Chapter 54 - 53: Hunting the Ghost-faced Ape 3

Chapter 54: Chapter 53: Hunting the Ghost-faced Ape 3

The massive tide of monkeys surged forward like a dark cloud. They resembled a writhing, feral blanket, emitting heart-stopping shrieks and the loud CRUNCH of snapping branches as they rapidly encircled the clearing where the group stood.

Chen Xuan immediately moved to shield Lu Jing’an. "Young Master, stay behind me," he instructed, his tone grave.

Lu Jing’an nodded in agreement. However, his gaze bypassed Chen Xuan, landing on Lin Qingya, who had yet to make a move. Lu Jing’an refused to believe that the Anping Bureau hadn’t anticipated this situation. If they hadn’t, their people would have all died out long ago.

Sure enough, Lin Qingya—who had previously been so shy she practically tried to hide herself—suddenly raised her head.

Her slender, pale fingers inexplicably bore a trace of faint, glowing blue paint. She casually swiped her fingertips across her cheeks and forehead in a few seemingly random strokes. The movements were as light as a butterfly touching a stamen, carrying a bizarre yet captivating rhythm.

In the next moment, her entire aura underwent a drastic shift. The theatrical robes she wore seemed to be blown apart and reassembled by an invisible wind, transforming right before their eyes into a spotless, moon-white gown. Her hair was now bound by a wooden hairpin, and in her hand appeared a triangular, gold-trimmed black Command Flag.

The timid, bashful demeanor of the young girl vanished completely. A heroic spirit radiated from her brows, and her gaze was as cold as a deep pool reflecting the moon. An indescribable sense of aloofness and authority, befitting a superior being, swirled around her.

With just a sweeping glance from her, the vanguard of the surging monkey pack hit what seemed to be an invisible wall of air. They shrieked wildly, halting in bewilderment before dropping to their knees, trembling in fear.

Lu Jing’an saw it clearly, and realization dawned on him. So this was what Wen Ling meant by "like a completely different person." Had he not witnessed this instantaneous transformation with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that this awe-inspiring young deity was the same girl who had just been looking down and wringing the hem of her clothes.

"Master, what kind of ability is this?" Lu Jing’an asked Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan vigilantly scanned the monkey pack as he quickly explained, "This is the Drama Cultivator’s method of Entering the Stage. By using themselves as the stage to play a specific role, they can even borrow a trace of the aura and power of the entity they are portraying. Right now, she is playing Shen Sheng, the god from folklore who governs mountain spirits and apes. That Monkey Command Flag in her hand naturally suppresses ordinary monkeys."

Lu Jing’an’s previous knowledge of other Cultivators had been quite limited. He had practically never engaged in a direct confrontation with one. Today finally gave him a preliminary understanding of their methods.

With Lin Qingya portraying Shen Sheng, the entire monkey pack was successfully intimidated.

Right at that moment, Kui Shan seized the opportunity while the monkeys were stunned and violently stomped his foot. The ground trembled slightly as streaks of pale gold spread from beneath his feet like living creatures. They rapidly extended along the invisible paths of the Earth Veins, weaving into a dazzling net of light beneath the Ghost-faced Ape in the blink of an eye.

This was exactly the Earth Cultivator’s method of connecting with the Earth Veins to turn the intangible into reality. Amidst the flashing golden light, that patch of land instantly turned muddy and soft, transforming into a thick swamp bubbling with gas. The Ghost-faced Ape’s massive body immediately sank, its legs trapped deep within the muck.

"ROAR!"

Seeing the very monkeys that had received its grace become fearful and cowardly, the Ghost-faced Ape flew into an absolute rage. It frantically beat its steel-like chest, unleashing a piercing howl that threatened to tear their eardrums. The writhing tumors on its face, which resembled wailing ghost visages, trembled violently.

Stimulated by this roar filled with Demon Power and fury, the red glint in the eyes of the previously subdued monkeys returned. Their agitation intensified, and they were on the verge of losing control once more.

"Qingya, suppress the Ghost-faced Ape!" Wen Ling shouted urgently.

Lin Qingya, or rather "Shen Sheng," shifted her gaze at the command. She pointed the triangular Command Flag at the Ghost-faced Ape and pressed down into the empty air.

An invisible pressure descended upon the Ghost-faced Ape. However, instead of showing fear, the beast seemed thoroughly enraged by the gesture. Hatred and fury exploded within its crimson eyes as it struggled to raise its head, roaring even more violently at the white-robed youth. The tumors on its face looked ready to burst!

The Command Flag pressed down again, but the Ghost-faced Ape fought back even harder, sending mud flying in all directions. The monkey pack’s agitation bordered on a full-blown riot as sharp claws and teeth scraped the air. The situation was rapidly deteriorating!

The muscles in Chen Xuan’s arms tensed, fully prepared to force a path out.

Lu Jing’an’s eyes flashed, and he suddenly shouted, "Sister Qingya! Try playing a Void World doctor in a white coat!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, "Shen Sheng’s" icy gaze immediately swept over. It carried the displeasure and wrath of a deity being interrupted and ordered around by a mortal. Fortunately, Wen Ling reacted extremely fast and clearly repeated Lu Jing’an’s suggestion.

Sure enough, Wen Ling’s words were much more effective.

They watched as Qingya coated her other hand with some kind of grayish-white greasepaint and wiped it across her face, as if erasing a painting. The white robes, the Command Flag, and the youthful face dissipated like smoke. In the blink of an eye, her attire had changed.

