“Ouch! That really hurts!”
A headache.
After tumbling down the mountain and crashing into a tree, Ye Lian finally came to a stop.
She struggled to stand up, but her entire body felt like it was falling apart at the bones.
This Monkey King’s body was nothing like she had imagined—it was utterly baffling.
“Could it be because of me?”
She recalled that she was just an ordinary Inner Beta Player.
Ye Lian pursed her lips thoughtfully, her furry hand clenching tightly into a fist.
“If that’s really the case, the game experience is terrible.”
Born from the immortal stone, she shouldn’t bruise or break bones just from falling like this, even at her weakest.
There had to be something wrong.
“This won’t do. If I’m this weak, I’ll never become the Monkey King.”
If she couldn’t become the Monkey King, she wouldn’t be able to harness the power of Huaguo Mountain, and she’d have to rely entirely on herself.
Such a start was just pitiful.
‘At the very least, she needed to start with a god-tier… god-tier what again?’
Fragments of information flashed in her mind, but she still couldn’t piece it together.
Might as well push it aside.
“Right, I still have to set sail to find a master later—that’s going to be another huge hassle.”
Being this weak now, going out to sea was a death trap.
She had to find a way to increase her strength!
“But first, I need to fill my stomach.”
Ye Lian looked around and soon spotted a five-meter-tall peach tree nearby, heavy with ripe peaches.
Standing beneath it, the sweet aroma grew stronger, making her swallow hard.
Her eyes locked onto a big peach as she jumped up and swung her furry hand with all her might.
However, she didn’t even touch a single leaf.
“Are you kidding me? I’m a monkey, and I can’t even jump high?”
Ye Lian refused to give up and instead tried climbing the tree.
But she failed again.
This tree was unbelievably slippery!
As night deepened, the bright moon rose, and mist wavered among the mountains.
The temperature on Huaguo Mountain began to drop.
“So cold~” She hugged herself and shivered. Feeling hungry and freezing, Ye Lian was close to breaking down.
At that moment, a cluster of colorful mushrooms released a tempting fragrance into the dark night.
“Gurgle!” The hunger inside her shattered all reason as she lunged forward, ready for a feast.
“Don’t eat that!”
Just as Ye Lian was about to bite into a handful of mushrooms, a snow-white fox swiftly appeared, kicking her away in time to prevent a disaster.
“Ow, that hurts!”
“Stone Monkey, do you want to live or not?”
Both monkey and fox spoke at once.
The Little Fox landed lightly, lifted its head to look at Ye Lian, and said seriously, “Those mushrooms are highly poisonous. Eating them will kill you!”
Ye Lian froze for a moment.
The mention of death instantly cleared her foggy mind.
“Thank you.” She hurriedly expressed her gratitude, a cold sweat running down her back.
Although she was a player, this wasn’t an ordinary game—death would feel painfully real.
“Don’t mention it.” The Little Fox nodded lightly, its dark gold eyes rolling adorably.
This Little Fox was pure white, petite, and had two tails—just like the one that had asked her questions earlier that day.
“I’ve been watching you for a while.”
The Little Fox stared intently at Ye Lian, a faint playful smile tugging at its lips.
“For a monkey, you can’t even pick a peach.”
Hearing this, Ye Lian’s face flushed red. She quickly explained, “I—I’m just not in the right state!”
“Hmph~” The Little Fox snorted, clearly enjoying her reaction. “Useless monkey.”
That sentence was like a bullet piercing her heart.
“I am the Demon Emperor… no, the Monkey King! And here I am being looked down on by a little fox!”
“Want a peach?” The Little Fox, unaware of her thoughts, casually asked.
“…Want! More than anything!”
Ye Lian desperately wanted to nod immediately but didn’t want to bow just for a peach.
“Hmph hmph~” The Little Fox narrowed its eyes, snorted twice, then darted away.
Ye Lian followed its movement and saw it climb the peach tree with a swift “whoosh,” sweeping a paw and knocking down a peach.
Just before the peach hit the ground, the Little Fox swooped down to catch it.
It then flipped over and landed gracefully, leaving Ye Lian stunned.
“Want it?” The Little Fox placed the peach down and gently nudged it with its paw.
Seeing the fox teasing her like this, Ye Lian’s eyes widened, and she thought angrily: I’d rather starve than eat your peach!
“Don’t want it?”
“…” Ye Lian fell silent, but her eyes never left the peach.
Thinking it over, was pride really that useful?
“Don’t want it?” The Little Fox asked casually, its gaze full of slyness.
Staring at the peach—half green, half red, emitting a sweet aroma—Ye Lian swallowed hard and quickly nodded.
“Here.” The Little Fox smiled softly, flicked its paw, and the peach rolled to Ye Lian’s feet.
I, Ye Lian, even if I starve to death…
“It’s really sweet!”
The moment the peach hit the ground, Ye Lian picked it up and bit into it.
The fragrant juice quickly filled her mouth.
She devoured it greedily, and in no time, only the pit remained.
“What an adorable Stone Monkey,” the Little Fox murmured, eyes narrowed.
“Ha… I’m alive again.” After swallowing the peach, Ye Lian felt as if her body was filled with strength, but the feeling vanished the next moment. “An illusion?”
She clenched her fists, her expression puzzled.
“Want more?” The Little Fox swiftly appeared at her feet and looked up.
“Yes!” This time Ye Lian completely lost her pride—filling her stomach was the priority.
“Heh, I don’t mind picking more for you, but…” The Little Fox paused, carefully watching her reaction.
“But what?”
“You have to play with me from now on!”
Hearing this, Ye Lian was a little surprised.
“Is that not okay?” The Little Fox lowered its head, speaking softly.
“Fine.”
“Really!?” It suddenly raised its head, eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Yeah.” It’s just playing with you—why are you so happy about it?
“Great!” The Little Fox jumped up excitedly. “Stone Monkey, I’ll go pick lots and lots of peaches for you to eat!”
***
One minute later, more than a dozen large peaches lay on the ground, each looking juicy and fragrant.
Ye Lian didn’t hesitate and bit into one.
After finishing each peach, she felt her body fill with power, though it quickly faded back to normal.
When she finished, Ye Lian rubbed her slightly swollen belly, feeling satisfied.
Born a monkey, I sure know how to eat well!
“Stone Monkey, Stone Monkey, want more peaches?” The Little Fox stared at her, eyes full of anticipation and joy.
“No more, I’m stuffed.” Ye Lian patted her belly. “Also, I’m not Stone Monkey—I’m Ye Lian.”
As soon as she spoke, a snowy white figure appeared in her mind.
Along with a familiar voice that was hard to forget: “May I ask, are you alone?”