Chapter 240: Ning Jinli Meets the Monkey Group Again

"I know, Uncle Lu, I'll keep my mouth shut; I can't betray my dad no matter what. Besides, I still hope I can keep coming back to this lawless land to play recklessly!"

Ning Yao smiled brightly, like a little girl who had just finished having fun at the Playground, sweeping away the previous listlessness.

When the two returned to the research base, Ning Hai saw at a glance that his daughter's mental state had improved a lot.

He didn't ask much, took his daughter to the prepared room to rest, and then privately consulted Lu Xingfeng about the situation.

Upon learning that his daughter had not only taken part in the hunting but also killed many local natives, Ning Hai was not surprised; instead, he broke into a relieved smile.

It turned out all this had been orchestrated by him, directing Lu Xingfeng.

He didn't care about the natives' lives; as long as his daughter could release the pressure she had built up inside, that was enough.

A mere group of uncivilized people from over two thousand years ago could never be as important as his beloved daughter's emotions.

If his daughter were willing, he could even make her the queen of that world.

——

A few days later.

Within the Black Water Bay marsh, on a delta nestled in the dense forest, military tents had been erected.

This was a good spot the Special Operations Team selected after arriving, based on the terrain.

The ground here is high; the surrounding waters, even at high tide, won't flood it, and together with the surrounding forest vines they form a natural barrier.

Normally, only birds, small animals, and tree‑climbing monkeys can get in; other beasts such as crocodiles and wolves cannot breach it.

Overall, among this vast wilderness of marsh and forest, it's relatively safe.

Moreover, the area isn't small; it can host tents as an initial base and provides enough space for helicopters to take off and land.

Once the basic facilities are set up, they can conduct wide‑area surveys and then build a Moth Wing Grass harvesting site.

During this time, the scouts sent by the Grand Boss of Black Water Village never rested.

But the delta's natural barrier blocks them; if they want to approach they must row, and rowing inevitably disturbs the reeds and snakes, so they can only observe from afar.

Yet this kind of observation yields little; only at night do they occasionally glimpse tiny glimmers leaking from gaps in the forest and vines.

For several days the situation stayed the same, with no one emerging; the Grand Boss of Black Water Village grew impatient, shouting that he'd lead a group of brothers to charge in and kill.

To see what that man and woman are up to.

But the Crippled Strategist still warned him, saying the situation was too strange and they must beware of a trap.

The Grand Boss's ringed eyes widened like copper bells, "Just two people—what trick could they have? I think you're scaring yourself! Even if they had god‑like abilities, they couldn't handle my eight hundred brothers! I'm done waiting; we'll kill them tonight! No point letting the night drag on!"

The Crippled Strategist hurried, "Grand Boss, if it really can't work… let's wait for the Second Boss to return and discuss. The Second Boss is watching a supply ship; in a few days the official vessel may arrive, and we still need to seize the grain! We mustn't act rashly before then."

The Grand Boss was momentarily speechless, scratching his gleaming bald head and pacing back and forth.

He wanted the treasure the mysterious man and woman were carrying.

He also wanted to capture the woman to make her the village's matriarch.

Just thinking about it day and night these past few days has made him greedy.

But the strategist's point wasn't unreasonable; the weather is getting colder, and soon the water will freeze, forcing everyone in Black Water Village to hunker down for winter. In comparison, securing enough food for everyone is more important.

"Grand Boss, calm down," the Crippled Strategist added, "We can send more men to keep watch. Given Black Water Bay's situation, that pair can get in easily but find it hard to leave; if we keep them under surveillance they won't escape. Then I'll send my monkeys over; perhaps after a few trips the pair will get used to their presence, and the monkeys can steal the treasure."

The Grand Boss couldn't think of a better plan, so he had to go along with the Crippled Strategist.

That night, the Crippled Strategist ordered his trained monkey troupe, demanding they seize the world‑shining treasure at any cost.

Even if they swarm and bite the couple to death, it doesn't matter.

The monkeys were originally very reluctant.

Because the weather was getting colder, sending them out into the cold wind with the risk of becoming winter food for crocodiles went against their survival instincts.

But they were trained by the Crippled Strategist; after a beating and a threat of withholding food, they obediently left their wind‑sheltered nest.

Midnight.

The marsh rose with damp, cold white mist.

Inside the delta tent, Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi were cooking hotpot.

