The Monkey King was impetuous by nature. Once it decided to act, it acted; once it decided to leave, it left.
Before leaving, to prevent the monkeys from disobeying and sneaking up the slope to disturb the immortal master, it came up with another method besides issuing stern orders: it took its copper staff and drew a large circle around Banyan Tree Slope.
Using the circle as a boundary, it ordered the monkeys to stay outside it, forbidding them from setting so much as a foot inside.
With that done, it shouldered its staff and set off.
There was actually a winding goat trail out of the mountains, but the Monkey King had not taken it last time, choosing instead to clamber over mountains and ridges.
Such was its nature.
It could also avoid risks that way.
It thought it might encounter people on the road.
And anyone who could travel through these wild mountains was no ordinary person. They might be saber wielders, or mages and sorcerers, all possessed of skills and means.
The Monkey King was not afraid; it simply felt there was no need for a clash.
This time, however, it decided to take the road.
Doing so would make it look more like a person.
The journey from Banyan Tree Slope to that large stockade was not short. It passed through several places along the way: dense pine woods, steep and perilous peaks, a meadow where wildflowers bloomed in exquisite beauty...
There was also a dilapidated village ruin, and a rolling stretch of burial grounds.
Whoosh!
A ghostly figure flipped out of a crumbling grave mound. It was a yellow weasel the size of a child, standing upright like a person, its eyes glowing a spectral green as it watched the approaching Monkey King.
Once it saw the Monkey King's face and long tail clearly, the weasel was disappointed. Turning, it leaped back into the earthen grave and hid itself again.
It was waiting for a person, not a monkey.
Unfazed by the strange sight, the Monkey King continued on.
As a Demon Beast, although it had awakened its intelligence, it had yet to grasp a true concept of time. It judged the passage of time mainly by the distinction between day and night.
And so it walked from morning until night.
At last, lights appeared ahead.
The points of light came from white paper lanterns hung overhead.
Each lantern bore a pitch-black character: "Yan."
The Monkey King could not read. It wanted to learn.
This was a vast stockade, built beside the mountains and water, complete with stone walls, battlements, and lookout towers for archers.
Within the stockade, houses were scattered like stars across a chessboard: stone houses, thatched cottages, stilt houses, all sorts.
Looking at the stockade, the Monkey King kept finding it sinister, feeling that certain frightening things existed within.
Perhaps its last experience of being hunted had left a shadow over it.
This time, its objective was clear: steal a sword, take it, and leave, without dragging through mud and water.
It chose a dim corner of the outer wall and nimbly climbed up.
The stone wall was high, but it posed no difficulty to a monkey.
Once atop the wall, the Monkey King crept into the darkness and hid, its gaze searching as it studied the people patrolling and keeping watch.
They all carried weapons, but these were mostly sabers. It saw no one carrying a sword.
The Monkey King felt rather frustrated. It remembered people here using swords, but now it could not find any.
With no other choice, it slipped inside and began searching the stockade.
Despite all the households, none actually kept dogs. Everything was quiet; it could not even hear anyone talking.
Must I wait until daytime, when people come out and move about, before I can find a sword?
The Monkey King could not go rummaging from house to house. That would cause too much commotion and easily get it discovered.
As it circled about, it spotted a lit house. People seemed to be holding a feast inside, and the rich fragrance of food drifted out.
The Monkey King approached cautiously, sprang onto the wall, and deftly climbed onto the roof. Then it slowly lifted a roof tile and peered inside.
At first glance, it spotted a sword.
The sword lay on a wooden table. About four feet long, it had a black leather scabbard and a gilt hilt, and looked quite fine.
This was certainly a good sword.
The Monkey King took a liking to it at once. That's the one!
Besides the sword, the table held wine and dishes. Two people sat opposite each other beside it, a man and a woman.
The man was over fifty, his temples already graying. The woman's age was hard to tell. She was scantily dressed, and from above, the deep ravine and jutting peaks were clearly visible.
The Monkey King only wanted the sword. Its heart remained utterly unruffled.
It pondered how to deal with the two people inside. Should it wait for an opportunity, or launch a surprise attack, leap down, snatch the sword, and run?
Just then, the woman rose with a cup of wine in hand and approached the man, brushing against him as though by accident. "Senior Brother Su, let me offer you a toast."
The man did not refuse. He drained the cup and asked in a low voice, "Junior Sister Yan, you said traces of a treasure ginseng were found deep in these mountains. Is that true?"
Junior Sister Yan replied, "My eldest brother saw it with his own eyes while gathering herbs in the mountains. He meant to go dig it up, but the treasure ginseng suddenly burrowed into the earth and fled."
A strange gleam flashed in Senior Brother Su's eyes as he listened. "A treasure ginseng that has awakened its spirituality. It must have grown for at least five hundred years. What a fine thing."
Junior Sister Yan said, "Yes. When word reached me from home, I immediately prepared to hurry back from the sect. But I could hardly catch the treasure ginseng alone, so I secretly invited you to come with me. With your cultivation, success will come as swiftly as a victorious horse the moment you act."
Senior Brother Su rather enjoyed her flattery and smiled faintly. "Once we succeed, I won't ask for much, only half. The rest will all be yours. By the way, is your eldest brother not home? I'd like to ask him about it in person."
Junior Sister Yan answered, "Unfortunately, he hasn't returned from gathering herbs in the mountains. He should be back tomorrow morning."
Senior Brother Su nodded. "Very good. To keep a long night from breeding more dreams, we'll head into the mountains tomorrow morning."
"Senior Brother, back in the lower courtyard, I had already admired you for a long time. But everyone was busy cultivating, and we rarely had a chance to drink alone together like this. Come, have a few more cups."
Junior Sister Yan seemed a little drunk. Her soft, delicate body edged ever closer, until she was almost sitting in his lap.
What a pair of dogs...
The Monkey King spat inwardly, only hoping the two would hurry off to do the deed so it could take the sword.
The next instant, everything changed.
With a bang, the man seemed to take a blow and staggered backward, pointing at the woman in shock and fury. "Junior Sister Yan! You?"
Junior Sister Yan giggled sweetly. "Senior Brother Su, you're the treasure ginseng I wanted."
A strange, deathly gray had already spread across Senior Brother Su's face, and even his voice changed. "The wine was poisoned?"
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. "Three years ago, Junior Brother Chen..."
Before he could finish, he collapsed.
Every trace of a smile vanished from Junior Sister Yan's face. She set down her wine cup and turned to open the door, preparing to summon people to carry away the corpse.
In that instant, she sensed something and whipped around, only to see a black shadow pouncing down through the air.
"What is that?"
Startled, Junior Sister Yan immediately struck, shooting out two hidden weapons.
The black shadow was exceedingly nimble. It swung in midair, and a long, whip-like appendage deftly coiled around the sword on the table.
Then it shot straight upward, escaping through the hole in the roof and vanishing in an instant.
Junior Sister Yan could not catch it. Urgent wooden clappers sounded throughout the stockade, and those responsible for patrolling and keeping watch rushed about searching, but found nothing.
Junior Sister Yan's face was livid. In that instant, she had clearly seen that the attacker was an ape wearing clothes:
"Was it a Demon Beast from the mountains? These Demon Beasts and spirits are growing more numerous and more rampant. Now they even dare break into the stockade."
"That damned monkey! It took Senior Brother Su's treasured sword. That was a mid-grade magic sword..."