Monkey gripped his Golden Staff and strode toward the door, looking every bit the wrathful demon.
The sobbing monks shrank back in terror, scrambling to get out of his way.
Seeing this, Tripitaka rushed forward and grabbed Monkey’s arm, trying to restrain him. "Great Sage, please—don't..."
"Don't what?" Monkey twisted his head, shook off Tripitaka’s hand, and exhaled sharply. "Relax, I’m not planning to beat them. I’m going to beat that king."
At his words, the monks all cried out, "No! Great Sage, you mustn’t! If you harm His Majesty, he’ll surely turn his wrath on us!"
With that, they all bowed repeatedly, weeping and wiping their tears on their sleeves.
"Is that so?" Monkey crossed his arms and snorted. "Then why not just kill him? That way, he’ll never get the chance to take revenge."
The monks’ sobbing stopped abruptly. Faces pale, eyes wide, they all stared at Tripitaka.
The once-crowded courtyard fell silent in an instant.
Monkey’s eyes slowly shifted toward Tripitaka.
After a long moment, Tripitaka shook his head and sighed softly. "I came to save all beings, yet if His Majesty dies because of me... what then?"
"Relax, I’m only joking. I have a better way to handle this." Monkey tilted his head and shot the monks a sidelong glance. "Worst case, I’ll borrow a few men from Louis Quickpaw and have them keep watch on the king for life. That’ll make sure he never dares give wicked orders again."
Marshal Silver, leaning against the doorframe, burst out laughing at this.
Monkey turned and glared at him. "What? You don’t think my idea’s any good?"
"Good? How could it not be?" Marshal Silver drawled. "A trivial matter like this could never stump the Great Sage. I’m just laughing at that king—he’s stepped on a tiger’s tail and doesn’t even know it. Still... we’d better hear what Tripitaka has to say."
With that, Marshal Silver turned to look at Tripitaka.
After a moment’s hesitation, Tripitaka blinked and said softly, "Let me handle this myself. Tomorrow, I’ll speak with His Majesty again."
With that, Tripitaka stepped forward and reached out to help the kneeling monks to their feet. "All of you should return for now. At dawn, I’ll seek audience with His Majesty and do my best to persuade him, so none of you will be implicated."
At once, the monks on their knees shuffled toward Tripitaka, dozens of hands reaching from the crowd to clutch at his robes.
An elderly monk, tears streaming down his face, tugged at Tripitaka’s sleeve and wailed, "There’s no way to talk him around, Master Tripitaka—the king’s mind is set..."
Just then, Monkey slammed his Golden Staff against the ground with a resounding clang. The old monk instantly swallowed his words.
Not only that, all the monks stopped their crying and fell silent, glancing nervously at Monkey.
Monkey stared at them coldly.
"I told you to leave. Still hanging around? Or are you hoping for a midnight snack?"
At those words, the monks hurriedly released Tripitaka’s sleeve and backed away, bowing again and again. "Thank you for your compassion, Master Tripitaka. We’ll return now and await your good news."
In the blink of an eye, the crowd of monks had vanished, leaving not a single one behind.
Tripitaka turned, about to speak to Monkey, but Monkey simply waved him off. "If you can’t settle things tomorrow, just call me."
With that, he turned and went back inside.
Outside the door, the others exchanged uncertain glances.
Marshal Silver shook his head and was the first to enter the room; the others followed, one after another.
Meanwhile, atop a Buddhist pagoda in the city, a shadowy figure watched in silence.
After a moment, he carefully drew a Jade Tablet from his belt and pressed it to his lips.
...
Inside the city tower at South Heaven Gate, General Lee gripped a Jade Tablet, his brow furrowed tight.
"He really said that?"
"At this distance, I couldn’t hear it myself, but I saw it clearly. Unless Monkey already knows we’re watching, I couldn’t have misread his lips."
"And the king of Faithbreaker?"
"The king still trusts us completely. Today, from start to finish, he didn’t show Monkey a single friendly face. But... if that demon monkey decides to use force, we really won’t be able to keep them trapped here any longer. After all, he..."
"I understand. Do your best."
General Lee set down the Jade Tablet and let out a long sigh.
Now, all he felt was a tingling across his scalp.
The situation at hand was truly thorny.
If not for the appearance of an immensely powerful monkey demon in the case—one that could bring tremendous danger—he’d never have dared set up this trap for the Westward party. If exposed, he’d be dragged down with them. So, the most crucial thing in this operation was secrecy.
They must not leave any evidence behind, or they’d pay dearly.
Now, all he could do was hope the other teams would get results before the Westward party left Faithbreaker.
Thinking this, General Lee picked up his teacup and took a helpless sip.
Just then, among the row of Jade Tablets laid out before him, one suddenly lit up!
"Nathan?" He set down his teacup and quickly picked up the Jade Tablet.
