Chapter 24

It was indeed strange; when the pheasant's blood spurted from its severed throat, the originally noisy group of apes on the opposite side suddenly fell silent, their expressions filled with fear.

“Guh, guh, guh…”

The moment the wild pheasant let out a惨叫, the group of white apes on the opposite side suddenly erupted into chaos, then scattered at a speed even faster than when they arrived. The originally noisy riverbank was instantly left with only the pheasant's惨叫 and the gentle flow of the river.

"Scared off like that?" Li Mang found it hard to believe.

In real life, people had tried the method of "killing a chicken to scare the monkeys," but it wasn't always effective. He had even heard of failed experiments. He never expected that his attempt would be so effective and immediate, leaving him amazed.

Is the principle of "killing a chicken to scare the monkeys" based on animal instinct? That doesn't seem right, as it doesn't always work in real life. Is it a matter of species? Or is it due to some other reason? For example, is it only possible in this peculiar space? Li Mang felt confused.

While pondering, Li Mang had already guided the bamboo raft to the opposite shore, securing it to a rock with a rope to prevent it from being washed away. He didn't want to swim back.

After some thought, he placed the dead pheasant on the raft, fearing that the white apes might return and damage his raft.

Holding the large machete in his right hand and a live pheasant in his left, Li Mang finally set foot on the second mountain of the Southern Mountains, Tangting Mountain. At this moment, Li Mang felt an inexplicable sense of conquest. Thinking about how he would continuously conquer one mountain after another, he was instantly filled with enthusiasm!

The vegetation on Yaoyao Mountain was sparse, with only osmanthus trees, mihuzhu, and Xiangfei bamboo. There wasn't even a single weed, which had initially disappointed Li Mang.

Now, the second mountain, Tangting Mountain, was even "purer." At a glance, there was only one type of tree. These trees were very dense and tall, each about twenty meters high, with lush branches and leaves, giving the impression of being large and ancient.

These were fruit trees, with red fruits hanging from them, somewhat resembling apples, but upon closer inspection, they were larger and had a strong, enticing fragrance.

What was remarkable was that each of these fruit trees was divided into two parts: the eastern side bore fruit, while the western side was in bloom. It seemed that the two sides of the tree alternated, a truly bizarre sight.

"These are yanmu trees," Li Mang said, revealing the name of the fruit trees. His recent study of the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* was not in vain, even though the version he read was vague and many things were described as "ordinary." For example, the yan fruit was described as "a fruit similar to an apple, red and edible when ripe," with just a brief mention.

If it were before, Li Mang wouldn't have doubted anything, but now that he knew the contemporary *Classic of Mountains and Seas* had been altered by the Yanhuang, he no longer trusted the narrative in the text.

Looking at the heavy yan fruits, Li Mang was really craving them. Seeing no white apes nearby, he found a dry branch on the ground and used it to knock down a ripe one.

"Swish!"

The ripe yan fruit was very crisp, but when bitten, it instantly burst in his mouth, sweet and fragrant, making Li Mang close his eyes in delight.

As the fruit juice seeped into his stomach, he felt a warm sensation, which he was familiar with. Previously, after eating meat in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* space, he had experienced the same warm feeling. Thus, the essence of the yan fruit became clear—it was actually a spirit fruit!

"Actually a spirit fruit, and so delicious!" Li Mang exclaimed in amazement!

Perhaps it was just a low-level spirit fruit, but there was no denying that it had the effect of purifying the body. Compared to meat, it digested faster, and with its excellent taste, it was a good food for Li Mang. Imagine, after eating, having a yan fruit to finish the meal—what a wonderful life!

"These monkeys are truly fortunate, eating such a spirit fruit regularly. No wonder they all grow so tall and strong!" Li Mang couldn't help but envy the white apes on Tangting Mountain.

But he didn't consider that, since birth, these white apes had eaten only yan fruits, and nothing else. Could that be considered fortunate?

Moreover, these ancient white apes had very long lifespans, typically living for two hundred years. Eating the same thing for over two hundred years, they probably didn't know what true happiness was.

Next, Li Mang began to explore Tangting Mountain. Compared to the first mountain, Yaoyao Mountain, Tangting Mountain was larger, but most of it was covered by yanmu forests, with a few small stone mountains.

The entire Tangting Mountain had only one type of plant, the yanmu tree. There were two types of animals: the ancient white apes he had seen earlier and the indispensable bees for the fruit trees. The mineral resources were abundant, with quartz and gold, but these things were of little use to Li Mang. At least, they were currently of no use, and whether they would be useful in the future was uncertain.

"What am I supposed to eat? Am I supposed to eat the white apes!" Li Mang soon had a pained expression. Subconsciously, Li Mang had come here to find food.

It wasn't that Li Mang was greedy, but rather, eating had become a form of cultivation for him. On Yaoyao Mountain, he had hit a bottleneck and urgently needed higher-level food to "cultivate."

Although the yan fruit was delicious, its effects were only average, insufficient to advance his cultivation. As for the apes... they weren't impossible to eat, but Li Mang couldn't bring himself to do it. It wasn't a matter of law, as the law didn't apply in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* space, but rather because apes and humans were both primates and extremely similar. Eating them would give the feeling of cannibalism, which was revolting to think about.

"I'm not satisfied!" Li Mang was frustrated.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..." A bee flew past him, its buzzing seemingly mocking him, at least making Li Mang feel irritated. He cursed, "If you keep buzzing, I'll eat... eat... bees? Honey!"

Li Mang nervously rubbed his hands, a craving fermenting on his tongue and quickly spreading to his heart, a feeling of excitement. Honey was a good thing, especially honey produced in this environment, whose value and function were immeasurable!

The bee nests wouldn't be built on the yanmu trees, as these weren't mountains but a type of bee similar to the Chinese honeybee, just larger and more menacing. However, their nests would likely be built in rock crevices, and the few small stone mountains on Tangting Mountain provided the conditions for nesting, making them easy to find.

Perhaps it was because of the pheasant he was holding or some other reason, the white apes retreated when they saw him, allowing Li Mang to move freely on Tangting Mountain and quickly find the bee nests.

As he had guessed, the bee nests were built in the crevices of the stone mountains. However, each time he approached, he hesitated. The nests were in a cluster, occupying every available crevice on the mountain, and the buzzing could be heard from a distance. The black mass of bees was intimidating.

Even with regular beekeeping tools, it would be difficult to harvest honey, let alone without any. Rushing in recklessly would likely result in death. After searching several stone mountains, he found no solitary nests, which frustrated Li Mang. The enticing scent of honey could be smelled from a distance, and it was so tempting that he couldn't bear to give up.

...

PS: The recommendations have been a bit scarce these past two days...

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