Chapter 2: Burn On! (Part 2)

The giant gorilla had long grown impatient, picking up Tang Lie and climbing up along the cliff face.

The giant gorilla reached the edge of the cliff, wrapping one arm around Tang Lie, and unexpectedly leaped down towards the abyss. Tang Lie screamed in terror, but the giant gorilla accurately grasped a vine growing on the cliff in mid-air, swaying back and forth for a moment before soaring again to grab another vine nearby. On the nearly vertical cliff, the giant gorilla moved as if on solid ground. Tang Lie was terrified, crying out loudly, worried to the extreme; if the giant gorilla made even the slightest mistake, both of them would surely be smashed to pieces, leaving no trace behind.

It is impossible; the surroundings are all ocean, and perhaps a ship will pass by! Tang Lie still harbored a glimmer of hope in his heart

Tang Lie almost fainted; he even doubted whether he was losing his mind, as he actually heard the white ape speaking to him

The giant gorilla climbed up the trunk of the tree and, after a short while, carefully descended while holding an aging white ape. It pointed to its own foot and then pointed to the white ape

Tang Lie's heart sank to the bottom of the valley; could it be that he would spend his days in solitude on this island? No, he could not accept such a fate

The white ape sighed: "I am ready; you may treat my illness now."

Tang Lie had no intention of going to the continent of Grandia; he believed that by waiting, there would eventually come a day when there would be a chance for rescue

The surrounding gorillas did not understand Tang Lie's intentions, believing that he was committing an act of disrespect towards their elders. One by one, they began to roar in anger, their fur bristling, wishing they could rush over and tear Tang Lie apart immediately

Over a hundred gorillas formed a circle, guarding the white ape at the center. One by one, they let out mournful howls, continuously beating their strong chests, creating a resonant sound, expressing the sorrow within their hearts

This large tree is thick enough for five people to embrace it together, and the passage of time has left numerous scars on its trunk; however, the branches and leaves of the tree remain lush, demonstrating its strong vitality

Are these items all collected from a fallen airplane? However, judging by the woven patterns and the shapes of the tea sets, they appear quite strange and are unlike anything seen before by Tang Lie. The white ape seems to have noticed Tang Lie's confusion; it sits down on the small bed and says, "These items all come from my kingdom"

With a heart full of curiosity, Tang Lie followed the white ape into the stone house. What he saw before him left him utterly astonished. By the window in the stone house stood a small wooden bed, which was surprisingly adorned with an exquisitely crafted blanket. In front of the bed was a small table, on which rested a small lamp and a set of exquisite tea utensils.

After striking seven times in succession, the white ape finally slowly opened its eyes

Having gained experience from earlier, Tang Lie no longer felt the initial fear towards the giant gorilla. He was carried by the giant gorilla as they soared through the air for about 1 kilometer. Ahead, a cliff appeared, and from the top of the cliff, one could see the vast ocean stretching into the distance. As Tang Lie looked around, he realized that he was on an island surrounded by the sea on all sides.

Tang Lie forcefully twisted his thigh, feeling a clear pain, and finally confirmed that this white ape could indeed speak human language. He steadied his inner emotions and said softly: "Indeed, I am a doctor"

Unfortunately, I do not have a stethoscope and a blood pressure monitor at hand, making it impossible to conduct a further diagnosis of the gibbon's condition

Although Tang Lie does not have much research on diamonds, he knows the value of such a large one is considerable, especially since natural blue diamonds are extremely rare; the true value is likely beyond imagination

Tang Lie revealed a faint bitter smile: "To be honest, your bodily functions are quite poor, but right now I lack the most basic diagnostic equipment, making it impossible to further understand your condition"

Tang Lie listened as if to a fantastical tale, still half in doubt about the words of the white ape. He declined, saying: "This diamond is so precious to you, why would you give it to me?"

