78: Chapter 78 Blocking the Way

Madam Hua did not even raise her head, continuing to play with the water splashes. Her voice was lazy and cold, as if she were talking to herself, or perhaps answering Black Ape: "General Black, with such an imposing Aura, where are you going?"

Black Ape's brows furrowed, and his voice deepened.

"You know."

"Your subordinates have already crossed the line, time and again refusing to obey the Mountain Master's orders."

"The Mountain Master is very Life Qi."

"Is it the Mountain Master who is Life Qi, or are you acting on your own authority?"

Lady Hua finally raised her head. Her beautiful, water-like eyes looked at Black Ape, with flower petal silhouettes around them. There was no smile in her eyes, only a calmness that made one's heart tremble.

Black Ape's gaze did not waver, and his voice became even deeper: "It is all the same."

"The Mountain Master has given me the right to control the rules and punish the demons of the mountains. You have broken the rules, so you must be punished."

"Punished?"

Lady Hua's hand stopped. Water droplets dripped from between her fingers, falling into the pool and creating ripples.

Her gaze fell upon Black Ape. In those water-like eyes, coldness gathered bit by bit, and her voice was cold and ethereal.

"Punished for what?"

Black Ape was silent for a moment, his voice as hard as stone: "The Mountain Master's rules—do you dare to disobey them?"

Lady Hua looked at him for a while, then averted her gaze, raising her head to look at the cold moon above the bamboo forest.

The moonlight shone on her face. Her skin was fair to the point of transparency, and her features were as exquisite as a painting. But in those eyes, there was no gentleness, no charm, only a deep, indescribable exhaustion.

"Obey."

"How would Madam Hua dare to disobey..."

"It's just... these rules are too tiring. They tire me until I feel flustered, so tiring that I cannot help but recall the past from thirty years ago."

With these words, she finished.

Madam Hua's figure dissipated. Black Ape said nothing; he stood outside the bamboo forest in silence for a while before continuing to walk down the mountain.

The bamboo shadows danced.

The moonlight was sliced into countless fragmented slivers of silver, scattered on the path covered with fallen leaves.

However.

As time passed, Black Ape realized that although he had walked for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the scene before his eyes remained a bamboo forest—nothing but bamboo forest.

The same bamboo, the same moonlight, the same path.

He stopped and looked back. The path he had come from was gone, leaving only dense bamboo, layer upon layer, like an endless cage.

Black Ape stopped in his tracks, stood where he was, and after a moment of silence, spoke.

"Madam Hua, you should know what you are doing. Do you know the consequences of this?"

No voice answered him.

The only response was the rustling of the night wind through the bamboo leaves and the low chirping of unknown insects in the distance.

"Zhu Feng is already dead; you cannot walk his path."

"You, take care of yourself."

Black Ape took a deep breath and did not walk forward again.

He turned around and returned the way he came.

This time, the path was clear.

...

Meanwhile, at Iron-Backed Mountain.

The moonlight lazily spilled onto the hillside, illuminating a sprawl of black shadows.

A dozen or so black bears lay sprawled on the grass; some were hugging tree trunks, some were using rocks as pillows, and some were piled on top of each other, their snoring thunderous and rising in waves.

The air was filled with a cloying scent of honey, mixed with the distinct musky odor of bears, so strong that even mosquitoes dared not approach.

In the center of the hillside, on a huge rock that had been polished smooth and shiny, an exceptionally large black bear was sleeping soundly.

Its belly was facing the sky, its four paws spread wide, looking like a collapsed little hill.

It was holding a stone larger than its own head in its arms, and the stone was covered in golden honey, shimmering with an amber luster under the moonlight.

A trace of glistening saliva hung from the corner of its mouth. From time to time, it would lick the stone in its arms, smack its lips, and let out a satisfied grunt.

"Hoo~ lu~ hoo~ lu~~"

The snoring was earth-shaking, making even the ground tremble slightly.

Just then.

Not far from the giant rock, an inconspicuous plant suddenly moved.

Its leaves were emerald green and dripping with vitality, its stem slender and upright, swaying gently in the night wind, no different from the surrounding weeds.

But its leaves slowly stretched out, as if controlled by something, passing silently through the grass, crawling onto the giant rock, bypassing the black bear's belly, avoiding its flailing paws, and precisely finding its nose.

The leaf gave a gentle flick.

"Snap."

A crisp sound exploded on the tip of the black bear's nose.

The black bear's snoring stopped abruptly.

Its body stiffened for a moment, then it sat up abruptly, its fat wobbling like waves, the flesh on its belly folding into three layers.

Before its eyes were even open, its mouth had already opened, and it mumbled indistinctly: "Who... who hit me..."

The black bear opened its eyes hazily, saw the plant in front of it, and its pupils shrank abruptly. Its fat wobbled again, but this time it wasn't from swaying, but from trembling.

"La... Lady..."

...

The next morning, inside the Limestone Cave.

Wu Li squatted on a bluestone, with several black pottery wine jars and a small pile of bright red fruits in front of him.

Having nothing to do last night, he had taken out the wine brought back from Long City.

But drinking it over and over, it was always missing something.

He stared at the pile of red fruits in front of him—the ones Bai Chi had brought yesterday, round and plump, brightly red and translucent.

He had a sudden whim, grabbed a fruit, threw it into his mouth, chewed it up, and then took a gulp of strong liquor.

The liquor mixed with the fruit juice in his mouth. The familiar spiciness was neutralized by the fruit's fragrance, becoming soft and mellow. The clear sweetness of the fruit was stimulated by the aroma of the wine, melting on the tip of his tongue—sweet but not cloying, with a lingering aftertaste.

The potency of the strong liquor remained, but it was no longer the type that scorched the throat; instead, it slid warmly down his throat like a basin of charcoal fire in winter.

Wu Li's eyes lit up.

He tried it again later and found that this wine became exceptionally delicious after adding the fruit juice. The aroma of the wine was completely brought out, carrying the clear sweetness of the fruit, and the richness of the texture was so layered that even he, a crow, couldn't help but squint his eyes in satisfaction.

"Good stuff, really good stuff."

Wu Li cackled twice, took another big gulp, and spread his wings slightly. The Yin and Yang rings on his ankles emitted a faint humming sound with his movements.

Just as he was drinking with great enjoyment.

The flapping of wings came from outside the Limestone Cave.

Black Feather flew in, landed below the bluestone, and lowered his head respectfully: "Old Ancestor, the Bear King is here."

Wu Li raised his head from the wine jar, a hint of surprise flashing in his pupils: "Oh? I'll go take a look."

He put away the wine jar, stuffed the remaining few fruits into his Stomach Storage, spread his wings, and flew out of the Limestone Cave.

Outside the Stone Forest.

Iron-Backed Bear King was squatting on the open ground, his massive body like a small hill.

Seeing Wu Li fly out, he gave an honest smile, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. Just as he was about to speak, his nose suddenly sniffed vigorously, and his eyes lit up.

"Little brother, what do you have on you? It smells so good... It makes me, the old bear, crave it."