In the silent night, moonlight streamed through drifting clouds, casting its cold glow upon the icy palace halls.
The palace of Drake City appeared far more deserted than usual.
The city guard had been dispatched to escort the demon crowd, and the imperial guards were reassigned to defend the city. At this moment, the palace was empty, save for the occasional civil official.
Of course, calling them 'civil officials' was generous. In such a small Drake City, what policies were there to implement? The so-called civil officials merely attended to the Serpent Lord’s daily needs.
Beneath the moonlight, a demon dressed in black court robes hurried along the spacious stone path, bowing as he carried a lantern.
He skillfully turned a few corners and entered a secluded part of the Serpent Lord’s sleeping quarters, finally kneeling before a room faintly illuminated by lamplight.
"Your Majesty, it is late. You should rest soon."
"Wait a little longer…"
Inside the room, moonlight filtered through the window cracks, shining on the Gold Essence scattered across the floor, making the chamber glow with dazzling splendor.
The Serpent Lord reached out to scoop up a handful of Gold Essence, watching it slip slowly through his fingers, his expression tinged with sorrow.
"Tomorrow, when everything is done and the Celestial Army pays the final sum, I’ll send all of you away together…" He sighed deeply, lips pressed tight, looking on the verge of tears. "I really hope Gene Elk won’t act so fast… Ah… Tonight is the last time I’ll speak with you… Sob… I’ll miss you all."
The demon waiting outside shivered at that voice, for he knew the Serpent Lord was speaking to the Gold Essence.
...
At this very moment, in a valley on the outskirts of the camp eighty li east of Drake City, the Monkey King’s hysterical voice echoed far and wide.
"What I’m telling you today is not a rumor. This is—the truth!"
The whole world fell silent.
The word "truth" echoed again and again through the valley.
All the demons—whether the city guard soldiers, the demon generals surrounded by the Monkey King’s followers on the hillside, or the masses spread across the mountains—were stunned by those words.
Even the moonlight, transformed into Gene Elk, stared in terror with wide eyes.
None of this had been planned in advance.
But why? Why reveal all this now? Shouldn’t the situation be stabilized first?
At midnight, under the brilliant stars, the wind swept through the valley, raising eerie sounds and making the banners snap in the air.
Yet the countless demons covering the hills were so silent that not a single sound could be heard.
All of them stared wide-eyed, incredulous, at the Monkey King—and at Gene Elk, who stood silently behind him, transformed from moonlight.
Paying no mind to the gazes fixed upon him, the Monkey King clenched his fists and roared, "The water you drink, every bit of food you eat, is tainted with the Serpent Lord’s spells. Those spells ensure that if you ever leave the boundaries of Dragon's Pool, you’ll be discovered by the patrol generals! That’s why the truth of Dragon's Pool has always been hidden from the outside world!"
On the hillside, the veins on the Monkey King’s forehead bulged as he howled hysterically.
His voice echoed, striking the hearts and minds of the demons again and again.
All those fists were clenched; within the dense ranks, there was only the sound of heavy breathing and the fearful grinding of teeth.
The demon generals standing at the front felt as if they’d fallen into an ice cave.
"This war isn’t even a war!" The Monkey King raised the document in his hand. "Everything has been arranged in advance! Tomorrow, if we follow the planned route, we’ll be ambushed by the Celestial Army!"
"Do you have any idea what nonsense you’re spouting?" A demon general, wild with panic, shoved aside the demons surrounding him and lunged at the Monkey King, turning desperately to Gene Elk beside him. "General Gene—say something!"
Yet his hopes were dashed.
The Gene Elk before him showed no intention of intervening—in fact, it seemed he was allowing it to happen!
"What is going on… What are you trying to do? Don’t you realize the situation is out of control…" The demon general collapsed to the ground, trembling, still reaching out to grab the Monkey King’s boot.
"You don’t know what I’m saying? You know exactly what I mean." The Monkey King looked down at the demon general with a smile that grew twisted, raising the Cloudwalker Staff and roaring, word by word: "You are all accomplices of the Serpent Lord!"
Before he finished speaking, he swung the Cloudwalker Staff and struck the demon general’s head with a heavy blow.
A thunderous crash.
The helmet shattered, brain matter splattered, and the ground cracked open!
Blood soaked his armor and splattered across his twisted face.
Immediately, the demon soldiers in the front row recoiled in terror.
Behind them, some of the demons had collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Despair—utter despair. Their wailing cries echoed through the valley, wrenching and raw.
Everyone here had endured countless hardships to reach Dragon's Pool.
They had escaped the patrol generals’ pursuit, lost countless companions, and finally made it here—only to find…
Now, they had nothing. What could they do but cry?
No, they still had their lives. If anyone wanted them, they would fight to the death!
A weasel demon, already broken, swung his rusty blade at a demon soldier, only to be quickly stabbed down. Before he could clutch his wound and rise again, six or seven demon soldiers had surrounded him and ended his life for good.
Yet this was an ending, and also a beginning.
The stench of blood had already begun to spread.
Looking up, the demon soldiers saw the densely packed crowd of demons around them, all glaring with bloodshot eyes and growling from deep in their throats.
"Kill them! Kill these dogs!"
Someone among the demons shouted.
"Kill, kill them!" All the demons echoed the cry.
The demon soldiers tried to retreat in terror, only to find there was nowhere to go—they had already been used to divide the ranks and were now trapped in the encirclement!
"What are you trying to do? Go back! Get back in position!"
"Kill—ah!" A rat demon, brandishing a dagger, lunged forward.
In that instant, like a spark landing in a barrel of gunpowder, the once silent valley erupted into chaos.
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All the demons, reckless and desperate, charged at the nearest demon soldiers, weapons raised and voices roaring.
"Stop! I said stop!"
"Run, run! Hurry, run!"
"It’s over… all over…" The demon generals collapsed, staring blankly at the chaos.
The Monkey King watched as a demon soldier, terrified, slashed down a cat demon, only to be pinned by a hedgehog demon and chopped to pieces by the surrounding mob.
An elephant demon grabbed a demon soldier in each hand and hurled them into the sky.
A crocodile demon bit into a demon soldier’s throat, refusing to let go even as three spears pierced his back, leaving him a bloody mess.
Hundreds of avian demon soldiers flapped their wings and took to the sky, only to be chased by the attacking mob.
Blood and feathers rained down from the sky.
They’d all gone mad—these enraged demons had lost all reason. The surging mob was like boiling water; they raised their weapons and charged at the demon soldiers, and for a moment, cries of battle, screams, wails, and roars shot up to the heavens.
The scattered, unprepared demon soldiers were instantly swallowed up by the mob, outnumbered many times over.
Moonlight, trembling, stared in horror at the chaotic, bloody scene. "Do you… do you know what you’re doing? I thought you’d at least give them a chance to fight at the front…"