The giant gorilla finally arrived at the bottom of the cliff. Tang Lie was so tense that his clothes were soaked with cold sweat. The giant gorilla set him down, and as Tang Lie looked up, he saw the wreckage of a crashed airplane. It turned out that the giant gorilla had brought him here to search for medical supplies.

Aren't you an Earthling?" Tang Lie asked in confusion

Your condition is quite serious, as multiple organs in your body are showing signs of failure. If conditions permit, I could perform an organ transplant for you, which might extend your life. However, we are currently on a deserted island

Over the years, has no one ever come here?

Tang Lie, observing the white ape's labored breathing and its dark purple lips, deduced that the white ape was likely suffering from a heart condition. He extended his hand and said, "May I take your wrist?"

The white ape nodded: "Since I arrived in this world, I have lived on this deserted island for a full fifty years..." Two lines of murky tears slowly slid down its wrinkled face. It gradually stood up, and the giant gorilla hurried to its side, supporting its arm.

Tang Lie felt regret for the fate of the white ape, as there are very few white apes in this world that understand human language. He curiously asked, "Have you always lived on this isolated island?"

The white ape placed the blue diamond into Tang Lie's hand: "I believe that meeting you at the moment of my death is surely the will of God. This crystal can take you to the continent of my life"

Tang Lie opened the first aid kit, took out a stethoscope and a blood pressure monitor, and conducted a systematic examination of the white ape. The condition of the white ape was even more severe than Tang Lie had anticipated; its heart function was very poor, teetering on the brink of failure.

I come from a continent called Grandia, where rivers and mountains are abundant. The entire continent is divided into eastern and western parts by the Yigulaba River. The eastern and northern regions of the continent are coastal, and the Empire of Land is located in the west of the Yigulaba River.

Tang Lie was taken aback by its gaze; these eyes should not belong to a beast.

The giant gorilla gently tapped Tang Lie's arm and took the lead towards the large tree ahead. After a moment of hesitation, Tang Lie followed behind it.

The white ape extended its arm, and beneath the white fur of its right arm, the veins twisted and coiled, giving the first impression of varicose veins. Tang Lie had a profound understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, and the weak and feeble pulse of the white ape confirmed his initial inference

Come with me! The white ape signaled the giant gorilla to pick it up and slowly walked into the forest

The white ape fumbled on the bed for a while, found a blue diamond the size of a longan, and held it out in front of Tang Lie, spreading open its palm

The white ape lay quietly on the mat made of thatch, motionless, as if it were already dead

Numerous skeletal remains are scattered on the ground, which should belong to the unfortunate passengers who perished in the aircraft. Their bodies have long since decayed, and what remains now are only the stark white bones. It appears that the plane crash occurred quite some time ago.

As they quickly returned to the gorilla community, a distant wailing sound reached their ears. Tang Lie felt a sense of foreboding in his heart, as the giant gorilla seemed to sense something as well, quickening its leaps.

Your country

Tang Lie felt as if he had fallen into a cloud of fog. He had always believed that his knowledge of geography was quite good, yet he was completely unfamiliar with the place names mentioned by the white ape. Could it be that the excessive spring medicine in his system had muddled his mind?

"If I am not mistaken... you are a doctor?" The white ape weakly repeated this phrase

The giant gorilla let out a roar, threw Tang Lie aside, and began to beat its chest while crying out loudly

The white ape forced a smile and said, "Are you a doctor?"

Tang Lie followed the white ape to a stone house, where the giant gorilla carefully set the white ape down. The white ape turned to Tang Lie and said: "This is the place where I first arrived."

Tang Lie felt the artery in its neck, and to his surprise, the heartbeat had already ceased. He began performing chest compressions on the white ape

Tang Lie understood its meaning; the giant gorilla wanted him to treat the white ape's illness

The white ape said with a bitter smile: "In the beginning, I was just as hopeful as you, but as time passed, the hope in my heart gradually faded until I completely accepted reality"

The white ape gasped for a moment and continued, "I have little time left, you are still young, and I do not wish to see you grow old in loneliness like I have. This crystal may offer you a whole new world."

