Chapter 23: Three Strikes to Exhaust the Spirit Within

Chapter 23: Three Strikes to Dispense the Heart’s Qi

“What do you mean, ‘they’?” Zhou Yu asked with some confusion.

“The Old Monkey, the Green-Skinned Monkey, the Hairless Monkey, and Little Flower...” Se Monkey’s voice faltered, tears welling up unexpectedly as he spoke.

Zhou Yu was at a loss for words, feeling a bitter unease in his heart. He quietly moved toward the stone caves alone.

Just as he reached the entrance of the nearest cave, a tremendous crash echoed from behind him—“Boom!”

Zhou Yu quickly turned around.

A cloud of dust, stirred by the mountain breeze, slowly dispersed.

Se Monkey’s figure emerged, head bowed tightly clutching a blood-red long staff. One end of the staff struck a stone table, shattering it completely. The shockwave cracked the surrounding stone tables and chairs.

In his grief, Se Monkey leapt down from the cave wall, venting his fury with a fierce outburst.

Zhou Yu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking some enemy had appeared. He turned back and continued toward the cave.

At that moment, Zhou Yu vaguely noticed a shadow flicker inside the cave, causing him to halt.

After watching quietly for a while, Zhou Yu focused his senses and felt there was indeed someone—or something—inside. He refrained from entering rashly.

“Se Monkey! Come here!” Zhou Yu called.

Se Monkey glanced at Zhou Yu, annoyed. “What is it?”

Zhou Yu gripped his Niu Fork tightly, the tip emitting a faint green glow toward the cave.

“There’s something going on inside!”

Se Monkey approached the entrance, sniffed cautiously, his expression turning strange. Then, he strode inside boldly.

Zhou Yu was about to follow when a whistling sound of rushing wind came from the cave. Several small stones flew out, but Zhou Yu dodged just in time.

Se Monkey waved his hand in the air, catching the flying stones with ease. He then flicked them to the ground, discarding them.

“Ah! I’ll fight you to the death!” A black shadow suddenly leapt out from the cave, lunging at Se Monkey.

The shadow’s speed was slow, so Se Monkey could have easily dodged, but he didn’t.

Several dull thuds rang out as the shadow struck Se Monkey repeatedly.

Se Monkey ignored the blows, reached out his right hand, grasped the shadow, and dragged it out.

“I’m fighting you!”

“Bastard! Let me go!”

“If you don’t, I’ll bite you!”

“Ugh! My teeth are all broken! Didn’t even bite off a single hair!”

Zhou Yu was speechless. He saw Se Monkey dragging out a scruffy monkey, who kept pounding on Se Monkey’s body with closed eyes. But no ordinary beast, no matter how hard it fought, could harm Se Monkey. Moreover, this scruffy monkey was emaciated, covered in scars, and looked utterly weak.

With a loud “Bang,” Se Monkey threw the scruffy monkey to the ground.

“Ouch!” the scruffy monkey cried in pain, opening his eyes.

Perhaps having been inside the cave too long, his eyes struggled to adjust to the bright sunlight, taking several moments to fully open.

Zhou Yu then noticed this monkey was not only bony but covered with injuries. Especially on his back, the fur was almost entirely gone, revealing long scars. Two fresh wounds oozed a disgusting mix of blood and pus.

“Who... who are you?” the scruffy monkey asked as his eyes cleared. At first, he was terrified, but upon seeing Se Monkey shimmering with golden fur, his fear vanished, replaced by a glimmer of hope.

“Scruffy! What happened?” Se Monkey demanded sharply. “Where are Old Grey and Little Flower?”

“Who... who are you? How do you know my name’s Scruffy?” the scruffy monkey looked at Se Monkey nervously, failing to recognize him.

Se Monkey’s fur had turned golden, radiating a fierce battle aura, bearing no resemblance to the skinny, scrawny “Skinny Monkey” he once was. No wonder Scruffy didn’t recognize him.

“I’m Skinny Monkey!” Se Monkey shouted, striking a pose as if to show off.

“Skinny Skinny Monkey!” Scruffy’s eyes widened. Se Monkey was now muscular with shining golden fur—hardly “skinny” anymore. He was undoubtedly the real Skinny Monkey.

