Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
In the bamboo grove on Ink Bamboo Mountain, Li Fan sat cross-legged atop a bamboo stalk, eyes closed as he breathed in and out, swaying with the wind. At first glance, he looked like an enlightened master who had regained his youth.
But beneath the grove, a pair of iron truncheons and three spiked clubs floated in the air, surrounding a troop of Thunder Monkeys and beating them senseless. They had been at it for a full quarter of an hour without stopping. Even the Thunder Monkeys' thick hides couldn't take that kind of punishment, and their shrieks rang out one after another. The scene had nothing in common with an immortal's lofty bearing; it was downright bloody and brutal...
"Tsk." Li Fan looked at the Thunder Monkeys below, groaning with lumps all over their heads. He raised an eyebrow and turned his head. "Sorry for the trouble, seniors, but could you stand a little farther away? With you watching from right beside me, the monkey king can smell you and won't come out."
There was clearly no one around him. Yet a sharp smack rang out, and someone slapped the back of his head hard enough to make his teeth ache.
"Damn, it's Xiao Qing on duty today. Just my luck..."
Ever since returning from the sword duel, the Five Luo Sword Ghosts—purple, white, gold, green, and red—had been secretly protecting Li Fan. They never showed themselves or struck up a conversation, but every so often they pulled some stunt. It left Li Fan feeling like someone was watching him eat, drink, sleep, and even use the toilet. He couldn't relax at all.
Still, after observing them over the past few days, he'd formed some guesses and profiles of these