The Special Operations members worked hard every day, with too many tasks to handle, and couldn't, like them, pass through the Time‑Space Gate back to the modern world to rest.

So Ning Jinli improvised ways to improve their meals.

Even while eating, they ate and cradled laptops, sorting data, each more sleepless than the last.

"Hmm? Something's approaching," the member in charge of monitoring the surroundings suddenly said.

"What is it?" Ning Jinli leaned in, looking at the computer screen.

The screen displayed the thermal imager's feed.

The member muttered, "It looks kind of human, but darting around…"

"Oh, it's monkeys," Ning Jinli said with a smile, "There's a monkey troupe around here; I've encountered them before. Don't worry about them, just keep an eye on them from a distance."

The member enlarged another surveillance box at the bottom of the screen, pointing at the silhouettes above, "A few days ago there were only four people; now there are over ten. I have no idea what they're up to—hiding in the reeds and mud in this cold weather, refusing to move their nest. Quite tenacious."

Ning Jinli said, "If they don't offend us, we won't offend them. As long as they don't disturb us, we needn't bother with them."

"That troop of monkeys seems to be heading toward us; we may need to drive them off," the monitoring member warned, eyes on the screen.

"Leave this trivial matter to me; you all get some rest quickly, the hotpot broth is about to boil dry."

Ning Jinli finished speaking, grabbed the night‑vision binoculars, and pulled Xiao Qidi out of the tent.

The tent was warm; stepping out, the damp cold wind slapped them, and both involuntarily pulled their necks in.

Compared with the northern Zhong Yuan, where miles of ice and white snow blanket the land and temperatures plunge to dozens of degrees below zero, this southern‑adjacent region isn't that brutally cold; a near‑zero, moisture‑laden wind feels as if it can pierce through pores into bone, an uncomfortable sensation.

Ning Jinli lifted the binoculars and scanned for a moment.

Through the tangled gaps of branches and vines, she spotted silhouettes hidden several hundred meters away.

From the observations over the past few days, she could basically confirm they were the local water bandits.

Otherwise, which good soul would run to this cursed place, do nothing but hide and keep watch?

Puff—

Ning Jinli suddenly laughed out loud.

Xiao Qidi asked, "What's wrong?"

Ning Jinli said, "I saw them huddled in the mud, shivering violently; it's clear they're freezing badly, and their stubbornness looks both pitiful and a little funny."

Xiao Qidi coldly replied, "A gang of thieves who live by robbery, even if they freeze to death, they deserve it."

"Exactly, exactly," Ning Jinli nodded.

Accompanied by a series of rustling sounds.

The troop of monkeys swung along spider‑web‑like vines onto the delta's barrier.

Because the delta is surrounded by dense forest and tangled vines, the natural barrier is especially thick, with many vines even sprouting sharp thorns.

When the monkeys leapt from midair, grabbing the hanging vines to reach the barrier, they were immediately pricked by thorns, causing them to jump and screech wildly, some nearly falling into the river below.

Ning Jinli had thought the monkeys would retreat when faced with difficulty.

But she found they were willing to endure the excruciating pain of thorns tearing their fur and skin, still scrambling desperately into the gaps.

Even though their bodies are small and thin, they were still badly injured.

Ning Jinli thought briefly, then turned to glance at the tent that periodically puffed out hot‑pot steam.

Could it be… they were drawn by the aroma?

These critters might be too hungry, daring to risk their lives to crawl in.

Seeing Xiao Qidi raise his longbow, ready to shoot these intruding monkeys, Ning Jinli held his shoulder and said, "They're just animals, looking for food to survive; life isn't easy for them. Don't take their lives; I'll get them something to eat."

Hearing that, Xiao Qidi lowered his bow.

Ning Jinli returned to the tent and dragged out a large crate filled with various fresh fruits and vegetables.

After all, she can fetch any supplies at any time through the Time‑Space Gate, so giving these animals struggling in the harsh wilderness a little help won't affect the special forces' lives or duties.

After much effort, a dozen monkeys finally squeezed through the layers of barrier, all bloodied and trembling in pain as they crouched among the treetops.

"Here, these are for you to eat."

Ning Jinli held the fruit aloft.

The monkeys' eyes were full of wariness; some hid behind branches, others snarled at her, baring teeth.

