Chapter Thirty-Six: Fierce Battle with the Monkey Horde (3)

Bang! Amid a volley of gunshots, Xiao Tianci looked up to see Chief Steward Lin Jian gripping his weapon with both hands, his gaze unwaveringly fixed above. The stone that had moments ago threatened to smash into Xiao Tianci's head had already been sent flying, its whereabouts unknown.

He hadn't seen it happen before, but now, taking a deep breath, Xiao Tianci raised his gun and glanced upward just in time to witness Chief Steward Lin Jian fire a second shot—this time clearly. A stone, roughly the size of a fist, was struck midair and knocked away.

Only then did he notice the clear division of labor among Lu Man's group. Though everyone in Team Two was targeting the attackers above, Lu Man and two others had their sights not on the monkeys, but the stones. The larger stones hurtling through the air were picked off before they could reach them.

At such a height, being struck by a sizable stone could be fatal. So that was the reason. Xiao Tianci had been puzzled as to how a few layers of clothing could offer any protection. Glancing down at the fallen member before him, he saw that the stone had not been large, but it had struck precisely at the temple.

Xiao Tianci had dabbled with guns before; nowadays, it was easy enough—just pay the fee at a shooting club and you could practice. But it was nothing like the Xiao family, where weapons could be carried and used at will.

Judging from Lu Man’s earlier orders, their ammunition was running low. Xiao Tianci knew his own skills were those of a mere enthusiast; it would be folly to expect he could shoot down stones descending from above. Lu Man and his team needed no prompting; each was responsible for a section, guarding the safety of their comrades beneath.

On his side, Chief Steward Lin Jian took responsibility. The brief moment of observation and intuition gave Xiao Tianci a profound sense of the team's shared fate—a trust that their lives depended on one another.

Some members concentrated on fighting the monkeys, others defended against attacks from the ground and midair. Those on the perimeter seemed not even to consider their own safety, entrusting their survival to their comrades. Xiao Tianci's blood surged with excitement.

He raised his head, aiming at the darting shadows, firing carefully, surrendering his own safety entirely to Chief Steward Lin Jian.

Another member on the perimeter fell—this time the one whose face had been injured earlier, succumbing to blood loss. A teammate from Team Two bent down, dragged him back into the formation. The perimeter shrank yet again, but their defensive stance remained unbroken.

The monkeys’ aerial assault was manageable; after all, the situation above changed little and the guards' blades were formidable. The real challenge came from those attacking on the ground. These monkeys were strange—perhaps the first probing assault had taught them that a mass charge would fail, so now they attacked from several directions in smaller groups.

Had they all rushed at once—dozens together—it would have been disastrous. Their tactic, however, allowed the guards to catch their breath.

Yet even a single ground attacker was a headache. These monkeys were visibly larger than ordinary ones, relentless. If one hadn't witnessed it firsthand, it would be hard to believe monkeys could be so ferocious.

This bizarre battle made Xiao Tianci recall Lu Man's words upon entering the forest: the beasts here would avoid “humans” when encountered. He did not doubt this statement; in fact, his trust in Lu Man’s words made the situation all the more confusing.

Could his exiled uncle, the so-called Ghost of the Xiao family, really command these monkeys to attack him? Yet these monkeys did not look ordinary—they seemed native to the area.

Chief Steward Lin Jian had said Fang Meng would arrive soon, but why hadn’t he come yet? Was this related to him? What should they do now? This situation could not last; the monkeys grew more cunning, their losses fewer, and ammunition was running low. Once the ammo was gone, aerial attacks would be deadly.

“Lu Man, how far are we from Fang Meng’s residence?”

Lu Man kept his eyes fixed above. “Reporting, sir, we’re still far away. We’ve only covered half the distance.”

Halfway—meaning neither advancing nor retreating was ideal. Xiao Tianci didn’t know which would be best in such a situation, but since neither Lu Man nor Chief Steward Lin Jian had spoken up, it meant both options were equally unviable.

Chief Steward Lin Jian calculated the time in his mind. They were in the mountains, yet at this distance, Fang Meng could not possibly be unaware of the commotion; how could he not have arrived by now?

Could something have happened? Bang! Bang! As he pondered, Chief Steward Lin Jian fired two more shots, precisely knocking stones aside. He knew he would need to prepare for other contingencies.

There was no signal here—only at the shore would they have any. So there was no way to alert anyone outside. “Lu Man, prepare to retreat. Concentrate our firepower to cover the boss’s withdrawal toward the shore.”

“Yes.” Lu Man responded, but before he could issue orders, the situation suddenly changed.

Above them, two enormous monkeys dropped straight down, aiming for Xiao Tianci and Chief Steward Lin Jian. Without hesitation, Chief Steward Lin Jian fired one shot—an instant, clean kill.

If a shot struck the body, it sometimes took several rounds to incapacitate the beast, and it might still have the strength for one final attack. But a headshot was decisive.

Though they had tightened the formation, there was still space; otherwise, fallen bodies would land atop them. Xiao Tianci and Chief Steward Lin Jian took a step back.

Just as the two large monkeys’ bodies reached their heads, no one expected two small monkeys to burst forth from the backs of the fallen beasts, lunging straight for Xiao Tianci and Chief Steward Lin Jian’s heads. The suddenness of it left everyone stunned—no time to react. Chief Steward Lin Jian, without thinking, raised his gun and shot the monkey already upon Xiao Tianci, killing it. He felt the sharp claws already at his face.

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Recommendation: Everyone assumes pirates simply fight and kill on the open sea. Let me introduce a novel where the battle unfolds beneath the waves—"Pirate Hunter."

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