Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3825: A Variety Of Drums

Lin Mu opened his storage ring and began taking out one instrument after another, laying them carefully upon the broad roots of the massive tree.

Within moments the forest floor was filled with an assortment of drums unlike anything the Four Armed Drummer Monkey had ever seen.

There were compact hand drums carved from spirit wood, enormous war drums mounted upon jade stands, double headed drums wrapped in immortal beast hide, elegant ceremonial drums decorated with gold patterns, and several strange percussion instruments whose purpose even Lin Mu himself could barely remember.

Some radiated faint immortal Qi while others possessed no aura at all, having simply been collected over the years because they had looked interesting or had come bundled together with other treasures.

The monkey’s eyes grew wider with every new instrument that appeared.

”You have this many?” it asked in disbelief, walking around the growing collection while all four hands reached toward different drums at once before stopping itself, seemingly unsure where to begin.

Lin Mu simply nodded. ”I have gathered quite a few things during my travels.”

That answer barely scratched the surface.

The truth was that Lin Mu himself had long since lost track of everything inside his storage. Between inheritances, auction purchases, battlefield spoils, gifts from allies and materials collected over countless years, the contents of his ring had grown into something that even wealthy immortal clans would envy.

Many items had remained untouched for decades because he simply had no reason to use them. Musical instruments belonged to that category. He appreciated them, but none of his cultivation paths truly required them.

The monkey circled the collection several more times before suddenly stopping in front of one particular instrument.

”This one.”

Lin Mu looked toward it.

Calling it a single drum would have been inaccurate. It was an entire collection of differently sized drums connected together by a polished dark metal frame that curved into a wide circle.

Seven drums were attached to the frame, each crafted from different materials and each producing a different tone. The smallest drum barely reached the size of a human head while the largest was nearly as wide as a dining table.

The entire structure floated slightly above the ground, supported by its own immortal energy. The metal framework had been engraved with flowing cloud patterns while tiny formation runes had been carved beneath each drumhead.

Lin Mu stared at it for several moments. ”I honestly forgot I had this.”

He searched his memories. There had been an inheritance vault or perhaps a storage ring. Maybe it had belonged to some immortal musician whose belongings had eventually ended up being sold together with several hundred other treasures or plundered by some enemy of Lin Mu.

No matter how hard he thought about it, the memory refused to become clear.

”I really cannot remember where I got it.” Lin Mu admitted honestly.

The monkey slowly reached out with one hand before quickly pulling it back. ”I can really choose anything?”

”Of course.”

”It looks expensive.”

”It probably is.”

The monkey hesitated again.

Lin Mu merely smiled. ”It doesn’t matter.”

The instrument certainly possessed value.

Judging from the quality of the immortal materials and the immortal formations engraved within it, Lin Mu estimated that it had reached the Mid Grade Immortal Tool level. Ordinary immortals would likely treasure something like this for their entire lives.

For Lin Mu, however, its value hardly registered.

His wealth had already reached a point where he no longer bothered counting it. The number of immortal tools he possessed exceeded anything he could actively use. Many had remained inside his storage for years without ever seeing daylight.

If giving away one instrument allowed him to establish goodwill with a resident immortal beast, then it was easily worth it. Besides, Lin Mu genuinely felt responsible for the encounter.

He had entered the monkey’s territory and had interrupted its work. The beast had simply reacted according to its own habits. There had never been genuine malice behind the attack. Another important thought also crossed his mind.

The disciples of Wild Peak clearly knew about this monkey.

If the beast truly posed a threat, someone from the peak would have removed it long ago. A Third Tribulation Stage immortal beast sounded impressive elsewhere, but within Wild Peak there were countless cultivators capable of defeating it.

The monkey remained alive because nobody considered it an enemy.

In a strange way, it had already become part of Wild Peak’s daily life. Perhaps it occasionally fought disciples, perhaps it chased away noisy visitors from other divisions or perhaps some people even came specifically to hear its music.

Whatever the case, Lin Mu felt no desire to harm it.

The monkey finally picked up the strange drum set. All four of its hands rested naturally upon different drums. It looked almost as though the instrument had been designed specifically for its species.

The monkey tapped one drum experimentally.

Dong. A deep, rich note echoed through the forest.

It struck another. Tak.

Then another. Boom.

The rhythm gradually built itself naturally. All four hands began moving independently. Each arm focused upon a different section of the instrument. The deeper drums provided a steady foundation while the smaller ones created lively patterns around them.

The sounds blended together beautifully.

Even Lin Mu found himself surprised. ”So that’s why you chose it.”

The monkey continued playing for another minute before finally stopping.

”This... It has everything.” Its face radiated pure delight. ”My old tree only made one sound. It was becoming difficult.”

The monkey struck another sequence across the drums. ”I wanted more voices. It feels complete now.”

Lin Mu could hear the excitement in every word. The beast had not selected the instrument because it was expensive. It had selected it because it allowed it to express exactly what it had been searching for.

Lin Mu smiled. ”It suits you.”

The monkey nodded vigorously. ”It really does.”

Lin Mu pointed toward the instrument. ”You should bind it with your immortal sense.”

”Oh, right.” The monkey blinked. ”I almost forgot.”