I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

He knew in his heart that he had encountered a great being, and he was filled with utter despair, exclaiming that his life was over.

Such a powerful aura must belong to a human cultivator. Human cultivators usually kill a small monster like me with ease, as easily as crushing an insect.

Bai Qingyu had no idea that this little demon had such a rich inner world. In fact, she hadn't done anything; she had simply failed to control her aura, yet she had completely subdued the little demon.

Seeing that the little demon was motionless and trembling for a long time, Bai Qingyu remembered something and withdrew his demonic power. Without the suppression of demonic power, the little demon hurriedly turned around and was about to kneel down and kowtow to Bai Qingyu to beg for mercy.

"Great Immortal, I... I was just checking if anyone was here. I truly had no intention of harming anyone. Please, please let me go."

Bai Qingyu used her demonic power to support his trembling body. "I won't kill you. I am also a demon, and I think you might know me."

The little demon was taken aback upon hearing this. He stared at Bai Qingyu carefully for a moment, and her figure and appearance quickly stirred up his memories. He recalled the scene when Bai Qingyu appeared to mediate between the fishing village and the Black Mountain demon clan. It was because of her that the Black Mountain demon clan was able to avenge their brothers.

"You, you are that person!?"

"It seems you've remembered. Take me to see your leader," Bai Qingyu said calmly, holding a wooden umbrella in one hand.

Her dress was a white dress with gold phoenix threads. To these little demons, it was just a white dress. What really stood out was the way she held the umbrella. There was no other demon in the world like Bai Qingyu.

"Okay, okay, please follow me."

The tiger demon led the way, his attitude respectful.

In the demon race, strength is paramount, and Bai Qingyu is far stronger than their leader, so his attitude is naturally respectful.

What brings you to this village?

"Your Excellency, I came to this village to look for someone."

"Find someone?"

"Yes, a while ago a human infiltrated my Black Mountain Holy Land and stole the Sacred Fruit. The leader said that person is nearby and told us to split up and search for him. The leader said that the Sacred Fruit only blooms once every hundred years and bears fruit once every two hundred years. Eating it can greatly increase one's cultivation." The tiger demon said meekly, revealing all the secrets of Black Mountain to Bai Qingyu.

"Ah."

Bai Qingyu roughly understood that the so-called sacred fruit was actually a kind of rare and precious material. After the demon race ate it, their cultivation would greatly increase. It didn't have much effect on the powerful demon race, but it was more useful to the weaker the demon race.

The demons of Black Mountain, to be honest, are indeed too weak. Even their leader, the black wolf demon, is only at the Golden Core stage.

However, despite its weak cultivation level, this black wolf demon had quite ambitious goals.

Bai Qingyu's deepest impression of him was this: he was determined to fight for fairness for the demon race, mainly in terms of merit and karma, because his brother died because of this, while the murderer could get away with it without paying any price.

Merit and karma are old traditions, based on Buddhist concepts. The demon race is used to them, and some even simply give up, treating karma and karma as obstacles that are difficult to clear anyway, so they might as well go all the way.

In order to give the demon race a fair chance, Bai Qingyu currently only knows of this black wolf demon.

Led by the tiger demon, Bai Qingyu entered the Black Mountain. This wasn't her first time here; she had often come to the Black Mountain to search for medicinal herbs when she stayed here before. Having the tiger demon lead the way was purely out of courtesy; otherwise, it wouldn't be appropriate to directly enter his lair.

After wandering around for a while, they arrived at the outskirts of the Black Mountain Demon Clan. Instead of a palace, they found themselves in a maze of interconnected caves, resembling a band of bandits, which was quite fitting for their demonic identity.

After several years, the Black Wolf Demon had gained many more demons under its command. Bai Qingyu could sense about a hundred demons around with just a slight release of his senses. None of them were very strong; the strongest among them was only at the Golden Core stage.

The black wolf demon that strode out of the cave had a much stronger aura, already at the Nascent Soul stage.

"Miss Bai, no, you should be called Your Highness now, Your Highness, it's been a long time."

The black wolf demon came out to greet them warmly. He was exactly the same as he had been back then, with a wolf's head, black fur, tattered clothes, and a long sword that looked similarly worn on his back. His overall demeanor was not only shrewd but also sharp as a drawn blade.

Bai Qingyu had once thought that this black wolf demon would inevitably become a powerful demon in the future, and it was impossible for it to stay in such a small place forever.

"No need, just like before. I came here this time because there are some things I want to ask you about." Bai Qingyu put away the wooden umbrella and followed the black wolf demon into the cave.

The cave was interconnected and somewhat dark inside. Although so many demons lived there, it was generally clean and tidy. There were no bones or filth scattered all over the place, and everything was fine except for a faint musty smell in the air.

"Your Majesty is now a great figure among the demon race. Don't underestimate my small place, Black Mountain. Even if Your Majesty went to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, I think the demons there would be just as powerful as I am. This way, Your Majesty."

