Chapter 125: What Demon Monkey? I Have No Idea

“Alright! If there’s nothing else, you all should leave quickly. I’m going back inside to rest!”

Having finished putting on his disguise and seeing no other matters pending, Ye Qiu began urging the crowd to disperse.

To be honest, Ye Qiu quite enjoyed the feeling of being watched by so many, but his aura always attracted attention, leaving him helpless at times.

Upon hearing Ye Qiu’s dismissal, many people awkwardly withdrew. They had hoped to flatter him further and leave a good impression, but he was clearly displeased—yet no one dared confront him directly. After all, he was formidable beyond question.

Gradually, people drifted away. Many novices with weak cultivation, who had just arrived in the wilderness, looked down at Ye Qiu below with bewildered expressions, whispering among themselves.

“Elder, who is that young man down there? Is he really that powerful? Why does everyone treat him with such respect?”

At this, the elder nearby was startled and immediately scolded, “Silence! How dare you speak arrogantly and call a senior ‘young man’? Mark my words, anyone who says such things again will be expelled from the sect...”

This wasn’t idle intimidation. Judging from the elder’s expression, the young men understood the gravity of the matter and immediately realized one thing:

This man was truly strong!

Otherwise, the elder would not have worn such a serious expression, nor commanded such obedient respect from so many formidable individuals. It was clearly no simple feat.

“I can’t imagine it—he’s so young, yet his cultivation is terrifying! How did he achieve this?”

No one could explain where Ye Qiu’s strength came from.

The elder then spoke solemnly, “You don’t understand! This senior is an immortal from the Nine Heavens, descended to the mortal realm to play among men. His strength is beyond your comprehension.

Even the mighty Sword Immortal Liu was taught by him; as for others, it’s naturally no contest...

Henceforth, no one is to discuss this senior’s matters. Anyone who disobeys will be expelled!”

The young men were clearly shaken. They had not expected Ye Qiu’s prestige in the Great Wilderness to be so high—so much so that even the exalted lords of the sacred lands addressed him with utmost reverence as ‘Senior.’

“Senior truly is a paragon for us all, the very figure we strive to emulate!”

The crowd praised sincerely. To face such a transcendent and dazzling figure clad in white robes was precisely the ideal they longed for and pursued every day.

“By the way! Have you heard? Just now, news came from the east—there’s a demon monkey appearing in the Eastern Sea region. No one knows where it sprang from.

Its power is unimaginable! Even cultivators at the Divine Immortal Realm on land are unable to subdue it.

In just one day, it has wreaked havoc in the Eastern Sea, bringing suffering and chaos to the entire region!”

“What? Such a thing exists?”

The news spread instantly, drawing a crowd and sparking lively discussion.

“What’s this demon monkey called? What can it do?”

The man continued, “I don’t know the details, but when I passed through the Eastern Sea, locals said this demon monkey boldly claimed to be equal in lifespan to the heavens, calling itself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!

It currently roams around Mount Huaguo in the Eastern Sea, gathering many ferocious beasts who have sworn brotherhood with it, terrorizing the area...”

“Hiss... The Great Sage Equal to Heaven? What arrogance! This monkey really doesn’t know its place...”

“Heh, hearing that makes me want to meet this monkey and see just how capable it is!”

For a time, many were stirred by curiosity.

Meanwhile, when Ye Qiu overheard this news, his gaze grew strange, tinged with guilt.

“This is bad... could it really be that monkey?”

Ye Qiu, feeling uneasy, avoided eye contact, afraid that others would discover the monkey had escaped from him—this would be disastrous.

Judging by the situation, it very well could be that little stone monkey. After all, when Ye Qiu had taken it in, he told it stories from Journey to the West, and it had admired Sun Wukong for a long time.

For that reason, Ye Qiu had even named it Sun Wukong.

Good heavens, could this be such a coincidence?

Though Ye Qiu had long anticipated that once the monkey left, chaos would ensue, he hadn’t expected it to happen so swiftly. It was almost unbearable to accept.

“No, no, I absolutely must not let them find out this monkey was trained by me, or it’s all over!

The image I’ve worked so hard to build can’t be destroyed by a single monkey! No, this absolutely won’t do...”

Panic surged through Ye Qiu. He recalled that he still had a replica of Journey to the West in his possession, but it had gone missing just yesterday.

Could the monkey have stolen it? Was it planning to reenact the story?

If that were true, Ye Qiu would indeed be in trouble. The original Journey to the West mentioned that before the Patriarch Bodhi sent the monkey down the mountain, he had foreseen the trouble it would cause.

To protect himself, he even warned the monkey never to reveal who taught it. The monkey had indeed never mentioned him once.

But Ye Qiu hadn’t managed to warn the monkey yesterday—that was a grave oversight.

This monkey was clearly no ordinary creature!

Ye Qiu was panicking when an elder approached him and respectfully asked, “Senior, the Great Wilderness faces external threats unresolved and now internal troubles arise. How should we handle this demon monkey?”

Why bring up such a question now? Ye Qiu’s heart raced.

Feigning ignorance, he replied nervously, “What demon monkey? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I tell you, I don’t know any monkey and have nothing to do with any monkey...”

The crowd exchanged confused glances.

“Strange, what’s wrong with this monkey? Why does the senior react so strongly?”

“That’s odd! Why would the senior emphasize not knowing the monkey? Could it be that this monkey was trained by him?”

Hearing this, Ye Qiu turned pale. He realized he might have just inadvertently revealed too much.

Doomed!

“Silence! I despise evil with all my heart. What demon monkey? I know nothing of it. Anyone who dares speculate further will not be spared...”

Failing to explain, Ye Qiu resorted to intimidation. Unsurprisingly, the crowd was frightened into silence.

Relieved, Ye Qiu breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he had reacted quickly. Otherwise, if they probed further, the incident of the animals escaping from the tavern yesterday might have been exposed.

“Enough! Deal with the demon monkey as you see fit. In the future, no need to report such minor matters to me. Handle them yourselves...”

Though he hated that monkey with a white-hot fury, Ye Qiu knew he could not personally subdue it, lest he be exposed.

Besides, the monkey’s strength wasn’t overwhelming—at most, it was a Heavenly Realm cultivator, relying on the treasures Ye Qiu had given it to bully others.

“This place is no longer suitable to stay! I’d better leave quickly before I really slip up...”

With that, Ye Qiu turned and left, unwilling to continue the conversation.

At present, only a few people knew about the monkey’s escape—those who had been at the tavern yesterday. Clearly, except for Yue Chan, no one else dared to reveal it.

Ye Qiu had to think of a way to seal Yue Chan’s lips. Given her cunning nature, if she discovered this secret, she certainly wouldn’t let him off easily.