Under the chirping of the sparrow Zhazha, Mo Fan quickly met his three new teammates.
"Woof!"
"What's all this noise, little sparrow? Can't you see I'm having a sweet nap?"
A big yellow dog crawled out from the hollow under the Great Banyan Tree, speaking human words with a tone full of dissatisfaction.
"Damn it, the sun's almost on your butt, and you're still sleeping? Aren't you afraid of dying in that tree hollow?"
Zhazha cursed, dropping a splatter of bird droppings right on the big yellow dog's head, making it howl in anger.
"Zhazha, is this toad the new one?"
At this moment, a rough voice sounded not far away.
Mo Fan turned his head and saw a large black water buffalo striding over, with a rabbit munching on a carrot sitting on its head.
"Yes, yes, it's this ugly toad!"
Zhazha nodded repeatedly and flew over to perch on one of the buffalo's horns, pecking at the carrot in the rabbit's hand with its sharp beak.
"Scram, scram, this is my food. Go catch some bugs to eat!"
The rabbit glared and hid the carrot behind its back.
"Tch! Stingy rabbit, it's just a carrot, what's so special about it!" Zhazha pursed its lips.
"So this toad is the new one, huh?"
The big yellow dog suddenly walked up to Mo Fan, glaring at him with its dog eyes, sizing him up, and then a black mist emanated from its body.
In the next moment, the big yellow dog transformed into its spirit body.
It was a demon with long yellow hair, its nose slightly blackened and more prominent than a human's, with human-like hands, though its body remained that of a dog.
Even so, it was much stronger than Mo Fan, who only had a spirit head.
"Since you're a newly promoted minor demon, it's customary to offer a gift upon first meeting. Hand over your gift, and I'll look after you in the future!" the Dog Demon arrogantly demanded of Mo Fan.
"Yes, yes, does the little toad have a gift to offer?" the Rabbit Demon sitting on the buffalo's head quickly chimed in, even forgetting to nibble on the carrot.
"Uh... what is a gift?" Mo Fan was puzzled by the demons' words.
"A gift is a benefit!"
"Oh right, I almost forgot to introduce you all. This dumb toad is called Laibao, which sounds a bit like your name, Laifu," Zhazha said.
"Laibao, a treasure has come? That's a good name, must be given by Lord Heizi!" the Ox Demon nodded, then said to the Dog Demon Laifu and the Rabbit Demon, "Alright, he's a newly promoted minor demon, probably poor as well, don't make it hard for him!"
"Exactly! Exactly!" Zhazha hopped on the buffalo horn.
"Laibao, welcome to our Mountain Patrol. I'm Dali, the oldest in our team, been here at Black Wind Mountain for over thirty years," the Ox Demon Dali said kindly.
"So it's Brother Dali, I greet you!" Mo Fan quickly cupped his hands.
"Human etiquette isn't very practical here at Black Wind Mountain, so you don't need to do that. Just be yourself, and make sure to complete the patrol tasks with us, don't drag down Lord Heizi," Dali advised.
"Got it, I understand."
Mo Fan nodded, then turned his gaze to the Rabbit Demon munching on a carrot atop Dali's head, asking, "And how should I address this brother?"
"I'm called Red-Eyed, also named by the lord. You can call me Brother Red-Eyed, but remember to owe me a gift, and don't forget your brother when you have good stuff!" the Rabbit Demon said.
"Of course, I won't forget Brother Red-Eyed!" Mo Fan smiled and nodded.
Since he was new here, he naturally wanted to get along with these demons.
"Hey! Laibao, we both have the surname Lai, don't forget your brother's gift in the future!"
The Dog Demon Laifu, seeing Red-Eyed and Mo Fan chatting happily, got anxious, fearing he might miss out on benefits.
"Understood, understood, rest assured, brothers, if I ever make it big, I won't forget your kindness!" Mo Fan promised with a smile, then asked, "Do you brothers all live near this banyan tree?"
"Yes, I live in the hollow under the tree, Zhazha lives in the nest on the tree, Red-Eyed and Dali live on the hillside not far away!" Laifu said.
"Since you all have dwellings, where should I live?" Mo Fan quickly asked.
Being new to this Demon Mountain, he needed to settle his residence first.
If it were the wild, he could just pick a spot and dig a cave dwelling.
But this was Black Wind Mountain, with many demons and potential conflicts. Being unfamiliar, randomly digging a cave might cause misunderstandings, which wouldn't be good.
"Laibao is right, since you guys have accepted his gift, you should help him find a good spot for a cave dwelling," Dali said.
"Alright, alright! Laibao, remember your brothers' kindness, don't forget the gift..."
"Laibao, do you have any requirements for the location of your cave dwelling?" Dali asked.
"I like damp places, so it would be best to dig a cave dwelling near a water source," Mo Fan thought and said.
"Toads like damp places, that makes sense!"
Dali nodded, then thought for a moment and said, "There's a mountain spring about a mile behind the hillside where I live, where we usually fetch water. Now it's your good fortune!"
Mo Fan was delighted, "Thank you, brothers!"
"Hop on, I'm faster, I'll carry you there!"
Dali offered, and after some polite refusals, Mo Fan couldn't resist and climbed onto Dali's broad back.
"Brother Dali, I want to ride too!" Laifu's eyes lit up.
"Alright, then you carry me for a while?"
Dali glanced at Laifu, who immediately fell silent and ran ahead.
"Laifu loves taking advantage of us minor demons, be wary of him," Dali advised.
"Got it, I understand." Mo Fan nodded.
From interacting with these demons, he had a grasp of Laifu's nature, or rather, the personalities of these four demon colleagues.
The sparrow Zhazha was chatty.
The Dog Demon Laifu liked to take advantage.
The Rabbit Demon Red-Eyed was stingy.
The Ox Demon Dali was honest and seemed the most reliable among them.
Soon, the group of five reached the so-called mountain spring.
Mo Fan was overjoyed at the sight.
It wasn't just a trickle of spring water, but a deep pool several feet wide.
As soon as he reached the spring pool, he felt a refreshing coolness, with a damp aura in the air, making him feel much more comfortable.
"Laibao, here's the mountain spring, what do you think?"
"If it's suitable, point out a spot, and we'll dig the cave dwelling for you!"