Chapter 0004-1 – Strange Monkey Group
Translated by: Ken
Edited by: Ulamog, Dedition
Hai Long knew, that if he was to pull out the rock himself, Little Smarty would immediately die. Thus, he could only carefully carry Little Smarty in his arms, whilst using the fastest speed he could muster to rush towards Cloudstroke Plains. So in his hurry, he pushed himself to the limits.
By the time Hai Long got back to the Plains, Little Smarty’s breathing had become even weaker, and its chest was rising and falling at a much slower pace. Its life was ebbing away bit by bit, and when they reached Cloudstroke Plain, Hai Long saw Ling Yuzi practising right outside his room. It was as though he had just seen his saviour. Hai Long cried out: “11th Junior-Master, quick save him, save him!!”
Ling Yuzi had just broken through to the Soaring Cloud Stage, and was feeling wonderful, when he suddenly heard the cries for help from Hai Long, he was promptly shocked. He quickly rushed over, and when he saw that Hai Long was fine, he heaved a sigh of relief and quizzed “What happened?”
Hai Long choked: “Little Smarty and I were playing at first, but we weren’t careful and I hit him, causing him to fall from the tree. He fell and this rock stabbed him. He’s my only friend, you can’t let him die!!”
Cultivation required the cultivation of the heart first, and every orthodox pract.i.tioner would possess a merciful and kind heart. Without any hesitation, Ling Yuzi started to chant a sutra while executing some seals, and a green light shone at his fingertips.
“Go.”
Following his command, the green light shot towards Little Smarty and entered its body. This was the most basic Vitality Incantation. When the light shone, Little Smarty’s wound did not bleed anymore, but its breathing became even more ragged, as it laid limply in Hai Long’s embrace.
“How is it? 11th Junior-Master, can he be saved?” Hai Long asked anxiously.
Ling Yuzi sighed lightly, saying: “It’s tough. Your monkey friend’s injuries are too serious, and it has lost a lot of blood, I’m afraid…”
Hai Long’s body shuddered, and his face became extremely pale, he had never thought that an accidental strike of his could cost the life of Little Smarty. As he trembled, he stammered: “Is there really no way? 11th Junior-Master, don’t you guys have powerful incantations? Can’t he be saved?”
Ling Yuzi sighed again: “Hai Long, it’s not that I don’t want to save it, its that its injuries are really too serious, unless there’s a precious herb or something which can repair the body…such medicines can be hoped for and not sought after. Although our Cloudstroke Plains are growing some, if the time is not yet ripe, they will have no effect. The last 3 drops of the Ninglu gel has been gifted to Ling Mu and the rest. The other mature immortal herbs are with your Grandmaster.”
Hai Long said anxiously: “Then let us go and get Grandmaster now!! I can plead for his esteemed self to save Little Smarty.”
Ling Yuzi shook his head, saying: “Your Great Ancestor-Master is in closed door cultivation, and the entire peak is sealed now. Unless he comes out personally, we won’t be able to get in.”
Hai Long’s eyes suddenly brightened, as though he thought of something, and asked: “I know, I know. 11th Junior-Master, we have the Purple Lingzhi from Junior-Master Ling Muzi, right?! We can use the Purple Lingzhi then! Didn’t Uncle-Master Ling Muzi say that the Purple Lingzhi was a precious life-saving herb?”
Ling Yuzi’s brows creased as he was put in a spot. Although his position was higher than Hai Long by a lot, even he could not just simply make a decision like this. However, he took a look at Little Smarty, whose life was slowly blinking out, and he gritted his teeth and clasped his hands, saying: “Master! As the saying goes: saving a life is better than building a seven-storey paG.o.da, even though it’s only a monkey, it is still a living being. I hope Master won’t take offence!” With a serious face, he quickly beckoned to Hai Long: “Quick, bring it and follow me.”
Hai Long felt hope and excitement in his heart, and felt immense grat.i.tude towards Ling Yuzi, as he embraced Little Smarty carefully, and followed Ling Yuzi. After making their way past a bend, and going through a small forest, Ling Yuzi stopped in front of a small mountain side.
Hai Long was concerned about Little Smarty’s injuries, and was about to ask where they were going, when he saw Ling Yuzi’s body was surrounded by a light green glow.
