Zhang Xiaofan climbed up the mountain and arrived at that extremely familiar bamboo forest. He saw the entire mountain was lush and green, with layer upon layer of bamboos swaying in the wind, like a vast ocean with waves rising and falling, extremely magnificent, his heart suddenly felt broadened.

  He took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, stretched his body and walked into the bamboo forest with a machete. The place he went to this time was different from when he first came three years ago, it was in the deepest part of the bamboo forest, where the big bamboos stood tall and the bamboo quality was harder.

  In the early morning, a thin mist floats among the trees, like a light gauze. On the green bamboo leaves on both sides of the small path, there are sparkling dew drops, beautiful and transparent.

  After walking for a while, he found himself in the midst of a green ocean. The black bamboo here were mostly tall and straight, with dense leaves that seemed to pierce the sky. The sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting patches of shade on the ground. Zhang Xiaofan looked around, chose a large black bamboo, measured it with his eyes, and raised his knife to cut it down.

  "Thud", a sudden muffled sound, Zhang Xiaofan only felt a sharp pain in his forehead, and he was hit by an object on the top of his head. He lowered his head to take a look, and saw that a pinecone was rolling around on the ground. There were black bamboo nodes all around here, and there were many bamboo shoots, but there were absolutely no pinecones.

  He thought for a moment, a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he looked around, shouting loudly: "Shi Jie, is that you?"

  His voice echoed far and wide in the bamboo forest, but after a long time, no one replied. Zhang Xiaofan knew that his master sister was always mischievous and loved to tease people, so he was about to shout again when suddenly another severe pain hit his forehead, and he was hit by another pine cone, while above his head came the sound of "squeak squeak squeak".

  Zhang Xiaofan gritted his teeth and looked up, only to see a gray-haired monkey perched on the black bamboo, holding several pine cones in its hand, its tail hanging upside down from the branch, "squeaking" with a sharp voice, looking very pleased with itself.

  Zhang Xiaofan was stunned for a moment, as he had never seen monkeys in the bamboo forest over the past three years. The top of the Great Bamboo Peak was almost all bamboo forests, with only a small patch of pine and cypress wild forest in the deep valley on the north side of the mountain. It seemed that this monkey lived there, but it was unknown how it ended up climbing the mountain today.

  The Dazhu Peak is steep and precipitous, although its not as high as the Tongtian Peak that pierces through the clouds, it also reaches into the sea of clouds. From the foot of the mountain to the top, there are hardly any roads to walk on, and many disciples from the Qingyun Gate often come and go by flying in the air. Zhang Xiaofans cultivation is shallow, apart from chopping bamboo every day, he has also heard his senior brothers talk about it before. Behind the Dazhu Peak, there is a deep valley with dense forests of pine and cypress trees, which is mysterious and rarely visited by people. In those years, even the ancestors of the Dazhu Peak lineage had someone ride their sword to explore that deep valley, but there was nothing strange or unusual about it, only more ferocious beasts and poisonous insects, but they never left the valley, so in recent years, everything has been peaceful.

  He was thinking about it when he suddenly saw the monkey raise its hand, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly moved away. Sure enough, another pinecone fell down, and if he hadnt dodged, he would have been hit again.

  That grey gibbon darted away, letting out two sharp cries, its face filled with anger, as if it was blaming Zhang Xiaofan for dodging.

  Zhang Xiaofan made a face at the monkey, ignoring it and walking away, thinking that this monkey was actually enjoying hitting people, which was rare, truly an ignorant beast. He took two steps, suddenly hearing the sound of wind behind his ears, dodging too late, "plop" sounded, the back of his head was hit by a hard pine cone again, this time with considerable force, Zhang Xiaofan felt a blackness in front of his eyes and couldnt help but cry out.

  Only the monkey was seen clapping its hands and laughing loudly on the bamboo branch, swaying back and forth, extremely delighted. Zhang Xiaofan was furious in his heart, rushed over and shook the bamboo violently, a large black-jointed bamboo was shaken by him to swing wildly, but the gray monkey only wrapped its tail around the bamboo trunk, letting it swing back and forth, not afraid at all, instead "squeaking" with laughter nonstop.

  Zhang Xiaofan couldnt take it anymore and, getting angrier by the second, pulled out his machete and started chopping at the bamboo. The monkey didnt seem to care, but instead looked at him with interest from its perch on the bamboo.

  Zhang Xiaofan chopped with all his might, sweating profusely, and finally managed to chop down seven or eight parts. Just as he was about to succeed, a sharp cry suddenly came from the top of the bamboo, and when he looked up, he saw that the gray monkeys tail had swung once, its body flying upwards, and it had actually jumped onto another black bamboo nearby. Then with a "pa" sound, it threw down another pinecone.

