Chapter Eighteen: The Long Staff, the Goat, and the Old Man

Chapter 18: Long Staff, Goat, and Old Man

Zhou Yu stared blankly as the golden staff turned blood-red. This was its second transformation, and he could feel the energy surging within it becoming increasingly frantic. Yet, that was not what truly stunned him.

What left him dazed were the five large, dazzling characters gradually manifesting upon the staff. They were written in a script so archaic it closely resembled pictographs, yet he understood them instantly: "Ruyi Jingu Bang" (The As-You-Will Golden Bound Staff).

The realization left him shocked. Could his suspicions be true?

The "Ruyi Jingu Bang" suddenly transformed into a beam of blood-red light and vanished. When it reappeared, it was gripped firmly in the hands of the lustful monkey. The monkey stared at the five characters, its eyes flickering between confusion and clarity as if struggling to recall something.

Gradually, the characters faded, but a more refined, potent power erupted from the staff, pouring into the monkey’s body. As this blood-red energy entered, Zhou Yu could clearly sense the monkey’s aura shifting, transforming from wild savagery into something permeated with killing intent.

Looking at the monkey, Zhou Yu couldn't help but envision a legendary simian demon, one who dared to flip the heavens the bird and sweep away a hundred thousand celestial soldiers with a single strike of its staff. It possessed that same heaven-shaking killing intent.

The intent seemed to manifest into a physical form, enveloping the monkey. Within the blood-red energy shroud, the monkey absorbed the power voraciously. Having a body that could convert even mud into energy, the monkey possessed an incredible capacity for absorption. It seemed as though its body were bottomless; all the massive energy radiating from the staff was consumed.

The ability to absorb and store energy so effectively was a hallmark of a "Sacred Body"—a term the Giant Crab had used to describe the monkey. Zhou Yu had been asleep at the time and hadn't heard, or perhaps the crab hadn't wanted him to. Had he been able to communicate with the creature, he would have learned much of what he sought.

As Zhou Yu watched and felt the flow, changes began within him as well. The condensed black energy in his core, usually so dense he could barely manipulate it, grew restless. It shifted from its static, spherical form, as if the little black ball had suddenly come to life, bulging and protruding at different points, as if something were trying to burst out.

A layer of black energy gradually coated Zhou Yu’s skin. It burned like fire, reducing the rough cloth garments he had scavenged from a dead Minotaur to ash. Blood seeped from his pores, only to be instantly vaporized by the black energy, hovering around him. The black energy merged with the faint red mist from the monkey, turning a dark, bruised crimson that mirrored the monkey’s own aura.

The two were standing very close, and as their energies grew, they finally collided. Upon contact, they recoiled sharply, as if stung. But soon, they touched again—this time, they did not repel. Instead, they began to intertwine and fuse, drawn to one another. Before long, their energies linked, forming a massive sphere of light that engulfed them both.

Inside the sphere, Zhou Yu gritted his teeth. He could feel the restlessness of the energy and a strange, inexplicable urge to destroy everything. Though he didn't know why, he knew he had to maintain his focus, and so he held on. Meanwhile, the black energy on his skin felt like a searing blaze. Were he not so remarkably resilient to pain, he would have long since fainted and been consumed by the energy, perhaps falling back into that berserk state that had destroyed the bamboo forest.

The monkey, however, seemed unaware of the pain, eyes closed in pure bliss. It felt itself growing stronger, the energy within becoming more concentrated than ever before. It had never felt such power.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Zhou Yu felt the energy begin to ebb, receding back into his body. The sphere thinned as night fell, the energies rushing back into their respective owners.

The night wind blew through the valley, stirring up dust and the grasses used to build the mud huts. As the saying goes, dust returns to dust; even if things are lifted by the wind, they must eventually fall back to the earth.

Zhou Yu let out a weary sigh, plopping onto the ground and gasping for air. The monkey, by contrast, was brimming with vitality, its eyes glowing like twin red gemstones in the darkness.

"How do you feel?" Zhou Yu asked.

"I feel stronger than ever before," the monkey replied, tightening its grip on the blood-red staff.

Zhou Yu waved a hand dismissively in the air. "Damn it! Why do I feel so exhausted? Did you suck up all my energy?"

The monkey looked at him, then reached out and poked and prodded at Zhou Yu’s body. Though it didn't hurt, being poked by a monkey felt bizarre, and goosebumps rose on Zhou Yu's skin.

