Unexpected Discovery

Su Qing and her companions stood still, and that was fine.

But the moment they moved, chaos erupted.

The mountain’s overlord monkeys, as if receiving a signal, leaped into action, shrieking and charging.

They split into two groups: one dashed through the forest floor for close combat, while the other swung through the treetops, hurling branches, leaves, and fruits at Su Qing’s group.

The adult monkeys, young and vigorous, moved like lightning.

Su Qing didn’t dare look back, only hearing the shrieks growing closer.

The next second, Zhu Xing’er’s panicked cries rang out.

A monkey had grabbed her skirt, striking her.

Su Qing tried to help, but as she stopped, a fruit smashed her forehead, golden juice dripping down, stars bursting in her vision.

The treetop monkeys, seeing their hit, mocked her with shrill jeers.

Bullied by monkeys to this degree—could they still call themselves human?

Furious, Su Qing yanked away the monkeys harassing Zhu Xing’er, taking several hits herself.

She grabbed her stick and swung hard at their tail bases, making them leap in pain.

Soon, the monkeys couldn’t take it, grimacing and scattering.

After driving off the close attackers, she brandished her slender stick, swinging with force.

The flexible branch whipped through the air with a “whoosh,” leaving red welts on impact.

The monkeys didn’t dare approach, and Su Qing carved out a clear space.

She knew they couldn’t just run—they’d be tormented to death by these lawless monkeys.

Calming herself, she turned, took a bold step, planted her stick, and glared at the horde, eyes blazing: “Come try me again—I’ll beat you senseless!”

Her stance stunned the monkeys, making them wary of advancing.

She instinctively mimicked the focused gaze of a predator from wildlife shows.

Some monkeys, unwilling to back down, tested her, but Su Qing’s eyes tracked their every move.

The wild monkeys paused, huddling together, cautiously eyeing these three hairless oddities.

These three were strange, and the big one hit hard…

Su Qing grasped the tactic, leading Xiu Fu and Zhu Xing’er in a slow retreat while maintaining her intimidating glare.

Finally, the monkeys relented, and the trio reached safety.

Once secure, Zhu Xing’er’s shoulders slumped, and she burst into tears: “I’m done with this selection—I want to go home.”

She looked pitiful—clothes torn by monkeys, hair disheveled, body smeared with fruit juice, utterly disheveled.

Xiu Fu quickly wiped her tears, checking for scrapes.

Thankfully, Zhu Xing’er’s thick clothes protected her—no obvious wounds.

Though an only child, Xiu Fu played the big sister well, soothing her gently.

Su Qing mixed salt water, and they cleaned their minor abrasions.

Zhu Xing’er calmed slightly but still sobbed, tears dripping.

Normal—being humiliated by monkeys wasn’t easy to shrug off.

But Su Qing hesitated, then spoke: “I just saw disciple jade tokens.”

Xiu Fu’s eyes widened, and Zhu Xing’er forgot her tears, drops clinging to her chin.

Her competitive streak flared: “Where?”

Su Qing shared the harsh truth: “Hanging on several monkeys’ waists. Either someone tied them there, or they stole them and mimicked wearing them.”

Zhu Xing’er insisted: “Definitely stolen.”

Realizing others suffered too, she felt better.

But a new problem arose. “Those damn monkeys are so savage—how do we get them?”

They couldn’t fight the monkeys head-on.

Setting traps lacked materials.

After days of travel for a token clue, they weren’t giving up.

Traps—yes, traps!

Su Qing recalled Hunter Chen’s techniques from Little Shu Village.

She glanced at Xiu Fu, who caught her look and frowned, catching on.

“There might be a way… Xiu Fu, remember how Hunter Chen hunted wild boars? We spied on him.”

“I remember—it’s about conflicting herbs.”

Xiu Fu’s eyes lit up, explaining to a confused Zhu Xing’er: “The monkeys chased us, meaning the fire cherry grove is their territory. They must eat those fruits.”

“There’s an herb called Moonview Grass, used in soups for calming the spleen. But taken with fire cherries, it causes paralysis and fainting.”

“Hunters back home use this to catch prey. Even a fierce mountain boar, eating both, becomes helpless.”

Xiu Fu added: “The effect wears off easily, harmless to humans—gone in a day or two. Otherwise, hunters wouldn’t sell the meat, fearing it’d harm buyers.”

Zhu Xing’er saw the plan. “A day or two’s enough to grab tokens and leave.”

The trio discussed and found it feasible.

Zhu Xing’er, especially, gritted her teeth, eager for revenge.

Moonview Grass wasn’t hard to find, especially in the mountain’s lush season.

Soon, Xiu Fu spotted some on the other side of the peak.

