This toad had a particular skill: it excelled at concealing itself. Whether crouching in the grass, burrowing into the mud, or leaping into a tree, it could blend into its surroundings in an instant, becoming difficult to spot.
Now it came ashore and stealthily followed the monkey king.
The monkey king noticed nothing. In high spirits after defeating the toad, it whistled as it walked.
It walked upright like a human, the wrought-copper staff slung across its shoulders and its long arms draped over either end, swaggering along the path.
Seeing its smug demeanor, the toad gnashed its teeth with hatred and nearly lost the urge to restrain itself from leaping over for a sneak attack and ramming it with a headbutt.
In the end, it held back.
Along the path, across a mountain stream, and over some hills, they reached the foot of Banyan Tree Slope.
The toad immediately spotted piles of broken bricks and shattered tiles. These were precisely what the monkeys had dismantled and hauled over from the landing, all heaped here in a disorderly mess.
By the look of things, they had not built any houses.
That made the toad feel a little better.
Looking again at the monkey king, it saw the monkey nimbly leap into an old pine, then sit cross-legged atop its crown in the full lotus position, raising its head to gaze at the moon.
Dressed in a long robe, it looked no different from a human at a distance.
The toad froze for a moment. Something about that meditative posture felt unusual. This was certainly no haphazard way of sitting; it looked as though an expert had instructed it.
Where had this expert come from?
That red-haired corpse monster?
The toad looked around but saw no sign of the other creature, so it continued watching the monkey king.
From the look of it, the monkey king actually seemed to be trying to draw in the moonlight essence from the sky.
But how was that possible?
For all mountain spirits and wild monsters, moonlight essence was something they yearned for even in their dreams, yet it remained within sight and beyond reach. They had no way of obtaining it.
They could only lie low and live among the mountains and rivers, waiting for a fortuitous opportunity and a stroke of fortune.
That legendary stroke of fortune was the "Imperial Flowing Sap," which might appear once every sixty years.
When it came, ten thousand golden threads descended into the mortal world, as though the immortal Dao were bestowing its favor, teaching all without distinction. Plants that received its essence could awaken intelligence and become spirits; birds and beasts that obtained even a wisp could transform into demons.
True demons of the sort that could speak, and even assume other forms.
Yet such fortune could only be encountered, never sought. Even obtaining a little moonlight essence counted as an immense fortuitous opportunity.
In other words, if the monkey king could draw in lunar essence on its own, it would be a true demon. Handling the toad would be a one-handed affair. How could they have fought to a standstill?
Sure enough, the toad watched the monkey king struggle for quite some time without success before giving up and concentrating on entering a meditative trance.
The toad breathed a sigh of relief and secretly felt pleased.
Just then, it heard some movement and raised its head to look that way. Although the old banyan's branches and leaves blocked its view, it could occasionally glimpse cold gleams dancing about.
The cold gleams extended and retracted. Even from so far away, the sight carried a biting sharpness that made its eyes sting.
Startled, the toad wondered what that was and considered whether to creep closer for a look.
Swish!
A cold gleam suddenly shot toward it, like a meteor streaking across the night sky, swift and fierce, stabbing straight at its hiding place.
Oh no!
I've been discovered...
Terrified, the toad let out a cry, sprang up, and bounded desperately toward the landing.
The monkey king abruptly rose atop the old pine. Its exceptional eyesight immediately picked out the bedraggled figure fleeing in panic.
That toad actually dared come ashore and make its way here.
Needless to say, it must have come to gather intelligence.
The monkey king grabbed its staff, let out a long howl, and leaped after it.
Its Movement Method was ferocious, but the toad was faster still. Without looking back, it covered several zhang with every leap, then sprang into the water upon reaching the riverbank.
Only one thought remained in its head: Move. Move house right now!
Unable to catch up, the monkey king could only return in frustration. It spotted the precious sword embedded several inches deep in a tree trunk.
The toad had been hiding right there, blending into the mottled bark.
But how could it escape the immortal master's Divine Sense?
That sword should have pierced the toad clean through the heart. Its aim being off must have been deliberate on the immortal master's part, merely a warning that spared the toad.
To be honest, the monkey king did not want the toad to lose its life so unwittingly. After all, they had been neighbors for years and had dealings with one another.
Both were Demon Beasts with awakened intelligence. If it died before the monkey king's eyes, it would inevitably feel like the fox mourning the rabbit's death.
Turning its head, it saw that Chen Jin had already descended from the tree and was standing at ease on the slope, his hands behind his back.
The monkey king hurriedly pulled out the precious sword and eagerly carried it over in both paws.
The blade felt heavy in its grasp, its edge radiating a chill that penetrated its thick fur and made it shudder.
It truly was a precious sword.
Come to think of it, when it had stolen this sword from the stronghold, it had never drawn it for a look. This was its first direct contact with the blade.
Chen Jin took the sword, returned it to its sheath, and gazed at the monkey king with shining eyes.
The monkey king's heart skipped a beat as it suddenly realized: The immortal master's eyes are actually this bright...
It hastily began gesturing, conveying how it had first lost and then won its bouts against the toad.
As it saw things, this affair had begun with it, leading the toad to sneak over here and disturb the immortal master's cultivation. It was at fault.
But the immortal master did not punish it, merely waving a hand to dismiss it.
The monkey king sighed in relief. Rather than return to the old pine, it guarded the entrance to the path, lest the toad come back.
Meanwhile, Chen Jin returned to the shrine and sat down with the Slay Evil Sword laid across his knees, sighing inwardly:
This stiff-jointed body of mine really isn't suited to sword practice. Otherwise, how could I have lost my grip and actually thrown the sword away?
Who knew that a crooked shot would hit the mark and frighten off that toad?
Now that it's gone, it probably won't dare come back.
After all, a magic sword itself held an invisible power of deterrence over mountain spirits and wild monsters.
He bore the toad no ill will, but he hoped they could stay out of each other's affairs. So long as it did not come to Banyan Tree Slope to cause trouble, that was enough.
All he wanted was to focus quietly on cultivation.
The weather had been clear of late, and the full moon limpid, making this the best time to draw in moonlight essence.
But owing to his body's unusual condition, he could not absorb it without restraint. Like a bowl, it could hold only a bowlful of water; any more would overflow and serve no purpose.
To hold more was simple: enlarge the bowl into a wooden bucket.
Expanding that capacity was likewise a slow, painstaking task, intimately tied to opening the twelve primary meridians.
So Chen Jin worked on several fronts at once: drawing in Qi, visualizing, and practicing with the sword. In short, he refused to let himself remain idle.
When he had time to spare, he swept the ground.
Though he was a zombie, he yearned for cleanliness deep down, even considering taking a bath and washing his clothes.
On second thought, cultivation took priority for now, and he could not waste too much time, so he abandoned the idea.
With his sight and hearing restored, he began tackling the next stage.
Between his sense of smell and his ability to speak, he chose to prioritize the latter.
While people lived, they had the desire to express themselves.
Was there any form of expression simpler and clearer than opening one's mouth to speak?