Village Chief’s qi overflowed, slowly taking the shape of legs and arms. Emerging from the stretcher, he gently rose, beckoned with his hand, and the Grand Guardian’s Sword flew out of Quinn’s grip, landing in his ‘hand.’
The old man’s gaze grew distant, as if lost in memories from long ago.
Zheng—
A sword cry rang out. The Grand Guardian’s Sword hovered in the air, its movements slow but precise—thrust, wipe, chop, stab, cloud, hang, point, snap, flick, slash, intercept, sweep, flourish, block—each was a basic sword move. Yet Village Chief combined these fundamentals in a strange, intricate pattern, displaying a unique sword technique before Quinn.
Sword Treading the Rivers and Mountains.
Under his sword art, the blade’s light cast shadowy outlines—towering and majestic as mountains, swift and winding as rivers, rising and falling. The interplay of light and shadow formed, before Quinn’s eyes, a vast and surging landscape scroll: the Rivers and Mountains Diagram!
Village Chief’s very first sword form was incomparably complex, carrying the grandeur of mountain ranges, clouds, seas, and long rivers!
This was a geography of rivers and mountains, reflected in the sword’s light and shadow!
Village Chief’s sword technique shifted, and the landscape shifted with it. The old man wielded his sword and sang, his song carrying both heroic pride and a touch of sorrow.
“In the hall, wise counselors plot; at the border, fierce generals fight! Favorable times, terrain, and unity—can even gods defy us?”
"Quinn, if you can't win, just run!"
Crippled Joe shouted, "Faraway lands hold poetry—and plenty of dogged survival!"
Grandpa Mark waved his hand. "Stay strong! If someone bullies you, hit back—don't just keep backing down!"
Butcher raised his cleaver. "Don't embarrass us old cripples! If anyone bullies you, just chop them!"
"Be a cultured person!"
"If you can't win, use poison!"
"Ahh, ahhh! Ahhh!"
...
Quinn looked back, waved, and gave a sunny smile.
Not long after, he arrived at Calamity-Seal Palace's valley, where the Demon Ape was cultivating, breathing deeply, with a monk's staff standing beside him.
The Demon Ape had grown even more massive and powerful. He practiced Grandpa Mark's boxing arts, and after Quinn taught him the Overlord Three-Core Art, he wielded the monk's staff with increasing skill—looking more and more like a burly, black-furred demon monk.
Grandpa Mark's boxing and the Thunder Chant Monk's Staff both came from the Buddhist school. Although the Overlord Three-Core Art wasn't Buddhist, it was perfect for the Demon Ape's cultivation. As a result, the Demon Ape naturally developed a Buddhist aura, resembling a temple's Vajra guardian.
"What a demon monk! If only I could get Big Guy a monk's robe and a string of prayer beads the size of heads—he'd look even more like a Vajra protector!"
Quinn exclaimed in admiration, then woke the Demon Ape. "Big Guy, I'm leaving—going far away, to... well, a distant place. It might be a long time before I come back."
The Demon Ape scratched his head. "Far?"
Quinn nodded. "Far."
The Demon Ape scratched his head again, glanced back at the beasts in the valley, then suddenly let out a loud roar. From the depths of the valley, the Dragon-Elephant—who had been guarding the herd—bolted over, wagging its tail in a show of friendliness.
Without warning, the Demon Ape pinned the huge beast to the ground and gave it a fierce beating, leaving the Dragon-Elephant bruised and yelping miserably, too scared to fight back.
"Guard!"
The Demon Ape pointed at the beasts in the valley, clenched his fists, and the muscles on his arms bulged like giant mushrooms. He growled, "Eat, die!"
The Dragon-Elephant, feeling utterly wronged, lay on the ground and nodded repeatedly.
The Demon Ape grabbed the Thunder Chant Monk's Staff, pounded his chest, and said, "Me, go."
Quinn shook his head. "Far."
The Demon Ape pointed at himself. "Me, big. You, small."
Quinn shook his head again. "Me, strong. You, weak."
The Demon Ape grew angry and stammered, "Talking to you is... such a pain!"
