Chapter 134: The Demon Monkey Executed

It was a sudden impulse for Song Mu to complete the entire poem "Song of the Sword of the Chunfang Rectifier."

The two demon generals before them had undergone a drastic transformation. They were no longer thinking of escape; instead, they were hell-bent on fighting the group to the death. Song Mu had never felt a shred of pity for demon-kind. Watching the monkey king’s frenzied movements, only one thought occupied his mind: sending them to meet the King of Hell as quickly as possible.

Beside him, Xue Kaiwen had already drawn his sword and taken a position next to Song Mu, casting anxious glances at the group surrounding the monkey king. On the other side, Xiao Xiong had gained the upper hand in his battle against the female monkey. However, the creature had succumbed to demonic possession, and its strength had been significantly amplified, preventing Xiao Xiong from landing a killing blow in the short term. Meanwhile, the monkey king, besieged by several scholars, was holding his own against all of them, and the surging black demonic aura was becoming even more potent.

Xue Kaiwen turned his head to look at Song Mu with a sense of urgency, only to see that Song Mu had already inscribed numerous characters onto his tablet. The dense script had taken shape under Song Mu’s rapid hand; a long poem now leaped off the page. This caused a shift in Xue Kaiwen’s perception of Song Mu. This person, who was clearly much younger than him, was incredibly earnest and reliable in his actions. Moreover, he seemed to possess a unique talent for the application of poetry. Since the start of the engagement, he had already utilized several poems, each with formidable offensive power. Theoretically, such intensity would place a heavy burden on his internal literary power, yet he acted as if nothing were amiss, continuing to write.

As Xue Kaiwen watched, Song Mu was nearly finished. Just then, a cry of pain echoed—the monkey king had wounded another person, forcing them to withdraw from the fray. That person was Fu Zefeng. Thus, the six scholars surrounding the monkey king were reduced to five, yet the beast still held its ground.

"Song Mu!" Xue Kaiwen shouted anxiously from the side. Unable to stand by any longer, he threw a sheet of enchanted paper from his hand, launching an attack at the monkey king from a distance.

The faces of the scholars engaged in the battle were etched with strain. Though they had practiced and used literary power for a long time and possessed sufficient combat experience against demon beasts—often holding their own against ordinary demon generals—they felt immense pressure from this demonized foe.

"Hold on! This creature must be reaching its limit!" Fu Zefeng encouraged the others, releasing another sheet of paper. The fighting scholars shouted back at him, "Old Fu, are you finished writing yet?!"

"Almost!" Fu Zefeng gritted his teeth against his injuries, scribbling furiously on his tablet. But the next moment, a breeze stirred. Fu Zefeng looked up and heard a faint humming sound in the wind. Looking down, he saw his own sword vibrating at his waist. At the same time, the other scholars suddenly realized their own blades were changing. The swords emitted a rhythmic humming, and a brilliant, seven-colored light erupted from them. Gripping their weapons, they suddenly felt as if they were holding onto a sharpened edge of pure power.

"Everyone, this is our chance! Old Fu’s poem has taken effect!" a scholar exclaimed in delight. His movements accelerated sharply as he slashed toward the monkey king. The others echoed his sentiment, but only Fu Zefeng stood still, staring at the group in utter astonishment. "Everyone, I haven't finished the poem yet! This isn't my work!"

As he spoke, Fu Zefeng paused and looked behind him, only to see two figures rushing toward them, with a piece of charred, spent paper fluttering to the ground in front of them. It dawned on Fu Zefeng immediately what had happened. "This... it was their doing."

Watching the swords in everyone’s hands erupt with power, Fu Zefeng was struck with awe. He swallowed hard, feeling as if even the pain in his chest had subsided. With the full effect of Song Mu’s "Song of the Sword of the Chunfang Rectifier" combined with the scholars’ own literary techniques, one scholar made a breakthrough, driving his sword into the monkey king’s abdomen. The others followed suit, and within moments, the monkey king was riddled with wounds, losing all vitality.

"Let me take its head!" Xue Kaiwen, now joined in the fray, shouted with excitement. His sword flashed as he locked his gaze on the demon king’s neck. The other senior scholars exchanged a look and pinned the monkey king’s limbs. The beast bowed its neck for the slaughter. A flash of cold light passed; the surging black aura dissipated instantly, and the spiked monkey king was decapitated, its body falling into the marshy grass.

Meanwhile, Xiao Xiong returned, carrying the carcass of the other monkey on his long staff. Seeing the monkey king slain and the group relatively safe, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief. Song Mu walked over, feeling a weight lift from his heart as the demon ceased to stir. The group stood panting, reflecting on the harrowing scene with lingering fear, yet also the joy of victory. They looked at one another, wearing relieved and triumphant smiles.

Xiao Xiong stepped forward to have the group tend to their wounds, while he examined the two monkey corpses, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Fu Zefeng looked at Song Mu while bandaging his own wounds and asked, "Song Mu, is this the poem you wrote? Which one is it?"

Song Mu smiled faintly. "It is Li He’s 'Song of the Sword of the Chunfang Rectifier'."

Fu Zefeng nodded, then paused in surprise. "That is an exceptionally long poem. How did you finish it so quickly?"

Song Mu nodded slightly. "I am quite fond of this poem and practice it often."

The others turned back, looking at Song Mu with stunned expressions. They had all assumed the poem was Fu Zefeng’s work, never expecting that the one who had finally turned the tide was Song Mu. Their faces shifted from shock to smiles of genuine appreciation.

Xiao Xiong stood up straight and addressed the group. "We must return immediately. Take both of these monkey carcasses with us."

Song Mu looked over with concern. "Master, what is going on here? How could these demon beasts become demonized?"

Xiao Xiong’s expression was one of confusion and gravity. He scanned the group and said, "I do not know the specifics, but for demons in these mountains to succumb to demonic possession on their own—that is no simple matter. We must return and report this to the Magistrate so he can examine the situation."

The group nodded in agreement and prepared to descend the mountain. But just then, a thunderous explosion erupted in the distance, followed by a series of piercing shrieks.