"This is my first time hearing a human speak properly." The Monkey Stated.
Lin Mu smiled faintly. "It is also my first time speaking with a beast outside my own panions."
The monkey tilted its head. "You have beast panions?"
"I do."
"Hmm..."
The monkey scratched its chin with one of its lower hands while another absentmindedly scratched behind its ear. Its expression looked considerably less hostile now.
"Why were you attacking me?" Lin Mu decided to continue. "I had no intention of invading your territory. I was only passing through."
The monkey crossed all four arms over its chest as its anger returned slightly.
"You disturbed my work."
Lin Mu blinked. "Your work?"
The monkey nodded vigorously. "I lost my trail of thought."
Lin Mu looked genuinely confused. For several seconds, he simply stared. "What work?"
He honestly could not imagine what kind of work an immortal beast would be doing in the middle of a forest. The monkey sighed dramatically, as though speaking to someone terribly ignorant.
"I was posing."
"posing?"
The monkey suddenly puffed out its chest proudly. Then without saying another word, all four of its hands began striking different parts of its body.
Thump.
Tap.
Thump.
Tap tap.
Boom.
Its chest, shoulders and thighs all became percussion instruments. The rhythm gradually became more intricate as each arm moved independently. The upper pair maintained a steady beat. The lower pair created increasingly plicated variations around it.
The resulting rhythm echoed beautifully through the surrounding forest. Even Lin Mu found himself listening carefully. The beat possessed a surprisingly natural flow. It somehow blended perfectly with the sounds of the forest.
The cries of distant birds, the rustling leaves and the whispering wind, everything seemed to acpany the rhythm naturally.
Then... The monkey suddenly stopped,
Its face twisted in frustration. "No."
"It was supposed to continue here." The monkey struck its chest several more times but the rhythm collapsed.
It tried again and once more, the harmony disappeared halfway through.
"I forgot!" The monkey groaned loudly. "It was because you shook my tree!"
Lin Mu finally understood. The beast had genuinely been posing music. His arrival had startled it enough to interrupt its inspiration.
"A beast..." Lin Mu stood there for several moments. "...that poses tunes?"
He truly had not expected something like this. Throughout his travels, Lin Mu had encountered countless strange beasts and read about even more.
There were beasts that cultivated fire. Others specialized in illusions. Some painted. And some carved stone. Certain bird beasts naturally sang melodies beautiful enough to entrance cultivators.
Yet those were instinctive songs.
This monkey... Actually posed music and intentionally created rhythm. That was entirely different.
The monkey puffed up proudly. "I am a Four Armed Drummer Monkey."
Lin Mu frowned thoughtfully. "I’ve never heard of that species."
That genuinely surprised him.
Between the records of the Xian Sword Sect, the information from the Immortal Court, Lady Kang’s enormous collections,Xukong’s guidance and countless other records that he had collected from many worlds, Lin Mu possessed knowledge about an unbelievable number of immortal beasts.
Yet this particular species did not ring any bells.
There was always the possibility that he simply had not reached that section of the countless records he possessed. Still, encountering an entirely unfamiliar beast remained rather rare.
The monkey looked pleased. "We’re rare."
Lin Mu nodded. "I believe that."
"My apologies." He then bowed slightly. "I truly did not intend to disturb your work."
"It happens all the time." The monkey’s expression softened. "All those Wild Peak disciples keep running through here."
"They stomp around."
"They punch trees."
"They throw rocks."
"They keep interrupting my music." The monkey folded all four arms together before grumbling. "They never apologize. They only fight."
Lin Mu finally understood everything. "So that is why you attacked me immediately."
"That is how Wild Peak people solve everything." The monkey nodded. "If they disturb me... I punch them."
Lin Mu almost laughed. ’The others probably just accepted the challenge.’
Considering everything he had learned about the Wild Peak over the past day, that oute sounded pletely believable. The disciples likely viewed the monkey as another training partner.
The monkey apparently viewed them the same way. Neither side found anything strange about that arrangement. Lin Mu looked at the beast more carefully. Its cultivation indeed rested around the Third Tribulation Stage of the Immortal Realm.
Its physique also appeared rather powerful.
For ordinary disciples, fighting it probably served as decent training.
The monkey still looked somewhat dissatisfied. "My song is gone. I finally had something good. Now I forgot it."
Lin Mu thought quietly for a moment and eventually an idea appeared.
"If posing is difficult... Would you like some instruments?"
The monkey froze. "...Instruments?"
"I have quite a few." Lin Mu nodded. "I’ve collected them over the years."
The monkey’s four eyes seemed to sparkle. "What kinds?"
"Flutes, zithers, fiddles, lutes, wind chimes, bells and more." Lin Mu replied.
The monkey immediately began shaking its head.
"No."
"No."
"No."
"I don’t like those. I have no talent for them."
Lin Mu looked curious. "What do you use?"
"Drums." The monkey grinned. "Only drums."
"As it happens..." Lin Mu smiled. "I have several."
The monkey immediately leaned forward. "You really have drums?"
"I do."
"What kind?"
Lin Mu thought briefly. Over the years he had acquired all kinds of musical instruments, many of which were spirit weapons or even immortal weapons. Some came from bulk reward or storages that Lin Mu had obtained and several had belonged to cultivators whose possessions eventually found their way into his storage ’mysteriously’.
Among them were naturally a variety of drums.
"There are ordinary spirit drums, there are war drums, hand drums, ceremonial drums and there are even a few immortal grade percussion instruments."
The monkey’s mouth slowly opened wider and wider. Its tail began swaying excitedly.
"You... You’re serious?"
Lin Mu nodded.
"I’ve never used them. If they help you pose your music, I’d be happy to lend you one."
The monkey looked pletely stunned. For the first time since their meeting... The hostility in its eyes disappeared entirely. And in its place remained nothing but unconcealed excitement.
User Comments
0 comments from readers