Chapter Thirty-Seven: Abolishing Slave Registers

  Wow!

  Li Chen leaped forward, using the skills he had honed on Eagle Cliff to their fullest extent, and darted downwards with a speed reminiscent of a swift monkey.

  Whoosh!

  Lei Peng swooped down, suddenly diving, and landed on a ancient tree below, his golden eyes spinning rapidly, as if searching for something to eat.

  "Lei Peng!"

  Suddenly, Li Chen let out a loud and stern shout, stopping the restless Lei Peng, whose body flashed as he darted into the dense forest cave.

  Whoosh!

  Never had Leipeng been scolded like this, the wronged bird cried out and flew up, circling above Lichen's head, as if asking for an explanation.

  At this time, Li Chen had no mood to care about him. In his line of sight, there were only the bloody corpses of iron-armed apes, white bones, eyeballs filled with blood threads, and wide-open mouths that seemed to be screaming in their last agony.

  The sorrowful wind whispers silently, telling the desolation of this place.

  The more Li Chen looked, the more his heart sank. On that day, at the waterfall, there were nearly a thousand monkeys, and the valley was filled with their chirping calls, full of joy and vitality.

  But unexpectedly, in just half a year's time, when we met again, it had already become a ruin, and not even an iron-armed ape was to be seen.

  Half a minute later, Li Chen arrived in front of the Stone Forest, involuntarily clenching his fists.

  The entire Shilin was as if dyed with blood, with limbs and arms scattered everywhere, all left behind by the Iron Arm Apes. The intact corpses had their fur stripped off.

  The deeper you go, near the entrance of the cave, dozens of sturdy corpses lie on the ground, covered in blood. The most striking thing is a crutch, or rather, the severed arm that's still gripping it.

  The dull and lusterless grey hair indicated that its owner was the old monkey who had hosted a banquet for Li Chen back in the day.

  "How did this happen?"

  Mumbling to himself, with a dull gaze, Li Chen slowly moved his heavy footsteps to the corner of the stone cave, looking at the dismembered old monkey.

  An aged skull, wide open eyeballs, gazing into the void, as if silently telling and asking.

  In a daze, Li Chen returned to that day and saw the old monkey with its big toothless mouth, constantly letting him enjoy the spiritual fruit.

  "Who is it?"

  Fierce howls, Li Chen looked up at the sky, and his body suddenly flashed with an aura that was not quite human.

  Seemingly affected by his emotions, the birthmark on his temple suddenly flashed with a faint bloody light, making him look extremely ferocious.

  Echoes of cries resounded through the valley, but there was no one to answer.

  Look at the blood coagulation of this group of monkeys, it is obvious that they were ambushed when the sky was still dark and life was most scarce. According to him, he had been here for nearly two hours.

  Even if there is a flying bird like Lei Peng, it's probably already impossible to catch up.

  With Li Chen's experience of lurking in the ancient Cangshan Mountains for so long, there are too many people coming, and even if they chase after him, there is only one dead end.

  But such a big action can't be hidden for long. As long as you listen carefully afterwards, you will definitely find the clue to the murderer.

  Whoosh!

  In the silence of dawn, Lei Chen was startled by Leipeng's sharp cry, and with a sorrowful face, he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, called out to Leipeng, and began to gather all the corpses together and bury them.

  After several hours had passed, when the sun was already setting in the west, this massive project was finally completed. In the middle of Monkey Valley, a pile of rocks appeared, several meters high and wide.

  "My grandfather often said that on the mainland, the weak are preyed upon by the strong and the strong are revered, this is an unchanging truth since ancient times. But he also told me that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring."

  "On that day, we also became acquainted. I, Lai Chen, received the courteous treatment of Old Hu. Today, I make a vow here to surely kill the primary culprit and offer his head as a sacrifice to repay the kindness of Old Hu's gift of wine!"

  Standing in front of the pile of rocks, he bowed his head and paid respects to the upright stick, then turned around and left without looking back.

  Whoosh!

  A slightly dull cry, for the decline of the Iron Arm Ape tribe, in the sorrowful wind, added a few more sad and beautiful chapters.

