Chapter 1647: Water Demon Ape

“I see...” Ye Qing said, “Normally, we would heed your advice and wait a couple of days, Elder Bai, but we urgently need to cross the river. We cannot afford even a few days of delay, so can you please help us, Elder Bai?”

“Hmm...” Bai Ai hesitated for a moment before answering, “Very well. I can ferry you across the river, but if we run into that three-eyed ape on the way, I may not be able to protect you two. It is not my fault if any harm were to fall on you. Do you agree?”

Ye Qing replied smilingly, “No problem. We can protect yourselves.”

Bai Ai hesitated again before adding, “Also, I want another three jars of the wine you offered me earlier if I safely ferry you to the shore. If not, then I would rather not take on this task.”

It’s a pretty honest bull all things considered.

So far, Ye Qing had a very good impression of this bull. It was better, purer, more honest and good than most humans. It did not look or feel like your average cunning and cruel Stranger at all.

While thinking, Ye Qing produced three jars of Buddhist Heart Brew and tossed it in the Unihorn White Bull’s direction.

The white bull looked at the Buddhist Heart Brew with a puzzled expression, “What are you doing?” Ye Qing smiled. “Paying you your reward? You can have them whether or not you successfully deliver us to the other side of the river.”

Bai Ai asked curiously, “Aren’t you afraid that I would just leave after I take your wine?” Ye Qing replied simply, “I trust you, Elder Bai.”

“You’re an interesting human.”

Bai Ai gave Ye Qing a few looks before replying, “Come on up. I will take you across the river. If we are unfortunate enough to run into that three-eyed ape, I promise I will do everything I can to protect you.” Bai Ai opened its mouth and swallowed the three jars of wine after saying that.

“Hahaha... I thank you in advance, Elder Bai.” Ye Qing saluted the bull before jumping onto Bai Ai’s back together with Feng Qingyou. Then, they sat down in a meditative position.

Bai Ai’s back was extremely broad. Its white scale was warm and perfectly smooth even though it didn’t look like it from a distance. It was pretty comfortable to sit on.

Once ready, Bai Ai began walking toward the other shore.

It looked like Bai Ai was walking slowly, but its speed wasn’t slow in the slightest. It crossed a hundred meters with a single step, and they, the passengers, did not feel any shakings or tremors at all. The only vibrations they could see or feel were the large ripples created by its hooves. It was quite incredible.

The further away they got from the shore, the bigger the Ice River seemed. Its waters were perfectly still, flawless, and clear like a mirror. They could clearly see all kinds of living creatures and Strangers swimming inside the river.

Some Strangers were tame and harmless. When they saw Bai Ai, they swam up to it and swam round and round beneath its hooves. Bai Ai did not try to chase them away.

Of course, most of the Strangers gave Bai Ai a wide berth. They stayed far, far away from it as soon as they sensed its presence.

As they moved closer to the center of the river, the chill in the air grew colder and more biting as well. Ye Qing could clearly sense the biting cold rising from the river even though he was sitting on Bai Ai’s back.

It was at this moment Bai Ai spoke inside their minds, “Please do not speak during our journey. The three-eyed ape possesses excellent hearing. It would be troublesome if it heard your voices and came searching.”

“Got it. Thank you for the warning,” Ye Qing responded with his spirit. He saw no reason to spurn Bai Ai’s warning. Although he wasn’t afraid of the so-called three-eyed ape, he didn’t enjoy inviting trouble to his doorsteps either. After all, they really just wanted to cross the river.

Unfortunately, man plans, and heavens laugh. The more you were afraid that something would happen, the likelier it was that it would happen.

Bai Ai didn’t go far when suddenly, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou turned their heads and looked in a certain direction at the same time. They saw a pair of Unihorn White Bulls running straight toward them, and there were humans standing on their backs.

“It’s Snowa’s Left Counselor!”

The humans were none other than the Snowa delegation that attended Chu’s coronation ceremony a while ago. Their leader, the Left Counselor, was among them as well.

Neither the Left Counselor nor the two Unihorn White Bulls looked to be in good condition, however.

The Left Counselor of Snowa was missing an arm. Everyone else was injured in some ways as well.

As for the two Unihorn White Bulls, one of them was missing half of its horn, and its scales were tattered. Milky white-colored blood could be seen leaking out of its numerous wounds.

The other Unihorn White Bull was missing a leg and an entire tail. It looked terrible to put it mildly.

Behind them, the river water was a massive tidal wave rushing straight toward the escaping group. A giant ape could be seen riding the tide.

The giant ape was around sixty meters tall and covered in silver fur. It had three eyes and six ears. It had a blue complexion and long, sharp fangs. It was giving off a terribly ominous and violent presence.

Clearly, the Snowa group and the Unihorn White Bulls were running for their lives, and their pursuer was none other than the three-eyed ape Bai Ai had spoken of.

Nothing else could push the Unihorn White Bulls to this extent.

“It’s the Water Demon Ape!” It was at this moment Feng Qingyou suddenly spoke up.

“That’s the Water Demon Ape? But why is it here?” Ye Qing was surprised. The Water Demon Ape was one of the many powerful Strangers that resided in Bei Yuan. Princess Royal Furi had told them about it.

According to her, the Water Demon Ape was an ape possessing the bloodline of one of the ancient twenty eight Constellations, the Water Ape. The Water Demon Ape could naturally commune with the constellation and borrow their power. It was adept in water manipulation and could hear all things with its six ears and see the heavens and the Nether with its three eyes. It was warlike, brutal, and violent. It was extremely powerful even compared to other Ancient-class Strangers.

However, the Water Demon Ape could only be found in Bei Yuan. As far as they knew, it didn’t have the inclination to leave Bei Yuan either. So why was this Water Demon Ape all the way here in the Ice River?

“Who knows?” Feng Qingyou shrugged. “But we can easily find out by capturing it.”

Ye Qing nodded. “That’s true.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to speak? It would be troublesome if the three-eyed ape hears you.”

Meanwhile, Bai “Honest Bull” Ai was displeased with the fact that Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had broken its rule.

It was because Bai Ai did not notice what was happening at the distant horizon.

Ye Qing replied, “There’s no point. It will be here soon.” Bai Ai looked confused. “What?”

Before it could say anything else, a deafening boom suddenly erupted from the distance. The calm waters of the Ice River suddenly stirred violently, and both the Unihorn White Bulls and the Left Counselor’s group were tossed into the air.

“Roar!” At the same time, the Water Demon Ape let out a mighty howl and created a dozen or so chains out of water that caught both the Strangers and the humans. The chains were strong enough that no one could break free immediately.

“It’s Eight and Ten!” Bai Ai exclaimed in shock and horror.

The Unihorn White Bulls in the Ice River were one big family. Naturally, Bai Ai recognized its kin. It said in a hurry, “I need to save them!”

It had just taken two steps when it recalled that it was carrying two passengers. So, it stopped in its tracks and said, “I apologize, but this is as far as I can carry you, my friends. I need to save my companions now.”

Ye Qing asked it a question, “Can you beat the three-eyed ape though?”

Bai Ai was caught off guard by the question. The answer was a swift no, of course. Its two companions were already beaten blue and black by the three-eyed ape. There was no way they could win even if it joined them.

If every Unihorn White Bull in the Ice River was here, then maybe the Water Demon Ape would think twice before attacking. But just the three of them? They were not enough.

Still, it could not leave them to die.