Belle hurriedly pushed open the Monkey King's half-closed door, only to find the room completely empty.
She froze in shock.
The Monkey King was gone, and Anna Yang was gone too.
"They..."
Belle panicked, tears welling up in her eyes.
Just then, a commotion arose from the far side of the mountain.
She jerked her head around, fearfully gazing into the distance.
"The Monkey King... it's the Monkey King..."
Bathed in moonlight, she looked like a helpless child.
Gently biting her lip, she turned and rushed into her own room, opened a wooden chest, and took out a wooden box.
The moment she opened the wooden box, she hesitated visibly—but only for an instant. The next moment, she gritted her teeth, opened the box, and took the pill inside.
...
By the reed thicket, the Monkey King bared his teeth, letting out a low, beast-like growl. His hands spread slightly, revealing sharp claws.
Scarface shook his head and assumed a bare-handed fighting stance.
"We're just following orders. Forgive us, Elder."
Behind him, One-Eyed Dragon's hand was already on the hilt of his blade, but he didn't draw it immediately.
Footsteps in the distance grew closer and closer. Once surrounded, there would be no chance to escape.
Turning swiftly, the Monkey King leapt onto a nearby boulder, over three meters tall.
One-Eyed Dragon merely gripped his blade and watched the Monkey King coldly, with no intention of giving chase.
Scarface had already leapt up after the Monkey King, landing on the boulder.
Before he could steady himself, the Monkey King let out a furious roar and swept a kick at him midair.
Scarface remained calm, his body slightly shrinking back as he casually grabbed the Monkey King's ankle.
Yet in the next moment, he was stunned.
The Monkey King, like a beast caught in a trap, threw caution to the wind. He pulled his trapped foot with all his strength, bringing his whole body right up to Scarface.
This was a completely unorthodox way of fighting—one could even say it wasn't human at all.
At close range, Scarface saw that snarling, vein-covered face—a visage like a vengeful spirit roaring out of the underworld.
For an instant, his heart skipped a beat. He was afraid—truly afraid.
He released the Monkey King's foot, and the punch he should have thrown instead shielded his own face.
The two crashed heavily into each other.
The Monkey King grabbed Scarface's wrist—blood spattered.