Chapter 175: The Admirable Golden Monkey Draws Attention

The attendant led Chang Aotian and Xu Qing to the Shuhua and Shuyu Courtyards. These two courtyards were located to the right of the Taichu Grand Hall, in a place of scenic beauty with a view of almost half the Great Islet Mountain range. The geographical location was excellent, and the two interconnected courtyards were exquisitely and ingeniously designed.

Seeing such high-standard accommodations, Chang Aotian and Xu Qing couldn’t help but exchange a look. Although the latent strength of their Gufeng Sect was currently a sliver stronger than the Taichu Sect’s, there was no need for them to host two juniors with the specifications reserved for honored guests.

After the attendant had left, Xu Qing said in a low voice, “Could it be that the Taichu Sect knows their disciples are getting worse with each generation and that they will soon be surpassed by our Gufeng Sect, so they’re using this method to show us goodwill?” Her tone was full of pride and self-satisfaction.

Chang Aotian smiled faintly and shook his head. “Not necessarily. The Taichu Sect is the guardian sect of the Soaring Dragon Nation. They’ve been established here for thousands of years, guarding the entrance to the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley, waiting for the day its poisonous miasma dissipates. Although no one can enter it, the valley is extremely important to any sect. Why is it that to this day, no one dares to make a move on it, not even our own Gufeng Sect? It’s because the Taichu Sect’s strength is formidable. If our sects were to go to war, we would gain no advantage. Besides, you’ve seen their great mountain array; it is far stronger than ours. How could such a sect with such a deep foundation bow its head so easily?”

After hearing her senior brother’s analysis, Xu Qing also felt it made some sense, but she still said with pride, “I’ve long heard of the Shuhua and Shuyu Courtyards. This is where the Taichu Sect hosts figures of the same status and seniority as a Sect Master. For them to use it to host two juniors like us, there must be an intention to curry favor. This is beyond doubt.”

Chang Aotian nodded slightly.

They had traveled day and night from the Gufeng Kingdom and were quite exhausted. After the dinner that the attendant had brought them, they each retired to their rooms.

The next day, Chang Aotian awoke under the warm spring sun. He had never slept in so late and couldn’t help but marvel at how comfortable the room was; it was a perfect example of “spring sleep, unaware of the dawn.” Such a thing had never happened to him since he began cultivating. Not long after he had washed up, Xu Qing also came to find him. The two disciples, known for their diligence in their own sect, looked at each other and said in unison with admiration, “This standard of hospitality is truly high.”

Before long, the attendant personally led several Daoist boys to deliver their breakfast. After their meal, under the attendant’s guidance, they took a tour of the upper levels of Emperor Peak. Although the scenery at the summit was beautiful, only the most honored and senior members of the Taichu Sect’s leadership could come and go here; they didn’t see a single young disciple, which they found a bit boring.

“Senior Brother Attendant,” Chang Aotian said, “I have heard that your esteemed sect’s land is fertile and the spiritual medicines grown here are of excellent quality. I wonder if we might be allowed to see them? My Junior Sister Xu has a particular fondness for planting, and it would be for the best if she could learn some experience from your esteemed sect.”

The Sect Master had already repeated his gag order. Now that the entire sect was silent as a cicada in winter about the three Purple Seeds, it wouldn’t hurt to let the two of them walk around. “Of course,” the attendant replied naturally. “Then let’s go.”

Soon, the three of them took an Immortal Cloud Cart to the Spirit Field Valley. When they arrived, a peculiar sight immediately drew all of their attention. Although there were disciples working in the spirit fields, the majority of the labor—tilling the soil, fertilizing, and watering—was being done by Mighty Apes. There were four or five hundred of them, with one or two in each plot of land. After they finished their work in one field, they would move on to the next, with no need for any human command or control.

Chang Aotian said with a look of astonishment, “Junior Sister, I have never seen such intelligent monkeys. Look at how skilled their movements are, even more so than a human’s. And they’re fast and efficient!”

Xu Qing also stammered, “Yes, it’s impossible. This is completely illogical. Even if a monkey is intelligent, it’s still just a monkey. And these Mighty Apes aren’t even being controlled by a beast-taming art, yet they work so diligently?”

“Even with a beast-taming art, they wouldn’t necessarily understand human intent, because they can’t understand human speech. Only a spirit beast can be trained to do so. But looking at their actions, it’s clear they’ve been taught. Does someone in the Taichu Sect understand the monkey language?” Chang Aotian was completely stunned.

After they had marveled enough, Chang Aotian said to the attendant with a sincere and friendly expression, “Senior Brother Attendant, your esteemed sect’s Mighty Apes are truly intelligent. With a group of monkeys like this helping, it would be difficult not to have a bountiful harvest.”

