Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

The airship slowly descended and finally landed on a high platform in the center of the mine.

This high platform offers a panoramic view of the entire mining area and serves as the daily residence for the mine's supervisors and administrators.

Upon seeing the flying boat descend, several demon generals clad in armor quickly stepped forward to greet it.

Huang Pingzi remained calm and composed, and skillfully stepped forward to greet everyone with a cupped-hand salute. The demon generals also returned the salute in kind.

Gou An stood quietly to the side, observing silently.

The leading demon cultivator, a rhinoceros in human form, with a thick rhinoceros horn standing out on its nose, spoke first with a smile: "Fellow Daoist Huang, we have heard that you will no longer personally escort pills for the Myriad Pill Hall in the future. To be honest, we are truly reluctant to see that happen."

Another demon general chimed in, "Exactly! From now on, when we drink and chat, we'll be missing a fellow traveler."

Huang Pingzi stepped aside and introduced Gou An to the person beside him: "Although I am no longer in charge of this matter, there are colleagues in the hall who will take over."

"This fellow Daoist Gou, like you all, is a transformed demon beast, with the Daoist name Gou Zhenren. He is also an alchemist. Let's get to know each other first."

All the demon generals turned their gazes to Gou An, scrutinizing him carefully from head to toe.

When they realized that Gou An was just an ordinary yellow-haired dog demon, a hint of contempt flashed in many people's eyes.

In the mine, little demons that have taken the form of yellow-haired wild dogs can be seen everywhere.

Not for any other reason than that wild dogs reproduce rapidly and spread throughout the Monster Mountain Range. After being captured, they consume transformation pills and are used as laborers. In the eyes of the public, most dog demons are just low-level laborers and there are few outstanding figures.

"Fellow Daoist Gou, it's time to deliver the pills," Huang Pingzi reminded him softly.

Gou An came to his senses, took out the elixir bottle from his bosom, and handed it forward.

The rhinoceros demon reached out and took it, uncorked it, and sniffed it lightly for a moment. Without checking it one by one, he casually said that it was fine and then carefully put the bottle away.

Then the rhinoceros demon turned to Huang Pingzi and warmly invited him, "Fellow Daoist, you will be transferred tomorrow. Why don't we have a few drinks together today as a farewell party for you?"

The other demon generals around them chimed in agreement.

Huang Pingzi did not refuse and took Gou An with him to the banquet.

The banquet was set up on the edge of the high platform, with a huge stone table and several sets of stone chairs.

Sitting here, one can eat meat and drink wine while overlooking the entire mine, enjoying both leisure and duty – a perfect balance.

After several rounds of drinks, the rhinoceros demon chatted casually with Huang Pingzi, and various information kept falling into Gou An's ears. He listened silently and figured out a lot of inside information.

This mining area is not unique; the Demon King has a total of three spirit stone mines under his command.

The task of supplying pills was thus divided among the three major pill halls of Wan Yao City, with the Wan Dan Hall only responsible for the one at hand.

The three mines frequently compare their production output.

Thanks to the superior quality of the Transformation Pills produced by Wandantang, the mine under the jurisdiction of the Rhinoceros Demon has consistently been the top producer, which is the fundamental reason why he has always been quite polite to Huang Pingzi.

This rhinoceros demon had his own Taoist name, Black Horn True Man, and what he was most proud of was the thick, long, jet-black rhinoceros horn on the tip of his nose.

Gou An secretly felt that there was no aesthetic appeal, but the other demon generals at the banquet took turns praising and flattering him.

Gou An also learned that Black Horn True Man was only a subordinate of one of the Seven Great Protectors of the Nation, and that the three spirit stone mines were all under the jurisdiction and control of that protector demon cultivator.

Although no further information has been heard, it is certain that the demon cultivator protecting the country must be an absolute confidant of the demon king.

After a feast of wine and meat, Gou An, who would be coming to deliver pills regularly from now on, had become somewhat acquainted with Black Horn Immortal and the other mine supervisors.

After a few rounds of drinks, Master Black Horn suddenly looked at Huang Pingzi, his tone tinged with concern: "We've only heard that you're leaving the Demon Beast Mountain Range to return to the human realm, and your journey is so rushed. Have you encountered some trouble?"

"Why don't we tell the brothers? If it's within our power, we can lend a hand."

As soon as Black Horn Immortal finished speaking, the other demon generals echoed his words.

"Yes, why not share your thoughts? Maybe we can lend a hand!"

"We've all come together, so we should stand together through thick and thin!"

Huang Pingzi gave two bitter laughs and slowly said, "It's not that I got into trouble, but that my master encountered difficulties."

"Master Wenxu?" Master Heijiao was slightly taken aback.

"That's right." Huang Pingzi had drunk quite a bit of spirit wine and was already somewhat drunk. He no longer concealed his words: "Master is currently unable to personally appear in and out of human territory, so he can only entrust me to go back and handle matters on his behalf."

"Be extremely careful on your journey," Black Horn Master solemnly instructed.

"Don't worry," Huang Pingzi replied calmly. "It's not a major disaster, just a lot of trivial matters that will take time. It will take about three to five months to get back. Once I've finished my business, I'll come back and we can all have a good drink together."

"It's a deal!" Master Blackhorn took the lead, picked up his wine bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

Gou An casually responded to the conversation, but his gaze swept over the high platform, silently surveying the entire mining area below.

Apart from the open-pit mining areas, the mine has carved out countless deep tunnels into the mountainside.

Truckloads of raw stones were continuously transported out of the cave entrance and handed over to the shapeshifting demon slaves at the bottom of the open-pit mine for sorting, crushing and screening.

Many demon overseers, clad in armor and wielding whips, patrolled back and forth, their cold gazes fixed on the working miners.

Anyone caught even slightly slacking off would be met with a swift and fierce lash from the whip.

Gou An also noticed that the food for these lowly demons was extremely bad.

At mealtimes, each miner was given a piece of dark, coarse, hard bread, the contents of which were indistinguishable.

At noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the scorching sunlight poured down without any obstruction.

The miners toiled under the scorching heat, panting heavily, their fur soaked with sweat.

Then, the scene that made Gou An's heart sink the most came into view.

Many of the demon slaves collapsed onto the mine soil, exhausted from their labor.

But no one around came forward to help or inquire about the situation.

As soon as the overseer found a miner lying on the ground, he immediately called for help to drag the body away.

Gou An stared intently, and saw that the direction in which the corpses were being dragged was the mine's kitchen.

Without a doubt, the ultimate fate of these transformed little demons, who have exhausted their value, is self-evident.

Moreover, Gou An witnessed this scene nearly twenty times in just one or two hours.

Despite the continuous fall of low-level monsters, the mine continued to operate without any impact.

It's as if such things are commonplace here.

Whether it was the supervisor or the little demon doing the hard labor, they all remained calm.

Even if a monster that was smashing raw stones with a pickaxe just a second ago falls to the ground, the other monster next to it doesn't even utter a sound, just continues doing its work, as if the life and death of others are none of its concern.

Gou An saw this and, though outwardly calm, couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

I thought humans were cruel enough to treat their own kind, but I never expected that monsters would do something even worse!