Chapter 131: Encounter with the Monkey Troop

Tao Fengming’s tone remained as indifferent and breezy as ever, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his revelations had left everyone nearly dumbstruck.

The discovery that this unremarkable mountain range harbored three demon generals and one demon commander caused a collective tightening of hearts, prompting everyone to glance warily at their surroundings. Yet, it was clear that no one doubted the truth of Tao Fengming’s words, nor were they paralyzed by fear. Although demonkind generally possessed greater physical prowess than scholars of an equivalent rank, their party included five Provincial Scholars and twenty Prefectural Scholars. With such formidable combat power, dealing with one demon commander and three demon generals was clearly within their capabilities.

After a hurried breakfast, they consulted a few hunters and woodcutters familiar with the mountain trails. Once guided to the mountain pass, the group split into smaller squads and began their ascent. Song Mu, fully armed and alert, moved forward alongside Xue Kaiwen; both men wore expressions of heightened tension.

"Brother Song, I hear you have already encountered many great demons and have even faced a corrupted scholar in person?" Xue Kaiwen asked in a low voice, shedding his usual arrogance as he shadowed Song Mu.

Song Mu lowered his gaze and nodded slightly. It had only been a few months since he arrived in this world, yet he had already witnessed many harrowing spectacles; those thrilling, life-and-death moments still felt vivid in his mind. However, Song Mu did not let his guard down; in fact, he felt even more anxious. After all, in his previous battles, he had rarely triumphed through his own raw strength, relying instead on external factors. He had yet to slay a single demon with his own blade. The realization left him feeling somewhat helpless, but those past experiences had deeply spurred his relentless desire for power. Now that the moment of truth had arrived, Song Mu felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

After speaking briefly with Xue Kaiwen, Song Mu caught up to the others. The twenty or so Prefectural Scholars were divided into three teams, each led by a Provincial Scholar instructor tasked with hunting the three demon generals. The other two Provincial Scholars had already vanished into the forest, their mission being to track down the demon commander Tao Fengming had mentioned. This was their first hunting examination, and every scholar, regardless of rank, was expected to contribute their full effort.

Only yesterday, the group had traversed this forest without sensing any danger. Now, informed by Tao Fengming that such monsters—along with an unknown number of lesser demon soldiers and beasts—lurked within, every tree and blade of grass seemed to turn into a potential enemy. Song Mu clutched a piece of calligraphy paper in his hand, upon which he had just inscribed a war poem. He was prepared to unleash it the moment danger manifested.

"Keep close! These mountains are high and the forests dense; do not fall behind," Xiao Xiong, the leader of their squad, whispered to those behind him. They nodded and hastened their pace. After crossing two mountain ridges, the terrain grew increasingly rugged and overgrown, with the path ahead eventually disappearing entirely.

Just then, Xiao Xiong signaled for everyone to stop. He reached into his robes and withdrew an object: a piece of amber known as a Demon Jade. Although called "jade," this amber was the natural enemy of demonkind, possessing the unique ability to detect demonic aura earlier than any scholar. When saturated by such aura, it would begin to emit a faint glow and radiate heat.

Observing this anomaly, Xiao Xiong halted the group and scrutinized the jade. Song Mu held his breath, scanning the surroundings. Seeing Xiao Xiong still hesitating, Song Mu felt a sudden impulse; he closed his eyes and projected his mental energy outward. It spread through the forest in a fan shape, reaching out under his control—twenty meters, fifty meters, eighty meters. Following his recent cultivation, his range of perception had expanded to nearly a hundred meters.

As his mental energy probed forward, Song Mu discovered something: distinct markings etched onto some of the trees. Under his perception, these traces were unmistakable. He realized immediately that these were the signatures of demonic aura. He opened his eyes just as Xiao Xiong gestured for the group to press forward—in the exact direction where Song Mu had detected the aura.

Song Mu withdrew his mental energy, focused his attention on the target area, and secretly palmed a few more sheets of prepared poetry. The group of seven or eight moved slowly, soon emerging from a sparse patch of forest into a clearing. Suddenly, the sounds of beastly roars and shrill ape cries erupted. The shrieks grew increasingly intense, accompanied by the sight of numerous monkeys appearing in the canopy, their cries piercing the air.

"Watch your surroundings! Channel your scholarly power and prepare for battle!" Xiao Xiong commanded, standing at the perimeter with a longbow in hand. Though he emanated no discernible scholarly power—whether to avoid startling the beasts or because his cultivation was so profound that he could suppress it at will—the air grew tense.

Song Mu and Xue Kaiwen were instinctively shielded by the older scholars as they scanned the canopy. The ape cries became clearer and more frantic. Soon, Song Mu spotted a brown-furred monkey leaping through the branches; it seemed to have noticed them and was screeching incessantly. Moments later, a multitude of monkeys appeared on the branches above, their eyes locked onto the intruders.

Suddenly, the screeching ceased. The forest fell into an eerie, absolute silence. Song Mu swallowed hard, his knuckles white as he crinkled the paper in his hand. One of the scholars pointed to the other side. "Look there! That must be the monkey king!"

The group turned their gaze to where he pointed and saw a massive, pitch-black monkey swinging toward them from a distant branch. Song Mu looked up and, for a fleeting moment, locked eyes with the creature. He froze. The monkey had blood-red eyes and long, yellowed fangs bared in a snarl. Song Mu immediately thought of the woodcutter whose leg had been torn away by these very beasts.

"Prepare to engage! That monkey is a demon general, and there are many monkey soldiers among the rest. Take them down, and your task for the day is complete," Xiao Xiong said, rallying the group. The scholars drew their swords or readied their writing brushes and tablets. Xue Kaiwen began scribbling a poem on his tablet, while Song Mu unslung the longbow from his back.

Before they could fully prepare, the monkey king let out a thunderous roar. It was as if a fuse had been lit; the monkey troop launched a frenzied assault. Fruit, branches, and even rocks of unknown origin rained down upon them. Xiao Xiong remained stationary, observing, while the scholars vied for the chance to target the monkey king.

Song Mu nocked an arrow, silently reciting the poem on his paper. *"With a light cavalry charge, snow fills the bows and blades."* The paper vanished in a flash of light, and an arrow of pure energy materialized on the string. Song Mu drew the bow and loosed it, the arrow streaking toward the canopy. Around him, the other scholars channeled their scholarly power, reciting verses and launching a barrage of diverse attacks.

Within moments, several demon monkeys were struck down, lying motionless on the ground. Xiao Xiong watched calmly from the sidelines as the scholars fought intensely. Song Mu loosed another arrow, striking a demon soldier that had been brandishing a massive rock; the creature was pinned to a tree, dead instantly. Song Mu exhaled slowly, but at that moment, a shrill, piercing cry echoed through the air. The monkey king, seemingly sensing that the tide was turning, stood upon a branch, beating its chest, before its form suddenly blurred and shattered like a phantom image.