Cuihou Peak

Although the Si Mu Tiger Demon had somehow ended up here, the Dugu family had to be on guard.

Thus, they also wanted to get some concrete information from Xu Chang and the others to prepare and respond.

"Then I'll have to trouble Brother Dugu once more."

Xu Chang was just thinking about how to repay Dugu Ye's favor.

At that point, exchanging some information would count as settling that debt of gratitude.

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all. As it happens, I also need to consult Brother Xu about Foundation Establishment matters."

Dugu Ye said with a smile.

After watching the two board the Floating Cloud Boat and drift away, Dugu Ye turned to look at his most beautiful niece.

"You feel wronged serving that young man from Shu Mountain?"

Dugu Ye said coldly, his face completely different from the kind demeanor he'd shown Lin Chan and the others.

"Uncle, I did my best, but that young master only cared about eating. He didn't spare me a single glance, like he was blind."

The pretty young woman said with some grievance.

"Who's blind?"

Dugu Ye pinched her cheek with two fingers and lifted her up, making her face sting with pain.

"Our family gave you so many resources, and you can't even reach mid-stage Qi Cultivation. I told you to seduce a hot-blooded young novice, and you couldn't even do that. Is it that you don't want to, or you can't? Half of Shu Mountain's Inner Sect Disciples have a chance at Foundation Establishment. Even if he only favored you for one night, your status would be completely different. And you still didn't put in the effort!"

Dugu Ye said coldly.

The young woman looked at his icy gaze. Compared to the pain on her face, the fear chilling her heart took over.

She didn't understand why Dugu Ye was so angry. Seducing a disciple from a major sect was never a high-probability success—why was he this furious?

After venting his anger, Dugu Ye lowered his hand and said coldly:

"Earlier, Li Yuxiang came to me to propose marriage to you. I agreed. You'll marry him in a few days."

"Uncle! I was wrong! Give me another chance! Please! Don't marry me off to that old man!"

The young woman said in panic.

The man Dugu Ye mentioned was an Old Man who had been loyal to the Dugu family for decades, hardworking and devoted, whose wife had just died.

Rather than marrying such an old man, she would rather truly become a one-night plaything for a major sect disciple.

The young woman kept begging bitterly.

But Dugu Ye didn't even glance back at her.

As the current head of the Dugu family, he naturally had the authority to decide his niece's marriage.

The Floating Cloud Boat traveled another half day, and the two saw lush green mountains in the distance.

Before they even landed, they heard the cries of apes echoing through the peaks.

"Senior Brother, how about letting A Li scout ahead first?"

Lin Chan asked.

"That little cat of yours has only cultivated for a few years. Is its intelligence sufficient? Don't let the monkeys on the mountain catch it and skin it."

Xu Chang said with a smile.

He had once seen monkeys skinning a cat and found the scene both bizarre and amusing.

"Senior Brother is right."

Lin Chan didn't argue.

"Stay here for now. Don't move. I'll catch a Green Monkey and ask it in detail."

Xu Chang found a big tree and left Lin Chan there.

Lin Chan had no choice but to sit down obediently with Little Li.

Xu Chang moved extremely fast, following the ape cries until he caught a Green Monkey.

The Green Monkey had a tuft of green fur by its ear. It struggled nonstop in Xu Chang's grip.

Only after Xu Chang released a bit of Foundation Establishment pressure did the little Green Monkey calm down.

Xu Chang swept it with his divine sense, found its cultivation too shallow, and let it go to catch another.

The next one he caught understood the Wu Country language, so Xu Chang spoke to it in Wu Country tongue:

"Don't be nervous. I won't harm you. I'm a Shu Mountain disciple. I want to see your Great King and offer him some gifts. Can you lead the way?"

"Shu... Shu Mountain? What Shu Mountain?"

The Green Monkey, with a decade of cultivation, said somewhat shakily.

"It's a human immortal cultivation force, a member of the Dao Alliance."

Xu Chang explained further.

"The Dao Alliance? We Cuihou monkeys were just fishing the moon from the water—we haven't done anything wrong. Don't take us away."

The green monkey before him finished speaking, then looked a bit guilty.

It also had a habit of stealing clothes from mortals bathing in the stream, just to watch them blush red as monkey butts when they couldn't find their garments.

