Chapter Eleven: I Am the Great General Divine Ape

“Immortal, it was our fault just now. Please forgive us and deliver our village from this suffering.” The villagers knelt before Yuan Wuji, pleading with him.

“Elder, please rise and tell me about your village’s situation.”

“Immortal, if you grant my request, I will get up. If not, our village is as good as dead anyway. We might as well die kneeling before an immortal—it’s a hundred times better than being devoured by that demon.” Yuan Wuji could see that this old man had been forced into desperation; otherwise, what reason would a man so close to the end of his days have to kneel so humbly? It was clear he simply didn’t want his people to end up in the monster’s belly.

“Since I am an immortal, I will certainly slay the demon and restore peace to your village.” An old man begging at one’s feet was, after all, a small matter for Yuan Wuji to resolve. He was not made of stone, and seeing the elder’s earnestness, he could not refuse.

“Thank you, Immortal!”

“Thank you, Immortal!”

“...”

Oh dear, they’re bowing again.

“Elder, please get up quickly,” Yuan Wuji urged, not daring to let the old man remain kneeling, for fear it might shorten his lifespan.

“Thank you, Immortal.”

“Everyone, stand up as well!”

“Thank you, Immortal.”

This was the first time Yuan Wuji had ever experienced so many people kneeling to him.

“Elder, tell me about the demon in your village.”

“Here’s how it is, Immortal. Our place is called White Bone Ridge, so everyone in the village bears the surname White. Though the land is barren, we have always lived in peace and want for nothing. There have always been wild beasts in the mountains, but never demons. That changed a year ago, when a group of demons arrived and took up residence in the White Bone Cave atop the mountain. In this desolate place, our village is the only spot still inhabited! The demon king on the mountain sends his minions each month, demanding that we offer five boys and girls as tribute. If we refuse, adults are taken instead, or else the demon king vows to slaughter a hundred of our people. It’s unbearable.” The village chief wept as he spoke.

So this was White Bone Ridge. No wonder, during the Journey to the West, the ridge was deserted. It seems the villagers either died resisting or were eaten by the demons. I wonder if the White Bone Spirit is here. Even if she is, she can blame no one but herself when I send her to the underworld ahead of time.

“Elder, why don’t you escape and leave the village?” Yuan Wuji asked.

“There are over a hundred of us. If we fled, the mountain demons would notice at once. Besides, there are many elderly folk with limited mobility,” the elder replied helplessly.

“Have you prepared the tribute for this month?”

“All the children in the village have already been devoured by the demon. The men can bear it no longer and are ready to fight to the death. Luckily, Immortal, you arrived! Our village was not fated to perish after all!” The chief grasped Yuan Wuji’s hand, overcome with emotion at the prospect of deliverance; otherwise, even if the old man survived, his heart would have been forever troubled.

“Rest assured, Elder. When the demon comes in three days’ time, I will utterly root out the menace and ensure you suffer no more.”

“Thank you, Immortal! Thank you so much.”

“But, Elder, do you know of any nearby places with a large population?”

Yuan Wuji didn’t believe there could be a powerful demon in White Bone Cave now. If a great demon dwelled there, the village would have been wiped out long ago, just like the evil Dragon King of old. There would be no need for these monthly tributes.

Three days later—

“Come out, all of you! Our king demands the tribute. Have you prepared the boys and girls?”

“Be smart and hand them over quickly!” Two rat demons stood at the village entrance, shouting.

“Don’t go out, villagers. I’ll deal with them myself, and find out where White Bone Cave is so I can destroy the source of your suffering,” Yuan Wuji said to the chief.

“Thank you, Immortal. Do be careful.”

So, just two rats who haven’t even completed their transformation! These lackeys are only good for bullying mortals; even an average martial artist could kill them.

Yuan Wuji had left in haste and hadn’t asked the Lady Golden Spirit for weapons; all he carried was a mid-grade postnatal spiritual treasure—the Wind and Thunder Staff. But dealing with a few minions was trivial.

“Monkey, do you know who we are? If you did, you’d be terrified!”

“That’s right! Don’t get in our way—scram if you know what’s good for you!” the two rats jeered in tandem.

Yuan Wuji had no time to waste on these underlings. With a flash of golden light, he appeared before them and casually struck one down with a single palm.

“Spare me, great king!” the other rat shrieked, falling to its knees in terror after seeing its companion slain so easily.

Yuan Wuji ignored its pleas, seized its spirit, and searched its mind for the location of White Bone Cave.

“So it’s here. The cave is only occupied by a minor demon who has just formed a demon core,” Yuan Wuji discovered. He then crushed the rat’s spirit and flew directly toward White Bone Cave.

White Bone Cave was now infested by rats. Who knew when the White Bone Spirit would arrive?

