Chapter 30: Stalwart

Under the cover of the night, two figures faced each other, Chen Ming and the disfigured Fiend General Stag.

He was locked in the underground prison, with his spiritual power sealed. Was he left with no choice but to use his ring to dig a tunnel for eighteen years?

But this was Pitfall Mountain’s abyss, from which even ten thousand years wouldn’t be enough to dig an escape.

Chen Ming glanced at the great lock hanging from the bars of his cage and remembered how there were many people with myriads of skills in Regent’s estate. Among them was a thief with lock-picking skills. He even showed him how a hair could pry open a lock. So he started studying it, but it wasn’t possible to learn these skills that took a lifetime to master in a short period of time.

A daring idea struck him, “Comprehend lock-picking skill.”

“Ding! Comprehending lock-picking skills requires very few merits. Rounded up, it is 1 merit, continue?”

“Yes, direct comprehension!”

Chen Ming pulled a hair and tried picking the lock. And as expected, what he learned was different as it didn’t open.

Wasn’t this all a bunch of nonsense?

Chen Ming suddenly realized why that guy did it. He had inner power from practicing martial arts and strengthened the hair. How else could he do it then?

Chen Ming searched and soon found a needle from a porcupine. He inserted in the lock then felt around for the tumblers, and lifted three of them.

“Clank!”

The big lock fell.

Granddaddy has lock-picking skills, ya fool!

Chen Ming opened the door and felt how his spiritual power was no longer sealed. He turned into a crow, then pushed Dao Canon’s Dao Palace to the front and flew into the night.

White Fox Mountain.

The five Archfiends stood in five directions as Archfiend White Fox began, “The situation on the front line is critical, does anyone have a plan?”

Archfiend White Fox had a white robe and looked like a charming young woman, with three white alluring velvety tails peeking from under her robes, behind her.

Archfiend Black Tiger had a stocky built, tall and strong, and was waving around a black iron club, “What can we do, Archfiend Azure Lion is far stronger than us. If we fight and someone gets eaten, we will stand no chance with four against one! We have no choice but to rely on our troops to win and defeat him!”

Old Turtle Pond’s Archfiend was an old turtle that lived for more than a thousand years, as seen from his white hair, “Is there any word from Wandering Crow?”

White Fox said, “No news.”

The sixth seat appeared to have a crow perched on it, watching the five Archfiends and assessing their danger value, between 300 and 400. It was no wonder they were helpless since not even two of them together were a match for Azure Lion.

Chen Ming transformed into a human and sat down, all the while shifting Fire Crow Art ‘s Dao Palace to the front.

The five Archfiends sensed a new Archfiend’s energy and focused on him.

White Fox said, “Archfiend Wandering Crow, I presume?”

Old Turtle said, “With this concealing technique, it’s no wonder you moved unhindered in Pitfall Mountain.”

Chen Ming nodded, “Archfiend Azure Lion already knows my identity.”

White Fox said, “What about Fiend General Stag, did he also escape with you?”

Chen Ming’s thought, Un-f*cking-believable! Even you guys know his a spy. Then does that mean that besides Fiend General Stag himself, all the others, including Pitfall Mountain and the five Archfiend’s armies, believe he’s a spy?

Only a genius like Fiend General Stag could accomplish this feat.

Chen Ming slapped his armrest, and roared, “You can’t even recognize him from all the torture, yet Fiend General Stag still didn’t talk.”

What could he say? He knew nothing from the start!

The five Archfiends sighed, “Fiend General Stag is a stalwart. He will be met a miserable end, in the hands of Archfiend Azure Lion.”

“Fiend General Stag’s loyalty is beyond any reasonable doubt.”

“For Wandering Crow to find such a stalwart, it is indeed sad.”

“It would be great if we could save him, we cannot let such a stalwart die.”

…

Chen Ming’s felt a headache coming, and motioned for them to stop, “I have Pitfall Mountain’s deployment maps with me. Use them and form a strategy, to launch a powerful counterattack and even the playing field.”

Black Tiger said, “This is for the best. We won’t act until the final battle, where we hope to at least have an advantage concerning Fiend Generals!”

Chen Ming glanced at Black Tiger, and coldly said, “Archfiend Black Tiger, you have a spy among your troops. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been exposed and Fiend General Stag wouldn’t have been tortured!”

Black Tiger’s eyes went wide with fury, “What! The traitor is one of my men? He even caused such injustice to you and even put the stalwart Fiend General Stag in such a dire condition? I will find him, peel his skin and pull his bones!”

“Ding! Escape Pitfall Mountain complete. Reward: 800 spiritual knowledge, 80 fame.”

“Ding! Triggered team mission: find the traitor. Reward: 1000 spiritual knowledge, 100 fame.”

Chen Ming said, “I have a plan. If we spread the information, claiming that I know how to end Archfiend Azure Lion, then this traitor won’t sit still. He will use any means to contact Archfiend Azure Lion, and if he acts, we will catch him red-handed!“

Chen Ming took out the maps from his storage ring and placed them on the table, “Black Tiger and I will go find out who the traitor is, while you four devise a plan to attack Pitfall Mountain. “

All the Archfiends nodded, with no objections to Chen Ming’s intentions.

The four began planning according to the maps, while Chen Ming, draped in his black-feathered robe, talked cheerfully with Black Tiger. The alliance’s fiends finally knew that Wandering Crow from Pitfall Mountain was one of them and became the most famous of the six.

Then, the information he gathered soon spread to all fiends.

While walking he spoke with a loud voice, revealing his return, then said next to Black Tiger’s ear, “The ones who know of me are your Fiend Generals, Archfiend Black Tiger. You should make a feast to entertain them, then tell them I know Archfiend Azure Lion’s weakness, that I know how to kill him. At that time, the traitor will be exposed.”

Black Tiger nodded, “That is also my idea and I’ve already made the arrangements. Let’s go and see who it is.”