The attendant replied with a hint of pride, “The Mighty Apes are common, low-level animals. Their current intelligence is all thanks to a little monkey called Little Gold. This little monkey is extremely intelligent and is the king of these apes. But it is not a spirit beast, nor is it a demon beast; it has no demonic energy. But it can understand human speech and can relay its master’s words to the other apes, teaching them how to work in the fields. Right now, this little monkey has over five hundred Mighty Apes under its command.”

Chang Aotian and Xu Qing’s breath caught in their throats, and they looked at each other. If they had heard this from anyone else, they would not have believed it.

“Senior Brother Attendant, I would like to see this unique little monkey. Would it be convenient?” Chang Aotian asked with great sincerity.

The attendant pondered for a moment. “This little monkey is not raised by the sect, but by a new disciple who joined last year. So if you wish to see it, you must first find him.”

His words shocked them again. They had thought the monkey belonged to the sect; they never imagined such a magical creature was the pet of a new disciple. Just how outstanding must its master be to have captured such a monkey? Chang Aotian’s curiosity about the little monkey and its master grew even stronger. “I must trouble you to introduce us, Senior Brother.”

“Alright, please follow me,” the attendant replied with a faint smile. Although he had never dealt with Qin Haoxuan directly, his name had been the talk of the sect recently. As the one in charge of the sect’s intelligence, he certainly knew where he lived.

When he knocked on Qin Haoxuan’s door, he was still rubbing his sleepy eyes. He had been exhausted from refining the talisman late into the night.

Seeing his lazy appearance, Chang Aotian was somewhat surprised. This ordinary-looking disciple who slept until almost noon was the master of such a magical monkey? He noticed that not only was his aptitude ordinary, but he was also a weak seed.

After his initial surprise, Chang Aotian said, “Greetings, Junior Brother. I am Chang Aotian of the Gufeng Sect, and this is my junior sister, Xu Qing. We have come to your esteemed sect to pay a formal visit and have been granted permission by your Sect Master to stay for ten days. At that time, we will ‘Enter the Mortal World’ with you all.”

Qin Haoxuan cupped his hands and introduced himself. “Qin Haoxuan.”

“Junior Brother Qin,” Chang Aotian continued, “my junior sister and I saw the many Mighty Apes working in the spirit fields today and were very curious. The attendant told us that they all belong to you and are controlled by a little monkey. I wonder if I might have the honor of seeing this magical creature?”

Qin Haoxuan smiled faintly and readily agreed. “Of course. Please wait a moment.” He went into his room and grabbed Little Gold, who was in the middle of cultivating. “Someone wants to see you.” The monkey immediately scrambled onto his neck and hung from his chest in an affectionate manner, a sight that made the visitors click their tongues in amazement.

“Is this little monkey the king of the Mighty Apes?” Chang Aotian asked, his eyes fixed on it. Xu Qing looked as if she wanted to go and hug it, her affection for it overflowing.

Qin Haoxuan nodded and corrected him, “His name is Little Gold.”

Seeing the look of adoration on Xu Qing’s face, an idea struck Chang Aotian. He said to Qin Haoxuan, “Junior Brother Qin, my junior sister is extremely fond of Little Gold. I wonder if you would be willing to part with him and sell him to me?” As he spoke, he took out a bag of spirit stones. It contained over a hundred low-grade stones and even seventeen or eighteen second-grade stones—a considerable sum. “If you are willing, this bag of spirit stones will be a token of my gratitude.”

But all Qin Haoxuan could do was shake his head and refuse. “Please forgive me, Senior Brother Chang. Little Gold has been with me since I left the mountain. We have eaten and slept together, and our bond is very strong. It cannot be measured in spirit stones. Therefore, I cannot agree to your request.”

Chang Aotian was not angry at the refusal. He simply put the bag away and smiled embarrassedly. “It is I who was being boorish. The moment I saw Little Gold, I was captivated. I could tell he is no ordinary monkey, and my collector’s heart got the better of me. If I have caused any offense, please forgive me.”

Beside him, Xu Qing was somewhat displeased. In her eyes, Qin Haoxuan was just a weak seed, a menial disciple who was not valued by the sect. For them to deign to speak to him was already giving him great face. For her senior brother to offer so many spirit stones for a mere monkey, and for him to refuse, was simply ungrateful.

Not only her, but the other Taichu disciples nearby felt the same way.

The sincerity in Chang Aotian’s tone made Qin Haoxuan feel that he was not a bad person. From the very beginning until now, he had not seen a trace of malice in his eyes. Just as he was about to say a few polite words, a violent fluctuation of spiritual energy suddenly came from Murong Chao’s room.

This was the sign of a breakthrough. Murong Chao had reached the Fifth-Leaf of the Spirit Sprout Realm!