It seems I need to lure them out. I'm just afraid they might be intimidated by the rebel forces and hesitate to intercept. I've already used my Qi sensing technique to observe the Jingzu in the snowfield. Their numbers aren't significant, only about one or two hundred within my line of sight.
"You all go, retreat into the forest and catch up with the main group," I said.
"And you?" Xie Bi'an asked.
"I'm going to talk to the Jingzu."
Without needing to activate the Gale Art, I sensed a Jingzu aura at the edge of the forest, a hundred meters away. It wasn't within the forest, but hidden within the treetops. Thick snow covered the branches, obscuring its appearance from below.
After Xie Bi'an and the others left, I approached the tree. Looking up, I shouted, "Esteemed immortal, I am Wu Chengfeng, a low-ranking officer from the Underworld's Emissary Division, and a friend of Princess Dongfang Jibai. Please reveal yourself and speak!" kuAiδugg
After a moment, a gruff voice came from the tree: "Move aside."
I wasn't sure if I heard correctly, but that was the approximate sound.
I took a few steps back. The large tree suddenly trembled, and then, from its canopy, a creature covered in white fur leaped down. Logically, fur of this color should be rather cute, but this Jingzu was anything but. It was enormous. Even squatting on the ground, it stood at least five to six meters tall!
It vaguely resembled a gorilla of King Kong's stature, with massive, long arms. The thickest part of its limbs must have been at least two meters in diameter. A single swing of that arm could likely take down dozens of rebels!
Having encountered many spirits and demons, I was not intimidated. I clasped my hands and said, "Thank you, esteemed immortal, for allowing us passage."
The great white gorilla snorted, remaining silent. It might not have spoken clearly, but it understood my words. Its expression was one of disdain, as if it had been secretly observing us from the trees and was now feigning aloofness upon descending.
I pointed behind me, "Esteemed immortal, the rebels are charging. There are about seven to eight thousand of them. If they invade your territory, what are your plans?"
The great white gorilla pondered for a moment, then raised its right hand and slammed its excavator-like fist heavily onto the ground. The impact sent snow cascading from the surrounding trees, and my feet felt a slight tremor.
"Thank you, esteemed immortal, for helping to fend off the rebels." I understood its meaning. Of course, I couldn't expect such assistance without offering something in return. I immediately promised, "When I next see His Majesty King Yama, I will petition him on behalf of you and the Snow Mountain tribe. Do you have any specific requests? If so, I can help you negotiate with His Majesty. My words carry some weight with him."
My official position was too low, merely a low-ranking officer, so I emphasized my connection with King Yama to gain his trust.
The great white gorilla seemed to have a slow reaction time. After I finished speaking, it froze for a good ten seconds before raising its hand again, palm facing upward, and placing it in front of me. I was utterly confused and asked, "Please enlighten me, esteemed immortal. I do not understand your meaning."
The great white gorilla wiggled its fingers. Was it asking me to climb up?
Tentatively, I stepped onto its thick palm. The white gorilla slowly lifted me up, raising me above its head. Only then did I see that its head was devoid of fur, revealing an area of flesh about a square meter. It was severely infected, and I won't go into detail, but it made me incredibly uncomfortable. It was akin to trypophobia, primarily because the sheer size of the infected area made it even more horrifying.
"Are you asking me to heal you?" I inquired.
The white gorilla lowered me and whistled backwards. Several other white gorillas from nearby trees leaped down and approached me, forming an impenetrable wall of white fur. The leading white gorilla mumbled something, and the others lowered their heads, exposing their scalps to me. It turned out they all suffered from this ailment; it appeared to be a widespread disease.
"No problem," I assured them. "As long as there is someone in the Underworld capable of treating this illness, I will bring them here to help you. I can even invite the imperial physicians from His Majesty's palace!"
The white gorilla snorted again, its eyes welling up with tears as it nodded.