44 Pride

With his body covered in blood and the Fogged Ape King's head in his head, Tang Shaoyang grinned ear to ear for his victory.

If some passerby saw this scene, they might run away in fear. Covering in blood from head to toe, he grinned, appeared like a crazed mass murderer.

Zhang Mengyao and Lu An rushed over. Both were worried about Tang Shaoyang's condition.

"Are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere?" Zhang Mengyao asked worriedly as she checked the body.

"I…" Tang Shaoyang paused midway and continued, "... am not okay, "

He wanted to say "I am okay!", but then the [Spirit Integration] was over. He was hit by sudden fatigue as if the energy in his body slowly seeped out of his body.

Tang Shaoyang fell with one knee, but Zhang Mengyao caught him before he fell.

"What's wrong?"

"It's okay, I am just exhausted…" Tang Shaoyang released the head and leaned closer to Zhang Mengyao.

"Girl's sweat smells nice, " He commented after sniffing around her neck, causing Zhang Mengyao's cheek flushed red.

"What are you talking about? Lu An is here…" The girls replied with a voice as small as mosquito sound.

Just as he wanted to tease the girl further, he noticed a change in his surroundings. The fog cleared in and showed what hid inside the fog. A massive horde of Fogged Ape showed themselves after the fog cleared.

Tang Shaoyang broke free from Zhang Mengyao's hand, "Get ready, we have guests, "

Zhang Mengyao pulled her sword out of her waist while Lu An came closer to Tang Shaoyang. From his Boss's condition, he needed to protect him if the battle broke.

The apes surrounded the three in the ring, but they stayed still. Amongst the apes, there was one ape that was quite eye-catching.

The ape was about five meters tall, but there was an orange strip crossed downward to its eyes, and two horns curved upward on the head.

While silver fur covered its back and arms, its lower body was covered by brownish-red fur. The ape looked weird, the weirdest one amongst many.

Tang Shaoyang never left his eyes from this particular ape. He was preparing, preparing for another battle.

————————————

[Beast - Fogged Ape King]

Affiliation: Fogged Ape Tribe [Tang Empire's Vassal]

Lord Level: Mini Lord

Evolution: Stage 4

Level: 65

Skill:???

————————————

There was something bugging Tang Shaoyang when the information appeared in his eyes. Next to the tribe name, it told him they had become his empire's vassal, then…

The weird ape walked forward, each of his steps caused quite a loud sound.

The five meters tall ape walked slowly. In response, Lu An and Zhang Mengyao raised their weapon.

However, Tang Shaoyang waved his hand, signaling them to lower their weapon.

"It's okay, it's one of us now, "

Bugh!

The five meters tall ape fell with his knee. It prostrated itself on the ground, facing toward Tang Shaoyang.

At the same time, hundreds of the fogged apes also did the same. They prostrated themselves on the rough ground toward Tang Shaoyang.

Bump!

The ground shook slightly because of the ape's sudden movement. Tang Shaoyang expected this, but not the duo. They were startled, but then they understood the meaning behind Tang Shaoyang's words.

The ape raised its head and lowered to the ground once again. They repeated the same action three times while growling.

Lu An and Zhang Mengyao were disturbed by the growls, but Tang Shaoyang enjoyed it. He enjoyed it because he understood what they were growling about.

"Growllll!" [Long Live the Majesty!]

"Growllll!" [Long Live the Majesty!]

"Growllll!" [Long Live the Majesty!]

Even though these were apes, he had officially taken the first step to his dream, to be an Emperor. Becoming someone who dictated his fate and controlled others' fate as well.

He who always lived at the lowest bottom rungs of society now would raise to the top.

"This is the first step…" Tang Shaoyang muttered dramatically, but then, he stopped mid-way, "No, this is actually the second step. The first step is taking the base… Ah, whatever…"

"What is he mumbling about?" Zhang Mengyao asked Lu An.

Though she was his woman, she actually did not know much about her man. Lu An had been following Tang Shaoyang for the longest time hence she asked.

Lu An merely shook his head with a happy smile plastered on his face. Which confused the girl even more.

"Rise!" The smile disappeared and changed into a solemn look. He deepened his voice that echoed through the open field.

At his words, the apes raised their head, but they did not stand up. They only raised half-knee.

With a half-knee down, the peculiar ape growled, attempting to communicate with Tang Shaoyang.

"Growl… Growl!" [Under the previous king's order, we the Fogged Ape Tribe shall follow your lead from here on! I wish you to accept our loyalty!]

"I promise you with my honor, I will lead you, the Fogged Ape Tribe to a flourishing era just like what I promised to the previous king! Get up!"

At Tang Shaoyang's words, the apes stood in an orderly manner. It was surprising for a pack of beasts having such high discipline.

The peculiar ape stood before it lowered its stance with one its knee down on the ground.

"Growl… Growl…" [As your Vassal Lord, please bestow me a name, Your Majesty!]

"Right, a name. I will grant you a name, what about Weird? You look the weirdest amongst the other apes hence I will name you Weird!" Tang Shaoyang agreed in an instant and in that right moment, he bestowed a name without a second thought.

That was Tang Shaoyang, who did not like complexity but simplicity. The reason why he named the ape Weird, it was the words that crossed in his mind the moment he saw the ape.

Though it was weird to name someone with Weird. Yet Tang Shaoyang still went for it. He did not like thinking and decided to go with it.

But of course, with such a messed naming sense, he was bound to get protested by the peculiar ape.

"Growl… Growl…" [Why? Why weird? I am the pride of the Fogged Ape Tribe, how could you give me a lousy name!]

Tang Shaoyang frowned when the ape protested. But then, even Karan was laughing hard in his head.

"But you look weird though, " Tang Shaoyang still insisted with his view, but then he relented with the name. He got a new idea for the name.

"You said you are the pride of the Fogged Ape Tribe. Then, from today onwards, you shall be Tang Empire's Pride! I bestow you a name, Pride!"

"Growl… Growl…" [This subject will accept Your Majesty's grace. From today onwards, this subject will take Pride as his name, become the Tang Empire's Pride!]

At the same time, a screen appeared in front of Tang Shaoyang, a status screen.

After that, Pride stood and walked next to Tang Shaoyang.

"What about the other apes, do they have a name? Should I bestow them my grace?"

In that instant, all the apes shook their head synchronously. Rejecting the grace that was about to be given by their Lord.

"Tsk, what such a discipline, " Tang Shaoyang displeased when his subjects rejected his grace.

Meanwhile, the duo, Zhang Mengyao and Lu An were whispering to each other.

"Now he's talking to the ape. Is he okay?" Zhang Mengyao asked worriedly.

"I don't know, this never happened before, " Lu An also began to worry about his Boss' abnormality.

"Maybe… Maybe the big ape hit his head hard… His head might suffer from minor injuries…" Zhang Mengyao speculated.

"Oy, I can hear your voice!" Tang Shaoyang turned to the duo.

"..." Zhang Mengyao and Lu An.

After that, he looked forward, looking at a new status screen that popped out in front of him.

————————————

Name: Pride

[Beast - Demonic Ape King]

Affiliation: Fogged Ape Tribe [Tang Empire's Vassal]

Lord Level: Mini Lord

Evolution: Stage 4 [Mutation Evolution]

Level: 65

Loyalty: 90

Skill: [Fury Smite] [Wild Stomp] [Demonic Strike] [Demonic Rage]

————————————