The Nine Cauldrons

Book 4: Vermillion Tiger Fist - Chapter 16: The lair of the monkeys

Book 4 Chapter 16 The lair of the monkeys

Teng Qingshan followed the three Steel Arms Monkeys from afar, nimbly chasing after them. When some thorns and grass blocked the way, Teng Qingshan would fly ten Zhang away, dodging it easily. Anyway, Teng Qingshan did not make any sound in this Steel Arms Monkey Mountain.

“Ahhh!”

“AhAhAh~~”

The three Steel Arms Monkeys carried the dead azure python, dashing all the way while yelling excitedly. With their sensitive six senses, they still did not notice that a human was following them.

After following for for a distance of seven to eight Li, Teng Qingshan heard something.

“AhAh!”

“AhAhAh~~~~”

......

Noisy Chattering sounds emitted by the Steel Arms Monkeys resounded from in front.

“Based on the sounds of the Steel Arms Monkeys, there must be a large amount of monkeys.” Teng Qingshan stared at the three monkeys carrying the dead azure python disappeared from his sight. “Now I can’t follow recklessly. If I was accidentally trapped in the multitude of monkeys, that would be bad.”

Lowering his body, Teng Qingshan followed the chattering noises, slowly moving closer.

“Walla~~” Although the sound of the flowing water was very soft, Teng Qingshan still heard it clearly.

On this mountainside, Teng Qingshan advanced silently for a distance of around one Li before he stopped and hid among the bushes and weeds. In front of him was a ten Zhang long lake shaped like a circle. Hot air emanated from the lake and many Steel Arms Monkeys were in the lake while a small number of monkeys were on the land.

“There are really a lot of Steel Arms Monkeys. There are over thirty monkeys in the hot spring lake and over a dozen on the land.” Seeing the monkeys, Teng Qingshan laughed and commented, “These Steel Arms Monkeys love hot springs too.”

Just based on appearance, the lake emanating hot air was like a hot spring indeed.

However, whether it was really a hot spring or not, unless you experienced the temperature personally, you wouldn’t know.

“Ah! Ahh!”

The Steel Arms Monkeys were playing in the lake and the monkeys on the land were also shouting. Unfortunately, Teng Qingshan did not understand the language of the Steel Arms Monkey.

“Eh!” Teng Qingshan’s eyes brightened as he stared at the center of the hot spring lake.

In the hot spring lake, some smooth rocks were protruding above the surface. In the center of the hot spring lake, over a dozen long and slender stems emerged from the water surface.There were green leaves on each of the stems. In the midst of the leaves of three of the plants, there were actually glowing red fruits.

Among the remaining ten stems, only three stems had fruits. However, the fruits of these three stems were green and were a lot smaller. The rest of the stems had no fruits but only leaves.

“Scarlet Fruits!” When Teng Qingshan, who had already seen the pictures of the many kinds of spirit fruits, saw the fruits, he couldn’t help but feel immense joy as he said to himself, “I came at the right time. There are actually three ripe Scarlet Fruits. The other three Scarlet Fruits still need a few months to mature completely.”

Eating an unripe Scarlet Fruits would only bring harm.

“However, there are almost fifty Steel Arms Monkeys here!” Teng Qingshan furrowed and questioned, “What should I do?”

Forcing my way in definitely won’t work. The three Steel Arms Monkeys carrying the dead azure python are not here, so it was obvious that the Steel Arms Monkeys before his sight were not all of the monkeys of the Steel Arms Monkey Mountain.

The King of the monkeys and other powerful monkeys are probably not here.

“If I dashed directly forward to take the Scarlet Fruits forcefully, the monkeys would probably surround me before I could even touch the Scarlet Fruit.” Pondering for a while, Teng Qingshan then said, “Yes, any creature would definitely sleep. Although the Steel Arms Monkeys are wise, but they are like kids. They are not as dutiful as soldiers.”

One word——wait!

Just wait until the sky darkens and wait until the Steel Arms Monkeys sleep. He will steal the Scarlet Fruit when it’s night time.

