Chapter 5, accompanied by the golden-haired monkey

One person and one monkey did not know how far and for how long they had been diving underwater. As they swam along, Tai Shici did not forget about the matter of the hundred-year-old pearl. Utilizing the faint light at the bottom of the sea, he carefully examined whether there were any hundred-year-old clams.

Tai Shici nodded in agreement, using his hands and feet to swim to the side. Under Tai Shici's gaze, the golden-haired monkey extended its thin arm, hooking a finger around the bronze box's lid ring. The golden-haired monkey then made a series of facial expressions at Tai Shici, and after exerting a bit of force, the bronze box soared into the air amidst the swirling fine sand

Such a situation deeply hurt Taishi Ci; what he could not accomplish was easily within the grasp of the golden-haired monkey, akin to a child reaching for something with ease

Before Taishi Ci could think it through, the Golden-Haired Monkey swiftly and decisively threw the remaining three bronze boxes into the sea one after another. Without waiting for the first box to hit the water, the Golden-Haired Monkey calmly adjusted the positions of the three boxes, finally arranging all four boxes neatly. It swam towards the shore, holding the four boxes with one hand.

In order to showcase his diving abilities, Tai Shici submerged his body to the bottom of the water. To his immediate disappointment, the golden-haired monkey was also able to dive with ease, and its speed far exceeded that of Tai Shici

The scene was eerie when the box was opened, yet the contents were ordinary and consisted of books, along with a complete set of armor adorned with a star and moon pattern: a full set of equipment for both man and horse. Beneath the armor lay a sword and four polearms. Apart from this, there was nothing else.

If one could be as formidable as the golden-haired monkey, how glorious that would be! Taishi Ci finally understood the reason why he could only hear the roars of beasts and the chirps of birds along the way, yet saw none of them: the golden-haired monkey was too dominant; upon seeing it, all the flying and running creatures would automatically flee, even if it meant leaving their own homes

The lid of the box opened completely, and the green light covering the box immediately spread out like ripples and vanished in the blink of an eye. Soon after, Tai Shici saw the contents of the box: neatly arranged brilliant gold bricks appeared before him.

The two copper locks were firmly secured, and Taishi Ci exerted all his strength and tried every possible method but could not open them. In utter helplessness, he set down the stone in his hand and looked to the golden-haired monkey for assistance

The golden-haired monkey repeatedly surprises him, leaving him in awe

He had not yet swum to the shore when the golden-haired monkey turned back again. It grasped Taishi Ci's palm with its monkey hand and, with a slight exertion, pulled Taishi Ci's entire body out of the water, soaring into the air.

This time, Tai Shici and the Golden-Furred Monkey were both astonished

Tai Shici felt that his perspective was too narrow, his imagination too limited compared to books. He found it difficult to make comparisons

According to Tai Shici's clear perception, the golden-haired monkey did not dare to approach the box engraved with lightning easily, appearing anxious as if it contained a fierce demon within.

A box of gold bricks? For an ordinary person, isn't it akin to a tiger or a cheetah that hasn't eaten meat for three months suddenly encountering a pile of meat? Isn't it similar to a lecher who hasn't indulged in lust for three months seeing a beautiful woman in the nude?

The golden-haired monkey arranged four bronze boxes, and Tai Shici stepped forward to examine them closely. Although the four boxes had not seen the light of day for a long time, they still retained a fresh luster: each box was intricately engraved with patterns depicting wind and clouds, thunder and lightning, stars and the moon, as well as mountains and rivers. The boxes were over 1 foot high, 3 feet wide, and approximately 5 feet long, displaying exquisite elegance.

When the golden-haired monkey opened the other two boxes, it ultimately dared not approach the box engraved with lightning... Even from a distance, its expression changed from pride to fear...

Unfortunately, the person facing a box of gold bricks is Tai Shici, who is naturally carefree and easygoing, making him completely immune to the allure of the gold bricks. Tai Shici casually picks up a gold brick to examine it: the front of the brick is as smooth as a mirror, while the other five sides are uneven, engraved with a type of script. This script is neither Qin seal script nor Han clerical script, and Tai Shici does not recognize it

At this moment, Tai Shici's thoughts were entirely focused on the box: what could possibly be inside it? Filled with curiosity, he cautiously extended his hands to open the first box. The lid was not heavy, and Tai Shici lifted it effortlessly. As soon as the lid was slightly opened, he did not see anything else; he only saw a hazy green light.