  Luo Huang City was originally named Gu Yang City, one of the countless towns on the edge of the ancient Cangshan Mountains. Sixteen years ago, a great war caused a phoenix to appear in the sky, and the city was renamed.

  In the city, three families, Li, Zhao and Liu, control nearly 90% of the resources, competing with each other, but they are evenly matched, so none can overpower the others.

  But over a decade or so, the Li family gradually became the strongest in Luoying City, and the Zhao and Liu families had to join forces to barely suppress each other.

  "First-rate late-stage demonic beast hide, perfect for crafting defensive gear!"

  "Top-grade Rejuvenation Pill, an essential life-saving elixir for venturing into the Ancient Desolate Mountains!"

  "Top-notch elite soldiers, sold for 5,000 taels of gold!"

  On the bustling streets, vendors on both sides constantly shouted and promoted their goods to passersby.

  A slender but upright figure, a long-haired young man wearing ordinary adventurer's attire, walked slowly forward with a leather satchel on his back, without even giving a glance to these extraordinary treasures.

  "These people really dare to say anything!"

  Lowering his head, the young man's mouth corners slightly curled up, skillfully dodging several vendors' tugs without leaving any marks, it was indeed Li Chen who had escaped from Gu Cang Mountain for more than half a year.

  Not far away, he turned into a shop, exchanged several ordinary first-grade spiritual herbs for some gold and silver, and strode towards the magnificent gate of a mansion on the street.

  "Halt! Who are you?"

  In front of the tall gate, two guards waved their long guns and blocked the way with a slightly gloomy face.

  "Uncle Niu, don't you recognize me?"

  He smoothed his hair on the left side, revealing that ugly scar, and then put it down. Li Chen's face showed a smile.

  "Xiao Chen?"

  That sturdy middle-aged guard's eyes lit up with inexplicable joy, "Aren't you supposed to be following Third Miss to the Xuan Yun Sect? How did you end up back here? You've put on so much weight!"

  "So it was you, this useless junkie!"

  Another young guard, looking no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, looked at Li Chen with disdain.

  "Li Feng, watch your mouth!"

  The middle-aged man looked at him with discontent.

  Li Feng didn't say anything more and just pursed his lips.

  "Uncle Niu, I've come to redeem the contract of selling myself into slavery and erase my slave status!"

  It's been nearly two years since he left the Li family, and Lei Chen was no longer that slender young man. As for Li Feng's contempt, he didn't put it in his eyes at all.

  Is this existence like an ant provoking an elephant, and can still be compared with such a role?

  "Cancel slave contract? Where did you get the money?"

  Uncle Niu was taken aback for a moment.

  "Hehe, it's not just mine, but also yours and Liu Yue Shu's family, our slave status will all be redeemed!"

  Looking at the few people in front of him who were taking good care of him, Li felt a surge of gratitude in his heart.

  For years being discriminated against, Li Chen's heart had long been closed off, only remembering those who helped him in times of hardship.

  "Xiao Chen, didn't you do something bad? Hurry up and leave, the farther the better!"

  But unexpectedly, Niu Shu was not only unhappy but also changed his face and wanted to push him away.

  "Hmm, I think so too. Back then, it was because of stealing the elixir that he became a slave to medicine. Could it be that he stole some kind of treasure from the Mystic Cloud Sect?"

  Li Feng looked at Li Chen with ill intent, his long gun held horizontally, as if ready to take action.

  "Uncle Niu, don't worry, I've already cultivated internal energy and joined the Xuan Yun Sect. The money was all exchanged for spiritual medicine I found in Gu Cang Mountain!"

  Li Chen knew that Niu Shu was concerned about himself and explained immediately.

  His words fell, and at this moment Li Feng's face changed slightly.

  "Really?"

  Niu Shu's eyes lit up, knowing that Li Chen wouldn't lie to him since he was young. He felt a mix of emotions and relief, "Li Shu can finally rest in peace. Little Chen, you've cultivated your inner energy and become a disciple of the Xuan Yun Sect. You'll join the family guard, and your slave status will be automatically lifted. Keep the money to marry a wife!"