Quinn couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. "I'm heading to the human lands—it's not like the Great Ruins, and there are vicious people everywhere. Bringing you would be far too conspicuous. Wait until you can cultivate into human form, then we can go out and adventure together. Besides, the Dragon-Elephant is ferocious; if you leave him here, he'll behave for a few days, but eventually he'll eat all your valley friends. And he's so dumb that if he lets loose the old demon sealed in Calamity-Seal Palace, that'll be a disaster."
The Demon Ape reluctantly nodded. The Dragon-Elephant looked utterly miserable, tucking its tail and wiping away tears—so that beating was for nothing?
Quinn waved goodbye and left Calamity-Seal Palace.
"Little one—"
The Demon Ape jumped onto the cliff and waved forcefully. "Come back soon!"
Quinn arrived at Emerald Cloud Valley waterfall, where Lina the Spirit Fox was preaching from a book to several foxes. She was at a fascinating point, and her audience listened, utterly entranced.
When Quinn approached, Lina quickly set the ancient book aside. The other charming foxes stood up, bowed gracefully, and chimed in unison, "Greetings, Young Master Quinn!" Their voices were crisp and clear.
Quinn returned their bow. "No need to be so formal. Lina, I'm here to say goodbye. I'm heading out to travel far, to Everpeace beyond the Great Ruins, and I may not be back for three to five months."
The white fox's eyes sparkled. She dashed into the grass hut, packed quickly, and came out with a tiny knapsack slung over her back, smiling. "Sisters, you stay here and cultivate. I'll go explore the world with Young Master. Let's set out!"
The little fox's knapsack was a hundred times smaller than Quinn's, making her look particularly petite.
"Sister, are you drunk again?"
One fox warned, "People outside are terrible—they'll skin us for clothes."
Lina smiled. "With Young Master Quinn here, nothing will happen."
Quinn felt a headache coming on. "Lina, this isn't playtime—it's dangerous out there. You should stay here with your sisters."
Lina smiled. "Lord Spiritfiend is forcing me to marry him, but I think he's ugly. This is the perfect chance to dodge the wedding. My sisters can train while I'm gone and shed their beast forms sooner."
Quinn shook his head. "I'm not taking the Demon Ape, and I can't take you either."
Lina blinked. "Big Guy is so dumb—I'm much cleverer! Besides, you need someone to look after you on the road, don't you? I don't want to marry Lord Spiritfiend. Young Master, could you really send a fox into a tiger's jaws?"
Quinn had no choice. "If you're coming, you have to listen to me. No mischief."
"Yes!"
At Yong River's edge, Quinn lit several sticks of incense and sang the river-god sacrificial song. Soon, a massive river beast surfaced. After feeding it, Quinn and Lina stood on its back, floating downstream between lush green mountains and birdsong echoing through the valleys.
Quinn looked toward the riverbank as Oldridge Village flashed past. Granny Sue was still at the gate, waving to the boy.
"Quinn, don't let a fox spirit seduce you out there... Scoundrel!"
Beside Quinn, the little white fox sat up straight and stuck out her tongue at Granny Sue.
At that moment, an old monk arrived in Calamity-Seal Palace gorge. Fleshy knobs crowned his head, and he wore a yellow kasaya. He strode into the valley, saw the Demon Ape practicing the Thunder Chant Eight-Form, and stopped with a word of praise.
The Demon Ape stopped immediately. The old monk smiled and said, "You're doing well—you follow the Buddhist path. But you haven't received the true transmission. I'll teach you the full technique. If fate allows, you'll master it."
The Demon Ape was puzzled. "Baldy, who?"
"You mean me?"
The old monk's face was kindly yet dignified. He smiled, "I'm the abbot of Great Thunderclap Temple. They call me Tathagata. I'm not truly bald—touch here, I've refined my hair into flesh."
The Demon Ape reached out, touched his head, and exclaimed in astonishment, "Bald—hair!"
The old monk laughed. "You've learned my fist technique and taken my staff—fate has brought us together. I thought my staff was in a young man's hands and came to guide him, but it seems he and I aren't destined. You are. Come, I'll teach you the Tathagata Mahayana Sutra. When your fate matures, come find me at Great Thunderclap Temple."
The Demon Ape seemed to understand, but not completely.