The mystic just happened to lift the leaves and spotted a massive wasp nest measuring six feet in length, instantly startled. At that moment, a stone from Ye Yu’s position flew toward the nest; with a loud “whoosh!” a dark cloud rose and charged at him headlong.
“This little rascal must have suffered some hardship himself and then tried to drag me into it. My God, such a disciple is truly dangerous!” Master Xuan said with a bitter smile. He released a stream of silver combat energy that killed the approaching wasps; black bees as thick as fingers fell from the air in droves, quickly covering the ground with a layer of them.
With a gentle wave of his right hand, the master beekeeper made the wasp nest tremble instantly, provoking all the bees into fury. They charged at him without hesitation and were all killed in an instant. The master sighed softly, “What pitiful little creatures—their lives so fragile. Alas, aren’t we all like that?” With that, he removed the nest and let it drift down to the ground.
“You little rascal! How dare you deceive your master? The ghost has already been captured—never again do such nonsense,” said Master Xuan.
Yu Ye was utterly startled. Just as he was about to rise, a cold sensation suddenly spread beneath his abdomen. Looking down, he was stunned to see a snake as thick as an arm crawling beneath his skin. “Oh no!” he cried out, quickly rising and fleeing in panic; the snake, in turn, was greatly frightened.
“What’s wrong with you? A single snake has scared you so much!” said Master Xuan discontentedly, flicking his finger lightly. A leaf shot out like lightning, severed the head of the unfortunate snake before swiftly flying out of the woods.
While the monkeys were idly fiddling with the four wild boars outside, they suddenly heard them emerge. Each boar immediately cried out in alarm and pointed around, demanding that the master priest separate the pork—after all, they couldn’t handle a whole pig.
“Good boy, let me use your help again,” said Master Xuan as he set down the wasp nest. At that moment, a large group of monkeys rushed over, snatched the nest, grabbed the young wasps inside, and immediately ate them whole.”
“Are you going to use it again to cut pork?” Ye Yu asked discontentedly, reluctantly handing over the black knife.
“This is teaching martial arts, understand?” said Master Xuan. He grabbed a wild boar and hurled it forcefully into the air. Amid the monkeys’ cries of alarm, he suddenly drew his blade and leaped upward. The blade flashed repeatedly in the air; countless strikes were delivered, tearing the boar into countless pieces as a shower of flesh fell from the sky.
“Still for cutting pork!” Ye Yu said grumbling discontentedly as he borrowed the black blade. Yet when Master Xuan had just unleashed a single strike that transformed into a hundred cuts, it had indeed sparked his great interest.
“Heh, you don’t know that. The primary purpose of a blade is cooking—do you really think it’s used for cutting people every day? A blade stained with human blood wouldn’t even dare be used to cut pork,” said Master Xuan. “That strike just now was actually derived from my sword techniques; it’s called the ‘Xuantian Hundred Swords.’ ” “Alright, I’ll learn that move first,” replied Ye Yu.
“All practices ultimately stem from the same fundamental principle. I suggest you first learn to wield the power of qi flexibly. Moreover, my Xuantian Sword Technique is designed for swords; applying it to knives would require your own personal comprehension,” said Master Xuan.
At this moment, the monkey who had found the piece of meat attached it to a wooden stick that had been prepared in advance, shouting loudly for a fire to be lit. The mystic then took a dry branch, rubbed it between his hands, and the branch immediately caught fire, thereby starting the flame.
Ye Yu understood only partially what was being explained. The master simply instructed him to practice meditation and focus on sensing the energy within his body. Being a mischievous child by nature, Ye Yu couldn’t sit still—he kept moving his hips around constantly. To make matters worse, a monkey was darting about nearby, making it impossible for him to remain calm.
The master sorcerer also taught these monkeys how to grill meat, and the entire group eagerly followed suit—each one practicing diligently and seizing every opportunity to hone their skills.
The small creatures in the valley were in great trouble: mice, frogs, snakes, featherless birds, and thousands of monkeys scoured the mountains and fields for anything they could roast. Some monkeys even attached peaches to sticks and inserted them into the fire, leaving the sorcerer utterly baffled and amused.
Fortunately, the area is home to numerous animals, including frequent appearances of wild boars, bison, bears, and tigers. Whenever these large creatures are spotted, the monkeys split into two groups: one throws stones at them, while the other returns to alert the master sorcerer to act swiftly and hunt them down.
