The Grand Priestess took another puff from the pipe, "It looks like your friends are here. Did Lady Jiang call them?" she asked formally.
'Lady Jiang' was taken aback by the sudden change in her voice but she didn't let it show. Instead she tilted her head sideways in confusion, "Friends? I don't have any here. And I didn't call those people just like I promised. Doesn't grandma remember?"
With a doe-eyed look, she peered towards the Grand Priestess with a questioning gaze. She seemed genuinely confused.
The Grand Priestess met her piercing gaze that was oozing with youthful innocence and couldn't help but let out a deep, lamenting sigh.
"Child, how many times have I told you to hide your emotions better? Huh?" she said finally giving up the pretenses.
Lady Jiang stuck out her tongue mischievously, "Peeeh! Don't wanna! Mother always said I should never lie, especially to people I know. And hiding one's emotions is also considered lying!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, that's why you got kicked out of your own house," the Grand Priestess emptied the ash from the smoking pipe into the water below her. The water's surface splashed as dozens of sharp mouths jumped out and swallowed the ash before it could even touch the water.
Lady Jiang, on the other hand, had become quite sullen upon hearing the comment. With a lowered head she nodded once, "You're right…I…don't even have a home anymore…"
The Grand Priestess saw her bleak and depressing aura and couldn't help but get a little angry. She stood up and walked over to Lady Jiang, lightly tapping the smoke pipe on her head.
"This kid, one day your innocence is going to land you in trouble. If only you weren't so honest I would have done away with you a long time ago."
Teary-eyed, Lady Jiang rubbed the aching spot on her head, "Grandma…"
The Grand Priestess harumphed, "Hmph, that won't work on me again! And I told you not to call me that. The two granddaughters that I already have are far too much trouble, I don't need another one!"
Lady Jiang grinned and lept forward, hugging the Grand Priestess's arm, "But if I had a grandma I think she would have been just like you! Hehehe."
The Grand Priestess made a few futile attempts to push her away before giving up. She waved her hand.
"Hah, I give up. Go, go with Inara and Helena. Help them find the person who came with the storm, I have to commune with the spirits. There are more and more disturbances every day now," she said woefully.
Lady Jiang released her arm and jumped back, "Grandma, don't be sad, okay? I won't let anything happen to you guys!" she finished before swiftly skipping her way out of the mist.
The Grand Priestess saw her silhouette vanish from view. She shook her head slowly while muttering under her breath, "Foolish child. You should be worried about yourself more than anyone else. The young chick has found you already."
***
A few thousand kilometres away, somewhere deep within the Endless Forest, stood a young man.
He was surrounded by hundreds of burnt carcasses of numerous spirit beasts. Some of them were smaller than a meter while many were larger than 4 meters.
The last living spirit beast stood in front of him. It was a huge monkey with lush green fur, more than 7 meters tall.
In its hand was a weapon that looked like a wooden club more than five meters long. Numerous engravings and drawings covered its handle. Some of the drawings were glowing with bright yellow lights, depicting various scenes.
If Hao Xuan was here he would instantly recognize them as words of power. More than 10 of them were on this club that was being wielded by this monkey spirit beast.
There was a huge purple jewel embedded on the Monkey King's forehead, pulsating with a dazzling light. Most of the fur on its arms and legs was gone, exposing pulsing muscles.
Black burn marks lined the entire length of its upper body, revealing the red flesh underneath. It was baring its teeth at the young man in front of it that looked like an ant in front of its oversized body, yet it was the monkey king that was shivering in fear.
*GROOOWL*
*EEK*EEK*EEK*
It shrieked repeatedly, letting out heartwrenching growls before smashing the wooden club on the ground in front of it over and over again.
Booming explosions resonated in the surroundings with each strike and the ground shook, threatening to give way under the stupendous force.
