Chapter 55: A Life of Ease

In the serene Demon Mountain, pleasant birdsong echoed through the morning mist, accompanied by curling tendrils of cooking smoke. A multitude of craftsmen had recently arrived, and their makeshift shacks had formed a small village, breathing the lively air of the mortal world into the mountain.

The craftsmen who dared to make a living on the Demon Mountain were all from impoverished families. Their freedom was restricted, and they were not allowed to return home until the construction was completed. Fortunately, the wages here were three times higher than anywhere else. In this mortal world nowadays, people lived for money.

Xiao Bugui had never experienced the hardships of the mortal world before joining the Demonic Cult. Initially, he had been filled with anxiety and unease, but he soon discovered that life on the Demon Mountain was more interesting than the monotonous Immortal Island and much more comfortable than the bustling mortal world.

Mao Dahong and Mao Dazi had chosen to leave the Demon Mountain, while the five Zhu siblings joined the Demonic Cult and settled right in the mountain hollow. They drank plenty of water to spit out, wove two large nets, and had the craftsmen build two wooden cabins on top of them. The four brothers shared one house, while Zhu Xiu lived alone in the other. The craftsmen named this place the Zhu Family Hollow. The Sect Master assigned the four brothers the daily task of chopping dead trees in the mountains for firewood. If that was not enough, they could prune branches under Hualan's instructions.

The Demonic Cult's main hall had originally been carved out of a cave. Now, the rock face at the entrance had been chiseled flat by stonemasons, and the precipice above the cave roof was covered with glazed tiles. Two giant stone lions flanked the doors. After these renovations, the cave was transformed into a small palace built against the mountain. Inside, the walls were adorned with sculptures and frescoes, complemented by stone beds, tables, and stools. Although made of stone, they did not look clumsy at all, but rather exquisite. Yin Wuxiang and Yuan Lang lived in the palace. Since Yin Wuxiang was essentially a lump of mud, he did not care, but Yuan Lang naturally could not sleep on a stone bed, so he hired a carpenter to make a bed, a desk, a chair, and a set of stools for his own use.

The Wild Boar Forest was also under construction. Gao Dazhuang could no longer sleep until noon because the hardworking craftsmen served as an alarm clock, waking him up early. Upon rising, he would open the pigpen, let the pigs out to frolic, and, gazing at their plump bodies, he could not help but curse under his breath: "Damn your grandmothers, you are all so damn appetizing. Sooner or later, I'll wrap every single one of you into dumplings."

The craftsmen built a quadrangle courtyard in the Wild Boar Forest, featuring ten rooms facing north and south, with six wing rooms on the eastern and western sides. They also constructed a new stone pigpen. Gao Dazhuang complained that when the house was small, the toilet was right outside the door, but now he had to use a chamber pot. The mere thought distressed him, as his greatest passion in life was defecating in the wild.

Pan Yingying and Xue Ke'ai discussed the layout with him, suggesting he take the south rooms while they occupied the north rooms. The east wing would serve as the kitchen and the west wing as the dining room. To everyone's surprise, Gao Dazhuang declared that he would be quite content living in the west wing, leaving the south rooms to serve as the communal dining hall for everyone.

However, the Sect Master had other plans and built an inn in the mountains to host banquets and receive outside guests, putting Xiao Bugui and Crow in charge of its management. Xiao Bugui put his mind to the task, placing a large table and chairs in the first-floor dining room so people could gather to eat and drink together. Crow, however, preferred decoration; he carved bat patterns and the character for fortune (Fu) onto the inn's doors, windows, beams, and pillars, and commissioned a signboard reading "Fortune Inn."

Xiao Bugui asked him, "You're a crow, so why have you carved so many bats and fortune characters?"

Crow replied, "Bats and fortune both mean good luck! I just want to use good luck to dispel the bad luck hanging over me, a mere crow!"

Hu Jiao's dwelling had also been transformed into a quadrangle courtyard, with the plaque above the gate bearing the characters "Ancient Moon Pavilion." The courtyard was hung with wind chimes and planted all over with peach trees. Hu Jiao transplanted a talking peach tree. Even though it was not the season for peach blossoms to bloom, it bore no fruit, yet its flowers burst into full bloom. Hu Jiao asked it, "Why aren't you bearing fruit?"