“Why are you back? I heard you were killed!” Scruffy exclaimed in surprise.

“How could I die? Where is everyone? Were they all captured by the Bone Weeping Demon King?” Se Monkey asked.

Scruffy still couldn’t believe that this fierce-looking monkey was the Skinny Monkey who, as a child, was the smallest and often teased by the others.

“It wasn’t the Bone Weeping Demon King, but the Wild Boar King from Wild Boar’s Den. He captured everyone as slaves.”

“Impossible! That Wild Boar King can’t beat Grandpa Monkey!” Se Monkey replied.

Scruffy scrutinized Se Monkey again. Apart from the fur, they bore a strong resemblance. Hearing how well he knew the monkeys of the Rocky Ridge, Scruffy believed him. Suddenly, tears streamed down his face. He rushed over, grabbed Se Monkey, crying out: “It’s Big Horse Monkey! Big Horse Monkey colluded with the Wild Boar King and captured everyone!”

Se Monkey’s fury exploded. He struck a nearby giant stone with his staff, shattering it with a deafening blast.

Scruffy was so startled he collapsed, terrified. Then he brightened, grabbing Se Monkey’s hand. “Skinny Monkey! You’re so powerful now! You can definitely save everyone!”

Se Monkey roared angrily: “That bastard Big Horse Monkey! He bullied me when we were kids! Now he’s sold everyone out! I’ve never liked him—knew he was no good!”

Scruffy explained: “Grandpa Monkey is old now. Big Horse Monkey wants to be king, but he can’t beat Grandpa Monkey. Grandpa said he’s too violent, and following him means hardship, so the throne wasn’t passed to him. Big Horse Monkey then teamed up with the Wild Boar King, poisoned Grandpa Monkey’s food, then launched a sneak attack. When Grandpa was severely wounded and tried to fight back, the Wild Boar King saved Big Horse Monkey, captured Grandpa Monkey, and enslaved all the monkeys. They beat us, starve us—if you anger them, you lose your life. I barely escaped.”

Zhou Yu listened carefully, realizing there was a traitor among them. Indeed, wherever monkeys gathered, there was trouble.

“Let’s go! Take me to that Wild Boar King! I’ll smash Big Horse Monkey into mince with my own hands!” Se Monkey roared, clutching his blood-red staff.

Zhou Yu wanted to stop him. The Wild Boar King was unknown to them—if he was a mid-level or upper-tier demon king, even the two of them together might be no match.

But Se Monkey was deaf to reason, hastening Scruffy toward the Wild Boar’s Den.

Zhou Yu gave up. He understood Se Monkey’s mood—he had no family, and these monkeys were like his kin. Hearing that those who raised him were enslaved and beaten, how could he not be furious?

Se Monkey’s anger made Zhou Yu trust him more. He’d thought Se Monkey was cunning and fickle, but now saw he was bound by loyalty.

“What level is the Wild Boar King?” Zhou Yu asked Scruffy as they followed.

Scruffy, a common demon beast, only knew the Wild Boar King was formidable, but wasn’t sure how powerful exactly. Since Scruffy escaped him, he was likely clever.

“The Wild Boar King is very strong, probably about equal to Grandpa Monkey. But Grandpa is old now, so probably weaker.”

Zhou Yu looked at Se Monkey. Knowing Grandpa Monkey’s strength gave a clue to the Wild Boar King’s power.

Se Monkey answered, “The Wild Boar King is probably a bit stronger than the Wild Ox King.”

Zhou Yu relaxed slightly. Although the Wild Ox King was tough and nearly defeated them both, he was ultimately beaten. Zhou Yu realized much of the difficulty came from poor teamwork—effectively, they fought one-on-one against the Wild Ox King.

After a month of training together, both Zhou Yu and Se Monkey had grown stronger, developing many combined combat techniques. The drawbacks of sudden power leaps had been eradicated. Zhou Yu had fully mastered his strength and speed at the demon general level, his power rising again.

Thinking of their newly created technique, Zhou Yu was confident.