Ning Jinli spoke as gently as possible, "Don't be afraid, I won't beat you. See, this is all food."

She guessed these fruits and vegetables were unfamiliar to them, so Ning Jinli bit into a few herself, chewing and swallowing in big mouthfuls to set an example.

The trick indeed worked.

Many monkeys began tentatively shifting toward the ground, peeking at the fruit and vegetables.

Ning Jinli picked up some and tossed them toward the monkeys.

However, the monkeys instantly scattered in fright.

Xiao Qidi murmured, "Beasts are still beasts; they can't understand your kindness. Better just drive them away."

Ning Jinli refused to give up, continuing to try to calm the monkeys.

Because she also noticed a few monkeys were badly wounded; if she didn't capture them for treatment, they might die.

Seeing Ning Jinli's persistence, Xiao Qidi, though reluctant, also picked up fruit to help coax the monkeys down.

Through the two of them's effort.

Finally, a braver monkey carefully descended from the tree, quickly snatched the fruit, then turned and leapt back up, holding the never‑seen fruit, looking around and sniffing it meticulously.

"It's edible," Ning Jinli demonstrated again, pulling Xiao Qidi to join the demonstration.

Xiao Qidi puffed his cheeks and said, "I, the great King of Daxuan, performing a food show for monkeys here, is utterly absurd."

Ning Jinli let out a pfft laugh, "Just consider it a way to amuse me."

Xiao Qidi bit a big mouthful of flesh, chewing with a crack, "Otherwise, what do you think I'm doing? Could it really be just to please these beasts?"

Ning Jinli felt a warm surge, lifted her head and planted a kiss on him.

Xiao Qidi's drooping face softened, and he let out a chuckle.

The monkey that had picked up the fruit ultimately couldn't resist the sweet scent, and seeing Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi eating, it tried a bite.

The next second, the monkey's face clearly showed a shocked expression, just like a human's.

It immediately clutched the fruit and devoured it ravenously, tasting deliciousness.

The other monkeys, seeing this, couldn't hold back either, leaping down to grab fruit.

As they ate, Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi kept pulling items from the crate and gently tossing them.

In no time, a whole crate of fruit and vegetables was eaten clean by the monkeys.

It was evident the monkeys were starving.

In the scramble for fruit, two smaller monkeys not only missed a bite but were kicked aside by others, collapsing on the ground unable to rise.

Only after the others finished eating did a few, appearing to be elders of the troop, realize the issue, snarling at the others before rushing to the fallen monkeys.

They not only tried to pull the two up but also scooped fruit flesh from their own throats and fed them.

This scene surprised Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi.

Although they knew monkeys are quite intelligent, seeing them display emotions and behavior akin to humans was truly moving.

Two skinny monkeys slowly opened their mouths, but they no longer had the strength to eat.

It looked like the situation was serious.

"Those two monkeys are seriously injured," Ning Jinli whispered, "Their fur is tangled with blood; they're likely in mortal danger…"

The troop also sensed the problem.

Many monkeys paced anxiously around.

The older monkeys cradled the two skinny ones in their arms, pressing foreheads together, emitting mournful whimpers.

Ning Jinli was touched by the emotions among the monkey troop, unable to bear seeing them die without aid, so she opened her arms and slowly walked over.

"Ning Jinli, be careful!" Xiao Qidi involuntarily gripped his bow and arrow.

Although he knew that a few monkeys would not put Ning Jinli in mortal danger, he still rallied his utmost attention; whenever he saw a monkey attack her, if there was any chance she could be hurt, he would unhesitatingly strike and take the monkeys' lives.

"I don't know if you can understand me," Ning Jinli said softly as she slowly approached, "you are all injured, and these two companions of yours are the most seriously wounded; I can save them and also treat your wounds. Please trust me."

Upon seeing Ning Jinli approach, over a dozen monkeys immediately bristled, baring their teeth and growling low at her.

Ning Jinli secretly thought, why not just act directly and snatch the two monkeys that were about to faint.

Just then, an old monkey noticeably larger than the others leapt down from the treetops, its eye sockets even sporting two white eyebrows like an old person's.

It first drove back the monkeys that were baring their teeth at Ning Jinli.

Then it wore a thoughtful expression, carefully examined Ning Jinli, and from the arms of several older monkeys it took the injured thin monkey and personally brought it to Ning Jinli.