Chapter Thirty-Five: Fierce Battle with the Monkey Horde (Part 2)

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Chapter Thirty-Five: Fierce Battle with the Monkey Horde (2)

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Battle was terrifying, but the silence during battle was even more so. The guards, including Lu Man, swiftly checked their ammunition. It was impossible to estimate how many monkeys there truly were—if anything, their numbers seemed only to increase. This was their domain, and any movement could only end in the monkeys seizing an opportunity.

Chief Steward Lin Jian had been trained from childhood in every manner of discipline; as chief steward, he was the last line of defense for the family head. Yet he hadn’t expected Xiao Tianci to remain so calm—at this very moment, Xiao Tianci seemed like a completely different person from the youth Lin Jian had first encountered.

“Everyone, be careful!” Lu Man’s warning had only just sounded when the monkeys launched another assault. Their cries grew sharper and more urgent, echoing through the trees as they leapt from branch to branch, and a hail of stones rained down upon the group.

These stones were nothing like before. If the earlier ones were mere twigs, these were spears for battle—many could not even dodge. A blow to the body felt like being punched by a heavy fist; a grazing stone was as sharp as a knife. In the blink of an eye, more than ten men found their bodies covered in wounds. Had they been ordinary men, a few direct hits would have left them unconscious or dead from the pain.

As the stones fell, attacks from both ground and air began anew. This time, the attacking monkeys moved even faster, but unlike before, they did not simply charge—they darted about, searching for openings.

Squad Two focused their firepower on the monkeys above. Lu Man and two others quickly tore off their shirts, tying them together—each man gripping a corner—ignoring their own wounds and the blood streaming from their hands, heads, and bodies.

As Squad Two’s firepower shifted to protect those two, the outer line’s defense weakened. Stones from above struck hands and bodies, and whether one dodged or not, the effects were the same.

The monkeys’ attacks were relentless—shrieks echoed as two monkeys broke through first. One leapt from above and pounced on a guard, claws raking deep, bone-baring wounds across his face and cheeks. But even as he was struck, the guard, eyes bloodshot, seized the monkey—one hand on its head, the other on its body—and with a violent twist, snapped its neck. Tossing the corpse aside, he raised his gun to continue firing.

The other monkey, with three more at its side, charged from the ground. By the time another guard had dispatched the remaining two, this one had already lunged close, sinking its teeth into his leg. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” Three shots rang out, killing the monkey—its jaws still clamped around a bloody chunk of flesh.

“Huff... huff...” Xiao Tianci’s breathing grew ragged. In his mind, he recalled Chief Steward Lin Jian’s stories about his father, and the words his father had once spoken: “Every member of the Xiao family must remember—regardless of status or position, once you enter the gates of Xiao, you are one of our own. Should anyone dare to maliciously harm a Xiao, the entire clan will hunt them to the ends of the earth. All Xiao descendants must forever remember to protect our kin.”

“Protect the sons of Xiao... protect the sons of Xiao...” Xiao Tianci kept repeating the phrase under his breath. He could almost feel the emotion his father must have had in that moment. Sitting below, peering through the gaps at the battle outside, his heart was shaken to its core.

They too were flesh and blood; they too were born of parents. The battles his father had endured must have been even more brutal than this. “Thud—” Someone collapsed to the ground, a sharp stone lodged in his temple.

“Aaah!” With a sudden cry, Xiao Tianci sprang up, tearing away the clothes shielding his head. He rushed forward, snatched up the fallen guard’s gun, and began firing at the monkeys in the trees.

Chief Steward Lin Jian followed him like a shadow. At some point, a silver pistol had appeared in his hand. His face was eerily calm as he stood by Xiao Tianci’s side, not firing, merely watching.

Though these men seemed almost like machines—unfeeling, showing no fear even in death—the moment Xiao Tianci emerged, picked up a gun and fought beside them, the battered and bloodied guards, already down two and with half wounded, suddenly found new strength. Their firepower surged as if spurred by adrenaline.

The threat from above left Lu Man and his team unable to form a solid defense. The monkeys moved swiftly among the thick foliage, making them difficult to spot, even for marksmen as skilled as this group. They could only fire on instinct. Each of them was well-armed, carrying at least three guns: two pistols and a rifle, with plenty of ammunition. Yet with the current rate of expenditure, they were already at risk of running out.

“Concentrate firepower, suppress the ones above, contract the formation! Squad One, switch to blades!” Lu Man’s command was sharp. Immediately, the group drew closer together, Squad One drawing their military knives.

Only now, in the thick of battle, did Xiao Tianci truly realize how remarkable these monkeys were. They knew how to use stones as weapons, attacking from above—without heavy weaponry, not even Lu Man’s crack shots could handle them. Most astonishing was the monkeys’ coordination; their attacks were systematic, sustained only by careful preparation and an ample supply of stones.

Though merely rocks, hurled from such heights they could be deadly. The attacks from above and on the ground were perfectly coordinated—what kind of monkeys were these?

“Bang—ugh—” A stone the size of a fist struck Xiao Tianci’s leg. Agony flared, as if his bone had snapped; his leg buckled and he nearly fell.

Chief Steward Lin Jian watched all this, but did not reach out to help. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Tianci steadied himself, refusing to collapse.

His leg trembled uncontrollably, pain radiating through his entire body. Sweat poured down his face. Only now, after a single blow, did Xiao Tianci truly comprehend the strength and resolve of Lu Man and his men. Many of them were already covered in wounds, some even bleeding from the head, yet they fought on.

Xiao Tianci knew clearly: two or three more stones, even if they didn’t hit his head, would be enough to take him out. The pain alone would be enough to knock him unconscious.

Just as he managed to steady himself, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, a fist-sized stone came hurtling straight for his head.