Despite its poetic name, Moonview Grass was an ordinary mortal herb—small leaves, thin roots, no scent, unremarkable.

Perfect for their plan.

As for dosing the monkeys, Su Qing found a spot.

It was the rainy season, and last night’s rain left a clear puddle before the fire cherry grove.

The sweet fruits left the monkeys thirsty, so they often drank there.

The puddle, small and stagnant, was ideal.

That night, while the monkeys slept, Su Qing, masking her face, crept to the puddle and poured in Moonview Grass juice, then slipped away.

Her movements were light and quick, and the puddle’s distance from the grove avoided alerting the sentinel monkeys.

Back at their borrowed cave, she signaled all was well.

Xiu Fu had lit a fire and brewed noodle tea.

Relieved Su Qing was safe, she handed her a bowl.

Su Qing ate dry rations with the tea, feeling warmed.

She took over the fire watch at midnight, relieving Xiu Fu.

The next day, Su Qing eagerly checked her handiwork.

Returning quietly to the fire cherry grove, they found monkeys sprawled across the ground.

Though she’d used ample juice, the rainwater diluted it.

The monkeys weren’t unconscious but paralyzed, unable to move.

Seeing the girls, they whimpered in fear.

Zhu Xing’er laughed triumphantly, hands on hips: “Serves you right for bullying us!”

With no time to linger, they found the monkeys with tokens, untied them, and tucked them away.

Su Qing sighed in relief: “Good, we all have tokens. Now we just keep moving, avoiding others.”

If they reached the main peak within two weeks to register, they’d be set.

The monkeys had five tokens—three extra.

Su Qing took them, thinking to use them to ally with others or trade for supplies.

The mild dose of Moonview Grass and fire cherries would wear off in a day, so they left the monkeys and moved on.

Zhu Xing’er, still bitter, tugged the tail of the monkey that tore her skirt.

By the third day, new troubles arose.

Deep in the mountains, dense trees blocked the sky, obscuring the main peak’s direction.

Xiu Fu said: “We’re in a valley, can’t see up. Climb to the peak, and we’ll know the way.”

A high vantage would clarify the route.

But climbing brought another issue.

The sky darkened, clouds gathering—rain was coming.

Getting soaked and feverish could be deadly.

They needed shelter before the rain hit.

Xiu Fu, sharp-eyed and experienced, soon spotted a cave mouth hidden by the forest.

As they rushed in, raindrops began to fall.

The damp, cold air made Su Qing shiver.

No conditions for a fire, they huddled, pulling a small blanket from their packs to stay warm.

Su Qing, mood swayed by weather, felt low watching the gray sky and beaded rain outside.

But something caught her attention.

Noticing Zhu Xing’er’s hair trembling slightly, she said: “There’s wind. Feel it?”

Zhu Xing’er replied casually: “Wind’s normal in a cave, not a house. Ugh, I’d kill to sleep on my embroidered bed right now.”

“No,” Su Qing said, eyeing her hair’s movement. “The wind’s coming from behind us.”

Xiu Fu got it. “You mean this cave goes through?”

“Don’t know where it leads,” Su Qing nodded. “If it crosses the mountain, it’d save so much time.”

With tokens secured, their only worry was the two-week deadline.

A shortcut here would be a godsend.

Su Qing voiced it: “Since the rain stops us, why not explore inside?”

Not all would go—Zhu Xing’er stayed to guard the entrance.

She protested, scared and angry: “Don’t think I’m useless just because I’m young. I’m going with you!”

Su Qing reasoned: “If you come and we get lost, what then? You stay to signal us, so we know where the entrance is.”

Her logic won, and Zhu Xing’er agreed.

The cave’s darkness posed a risk, so Su Qing and Xiu Fu cut hemp rope into segments for trail markers.

They ventured in.

Soon, Su Qing relaxed.

The tunnel showed clear human craftsmanship—walls embedded with glowing stones every ten meters.

Narrow at first, it widened after ten meters, becoming smooth and spacious.

Zhu Xing’er counted, calling their names every hundred beats as a signal.

After half an hour, Su Qing deemed it safe—no danger, a viable path.

They returned, packed, and brought Zhu Xing’er along.

After about two hours, daylight blazed ahead—a cave exit.

Stepping out, they found soft sunlight, lush greenery, and vibrant bamboo groves.

Su Qing estimated they’d crossed nearly two mountains’ worth of distance.

If she was right, this tunnel shot them to the mid-front of the pack.

What a stroke of luck!

Su Qing marveled inwardly.

Then, Xiu Fu tugged her sleeve, and Zhu Xing’er whispered warily: “Someone’s ahead.”

Peering through the bamboo path, they saw a figure—not standing, but face-down, seemingly unconscious.

Most crucially, a disciple jade token gleamed faintly at their waist!