  Zhang Xiaofan was furious and didnt care if the monkey understood or not. He pointed at it loudly, saying: "If you have the guts, come down!"

  The grey monkey scratched its head, tilted its head and thought for half a day, guessing it still didnt understand what was going on, but burst out laughing loudly and made a big face at Zhang Xiaofan.

  Zhang Xiaofan was so angry that he almost died, but there was nothing he could do. On this day, he barely finished his homework, but the monkey hit him seven or eight times on the head, and he was in great pain.

  Zhang Xiaofan was furious, and he went down the mountain with a scowl on his face, not bothering to pay attention to that monkey. Unexpectedly, the monkey had become addicted to this game, and for several days in a row, it would wait for Zhang Xiaofan in the bamboo forest at dawn. As soon as Zhang Xiaofan came to cut bamboo, the monkey would take great pleasure in hitting him with sticks, and watching Zhang Xiaofan get angry was extremely entertaining.

  ※※※

  Before dinner that evening, Tian Linger pulled Zhang Xiaofan aside and asked in a low voice, "Xiaofan, whats wrong with your head?"

  Zhang Xiaofan had been bullied by that grey gibbon for days, his head was battered with bruises all over, aching nonstop. He felt it was humiliating to be teased by a monkey, so he didnt tell anyone. Now that his master sister asked, he hesitated for a moment before finally telling her.

  Tian Lingers red lips pouted, and she couldnt help but laugh out loud. Two small dimples appeared on her cheeks, truly a beautiful sight that captivated people. Zhang Xiaofan seemed to be teased by her, or perhaps something else, his face inexplicably flushed with heat, and he lowered his head.

  Tian Linger patted Zhang Xiaofans shoulder and said, "Dont worry, little brother. These days, the heavenly maiden has been making me practice in the Taiji Cave to prepare for the Seven Veins Gathering two years later. I didnt expect that you would be bullied by a monkey instead. Dont worry, tomorrow Ill accompany you up the mountain and teach that naughty monkey a lesson."

  Her tone was old and arrogant, but it had a bit of a coquettish meaning to it, however Zhang Xiaofan had been used to hearing it since he was young, so he just smiled bitterly and didnt mind.

  The next morning, Tian Linger got up early as expected and went up the back mountain with Zhang Xiaofan.

  The cool breeze in the mountains blew gently, and Tian Linger wore a red dress, just like when she first went up the mountain to cut bamboo with Zhang Xiaofan. She walked ahead, jumping and skipping along the way. Zhang Xiaofan followed behind, looking at the beautiful girl in front of him, who seemed like a red cloud floating lightly in the mountains, carried by the mountain wind, which seemed to bring a faint, subtle fragrance.

  He felt a sudden daze in his heart, and suddenly a feeling arose that it would be great if he could walk like this forever.

  He was lost in thought, but Tian Linger had already walked far away. She turned her head and shouted loudly: "Xiao Fan, why are you so slow!"

  Zhang Xiaofan woke up with a start, his face flushing red, and he didnt dare think about it anymore. He quickly caught up in quick strides.

  The two of them arrived in front of the bamboo forest. Tian Linger said to Zhang Xiaofan, "Xiaofan, you go in first by yourself, Ill follow behind."

  Zhang Xiaofan nodded, took the axe and walked in. After a few steps, he suddenly remembered to remind Tian Linger to be careful, turned around to look for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  He was stunned for a moment, and his heart felt a sense of confusion. He shook his head and threw away those boring thoughts, walking towards the depths of the bamboo forest. When he arrived at his destination, the forest was quiet. Zhang Xiaofan looked around, but couldnt find that grey-haired monkey anywhere. He thought to himself: I hope that monkey hasnt gained spiritual awareness and anticipated that I would bring help today, so it didnt dare come.

  He thought in his heart, looking around in all directions, but couldnt find any trace of the monkey, so he had no choice but to walk to a black bamboo tree and pretend to chop it down.

  "Squeak squeak squeak", suddenly, a familiar shriek echoed from above.

  Zhang Xiaofan immediately jumped away with a conditioned reflex, but felt a pain on his head, and it was too late. He was hit by a pine cone and it hurt badly. Zhang Xiaofan looked up to see the gray gibbon hanging upside down from a bamboo branch as usual, laughing non-stop.

  He was overjoyed in his heart, jumped up and pointed at the monkey, laughing loudly: "Haha, you finally came!"

  His voice was not loud, but the monkey was startled by him. He thought that this man would normally be furious and jump with rage when he was hit, but today he was overjoyed instead. Could it be that after being hit for a few days, he had become addicted to it? Was he uncomfortable if he wasnt hit, and did he feel happy even though it hurt?

