Chapter 79: The Cheap Little Sidekick

Amidst the ruins beneath the long night, a young man let out a helpless sigh toward the sky, limping along in utter despair. Clinging to his leg was a tiny golden-furred ape, its face adorned with an innocent smile.

Once towering at two meters, the little golden ape had now shrunk to a pocket-sized creature, its large, gleaming black eyes brimming with a watery charm that could melt any heart. Yet Qingxi took no notice; he ran on, his face a mask of resigned misery, fleeing the royal palace’s core before the very eyes of the great golden ape Dahuang and the fire-tailed fox.

Dahuang hesitated, about to give chase, but the fire-tailed fox grabbed his ear, chittering as if to say, "Dahuang, you can't leave this area, or you'll be punished!" Hearing this, Dahuang stomped his foot in frustration, forced to watch the little golden ape slip away.

As the tiny ape was about to vanish from sight, Dahuang could almost see the silly grin on its face as it winked back at him, as if to say, "Hey, big brother, look! I’ve caught an interesting creature. Come play with me!" Dahuang’s face darkened, wishing he could seize the little ape and teach it a lesson for not listening to its elder.

But Qingxi was running faster and faster, and soon both boy and ape had completely disappeared, impossible to retrieve. In his rage, Dahuang swung his iron staff, shattering a swath of buildings as his giant form gradually diminished, retreating into the deepest recesses of the ancient Gulo Palace.

Far from the palace, among other ruins, the dragon-horse paced anxiously in circles. "What should I do? I suddenly miss my master so much! Why isn't he back yet?" It sighed, "If I’d known this would happen, I would have followed him no matter what." Glancing nervously at the dark sky, a chilly breeze sent it shivering. "Forget it, my master is resourceful. I’d only hold him back," it murmured, gradually convincing itself that staying put was the right choice.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind it. Qiu Yingying had returned.

She coughed violently, a trickle of blood staining her lips. Though Dahuang hadn’t used his full strength and was merely toying with her, the forty-meter iron staff was so heavy that even a casual swing bore the force of a mountain. If not for her true energy shield and the protective aura of her sword spirit, she wouldn’t have lasted this long.

"Where is your master?" she demanded, glaring at the dragon-horse, thinking this spirit beast was truly peculiar—clearly at the peak of the Profound rank, yet so timid.

"I'm right here!"

Not far away, Qingxi’s voice rang out. He was running more lightly, faster with each step. At first, burdened by the little ape, it felt as though he was dragging a boulder, but soon his stride became lighter. He had glanced back once, finding the little ape gone, and assumed he’d managed to shake it off. Delighted, he hummed a tune as he rejoined Qiu Yingying and the dragon-horse.

But then he noticed both were staring at him strangely—more precisely, at his feet.

"Why... why are you still here!"

Instinctively, he looked down and leaped in fright. A fluffy little golden ape clung to his foot, barely the size of a fist, but its eyes were so large they shone like twin moons in the night.

"This little ape looks like the palace guardian, but its fur is more golden... and its life force is astonishing! It gives me the sense of facing a Profound rank beast," Qiu Yingying observed, crouching to study the tiny creature.

"By the way, how did you get it out here?" She was genuinely puzzled as to why the little ape was following Qingxi.

"I have no idea!" Qingxi replied, feeling utterly helpless. Tonight’s plan, which should have gone smoothly, had been derailed by this inexplicable encounter. Worse yet, a cloud had drifted in at the worst possible moment, obscuring the midnight moon and preventing him from obtaining the secret art. To make matters more absurd, the once-towering ape had shrunk to a fist-sized, adorable creature—a contrast that made him wonder if the world had gone mad.

"Little one, why are you following me?" Qingxi grasped the ape by the scruff, lifting it. The shrunken ape made curious little noises, gazing at him with wide, inquisitive eyes, its limbs waving as if trying to communicate.

"Paging Pipi-Assistant, do you understand beast speech?" Qingxi attempted to decipher the ape’s intent, but soon gave up.

He simply couldn’t fathom what the little ape was trying to say and had no choice but to seek help from his system.

The assistant said, "The little golden ape says you’re amazing and wants to become your disciple."

"What?" Qingxi was baffled. "Become my disciple... Are you sure you’re translating correctly?"

"Absolutely," the assistant confirmed. "I’m using the auxiliary function that translates simian beast speech into common human language."

"But it was just throwing rocks at me—that’s clearly hostility. Now it wants to be my disciple? That doesn’t make sense," Qingxi said, puzzled.

The assistant explained, "Originally, it tried to stop you from approaching the main hall by hurling rocks, but when it saw you use spatial power to alter their trajectory, its interest was piqued. Naturally, it now wants you as its master."

At last, Qingxi understood, though he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He hadn’t managed to obtain the secret art, but ended up with a cheap little sidekick instead. The thought of the larger golden ape still lurking in the depths of the palace sent a chill down his spine. If that beast came after him, what would he do? Would he have to explain that his charisma was so overwhelming that its little brother insisted on apprenticing himself, and that none of this was his fault?

He imagined trying to reason with the giant ape—even if it understood, it would surely think he was mocking its intelligence. By the time that fearsome iron staff descended, he might only have time for one scream.

Qiu Yingying had no idea what Qingxi was thinking. Injured and in urgent need of recovery, she sat cross-legged, swallowed a Profound rank healing pill, and began to channel her energy.

The dragon-horse, meanwhile, eyed the adorable little ape, suddenly sensing trouble. "How can this little monkey be so cute? Is it going to compete for my master's affection? No way! My master loves me best!" it thought. With that, it reared up and loomed menacingly over the little ape, trying to frighten it into tears.

The little golden ape was momentarily stunned, staring with wide eyes at the dragon-horse’s fierce face. A flash of anger crossed its previously adorable expression. It let out a roar, and before the dragon-horse’s astonished eyes, its body swelled rapidly into a towering, two-meter-tall golden-furred giant. The aura of a Profound rank beast burst forth, freezing the dragon-horse in terror as its menacing look dissolved into sheer panic.