"If you're looking for that one, I think you should wait a bit," Ren Yuanhao said, covering his nose with a slightly exaggerated grimace.
Shen Lan Ni followed his gaze, shook her head, and then let out a "shush." The large white ape excitedly pounced over.
"Hey, hey, hey, that monkey didn't wipe its butt!"
Ren Yuanhao muttered to himself as he watched the white ape climb onto Shen Lan Ni's shoulder.
Then, the white ape burrowed into the seemingly pathless bushes, occasionally beckoning to Shen Lan Ni as if signaling her to follow.
"Let's go."
Shen Lan Ni took two cans of old wine from the car and tossed them to Ren Yuanhao. She, however, carried some snacks and followed the white ape, slowly entering the mountain.
After about ten minutes of walking, the mountain air turned cooler, and even the scorching sun overhead became pleasant under the shade of the lush tree canopy.
Sunlight dappled, jumping back and forth with the swaying gaps in the forest, like waves on the sea. However, it didn't feel dark, as there were occasional circular clearings, about two to three meters in diameter, without any obstruction. Looking up from there, the drifting clouds evoked a feeling of being a frog in a well.
"I didn't expect there to be such a primeval forest within Ai Shen City!"
Ren Yuanhao commented, about to move forward when the white ape in front suddenly stopped.
"Ren Yuanhao, no matter how that person invites you for a drink later, just say you can't hold your liquor. I'll handle the rest. Oh, and don't say too much, especially when it comes to monkeys, don't engage in conversation. Understood?"
Although Ren Yuanhao was suspicious, he nodded. Shortly after, the white ape led a man in his 40s out of the bushes.
The man was dressed unusually, wearing a tiger skin skirt and a necklace of animal teeth. His face was adorned with what seemed to be some kind of juice, creating peculiar totems. Despite his short stature, he exuded a "beastly" aura.
Ren Yuanhao had never encountered such an aura before. It wasn't that the man looked fierce or ferocious, but his entire demeanor was utterly inhuman.
"Smelly monkey, how many years has it been since we last met?"
Shen Lan Ni heartily embraced the slender man and gestured for Ren Yuanhao to come forward and greet him.
"Senior, my name is Ren Yuanhao. I hope you don't mind the intrusion, and please..."
Before he could finish, the man circled him three times, finally stopping at his right hand.
Shen Lan Ni gave him a look, and Ren Yuanhao immediately understood. "Ah, this is the old wine I brought for you, Senior."
"Good, good! Follow me!"
The man, without any pretense, took the wine and trotted ahead, leading them into his "kingdom."
The monkey's kingdom.
"Hey, Miss Shen, this fellow lives and eats with a bunch of monkeys all day. I bet he's even learned monkey language by now, hasn't he?"
"I told you, don't mention the word 'monkey'."
Surrounded by at least twenty to thirty monkeys, the two walked, the monkeys chattering incomprehensibly. After about twenty to thirty meters, they saw a modern-style building with white walls and green tiles situated at the foot of a rocky cliff. The walls were covered in moss, and the sunlight, sparsely filtering through the foliage, created an indescribable sense of tranquility.
"This is what a true summer resort should be like!"
Ren Yuanhao was only focused on the mountain scenery, unaware that a gruelling training session lasting many hours was about to begin.
The three entered the front courtyard, where scattered natural stone stools and a chipped stone table stood empty.
The man carefully placed the wine pot on the stone table and happily accepted the snacks from Shen Lan Ni before asking, "Junior sister, is there something you need from me this time?"
"Of course, one doesn't visit the temple without a purpose."
"Go on, go on. You've brought such good wine and delicious food, I'll agree to anything you say."
Although the man was not conventionally handsome, his straightforward demeanor quickly won Ren Yuanhao's admiration.
Shen Lan Ni beckoned Ren Yuanhao forward, and as they stood before the man, she said, "Senior monkey brother, I need you to teach this man a lesson."
"Oh? How do you want him taught?" The man scrutinized Ren Yuanhao with a meaningful gaze, his raised eyebrows sending a shiver down Ren Yuanhao's spine.
"Hey, hey, hey, Miss Shen, the script is wrong!"
"This fellow made a bet with someone a few days ago, saying whoever won on the stage would marry me. However, I'm not interested in the other person, and I dislike being treated as a wager. Since Master is too far away, I can only ask my eldest senior brother to help me out."
After Shen Lan Ni finished speaking, she put on a girlish act, which almost made Ren Yuanhao laugh. The reason she gave was incredibly bizarre.
"My lady, what are you trying to do? Is it right to deceive your eldest senior brother like this?"
*Bang!*
While Ren Yuanhao was chuckling to himself, he saw the eldest senior brother split a stone stool in half with a single chop!
He involuntarily touched his head, fearing that if that palm had landed on him, he might have cracked open like a watermelon!
"You brat, did you ever consider what would happen if you lost such a bet? My junior sister here doesn't like that other fellow. You're too reckless, you deserve a beating!"
Ren Yuanhao was about to retort but remembered Shen Lan Ni's advice to "speak cautiously." He could only remain silent and turned to look at the dramatically acting Shen Lan Ni, as if seeking her rescue.
"He certainly deserves a beating, which is why I've tricked him into coming here. Please, senior brother, discipline him. Don't hold back."
Damn it! Miss Shen, don't think you can treat me like this just because you're pretty!
"Hmph, it seems we won't be drinking this wine after all!"
The eldest senior brother moved with incredible speed, like a nimble monkey leaping from its den. He feigned a strike with his right hand, then thrust his left index finger directly towards Ren Yuanhao's chest. Although Ren Yuanhao hadn't interacted with these monkeys, his heightened agility to level 5 greatly improved his prediction. As the finger approached, he saw his inevitable move: a scissor kick, using two fingers to block the eldest senior brother's attack perfectly!
"Good lad, you've got some skill. Come again!"
For the next six hours, until nightfall, Comrade Ren was on the receiving end of a beating...