Chapter 702 - 308: Hurry to Xuanhe Town and Invite Advisor Chen!

Stepping on the snow, Zhang Hao, who was about to be promoted to deputy director, led the young cadres from the town towards the Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys’ habitat.

Zhang Hao had dealt with various Pet Beasts and knew well that peacefully persuading the Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys to relocate wouldn’t be easy, and conflict was inevitable, so bringing more helpers was a safer bet.

It wasn’t long before they reached a relatively large, flat snowy area, with bare trees standing tall.

This was the destination—the habitat of the Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys.

Zhang Hao tightened his coat, exhaled a breath of hot air, and pointed northward: "Let’s go soak in the hot springs over there later."

There was a cave there, and along a passage on the rock wall, one could find a hot spring.

Zhang Hao had once taken the Chen Yuan brothers to the hot spring and even encountered the bounty hunter Huo Hong midway.

"Alright, Director Zhang," someone teased playfully.

Zhang Hao coughed lightly, waving his hand slightly: "No, no, no, Song is the director; I’m just an errand boy."

Amidst their casual chatter and discussions, a misty white steam appeared vaguely through the trees ahead, with a warm breeze tinged with sulfur approaching them.

Zhang Hao furrowed his brows and beckoned everyone to hurry forward.

"It’s a hot spring!"

Soon, someone with bright eyes excitedly pointed towards the mist rising within the forest ahead.

Through the large trees, a pool of crystal-clear water came into full view.

The water was clear, with alluring steam rising from it, and the volcanic rock at the bottom shimmered with colors in the reflections of the water.

Zhang Hao furrowed his brows deeper: "A hot spring is also in this place?"

He then thought that this belonged to the habitat of the Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys, and entering carried risks for outsiders; moreover, the residents of Xuanhe Town rarely ventured here and were unfamiliar with the area.

This was clearly a pleasant surprise.

In developing this area, this hot spring could definitely be preserved and turned into a good place for the townsfolk to enjoy leisurely.

"How about we enjoy the hot spring first?" someone suggested eagerly.

Zhang Hao glanced at his watch, seeing it was still early, so he waved his hand: "Alright, let’s soak for a while."

The young people present cheered, feeling their travel fatigue seemingly dissipating with the warmth, and they all jumped into the hot spring.

The warm water enveloped their limbs, and Zhang Hao comfortably leaned on a warm volcanic rock, just about to close his eyes and enjoy a moment of peace when Shao Yang suddenly exclaimed nearby:

"There are signs of damage here."

Zhang Hao followed the sound and saw several volcanic rocks with obvious fracture marks, as if they had been damaged not long ago.

Someone speculated: "Naturally, many wild Pet Beasts must soak in this hot spring; they probably aren’t that careful with it."

Zhang Hao nodded in agreement: "Old Shao, don’t worry about these; we should think about how to persuade the Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys to leave."

Shao Yang suppressed his inner doubts and nodded slightly: "Reason with emotions, move with reason."

"The Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys are mild-tempered, so we just need to reason with them properly."

"Isn’t there a forest north of the town? We can persuade them to move there."

Zhang Hao nodded silently.

Led by Chen Yuan, Zhang Hao had experienced many major events and encountered many powerful Pet Beasts in this mountain and believed he could complete this task easily.

As long as... as long as nothing unexpected happens.

"Ow—!"

Just then, a sharp, angry howl shattered the tranquility of the hot spring, and everyone looked up as the Pet Beasts on guard nearby simultaneously issued warning cries.

Looking ahead, a group of golden-red figures shot like fiery meteors towards the hot spring with astonishing speed, carrying scorching heat waves, causing the temperature to suddenly rise.

Zhang Hao looked back, his pupils contracting sharply: "Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys!"

The leading Flowing Fire Spirit Monkey, though not tall, was especially robust, its entire body covered with golden-red fur like flowing molten gold, glowing brilliantly under the winter sun.

Its muscular arms suddenly bulged, irregular patterns of gold and red flashed brightly, its indigo face twisted with overwhelming rage, staring intently at the people in the hot spring with molten gold eyes!

The next moment,

the leading Flowing Fire Spirit Monkey raised its head and roared, its explosive fists crashing down with unstoppable force onto the rocky ground beside the hot spring!

Boom——!!

With a deafening roar, the whole ground trembled violently as if struck by a giant hammer, and fierce flames blazed.

Flaming Trample!

At the same time, the water in the pool was blasted into the air by the terrifying shockwave, transforming into scalding waterfalls that rushed towards them.

Without time to explain, Zhang Hao first dodged the water cascade with a swift leap, then used his hands and feet to climb up the poolside at unprecedented speed.

As a competent Beastmaster, the crew’s reactions were remarkably quick, all avoiding the Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys’ first wave of attacks, swiftly gathering by Zhang Hao’s side.

"What’s happening?"

"Didn’t they say the Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys are mild-tempered and wouldn’t attack humans proactively?"

"I don’t think they’re Monstrous Strong Monkeys either..."

Everyone was puzzled, and Zhang Hao fell into silence. Keen-eyed Shao Yang seemed to have caught a clue, his eyes flashing as he spoke in a low voice: "It might be... this hot spring is meant for their use only."

"That’s the only possibility." Zhang Hao nodded tightly, his expression grave.

Now it was troublesome.

Being misunderstood by the Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys was secondary; the fear was that this unexpected event might affect the current mission.

"Hao, what should we do now?" someone looked to Zhang Hao, their anchor.

"Should we explain clearly?" someone proposed the idea.

Zhang Hao looked at the enraged Flowing Fire Spirit Monkeys in front of him, thoughts surging inside, but a sentence once said by Chen Yuan echoed in his mind: