Chapter 5: The Black Jiao Who Scoffs at Dragons

Cao Kong looked at the anxious yak spirit before him and said, “Tell me in detail, what sort of snake demon is it?”

The yak spirit cried out, “My lord, let’s not waste time! Allow me to report to the king right away. That snake demon is unbelievably fast—only the king himself can hope to capture it!”

“Ah, the longer we delay, the fewer pigs and sheep we’ll have left,” the yak spirit added with distress. Among demons, strength commanded respect, and in his eyes, his own king was the mightiest of all—there was little point talking to Cao Kong, better to seek out the Yellow Lion King quickly.

Cao Kong smiled lightly, unbothered by being underestimated.

He pondered for a moment. He had been in this world for decades, and apart from driving away wild beasts atop Mist Veil Mountain by virtue of his extraordinary talent, he had rarely used his powers, focusing instead on cultivation.

But this affair with the snake demon was a fine opportunity to witness the magical arts and divine abilities of this realm.

The Yellow Lion King was no minor figure—he was a match for the Monkey King in later years, and even if the Monkey King held back, the Yellow Lion King’s strength was undeniable.

With that, Cao Kong accompanied the yak spirit.

“What? A snake demon dares steal my pigs and sheep? Outrageous! Intolerable!” The Yellow Lion King, who had been feigning scholarly air as he read a book upon his stone throne, leapt to his feet, his eyes flashing with pain at the loss.

Poverty was a hard master.

“I’ll go down the mountain at once. The rest of you, follow!” The Yellow Lion King was decisive as thunder, riding a cloud of mist at his feet, swift as a gale—he would not waste a single moment.

The yak spirit, panting, said to Cao Kong, “My lord, let’s hurry or we’ll lose the king.”

“No need. I’ll take you myself.” Cao Kong smiled slightly, and with a thought, a pure breeze rose in the cave, growing in strength, swirling fallen leaves around him like drifting snow, ethereal and graceful.

He swept up the terrified yak spirit, and they rode the wind, always just a step behind the Yellow Lion King.

Cao Kong mused, Since I began practicing the Supreme Golden Light Mantra, my power has grown ever deeper; this speed uses but a fraction of my strength. I wonder how much effort the Yellow Lion King is expending.

Ahead, the Yellow Lion King, riding his cloud, also sensed the wind at his back and was inwardly astounded: This Brother Cao’s cultivation runs deep. I’m using seventy percent of my power, yet he keeps pace.

No, I can’t let him look down on me!

Spurred by this, the Yellow Lion King, proud as ever, pushed his demonic power further, his speed soaring by another thirty percent.

Yet no matter how hard he tried, Cao Kong remained steadily behind him.

While the Yellow Lion King was locked in this silent contest, they reached the foot of the mountain. The king landed first, with Cao Kong right behind.

Brother Cao is quick, thought the Yellow Lion King, but speed isn’t my strong suit. It’s only natural he’d catch up, yet he’s still a shade behind. But when he saw that Cao Kong had also brought the yak spirit along, his eyes narrowed—he began to reassess Cao Kong’s strength.

“My king, you’re finally here! The snake demon—a huge snake demon—moved like the wind! It devoured several pigs and sheep before vanishing. We couldn’t see it clearly, much less stop it,” whimpered several small demons who had been cowering in hiding, finally daring to show themselves at their king’s arrival.

Seeing the livestock pen nearly half empty, the Yellow Lion King’s eyes filled with anguish. When he spotted the winding, serpent-like tracks on the ground, he knew the underlings spoke true.

“How dare it, to steal from me!” he fumed. “All of you, follow me and track this snake demon! When I catch it, you’ll all get a taste of snake meat!”

The little demons, heartened by his words, began to search in earnest.

With nothing else to do, Cao Kong also wandered about. He noticed not only serpent tracks, but also faint, claw-like marks and damp patches on the ground.

He found it strange—is it truly a snake?

Despite searching high and low, the Yellow Lion King and his minions found no further trace and had to give up.

Seeing the king’s frustration, Cao Kong said, “My lord, since this snake demon frequents this place, why don’t we wait in ambush? A few days’ patience may suffice.”

The Yellow Lion King nodded in agreement. “Very well. Let’s do that.”

For the next couple of days, Cao Kong and the Yellow Lion King kept watch together. Though the king misunderstood much of the scriptures he read, he was a diligent and eager student—if somewhat fond of showing off.

With time to spare, he would display his knowledge to Cao Kong. The Yellow Lion King, rough of face but keen of mind, recognized that Cao Kong was different from other demons—an educated spirit.

He had long wanted to engage Cao Kong in conversation but, knowing Cao Kong seldom left his cave, had not dared to disturb him. Now, at last, the opportunity had come.

“Brother Cao, I find the Analects ever more marvelous the more I read them. See here: ‘If in the morning one hears the Way, one may die in the evening.’ How profound!”

“In what way is it profound?” Cao Kong, ever even-tempered, did not withhold a smile.

“Look—the Master means, if you learn of a thief’s path in the morning, by evening you can go to his house and beat him to death. Hmph! If only that snake demon hadn’t been so quick, had I known his path, I’d have made sure he died by evening!”

The king, drawing theory into practice, left Cao Kong almost speechless.

But on reflection, he remembered that even in the presence of unseen powers, caution was wise—the great and mighty rarely concerned themselves with small fry, but it paid to be prudent.

Cao Kong gently ventured, “My lord, I once went to the mortal realm to study for a few years. Perhaps the meaning is not quite as you say.”

The Yellow Lion King felt a pang of guilt, but kept his composure, forcing a smile. “Oh? Brother Cao, you are a man of talent. By all means, share your thoughts. Let us discuss together.”

“‘If in the morning one hears the Way, one may die in the evening’ means—”

Before Cao Kong could finish, a soft rustling reached their ears—something was approaching.

Both, being highly perceptive, sensed it at once. The Yellow Lion King leapt out, brandishing his Siming Spade, and roared, “What beast dares steal from me? Tired of living, are you? Today, I’ll see you dead by evening!”

With that, he bounded toward the source of the commotion, full of ferocity.

A strange sound rang out—not a lion’s roar, but a voice as if gold and jade clashed, as thunder cracked in the sky, brimming with majesty.

At the sound, the little demons trembled with fright, while Cao Kong channeled his power to his eyes to see the intruder: a black flood dragon was locked in battle with the Yellow Lion King.

The black flood dragon bore a single horn on its head, flowing whiskers on its face, stretched three fathoms in length, with four legs and scales as dark as the finest silk—majestic beyond compare.

The Yellow Lion King’s martial prowess was extraordinary; his Siming Spade became a blur, each strike as forceful as a mountain falling. But the black flood dragon was no easy foe. Seeing the king armed, it did not engage head-on, but dodged continually, widening the distance.

From its horn, inky light streamed, drawing moisture from the air, conjuring water that surged toward the Yellow Lion King.

“It was just a few pigs and sheep. I’ll repay you in time, no need for blades and weapons,” the dragon said in human speech, recognizing the king’s might.

The little demons, seeing its true form, cried out in terror, “A dragon! It’s a dragon!”

The black flood dragon’s eyes chilled. “Dragon? Your whole family are dragons!”

Cao Kong watched with an amused smile—ah, such words, there must be quite a story here.