25. Reinforcements

Thud.

Thud, thud!

Four mountain rabbits, each towering as high as a two-story house and dressed in short vests, carried the Throne of Verdant Mountains and Clear Waters toward the end of the grand hall.

Each step reverberated in the chests of the two men, the trembling ground making them restless and uneasy.

They watched as the seat, enormous enough to rival the mountain rabbits themselves, was gently placed upon the dais.

The two, sitting as still as wax figures, exchanged anxious glances.

Even with rare fruits and delicacies before them, their appetite had vanished.

Their unease lingered, and fear had begun to breed a poisonous despair.

Cheng Yan reached out to pat Hui Bao’s small head.

He knew Hui Bao hadn’t entered with them.

After so long, the little one must have gone to fetch help.

And who could that help be? The answer was obvious.

When Hui Bao found him on the bridge, Cheng Yan had felt joy, and seeing the calm confidence in the little creature had soothed him.

Now, though, he dreaded the arrival of Uncle Cat.

Uncle Cat was formidable, standing a good two heads taller than most men at seven feet, but beside these four mountain rabbits, each nearly twice that height, he seemed small.

Size meant strength.

Cheng Yan thought that if he were to take a punch from one of these rabbits, he’d be reduced to a smear of flesh.

The big mouse’s ears twitched; it leapt from the table and darted toward the hall’s doors.

Cheng Yan wanted to call out to Hui Bao, but then thought that if the little one managed to escape, it would be for the best.

Go on—let at least one of them get away.

Hui Bao’s paws scrambled, weaving past the palace maids who swept and decorated, slipping beneath the skirts of dancing immortals, causing a brief commotion but remaining oblivious, heading straight for the doors. Suddenly, it leapt and was caught with a soft slap by an arm.

Cheng Yan, who had been watching Hui Bao closely, was startled and hurried to his feet, fearing for the little one’s safety in that grasp.

He looked up—and was instantly moved.

Lu He, drawn by Cheng Yan’s sudden movement, cast his gaze in the same direction.

To say he wasn’t afraid would be a lie. His friend’s calm had been contagious, but now, with such abruptness, Lu He felt panic rising, tears threatening to fall. His own death meant little, but what of his parents, siblings at home? If only he hadn’t come to seek knowledge—if he’d left the silver behind, they could have lived well.

“Uncle Cat!” came the gentle call from his friend.

Lu He followed his gaze.

There stood a mighty monster—a great beast with snowy fur, silver-gray hair, a red face, blue teeth, brimming with proud ferocity.

Its golden beast eyes stared straight ahead.

On its shoulder perched the big mouse, and Lu He now understood why Cheng Yan’s confidence had surged upon finding Hui Bao.

The help had truly arrived.

Was this not the very monster who had slaughtered the mountain bandits at the inn?

Now, it became clear why the ape monster had killed only the brigands and spared their lives—they had known each other all along.

The ape’s expression remained calm, unacknowledging the two.

Led by the palace maid Xiao Cai, it took a seat.

A short while later—

Tea and trays of fruits and vegetables for the feast were brought to the table.

Wu Tong Lu Xun eyed the array of rare delicacies, grabbing and chewing without restraint.

He devoured them as if in a storm, drinking tea yet still feeling empty inside.

The tea boy, carrying a long-spouted pot, approached to pour more.

The ape monster’s armored hand moved, flicking aside the spout, and with a swift motion, overturned the tea bowl.

With a deep, gruff voice like a beast’s rumbling growl, it barked, “Bring wine!”

Across the hall, Cheng Yan was visibly stunned.

He had not known that Uncle Cat could speak.

The maids who served, the attendants who poured tea, the women who bathed and dressed them—all bore some trace of the supernatural. Most had shed their insect forms, so it was not surprising they could speak. It was not so remarkable.

But Uncle Cat—he was entirely a monster in appearance.

In Cheng Yan’s memory, Uncle Cat had always communicated by writing, slipping into the academy in feline form to listen and learn.

He’d thought Uncle Cat was mute.

The original Lu Xun had been much the same, until Master White Deer had enlightened him, teaching him to speak.

Yet he still couldn’t manage long sentences.

The tea boy, now somewhat displeased, merely twisted the pot in his hands.

When he poured again, it was wine, not tea.

