161: Chapter 160 Rescuing the Little Monkey

He leaned in for a closer look and, boy, the pit was incredibly deep.

It was filled with black, gooey slush, like a giant pot of overcooked dark cuisine, emitting an indescribable stench.

A Little Monkey was trapped in this swampy hell, half its body submerged, with only its head and two flailing little paws splashing about.

Miserable cries continuously escaped its mouth, filled with endless fear and helplessness, making Lu Fan's heart ache.

"Oh, you poor little thing," Lu Fan muttered, his face full of pity and his brows furrowed into a knot.

Like a wound-up machine, his mind raced as he quickly scanned the surroundings, desperately searching for anything that could be used for a rescue.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Not far away were several vines, thick and long, swaying gently in the breeze as if they had been prepared specifically for this rescue.

Lu Fan rushed over in a few strides, pulled out his dagger, and began hacking at the vines, muttering to himself, "These vines are quite tough; hopefully they'll be very useful."

After a great deal of effort, he finally managed to cut the vines down.

Returning to the edge of the deep pit, Lu Fan tied one end of a vine into a large slipknot and then slowly lowered it. He moved inch by inch, being extremely careful for fear of scaring the Little Monkey.

He kept chanting as if reciting a soothing spell, "Little fellow, don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I'm coming to save you. Put your paws through this loop and hold on tight."

The Little Monkey seemed to truly understand Lu Fan's words, and its frantic movements regained a bit of order.

It struggled desperately, its tiny body exploding with surprising strength, until it finally managed to slip a paw into the slipknot.

Seeing this, Lu Fan took a deep breath, gripped the vine tightly with both hands, and carefully began to pull upward.

The slush was like countless invisible, glue-covered hands, stubbornly dragging the Little Monkey and refusing to let go.

Lu Fan felt as if he were pulling a several-hundred-pound hog; with every tug, it felt like something was pulling back down.

His legs were like roots planted in the ground, standing firm, and the muscles on his arms bulged high as if they might burst through his skin at any moment.

"Heave-ho, heave-ho!"

Lu Fan gritted his teeth, squeezing the words out from between them. His hands exerted force bit by bit, and the vine was pulled taut, making a creaking sound as if protesting the immense tension.

The Monkey King on the side was also as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle, hopping back and forth at the edge of the pit and letting out sharp cries. The sound seemed to carry a magical power, cheering Lu Fan on.

Just as Lu Fan felt the vine was about to give way, the Little Monkey was finally pulled out of the slush pit.

Lu Fan slumped onto the ground.

He patted his mud-covered palms and let out a long sigh. "I finally got you out, little fellow. It's a good thing you were lucky enough to run into me; anyone else might not have been able to pull you up."

After being rescued, the Little Monkey was a literal mud monkey, covered from head to toe in slush and looking incredibly pathetic.

It scrambled over to the Monkey King as if finding a safe harbor, hugging the Monkey King's leg tightly, its body still trembling like a leaf shivering in a gale.

The Monkey King was heartbroken, gently stroking the Little Monkey's head with its paw and calling out softly. The sound was like a gentle lullaby, comforting the frightened Little Monkey.

After a good while, the Little Monkey's emotions finally began to stabilize.

It took small steps toward Lu Fan and gently tugged at his pant leg with its tiny paw.

Then it looked up at Lu Fan with its large, watery eyes, which were full of gratitude, as if saying, "Thank you for saving me."

Lu Fan also looked down at the Little Monkey. At this sight, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Hey, you little rascal, how did you turn into a mud monkey!"

The Little Monkey was covered in black, gooey stuff, looking as if it had been tossed into a vat of mud and rolled around.

The Little Monkey looked at Lu Fan piteously, its damp eyes still holding a trace of terror.

The mud on its paws kept falling off as it moved, making it look like a living mud sculpture, which was quite amusing.

[Discovered Clay]

"Clay?"

Hearing the notification in his mind, Lu Fan was slightly stunned, and then a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face.

After all, this stuff was essential for firing bricks; in the wild, it was practically a treasure.

"I say, Monkey King, this little subordinate of yours really knows how to pick a spot, falling into a Clay pit. If this were ancient times, we might have been able to fire him directly into a ceramic ornament!"

Lu Fan joked with a smile, reaching out to gently pat the Little Monkey's head, wanting to help it get the Clay off.

But once this Clay dried, it became hard as stone and wasn't easily removed. As soon as his fingers touched it, they were poked painfully.

The Monkey King circled the Little Monkey several times, looking it over from left and right, but was also helpless against the coat of Clay. It began to screech anxiously again, its voice full of worry and frustration.

Lu Fan pondered for a moment, his eyes lighting up. "Don't worry, don't worry, I have a way. This Clay softens when it hits water. Let's take it to the river for a bath, and I guarantee it'll turn back into that clever little thing it was."

No sooner said than done. Lu Fan carefully picked up the Little Monkey and led the Monkey King toward the pool.

Along the way, the Little Monkey was very well-behaved, likely frightened by the recent experience, and was as quiet as a docile kitten.

Arriving at the pool, Lu Fan gently placed the Little Monkey on the shallow bank, where the water tenderly licked its paws.

He crouched down, cupped some clear water in his hands, and slowly splashed it onto the Little Monkey.

Something magical happened. As the water washed over it, the Clay began to fall off bit by bit, like melting snow in spring.

The Little Monkey's original golden fur gradually emerged, shimmering with a warm luster in the sunlight.

"See, that's much cleaner."

Lu Fan chatted with the Little Monkey as he helped it wash, just like talking to an old friend.

"You little fellow, you have to be more careful in the future. This Clay pit is no place to play."

The Little Monkey seemed to understand, blinking its eyes at Lu Fan and even reaching out a tiny paw to pat his hand as if responding to his words.

Once cleaned, the Little Monkey instantly regained its vitality, hopping and skipping on the shallows like a mischievous child.

It would occasionally splash water with its paws, soaking Lu Fan. The water droplets sparkled like crystals in the sunlight.

"Hey, you little rascal, you're starting to be naughty right after being saved!"

Lu Fan stood up with a laugh. Watching the lively Little Monkey, his heart was full of gratification, and the fatigue from the rescue vanished instantly.

The Monkey King also approached, affectionately nuzzling the Little Monkey with its head, then ran to Lu Fan's side and tugged at his pant leg, seemingly expressing its thanks.

"Alright, alright, it's good that everyone is fine."

Lu Fan patted the Monkey King's head. "But speaking of which, the quality of this Clay is quite good; it's so sticky."

Lu Fan couldn't help but have an idea. Looking at that Clay pit, images of firing sturdy bricks and building a warm Shelter flashed through his mind.

But for now, he had to dry the Little Monkey's fur; he couldn't let the little fellow catch a cold.