It was a pain etched into his bones, a torment so intense it left him breathless.
Sometimes, living requires more courage than dying.
But in the end, he endured.
Because he could not die—not yet.
There were too many promises weighing on his shoulders, so many that even death was not an option.
"If... I mean, if one day, demons could have a place in this world, help me see that beautiful world."
"Actually, I’d love to see such a world too." In that moment, he wished he could answer like that.
But sadly, there would never be another chance.
In the pitch-black night, he smiled faintly.
......
The day after the Monkey King received his title, carriages from the palace were already waiting outside the residence early in the morning.
Demons riding in carriages would be unimaginable anywhere else, but in this city, it was hardly surprising. The Serpent Lord even had an entire squadron of mounted honor guards.
He must be obsessed with the idea of being emperor.
Many things here were arranged according to the standards of mortal emperors.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to imitate, he could only capture the form, never the spirit.
Seated in the imposing carriage, the Monkey King passed through bustling streets into the inner palace, climbed the stone steps, and arrived at the Serpent Lord’s grand hall.
A young demon came to announce that there was a meeting today, but in the grand hall, aside from the Serpent Lord sitting on the dragon throne, the Monkey King saw only Gene Elk, the commander of the three armies.
Officially, Gene Elk was the Monkey King’s direct superior.
Gene Elk was the strongest demon in the city besides the Serpent Lord, but compared to the Serpent Lord’s Spirit-Transformation cultivation, the gap was enormous.
His cultivation was only at the peak of the Spirit Channeling Stage, just like the Monkey King.
It wasn’t surprising, really. If a demon reached the Spirit-Refinement Stage but failed in cultivation, he’d end up like White Ape—no better than Gene Elk. And if he succeeded, why would he willingly serve a king like the Serpent Lord?
At the sight of the Monkey King, the Serpent Lord beamed with delight. Before the Monkey King could even bow, the Serpent Lord pointed at him and said, "Today, I have a little gift for you."
He clapped his hands lightly, and a row of nine young demons entered from the back of the hall, each carrying a box. They lined up and placed the boxes open on the ground.
"What are these...?"
"Open them. See if you like them. Hahaha!"
The Monkey King slowly stepped forward and lifted the lid.
His eyes widened in shock.
He hurriedly opened the second box, then all nine in succession, and suddenly drew in a sharp breath.
"These..."
These were the severed heads of the nine rebel demon leaders!
Those nine fellows had been hiding in the rear that night; the Monkey King hadn’t had the chance to deal with them, let alone kill them.
It was the Serpent Lord...
A thought flashed through the Monkey King's mind. He immediately struck his breastplate with a fist and knelt on one knee: "Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty!"
"Well? I knew you’d like it." The Serpent Lord’s eyes narrowed with laughter. "But just have a look. Don’t take such filth back with you. Put them away."
Once the nine young demons took away the boxes, the Serpent Lord continued, "Let’s just leave it at that. Your troops are still camped at the old site; you can visit them if you wish. If you want to bring them into the city, I won’t object. After all—" The Serpent Lord glanced at Gene Elk and said slowly, "It’s always best to use people you’re familiar with, don’t you agree?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty. But those earlier ones were just a bunch of useless drunkards—nothing compared to the servants Your Majesty has granted me."
"Pfft, I didn’t know you could be so eloquent. Hahaha, I like it! The reason I called you here today is that the Heavenly Court’s army is approaching. We must prepare for battle."
Hearing this, the Monkey King glanced at Gene Elk, whose expression remained unchanged.
He must have received the news long ago.
The Serpent Lord continued, "The rabble outside the city needs to be dealt with as well. Technically, this is the job of the Cavalry Marshal, but since it’s your first time, I think Gene Elk should help you. What do you say?"
"As Your Majesty commands."
After leaving the grand hall, the Monkey King and Gene Elk, guided by attendants, quickly arrived at the port behind the city.
It was a massive military harbor—elevated wooden bridges, masts standing tall, and ships stretching for miles.
These warships resembled the ones used by the Heavenly Fleet, but from appearance alone, the difference was like night and day.
First of all, the Heavenly Fleet’s ships were made of steel plates, while these were all wooden.
They were also much smaller in size.
Standing on the high platform with Gene Elk, the Monkey King saw only a few new ships; most were worn out, patched up everywhere.
It seemed that after every transaction, the Serpent Lord would always reclaim those battered ships.
Is this what he calls saving costs?
Skylar Loft was absolutely right—the dragon clan is stingy to the core, and even the Serpent Lord, as a distant relative, is no exception.
