Chapter 8: Offering Peaches to End the Conflict, Outsmarting the Monkey King

Jiang Youling looked back, her expression shifting slightly.

Given this commotion, it was highly likely someone had provoked the Monkey King!

In the distant woods, an enraged monkey appeared: six feet tall, with golden eyes and a crimson face, an iron forehead and a bronze head.

Its golden fur shimmered like the sun, its body covered in flame-like red patterns. Its fangs were as white and sharp as swords, its claws cold and soul-chilling. It crushed stones into powder as it stepped and leaped across ravines like a bird in flight—truly, it was terrifyingly fierce.

"Run! The Monkey King is attacking people!"

"Wuu wuu, spare me, Monkey King! I don't even know what that Monkey Wine looks like!"

"The Monkey Wine! I worked so hard to get it, and now it’s been snatched back, uwaa... I can't go on like this!"

"You unruly monkey, how overbearing! We only took a little of your wine, why must you pursue us so relentlessly?"

When the Monkey King emerges, who can contend with it?

Many had already been injured by the Monkey King, and even their Monkey Wine had been snatched away.

If the Monkey King were allowed to continue its rampage, many lives would likely be lost here.

Jiang Youling frowned, silent and hesitant, when a clear, sharp whistle suddenly rang out.

Immediately after, a figure in black appeared in the woods opposite.

Their movement was as swift as a falling star; where they sprinted, branches bent and leaves withered, a sudden hush falling over the forest. In an instant, they were forty or fifty feet away, standing in a standoff with the Monkey King.

Then, a young girl in pink landed lightly on the tip of a bamboo stalk, her wide sleeves fluttering in the wind like a startled swan skimming the water, as she sped toward them.

Seeing this, Jiang Youling hesitated no longer. She stepped forward, forming a pincer movement with the other two, surrounding the Monkey King.

Blocked, the Monkey King paced back and forth in a rage, but sensing that the three before it were not as easy to deal with as the previous ones, it dared not act rashly.

"Good Monkey King, we only took the wine out of necessity. Don't be angry; I brought some fresh peaches for you to eat as an apology."

The girl in pink giggled, took the bundle off her back, untied it, and smilingly held it out toward the Monkey King.

The Monkey King saw the fresh fruit and looked tempted, but did not move.

"Don't worry, these peaches aren't poisoned, they're sweet!"

As she spoke, the girl in pink took a fresh peach and bit into it, juice spilling out, making the Monkey King look on with longing.

"Here, take these back to share with the other monkeys. Spare us this time, and next time I'll bring even more fresh fruit to apologize."

The girl in pink placed the bundle gently on the ground and slowly backed away.

The Monkey King pondered for a moment, but ultimately could not resist the temptation of the fresh peaches. It let out a "huff" sound, as if it were beneath its dignity to bicker with them, stepped forward to take the bundle, and strode away.

Jiang Youling breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the girl in pink with some surprise. What a capable young lady; she had resolved a crisis with nothing but a few fresh peaches.

The boy in black who had first blocked the Monkey King's path seemed equally surprised that such a crisis had been so lightly resolved. He glanced at the girl in pink before sprinting away.

"That person is so rude, leaving without even saying hello."

The girl in pink puffed out her cheeks, then looked at Jiang Youling. "My name is Shen Yingshu. May I ask how to address you, sister?"

"Jiang Youling."

Shen Yingshu’s eyes brightened. "So you are the top scholar of the literary exam!"

"Just a stroke of luck."

Jiang Youling was preoccupied with the time for the martial exam and felt somewhat distracted.

Just as she was thinking of offering a polite farewell, Shen Yingshu seemed to notice her absent-mindedness and said understandingly

"The martial exam isn't over yet. Why don't we continue, and we can chat more after we return?"

Jiang Youling breathed a sigh of relief. "That would be best."

"Alright then, how about we race to see who gets there first?"

Before she had even finished speaking, Shen Yingshu had already darted twenty or thirty feet ahead. "Since you didn't say no, sister, that means you agreed!"