With his own night vision, moving in the dark would be more effective.

......

Because he was preparing to steal the Scarlet Fruits, Teng Qingshan emptied his bottle gourd which was half filled with water. The bottle gourd was not full and if Teng Qingshan didn’t move violently, it might not make any sound. However, during crucial moment, when his movements are violent and swift, the water in the bottle gourd would move and make sounds.

His Blood Sucking Saber was wrapped with clothes and placed in his bag so that it won’t make a sound.

Holding his Reincarnation Spear, Teng Qingshan crouched silently in the weeds

“When it’s night time, I will go from the side!” Teng Qingshan scrutinized the environment and even the surrounding rocks and trees as he pondered the safest plan. “After plucking the fruits, I will go back through the same way quietly if they did not notice. If they noticed, then I will leap up to the tree..... These monkeys that have not reached the innate realm won’t be able to catch me.”

Teng Qingshan began waiting silently.

Without making a sound, Teng Qingshan waited for many hours. It was already evening and the sky was dusky.

“Ah!”! A piercing squeal rang.

Teng Qingshan, who was at the hot spring lake in the distance at this moment, narrowed his eyes.

Whew! Whew! Whew!

When piercing shriek sounded, the almost fifty Steel Arms Monkeys dashed out of the hot spring lake at lightning speed. All of the Steel Arms Monkeys were on the land now and not one of them dared to make a sound. They were all staring at a Steel Arms Monkey walking towards the lake like a man from a distance. It was a Steel Arms Monkey with a taller and bigger physique!

Normal Steel Arms Monkeys were slightly smaller than humans.

However, the Steel Arms Monkey walking towards the lake was nine chi tall. It had red fur with some silver fur on its chest. This Steel Arms Monkey of great stature scanned the group of monkeys and leaped up forcefully, making a “Whew” sound. The leap was several Zhangs high and over ten Zhangs long and the monkey landed on a rock in the center of the lake.

The tall and big Steel Arms Monkey then made two more small leaps, arriving beside the stem of a Scarlet Fruit. It stretched its hand and plucked a glowing red Scarlet Fruit!

“Damn!”

Seeing this, Teng Qingshan’s facial expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, “It’s here to gather the fruits!”

Originally, Teng Qingshan planned to wait until nighttime to make his move, but who would have thought......that the tall and big Steel Arms Monkey would gather the fruits this evening. At this moment, the fifty Steel Arms Monkeys surrounded the lake, all appearing very obedient. They all stared at the tall and big Steel Arms Monkey plucking the fruits.......Teng Qingshan didn’t have a single chance now.

Whew! Whew!

After a few jumps, the three ripe Scarlet Fruits were gathered.

“Not even leaving one! Now it’s trouble.” Teng Qingshan gnashed his teeth and said, ”That tall and big Steel Arms Monkey should be a lot stronger than normal Steel Arms Monkeys!” The arms of normal Steel Arms Monkeys have a strength of more than hundred thousand Jin. This ability of this tall and big Steel Arms Monkey......should be greater than an innate expert.

“Let’s find a chance again.” Teng Qingshan did not have the audacity to take the fruits forcefully.

Who knows how many more Steel Arms Monkeys there are?

“Ah!” The tall and big Steel Arms Monkey let out a shriek and almost thirty Steel Arms Monkeys immediately followed it, leaving the remaining dozen monkeys at the lake.

Teng Qingshan held his Reincarnation Spear with one hand and walked in the forest quietly, following the group of Steel Arms Monkeys quickly. As he followed, he kept a distance of more than two Li...... With one glance,Teng Qingshan saw over one hundred Steel Arms Monkeys waiting in the distance. Among the over one hundred Steel Arms Monkeys, there was one tall and big Steel Arms Monkey with silver fur on its chest.

“Ah! AhAh!”

When the tall and big Steel Arms Monkey that gathered the scarlet fruits arrived with the other Steel Arms Monkeys, shouts of joy immediately sounded.

