All night, Monkey Master called seven or eight souls, all of which turned into moths fluttering inside his lantern. Only then did he and Hu Ma quietly leave the village.
Once outside the village, the monkey jumped onto his shoulder, and his voice finally grew louder. He boasted proudly to Hu Ma about his trump card, but Hu Ma only responded indifferently, appearing distracted and uninterested in replying.
"You..."
The Monkey Master seemed unbothered as well, just smiled and said to Hu Ma, "You're still too young, you don't understand! Paths, paths, once you enter a path, you're no longer on the same road as those outside..."
He might have sensed Hu Ma's vague resistance towards him but didn't know that Hu Ma had already harbored several thoughts of killing him. He only knew that he was still being watched, outnumbered, and it wasn't the right time to act.