“Who are you? Leave at once!” A guard rat at the cave entrance saw Yuan Wuji descend and sensed his power, but emboldened by its king’s reputation, showed no fear.

Yuan Wuji had no patience for idle chatter. The Five Thunder True Method, one of the Thirty-six Transformations of Heavenly Gang, though only at the minor achievement stage, was more than enough for a few rats.

With a thunderous boom, he unleashed the Five Thunder True Method. The guards at the cave entrance were utterly obliterated.

“Who dares make trouble on my turf?” The thunderous commotion had drawn out the Rat King, who emerged from the cave, only to swallow his harsh words upon seeing the devastation wrought by Yuan Wuji.

“So it’s Brother Monkey. What brings you here?”

“Brother Monkey?”

“You’re not a monkey?”

“Hah! You’re not fit to call me brother,” Yuan Wuji sneered.

Realizing things had gone terribly wrong, the Rat King turned to flee. But seeing the destruction, it knew it was no match for Yuan Wuji.

Yuan Wuji gave it no chance. Though the Five Thunder True Method was only at minor achievement, his Geng Metal Golden Core greatly amplified the power of his golden thunder, almost to the level of full mastery.

Channeling the Five Thunder True Method, golden lightning crackled along his arms. With another flash, he appeared before the Rat King and struck. In a single blow, the upper half of the Rat King’s body was blasted open.

“Wait!” the Rat King cried, desperate though it knew death was inevitable. Still, it wanted to try.

“Oh? Any last words?”

“Why are you killing me? This is our first meeting. At least let me die with an explanation.”

“I’m killing you for the boys and girls in your belly,” Yuan Wuji replied coldly.

“So it’s those villagers. If I’d known, I’d have killed them all. What did they offer you? I have a treasure in my cave. Spare me, and I’ll give it to you.”

“You talk too much.” Yuan Wuji had never intended to spare the Rat King.

As the paralyzed Rat King finished speaking, a golden bolt of lightning struck it, reducing it to a pile of mangled flesh. The rat soldiers scattered in panic, but Yuan Wuji would not let them escape to harm others—the village below still needed protection.

Fully unleashing the Five Thunder True Method, Yuan Wuji scorched the entire mountain, leaving only himself alive. None of the barely-sentient rats could survive the lightning.

He took a deep breath; fully activating the Five Thunder True Method had cost him considerable spiritual power.

“That rat mentioned a treasure in its cave. I’d best collect it.” With that, Yuan Wuji hurried into White Bone Cave.

“What a stench!” The cave was filled with a foul odor. With only the Wind and Thunder Staff on hand, Yuan Wuji quickly searched for the treasure.

“Is there really a treasure here?” After searching for a while and finding nothing, he chose the cleanest spot to sit cross-legged.

“If my master knew his disciple was searching for treasures in a rat’s den, he’d probably feel sorry for me and gift me some supreme innate spiritual treasures.” Yuan Wuji had been so eager to descend to the mortal world that he’d forgotten to ask for weapons; now he regretted it.

His gaze fell upon the Rat King’s bed. In a place this small, any valuables must be well hidden.

He walked over, channeled his power, and punched the bed to dust.

“There it is.” As the bed turned to ashes, a single pearl floated in the air.

The moment he took the pearl, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth rushed toward him.

“What a fine treasure! No wonder the rat could form a demon core. Too bad I don’t know its function yet; I’ll ask my master later.” Yuan Wuji didn’t want to spend another second in the cave and immediately flew back to the village.

“The Immortal has returned!”

“The Immortal who defeated the demon has come back!”

The villagers swarmed around Yuan Wuji as he landed.

“Immortal, did you kill the demon?” the chief asked.

“Rest assured, Elder. I have slain all the demons in the mountains.”

“Thank you, Immortal! Thank you!” The entire village knelt once more in gratitude.

“Please rise, everyone. Now that the demon is gone, I must take my leave,” Yuan Wuji said, helping the chief up.

“Immortal, we don’t even know your name. Could you tell us? You’ve saved our entire village; we wish to build a temple in your honor, to offer incense and express our gratitude,” the chief said.

Yuan Wuji had heard Lady Golden Spirit speak of the wondrous uses of incense and offerings. Now that someone wished to build a temple for him, he was only too happy to accept.

“I am the Divine Ape General,” Yuan Wuji replied after a moment’s thought.

“If you offer incense to me, should you ever face great difficulties, I will sense it and come to your aid.” With that, Yuan Wuji plucked a hair and handed it to the chief.

“When you build my statue, place this hair within. If you ever need my help, I will sense it.”

“Thank you, Immortal.”

“Thank you, Divine Ape General!”

Yuan Wuji flew off under the villagers’ grateful gazes.