Lu Xun drained three bowls: “Without meat, there is no joy!”

The boy’s face darkened, and he gestured toward the rear hall.

Soon enough, dishes of mountain and sea delicacies were brought out by the maids.

Lu Xun ate heartily, suspicion rising.

He’d eaten and drunk—why were they not angry?

The holy monk and living Buddha devoured human hearts and souls; this so-called master was unlikely to be benevolent.

Pointing his coarse paw at the singing girls, he called, “Woman, come, keep me company.”

The tea boy was furious, his face sprouting fur and whiskers.

Instantly, the angry face of a white fox appeared.

The surrounding attendants stopped their work, staring intently at the ape monster.

Just as words were about to be exchanged, a woman in red stepped out from the dancing immortals. Her willow brows arched, dew glistening beneath them, her peach-pink cheeks barely flushed, and her phoenix eyes glared fiercely as she shouted, “You wild-haired brute! The master has set a banquet for honored guests, and you cause such trouble, demanding my company? Are you courting death?”

Wu Tong Lu Xun ignored her, instead signaling the two stunned men, then suddenly rose.

Uncertain whether Wu Ya would be effective, he could only strike first, hoping that in the ensuing chaos, Cheng Yan might escape with Lu He.

“Hurry!” Cheng Yan seized the dazed Lu He, dragging him toward the hall doors.

“Brother Cheng, he—” Lu He pointed at the surrounded ape monster, murmuring, “We must honor loyalty. He risked himself to save us—how can we abandon him?”

Cheng Yan knew this well; he wished he could draw his sword and help, sacrificing himself if need be. But as he’d realized during the feast, strength was the foundation for survival. Keeping his head down, he said, “Staying only burdens Uncle Cat. We must return to the academy and ask the Dean and Master to come suppress the monsters—only then will Uncle Cat have a chance.”

“Hurry!”

Lu He snapped to action.

Of course—they were not alone. The academy stood behind them, and that purple-bearded elder was obviously a high official.

As the two rushed toward the doors, someone entered from the other side.

They collided head-on.

Cheng Yan and Lu He were startled.

First, their eyes fell on the purple-bearded, green-eyed, bull-lipped, tiger-eyed elder. Beside him walked a man with white hair and beard, dressed in a scholar’s robe with a Daoist topknot, white brows arched, and beneath them, a pair of almond-shaped eyes. They chatted cheerfully, followed by three warriors in tight attire, standing like statues, their faces immobile, practiced and disciplined.

Sun Shen lagged half a step, spotting the two students fleeing from the hall.

He seemed surprised to find them here.

“Master!”

Cheng Yan and Lu He hurried forward, breathless in their greeting.

The panic in their eyes vanished, replaced by joy and relief—they hadn’t expected the Master to arrive.

“Greetings,” said Master White Deer with a gentle nod.

“Master, please save us!”

“Yes, yes, Master, save him!”

“Oh?” White Deer’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

With no time to explain, the two disregarded rank and etiquette, quickly leading the Master toward the hall, fearing Uncle Cat wouldn’t last much longer.

Master White Deer and the purple-bearded elder walked arm-in-arm.

“After you.”

Cheng Yan and Lu He tumbled into the hall, calling urgently, “Uncle Cat!”

The vast hall was now occupied.

The rabbit guards stood at four corners, surrounding the ape monster.

The tiger captain gripped his long blade at his waist, the wolf captain paced back and forth.

Two squads of flying mouse soldiers brandished steel forks and circled, short bows aimed at Lu Xun.

Wu Tong Mountain Lord stood unafraid, his mountain-crushing strength forming armor around him.

Only when the two burst into the hall and called out did his expression change.

“We’ve brought help!”

“Help?” Wu Tong Lu Xun exclaimed in astonishment.

A flurry of wings.

“Chirp!”

The long cry heralded the arrival of Wu Ya, the night hawk, who swooped into the hall and landed precisely on Lu Xun’s shoulder, nodding slightly, then lifting his sleek head.

Then—

Arm-in-arm, Master White Deer and the purple-bearded elder crossed the threshold.

Master White Deer first glanced at the vigilant Lu Xun, then shifted his gaze to the monumental Throne of Mountains and Waters, sighing helplessly.

“Such disrespect for age.”

“Is frightening children so amusing?”