After all, a woman’s intuition was always sharp, and right now, he was a woman…
“I’ll take this one.” Su Mo picked up the white jade ring from the pile and slipped it onto his finger, waving it playfully at the white-furred monkey.
In his mind, the monkey should’ve agreed immediately—it probably didn’t even know what the ring was. To an animal, food was far more valuable than material possessions, especially something as evolution-boosting as those mystical fruits.
Unexpectedly, the monkey hesitated, its eyes flickering with uncertainty.
“Look, this thing is useless to you—it’s just collecting dust here. But me? I’m… a girl, and a pretty one at that. Wouldn’t it look perfect on me?” Su Mo paused, then smoothly switched tactics. “Besides, I’m the one who can help you find those red fruits. You know, the delicious ones that help you evolve? Aren’t they way better than some lousy ring?”
After his lengthy pitch, the monkey nodded sagely and started hopping around as if it had just scored the deal of a lifetime.
Seizing the moment, Su Mo examined the ring for any special properties but found nothing unusual—until he channeled a trace of spiritual energy into it. The ring responded instantly.
“A spiritual artifact!” Drawing from years of novel-reading experience, Su Mo declared with absolute confidence.
Could it be a storage ring, like in those fantasy stories?
He increased the flow of energy, and immediately, a force resonated from within the ring. An endless, boundless world unfolded in his mind.
His breath hitched, his chest rising and falling rapidly as excitement overwhelmed him.
Holy shit… It really is a storage artifact—and so damn spacious!
Barely suppressing the urge to jump for joy, he tested it by willing his knife inside. With just a thought and a pulse of energy, the blade vanished—then reappeared just as easily.
This is a real treasure!
He kept storing and retrieving the knife, reveling in the thrill, while the monkey stared at him in bewilderment.
“…Is this guy an idiot?” the monkey seemed to think.
According to their agreement, Su Mo was now obligated to help the monkey retrieve the fruits across the river. He had no intention of backing out—after all, he was a man of his word.
Well, most of the time.
He didn’t rush into the water, though. Something massive lurked beneath the surface, and diving in now would be suicide.
The river was at least ten meters wide—jumping was out of the question.
Build a raft and float across?
The creature below probably wouldn’t allow that, either. Dead end.
Since the monkey had eaten the red fruit before, it must’ve either crossed the river or someone had brought the fruit here.
“Have you been to the other side?” Su Mo pointed toward the opposite bank.
The monkey nodded, then shook its head, before falling into deep contemplation.
Great. Even the monkey doesn’t know.
Abandoning hope for its help, Su Mo scouted along the riverbank alone. His efforts paid off when he discovered a trail of footprints leading out of the water and into the forest.
“Human-shaped, but way too big.” His mind flashed to the revenants.
Did they come from the water?
No—more likely, they’d crossed from the other side. But how?
The river divided two worlds: one brimming with mystical flora, the other utterly ordinary.
Maybe the far shore really is some ancient ruin—home to revenants, miracle fruits, and who knows what else.
Humans were wired to crave the unknown. The more mysterious something was, the harder they’d chase it.
And right now, Su Mo was hooked. It wasn’t just about the treasures anymore.
He sat on a rock, staring at the rushing currents, brainstorming ways to cross—but by nightfall, he was still empty-handed.
With zero shame, he spent the night at the monkey’s den, dining on an assortment of fruits gathered by the troop.
The night passed without incident.
Morning came, and Su Mo—feeling obliged after freeloading—resumed his search. This time, he found fresh revenant footprints along the riverbank, droplets still glistening on the grass.
He followed the trail and, within minutes, spotted a revenant wandering the woods ahead.
This one was different from the archer he’d encountered earlier—it carried a long saber and moved with the same hulking gait as the second one he’d seen.
“Chirp!”
“Shh—” Su Mo silenced the monkey and crept closer.
The revenant seemed aimless, meandering until it abruptly sliced a passing squirrel in half. After a while, it leaned against a tree, motionless, as if resting.
Just as Su Mo prepared to move nearer, a human voice rang out nearby. His expression darkened instantly.
It was Wang He—the bastard who’d slandered Ye Qingyi. Two others accompanied him, all looking like exhausted, dirt-streaked students from Yicheng Academy.
Their path led straight to the revenant. Su Mo had no intention of warning them—he wasn’t a good person, nor one to forget grudges.
Let’s see how this plays out.
Sure enough, the revenant sprang to life, charging at them with its blade raised. One boy collapsed in terror, while Wang He and the other bolted.
The revenant targeted the fallen one first, swinging its sword—
Clang!
Su Mo blocked the strike with his own blade. “What are you waiting for? Run!”
“Ah—r-right!”
The boy scrambled away as the revenant turned its fury toward Su Mo. Without hesitation, Su Mo dashed in the direction Wang He had fled, eventually cutting ahead of him.
Perched on a sturdy branch, he waited for the inevitable encounter.
When Wang He and the revenant met, the former nearly pissed himself. “W-we’ve got no beef, right?”
The revenant answered with another slash.
“Aaaah—I don’t wanna die yet!” Wang He bawled.
Seizing the moment, Su Mo nocked an arrow and fired—only for it to bounce harmlessly off the revenant’s armor.
Wow. My aim sucks.
He shot another arrow, this time barring Wang He’s escape.
“Who are you? You saved me just to kill me?!” Wang He was on the verge of a breakdown.
Su Mo smirked, putting away the bow. With a flick of his will, the razor-sharp combat blade materialized from the white jade ring.
“Two days ago, you swore you’d ‘take responsibility’ for me. Don’t recognize me now?”