But a cold gleam flashed in Se Monkey’s eyes. What he hadn’t told Zhou Yu was that the Wild Boar King was stronger than even the Wild Ox King at full power. This meant the Wild Boar King surpassed the mightiest use of Niu Fork by the Wild Ox King.

In their battle with the Wild Ox King, the latter had been overconfident, so the Niu Fork had not reached full potential; otherwise, they would have suffered a crushing defeat.

The Wild Boar’s Den lay not far from Rocky Ridge, nestled in a dense forest.

When Grandpa Monkey was young and strong, the Wild Boar King came annually to pay respects and offer rare foods, hoping the Wild Boar’s Den would survive the harsh environment. When powerful foes attacked, the Wild Boar King, unable to prevail alone, would ask Grandpa Monkey for help to repel them.

As Grandpa aged, the Wild Boar King grew increasingly disrespectful but still feared Grandpa’s lingering influence and dared not act openly. Until Big Horse Monkey allied with him. Big Horse Monkey poisoned Grandpa Monkey’s food and ambushed him. When Grandpa was severely wounded but still fighting back, the Wild Boar King intervened, saving Big Horse Monkey, capturing Grandpa, and enslaving all the monkeys.

According to Scruffy, Grandpa Monkey’s fate in the Wild Boar’s Den was unknown.

Se Monkey’s anger grew as Scruffy recounted these details.

Zhou Yu, who believed in repaying kindness and avenging wrongs, was equally incensed at Big Horse Monkey’s treachery.

After traveling half a day, they reached a dense forest of towering trees. From afar, it looked thick, but up close, the giant trees were spaced far apart, making entry not so difficult.

It was nearly winter; leaves had withered to yellow and covered the ground. As the three walked, the crunching of dry leaves stirred flocks of small birds, fluttering into and out of the forest.

“How much farther?” Zhou Yu asked.

“When you hear the spring water, we’ll be close,” Scruffy said cautiously.

“We’ve entered the Wild Boar’s Den. Shouldn’t we be careful to avoid the Wild Boar King noticing us?” Scruffy grew more fearful the deeper they went.

Se Monkey snorted: “Who cares? I’m here to kill him! If he finds out, so what? Then I don’t have to look for him!”

Zhou Yu thought a sneak attack would be better. But Se Monkey’s resolve was firm. Zhou Yu kept silent, knowing even if they killed the Wild Boar King quickly, the growth from a fierce battle would be greater. He was eager to test his strength and their combined technique against this slightly stronger demon king.

“Grab it!”

“Run! You can run!”

“Crack! Crack!”

Suddenly, the sounds of whips and screams came from ahead.

The three stopped and fell silent.

Scruffy listened carefully, fear in his voice: “It’s Big Horse Monkey! He’s beating Little Flower!”

Se Monkey said nothing. His body tensed, and with a burst of strength, he swung his blood-red staff and charged forward, kicking up dust like a golden flash.

Zhou Yu hurried after him, striding rapidly. Though Big Horse Monkey was only a demon general, if Se Monkey was hurt, their combination would weaken drastically, putting them at a severe disadvantage against the Wild Boar King.

Scruffy hesitated, clenched his fists, and resolved to follow, leaping between the giant trees.

Big Horse Monkey’s face was long and ugly, like a horse’s face on a monkey’s body. Even Zhou Yu found it repulsive.

Big Horse Monkey had stopped whipping the frail female monkey on the ground. He sneered at Se Monkey and Zhou Yu: “A blond and a human?”

Zhou Yu was taken aback. Even the Wild Ox King hadn’t recognized Zhou Yu as human, yet Big Horse Monkey saw it instantly. Could his strength surpass the Wild Ox King?

“You’re shameless as ever! Ready to kill us on the spot! Didn’t you see this is a royal?” Se Monkey said.

Only then did Zhou Yu realize Big Horse Monkey hadn’t actually seen Zhou Yu as human but, cunning and ruthless, immediately accused him of being one. If Zhou Yu was truly royal but killed, no proof would remain. Even if investigated, Big Horse Monkey could feign ignorance and shift blame to a lackey.

This villain was truly vicious. Zhou Yu’s killing intent surged, faint black energy swirling around him.