Upon arriving at the usual council hall, the black wolf demon asked Bai Qingyu to sit down in a seat below the main seat. Immediately, a fair-skinned and beautiful fox demon came forward to pour tea for Bai Qingyu. Her manners were no less refined than those of the human race, and she was not as barbaric as some of the demon races outside.

"I wonder what Your Majesty wants to find out about this trip. My Black Mountain forces are small, but we will do our best to help Your Majesty in any way we can."

Since that's all, Bai Qingyu didn't bother with any more suspense and went straight to the point: "Black Wolf, you've always lived by the sea, and your connection with the ocean is far deeper than mine. I want to ask you, do you know about the existence of the Sea Kingdom?"

"The Sea Kingdom..."

The black wolf demon remained silent for a long while, then asked, "Your Majesty, could you please elaborate?"

"The Sea Kingdom is a transitional area in the ocean. If I'm not mistaken, it also has land. Moreover, the dominant force is not the sea demons, but the Sea Kingdom must have some connection with the sea demons. It is usually invisible, and the Sea Kingdom uses special methods to hide itself."

"I've never heard of that before, but according to what Your Majesty said, I do know that the merfolk in the sea have a cooperative relationship with a certain force. I once traded with them for things from the land. The merfolk don't need these things. If what Your Majesty said is true, then it may be a trade with the Sea Kingdom, but I can't be sure about that."

"Mermaids?"

Bai Qingyu frowned slightly. She had heard of merfolk in the sea, and even heard rumors that some merfolk came ashore to eat people, but she had never seen one with her own eyes.

"Yes, but we don't have much contact. We've only traded with them three times, and they were the ones who contacted us first all of the time."

"Can you contact the merfolk?"

"No, the Merfolk are too mysterious."

Bai Qingyu fell into deep thought upon hearing this. She was inclined to believe that the Merfolk and the Sea Kingdom should cooperate, or even be part of the Sea Kingdom. The problem now was that even if this was confirmed, it wouldn't matter; the key issue was how to contact the Merfolk.

Black Mountain's influence is too small, so cooperation between the Merfolk and Black Mountain is limited.

Bai Qingyu was thinking about whether he could catch a merman to fish with. But he was just thinking about it. If it were that simple, those sects would have done it long ago. No matter how mysterious the merman race is, it can't stop these sects from searching for them.

"Okay, thanks."

"Yes, if anything is discovered in Heishan, we will inform Your Majesty immediately."

"Ah."

After finishing their business, they chatted casually, but Bai Qingyu's attention was not on that but on the Demon Book.

It's worth mentioning that the Demon Book began to tremble slightly the moment she saw the Black Wolf Demon, almost exactly the same as when she first encountered Xiao Xiu's Hand.

She had never imagined that the Black Wolf Demon was a member of the Demon Register. From any perspective, he seemed like an ordinary demon with little connection to the Demon Register. What made Bai Qingyu unsure was that there was indeed a demon in the Demon Register that matched the Black Wolf Demon.

Bai Qingyu could still remember the monster named Inugami recorded in the Demon Book, but the only thing Inugami and the Black Wolf Demon could match was that they were both canines. Even their fur was different. Inugami in the picture had black fur, but it had some white fur, while the Black Wolf Demon had black fur all over its body.

Putting that aside, there's also a difference in their aura. The dog god in the painting isn't depicted as a ruthless, desperate swordsman; he's carrying a small house on his back, seemingly for the bird above him to live in.

The only explanation is that the black wolf demon in front of him has the same soul but a different personality as him in his previous life, or that the black wolf demon in front of him has not yet grown to that level.

Bai Qingyu leaned towards the latter, because after seeing the Black Wolf Demon, the name Inugami did not immediately come to mind, but the Demon Book was shaken, indicating that the Black Wolf Demon had not yet completely transformed, just like Kiyohime back then and Kosode no Te now.

Having put her worries aside, Bai Qingyu didn't linger for long before leaving, with the black wolf demon escorting her out of the Black Mountain area.

There's no point in staying any longer; Montenegro can only offer her limited help.

Just before leaving, Bai Qingyu suddenly remembered something and called out to the departing Black Wolf.

"Black Wolf, when I came here I heard that your Black Mountain's sacred relic was stolen?"

The black wolf demon hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Your Majesty is joking. It's not some sacred object. It's just a spiritual fruit with good effects that I used to reward my subordinates. It was stolen by a scholar three days ago and hasn't been found yet."

"If you don't mind, I'll help you find one."

"This...this isn't right..."

"Don't mention it. I also have something to trouble you with. If the Merfolk contact you in the near future, remember to let me know. Alright, that's all for now. Farewell." Bai Qingyu waved his hand, and his figure gradually disappeared.

Finding immortality is important, but we can't rush it in the short term. Let's first determine the location of the Sea Kingdom.