If a human cultivator came to exterminate them over that, it would be far too unjust.

"Go back. Call your elders here."

Xu Chang released the green monkey.

Chasing them down one by one would take forever—better to let these monkeys spread the word themselves.

After that, Xu Chang found Lin Chan, and the two waited together.

A while later, an old monkey two meters tall, with white brows and a white beard, swung over on vines between the giant trees.

Old Green Monkey had a century of cultivation, the green fur around his ears already tinged white. He was the former master of Cuihou Peak.

When the Si Mu Tiger Demon took over Cuihou Peak, he didn't drive him away but let him stay and live there, so Old Green Monkey willingly became his subordinate.

"You two are Shu Mountain disciples?"

Old Green Monkey sat cross-legged before them and spoke.

Xu Chang glanced at Lin Chan, signaling that it was now his turn to take the lead.

"That's right. We've come to request an audience with the Great Si Mu Demon."

Lin Chan said calmly.

True Person Xuan Chen had sent him precisely because he knew the Si Mu Tiger Demon, so he couldn't afford to show weakness.

"I've heard of Shu Mountain's fearsome Monster Locking Pagoda. Are you here to capture the Great King? Shu Mountain sent two brats like you?"

Old Green Monkey bared his fangs and let out a long howl.

Lin Chan's heart faltered for a moment, but he quickly steadied it. Closing his eyes, he silently recited a few calming verses he'd read.

With the calming verses and the Heart Like a Mirror talent working together, Lin Chan barely managed to settle himself.

Such was the intimidation of a century-old great demon.

Xu Chang, on the other hand, had already reached Foundation Establishment in his own cultivation and could contend with Old Green Monkey. He glared coldly at the old monkey, refusing to back down.

Lin Chan steadied his uneasy heart, opened his eyes, and said:

"If Shu Mountain truly meant to capture you, would we have sent only the two of us? Just go tell that tiger demon that the seeker of immortality who once scraped by in the Broken Temple wants to visit an old friend."

Old Green Monkey turned his gaze to Lin Chan, stood up, and slowly walked toward him.

Xu Chang formed a hand seal for Sword Riding with one hand and gripped a golden talisman with the other, ready to rescue Lin Chan at a moment's notice.

Lin Chan kept his Lesser Merit Record on him, unafraid of Old Green Monkey's stare, and looked back at him calmly.

"Wait here!"

Old Green Monkey pointed a finger at the two of them, then turned and left.

Half an hour later, Old Green Monkey returned with a kindly expression, a full smile on his face as he said to them:

"Honored guests of the two Great Kings, the earlier was all a misunderstanding. Please, follow me—let this old one treat you well."

Then Old Green Monkey led them up the mountain, with a crowd of little green monkeys swinging on vines and chattering behind.

Bringing them to the base of a massive tree hollow, Old Green Monkey called for the little monkeys to bring fruit.

"These are spiritual fruits from the mountain—crisp and sweet. Please, help yourselves."

Old Green Monkey pointed at the fruits on the stone table.

"We'll pass."

Lin Chan and Xu Chang exchanged a glance, then shook their heads.

"No, no—the Great King said we must treat you two guests well. If you don't care for the fruit, there's spiritual wine, plump Ground Honey Worms, and nuts. I've also sent my monkey children to catch chickens and fish—just wait a moment."

Old Green Monkey had brought out nearly every edible spiritual thing on the mountain to entertain them.

Seeing such courtesy from Old Green Monkey meant the Si Mu Tiger Demon still remembered his old ties with Lin Chan. The two relaxed, knowing this trip to Wu Country would go smoothly.

Still, Lin Chan decided not to linger on the mountain to avoid any trouble.

"Senior, no need for such formalities. Please, lead me to see the Great Si Mu King."

Lin Chan looked at Old Green Monkey.

"Sir, just call me Old Green. In your presence, I don't deserve the title 'senior.'"

Old Green Monkey waved his hands repeatedly, flustered by Lin Chan calling him senior.

Then, regarding Lin Chan's request to see the Si Mu Tiger Demon, Old Green Monkey stammered:

"The Great King is currently in seclusion cultivating and can't meet you two. If you have something to say, just tell Old Green here, and I'll pass it on to the Great King later."

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