"Damn it, that guy really managed to bribe these monkeys!" a red-clad youth yelled, his face a mask of terror as he watched the rain of clubs descend from the monkeys.

Although their Xuanyang Sect was powerful and influential in the Heavenly Moon Dynasty, that wasn't the case within the Heavenly Moon Secret Region. These monkeys were one of the dominant forces in the secret region. If they killed a monkey, it would likely provoke retaliation from the entire troop. It could even incite the fury of the legendary Great Saint, bringing down divine punishment.

This troop of black monkeys moved swiftly, enveloping them like a cloud of smoke. The red-clad youths had no other option but to draw their swords and prepare for battle. Escape was impossible at this point; their only option was to fight.

The two sides clashed instantly.

In no time, the monkeys wielding clubs had thrashed the eight red-clad youths, sending them into a terrified rout. Fortunately, they were using clubs and not blades; otherwise, these eight red-clad youths would have been hacked to pieces long ago.

Seeing this, Lei Qinian couldn't help but laugh heartily. "You've really got some tricks, Brother Jun!"

"Brother Lei, we should leave quickly! If they use the same tactic, these monkeys might turn on us," Jun Moxiao said with an awkward grin, pulling Lei Qinian as they both swiftly fled the scene.

"Stop hitting, Brother Monkeys! I have Healing Pills too!" one of the red-clad youths finally came to his senses. He hastily pulled out a few small porcelain bottles and tossed them out.

WHOOSH.

Instantly, several monkeys scrambled over and snatched the small bottles. The other red-clad youths quickly followed suit, throwing out their Healing Pills. Only then did the monkeys cease their attack.

Seeing the Healing Pills, the monkeys became extremely excited and scurried back under the Heavenly Moon Osmanthus Tree.

Having been beaten up for no reason, all eight youths were bruised and battered, their faces swollen. However, none of the injuries were life-threatening. Although these monkeys were ferocious, they thankfully hadn't aimed for vital spots.

"Damn our luck! Not only did we fail to get the Laurel fruits, but those two Loose Cultivators also escaped!" one of the red-clad youths roared in fury.

"Next time, we must capture them! Only by cutting them into a thousand pieces can we vent the hatred in our hearts!" another red-clad youth declared.

The other red-clad youths chimed in with curses, then swallowed some Healing Pills and departed. Of course, they couldn't spend all their time searching for the two Loose Cultivators. Upon entering the Heavenly Moon Secret Region, their priority was also to find Laurel fruits.

Ye Yun's wisp of Primordial Spirit couldn't help but smile upon seeing Jun Moxiao and Lei Qinian escape danger. The Monkey Leader from before was affected by a minor Illusion Technique I cast, Ye Yun mused. That's why it so readily agreed to Jun Moxiao's request. Otherwise, ten bottles of Healing Pills would never have been enough to tempt that monkey.

After traveling for half a day, Lei Qinian and Jun Moxiao felt they were out of danger. They found a cave and decided to rest for a while.

Jun Moxiao took out a bag, retrieved four Laurel fruits, and handed them to Lei Qinian.

Lei Qinian quickly shook his head, laughing. "Brother Jun, I don't need these fruits. You keep them."

"Brother Lei, we'll split them fifty-fifty." Jun Moxiao paused for a moment but still offered the four golden Laurel fruits.

Seeing this, Lei Qinian sighed and accepted them.

He suddenly became aware of his own selfish thoughts and felt a pang of guilt. This young Brother Jun Moxiao, despite his youth, is incredibly upright and truly a man of noble character. He just used so many Healing Pills to trade for Laurel fruits and even dealt with the Monkey Leader to resolve their crisis. I shouldn't keep all these thousand-year-old Laurel fruits, left by my ancestors, for myself, Lei Qinian thought. I should share half with Jun Moxiao.

Thinking this, his mood lightened.

The two began to eat the millennium-old Laurel fruits. A refreshing sensation flowed into their stomachs, spreading throughout their bodies and continually improving their aptitude. This made both of them feel extremely comfortable. The four golden Laurel fruits each of them held were quickly eaten.

Then, the two of them continued on their journey.

Along the way, they saw many disciples from the Xuanyang Sect. These disciples were rushing about. If they encountered Cultivators from other sects, they would approach to inquire. Then they would show two portraits, asking these Cultivators to identify the people in them.

Lei Qinian and Jun Moxiao hid behind a distant mountain. Lei Qinian looked at the two figures in the portraits and couldn't help but smile bitterly. "It seems the Xuanyang Sect has indeed taken notice of us. The entire sect is now hunting for us."

"Brother Lei, don't worry," Jun Moxiao said, shaking his head dismissively. "The Xuanyang Sect disciples wouldn't mobilize heavily just for two Loose Cultivators like us. After all, their primary task is to locate the Tianyue Osmanthus Fruits."

His gaze, however, fell upon another part of the jungle. In that patch of forest, a group of monkeys had surrounded several Cultivators. They were continuously banging their clubs on the ground, apparently trying to extort Healing Pills.

"Brother Jun, do you have an idea?" Lei Qinian asked hurriedly, seeing Jun Moxiao's confident expression.

"Brother Lei, perhaps we can recruit a group of monkeys to escort us," an idea flashed through Jun Moxiao's mind, and he said with a grin.

"Recruit monkeys?" Lei Qinian was stunned. He had never heard of anyone attempting such a thing in the Heavenly Moon Secret Region. These monkeys are unruly and wild. Human Cultivators can only get past them by bribing them with Healing Pills. How could they possibly be recruited?

Jun Moxiao smiled. "Brother Lei, we can try it out later. We'll know then..."

With that, he gave Lei Qinian a meaningful look, and the two of them left the mountain range. Since Xuanyang Sect disciples were searching for them ahead, they changed direction and continued on their way.

「Four hours later.」

They were extremely lucky to find another millennium-old Cassia Tree. Beneath this Cassia Tree, more than a hundred monkeys were guarding it.

"Haha, this Cassia Tree has mature fruits too!" Lei Qinian exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he spotted golden glints among the tree's green leaves.

Jun Moxiao was also thrilled. After all, no one had discovered this millennium-old Cassia Tree yet. This time, it would be their gain again.

The two quickly flew over, approaching the Cassia Tree.

When the monkeys saw Human Cultivators approaching, they immediately grew excited. CHITTERING loudly, they raised their clubs and charged. They continuously banged their clubs on the ground, producing rapid, POUNDING sounds.

Lei Qinian quickly took out a few small bottles, ready to throw them.

"Brother Lei, you don't need to spend yours. I'll take care of it," Jun Moxiao said with a smile. He knew Lei Qinian wasn't wealthy. To gather enough Spirit Stones for a Token to the Heavenly Moon Secret Region, Lei Qinian had even sold his ancestral heirloom to the Old Ancestor.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.