At that moment, Mr. Foster suddenly struggled, gasping, “Ape... ape...”

　　His voice was extremely weak, broken and unclear.

　　“Speak slowly...”

　　Brian Carter took a few steps forward, leaned in, and listened closely.

　　Mr. Foster, injured and elderly, was now at his weakest. After uttering just one sentence, he fell unconscious.

　　He felt a bit confused, pondering carefully before confirming that Mr. Foster had indeed said the words “ape.”

　　Before he could think further, another commotion erupted outside.

　　Brian Carter stepped out of the room and listened quietly for a moment.

　　He learned that the fence outside the village had collapsed, leaving claw marks and broken traces, and several chickens and ducks had been killed—clearly, a wild beast had entered the village.

　　This village, nestled by mountains and water, often had wild animals passing behind it, but because the village was lively and populated, beasts rarely ventured in—though there had been precedents.

　　In everyone’s eyes, Little Grace was likely carried off by a wild animal and was probably doomed.

　　It was night, and no one dared to enter the mountains. The outskirts were manageable, but the deep mountains were a place of no return—no one had ever dared to set foot there.

　　Everyone felt regret and sorrow. Some continued searching and calling out, but hope had already faded from their hearts.

　　That night was restless.

　　……

　　“Ape?”

　　Brian Carter’s gaze sharpened as he carefully scanned the room.

　　Though he lacked any real talent and had yet to cultivate magical power, he had visualized the Ninefold Jade Tower, making him half a cultivator at best—at least, it allowed him to observe things with some spiritual insight.

　　After a close look, he swept up a strand of hair from the dust on the floor.

　　The hair was jet black, thicker and harder than ordinary human hair, like the dried tip of an ink brush.

　　“It carries an unusual aura...”

　　Brian Carter showed a contemplative expression.

　　If Mr. Foster hadn’t been mistaken in his daze, then the ape that came must not be an ordinary kind.

　　Normal apes are only about the size of a child; to injure Mr. Foster so badly and abduct a child, it must either have cultivated magical power or possess an exceptionally strong physique.

　　And if it had cultivated magical power, it would already be a demon. If Mr. Foster had suffered a blow from such a demon, his soul would likely have departed this world.

　　If it was just physical strength, Brian Carter thought for a moment and finally recalled a similar type in his mind.

　　This creature is called a shanxiao, commonly known as a mountain fiend.

　　It is also honored as a mountain god.

　　……

　　“This hair carries a demonic aura; this creature must be a spirit, not an ordinary beast.”

　　Brian Carter visualized the Ninefold Jade Tower, discerning things clearly, and could see abnormalities in the hair that ordinary people could not.

　　He pondered, “There’s an eighty percent chance it’s a shanxiao.”

　　Speaking of shanxiao, even among spirits it is an oddity. Its ancestors were born of heaven and earth, great demons from birth, later becoming demon immortals. But for their evil deeds, they were slain by the celestial immortal Lü Yang.

　　And at the level of demon immortals, their bloodline inheritance cannot be judged by common sense.

　　After that demon immortal died, its essence dispersed everywhere. Since then, among all the descendants of apes and monkeys in the world, there have been many with extraordinary gifts.

　　Some apes undergo mutations in the womb, born different from the ordinary, and after birth, they are even more robust than normal apes—broad-shouldered and strong, growing up to be much more imposing than humans.

　　Besides their physique, their intelligence also surpasses that of ordinary apes.

　　Most of these mutated apes are the bloodline of shanxiao.

　　“If it’s a shanxiao, things could get troublesome.”

　　Brian Carter pondered, recalling records he had read in ancient texts.

　　Shanxiao are born more robust than apes and thus like to bully them.

　　Therefore, most are driven out by ape groups in their youth and often wander the mountains alone.

　　This monster is unlike ordinary apes—it does not like fruit, but prefers flesh and blood, with a vicious and lascivious nature. If a human encounters it in the mountains, they are usually harmed by it, hence the name “mountain fiend.”

　　Some even cultivate magical power over time, achieving high levels of cultivation, and then proclaim themselves mountain gods. They often command the mountain tribes to offer sacrifices and present beautiful maidens, whom they consume after satisfying their desires.

　　Thus, shanxiao are mostly classified as evil spirits.

　　“This shanxiao has not yet cultivated magical power, so it is not a demon, just a spirit.”

　　Brian Carter thought for a long time, “An immature shanxiao has not yet gained magical power, its cultivation is shallow, but its physique is astonishing—looking like an ape, but even more robust and powerful.”

　　“Besides its physique, it is still a spirit, not an ordinary beast. For cultivators, it’s not much of a threat, but for ordinary people, it may have some mysterious means that are hard to resist.”

　　Brian Carter’s thoughts turned, considering, “But I have visualized the Ninefold Jade Tower. If I’m careful, I shouldn’t fall for its tricks. For now, today is the thirteenth, and the fifteenth is the full moon night. Little Grace should be safe for now...”

　　Shanxiao have a certain trait: after maturing, they follow their nature to find a living being, worship under the moon, first vent their evil desires, then cut open the belly and gouge out the heart to eat.

　　Afterwards, their blood and energy surge, opening the way for inheritance, and they then have the foundation to cultivate magical power.

　　This is their nature, and so it is regarded as an ancient ritual passed down among the shanxiao.