Not long after Zhang Qiling descended, and as the others followed, the cliff face was soon covered in layers of fresh bloodstains.
The foul, fishy odor was pungent in the damp mist. Wu Tianzhen buried his nose deeper into his collar and leaned closer to examine the scene.
Several coarse, dark gray hairs were stuck to the bloodstains. They were stiff, so much so that they could be used as embroidery needles to thread clothes.
As he paused to observe, Fatty plummeted past him like a falling weight, emitting a series of "ao ao ao" sounds. At that speed, Wu Tianzhen wouldn't have doubted it if Fatty claimed he hadn't used the climbing rope at all.
"Damn, how much potential has he unlocked..." Wu Tianzhen was once again astonished by Fatty's obsession with wealth. He secretly pondered the feasibility of tempting Fatty with antiques from Wu Shan Ju to watch the shop for him. His hands moved slowly as he prepared to continue his descent.
Just then, a figure landed lightly beside him like a bird. Xie Yuchen's voice, carried by the wind through the mist, reached him.
"Wu Tianzhen," his voice still held a hint of a smile, somewhat muffled by the cliff's wind, "did you bring any weapons?"
"Ah? Ah!" Wu Tianzhen instinctively checked his weapon pack, finding his dagger and gun still in place. "Yes, I did. What's wrong, Xiao Hua?"
His reply was a dragon-patterned staff, piercing through the mist like a sharp blade, aimed directly at him!
Xie Yuchen remained silent, his hand already in motion. The dragon-patterned staff proved itself at that moment to be far more than a mere decorative item. Its flashing cold light left no doubt in Wu Tianzhen's mind that it had been stained with blood many times before!
Startled, Wu Tianzhen instinctively clung to his climbing rope like a koala, pressing himself flat against the cliff face.
The dragon-patterned staff passed by his back without changing direction, drawing a thin wisp of blood. The accompanying sharp howls made Wu Tianzhen's entire body tremble!
...Monkeys! There were many monkeys on this cliff face!
Xie Yuchen's warning upon entering the mountain suddenly resurfaced in Wu Tianzhen's mind. In an instant, he understood what Zhang Qiling had been killing since he descended.
"Get ready, they're coming." Xie Yuchen had already retracted his dragon-patterned staff. He flicked it, shaking off the blood and stray hairs, and looked upwards with a grave expression.
A rustling sound arose, like a death knell.
These monkeys, which had been as elusive as ghosts in the mist, were now making such a racket. This could only mean one thing—
There were too many monkeys descending from above.
Wu Tianzhen's spirit jolted, and he drew his gun. Although he often mocked himself as a weakling, it was only in relative terms.
After the training (torture) by Hei Yanjing, his skills had improved considerably, at least making him stronger than an average person.
By firing based on sound, he managed to kill quite a few monkeys. He dared not linger, scrambling downwards, and for a moment, he even matched Fatty's earlier speed.
...This proved that not only the desire for wealth could unlock a person's potential, but so could the desire for survival.
Xie Yuchen displayed a combat prowess completely at odds with his refined appearance. After clearing the monkeys around him, he still had the capacity to help Wu Tianzhen deal with any stragglers. Streaks of blood circled him, making his face appear sharp.
This was the first time Wu Tianzhen had witnessed such skill from his childhood friend, and he felt a moment of daze.
Wu Tianzhen: ...According to the squeeze theorem, if both sides are experts, then the one in the middle should be an expert too... Why isn't that me? Why is this happening?
The situation seemed to be improving, but Wu Tianzhen soon noticed something amiss.
The climbing rope in his hand was trembling abnormally from top to bottom!
This was—!!
"Xiao Hua!" Wu Tianzhen looked up sharply, seeing Xie Yuchen kicking a monkey away at an inhuman angle.
The scene felt strangely familiar, but he had no time to analyze it. He urgently called out, "We need to descend quickly! These monkeys are biting our climbing ropes from above!"
As soon as he spoke, the trembling of the rope in his hand suddenly stopped.
Wu Tianzhen knew something was wrong, but his body couldn't keep up with his thoughts. In the blink of an eye, a sensation of weightlessness washed over him!
He hastily grabbed onto a rock, but for some reason, the rock snapped and broke away, as unstable as a shoddy construction!
"Holy crap!" he blurted out, losing control of his body and falling.
Then, a familiar constriction around his neck brought his falling body to an abrupt halt in mid-air.
Zhang Qiling had returned at some point and grabbed the falling Wu Tianzhen by the scruff of his neck.
Now, holding Wu Tianzhen in one hand and the rope in the other, his Black Gold Ancient Sword was relegated to a rather awkward position in his palm. Strands of monkey blood were slowly sliding down it, flowing along Zhang Qiling's exposed pale arm and disappearing into the depths.
"Xiao Ge, are you alright?" Wu Tianzhen said this out of habit, but the moment the words left his mouth, he realized how strange they sounded.
...He himself had just fallen from above, saved entirely by Xiao Ge. Saying "Are you alright?" felt rather odd.
Fortunately, Zhang Qiling was cooperative and didn't mock his weakling nature like Fatty.
He forcefully pulled Wu Tianzhen up with his arm, shifting to a grip that wouldn't choke him as much, and then replied, "I'm fine."
Xie Yuchen had also descended by then. He glanced at the dejected Wu Tianzhen, confirmed he was unharmed, and nodded at Zhang Qiling.
Without exchanging many words, they exchanged a look and simultaneously let go, descending rapidly and perilously.
Wu Tianzhen, hanging like a pendant swaying in the wind, had a sudden realization watching this scene—
So, they had been descending so slowly earlier because Xiao Hua had been waiting for him...
Wu Tianzhen: ...Another day of gaining a clearer understanding of myself.
The monkeys below had been largely dealt with by Zhang Qiling. As they descended further, the overwhelming scent of blood grew stronger.
Wu Tianzhen landed steadily, loosening his collar to catch his breath. Then, he suddenly realized that the ground beneath his feet felt strangely soft.
He looked down and saw that he was standing on layers upon layers of piled monkey corpses!
The mist obscured his view of the distance, but the ground beneath his feet alone was enough to gauge how many monkeys had met their end by Zhang Qiling's blade.
The foul blood slowly spread, like a scarlet spiderweb.