  At this moment, a red shadow flashed in the bamboo forest, Tian Linger stepped on "Amber Crimson Silk", rode the air and came, as fast as lightning, five fingers turned into claws, and grabbed at that monkey.

  The monkey was extremely clever, and with a glance, it immediately reacted, the tail wrapped around the bamboo branch loosened, and its entire body fell down. Tian Linger had calculated all the possible directions for the monkey to escape, but didnt expect the gray monkey to fall down, and she couldnt help but pause for a moment, grabbing at nothing.

  Zhang Xiaofan was about to make a move underground, but saw the monkey in mid-air stretching out its arm, grabbing onto a bamboo pole and instantly attaching itself. Without any hesitation or pause, it seemed to know that the red-clothed woman above was formidable, so it immediately shook and jumped, swinging from one bamboo pole to another, intending to escape quickly.

  Tian Lingers competitive spirit arose, and in mid-air, she shouted: "Chase!" With a flick of her left hand, the amber-red silk ribbon shot out into the air, and Zhang Xiaofan took off running from the ground, chasing after it with large strides.

  If on open ground, with the speed of amber and crimson silk, Tian Linger would have caught that gray gibbon in an instant. But now, in the dense bamboo forest, it was a great hindrance. The gray gibbon was extremely intelligent and never ran in a straight line, swaying left and right between the trees, turning and twisting as it fled forward. Tian Linger had to pay attention to the monkeys tracks while also being on guard against the ubiquitous black bamboo shoots that came from all directions, which was very troublesome. As for Zhang Xiaofan, he could only follow behind on the ground, unable to lend a hand.

  Two men and a monkey ran hastily, in the gray monkeys "squeak squeak" sharp cry, also didnt know how long they had been chasing, Zhang Xiaofans breathing gradually became heavy, already feeling tired, guessing that they had chased out very far.

  But before his eyes was a lush bamboo forest, which seemed endless, layer upon layer rushing towards him. Zhang Xiaofans mouth was dry and his tongue parched, when suddenly he saw a grey shadow flash in front of him, and it fell straight down. He was overjoyed and instantly regained his energy, and with a burst of strength rushed upwards. At this moment, Tian Linger above him suddenly shouted urgently: "Be careful!"

  In front of Zhang Xiaofan, a cliff suddenly appeared. Zhang Xiaofan quickly pulled his foot back and almost fell down. He calmed himself down and saw that below the cliff was a deep valley. In the distance, there was thick fog, making it impossible to see clearly. However, near the valley wall, instead of black bamboo, were various wild trees, with pine trees being the most abundant. It turned out that they had already chased each other to the farthest part of the mountains hidden valley.

  Zhang Xiaofan saw the gray gibbon fall down, and in mid-air, it repeated its old trick, grabbing a branch with its body swaying back and forth, transforming the force of its descent into forward momentum as it fled.

  He was in a hurry when he suddenly heard the sound of breaking through the air, looked up and saw Tian Linger wearing a red dress, floating in the air, stretching out a jade-like hand to him, shouting: "Come up."

  Zhang Xiaofan didnt think much, stretched out his hand and grabbed Tian Linger. Tian Linger pulled him with force, pulling him onto Zhu Xiangs body. "Amber Zhu Xiang" sank a little at once, but immediately returned to its original state.

  Zhang Xiaofan had his first experience, at a loss, Tian Linger pulled him to her back and scolded: "Hold my waist, quickly."

  Zhang Xiaofan held on tight, Tian Linger couldnt wait and urged the flying silk to go, a red shadow flashed by, and the two of them rode "Huangpu Zhu Yan" straight into the deep valley, chasing after the gray monkeys shadow.

  The wind was howling, and Zhang Xiaofan felt the sound piercing his ears, almost unable to open his eyes. The "琥珀朱绫" underfoot seemed soft yet not soft, making him feel like he might fall if he wasnt careful. His heart racing with fear, he unconsciously held Tian Linger tighter, feeling the red clothes fluttering before his eyes like clouds. His masters back was as elegant as a celestial being from the ninth heaven, pure and unmatched, with a faint scent of fragrance wafting into his nostrils. A wave of joy surged in his heart, and he truly hoped that this moment would never pass.

  Tian Linger never thought that the little boy behind her had all sorts of strange thoughts, and his heart was on the gray monkey in front. She usually received praise and favor from her parents and fellow disciples, and she was quite proud. Now, being unable to catch up with a monkey was absolutely unacceptable.

  In the depths of the valley, among the trees, only gray shadows were seen in front, with red shadows closely pursuing, swirling and running around.

  They chased for another short period of time, and the gray gibbon seemed to be a different species, without any signs of fatigue, still escaping quickly. However, Tian Linger had become more familiar with the method of shuttling through the forest after such a long pursuit, and it seemed that she was getting closer and closer.