Jiang Youling hurried forward, but within half a quarter of an hour, she was far behind Shen Yingshu.

Shen Yingshu looked back and gave a helpless smile. "It seems you had no intention of racing me at all, sister. Oh well, once we enter Taixuan, there will be plenty of opportunities!"

Another bell rang. Jiang Youling returned safely at the seventh quarter-hour.

She handed the Monkey Wine from her waist to the Immortal Elder, and thus, the martial exam was passed.

When the final bell rang, those who had failed to retrieve the Monkey Wine or return in time wailed in despair.

"I've failed the grand exam again... to fail repeatedly, I truly have no face to see my parents!"

"I worked so hard to pass the literary exam, only to fall at this martial hurdle. Ten years of sharpening a sword to touch the blue sky, only to be cast far away in a moment. Stepping on nine hundred layers of cloud stairs, only to find the Heavenly Gate empty. Empty, empty, all empty!"

"I beg the Immortal to give me one more chance! Next year I'll be over forty, and I won't be eligible to take the grand exam anymore!"

Facing the weeping and pleading of the crowd, the Immortal Elder only sighed softly, flicked his wide sleeves, and had the failed candidates escorted away.

At the foot of the immortal mountain.

Old Madam Cui stood slightly hunched, yet still upright, her sharp eyes constantly scanning the crowd descending the mountain.

—Terrified of seeing that familiar figure.

Only after checking four or five times did the heart pounding in her chest finally settle into silence.

Among those who had failed the martial exam, Jiang Youling was not there!

"Mother, Ling-jie'er wasn't eliminated!"

Chen Ling’s face lit up with joy. "That's wonderful! She passed the second stage, the martial exam!"

Jiang Mingyu, who was attending to her side, was also shocked, thinking to himself, "I didn't expect Youling to be so capable; she actually passed the martial exam."

Old Madam Cui was always composed, but now a faint smile appeared at the corners of her eyes, and her face showed a hint of excitement. "At least those medicinal soups and these days of teaching didn't go to waste."

As long as Jiang Youling passed the third stage, the comprehensive exam, her Chen family would have a successor!

If any tactless person dared to gossip, saying that Ling-jie'er was surnamed Jiang and not Chen, she would certainly bring out the genealogy and make them see whether Ling-jie'er was on the Chen family tree or not.

Thinking of this, Old Madam Cui was in a good mood, but she patiently said, "What's the rush? There's still the third stage, the comprehensive exam. It won't be too late to celebrate once Ling-jie'er passes that."

Chen Ling immediately composed herself and replied in a low voice.

Fewer than a hundred people had passed both the literary and martial exams.

The Immortal Elder ordered everyone to rest on the spot; the third stage, the comprehensive exam, would officially begin in one hour.

Just as Jiang Youling sat down, a shadow fell over her.

She looked up to see the girl in pink she had met in the woods, Shen Yingshu, standing prettily before her!

She sat down beside Jiang Youling with a smile. "Sister Jiang, we meet again!"

Jiang Youling smiled in return, thinking that the other girl truly had a lively personality.

Shen Yingshu leaned in secretively and lowered her voice. "Sister Jiang, do you know what the comprehensive exam will test?"

Jiang Youling pondered for a moment and shook her head slightly. "The methods of the immortals are hard to fathom. Let us just calm our minds and wait to face whatever comes."

"Fair enough."

Shen Yingshu nodded and, imitating Jiang Youling, closed her eyes to rest.

But she was born with a restless nature; after only a few minutes, she couldn't help but open her eyes and look around.

"It's still a long time before the comprehensive exam starts. Sister Jiang, you rest here. I'm going to go ask the others and see if I can dig up any inside information."

With that, she hurried off.

Jiang Youling found it slightly amusing. Just as she was about to look away, she felt a gaze resting upon her.

Following the gaze, she saw the boy in black—the very same one who had blocked the Monkey King earlier.

(End of chapter)