Upon reaching the vicinity of Silver Moon Bay, Su Sheng released the unicorn.
According to the book’s description, Silver Moon Bay only had a certain probability of appearing on the night of the full moon each month. His purpose for coming here was to visit the Ape King of Silver Moon Bay, to determine whether he was the person Su Sheng was looking for.
And tomorrow night would be the night of the full moon.
Su Sheng looked up. The night here was not as pitch-black as the abyss; instead, it was filled with stars. The moon, hidden among the stars, did not appear particularly bright, but the moonlight pouring down was still gentle.
“The sky tonight is so beautiful.”
Su Sheng couldn’t help but murmur. Bathed in such moonlight, it felt as if the wounds deep in his soul were almost healed.
Su Sheng lay on the grass. After a dazed moment, he closed his eyes and asked, “Why have you been staring at me?”
A soft laugh sounded by his ear. “Don’t you think the moon here resembles someone?”
Su Sheng: “…”
Seeming to sense that Su Sheng didn’t want to answer, Luo Ren continued on his own, “It resembles you. Very much so.”
After a long while, Su Sheng finally opened his mouth and asked, “Why?”
Luo Ren said, “Look at it, it’s gentle at heart, yet insists on hanging high above. But perhaps that’s for the best…”
As he listened, Su Sheng’s brow twitched, and he instinctively followed up, “What’s so good about it?”
Luo Ren replied, “The good part is that only those strong enough can pluck it and hold it in their hands.”
Su Sheng snorted coldly, turned his body in the opposite direction, and ignored Luo Ren.
After a while, Luo Ren asked again, “Why have you come to Silver Moon Bay?”
He was met with silence.
…
The two waited until the following night. Tonight, the stars were no longer as brilliant as before, but the moon was terrifyingly full.
One leaned against a tree, while the other stood not far away. Perhaps even he himself hadn’t realized that his gaze had, at some point, begun to closely follow the person beneath the tree.
When the clock struck midnight, the moonlight grew intense, and Silver Moon Bay appeared before the two.
On a vast, boundless grassland, numerous plants and animals emerged.
Apes swung through the jungle, groundhogs and rabbits played, and the clear calls of birds echoed through the forest.
But in an instant, everything changed.
A flock of birds startled and took flight from the forest, the agonized cries of wild deer echoed from the jungle, and blood stained the earth…
The apes also let out uneasy roars.
Su Sheng frowned deeply, summoned his staff, and stepped into the jungle before him, with Luo Ren closely following.
“What happened here?”
Su Sheng picked up a clump of nearly dried blood from the ground and murmured to himself.
Luo Ren said, “It seems to be the work of the Silver Wolf Clan, the Ape King’s mortal enemy.”
Confusion flickered in Su Sheng’s eyes. “Isn’t Silver Moon Bay isolated from the world?”
Luo Ren replied, “It used to be isolated, but over the past ten years, the Silver Wolf Clan migrated here, competing with the Ape King for territory. Conflicts between the two clans have intensified day by day, escalating to a life-or-death struggle.”
Su Sheng murmured, “So that’s how it is.”
“Then where should the Ape King be now?”
Luo Ren shrugged and spread his hands. “I don’t know that.”
“But Norton, it seems you forgot to tell me one thing, you’re actually our Saint, Your Highness.”
Luo Ren emphasized the word “our.”
Su Sheng turned around to see Luo Ren smiling at him, but he knew the other was looking at the staff in his hand. Everyone across the continent recognized this staff, tall as a person and embedded with a white holy magic gem, as the symbol of the current Saint. Yet when Su Sheng carefully observed Luo Ren’s expression, he found the other’s gaze clear and free of any ill intent.
This quietly eased the tension in Su Sheng’s heart, and he unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
“I apologize for not being straightforward with you earlier due to my concerns.”
“It’s fine.”
Luo Ren patted Su Sheng’s shoulder with a smile, his gaze flickering slightly when he caught sight of the kiss mark.
Noticing Luo Ren’s look, Su Sheng felt a flicker of doubt. He touched the collar covering his neck and asked, “Is there something here?”
“Nothing much. If there is, perhaps it’s just a mosquito bite.” Luo Ren smiled faintly.
