"He really said that?" General Lee's tone was cold, but his face had darkened to a shade more severe than ever before.
The expression on his face made Clerk Zeng Yun, kneeling before him, tremble with fear. Zeng Yun hurriedly kowtowed and whispered, "He also... also..."
"Speak."
"He also detained the two Heavenly Generals who escorted me..."
"Is that so?" General Lee forced a stiff smile, reaching for the teacup beside him, his hand faintly trembling.
"He... he said he is just a demon, and need not abide by human rules. Besides, the two Heavenly Generals drew their weapons in his presence, violating protocol, so they are not exempt." Clerk Zeng Yun pressed himself flat to the floor, not daring to look up.
General Lee lowered his head, sipped his tea, then set the cup back on the table. The veins on his forehead pulsed quietly—he said nothing.
In the silent hall, only General Lee's heavy breathing remained. His fists were clenched tight.
After a long while, Clerk Zeng Yun timidly raised his head. Seeing General Lee's expression, he shrank back to the floor in terror.
"You may leave now." General Lee said slowly.
"Yes." Clerk Zeng Yun quickly kowtowed, then slowly straightened his robe and rose to his feet. Glancing sideways, he saw King Virūḍhaka standing nearby, signaling him with a look.
He nodded silently and exited the hall, motioning for the guards to close the doors behind him.
As soon as the doors shut, General Lee, who had been silent all along, suddenly roared, sweeping the teacup, incense burner, and several bamboo scrolls off the table onto the floor.
"Outrageous! Utterly insolent! How dare he! A mere demon—who gave him the nerve to challenge me, General Lee!"
He kicked the long table over and roared, "Letting him live was already a concession! Does he really think I'm afraid of him?"
He raised his hand and knocked the candlestick to the ground as well.
King Virūḍhaka, standing nearby, wanted to intervene, but General Lee stopped him with a gesture.
The hall instantly returned to silence.
General Lee seemed frozen, breathing heavily. He slowly closed his eyes and, after a long pause, gritted his teeth and said, "Prepare for both outcomes. You—notify Prince Nathan and have him return at once."
"The Third Prince is currently suppressing demons in the East. Summoning him now might..."
"Have him immediately hand over his command to someone else—no delays. Also, send a note to Grandmaster White and arrange a meeting."
"Is General Lee planning to..."
General Lee caught his breath and said slowly, "Peaches of immortality can only be requested from the Queen Mother of the West, and it's not something we can discuss openly. Even if we claim it's to reward meritorious officers, a hundred peaches is far more than we'd ever get. So we have to rely on Grandmaster White to work behind the scenes—but that old fox will demand an outrageous price."
King Virūḍhaka couldn't help but ask, "Is General Lee really going to meet that demon monkey's demand?"
General Lee gritted his teeth, "I'll let him live long enough to take them, but not to eat them!"
His wide eyes blazed with endless fury.
...
At the summit of Blossom Mountain, a small wooden hut had appeared at some point, its half-open window aglow with faint firelight.
Inside the simple hut, Anna Yang lay on her back on the couch, while Monkey paced back and forth, inspecting the room.
"You should stay here for now. The air in the cave is too stale—it's bad for your health. I'll have Isabel come take care of you."
"I heard you're trading King Broadgaze for peaches of immortality?"
"That's right. One hundred peaches."
"That many? General Lee would never agree. At the Grand Peach Banquet, Lee's rank only entitles him to about twenty peaches. South Heaven Gate, at most, gets two hundred. You're demanding half in one go..."
"I think he'll agree." Monkey gazed up at the ceiling and sighed, "Right now, he probably wants to tear me apart. So he'll do whatever it takes to get the peaches, ransom King Broadgaze, and then launch a massive attack on Blossom Mountain."
"Really?" Anna Yang couldn't help but look at Monkey.
"Just a guess."
Anna Yang smiled faintly. "With someone as unpredictable as you, he must be at his wit's end."
"If King Broadgaze dies, he'll have to answer to everyone above and below. So as long as there's hope, he'll try every possible way. After all these years in Heaven, and from what you've said about his cunning, if I only asked for one peach, he might deliver it tomorrow." Monkey turned to Anna Yang and smiled, "Let him run around, let him scramble back and forth in Heaven."
"Why did you suddenly decide to ask for peaches of immortality?"
"Because someone's lifespan is running out," Monkey replied without turning his head.