For the next few weeks, the Goat Demon launched sporadic assaults on the valley, testing its defenses. Each time, however, he was firmly rebuffed by Bibo.

He wasn’t foolish enough to pin all his hopes on Big Old Black.

Perched on a ridge, the Goat Demon stared warily at the Magical Artifact glowing in Bibo’s hand. He calculated the risks in his heart.

That old beaver is a menace when he’s desperate. If I force my way in and get injured by that artifact, the gains won’t match the losses. I can’t be reckless.

One month later.

The Gray Rabbit approached the Goat Demon, bowing respectfully.

“Goat King, after a month of constant communication, Big Old Black has finally relented. He agreed to come out and meet you!”

The Goat Demon let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for weeks. The valley had remained impregnable, and that rat had been so cautious it bordered on paranoia. The delay had made the Goat Demon incredibly irritable.

Hearing this news, his lethargy vanished, replaced by a flash of ruthless intent.

“That black rat has wasted a month of my time,” he growled. “Once this is over, I’m capturing him. He can spend the rest of his miserable life planting trees for me!”

“It’s not as simple as you think,” the White Rabbit Demon chimed in lazily from the side. “He has demands. Lots of them.”

The Goat Demon frowned. “What demands? Speak.”

The Gray Rabbit cleared his throat.

“First, he insists the negotiation must happen near the valley. He’s afraid of being ambushed. As for how to conceal our presence there, he says that’s your problem to solve.”

The Goat Demon snorted disdainfully. “As timid as a mouse. Fine, that is not an issue.”

“Secondly,” the Gray Rabbit continued, “he demands a pre-emptive division of the spoils.”

“He says that after Bibo is dead, the Spirit Mulberry Tree and the entire rat colony belong to him. We can share the territory of the valley.”

The Goat Demon’s brow furrowed into a deep ravine. “He really is a rat! Insatiable greed!” he roared. “Who does he think he is to demand the Spirit Mulberry Tree?”

“There is one more thing,” the Gray Rabbit added quickly. “He wants you to give him a stalk of Spirit Grass upfront. Otherwise, he won’t trust your sincerity.”

The Goat Demon shot to his feet, his fur bristling like steel needles.

“So greedy! Isn’t he afraid he’ll have the life to take it but not the life to spend it?!”

His voice boomed against the cave walls. “A creature so weak dares to extort me?”

“Goat King, quell your anger,” the Gray Rabbit soothed hurriedly. “The more demands he makes, the more real his intent to cooperate is.”

“Besides… once we kill Bibo, we can just kill the rat too. Everything he takes will return to your hands. Why rush?”

The Goat Demon panted heavily, forcing himself to regulate his breathing. Logic slowly returned. “Fine! I will endure him this once!”

“And also…”

The White Rabbit opened her mouth to speak, but the Goat Demon cut her off with a violent wave of his hand.

“Impossible!”

“More demands?! Is he taking me for a fool?”

The shout echoed through the mountains, startling birds from the trees.

The Gray Rabbit waved his paws frantically. “No, no! The rest are minor details! Just scheduling the time and the attack signals!”

Only then did the Goat Demon’s chest stop heaving. He sank back onto his stone seat, his expression dark.

“Fine. Arrange the meeting. We will discuss the details face-to-face.”

The two rabbits exchanged a subtle, fleeting smirk before backing out of the cave.

For the past month, the Gray Rabbit had been drip-feeding the Goat Demon bad news and delays, deliberately fraying his nerves. It was working.

The Goat Demon’s anger was eroding his rationality.

Walking away, the White Rabbit sneered, whispering low enough that only her brother could hear.

“These guys from the Wood Spirit Temple… their cultivation is high, but they are obsessed with underhanded tricks. They’ve lost the raw bravery of the Demon Race. Pathetic.”

She shook her head. What an idiotic goat. We Demon Beasts aren’t known for our intellect, but this guy is in a league of his own.

Back in the valley, Wu Yuan received the Gray Rabbit’s transmission. His eyes lit up.

“The Goat Demon is finally moving,” Wu Yuan announced, turning to Bibo. “He’s been gathering beast hordes for weeks. The threat is growing, but so is his impatience.”

