Fate

Within Fourth Herb Valley.

Luo Chen stood beside the spirit fields, gazing beyond the herb valley as he murmured, "That little monkey really is relentless!"

He was referring to that golden-furred monkey.

Ten years had passed since their first meeting.

Today was once again the season to harvest the herbs in the valley. Luo Chen had come here and, unexpectedly, happened to encounter it.

Though perhaps it was no coincidence. Maybe the monkey's fortune was at work.

Over the past ten years, the golden-furred monkey had come to pay respects at the herb valley every year, each time bringing what it considered its most precious spirit peaches.

Luo Chen had watched it all. Aside from descending in his true body the first time and eating one of its spirit peaches, he had never accepted another of its offerings.

When the monkey saw the peach pits on the ground in the second year, it must have been deeply disappointed.

Luo Chen stood within the herb valley, watching the monkey nimbly cross countless barriers and make its way into that patch of dense forest.

Seeing the rotting spirit peaches on the bluestone, with only three peach pits left behind, the disappointment in the golden-furred monkey's eyes was impossible to conceal.

It dug a hole nearby and planted the three peach pits separately. Then it took three plump spirit peaches from its bosom and placed them anew upon the bluestone.

Having done all this, the golden-furred monkey knelt down in reverence as usual.

Even though it still received no response.

In Luo Chen's view, he had saved the golden-furred monkey once and eaten one of its spirit peaches. That meant they were even.

That was also why he had not accepted its remaining offerings.

Besides, when he had acted back then, he had