Chapter 91: The Origin of the Money Leopard — Cao Xiang (3/5)

Cao Kong cast a silent glance at the fleeing demons and paid them no mind.

These monsters looked fierce enough, but in truth their strength was far inferior to that of the Yellow Lion and the others.

After clearing away the remains of the three slain fiends, he tucked their belongings into his sleeve and headed straight for Hidden Mist Mountain.

With this visit to the Dragon Palace banquet, he would never again lack the resources for cultivation and could devote himself to steady practice.

As soon as he reached the summit of Hidden Mist Mountain, he saw that besides the Money Leopard and the others, there were seven more men smiling at him: the Seven Bamboo-Legged Lions.

Cao Kong’s face broke into a smile as well. What a coincidence—he had been planning to look for the Seven Lions himself. He said, “Brothers, what brings you to Hidden Mist Mountain with such leisure?”

Seeing that the tea on the table had already been drunk down to the bottom, he knew they had been here some time. He called for a few fox attendants to bring fresh tea, then had spirit fruit served as well.

The Yellow Lion said heartily, “A few days ago, after the rain, bamboo shoots sprouted in abundance and were rich with spiritual essence, so I thought to bring some for you to taste. And while I was at it, I wanted to sample the spirit wine here as well.”

Cao Kong laughed aloud and promptly replaced the tea with wine.

The Seven Lions smiled. “We heard Brother Cao went to the Dragon Palace. How was it? What sort of place is that Dragon Palace?”

The Money Leopard and the others were equally curious.

Cao Kong related everything about the Dragon Palace in full detail. The others listened, entranced, as though hearing of an underwater world they had never once laid eyes on.

“Oh, right,” Cao Kong said. “Brother Yellow Lion, I plan to forge a weapon for my younger brother, something he can use for protection. I’d like to ask you to help with the refining.”

The Yellow Lion had been thinking about the Dragon Palace affair. He loved treasures above all else and had long been skilled at identifying and refining them. Hearing Cao Kong’s words, he came suddenly to himself and said at once, “You’re too polite, Brother Cao. Between the two of us, let alone one piece—even a hundred or a thousand would be no problem for me to forge.”

Then he said with some embarrassment, “It’s true I know how to refine treasures, but I would need a spirit flame, or even a divine flame.”

When the Money Leopard heard that a treasure was to be forged for him, his eyes lit up immediately. In his excitement, the tail of a leopard nearly showed itself again, so he held it down with one hand while smiling and saying, “How could something as small as fire trouble me and my brother? I have the Everlasting Furnace, which contains the Vermilion Bird spirit flame, and my brother has also obtained the essence of the Fire Heaven.”

The Yellow Lion laughed. “Good. What kind of weapon do you want? Tell me.”

The Money Leopard said:

“I’m not very fond of fighting and killing. If I can tend spirit fields, gather herbs, and refine pills every day, I’ll already be very happy. How about forging me a mortar and pestle?”

The Yellow Lion clicked his tongue in admiration. “No problem.”

Cao Kong smiled and took out the Green Jade Gold, along with some wood-attributed ores and other stones full of vital force that he had exchanged with the Thousand-Year Fox King, and handed them to the Yellow Lion.

The Yellow Lion drew in a sharp breath, marveling at how dense the precious radiance of these ores was. If they were truly refined into a weapon, its quality would surpass even the armaments of the Seven Lions.

He exclaimed, “Brother Cao, what generosity! I’ll spare no effort and forge you a perfect weapon.”

The Money Leopard heard this and said in a simple, delighted tone, “Brother, you’re really good to me.”

At the same time, he muttered inwardly: “If only you could also give me a name.”

Thinking of this, the Money Leopard could not help feeling dejected. He saw that every little demon had a name of its own, while he had nothing at all.

Cao Kong noticed the change in his expression and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy about something?”

The Money Leopard looked pitiful and asked the Yellow Lion instead, “Brother Yellow Lion, do you know what my name is?”

The Yellow Lion laughed. “We’ve known each other for so many years—of course your name is... is...”

He stammered, unable to get the words out. The Money Leopard turned to the other six lions, and all six lowered their heads.