Tai Shici followed closely like a subordinate. Four bronze boxes surfaced one after another, and the golden-haired monkey, with a serious expression, lifted the four boxes and soared up to a cliff dozens of meters high. The cliff was several dozen meters above the sea surface, a distance that Tai Shici could not surpass. After surfacing, he could only swim towards the shore and then climb the cliff with his bare hands

Then, the golden-haired monkey made a face at Tai Shici, implying: Aren't you a bit too weak? ... Tai Shici could only give a thumbs up to the golden-haired monkey

The carefree and unrestrained Tai Shici did not fixate on the font; he set down the gold ingot and moved towards another box. This box was adorned with intricate engravings of stars and moons. The patterns were clear and lifelike, pleasing to the eye of the observer. ... Due to his focus, Tai Shici's gaze was immediately drawn in, and ultimately, he felt as if he were immersed in the starry sky, floating and yearning to soar

A joyful monkey let out a series of "squeaks" after which Taishi Ci's body slowly sank into the water. The golden-haired monkey placed Taishi Ci's body into the sea and gracefully jumped into the water itself. ... Following this, both the person and the monkey, against the surging waves, swam upstream...

As a result, the clam was not seen, but he did see a giant shipwreck deeply embedded in the seabed. The ship was at least 100 meters long, with half of its hull buried in the sand of the sea, adorned with shells and sea snails on the exposed parts of the hull. Originally, various sea fish were swimming around the shipwreck, but as the golden-haired monkey approached, the fish of all sizes fled in fear as if avoiding a plague... including sea snakes as thick as an arm... Originally, various sea fish were swimming around the shipwreck, but as the golden-haired monkey approached, the fish of all sizes fled in fear as if avoiding a plague... including sea snakes as thick as an arm...

Tai Shici withdrew his gaze, breaking free from the wondrous sensation, and reverently opened the box lid. A layer of azure light similarly enveloped the box; as the lid fully opened, the azure light surged into the sky, transforming at its peak into ripples that gradually spread out. Amidst the gentle undulation, the world fell into darkness, the previous daylight instantaneously shifting to a starry night sky. This magnificent spectacle lasted for the duration of a stick of incense before the world returned to its ordinary state.

The golden-haired monkey blinked its eyes and bared its teeth at Tai Shici. Then, with a swift movement, it appeared in front of a bronze box engraved with mountains and rivers in the blink of an eye. Under Tai Shici's gaze, the golden-haired monkey extended two of its fingers, grasped the copper lock, exerted a slight force, and with a sharp "crack," the lock ring of the illustrated copper lock broke.

Tai Shici had heard from his elders that skilled martial artists could fly through the air and ride the wind. The most exceptional warriors could, amidst thousands of troops, take the head of a general as easily as reaching into a bag. In comparison to human martial artists, what level of ability should this golden-haired monkey possess? At the very least, it should be capable of making tigers and leopards flee. Can such a powerful warrior achieve this?

He resisted the buoyancy of the seawater, attempting to move the bronze box. As a result, Tai Shici, who could easily lift objects weighing 500 jin, could only shake the box and was unable to lift it. The golden-haired monkey beside him shook its head in disdain, gesturing with its monkey hand for Tai Shici to step aside

After a person and a monkey exchanged a glance, they no longer dared to take the initiative to open the third box. Suddenly confronted with an unfamiliar environment, Taishi Ci's mind was shaken to its core.

A person and a monkey quietly examined the wreckage of a giant ship. Aside from the removal of dozens of corpses, there were no surprising discoveries. Tai Shici, skeptical of the situation, lifted the decayed planks of the ship's storage room. Through the dim light, he discovered four bronze boxes covered in fine sand

After taking three deep breaths, the emotionally stirred Tai Shici was finally able to steady his mind. Although he lacked the courage to open the third box, he still had the audacity to peek into what was contained in the box before him.