Beast Garden, Monkey Garden.
With the emergence of the new king, the entire troupe followed him away from the clearing that had just been stained with his fresh blood.
Even those elder monkeys that had accompanied the old king for over a decade did not defy the rules of survival ingrained in their kind.
The forsaken old king, his eyes filled with a sense of desolate unwillingness, could only watch in silence as his subjects departed, not uttering a single protest.
"It is your child that has replaced you as the king of the monkeys. What have you got to be so unwilling about?"
"Do you mean to tell me you cannot survive without the monkey troupe?"
"Have you already forgotten how you lived before you became the king of the monkeys?"
Zhou Chun watched the Vajra Monkey on the ground, overcome with dejection due to its defeat, and spoke in a low tone, unleashing a series of probing questions.
He used the Ape Beast Language, confident the Vajra Monkey would understand.
Upon hearing his words, the Vajra Monkey quickly reacted.
Its eyes flickered, and a look of vague recollection crossed its face, as if the words of Zhou Chun had awakened some buried memories.
Then it looked at the human before it.
Despite more than a decade having passed, Zhou Chun's appearance had grown younger after achieving Foundation Establishment, so he still resembled the man who first encountered the Vajra Monkey all those years ago.
Through its memories, the Vajra Monkey indeed recognized him at once.
Of course, it had always recognized Zhou Zhengyong as well.
After recognizing Zhou Chun, it recalled how Zhou Chun had rescued it from his son's clutches just moments ago.
A touch of gratitude then surfaced in the eyes of the Vajra Monkey.
It suddenly stood up, knelt before Zhou Chun, and respectfully kowtowed, saying, "Thank you for your earlier rescue. I owe you my life. Please let me follow you and repay your kindness!"
"Oh, you wish to become my Spirit Pet?"
Zhou Chun looked at the Vajra Monkey in surprise, finding it hard to believe that this monkey, once so accustomed to freedom, would voluntarily accept such constraints.
"Not as a Spirit Pet, but to follow by your side and fight for you!" the Vajra Monkey clarified with a slight shake of its head.
Having led the monkeys in the Zhou Family Beast Garden for so many years, and having seen many newborn monkeys taken away by Zhou Zhengyong, it of course understood what being a Spirit Pet meant.
And just as Zhou Chun had thought, how could it, accustomed to freedom, willingly become someone's Spirit Pet?
"Then forget it. With your current strength, following me would be nothing but a burden," Zhou Chun said, waving his hand, instantly losing interest.
Even if the Vajra Monkey were willing to become his Spirit Pet, he would still have to consider accepting it or not.
After all, he was now a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator and the Vice Clan Leader of the Zhou Family. He could choose a mid-level Demon Beast, or even a high-level one for his third Spirit Pet!
Choosing a Vajra Monkey, a low-level Demon Beast, would mean he'd have to spend extra effort finding Spiritual Objects for it to breakthrough and evolve.
Seemingly not expecting to be rejected for such a reason, the Vajra Monkey was momentarily stunned.
Then, an extreme sense of dejection appeared in its eyes.
Indeed, once it lost its position as Monkey King, not only would the monkeys leave it, but even humans seemed to think it was a loser not worthy of consideration!
Thinking this, it felt like there was no joy left in life, nothing worth holding on to!
Zhou Chun, with perceptive eyes, didn't miss the change in its emotions.
Seeing this, Zhou Chun contemplated for a moment and then said, "Even though you cannot be much help in combat, if you are willing, you can guard my dwelling in the future, and I will provide some assistance to you."
"What does it mean to guard a dwelling?" the Vajra Monkey asked with a puzzled look in its eyes.
"You can think of it as helping me defend my territory," Zhou Chun quietly elaborated.
Hearing this, the Vajra Monkey immediately nodded in understanding and replied, "Good, then I shall guard your dwelling from now on."
After this agreement between man and monkey, Zhou Chun first sent the Vajra Monkey off to Flying Rock Peak, asking the Green Wood Spirit Ape to train it.
Once the training was complete, he would then take the Vajra Monkey back to Pagoda Peak to guard Central Peace Hall, effectively providing it with another gig that included room and board.
By the time Zhou Chun descended from Flying Rock Peak and returned to the Monkey Garden, the new Monkey King, the Redflame Vajra Ape, was already celebrating with the troupe.
Its left cheek was still bandaged up, but it didn't affect its jubilant mood in the slightest.
The Redflame Vajra Ape sat at the center, surrounded by the troupe, with a shiny-furred female monkey on each side grooming and delousing him, while other Demon Monkeys gathered berries and fruits, offering them for the new king to enjoy.
It was moments like these that the hierarchical status within the monkey troupe became apparent.
Those Demon Monkeys whose offerings were delightedly consumed by the Redflame Vajra Ape got to sit near him, feasting on the surplus food at the scene.
Those whose offerings were only tasted and then discarded by the Redflame Vajra Ape had to sadly pick up the discarded food and sit at the edge.
As for those whose offerings didn't even pique the interest of the Redflame Vajra Ape, they kneeled on the ground in fearful anticipation, pleading for mercy from the Redflame Vajra Ape.
These Demon Monkeys were either enemies of the Redflame Vajra Ape from before or loyal subordinates of the old Monkey King, and the Redflame Vajra Ape took no liking to them.
In the wild, even if the Redflame Vajra Ape didn't kill them, it would still drive them away from the troupe.