According to Miles Moon, the Serpent Lord didn’t even spare the corpses of the demons killed by the Monkey King that night—the battlefield was cleared by his own Imperial Guard.
Pointing to several brand-new warships, Gene Elk said, "Those are newly assigned to the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard’s old ships were given to the City Guard, and the City Guard’s retired ships are meant for the Vanguard."
The Vanguard referred to the demons outside the city.
The Monkey King asked, feigning ignorance, "I’ve seen the Heavenly Fleet’s warships before. Isn’t it a joke to use these ships against theirs?"
Gene Elk smiled meaningfully and patted the Monkey King’s shoulder. "That’s not your concern. If His Majesty decided this, he must have his reasons. Do your job. Also, my rank is higher than yours. According to His Majesty, I’m assisting you this time, but by military rules, I should be in command. You don’t mind, do you?"
The Monkey King slowly turned his face and asked, "Is that His Majesty’s order?"
"It’s the military rule, but you could also say it’s His Majesty’s will," Gene Elk replied calmly.
The Monkey King said nothing more.
All day, Gene Elk led the Monkey King through the military camps.
The proclamation outside the city had already been issued, and troops had been sent to reorganize the demon crowd, but neither of them left Drake City.
Perhaps to assert his authority, the Supreme Commander led the Monkey King to meet the civil and military officials assigned under him, but with his seal of office, he made all decisions alone, never consulting the Monkey King.
The day passed quickly, and by dusk, they each returned to their own residences.
Back in his room, the Monkey King shed his armor with the help of demon servants, ate the specially prepared vegetarian meal, and immediately began his cultivation.
Right now, cultivation was the most important thing to him.
Only by breaking through to the Spirit Refining stage would he have a chance at victory.
This time, the slaughter had almost exhausted the baleful energy in his body, making his cultivation progress smoother than ever.
The threshold of Spirit Refining was getting closer and closer.
When the night grew deep and quiet, the Monkey King quietly took out the jade slip and pressed it to his lips. "Miles Moon."
"Uncle Master, I’m here."
After a moment’s hesitation, the Monkey King slowly said, "Today in the grand hall, I saw the heads of those nine leaders."
"Those nine leaders? Yesterday, after they learned you’d been appointed Cavalry Marshal, they tried to flee overnight, but the Serpent Lord killed them all."
"Flee?"
"Yes. I followed them last night. The Serpent Lord’s squads on the outskirts caught every one of them with perfect precision."
"Do you know how they managed to find the whereabouts of those nine leaders?"
"I’ve found out. The water in Dragon’s Pool has been enchanted by the Serpent Lord. It’s seeped into every plant and tree around Dragon’s Pool—meaning every demon here is tainted by this spell. Within the pool’s bounds, you don’t feel anything, but once you leave, whether it’s the Skyward Legionnaires or the Serpent Lord, they can easily find you…"
So this was the secret behind why no one ever left Dragon’s Pool.
A cold smile slowly appeared on the Monkey King’s face. "Can you break this spell?"
"I’ll give it a try. I’ve never seen this kind of spell before, so it might take some time."
"As soon as possible. Time is running out."
"I will. If I really can’t, I’ll report it to a few other Uncle Masters—they should have a way."
The Monkey King fell silent.
On the other end of the jade slip, Miles Moon seemed to think of something and let out an awkward laugh. "I won’t mention you, and I don’t want Master to know I’m here—don’t worry."
"Thank you, Miles Moon. I owe you a big favor this time."
"Don’t say that—I’m not doing this for you. Belle’s letter is still with me. I’ll give it to you after all this is over. She still thinks you’re living comfortably in Cloudrise Pavilion, so don’t mess up when you reply."
"I won’t slip up." The Monkey King smiled with some relief.
If only that innocent girl could go on believing he was living a comfortable life in Cloudrise Pavilion—it wouldn’t be so bad.
They were both silent for a moment over the jade slip, then the Monkey King asked, "How’s the camp?"
"It’s alright. Old Ox is still feverish from his wounds, but his life isn’t in danger. Short Snout’s injuries have stabilized, but he still can’t stand. The other little demons are also recovering. I’ve sent Lu Six-Turn to handle the tasks you assigned, and it’s going smoothly. But... I haven’t told them about Old White Ape yet—I’m afraid they won’t take it well."
"As long as everyone’s alright, that’s good." The Monkey King pursed his lips slightly. "Thank you, Miles Moon."
"You should be careful, too. There are still plenty of unfamiliar faces around the camp—at least twenty demons of varying cultivation at the Spirit Absorption stage keeping watch day and night. The Serpent Lord hasn’t fully trusted you yet."
"I know. Thank you." The Monkey King gave a faint smile.