Chapter Twenty-One: The Old Medicine

Li Yang paid no heed to the threat posed by the monkey troop, his gaze fixed solely on the old ape before him. After a lengthy appraisal, he finally looked away in disappointment. Though this deep mountain ape had, through countless years, become a spiritual creature with intelligence far beyond the ordinary—a testament to its exceptional talent—it possessed no distinguishing features. Its bloodline was but a common one, and its potential ultimately limited.

If he had encountered such a beast in his previous life, Li Yang would not have scorned it; instead, he would have done his utmost to nurture it. However, the beasts he had tamed as his spiritual companions in this life were all ancient and extraordinary species with remarkable potential, so he had little interest in this ordinary old ape.

Though disappointed, Li Yang was not discouraged. Ancient beasts were never easy to find. Apart from the Golden Toad, which he had obtained by chance, were it not for memories from his past life, he doubted the Six-Winged Golden Centipede and the Rage-Feathered Chicken would have fallen into his hands. He realized he had been somewhat greedy. With a wry smile, he glanced toward the nearby cliff.

The cliff was riddled with honeycomb-like stone caves—undoubtedly the nests of the monkey troop. Moreover, wedged within the cracks of the cliff grew numerous venerable medicinal herbs. Since ancient times, this Bottle Mountain had been a perilous place, and with the Six-Winged Golden Centipede and the Xiangxi Corpse King acting as deterrents, humans rarely ventured here. As a result, many old medicines thrived, each of which would fetch a fortune in the outside world—treasures unobtainable even with wealth.

Gazing at the medicinal herbs upon the cliff, Li Yang’s heart stirred. “I believe you can understand my words. As a spirit born of heaven and earth, your cultivation over the years has been hard-won. I have no wish to take your life. If you know what’s best, step aside and let me gather those herbs from the cliff. Otherwise, your years of effort may come to naught.”

Without waiting to see whether the old ape comprehended, Li Yang summoned the Six-Winged Golden Centipede and flew directly toward the cliff.

The moment Li Yang approached their nest, the monkey troop grew restless, baring their teeth as if ready to pounce. Some of the bolder ones even picked up stones and hurled them at the centipede.

When Li Yang’s gaze fell upon the old ape, it suddenly came to its senses. After a moment’s hesitation, it finally yielded to the centipede’s formidable presence, gesturing wildly to restrain the troop.

Seeing the old ape act sensibly, Li Yang nodded in satisfaction. He and the centipede rose into the air and began gathering herbs from the cliff.

Half an hour later, once Li Yang had swept the cliff clean of all the aged medicinal plants, he was content, patting the bulging pack on his back and preparing to depart.

“What’s that aroma?” Just as he was about to return and rejoin Elder Luo and the others, a strange fragrance wafted from a cave atop the cliff. Li Yang halted the centipede and peered toward the cave.

The old ape below became instantly agitated, leaping up the cliff and bellowing at Li Yang with bared teeth, as though accusing him of breaking his word.

Li Yang ignored the ape’s roar. The weak had no right to negotiate. Sparing its life was already a concession in light of its arduous cultivation and the dwindling number of spirit beasts capable of gaining intelligence in this era of great change.

Seeing Li Yang head straight for its cave without so much as a glance, the old ape grew frantic, roaring and lunging at him.

“Foolish creature!” Li Yang’s gaze was tinged with disdain. Though the old ape had cultivated for nearly a century and possessed some spiritual prowess—its intelligence enhanced by its primate lineage—it was reckless to confront the Six-Winged Golden Centipede, an ancient beast nearly a millennium old. Whether its courage was admirable or its stupidity lamentable was debatable.

The centipede, unmoved by the ape’s lack of sense, lashed its tail and sent the creature sprawling down the cliff.

Li Yang didn’t spare the struggling, whimpering ape a glance. He guided the centipede directly into the old ape’s nest.

Upon entering, the intoxicating fragrance grew stronger. In the center of the cave sat a stone trough the size of a washbasin, divided into two sections, apparently carved out by brute force. One section was filled with crushed medicinal herbs, rare flowers, and fruits; the other, below, brimmed with a thick, golden liquid resembling oil—the source of the enticing aroma.

Could this be the legendary Monkey Wine?

Li Yang’s eyes sparkled with delight. It was said that mountain apes, after many years and the awakening of intelligence, would gather a hundred fruits to brew wine. Unexpectedly, the legend proved true.

Unable to resist, Li Yang hurried forward, leaned down, and took a sip from the trough.

The moment the wine touched his lips, he salivated. His face flushed, and a wave of heat surged from his abdomen, coursing through his entire body.

“Such potent medicinal strength!” Within moments, Li Yang’s body felt ablaze. Parched, he sat cross-legged, protected by the centipede, and began refining the medicinal energy within the wine, undisturbed.

Within the time it takes for a cup of tea, his flushed cheeks faded, white steam rising from his head like gentle smoke.

What a treasure! Its medicinal power rivaled the famed Essence Pill.

After a long while, Li Yang opened his eyes, a gentle spiritual light spilling forth. The wine’s medicinal energy not only restored his depleted vitality but also caused it to surge, granting him half a year’s worth of cultivation.

Exhaling deeply, he glanced at the crushed herbs and dregs in the trough, a pang of regret on his face.

The medicinal strength was justified, but the amount of precious herbs consumed in brewing this trough of wine was unknown. The ape’s methods were rough; if Li Yang had handled it himself, these herbs would have sufficed for at least ten batches of Essence Pills.

Those Essence Pills were no mere ointment—true spiritual pills, requiring a pill furnace and, at the very least, century-old herbs. Li Yang had only seen descriptions of them in his family records; they were the best choice for strengthening one’s foundation and increasing vitality, transformative for both humans and spirit beasts.

He took the leather water pouch from his waist, emptied it, and filled it to the brim with the wine. Looking at the remaining half in the trough, his face twisted with pain. After some thought, he released the Rage-Feathered Chicken and Golden Toad, letting each drink their share. Only when a thin layer of wine remained did he finally stop, satisfied.

The ape’s effort in brewing this trough was considerable; Li Yang wouldn’t exhaust it entirely, leaving enough for the next batch. Though called wine, it had only a faint alcoholic taste—its sweetness predominating, making the mouth water and impossible to resist. Thinking of its flavor, Li Yang gazed at the scant remains, having made a difficult decision to leave some for the monkeys.

Stepping out of the cave, Li Yang leapt onto the centipede’s head and glided down, landing before the old ape.

Upon seeing Li Yang, the old ape’s face twisted with hatred and resentment. It wanted to fight, but the sight of the centipede filled it with instinctive fear—its expression as complex as any human’s.

“Don’t be upset. I haven’t taken your Monkey Wine for free. Here is a bottle of Bone-Washing Pills, specially crafted to cleanse impurities from spirit beasts’ bodies and aid in bloodline development. It will greatly benefit your cultivation. Consider it compensation.” Li Yang chuckled, offering a gray porcelain bottle.

The old ape took the bottle, its expression shifting several times before finally sighing.

Such a trade was inevitable, whether it wished to accept or not. Still, it was a good outcome—encountering someone unreasonable could mean no compensation at all; to survive was already fortunate. Thus, the old ape wasn’t sure whether meeting Li Yang was luck or misfortune.