"A tree? How can there be a tree underground?" Fatty instinctively felt that there must be treasure on the tree. However, the moment he was about to rush out, his lips recalled the passionate, intimate feelings he had just shared with the pile of bones.
He immediately retreated, feeling that it was better to be cautious and not to easily pledge his affections to something unclear.
"Little Brother..." he quietly consulted the professional present, "Do you think this tree is sinister? Is it suitable to be Fatty's next romantic partner?"
Zhang Qiling: ...?
Clearly, Zhang Qiling had no interest in being an introducer for human-supernatural blind dates. He slowly turned his head to look at Fatty, his expression conveying a profound sense of speechless exasperation.
After so long, Fatty had mastered the art of interpreting Zhang's expressions. Seeing Xiao Zhang's demeanor, he understood that beneath the impassive facade lay three parts confusion, two parts bewilderment, four parts speechlessness, and one part disdain.
...Although he understood it clearly, Fatty thought about it and still felt that the last part of disdain must be his misinterpretation; Xiao Zhang could never disdain him!
"Alright, you fatso, stop fooling around," Wu Tianzhen increased the brightness of his flashlight, illuminating the path ahead more clearly. He took a couple of steps forward and teased Fatty, "New romantic partner, huh? You really don't have any standards."
"If you're the type to decide on a partner based on wealth, I can introduce you to plenty of good wives!"
Wu Tianzhen couldn't help but reveal a hint of a smile, then quickly suppressed it, feigning seriousness. "Look, didn't that monkey outside guide you to a lot of antique treasures? It practically welcomed you with its entire fortune."
"Moreover, their numbers are vast, with males, females, young, and old, all available. They even have the most popular granny-gray hair color. The whole family is full of fashionistas! Are you interested? How about we go out right now and find a well-off, strong monkey for you, Fatty!"
At this point, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. He could have held back, but Fatty's expression, as if he had eaten something unpleasant, was just too hilarious.
Wu Tianzhen was laughing so hard that tears were almost coming out, but he didn't want to leave Xiao Zhang to be beautiful alone.
So, as Zhang Qiling was carefully searching his memories for the characteristics of those monkeys, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. Wu Tianzhen had already placed his arm on him:
"Don't worry, even if Xiao Ge can't be your marriage officiant, he can be your witness!"
"Then we'll all follow Fatty's instructions. Whichever monkey you fancy, we'll directly throw Xiao Ge's Poké Ball and have him catch your romantic partner. He'll hit every target, every time, guaranteed, hahaha!"
Zhang Qiling: ?
At this moment, Zhang Qiling had already managed to recall the appearance of the monkeys from Mount Emei from his empty mind.
When he had dispatched them one by one earlier, it was just a fleeting glance, and he hadn't paid much attention to their beauty. Now, recalling them seriously, Zhang Qiling felt that their monkey faces, covered in bulging veins like zombies, had polluted his eyes.
Following that memory came the smell of the monkeys. The stench, like rotting corpses mixed with salted fish pickled in vinegar for three hundred years, was truly unforgettable.
Thinking of this, Zhang Qiling felt that he was actually reluctant to take on the role of a witness.
But if it were for Fatty...
So, when Fatty turned his hopeful, pleading eyes to Zhang Qiling, he was shocked to see the innocent Xiao Zhang lower his gaze, ponder for a moment, then resolutely lift his head to look at him, nodding slowly with a hint of reluctance.
Fatty: ??? Xiao Ge, what's wrong with you? You're no longer the most sensible one among us!
Facing two cold and heartless brothers, Fatty now had only one option left—
He pinned all his remaining hope on Xie Yuchen, who had been silent all along. Brother Hua, as he was called, looked as reliable as ever. His slender fingers were rapidly tapping on a tablet, as if working on a multi-billion dollar project.
...Look, still working even in the Forbidden Land, this is the only sensible person among us!
Fatty was almost moved to tears: "I knew it, our Brother Hua is the—"
Just then, Xie Yuchen completed his operation.
With a "swish," he flipped the tablet around to show everyone, his tone carrying a trace of solemnity and inquiry, sounding surprisingly gentle.
"Time was tight, and this is all I could prepare," a long list of luxurious wedding items was neatly arranged on his tablet, looking as grand as can be. "Take a look, is there anything missing?"
"After all, the other party is a monkey. I've never handled something like this before, so I'm a bit unaccustomed. My apologies, Fatty."
Fatty: ...Not at all, you've been more than accommodating.
With mixed emotions of grief and indignation, Fatty had been about to lose his temper to defend his innocence. But at that moment, he saw the total amount at the bottom of Xie Yuchen's tablet. That equally extravagant number instantly conquered Fatty's heart.
Fatty: Holy crap!!!
"That's enough, that's enough! Nothing is missing, Brother Hua is generous!!" Fatty's expression changed from gloomy to sunny in an instant, his face beaming with joy. "Um, monkeys are indeed a bit difficult to handle. If it doesn't work out, why don't you just convert all these things into cash for me? It's fine! Fatty has always been thrifty and resourceful, I don't care about superficial rituals. As long as the brothers' intentions are there, hahaha!"
Wu Tianzhen: ??? Good heavens, you're still expecting gift money?!
Fatty's masterful ability to seize an opportunity clearly shocked Wu Tianzhen. He had a mouthful of things stuck in his throat, not knowing where to begin.
Suddenly, a whistling sound interrupted Wu Tianzhen's internal monologue.
Zhang Qiling, who was contemplating the best posture to capture the monkeys without causing them death or injury, instantly became alert. Before Wu Tianzhen could react, his hands had already shot out like lightning!
The white shadow rushing towards him was about to hit Wu Tianzhen on the head but was narrowly intercepted by that hand at the edge and steadily pulled back.
"Damn! What was that?!" Only then did Wu Tianzhen manage to exclaim.
"Actually, I wanted to say this earlier," Hei Jing, who had somehow emerged from the darkness again, was tossing a white, spherical object up and down in his hand. It was obvious that the white shadow had come from him. "Your skills seem to have regressed quite a bit, Wu Tianzhen. This won't do~"
The eyes hidden beneath his sunglasses stared at Wu Tianzhen for a moment, and a mischievous smile suddenly appeared on his lips.
Wu Tianzhen's hair stood on end.
He instinctively moved a little closer to Zhang Qiling, feeling that this little black guy was up to something that would harm him.
But as he looked at the white sphere clutched in Zhang Qiling's hand, the already terrified Wu Tianzhen became even more terrified—
On Zhang Qiling's pale hand, the grayish-white sphere was actually growing a hideous human face!
The face had all its features, and its completely black eyes were staring intently at Wu Tianzhen.