She now wore gold-rimmed glasses, her short hair meticulously slicked back. She was clad in a perfectly tailored, pure white Void World doctor’s coat, and in her hand, she loosely gripped a glowing, illusory piece of Equipment that resembled a scalpel.

The moment this persona appeared, the previously violent and crazed Ghost-faced Ape froze as if drenched in ice water!

The fiery rage in its crimson eyes was swiftly replaced by a bone-deep terror. It let out a hoarse, wheezing whimper that sounded like a leaky bellows, while its massive frame desperately curled backward. It looked as though it wanted to bury itself deep within the mud. Its demeanor wasn’t that of a beast facing an enemy, but rather one confronting its natural predator, triggering some exceptionally agonizing and horrific memories.

Stripped of their leader’s furious rallying and stunned by this sudden, bizarre shift, the monkey pack whimpered and retreated once more, cowering in place.

How could Yin Futou let such a perfect opportunity slip by? He took a deep breath, steadying his slightly trembling arms. The uniquely designed gun in his hands roared to life once again! This time, he didn’t fire a cluster bomb, but a conical bullet specialized in Armor-Piercing penetration. With a mournful shriek, it drilled into the center of the Ghost-faced Ape’s forehead with absolute Precision.

THUD!

With a muffled impact, the Ghost-faced Ape’s massive, grotesque head whipped backward as a terrifying hole was blown through its skull. Red and white matter, mixed with pieces of those nauseating tumors, splattered in all directions. It convulsed a few final times before the vicious glint in its eyes faded completely. Its gargantuan body finally collapsed limply into the swamp, slowly sinking beneath the muck.

[Divine Soul available for Refining/restoration detected. Do you wish to collect it?]

The prompt materialized in Lu Jing’an’s mind. With a mere thought, he responded:

[Collect] [Refine]

[Refining in progress. Estimated completion time: 8 hours.]

Looking at the time required for Refining, Lu Jing’an felt a touch of confusion. Both the Ghost-faced Ape and the Tiger Demon were Upper Human Level Demon Beasts. Yet, the time needed to process them differed by a full four hours. In terms of strength, Lu Jing’an didn’t think there was much of a gap between the two. In reality, however, the processing time was shorter by an entire third.

Soon, a possibility occurred to him. He wondered, "Could it be because the Ghost-faced Ape is an artificial Demon?" Lu Jing’an felt this was the only logical explanation for the four-hour discrepancy.

Now that the Ghost-faced Ape’s death was confirmed, the members of the Anping Bureau all breathed a collective sigh of relief. The entire encounter hadn’t taken long, but for the Anping Bureau squad, they had genuinely just knocked on death’s door.

If not for Lin Qingya’s final transformation intimidating the Ghost-faced Ape, the seven of them likely would have perished here. Although they each possessed their own unique methods and abilities, if those tens of thousands of monkeys had rioted while the Ghost-faced Ape remained unchecked, it would only have been a matter of time before they were entirely wiped out.

Without the Ghost-faced Ape’s restraint and command, the surrounding monkeys instantly grew sluggish and dull. Once they realized the Ghost-faced Ape was dead, they scattered in all directions. Only when every last monkey had fled did the group finally feel at ease.

Yin Futou holstered his gun, though his hands shook slightly as he did so. It was obvious that firing those two shots had taken a significant toll on him.

With a gentle shake of her body, Lin Qingya shed all her makeup, reverting back to the shy girl who didn’t dare meet Lu Jing’an’s eyes. However, her complexion was visibly paler, and her footing was somewhat unsteady.

Big Eye hastily put his glasses back on, though traces of bloody tears still lingered at the corners of his eyes. Little Ears shrunk his ears back to their normal size, quickly stuffing them with cotton. Right now, his ears were incredibly sensitive and fragile. Kui Shan and Wen Ling weren’t in much better shape. Everyone had exhausted a tremendous amount of energy.

Wen Ling was the first to speak, her tone solemn. "That was truly a close call. Thank you for your guidance, Young Master Lu. Otherwise, I fear today would not have ended well."

"You’re too polite, Sister Wen Ling," Lu Jing’an replied.

Wen Ling pointed to the Ghost-faced Ape, its body half-buried in the mud, and said, "Young Master Lu, I’ll have to trouble you to handle things here yourself."

Lu Jing’an nodded. "No problem."

Pausing for a moment, Wen Ling added, "Young Master Lu, as for the White Phosphorus..."

Before she could finish, Lu Jing’an interjected, "Sister Wen Ling, the White Phosphorus is yours. It’ll be of far greater use in your hands than in mine."

"Thank you, Young Master Lu."

Glancing at their battered and exhausted state, Lu Jing’an asked, "Do you want me to send a car back here to pick you all up?"

"We appreciate the offer, Young Master Lu, but we’ll make our own way back." This time, it was Kui Shan who spoke. His attitude was as stiff as ever, though his choice of words was slightly more polite.

Lu Jing’an didn’t press the matter and prepared to take his leave.

Just as Lu Jing’an was about to depart, a timid voice stopped him.

"Young... Young Master Lu." She gently bit her lower lip, as if gathering all her courage, before finally asking the question that had been lingering in her mind. "How... how did you know... that the Ghost-faced Ape was afraid of a Void World doctor?"