Chapter 674: Great Demon 37

Bai Ze was slightly surprised. "This generous?"

Tan You glanced up. "Of course. Am I usually stingy?"

The deer-horned youth sidled up to Tan You, rubbing his antlers against her cheek. "Of course not. Jin Huan is always the most generous."

Tan You smiled as well. "The Golden Ring Snake’s inherited memories alone are enough to keep the young demons studying for ages. It covers everything from Arrays and Spirit Plants to Spells and Artifact Refining. During the Ancient Times, there were plenty of Great Demons who excelled at Spells and Artifact Refining."

"I just wasn’t very interested in those other things, so I put all my focus on Arrays."

Bai Ze suggested, "Your mastery of the Array Dao is unrivaled now. Haven’t you thought about delving into something else?"

Tan You gave it some thought. "I suppose I could try. I have an eternity ahead of me, after all. I can learn right alongside the young ones of the Demon Clan. And of course, if any of you want to learn about Arrays, I won’t hold back."

Peacock said, "Arrays are so difficult. How smart would you have to be to learn them? Everyone in the Demon Clan agrees the Nine-tailed Fox is the cleverest, and didn’t that old fox still end up failing spectacularly?"

The "old fox" he was referring to was, of course, the great Nine-tailed Profound Fox. And it was true, he really was exceptionally clever.

Tan You just smiled. "In that case, before we study Arrays, how about we all learn some math first?"

"Math?" all the demons asked in unison. The smile on Tan You’s lips grew a little mischievous. "That’s right. Math. It’s a very interesting subject."

The Great Demons began enthusiastically discussing the establishment of the Demon Market’s first kindergarten and library. Meanwhile, inside the Array, Qing Ming felt like it was about to be burned to ashes by the single drop of a Great Demon’s essence blood.

It was just a tiny, teardrop-shaped bead of blood, but the moment Qing Ming absorbed it, it felt an agony worse than death. The essence blood carried a power so immense it felt like it would tear its body apart. Fortunately, they were of the same origin; otherwise, Qing Ming would have been incinerated on the spot.

But even so, Qing Ming was in agony. Its bones were shattered and reformed, again and again. The cycle repeated endlessly, a torture with no apparent end.

「Three months passed in a flash.」

The Demon Market had transitioned from late autumn to the depths of winter. As a Great Demon, Tan You didn’t need to hibernate like other young demons, so she was full of energy.

Some of the other Great Demons, however, followed their instincts and went into hibernation.

Today, Tan You’s home was bustling with activity. A small, red clay stove had a grill placed over it, laden with root vegetables and nuts. As the firewood smoked beneath, the nutshells would occasionally POP.

Today, Peacock wasn’t waving his five-colored, gilded fan. Instead, he was curled up by the small red clay stove, holding a cup of tea and taking a shallow sip from time to time. "Jin Huan really knows how to live."

"A warm stove, tea, friends, and food... This is the life."

Tan You smiled, her features softening in the warm glow of the fire. "Things with Qing Ming are about to reach a conclusion. I thought it would be a good chance for everyone to come watch, and for us to have a get-together."

Old Niu rubbed his forehead. "A get-together is fine, but please, no more talk about math. It gives me a headache."

Tan You chuckled. "Alright, I won’t. I don’t think it’s so bad, though. Is it really that hard?"

Bai Ze cleared his throat. "Ahem. We think math might be better suited for the young ones of the Demon Clan who are just starting their studies. For us, at our age, trying to learn it now is just torture."

Tan You glanced at the Great Demons sitting around the stove. Every single one of them was avoiding her gaze. She figured if she mentioned math one more time, they’d all get up and bolt.

She chuckled. "I called you all over today just for Qing Ming. I won’t bring up math again."

It wasn’t in her nature to force lessons on others anyway. If they couldn’t get the hang of it, they couldn’t get the hang of it. It was no big deal.

The Great Demons breathed a collective sigh of relief. Moonlight Bear glanced at Qing Ming inside the Array. "It’s gotten a little bigger, and its cultivation level has risen. It looks like it’s at the Sixth Rank now."

"If it manages to fuse with the blood completely, what Rank do you think it will reach?"

Bai Ze also glanced at Qing Ming. "Seventh Rank at most, but that would be an unstable foundation. The little one has a good head on its shoulders, so I’m guessing it will suppress its cultivation and stabilize at the Sixth Rank."

Peacock chimed in, "I agree, Sixth Rank. Just like Bai Ze said, the little one’s got a solid temperament. But Jin Huan, if these young ones successfully fuse with the Great Demon bloodlines, they’ll be considered pure-blooded demonic beasts, right? Their potential should be incredible. Do you think the demonic beasts from the Ten-Directions Great Mountain will take them back to their clans?"

Tan You shrugged. "That will be up to them to decide. The demonic beasts of the Ten-Directions Great Mountain are notoriously territorial."

Bai Ze said coolly, "If it’s smart, it will choose to stay in the Demon Market. The conflicts between demonic beasts are far more brutal. Unlike Cultivators, we don’t bother with pretenses of civility."

Old Niu grabbed a handful of nuts that had cracked open from the heat, not the least bit afraid of the scorching coals. "These young ones know what’s what. Our Demon Market is a great place. Why would they be willing to leave?"

The Great Demons exchanged a look. They all agreed that the Demon Market was an exceptional place. It was remarkably inclusive and open. No matter what you had been through or where you came from, once you arrived at the Demon Market, it would accept you without reservation. It never had a culture of shunning outsiders or bullying new arrivals.

Several of the plant-spirit Great Demons were also cracking nuts, listening to the others talk, a relaxed smile on everyone’s face.

Bai Ze brought the topic back to the Array. "I thought Qing Ming wasn’t going to make it. I’m surprised it actually managed to pull through."

Tan You said, "Like you said, its mental fortitude is exceptional. But I also made a few small adjustments to the Array. I couldn’t just stand by and watch it die, could I? Every life is worthy of respect."

Moonlight Bear asked curiously, "What would have happened if it couldn’t fully fuse with the bloodline?"

Tan You tossed a jar of honey wine up and down in her hand. "Then I would have adjusted the Array to seal the drop of Great Demon essence blood within its body, letting it fuse with it slowly over time."

Moonlight Bear gulped. The next second, it reverted to its true form. A furry bear paw reached for the jar of honey wine, but Tan You snatched it away and held it to her chest. Moonlight Bear sighed. "What do you want for it?"

Tan You’s eyes crinkled with a smile. "Isn’t your little cub hibernating? Send it over to keep me company. The winter nights are long, and I need a little bed-warmer."

Without even blinking, Moonlight Bear reached behind her and pulled out a little cub whose fur was so snow-white it was nearly transparent. She presented it to Tan You, the mother showing not a hint of reluctance. "It’s yours, it’s yours! To think my little cub could be traded for a jar of wine. It’s finally proven its worth!"

Tan You laughed and tossed her two jars of honey wine. "Share these with your partner. The little cub can stay with me for a while. I promise I’ll take good care of it."

"I’m not worried at all," said the Moonlight Bear’s partner in a gruff voice. He was also hugging a jar of honey wine, his craving for it just as strong as his wife’s.