"What are you doing? You swallowed my energy, and now you want to take advantage of me?" Zhou Yu scrambled away in alarm.

The monkey withdrew its hand and thought for a moment. "You’re wrong. You didn't lose out; your share was used entirely to reinforce your body."

Zhou Yu didn't believe it. "My body is already tough enough. You've fought me enough times to know that. Why would you not need reinforcement while I do?"

The monkey shook its head. "Your body is indeed tough, but not as tough as mine."

Zhou Yu couldn't help but flip the monkey the bird. "Then all those fights were for nothing? In most cases, you took more damage than I did."

The monkey explained earnestly, "Actually, we fought to a draw so many times because I relied on my physical toughness. While you are durable, your offensive power usually exceeds your defensive capability. If we traded blows, I would take more damage, but because my body is superior, we usually ended up in a stalemate."

Zhou Yu nodded thoughtfully. "So, you’re saying my body is undergoing further refinement? Once I'm as tough as you, that should be enough."

Deep down, Zhou Yu knew the monkey was right. That monkey hide, which seemed impervious to everything, was far beyond his own. He touched the spot where the Bull King’s trident had pierced him. As he expected, the wound was completely healed, not just on the surface, but internally as well.

He poked his own skin and realized it did feel different—a strange sensation. It was still pliable, yet he could feel a faint layer of energy fused into his skin, granting it immense resilience.

"It does feel a bit different," Zhou Yu admitted.

"Of course it does. Would I lie to you? You could stab yourself with a knife now and you’d be fine," the monkey said.

Zhou Yu shuddered. "I just said it *felt* different, not that I’m invincible to knives. Besides, am I crazy? Why would I stab myself?"

The valley was empty, save for the two of them. Their voices echoed loudly until a strange sound erupted from a nearby hut—the very one the monkey had smashed earlier in its rage.

They both went silent, staring at the hut. The door was half-open, and in the moonlight, they could see very little. But they had heard the noise clearly.

Exchanging a look, Zhou Yu grabbed his trident, the monkey gripped its staff, and they crept toward the hut. They pressed their ears against the mud walls, but heard nothing.

Zhou Yu gestured for the monkey to charge in. The monkey wasn't stupid; it understood the gesture perfectly. Refusing to be the first to enter, the monkey pretended to be confused, gesturing for Zhou Yu to go first instead.

*Damn, this thing is so shameless,* Zhou Yu cursed silently.

After a brief argument, they decided to go in together. Zhou Yu held up three fingers, counting down.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

With a loud *boom*, they both burst through the walls.

Inside, there were no living creatures—only the stench of cattle. It was clearly the home of a female Minotaur.

"Bad luck!" the monkey cursed.

Zhou Yu searched carefully. He had definitely heard something. Just then, a "baa" echoed through the air.

They both smashed through the back wall and flew outside. Behind the hut, a goat was tied to a small tree. The owner must have fled in such a panic that they forgot the fat goat.

The goat looked at them curiously, tilting its head and letting out a soft, bleating sound. It had likely never seen anything other than Minotaurs before.

Zhou Yu and the monkey looked at each other, their eyes filled with hunger. They grinned and turned back toward the goat. Sensing their malevolent intent, the goat retreated, letting out a panicked bleat.

"Nice little goat... heh heh," Zhou Yu said.

"Don't be afraid, big brother will treat you well," the monkey added.

"Baa?"

"Baa?!?!"

"Baa!!!!"

In the center of the valley, beside the stone platform, a bonfire was lit. The goat, having been skinned and gutted by the pair, was skewered on a large wooden pole and roasting over the flames.

Grease dripped from the golden-brown meat into the fire, hissing and rising as thin wisps of smoke. The monkey sniffed the air, smacking its lips as it paced around the fire.

"Smells so good! Can we eat it yet?" the monkey urged.

As he roasted the meat, Zhou Yu couldn't help but think of his master. Back then, whenever they roasted food, the old man would sit by, drinking wine and pestering him just like the monkey was doing now.

*Master, are you doing well?* Zhou Yu thought silently.

Ten thousand miles away, on the Southern Wild Grasslands, the ground was littered with broken armor, discarded weapons, and blood-stained soil. The fallen corpses stood as a testament to the brutal battle that had occurred not long ago.

A massive, notched greatsword was thrust into the mud, its blade catching the cold moonlight in the darkness.