“Heh heh, royal or not, I’m the boss here. I say he’s human, he’s human. And you, yellow-furred monkey, who are you? Don’t you know trespassers in Wild Boar Forest die?” Big Horse Monkey warned, watching them warily.

“I’m your grandfather!” Se Monkey bellowed, unwilling to waste words.

Big Horse Monkey’s face darkened. Waving his hand at several boar demon soldiers, he ordered, “Attack! Kill these two!”

The fat boar demons charged, wielding heavy axes.

Zhou Yu stomped the ground, leaving a deep imprint, and shot forward like an arrow, leading the charge.

“Take care of that ugly horse-faced monkey!” Zhou Yu shouted, swinging the Niu Fork behind him. Violent energy surged through his body, concentrating in his right hand. The fork’s movement reached its peak speed, turning into a streak of black-green light.

The boar demons’ axes clanged sharply, breaking into two and falling. Blood lines appeared on their bodies, then exploded, spraying blood as their upper bodies toppled neatly to the ground.

A dry leaf floated down in front of Zhou Yu, settling in the demons’ blood. He looked down, breathing heavily, the Niu Fork still trailing behind.

“Hey!” Se Monkey sprang high from behind Zhou Yu. The fierce energy radiating from him shook the remaining leaves from the branches, parting the air. He raised the blood-red staff overhead and slammed it toward Big Horse Monkey hiding behind the demons.

Big Horse Monkey, shocked as Zhou Yu’s strike felled five boar demons, panicked and tried to flee. Seeing Se Monkey leap out with his otherworldly blood-red staff descending, he fully unleashed his demon general power, pushing off with his legs and retreating just before the staff struck.

Just as Big Horse Monkey sighed in relief—

Se Monkey’s eyes sharpened midair. He shouted, “Long!”

Demonic power surged into the blood-red staff, which lengthened with a sharp “whoosh,” piercing through Big Horse Monkey’s chest and pinning him firmly to a giant tree.

“Charge!” Se Monkey roared again.

With a burst, a cloud of blood mist, Big Horse Monkey’s body shattered into pieces.

Se Monkey landed, withdrawing the blood-stained crimson staff. He reached out his right hand to the frail female monkey collapsed on the ground.

Her name was Little Flower, the only bright spot in Se Monkey’s bleak childhood. Unlike the other monkeys who bullied him for having no parents, Little Flower often followed him around.

Because Se Monkey was isolated, his personality was odd. Even toward Little Flower, the only one willing to play with him, he was often harsh, shouting and sometimes making her cry for amusement.

After leaving Rocky Ridge, Se Monkey frequently thought of Little Flower—her tear-stained face, the clingy little one who followed him regardless of how he treated her.

So when Scruffy said Big Horse Monkey was bullying Little Flower, Se Monkey charged without hesitation—she was his Little Flower.

Little Flower raised her head, looking pitifully at his outstretched hand. Seeing it, she gasped, “Brother Skinny Monkey?”

Se Monkey’s heart warmed at the words. Amid the swirling dry leaves of early winter, a gentle smile appeared on his face. “It’s me.”

Whether demon or human or otherwise, some people are unforgettable. No matter how much you change or disguise yourself, they can always recognize you at a glance.

Se Monkey helped Little Flower up, tenderly examining her battered body. He gently pressed her head against his chest and said, “I’m back.”

Little Flower couldn’t help sobbing, clutching him tightly, choking out, “Will you leave again?”

“No,” Se Monkey stroked her hair, comforting her. “Even if I do, I’ll take you with me.”

Her crying grew louder.

“Father and mother were killed by Big Horse Monkey and the Wild Boar King.”

“Little Flower only has Brother Skinny Monkey now.”

“Little Flower, don’t cry.”

“Little Flower, be good...”

Zhou Yu watched quietly, feeling deeply moved. The world’s warmth and cold, how can one word capture it all? Demons bear loyalty stronger than humans.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from afar: “Who killed my sworn brother?!”

Zhou Yu covered his ears, frowning. Looks like this Wild Boar King was a fierce, Zhang Fei-like demon lord.