion of the Corpse Soul Pearl's power, possessing strength far exceeding that of an ordinary peak Golden Core cultivator. Even if things went awry, he had considerable confidence in escaping. The Willow Tree Spirit and the old macaque possessed no such capabilities. Once exposed, only death awaited them, and the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea would also be dragged down with them. Hearing this, an unusual glint flashed across the Willow Tree Spirit's eyes, and he nodded in silence. Qin Sang pondered for a moment and said, "Please continue gathering intelligence regarding Qianji Demon King's birthday banquet, Fellow Daoist—specifically, whether any other demon kings will attend in person. In addition, before taking this risk, I need to chart an escape route that will take me out of the Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss as swiftly as possible." "Understood!" The Willow Tree Spirit took his orders and departed. Qin Sang contemplated for a long while before suddenly returning to his cave dwelling. He woke Bai and laid out his plan. "Though your movement techniques are formidable, at most they can match a demon king's. Without Three Lights Jade Liquid, your true essence falls far short of a demon king's, so relying solely on fleeing will not work," Bai reminded him. Qin Sang knew he could not yet compare to a Transformation stage great demon, but fortunately, he had already devised a countermeasure. "I purchased a Mist Realm Pill and a set of restriction implements meant for trapping enemies. The value of this spirit formation exceeds even that of the Mist Realm Pill. Hosted by you personally, Fellow Daoist, it will be laid in ambush along my escape path. Even if a demon king falls into it, it won't be easy to break through in an instant. When that time comes, we can choose to flee at our leisure, or unleash an ambush using the Twelve Demon Banners array..." Seeing that Qin Sang had already made thorough plans, Bai raised no objections and agreed to help him steal the treasures. After Demon King Lihong departed, the Thousand Mountains Bamboo Sea returned to tranquility. Qin Sang cultivated bitterly in his cave dwelling, continuing to refine his sword array. Before long, another half-year slipped by. ... The Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss. Situated south of the Yuncang River, it verged upon the edge of the desert. Countless chasms spread across this region, crisscrossing like a fishing net, the longest stretching across hundreds of thousands of li to cut through the desert. The Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss was merely a section of these depths. After Qianji Demon King claimed it, the surrounding lands became his territory, named the Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss. Outside the abyss, mountains clustered thick and green with lush vegetation. It was midsummer, a time of stifling heat, yet the Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss remained locked in chilling shade. On this day, sand swirled and stones rolled as groups of minor demons riding demonic mists and winds descended into the depths in an unbroken stream. Inside the Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss, an atmosphere of celebration reigned. Even the unenlightened minor demons could sense the joy, leaping and dancing in excitement. Qianji Demon King's cave dwelling lay at the deepest recess of the abyss, while the longevity banquet was held in the most beautiful spot in the territory: along the shores of an underground lake. As night descended, lanterns were hung, festoons were draped, and night pearls the size of human heads were embedded everywhere. A flock of lovely women flitted about like butterflies among blossoms, smiling as they carried wooden platters back and forth among the grotesque demon beasts, entirely devoid of fear. Golden tables and jade desks bore jade nectar, fine liquor, and rare delicacies, all arranged in immaculate order and exuding mouthwatering fragrances. On a raised stage, human women played instruments while demon snakes danced in unison. Though these demon snakes possessed serpentine bodies, they wore floral crowns, their scales glimmering in shades of pink and violet. Their slit pupils carried no chill, but rather radiated boundless allure. Their dancing was enchanting to the extreme, and even the periodic flicking of their serpentine tongues bore a distinctive charm. Far from inspiring terror, they bewitched the minor demons far more than the human women did. The lesser demons burned with lust, roaring and howling wildly. Inside the cave dwelling. Hearing the commotion outside, Qianji Demon King broke into hearty laughter and spoke to the exquisite demoness beside him, who possessed a human torso and a serpent's lower body, "Madam, the auspicious hour draws near. If we don't show ourselves soon, the little ones won't be able to wait any longer." "What is the rush? If they cannot wait, just have your favored concubine accompany you out there." The snake demoness was applying her makeup and shot him an exasperated glare. Though half-human and half-snake, like Granny She's spirit beast, she had not broken through to the Transformation stage and remained merely at the mid Demon Core stage. "Come now! She is merely a plaything, not to be mentioned in the same breath as you, Madam. On my longevity feast, I can only enjoy myself to the fullest if you personally accompany me!" Qianji Demon King patted his chest with righteous fervor. "I recently acquired a batch of superior spirit wine, but it is a pity your father was burdened with trivial matters and could not come drink with me." "Nonsense! Where in the world does a father-in-law attend a banquet to celebrate his son-in-law's birthday?" The snake demoness glared at him. Qianji Demon King laughed boisterously. "My fault, my fault! When the time comes, I shall personally deliver the immortal brew to my father-in-law." Leaning gently against the demon king, the snake demoness smiled bewitchingly, raised a jade-white arm, and drawled, "Husband, aren't you going to help me up?" "At your service—" ... The appearance of Qianji Demon King and his wife touched off a thunderous wave of cheering. The auspicious hour had arrived. The longevity banquet commenced. Qianji Demon King sat on high with his wife. Subordinates dispatched by other demon kings stepped forward one after another to present their congratulatory gifts, followed by the lesser demons under Qianji Demon King's banner offering their tributes, chanting wishes for their king's everlasting immortal blessings and longevity equal to heaven. Melodies of immortal music drifted through the Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss, completely at odds with the desolate wilderness, resembling an isolated paradise. Little did they know that a figure was already lurking in the shadows, taking advantage of the commotion to creep toward the demon king's cave dwelling. *Fortunately, no other demon king has shown up so far. The guards here are indeed much sparser, and all of them are distracted by the banquet ahead, their minds wandering...* Qin Sang, having crept this far, concealed himself within the shadows and cautiously observed the way ahead.