At this time, there were many small demons in the cavern.
Some were long, some were short, some were tall, and some were small.
Some looked like humans, some like beasts, and some like insects.
No matter what they looked like, everyone's gaze was focused on the same place.
In the center of the cavern, beside a massive stone platform.
A circle of small demons had gathered there, watching the commotion.
From the center of the circle came bursts of screams and curses.
Plague Rat's eyes lit up.
"Oh? I just got back and I'm already in time for a good show?"
He strode forward with an arrogant, swaggering gait, and Chen Zhou and the others followed behind him.
Squeezing to the edge of the crowd, Chen Zhou looked inside.
Beside the stone platform, two demons were fighting.
A Scorpion Demon, nearly thirty feet tall, was covered in a black carapace. His tail was arched high, and the poison needle at the tip shimmered with an eerie blue light.
He had one foot planted on another demon, cursing under his breath.
"You fucking dare to snatch my things?"
"Tired of living, are you?"
The Cockroach Demon pinned under his foot was much smaller. His brown carapace was covered in cracks, and one of his forelimbs was broken, leaving only a stump.
He lay on the ground, motionless, allowing the Scorpion Demon to trample him.
A few gray-green fruits were scattered nearby, likely dropped by the Cockroach Demon.
The Scorpion Demon stomped again.
"Get up!"
"Weren't you acting tough just now?"
"Daring to lay a hand on me... who the hell do you think you are?"
The Cockroach Demon still didn't move.
The Scorpion Demon spat on the ground and leaned over to pick up the fruits.
The Cockroach Demon seized the opportunity, quickly flipping over and using his remaining intact forelimb to slash fiercely at the Scorpion Demon's leg.
Caught off guard, the Scorpion Demon was struck directly.
But the Cockroach Demon was too weak.
The strike only left a white mark on the Scorpion Demon's carapace.
The Scorpion Demon froze for a moment, then flew into a rage.
"You still fucking dare to fight back?"
He kicked the Cockroach Demon away.
The Cockroach Demon slammed into the stone wall, slid down, and sprawled on the ground, vomiting large mouthfuls of blood.
None of the demons watching from the sidelines made a sound.
Some were expressionless, some were gloating, and some were even laughing.
The weaker demons had long since hidden in the cracks of the rocks, shivering and fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.
Jian Huaishuang frowned, his hand moving to his sword hilt.
Encountering injustice on the road was against his nature; he could not stand the sight of the strong bullying the weak, even if the victim was an ugly cockroach.
Plague Rat held him back. "Don't be in such a hurry."
Jian Huaishuang looked at him in confusion.
Plague Rat gave a mischievous grin. "You don't understand the Earth Dissolving Cave. As for the rules here... let Lord Rat perform for you."
With that, he let go and strode into the circle.
"Well, if it isn't the Old Scorpion?"
The Scorpion Demon started, turned his head, and narrowed his eyes when he saw Plague Rat.
"Little black rat?"
Plague Rat walked up to him, crossing his arms.
"Long time no see."
The Scorpion Demon sized him up.
"You're actually still alive?"
"I thought you were dead a long time ago."
Plague Rat laughed even more happily.
"Dead? How could Lord Rat die?"
"Lord Rat is an Auspicious One."
The Scorpion Demon said cautiously, "Don't give me that nonsense. What, is that stinking cockroach your relative? You want to stand up for him?"
Plague Rat shook his head.
"Nope."
"Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with Lord Rat."
The Scorpion Demon clutched the fruits tighter, frowning.
"Then what are you here for?"
"You know the rules of the Earth Dissolving Cave. I suggest you don't go looking for trouble."
Plague Rat laughed arrogantly. "Of course I know the rules. I just don't like the look of you and want to give you a beating. Got a problem with that?"
The Scorpion Demon laughed in anger. Just as he was about to say something, he realized he could no longer move.
His expression changed. He had fallen into a trap. But when?
Plague Rat walked over with a smile and patted the Scorpion Demon's face.
"Old Scorpion, come on, be a good boy and kowtow to your Lord Rat."
The Scorpion Demon couldn't speak. A mist from the ground had locked him in place. His feet had already begun to fester, his carapace was shattering, and his flesh was peeling away.
As intense pain surged, the Scorpion Demon collapsed to the ground, struggling desperately.
But the mist only coiled tighter and deeper.
A moment later, he stopped moving.
Plague Rat withdrew the mist and walked over, stepping on his face.
"A hundred years ago, you snatched Lord Rat's things just like this. Hahahaha."
"Back then, did you ever think this day would come, eh?"
The Scorpion Demon let out a faint groan.
He was utterly bewildered. How could a three-hundred-year-old little black rat, who had been scurrying around in hiding back then, become so strong?
So strong that he didn't even have a chance to escape.
Plague Rat ground his boot into the demon's face.
"Does it feel good?"
"Does it feel good?"
The Scorpion Demon grit his teeth and didn't make a sound.
After a while, seeing that the Scorpion Demon remained silent, Plague Rat found it boring. He withdrew his foot and looked around.
The demons who had been watching the commotion had long since vanished.
Plague Rat grinned. "Why are you all running? Lord Rat is in a good mood today; I'm not going to kill anyone."
No one responded.
Only a faint trembling sound came from the cracks in the rocks.
Plague Rat curled his lip and turned to walk back.
Jing Hui stood at the edge of the crowd, looking at the Cockroach Demon on the ground.
He walked over and leaned down, intending to pick up the fruits and return them to the Cockroach Demon.
"Don't—"
Plague Rat's voice came from behind.
But it was too late.
Just as Jing Hui's hand touched the fruits, the Cockroach Demon lying on the ground suddenly moved.
He flipped over instantly, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
A flash of black light erupted, and half of Jing Hui's paper hand went flying.
Clutching his fruits, the Cockroach Demon scurried into a nearby rock crack and vanished.
Jing Hui stood frozen in place, staring at his severed hand.
From the jagged edge, paper scraps fluttered down.
Residual demon poison clung to the paper surface, making a faint sizzling sound.
It didn't hurt.
A paper body felt no pain. It was just a hand; he could just paste a new one on.
But Jing Hui stood there, motionless.
'Why?'
He had only wanted to help him.
He had seen him being bullied, beaten half to death, and wanted to return his fruits to him.
Yet the Cockroach Demon had taken the opportunity to bite off his hand.
Jing Hui couldn't understand it at all.
Plague Rat walked over and supported Jing Hui with a look of utter disdain.
"I told you already, the Earth Dissolving Cave has its own rules. If you don't understand them, don't go meddling."
Jing Hui looked at him, his voice raspy. "I only..."
Plague Rat interrupted him.
"You think the black scorpion is the villain and the stinking cockroach is innocent?"
"Those fruits might very well have been snatched from some other, even weaker demon."
Jing Hui was stunned.
Plague Rat sighed.
"Old man, there are no innocents in the Earth Dissolving Cave. Anyone who can survive here isn't clean."
He pointed to the cracks in the rocks around them.
"You see those ones hiding? You think they're afraid?"
"They're waiting."
"They're waiting for us to leave so they can come out and see if there are any scraps left to scavenge."
"Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp, and the shrimp just wait to die."
"That's just how the Earth Dissolving Cave is."
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