Chapter 32: Si Teng Devours the Water Monkey

Chapter 32: Si Teng Devours the Water Monkeys

After all, no species will cause a disaster within a certain range, but if they multiply uncontrollably, it becomes a problem. This stretch of sea could harbor water monkeys, but certainly not in such vast numbers, especially with a king of their own. Wu Yu had dealt with similar situations before, so he knew exactly where the line was drawn.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" As the ship's hold began to leak and hair-like tendrils erupted from the floor, Wu Yu realized the Water Monkey King’s intention.

"I intended to let you live a little longer, but that seems impossible now." With a wave of his hand, two green snakes, long impatient, hissed through the air.

Sword energy surged, and in an instant, the Water Monkey King was shredded into countless pieces. The scales that had even resisted the Dragon-Snake Sword were now as fragile as paper, pierced through with ease.

The number of water monkeys was sufficient for the task requirements, but the *jinpo*—the water ghosts—were far more cunning. They hadn't shown themselves from the start, hiding at the bottom of the water and attacking only when the Water Monkey King signaled.

With no other choice, Wu Yu hoisted A-Ning onto his shoulder. Channeling his remaining inner strength into his nine sharp blades, he flicked his index finger downward. Nine sonic booms echoed, and in the next second, the hair that had been surging toward him froze in place.

He leaped, his zither case strapped to his back, and landed steadily on the second deck. With fluid, graceful movements, he searched the cabin and quickly located the notebook inside a waterproof safe. He whispered internally: "Check-in!"

"Ding!"
"Ghost ship check-in successful!"

"Not enough *jinpo* yet?" The reward hadn't been issued, which meant the task wasn't over. Sensing his inner strength, Wu Yu’s gaze sharpened: "Sword One: One Sword Clears the Dust and Drives the Dragons and Snakes!"

The nine swords roared like tigers. The manic sword energy stirred the depths of the sea into a tumultuous rage. The peerless, sharp energy hunted down the scattering *jinpo*. Finally, just as the ghost ship was about to sink completely, he heard the system notification.

"Ding!"
"Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. Reward: Ten years of inner strength!"

In an instant, his empty *dantian* was replenished once again. After recalling the nine swords, Wu Yu carried A-Ning onto the sail. As he prepared to leave the sinking ghost ship, his sword case suddenly trembled. Little Si Teng extended her roots, darting out to circle the deck in a flash.

When she returned, Wu Yu noticed the little one had grown significantly!

"System, can Si Teng also feed on water monkeys?"
"Of course! Water monkeys are considered spiritual creatures. Their blood can serve as fodder for Si Teng. In fact, Si Teng isn't a picky eater; these things simply accelerate her growth!"

"You should have told me earlier!" Wu Yu felt a pang of regret. Had he known, he would have let Si Teng hunt for a while longer.

"Little Si Teng, next time you want to eat, just go ahead. Don't be shy, you hear?" Wu Yu smiled, tapping a tender leaf on the vine.

A wave of joyful emotion flooded his mind. Si Teng was clearly happy; she had been worried that Wu Yu might reject her behavior, but he hadn't.

With a graceful leap, he landed on the rolling surface of the sea, standing steadily upon it. Sword energy, invisible to onlookers, gathered beneath his feet as he walked step by step toward the fishing boat.

"Hiss! Master Yu is incredible!" Fatty was stunned by the sight. If he could learn that trick, let alone raiding tombs, he’d have beauties lining up for him!

"Are they behaving?" Wu Yu asked the captain as he set A-Ning down.

"Hehe!" Fatty brandished his gun. "They wouldn't dare do otherwise!"

"Take a look. How do we remove this thing from A-Ning? I tried to pull it off, but it seems to have fused with her bone," Wu Yu said to the captain. These men made their living on the sea; they surely had their own methods, just as tomb raiders carried black donkey hooves.

Sure enough, as soon as the captain saw the human-faced sickle on A-Ning's back, he pulled a packet of cow hair from his pocket. "Once a human-faced sickle bites its target, it penetrates to the bone and becomes one with it. But, if you sprinkle some cow hair on it, it will let go. The problem is, where would you find cow hair on the open sea? So, usually, there’s no escape once you're bitten!"

After saying this, he used a dagger to sever the sickle, and A-Ning was finally freed.

The group exchanged glances. Seeing Wu Tianzhen’s worried expression, Wu Yu said, "In that case, I'll leave A-Ning in your care, big cousin!"

"What? How can that be? We're a man and a woman!" Tianzhen instinctively wanted to refuse, but Wu Yu gestured to the others with a smile. "Look at us—who else is going to look after her?"

Recalling the rough crew members from the night before, Wu Tianzhen shook his head. As for Fatty and Wu Yu, neither seemed interested in playing the helper. Finally, he nodded. "Alright then."

"Tsk tsk tsk, Tianzhen, don't look so unhappy. Master Yu is giving you an opportunity, can't you see that?" Fatty teased. "A chance to get close to a beauty is rare! You better seize it!"

"Shut up, you damn Fatty. Have you forgotten how A-Ning taught you a lesson?" Wu Tianzhen rolled his eyes and carried A-Ning away.

The others dispersed to rest or take their shifts. Finally, only the silent Xiaoge remained on deck, looking perplexed. "I always feel like they are being quite rude to me. Is there really something wrong with my image?"

Two days later, under Wu Tianzhen’s care, A-Ning had recovered significantly. It was clear that her attitude toward Tianzhen had softened; at least she was no longer as cold to the bone as before. However, that was as far as it went.

For Wu Tianzhen, this was a monumental event, though Wu Yu and Fatty had been nearly driven mad by him over the past two days.

"I swear, Master Yu, if Tianzhen gets married, he’s definitely going to be henpecked!"
"Hmm! I bet you're right," Wu Yu nodded, leaving Fatty speechless.

"I never thought that after our grandfather, another henpecked man would emerge in the Wu family!" Mimicking Fatty’s Sichuan accent, Wu Yu sighed helplessly. "Oh well, Uncle and Third Uncle should be grateful to me. I’m giving Tianzhen a wife; he can't be a lonely bachelor forever after becoming the Evil Emperor!"

"Master Yu, we are expected to reach the location where the previous expedition ship lost signal in two hours," the captain said, approaching Wu Yu respectfully.

Ever since that night, having witnessed Wu Yu walking on the waves, the captain regarded him as a god-like figure, instantly becoming one of the most likely people to threaten Fatty's position as the top bootlicker. Because of this, Fatty had been keeping a close eye on the captain for the past two days.