  The gray gibbon fled towards the depths of the secluded valley, Zhang Xiaofan looked forward from behind Tian Linger, and saw that the trees in front were sparse, with light shining through, revealing a clearing, and seemingly there was also the sound of water. At this time, the gray gibbons shrill cry became more urgent, as if it couldnt believe that these two people had been chasing for half a day without giving up, but with no retreat route, it could only desperately flee forward.

  Not long after, a bright light flashed before my eyes, and indeed it was an open space. The ground was covered with gravel, and in the middle, there was a small green pool, with rippling water flowing westward. The gray monkey escaped to this place, hesitated for a moment, but the sound of breaking air behind it arrived in the blink of an eye, and it had no choice but to land on the ground and run forward again. But for some reason, its pace became extremely slow, which didnt seem like running for its life, but rather taking a stroll. Despite this, it still moved forward step by step.

  Zhang Xiaofan watched with a puzzled heart, but Tian Linger was focused on avoiding obstacles while keeping an eye on the monkeys tracks, her mind fully concentrated, and she didnt have time to think about anything else. Seeing the gray monkey right in front of her, she was overjoyed and shouted, urging her horse to charge forward, rushing into the open space and pouncing on the gray monkey.

  Just as he was about to catch the monkey, Zhang Xiaofan suddenly felt a "boom" in his mind, and his body involuntarily shook twice. A wave of nausea rose from his internal organs, rushing straight to his forehead, and in an instant, his whole body began to tremble. Zhang Xiaofan was shocked and at a loss for what to do. At this moment, his chest suddenly felt warm, and a soothing energy spread out, protecting his heart and dispelling the nausea.

  Zhang Xiaofan subconsciously looked down at his chest, feeling that the warmth came from the deep purple bead sent by Pu Zhi. At the same time, Tian Lingers body in front of him suddenly shook twice, and she fell to the ground.

  The two of them were originally in mid-air, but as soon as Tian Linger lost control, Xu Juzi immediately stopped and the two of them fell from mid-air at once.

  Zhang Xiaofan rolled around on the ground several times, in great pain. But he didnt have time to think about that and hastily shouted loudly: "Shi Jie, Shi Jie, are you okay?"

  Only Tian Linger was seen falling forward, motionless, her face deathly pale, cold sweat covering her forehead, and she had already fainted.

  Zhang Xiaofan was shocked and pale, guessing that it was probably related to the strange feeling just now. He endured the pain, got up and ran to Tian Lingers side, pushing her and calling out several times, but Tian Linger still had no reaction.

  Zhang Xiaofan looked around again, only to see that within three feet of the center of the pool of emerald water, not a single blade of grass grew. However, beyond the three-foot radius, the trees and plants were lush and thriving. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the nausea that kept rising in his chest, and slung Tian Linger over his shoulder, picking up the discarded amber-red cloak as he walked away.

  This distance of about 20 feet is not worth mentioning in ordinary times, but under the constant invasion of that nauseating feeling, it was incredibly difficult to walk. After much difficulty, I finally walked out of the three zhang and came under a large pine tree, where that nauseating feeling suddenly disappeared without a trace.

  Zhang Xiaofan put down Tian Linger, panting heavily, his eyes fixed on the other side of the pond. The gray gibbon remained there, no longer moving, its face contorted in pain, looking over here with a pleading expression in its eyes.

  Zhang Xiaofan furrowed his brow, ultimately unable to bear it, and stood up again to head inside. Just a few steps in, the nauseous feeling reappeared, while the warmth in his chest also surged back, suppressing the discomfort.

  Zhang Xiaofan slowly walked to the monkeys side, already drenched in sweat. The gray monkey saw him approach and remained motionless, seemingly unable to breathe due to being suppressed. Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath, bent down to pick up the monkey, and turned around to walk away. The gray monkey was very obedient at this time, quietly nestling in his arms.

  Finally managed to walk out, walked to the still unconscious Tian Lingers side, that nauseous feeling disappeared. Zhang Xiao Fan put down the gray gibbon, sat down on the ground with a thud, panting heavily, the gray gibbon also let out a sigh of relief, lying on the ground, its eyes rolling around, but it didnt escape, just staring at Zhang Xiao Fan.

  Zhang Xiaofan undid his collar and took out the bead tied with a red string to examine it carefully. He saw that its original deep purple exterior had turned pale purple, and the green gas inside seemed to have been stimulated by something, spinning and rotating at a speed ten times faster than before, constantly colliding with the surface of the bead. As before, every time the green gas collided with the bead, a Buddhist mantra "卐" would appear to block it. The warm feeling that had just saved Zhang Xiaofan also came from this mantra.

  But Zhang Xiaofan clearly saw that, compared to the first time he appeared three years ago, those Buddhist "卐" mantras were much inferior in both size and brightness.