“There are quite a lot of monkeys. There are over one hundred monkeys at the entrance of the lair. I wonder how many monkeys are inside the lair.” Teng Qingshan cast a glance at a conspicuously protruding cliff at the side and said to himself, “Let’s check it on the cliff.” Teng Qingshan climbed easily and arrived on top of the cliff.

There was a terrace on the cliff and it was covered with vines and weeds.

Teng Qingshan went slightly forward on the terrace of this cliff and prostrated himself. He moved to the edge of the cliff and looked down towards the lair of the monkeys.

“Heavens!” The sight caused Teng Qingshan to gasp with surprise.

Below the cliff, a huge number of red fur Steel Arms Monkeys scattered around. Some were eating wild fruits, and some were playing around. Occasionally, one or two tall and big Steel Arms Monkeys were seen. Teng Qingshan then exclaimed, “Now I see why no one dared to force their way in. There are over one thousand Steel Arms Monkeys in this lair! They are even all the big and tall Steel Arms Monkeys, I can already see more than eight bosses.”

The arms of each Steel Arms Monkeys had a strength of hundred thousand Jin.

With over one thousand Steel Arms Monkeys, who would dare to force their way in?

“That Steel Arms Monkey is carrying the Scarlet Fruit.” Teng Qingshan saw it immediately. The tall and big Steel Arms Monkey carrying the three Scarlet Fruit was heading into a cave on the mountain wall at the side. The cave of this mountain wall had two normal Steel Arms Monkeys guarding it and the tall and big Steel Arms Monkey went into the cave. None of the Steel Arms Monkeys stopped it.

“Oh..... The items of the Steel Arms Monkeys must be hidden in that cave.” Teng Qingshan stared at the cave and scrutinized the surrounding as he spoke, “Yes, if I climbed to the terrace above the cave at night, I might be able to flip down from the top into the cave with a faster speed.”

......

The tall and big Steel Arms Monkey held three Scarlet Fruits and continued advancing in the cave. After a few turns, it arrived a spacious area inside the mountain. There was a huge rectangular hole on the ground and within this rectangular hole, there was a huge amount of light red liquid. A dense smell of alcohol permeated. The tall and big Steel Arms Monkey sniffed and involuntarily licked its lips.

However, it didn’t dared to make any sounds.

Because, beside the rectangular hole, there was a Steel Arms Monkey with the same stature as a normal Steel Arms Monkey. However......the fur of this monkey was completely silver! And its eyes were golden colored! The tall and big monkey appeared very obedient in front of this gold-colored eyed and silver furred Steel Arms Monkey.

The gold-colored eye Steel Arms Monkey casted a glance at the tall and big Steel Arms Monkey.

“Ah!” The tall and big Steel Arms Monkey immediately placed the three Scarlet Fruit on the ground and went two steps backwards.

The gold-colored eyed Steel Arms Monkey took a stone mortar from the side. Some water and many kinds of green and white fruits were placed in the stone mortar. The gold-colored eyed Steel Arms Monkey took out a Scarlet Fruit and placed it in the stone mortar. With the use of a stone pestle, it mashed these fruits that was mixed with water and the result was actually a light red color.

“ChiChi!” The gold-colored eyed Steel Arms Monkey took another Scarlet Fruit and placed it in, smashing it again.

“ChiChi.” Smelling it again, the gold-colored eyes Steel Arms Monkey then nodded satisfiedly.

Holding the stone mortar, it poured the liquid completely into the rectangular hole. The gold-colored Steel Arms Monkey smiled satisfiedly and threw the last Scarlet Fruit beside the stone mortar. It was obvious that it didn’t need other ingredients anymore.

“Ah Ah Ah Ah!” The gold-colored eyed Steel Arms Monkey yelled towards the tall and big Steel Arms Monkey.

When the tall and big Steel Arms Monkey heard, it raised its hands happily and shouted excitedly before it ran out.

This golden-colored eyed Steel Arms Monkey took a wine jar made of stone from the side and dipped the wine jar into the hole, filling it completely. The monkey took a sip first and shouted proudly. It then carried this wine jar and headed outside.