That knife had killed countless beasts. Master Xuan often joked that he hadn’t expected to become the go-to butcher for entire packs of monkeys.
Night Feather possessed profound martial arts skills, yet he failed to apply them flexibly and struggled to maintain focus during meditation. Whenever the monkeys made a fuss, he would insist on joining them on hunting expeditions. On one occasion, Master Xuan grew utterly frustrated and bound him with ox tendons; surprisingly, he fell asleep while meditating, leaving Master Xuan utterly helpless.
After a month, Ye Yu’s progress had been slow, whereas the monkeys’ meat-grilling skills had improved significantly—they cooked meat that was tender and aromatic, matching even Master Xuan’s level—and this left Ye Yu eager to learn. On one occasion, he cautiously suggested learning how to grill meat first, which infuriated Master Xuan so much that he remained speechless for a long time.
“The child was too playful, compounded by the presence of so many monkeys; it’s no wonder he couldn’t settle down. Pressing him too hard would only backfire. If he doesn’t take the initiative to discover the joy of martial arts practice, forced coercion will only foster rebellious tendencies. While this might yield short-term results, it plants a harmful seed in his mind that could lead to mental obstacles later on, preventing him from reaching true mastery,” thought Master Xuan. After prolonged contemplation, he failed to devise a satisfactory solution.
While stepping away from this place and the monkeys might be a wise decision, it doesn’t align with his nature. Moreover, having spent considerable effort raising these monkeys, he felt reluctant to part with them.
“Fine, let Ye Yu and that group of monkeys traverse mountains and valleys during the day—let them do as they please. At least this will train their agility. When night falls, we can have them practice meditation in peace,” thought Master Xuan.
Night Feather wholeheartedly agreed, and the monkeys were overjoyed. With him by their side, they no longer needed to ask Master Xuan for hunting assistance; instead, they delighted in reaping the benefits while he devoted himself entirely to his spiritual cultivation.
Night Feather’s passion for grilling meat soon surpassed his interest in martial arts; his skills rapidly outshone those of the group of monkeys, and eventually even Master Xuan could not match him. Meanwhile, Master Xuan’s cultivation advanced significantly—a outcome that left him both amused and frustrated.
One day, Ye Yu came across a remarkable tree: its black wood was as hard as iron and impervious to fire, yet it emitted an extraordinary fragrance. Unaware of its immense value, he exerted great effort to felling it without informing the master.
In the following days, he split the tree into countless pieces, carved them into thousands of skewers, and distributed each to a group of monkeys—one for each. The monkeys treasured these items, polishing them to a flawless finish with stones and carrying them with them at all times.
The meat roasted with this ingredient was exceptionally fragrant. After tasting the dish Ye Yu had served, Master Xuan believed his culinary skills had improved remarkably and praised it highly without reservation.
One day, the mystic felt a sudden urge to join the barbecue gathering he hadn’t attended in years. To his surprise, every monkey was holding a peculiar skewer. He snatched one and examined it closely, utterly amazed by its design.
“Nightfeather, I’m in dire need of a suitable weapon. Could you forge a wooden sword from this wood that weighs three times as much as your black blade?” he said.
“Master, why didn’t you tell me earlier? The materials are already gone; it’s still possible to make a toothpick from the branches. This is also the first time I’ve encountered that type of tree,” said Ye Yu.
Upon learning the truth, Master Xuan was speechless—for such a precious item had been entirely used by this wastrel to make skewers. Yet, judging from Ye Yu and the group of monkeys’ expressions, skewers clearly held greater significance than swords in their eyes; Master Xuan had no further words to say.
“Next time you encounter such a tree, simply inform your master,” Master Xuan instructed. Ye Yu naturally nodded in agreement.
To the master’s delight, Ye Yu had gradually mastered the manipulation of qi—though not yet fully proficient, it was already a remarkable achievement by his standards.
Being around those monkeys wasn’t without its benefits either; his violent temperament gradually began to change.
One evening, Ye Yu sat in quiet contemplation for a long time, his blade in hand. “If my blade could also emit a silver glow, I wouldn’t need to light a fire at night anymore. How did Master manage that?” he wondered. He then tried focusing his qi on the blade.
Suddenly, a blue light emanated from the knife, startling him greatly. “Master, Master! I’ve gone mad! Come and save me!” he cried out in panic.