“Here it comes!” Chu Han cautioned.
Everyone except Mo Mian scattered as the ape demon charged towards the party.
Having learnt from their previous mistake, this time they did not move in completely different directions from one another.
They no longer wanted a situation where the ape demon had an opportunity to isolate any of the weaker combatants.
Alas, the ape demon’s monstrous strength still sent Mo Mian stumbling back a few steps, but this did not deter him from immediately resuming his offence after a brief moment of recovery.
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As for the ape demon, its movement speed slowly but steadily decreased, and its demonic aura similarly diminished little by little.
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“The ape demon was a little stronger than expected,” Mo Mian said awkwardly after noticing Zhao Yunxiao’s gaze. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine after a short rest.”
“I’m sure you will,” Zhao Yunxiao nodded with a smile.
The monkey monsters had never been a real threat from the start, and that was more so the case now that they were all scattered around.
The only troublesome part was actually making sure that they combed the entire area, not missing a single one in the process.
At the same time, Zhao Yunxiao dared not relax while they went on the hunt.
There was no guarantee that there would not be a third or fourth demon coming their way, so he kept a lookout all along.
Fortunately, there were no more such surprises waiting for them.
It did not take long before the party regrouped at the monkeys’ nest, having taken care of the remaining monkey monsters.
While monster parts could be useful at times, these monkey monsters were a little too weak for that.
Thus, instead of collecting their parts for future use, the party members simply stacked them in a pile and lit it up in a huge blaze.
And with the fire burning strong behind them, the party gathered in front of the largest tree in the nest.
“This is it,” Mo Mian looked up at the huge stick house sitting on top of the tree.
“Yes, this is it,” Chu Han repeated.
“Do I hear people talking?” a hesitant voice came from within the stick house.
“A-Are there people outside?” another voice said.
“Save us! There are people here!”
“Let me do it,” Pu Feixiang leapt up to the stick house.
With a powerful kick, Pu Feixiang sent the door flying off its ledge. Light poured into the stick house from the entrance, illuminating the space within.
Pu Feixiang could not help but frown when he witnessed the scene before him.
There were more than a dozen wooden cages, each holding a person. However, none of these people were in presentable condition.
Some of them had their clothes tattered and torn, while some of them were even left completely naked.
Their hair was dishevelled, and there was dirt and dust all over their bodies. All of them had parched lips, a testament to how they were all severely dehydrated and probably starved.
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As the other party members appeared one by one behind Pu Feixiang, the excitement level in the stick house only grew even further.
“Don’t worry, everyone. You are safe now that we are here,” Mo Mian stepped forward to assure them.
“What about the monkeys?” a more rational one asked hesitantly. “Are they all gone?”
His question caused the rest to shudder.
The monkeys here had created too deep a psychological impact on them while they had been imprisoned here.
Just the thought of the monkeys was enough to frighten all of them into silence.
“They are gone,” Mo Mian answered confidently. “We got rid of them.”
Those simple words were like a spell that eased the mental tension that had accumulated within these prisoners.
Some started to weep.
Others fell to their knees, prostrating towards the party even before they had been freed from their cages.
These cages were simple enough that they did not require keys, locked with a clever combination of bolts that were accessible only from the outside.
This meant that the party did not even have to expend extra energy on destroying the cages to free these people.
The party moved quickly, easily freeing all of the prisoners from their cages.
“We are heading back to East Stream Village. Those who wish to follow us can do so,” Mo Mian informed them.
“Me! I am from East Stream Village! Please bring me back there!”
“Me too! I am from East Stream Village as well!”
“I will follow you home!”
“Don’t forget me!”
Many of those present reacted strongly upon hearing the name of their village. However, not everyone shared the same sentiments.
“Wait, why East Stream Village? What about Green Hibiscus? Can you send me back to Green Hibiscus?”
“Where is this East Stream Village? I am from Green Hibiscus as well. Is it possible to send me back too?”
It would appear that East Stream Village was not the only place that had fallen victim to the monkey demon’s kidnapping tendencies.
“We are here to save you from this place out of pure goodwill, but you are not our duty,” Chu Han answered sternly. “I repeat, we will be heading back to East Stream Village. Those who wish to follow us back to East Stream Village can do so. Others are free to go wherever you want from here.”
Chu Han’s words immediately silenced those who had been complaining before.
Rather than being left alone out here in the forest, they would rather get to safety first.
At the same time, Zhao Yunxiao was slightly impressed by Chu Han’s firm rejection.
He agreed completely with Chu Han’s words.
Some people’s greed knew no bounds.
</a> If these people chose to be unappreciative and were unwilling to accept what they were offering, then they would just have to find their own alternative ways forward!