“Heaven and Earth is boundless, with the forces of Qiankun, I command the flow, the environment will show its true self!” A strange incantation came out from Ling Yuzi’s mouth, as it imprinted on the cave. The mountain side started trembling, as though there was an earthquake. Ling Yuzi turned to explain to Hai Long: “This is where we keep the ordinary medicine pellets and pills. Wait here, I’ll go in and get the Purple Lingzhi.” After which, an opening appeared in the slope, and Ling Yuzi floated in.
Hai Long lowered his head to look at Little Smarty in his arms, and spoke gently: “Little Smarty, you must hang on! With the Purple Lingzhi, you’ll be saved. We still have to play more in the orchard, and you still have to eat many sweet peaches! As long as you get better, I promise not to hit you with stones anymore, and you can hit me with as many peaches as you like, ok?”
As though it could hear Hai Long’s voice, Little Smarty’s body twitched a little.
Hai Long rejoiced, as he knew, Little Smarty was still hanging on.
After not much longer, Ling Yuzi quickly came out, the wooden box containing the Purple Lingzhi in his hands. He quickly waved his hand to close the entrance to the medicine house, before getting Hai Long to place Little Smarty on the ground.
While Hai Long was watching on anxiously, Ling Yuzi opened up the wooden box, and before even seeing how the Purple Lingzhi looked, he could already smell the strong medicinal fragrance, p.r.i.c.kling his spirits.
It was a purple Lingzhi the size of a huge mushroom, and while Hai Long had seen other Lingzhis before, it was the first one he had seen that was a purple one. The strange thing was that, there were 5 gold lines on top of this purple fungus, the lines being clear and uniform. It could be seen that this was not any ordinary item.
Ling Yuzi took out the Purple Lingzhi meticulously, before saying solemnly: “Press its body, don’t let it move about, I need to take out the rock from its wound first.”
Hai Long nodded, and held Little Smarty’s limbs in place carefully.
Ling Yuzi took a deep breath, as he made to grab the piece of stone, and as he let out a single resolute shout, he pulled out the stone forcefully. He had previously cast an incantation to seal the blood veins, so there was no splattering of fresh blood. However, Little Smarty struggled and twitched violently, and its murky eyes started to dim further. Hai Long added more pressure, preventing Little Smarty from thrashing about too much.
Without a moment of hesitation, Ling Yuzi tore the Purple Lingzhi apart, and a few white milk-like sap drops fell from it. Under his control, he directed it to enter the serious wound on Little Smarty’s body.
Ling Yuzi gently squeezed the Purple Lingzhi further, causing more sap to drip out. After it was wrung completely dry, he shoved the shrivelled Purple Lingzhi into Little Smarty’s mouth.
The 5th Grade Purple Lingzhi was truly worthy of its immortal herb cla.s.sification. Under the effect of the sap, Little Smarty’s wound was already healing at a visible rate, as muscles and flesh grew right in front of their eyes, repairing itself. Little Smarty’s body had stopped thrashing about, only its limbs were trembling slightly. Ling Yuzi transmitted his voice to Little Smarty: “Little thing, quick swallow the Lingzhi in your mouth.”
As though it heard Ling Yuzi’s voice, there was movement in Little Smarty’s mouth.
Ling Yuzi grabbed one of Little Smarty’s arms, and continually monitored its condition. After some time, he finally heaved a sigh of relief and said: “Alright, this little fellow can be considered to have wrestled back his life. Hai Long, continue applying pressure, once the effects of the Purple Lingzhi have fully been absorbed, this little fellow should recover then.”
Hai Long wiped away the tears on his face with his sleeves, as he sobbed out with relief: “Thank you 11th Junior-Master.”
Ling Yuzi shook his head helplessly, saying: “There’s no need for thanks, it’s what I should do. After all, I’m your Junior-Master as well. Furthermore, saving a life can only mean good for us cultivators. Later on, if 4th Senior Brother were to ask, I would still have to give an explanation, but since it was to save a life, I think he shouldn’t mind that much.”
The recovery rate of Little Smarty was truly astonishing, after half an hour, the wound on its chest had fully closed up, and the newly grown flesh even had hints of monkey fur. Its grey eyes regained some colour, and were roaming about already. It could be considered to have gain some benefits from this near-death disaster, as the 5th Grade Purple Lingzhi not only healed its injuries, but transformed its const.i.tution, giving it a spiritual body.