Chapter Forty-Nine: Retreat

Outside the stone gate, as it descended, countless eyes withdrew the notion of sneaking in amidst the chaos, turning instead toward the distant forest a thousand yards away.

There, a towering silver silhouette was swiftly leaping through the thicket. Each time its figure landed, the ground caved beneath the weight of enormous footprints, sending tremors through the earth. Even separated by several thousand yards, everyone within the territory of the Demon Ape Clan could clearly feel the vibrations beneath their feet.

“Elder Wu, we have failed in our duties,” the four figures hurried over, their expressions tinged with unease.

“Let it be. The person who broke in must have been a powerful cultivator in the Yuan realm, beyond your ability to stop,” Elder Wu waved his hand dismissively.

“But, the young lady is inside as well. I fear that person might harm her,” one of the martial guards said anxiously.

“Rest assured. If that cultivator meant harm to her, he would not have spared you just now. I noticed his attacks were sharp, but not aimed at you—he merely wanted you out of the way. Otherwise, given his strength, you would already be dead. All we can do now is hope the young lady finds what she seeks quickly and avoids encountering him,” Elder Wu spoke calmly, yet his face betrayed deep concern.

Upon hearing this, the four guards recalled Ye Cheng’s assault moments ago, realizing indeed that the attacks had not been lethal. A sense of luck washed over them; had the intruder wished for their deaths, they would not be standing there now.

“What should we do next?” one of the guards asked.

“We must retreat. The other silver-haired demon ape is almost here. The effects of the rage potion have faded, and I can no longer fight,” Elder Mu, feeling the tremors growing stronger, cast his gaze toward the rapidly approaching silver shadow in the distance and pondered for a moment.

Elder Wu withdrew his gaze, turned to the fallen stone gate, then chose a direction opposite the oncoming silver shadow. With a wave of his hand, he led the way. The four guards followed closely behind, and the group disappeared into the forest.

The mercenaries led by Captain Wang, upon seeing Elder Wu depart, glanced at the massive silver shadow drawing near, their eyes flickering with retreat. With their employer gone, their task was complete; any further delay would only invite the wrath of another silver-haired demon ape.

Although the blood core and corpse of a demon ape were valuable, none dared linger. Now that Elder Wu, the only Yuan realm expert among them, had left, there remained no one strong enough to face the silver-haired demon ape. Greed would only result in annihilation. Thus, the mercenaries also chose to withdraw.

Yet, as many mercenaries disengaged from the apes and hastily retreated, the demon apes roared and pursued them aggressively. The apes were not devoid of intelligence; observing the mercenaries’ actions, they understood their intent. Clearly enraged, they were determined not to let these human warriors escape, hoping to exact revenge when their king arrived.

“Everyone, split up and retreat! Do not cluster together!” Captain Wang barked decisively, his thick brows furrowed as he watched the advancing demon apes.

The mercenaries quickly scattered, fleeing into the forest. The effect was immediate. As the mercenaries dispersed, the pursuing demon apes paused, unsure whom to chase. Without the leadership of the silver-haired demon ape, they became disarrayed, lacking a central command.

While the apes hesitated, the mercenaries vanished into the dense undergrowth, their figures swallowed by the forest and the angry howls of the demon apes.

“Roar! Roar! Roar!”

Furious and frustrated roars echoed from the apes’ mouths. Shortly after, the silver shadow arrived—it was indeed a silver-haired demon ape, even larger than the previous one.

“Roar!”

Gazing upon the clan’s territory, blood was spattered everywhere, staining the soil crimson. Only the corpses of a few unfortunate mercenaries lay on the ground; not a single ape had fallen. The silver-haired demon ape was incensed, its furious roar shaking the air.

After venting its rage, the silver-haired demon ape turned its massive body and bounded to the stone wall. Staring at the stone gate, a trace of fear flickered in its huge eyes. It stared for several breaths, but did not lift the gate. Instead, it turned and approached the wounded silver-haired demon ape struck by Elder Wu, hoisted it onto its back, and disappeared into another stone cavern as the other apes growled lowly.

...

On a clearing at the outskirts of Demon Forest,

A black figure suddenly landed in the open, hands behind his back. As the view focused in, it was a man of middle age, yet strikingly handsome, though a shadow of gloom lingered at the corner of his mouth. His sharp, eagle-like gaze glanced casually around.

As his eyes swept the surroundings, figures abruptly emerged from the forest, appearing at his side and standing respectfully nearby. Clearly, all these people were subordinate to the man in the black robe.

“Have you found anything?”

The man’s voice was calm and emotionless as he spoke.

“Reporting to Third Elder, we have searched every inch of the Demon Forest’s outskirts, but found no trace of the Ye family’s target,” one subordinate answered respectfully, his words trembling slightly, not daring to raise his head. It was clear he harbored fear toward this man.

Hearing there was no progress, the black-robed figure’s brows furrowed. His voice turned cold: “No clues at all? Is this your idea of efficiency?”

Seeing the change in his expression, the subordinate quickly replied, “Although we found no sign of the Ye family youth, we noticed many mercenaries heading toward the northeast inner region of the Demon Forest. Perhaps the Ye family youth is there as well.” Having spoken, he looked nervously at the man before him.

“The inner region of Demon Forest?” The black-robed figure mused, his brow tightening further. With a wave of his hand, he moved decisively.

“Let’s go—head for the inner region.”

...

End of Chapter Forty-Nine: Retreat