As for this sacred fruit, Bai Qingyu already knew its aura. If nothing unexpected happened, it was the dark golden fruit tree growing next to a pool of water in the back mountain.

There's nothing of value in the entire Black Mountain region, making the low-quality natural treasures quite conspicuous.

After Bai Qingyu left, the process of finding the fruit was not too complicated.

The fact that the scholar took the fruit and ran away shows that he understood its value, since the fruit looked extraordinary. The fact that he risked his life to enter the mountains and knew its location suggests that he frequently went to Black Mountain to gather herbs.

The Black Mountain Demon Clan doesn't close off the mountain; anyone who wants to gather herbs can go, and most of them are poor.

Since they are poor but have a plan, they will definitely sell it instead of eating it themselves.

And so, she sensed the fruit's presence in a town more than eighty miles away. Sure enough, it was in the hands of a scholar who hadn't sold it because no one in the town was willing to pay a high price.

What truly surprised Bai Qingyu was not the fruit in the scholar's hand, but the painting hanging in his room.

That's why they say finding the demons in the demon register depends entirely on fate.

The moment Bai Qingyu saw the painting, the name "Flower and Bird Scroll" came to mind.

The Flower and Bird Scroll is precisely one of the demons recorded in the Demon Book, a demon within a painting.

·

The update is late, sob sob.

Volume Two: Journey Through the Demon Book: Chapter Twenty-Seven - Flower and Bird Scroll

The scholar's courtyard was outside the town. It was dilapidated and had nothing of value. An old woman, the scholar's mother, also lived there. It was clear that she was not in good health. She could only raise some chickens, ducks, and geese in the courtyard, or do some needlework for others. She couldn't do any other heavy work.

This meant they also had to support a scholar son, and their lives were quite impoverished and difficult.

The whole family was counting on the scholar to pass the imperial examination and return home to improve their lives and bring honor to their ancestors. However, in Bai Qingyu's opinion, the scholar seemed to have become too obsessed.

Normally, the most basic thing for a scholar is to study. The phrase "studying hard by the window for years" is usually used to describe a scholar. But this guy is different. He not only doesn't study, but he also doesn't go out to work much. He just puts the stolen fruit on the window, as if waiting for someone with discerning eyes to come to him.

He himself hung the flower and bird scroll painting on the wall and would admire it for one or two hours at a time, chin in hand. If I'm not mistaken, this guy devoted his mind to it day and night, and didn't even want to read books.

After admiring the flower and bird scroll paintings, he would get tired and pick up a brush to paint by himself. Because he couldn't capture the spirit of the flower and bird scroll paintings, he would often angrily crumple up the paintings he had just finished halfway through, without ever considering that paper was not cheap for his family.

After his impotent rage, he would go back to being immersed in the painting of flowers and birds, not knowing what he was looking at. No matter how beautiful the painting was, he could look at it for half a day and still not get enough.

Bai Qingyu had been observing him outside for most of the day and could tell that the scholar was somewhat possessed by demons. He must have had the idea of ​​stealing the fruit for a long time, and the arrival of the Flower and Bird Scroll made him make up his mind.

Speaking of the painting "Flowers and Birds Scroll", at first glance there is nothing particularly amazing about it. It is just a landscape painting with a beautiful woman. In the midst of the landscape and thatched cottage, a beautiful girl stands quietly, her face and expression so lifelike that she seems to be about to come to life at any moment.

This is just her appearance. In reality, the Flower and Bird Scroll is indeed alive, but it cannot emerge for a short period of time because it lacks the nourishment of spiritual or demonic power. If it could emerge, it would probably fly away on its own.

This scholar's behavior and actions are somewhat terrifying; who knows what horrific things he might do one day.

It was already evening, and the scholar's elderly mother brought him dinner. He was unwilling to go out, even when asked to.

Bai Qingyu couldn't understand how he, with his thin arms and legs and frail appearance, had escaped from Black Mountain. Was he just incredibly lucky, or were the Black Mountain demons too useless?

She simply appeared directly in front of the window, holding a wooden umbrella in one hand, dressed in white like snow, with an otherworldly and refined air.

Bai Qingyu's figure immediately attracted the scholar's attention. He looked up and, upon seeing Bai Qingyu clearly, didn't even realize that the chopsticks in his hand had fallen to the ground. He just stared at Bai Qingyu in a daze, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

No matter how beautiful the flower and bird scroll is, it is still just a painting. To a scholar, what difference is there between it and an inanimate object? But Bai Qingyu was actually standing in front of his window. Her sudden appearance out of nowhere made his heart pound.

Why would someone be so captivated by a scroll of flowers and birds? Simply put, it's because the scroll is so beautiful, almost unreal. For a scholar, the world depicted in the painting is like a dreamlike paradise, something to yearn for, not to mention the presence of such a beautiful, angelic young woman by his side.