Tang Lie was thrown to the ground, feeling disoriented and dazed. After exerting considerable effort, he managed to get back on his feet and staggered over to the group of apes, finally squeezing his way in with great difficulty

The white ape gently patted his shoulder: "Doctor, I advise you to heed this one piece of advice: never continue waiting endlessly for a faint hope. By the time you come to your senses, it will all be too late..."

The giant gorilla's spirit far surpasses that of other gorillas, and it lets out a powerful roar, seemingly warning its companions not to act rashly. Under its intimidation, the group of gorillas obediently retreats, providing Tang Lie with ample space to maneuver.

The white ape seemed to sense something from Tang Lie's expression and calmly said: "Doctor, if you have something to say, please speak frankly. Am I beyond saving?"

The white ape weakly opened its eyes; although its gaze was murky, the expression remained sharp, as if it could see through a person's innermost thoughts

The white ape handed a parchment to Tang Lie, saying: "I have not had the opportunity to report back to His Majesty. If you are able to reach the continent of Grandia safely, you must take this and plead my case before His Majesty."

The white ape sighed: "There are a total of three pairs of these crystal stones. Swallowing one allows access to the divine passage, enabling free travel between the continent of Grandia and this world. His Majesty fortuitously obtained two pairs and entrusted the crystal stones to General Fumujin and me. We left through the divine passage, but unexpectedly, I found myself in this predicament with no way to advance or retreat"

He clenched his right fist and struck down with force

Tang Lie drilled into the wreckage of the airplane and, after a thorough search, found a first aid kit and some tools. Inside the cockpit lay two bodies that had not managed to escape, and there were charred marks everywhere. From this, it could be inferred that a fire broke out when the plane crashed, resulting in the deaths of the captain and co-pilot in the cockpit.

The white ape shook its head: "Five years ago, that enormous spaceship suddenly fell from the sky. I had thought I could leave with it, but unexpectedly, everyone on the spaceship died here. After that incident, this island quickly returned to its former tranquility, and no one has come here since." The spaceship it referred to was that passenger plane

The white ape sighed, its gaze turned towards the distance, lost in thought. After a long while, the white ape finally spoke: "I knew this day would eventually come... I am tired... I am truly tired..."

The white ape revealed a bitter smile and patiently explained, "I do not belong to this world. Fifty years ago, I passed through the passage of the gods to arrive here, intending to seek the elixir of immortality for Your Majesty. However, I did not expect to end up stranded on this desolate island. I cannot leave this place, as I have not completed Your Majesty's mission, nor do I have the face to return and meet him. Thus, I have remained here on this lonely island, year after year, day after day."

Tang Lie's forehead was beaded with fine sweat; if he could not revive the white ape, he feared he would have no chance of survival

The white ape nodded, turned to the giant gorilla, and said something in a low voice. The giant gorilla nodded repeatedly, approached Tang Lie, and without further ado, picked him up again and leaped into the jungle on the right.

Although some communication tools were found on the aircraft, they had long since become obsolete due to the passage of time. Tang Lie packed the essential items he could find into a canvas travel bag, then picked up the first aid kit and approached the giant ape.

The surrounding gorillas saw the white ape come back to life, and they all cheered with joy, expressing their utmost gratitude towards Tang Lie.

Tang Lie found a handgun in the cockpit, a G-Sauer P229 pistol, equipped with twelve rounds in the magazine. The pistol was well-preserved and showed no signs of damage. Taking advantage of the gorilla's inattention, Tang Lie concealed the handgun at his waist

Although Tang Lie did not believe the words of the white ape, he was still moved by its heartfelt gesture: "Thank you!"

The white ape began to cough violently, and after a long while, it finally calmed down: "Doctor, is there still hope for me?"