The peach tree replied, "I haven't met my destined romantic match yet, so of course I cannot."

Every day, Zhu Xiu would come to Hu Jiao's home to do needlework together. The Sect Master had given instructions that whoever lacked clothing should have them provided by Hu Jiao and Zhu Xiu. Hu Jiao had always loved tailoring; after following the tailors to make a few garments, she learned the craft effortlessly. Now, she and Zhu Xiu spent every day sewing and mending with endless delight.

Yu Datou's fishpond had been transformed into a lotus pond. A broken bridge was built across it, leading to the center of the pond. All the roads on the Demon Mountain were paved with stones. Weeds were cleared from Hualan's flower garden, which was also paved with flagstones, and a building was erected to serve as an infirmary for storing medicines and treating patients. Yu Wushuang was now in good health, except for his head being wrapped in numerous bandages, leaving only his eyes and mouth exposed; it would still be some time before his appearance fully recovered.

The little goblins guarding the Demon Mountain were only the fish spirits in the lotus pond and a few tree spirits commanded by Hualan that could speak human language. They did not need houses. The fish spirits would dive into the water every day to patrol the entire Demon Mountain. Whenever they failed to find any villains, they would catch three or four large fish and a basket of crabs. When the lotus root harvesting season arrived later, they would be even busier.

It was currently the sowing season. Because the construction period required work to continue into the winter, the hardworking craftsmen had also cleared a plot of farmland on the Demon Mountain to grow vegetables and grain, ensuring a harvest of produce for provisions.

Initially, Hualan was displeased when the craftsmen removed the wild flowers and grasses, believing that all things possessed a spirit. However, when Hualan stood at the edge of the fields and gazed at the lush expanse of melons and vegetables, a joyful thought crossed his mind: "When these people leave, this land will be mine. I will tend to it carefully and make it grow even better than they did." Yet Hualan also had a new vexation. Being a flower spirit, he favored feminine adornments, rouge and powder, and brightly colored silk skirts. Moreover, he was kind-hearted and gentle in disposition. This prompted Yu Wushuang to develop deep affection for him, repeatedly declaring his love: "Flower Maiden, I like you."

Hualan would reply, "Young Master Yu, I am a stamen. Is something wrong with your brain? Can you not tell males and females apart?"

Incredulous, Yu Wushuang said, "Don't try to fool me. With the way you dress, I can certainly tell men and women apart."

Hualan retorted, "I am a flower spirit, so naturally my attire is bright and enchanting. But I truly am male, not female. Please do not define us flower spirits with such narrow concepts as men and women."

Yet Yu Wushuang's devotion remained resolute: "Hualan, I don't care about any of that. I have fallen in love with you, and I am determined to take you home as my bride!"

Hualan grew furious and said, "Are you out of your mind?"

Shamelessly, Yu Wushuang answered, "I am out of my mind, which is why I've come to you."

On the verge of a breakdown, Hualan threatened, "If you dare pull this stunt again, I'll poison you to death."

Yet Yu Wushuang remained very much alive and well.

Shang Qiufeng's heavy limbs gave him the intention to bid farewell to the wind, sun, and rain, so he too applied for housing. Consequently, a house was built for him in the small woods, though his bed was not made by stonemasons or carpenters; instead, he stuffed a chicken coop for himself to sleep in.

Seeing this chicken coop gave Crow great inspiration. He had the blacksmith forge a prison cell inside his room at the inn, and even instructed the blacksmith to make a lock out of the finest iron. Every night when he went to sleep, he would lock himself inside the cage and sleep standing up. Xiao Bugui reminded him, "If you lose the key, you won't be able to get out." Hearing this, he had the blacksmith make several spare keys, hid them in various locations, and informed Xiao Bugui of their hiding spots, instructing him to come let him out if he ever lost his key.

After two months of peaceful living, the Pavilion of Lost Sorrows sent a new assassin. She was a Western Region cat demon with an alluring figure and a charming gait, whose name was Fabian Chacol.