Watching the Mountain

When Lu Mingchen absolutely refused to go with them to the territory of the Demon Race, Luo Qianxue finally lost her temper. Glaring at him with wide eyes, she demanded:

"Why won’t you go with us?"

Lu Mingchen shivered and answered meekly, "The Demon Race is already dangerous. It would be even more so if you had to drag a burden like me along. What if..."

"What if we’re being hunted and have to run for our lives? You’d never be able to get away if I was with you."

In Lu Mingchen’s mind, a trip to the Demon Race’s territory meant a few people recklessly barging in, causing a huge ruckus, and then desperately fleeing from the pursuit of Demon Cultivators.

Upon hearing this, not only Luo Qianxue but even Li Daoyi and Chu Lingxiao were stunned. They stared at him with bewildered expressions.

Seeing their reactions, Lu Mingchen paused, confused. "Wha-what is it?" he asked. "Did I say something strange?"

Luo Qianxue rolled her eyes, her fair little face a picture of exasperation. She let out an exasperated laugh and said:

"How can you be so dense?"

"How am I dense?" Lu Mingchen was even more baffled.

Luo Qianxue rolled her eyes again and said irritably:

"We’re going to issue a formal challenge, fair and square. Why on earth would we be hunted down? Use that blockhead of yours and think for a second. If the Demon Race really wanted to harm us, do you think a few people like us would even have a chance to escape?"

"Uh." Lu Mingchen’s expression froze as it dawned on him. A look of sudden realization crossed his face.

’I guess I got it wrong. It makes sense when I think about it. Even if all of us reach the Purple Mansion Stage in thirty years, it would still be impossible for just a few people to cause a huge ruckus in the territory of the Demon Race.’

’Four Purple Mansion Stage Cultivators wouldn’t even make a ripple among the Demon Race, let alone cause a huge scene.’

He then shot Luo Qianxue a slightly resentful look. It was mainly because Fellow Daoist Qianxue’s usual behavior had led him to subconsciously imagine a trip to the Demon Race as something akin to bandits raiding a village—utter chaos and mayhem.

Luo Qianxue noticed the expression on his face. Pointing a slender, fair finger at herself, she asked in astonishment, "You’re blaming me?"

Lu Mingchen nodded instinctively. Realizing what he’d just done, he then shook his head vigorously and denied it flatly. "N-no."

But Luo Qianxue had already figured him out. A dangerous grin spread across her face as she advanced on Lu Mingchen one step at a time, her voice deceptively gentle.

"Well, well, Fellow Daoist Lu. It’s been a while, and you’ve certainly gotten bolder. It was your own misconception, yet you dare to blame this Fairy for it."

Lu Mingchen’s face went pale. He hurriedly waved his hands, about to explain, but Luo Qianxue cut him off.

"I’m not listening. Not unless you agree to go with us to the territory of the Demon Race."

"Why are you so insistent that I go?" Lu Mingchen asked, puzzled by her persistence.

Hearing this, Luo Qianxue chuckled mischievously. She tilted her head and said with a smug expression:

"Because this time, we’re definitely going to defeat those so-called Young Demon Saints from the Demon Court."

"Last time, you came with us and we were defeated. So this time, when we win, you have to be there to see it."

The moment she finished speaking, confident smiles also appeared on the faces of Li Daoyi and Chu Lingxiao.

They thought the same as Luo Qianxue, all of them certain of victory this time. Otherwise, with Li Daoyi’s disposition, he would have surely stopped Luo Qianxue from trying to persuade Lu Mingchen long ago.

It was precisely because he, too, believed they could defeat the Demon Court’s Five Young Demon Saints that he wanted to bring Junior Brother Lu along to share in the glory.

Lu Mingchen stared at the confident smiles radiating from their faces, his own expression one of slight bewilderment.

’He felt a deep sense of envy. If only I could be as confident as Fellow Daoist Qianxue, Fellow Daoist Chu, and Senior Brother Li.’

After a moment of silence, he stood up, nodded firmly, and said:

"I understand. I’ll go with you all."

As he finished speaking, delighted expressions appeared on all three of their faces. Luo Qianxue, in particular, threw her head back, a wild grin on her face as she laughed boisterously.

"Hahaha, that’s more like it! Fellow Daoist Lu, just you wait. You’re going to become famous throughout the world with us!"

Lu Mingchen watched the unrestrained confidence radiating from their faces, and an image of them defeating the Demon Court’s Five Young Demon Saints flashed through his mind. A flicker of longing appeared in his eyes.

It wasn’t that he wanted to share in their glory, but rather that he wanted to see their smiles after the victory.

He nodded firmly again. ’I have to cultivate diligently,’ he resolved silently. ’When the time comes, I might not be able to help, but I can at least try not to get in their way.’

He had been reluctant to go to the Demon Race’s territory before, but now, he found himself filled with anticipation.

’Thirty years. I hope they pass quickly.’

*

*

*

After Luo Qianxue and the others had left, Xu Ran found Shen Wuchen, who had been hiding in the shadows the entire time, and asked him:

"What do you think?"

Shen Wuchen was a very linear thinker. Faced with Xu Ran’s abrupt question, he was completely baffled and asked uncomprehendingly:

"Master Xu, what are you referring to?"

Xu Ran sighed in exasperation. "I’m talking about Mingchen, of course," he said. "In thirty years, he’s going to face those Young Demon Saints from the Demon Court. Shouldn’t we be thinking of a way to improve his strength as quickly as possible before then?"