...
Northern Jambu Continent.
Amid the blizzard, Nathan Young gripped his Jade Tablet, shouting over the thunderous wind, "Father, we’ve found King Macaque—he’s here on Northern Jambu Continent. But he’s already spotted us... What should we do next?"
...
Back in the city tower at South Heaven Gate, General Lee’s eye twitched slightly.
After a long hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Find a way—lock him down if you can, at least shadow him closely... Don’t lose track."
...
Northern Jambu Continent.
"So that’s who you are—South Heaven Gate officers. What’s the matter, gone so long without trouble from me that you’re feeling restless and came looking for it yourselves?" a voice called from the mountaintop.
In the blizzard, a dozen Heavenly generals—including Nathan Young and King Virūḍhaka—exchanged uneasy glances.
"What now? Lock him down, or just follow?"
King Virūḍhaka swallowed hard. "Is that even a question? Celestial Sage–peak demon king—if you can lock him down, show me. We’ll have to follow, that’s all."
With that, he turned toward the summit and shouted, "King Macaque, don’t misunderstand—we’re not here to make trouble!"
"Then what are you here for? You think we’re going to reminisce? Even if we did, with so many of you at once, aren’t you afraid I’ll be overwhelmed?"
"We... we’ve just come to ask King Macaque for some advice. There’ll be a generous reward afterward."
"Advice on what? Don’t tell me you want to know the weaknesses of other demon kings. I may not have much, but I’d never sell out my comrades for a little reward."
"There’s something to discuss." King Virūḍhaka murmured to Nathan, then called loudly to the summit, "Staff technique—we only want to learn staff technique. Lord Genesis has taken a new disciple, dearly loves him, and the disciple wishes to learn staff technique. But the Heavenly Court has no top-tier staff style. Across the Three Realms, your staff technique is the finest, King Macaque, so we’ve come to you."
"You’re bluffing!" King Macaque’s roar echoed from the summit. "If Lord Genesis doesn’t know staff technique, he can just ask Lord Lao. Why bother with me?"
"Well... surely you know how things stand between Lord Genesis and Lord Lao?" King Virūḍhaka forced a laugh. "Let’s be honest, there are only a handful of staff masters in the Three Realms. We don’t dare ask the Great Sage, and King Bullhorn isn’t exactly on friendly terms with us. That leaves you, King Macaque. Lord Genesis’s disciple was overjoyed when he heard we’d come to ask you for your staff technique. Please, don’t let us go home empty-handed."
The mountaintop voice fell silent. After a long pause, he asked quietly, "Really?"
"Really."
"Then I want two—no, ten Peaches of Immortality! Anything less, and you get nothing!"
"Isn’t that a bit much? Ten peaches for a single staff technique..."
King Virūḍhaka haggled for a while, finally settling on four Peaches of Immortality.
At the end, the other side added, "Only two of you may come up—one is you, and the other can’t be Nathan Young. Once the staff technique is copied, the second man will carry it down. You’ll wait up here for the peaches to be delivered before you leave. Got that?"
Hearing this, King Virūḍhaka broke out in a cold sweat and glanced at Nathan.
Nathan whispered, "What now? Can you handle it?"
"I can." King Virūḍhaka nodded firmly. "Even if we lose four peaches for nothing, at least I’ll be up there to watch whether he leaves and when. That’s just what General Lee ordered."
Taking a deep breath, King Virūḍhaka looked up and called, "King Macaque, that works for me. But you must guarantee my safety!"
"Of course! Am I the sort to break my word?" King Macaque replied.
King Virūḍhaka set off, taking a trembling Heavenly general with him, and began climbing the knee-deep snowy path up the mountain.
Watching King Virūḍhaka’s figure fade into the distance, Nathan Young couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy.
After a long hesitation, Nathan Young drew out the Jade Tablet from his robe. "Father, King Virūḍhaka is heading up the mountain."
...
Braving the wind and snow, King Virūḍhaka finally reached the summit, where he saw a small cave.
In front of the cave, King Macaque leaned lazily on his staff, watching him.
"You’ve come a long way. For a Heavenly King to be sent to this backwater just to ask for staff technique—must mean you’re not very valued at South Heaven Gate, eh?"
"King Macaque, you overthink it." King Virūḍhaka bowed respectfully. "Precisely because I am valued at South Heaven Gate was I entrusted with this mission. The Three Pure Ones themselves authorized it—it’s no small matter."
"Oh? Do you take me for a fool?"
King Macaque grinned, watching him, and slowly began to laugh—a strange, twisted smile.
King Virūḍhaka’s eye twitched, and his boot unconsciously slid back in the snow.
"Since you’ve come to ask for staff technique, take a staff blow first!" With a roar, King Macaque leapt into the air, flipped, and brought his staff down toward King Virūḍhaka’s forehead!