The two walked deeper into the forest, passing countless animal corpses along the way, with the bodies of apes and silver wolves being the most numerous.
It seemed the two clans had been locked in fierce battles recently.
Suddenly, an arrow shot toward them, swiftly caught by the quick-eyed Luo Ren just as it was less than a meter away from Su Sheng.
Su Sheng narrowed his eyes and dispelled the short-term protective barrier he had just cast.
Luo Ren snapped the arrow in two with his bare hands and tossed it aside. “Be careful. With the two clans at war, no one is likely to treat us as guests.”
Su Sheng gave a soft “Mm” in response and immediately cast a golden protective barrier around each of them.
Before long, treehouses appeared faintly ahead, and the number of apes noticeably increased. Su Sheng stopped.
An ape soldier swung over from a distance, grabbing onto branches, and landed in front of Su Sheng. Upon seeing the staff in Su Sheng’s hand, a flicker of shock crossed his eyes, but he soon raised a long trident toward Su Sheng’s neck, its tip just an inch away from his throat, and asked warily:
“Are you the Saint?”
Luo Ren’s expression darkened slightly. Though he remained in place, his hand moved to the hilt of his sword, and the air around him seemed to grow heavier.
Su Sheng stopped Luo Ren from drawing his sword and nodded calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.
The trident was pulled back slightly, and the ape soldier relaxed a little. “So it is the Saint. May I ask why you’ve come here?”
Su Sheng dispelled his magic, revealing his true appearance, and said calmly, “I’ve come to visit an old friend.”
It went without saying who Su Sheng’s old friend was, but the ape soldier seemed hesitant. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
Su Sheng replied, “If it’s about the war, I believe I can help.”
The ape soldier hesitated, standing in place, as if wanting to speak but holding back.
Su Sheng’s voice softened slightly as he said calmly, “Fu Tansi and I are friends. I mean no harm. You can speak freely with me.”
Glancing around, the ape soldier lowered his voice and whispered, “Your Highness, I trust you. Our king has been having some health issues recently.”
Su Sheng frowned. “I see. Then perhaps my companion can help.”
The ape soldier’s expression shifted, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Luo Ren beside him. But the moment their gazes met, he flinched in fear, shrinking back.
Why did just a glance from this person beside him make his heart race? The ape soldier thought, sweating nervously.
Su Sheng sensed something amiss but found nothing unusual about Luo Ren, merely thinking that Luo Ren was still angry and had frightened the ape soldier.
He thought to himself that this ape soldier was far too timid.
The ape soldier set down his long trident and made a gesture of invitation. “Please follow me.”
Su Sheng stepped forward to follow.
The ape soldier led them to the base of a treehouse with a staircase and said, “You may stay here for now. Please allow me to request an audience with the king.”
Su Sheng nodded and went up with Luo Ren.
The sounds of battle continued through the night. From afar, Su Sheng could still see the raging flames and billowing smoke rising from the battlefield where the two sides clashed, with fallen trees scattered everywhere.
Just then, footsteps sounded from behind. Luo Ren walked up beside him and asked, “What are you looking at so intently?”
Su Sheng glanced calmly out the vine-covered window and said nothing.
Seeing this, Luo Ren tapped his fingers lightly on the windowsill, as if bringing it up casually. “No need to waste time. If you want to see the Ape King, I can break his legs and drag him over right now.”
Su Sheng turned to look at Luo Ren. Though Luo Ren smiled with an air of refinement, his methods were excessively cruel and violent, and he showed little sense of kinship.
Such a person might appear considerate and attentive on the surface, but in truth, he was the epitome of true indifference.
He probably wouldn’t hesitate to crush any frail old man who happened to block his path.
Such a person was truly terrifying.
Su Sheng had to constantly remind himself not to fall into the gentle trap woven by the other, or he might end up with nowhere to bury his bones.
Su Sheng averted his gaze and subtly increased the distance between them, saying, “No need. I have other plans for this matter.”
Luo Ren noticed the movement but maintained his smile. He took a large step forward, closing the distance once more, and whispered, “Your Highness must never think of avoiding me, or you won’t want to know the consequences.”