Whether in the imperial courts of the mortal world or atop the Heavenly Court’s Lingxiao Palace, it was truly unprecedented for the ruler to remain silent while ministers left him in the cold and quarreled on their own.
Generally speaking, even if such quarrels occur, they should be brief.
The proper way to argue in court—so long as everyone hasn’t lost their minds—whether addressing the issue or attacking someone personally, is to speak to the ruler and then, indirectly, stab at your opponent.
Winning the ruler’s support is what matters most. Only this way does it look dignified, rather than like a marketplace brawl.
Naturally, all the ministers and generals of Heaven and Earth understand this principle.
Unfortunately, the demons of Blossom Mountain do not. Strength in battle does not mean knowledge, and literacy does not equal culture.
So, once Monkey lets them speak freely, the scene… to be honest, is a bit ugly.
From this perspective, no matter how large or well-organized Blossom Mountain may be, it is still, at heart, a bandit’s den—at best, an armed bandit’s den. To use the words of the Central Plains, it’s just a bunch of barbarians.
Watching this unprecedented spectacle, Anna Yang couldn’t help but sigh. Military expansion and victory do not bring cultural progress within. After all, they are a band of wanderers—one gust of wind and the whole pot boils over.
If not for Monkey’s overwhelming power, they’d probably be fighting right now.
Looking back, Monkey’s decision to throw Belle Whitebone out first was unassailably correct. After all, she was an outsider, and Blossom Mountain couldn’t afford to lose face by having her witness such a quarrel.
And so, the argument dragged on for two whole hours.
Seeing that no consensus would emerge from the chaos, Louis Quickpaw’s faction began to drift toward the Azurewave Dragon King’s camp.
You could call it a compromise.
But only his side was willing to compromise.
For the first generation of Blossom Mountain, the Battle of Dragon’s Pool is an eternal scar—whoever touches it, dies. And unfortunately, these veterans now make up much of the inner circle.
So, the battle continued, though now it had shifted from three sides to two, still locked in stalemate.
Monkey still said nothing, just watched them argue.
“You really won’t stop them?” Anna Yang asked softly.
“Sometimes a quarrel is useful,” Monkey replied lazily. “Honestly, I want to see if they can handle major upheavals on their own when I’m not around.”
"Did you deliberately let them disagree so you could change their minds?"
Monkey paused for a moment, then answered calmly, "You could say that, or not."
Anna Yang furrowed her brows slightly, gazing at Monkey in helpless frustration.
She found Monkey harder and harder to read—was it because his methods were growing more sophisticated?
Of all those who have mastered the Traveler’s Path, Anna had only ever seen one like him: General Lee, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.
And yet, Monkey seemed even more adept at strategy.
Is it because he’s read too many books on the Sage’s Path? Anna wondered.
Another half hour passed, and both sides were gasping for breath.
It was obvious now: they couldn’t agree on how to handle the alliance after the war, and the so-called "unified opinion" about joining forces with the demon kings was no longer viable.
Gradually, the Azurewave Dragon King withdrew from the fray.