“Brother, what do you think?” the Money Leopard asked quietly.

Cao Kong sighed helplessly. “So that’s how it is. But there was a reason for it. Before you paid homage to the God of Longevity, we had little contact with others, so we never gave you a name. After you became the God of Longevity’s disciple, I hoped you would soon achieve the Three Blossoms, be accepted as a true disciple, and then receive a dao title from the God of Longevity.”

The Money Leopard muttered under his breath, “A dao title is a dao title, but you still couldn’t let me go on without a name forever.”

Cao Kong was a patient man; otherwise, back then, he would not have spent decades cultivating in the mountains after learning only the most rudimentary method of practice.

So in his view, rather than naming the Money Leopard himself, it would be better to let the God of Longevity do it, for that might add a little more fortune.

Now seeing his younger brother like this, he understood that this resentment had long been buried in his heart, only never spoken.

He could not help but feel ashamed. He had imposed his own wishes upon his younger brother, and that was indeed improper.

The longing in his heart for the God of Longevity to bestow a name and a dao title faded a little as he said:

“In that case, you shall take my surname and be called Cao. As for your given name, we are tigers of the mountain, and there is an expression called leopard transformation, used to describe a person becoming better and rising in status.”

The Money Leopard’s eyes shone brightly. “Then I’ll be called Cao Leopard Transformation?”

Cao Kong’s mouth twitched. “There is an idiom called dragon-soaring and leopard transformation. The character for soaring means to leap upward, to raise the head, to rise. From now on, you shall be called Cao Soaring.”

“Cao Soaring, Cao Soaring— I have a name now! From now on, I’ll be called Cao Soaring!”

The Money Leopard, or rather Cao Soaring, was overjoyed at last. After decades, he had finally obtained a name. In his happiness, he even revealed his true form on the spot, his whole body blazing gold, noble and magnificent.

He ran through the mountains and forests, crying out only the two characters of his new name. His voice echoed across Hidden Mist Mountain, startling the flying birds into flight and sending the fish under water in hiding.

Cao Kong and the Seven Lions burst into laughter at the sight.

As night gradually fell, Cao Soaring’s excitement subsided. He ran back, and once again wine and food were laid out to entertain the Seven Lions.

Among them, the Yellow Lion had become the most animated after hearing of the Dragon Palace, ceaselessly steering the conversation toward the Dragon Palace and the treasure-exchange fair.

Cao Kong noticed that the Yellow Lion seemed far too enthusiastic about this, and recalling the Yellow Lion’s fate in the original tale, he said tactfully:

“Brother Yellow Lion, as the saying goes, a gentleman loves wealth, but seeks it by proper means.”

The Yellow Lion had now read quite a few books and understood many principles. Hearing the implication in Cao Kong’s words, he did not know whether to laugh or cry.

“Brother Cao, you’ve misunderstood me. What I really mean is, don’t you think that just a single Dragon Palace banquet—one that wasn’t even the birthday feast of the Four Dragon Kings—could already host such an enormous treasure exchange?

“This shows how many treasures there must be throughout the seas, the great rivers, and the four great waterways. It’s just that creatures like us have no place to trade.

“If we could make use of that, establish a group of our own, and open a trade route, then in the future we might gather more treasures than even the Dragon Palace.”

Hearing this, Cao Kong looked at the Yellow Lion in surprise. Wasn’t this the very embryo of a merchant guild?

“So what you want is...?”

The Yellow Lion had drunk quite a bit and was somewhat drunk, yet at this moment his eyes shone with a brilliant light.

“Look, you can brew wine, Cao Soaring can refine pills, and I can forge artifacts. These three skills are among the finest in the demon world.

“If you and Cao Soaring are willing to entrust the pills and wine to me, I can travel the four seas and trade with the demons of the world. I won’t take a single coin of profit for myself.”

To my readers, today’s tally of monthly votes has already surpassed one hundred. I now owe another chapter. I may be a little slower, but I will absolutely not forget it, and I will surely make it up. A brother’s bond is kept in the heart; just watch how I do it. Yours respectfully.