Bibo nodded and turned his gaze to Big Old Black.

“For this negotiation,” the old beaver instructed, “you don’t need to act. Just be as stupid and greedy as you usually are. Perform normally.”

Big Old Black bristled with indignation. “What do you mean ‘perform normally’? Don’t slander me! Is that really how I am?”

Wu Yuan nodded solemnly from the side. “Exactly. This time, success depends entirely on your natural talents.”

“If we manage to kill the Goat Demon, I’ll record a major merit for you!”

Under the cover of night, Big Old Black skittered out of a hidden tunnel, moving stealthily toward the negotiation site.

He had chosen the location himself—close enough to the valley that he could scurry back to safety at the first sign of trouble.

Moments later, the Goat Demon and the two rabbits emerged from the shadows.

Big Old Black didn’t bother with pleasantries. He decided to get straight to the point.

“My demands are final. You have to agree, or no deal!”

His tone was abrasive, arrogant, and completely lacking in respect. The Goat Demon, already simmering with rage over the rat’s lateness, felt his blood pressure spike.

Seeing the tension, the Gray Rabbit quickly stepped between them. “We can agree to your terms. But we also have a condition.”

Big Old Black dug a claw into his ear, flicking away some wax with a look of indifference. “What condition? Spit it out.”

“We require you to ambush Bibo from behind,” the Gray Rabbit said seriously. “You must coordinate with our frontal assault.”

Big Old Black’s eyes widened in exaggerated shock.

“Huh? I have to do it myself?” He scoffed. “What are you guys for? Eating grass? If you want me to get my paws dirty, you have to add more Spirit Grass!”

Snap.

The Goat Demon’s eyes turned crimson. Green light flared ominously around his horns.

“Courting death!”

“Who do you think you are?!”

The energy in the air grew heavy and suffocating. The Gray Rabbit tackled the Goat Demon, holding him back with surprising strength.

“Calm down! The plan! Think of the plan!” the rabbit hissed. “Endure it for now!”

The Goat Demon trembled, his chest heaving as he forcefully suppressed the urge to trample the rat into paste. With a snarl, he reached into his robe, pulled out two stalks of Low Grade Spirit Grass, and threw them at Big Old Black’s feet.

“Take it,” the Goat hissed, his voice dripping with venom. “But hear this. If you dare break our agreement… I will pay any price to ally with Bibo instead. I will make your life a living hell until I hunt you down and skin you alive!”

With that, he spun around and stormed off, refusing to stay a second longer.

Big Old Black snatched up the Spirit Grass, his eyes gleaming with genuine greed. He grinned at the retreating back.

“Don’t worry! I, Big Old Black, always keep my word! Just watch my performance!”

Upon returning to the safety of the mine tunnels, Big Old Black immediately offered the loot to Wu Yuan.

“Boss, you’re amazing!” Big Old Black laughed, wiping dirt from his whiskers. “That Goat used to be so calm and aloof. Now? He can’t even control his temper. He’s practically begging to die!”

Bibo examined the plants in Big Old Black’s hand and chuckled.

“The Goat Demon is truly stingy,” the beaver noted. “He claimed these were First-Tier Low Grade Spirit Grass, but look. It’s just common weeds that absorbed a bit too much Spiritual Qi. It’s [Leaf Grass].”

“It’s not useless, but compared to Moon Spirit Grass or Snake Tooth Rice, it’s trash.”

Wu Yuan nodded pragmatically. “Trash or not, it’s an unexpected gain. It expands our variety and can serve as fodder for the herbivorous beasts.”

His expression then turned serious.

“The Goat Demon’s failure stems from his arrogance. He relied on his high cultivation and looked down on the local demons of Little Green Mountain. Yet, he is also indecisive.”

“When his plans stalled, his mindset became unbalanced,” Wu Yuan analyzed. “He lost his cool.”

He looked at his companions.

“We are weak spirits. To survive in this world, we must do our best and, in the end, bet our lives on the outcome!”

Bibo nodded slowly, the weight of the words settling in.

Big Old Black, however, just grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light.

“It’s just one life. I’m all in!”