Before the Serpent Lord's hand could touch the wooden door, there was a creak—the door opened on its own.
His bloodshot eyes were dull and lifeless, his fur soaked as if he’d been submerged in a pool of blood. Blood still seeped slowly from the pores on his forehead, trailing behind him in a long, winding stain that led to the chaos of the ruined bed.
His body slumped to the side, collapsing to the ground. He gasped for breath as fresh blood dripped from his mouth, pooling on the floor beneath him.
"Pa... paying respects to Your Majesty."
At this moment, his body trembled uncontrollably—a shocking sight. He was already at the brink of exhaustion.
Witnessing this, the Serpent Lord was momentarily stunned.
He lowered his eyes and looked down at the Monkey King sprawled on the ground, drawing out his words: "What happened to you?"
"Heh... I was practicing a technique, must've made a mistake. Cough, cough... Forgive me for letting Your Majesty see me like this." He gripped the wooden door, trying again and again to stand, yet could not rise no matter how hard he tried.
"Oh? What kind of technique is so dangerous?" The Serpent Lord pushed open the other wooden door with his left hand, while quietly channeling his spiritual power with his right. He stepped over the threshold, passing the Monkey King, his cold gaze sweeping the room. "Why not show it to me first? I could help you judge its worth."
"Your Majesty jests... Such a trivial matter, how could I trouble you with it? Heh... heh..." The Monkey King slowly closed his eyes, struggling to keep them open.
One hand braced against the wooden door, his face was deathly pale, as if he might faint at any moment.
After making sure the room was empty, the Serpent Lord's gaze finally settled on the blood-soaked bed.
The bedding and grass on the bed had been torn to shreds by the Monkey King; even the wooden boards were broken, the whole thing collapsed—a scene of utter chaos.
"Did you do this?"
"Forgive me, Your Majesty... for the mess," the Monkey King slowly shook his head, trying to clear his mind.
"You're badly hurt," the Serpent Lord slowly turned to look at the Monkey King, relaxed his hand gesture, and reached out to check his pulse, but instantly recoiled upon seeing the strands of blood clinging to the Monkey King's fur.
The Monkey King didn't answer. Unable to stand, he could only roll over and lean weakly against the door, slumping to the ground, grinning at the Serpent Lord.
That smile was tinged with pain.
"If you truly are unwell, then rest and recover. The Celestial Army will arrive in a few days, and as Cavalry Marshal in charge of the demons outside the city, you cannot be absent."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," the Monkey King managed a weak salute.
"Enough, get some rest," the Serpent Lord said, flicking his sleeve and stepping out the door.
Just then, the Monkey King suddenly clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood—several drops splattered onto the Serpent Lord's robe!
Seeing this, the demon attendants waiting outside the door cried out in alarm, "General! General! Are you all right?"
One by one, they rushed toward the Monkey King.
The Serpent Lord glanced down at the bloodstains on his robe, his expression full of disgust. He looked coldly at the panicked demon attendants and said, "Don't worry, he won't die. If it were so easy to die... hmph, then he deserves it."
At that moment, Jin Zhi hurried in and, seeing the Serpent Lord, immediately knelt down.
The Serpent Lord said no more, swept his sleeve coldly, and left.
After the Serpent Lord left, Jin Zhi stepped forward, pushed aside the demon attendants to check the Monkey King's wounds. After just a glance, she hesitated, then turned to follow the Serpent Lord.
Through a gap in the crowd, a pair of weary eyes fixed powerlessly on the two departing figures.
...
"I am here, my lord."
"Have all of his former subordinates outside the city joined our ranks?"
"I made a point to check, not a single one was missed."
"Have you had any contact with him?"
"No, never. The Monkey King has never mentioned any transfers, and I treated him as any ordinary demon."
Swaying slightly, the Serpent Lord leaned against the carriage window and said calmly, "Judging by his appearance just now, I'd wager he failed to break through to the Spirit-Refinement Stage. Have you ever seen a failed breakthrough before? Was it like this?"
"I have never witnessed it myself. I only know that breaking through to the Spirit-Refinement Stage is perilous; if one fails, it means death or crippling injury."
The Serpent Lord let out a long sigh. "Hmph, that Monkey King is always full of tricks. Even attempting a breakthrough, he wouldn't let me know. Well, if he really failed, half his cultivation must be wasted now. There are many complaints outside the city—looks like we'll have to send out the city garrison to keep order. I was worried about whether to let him command troops with you, but now there's no need. If he truly failed, after this battle, he won't be coming back."
Jin Zhi bowed his head in silent respect.
"We can have him... lead the charge. That way, it shows our unity to the people and soldiers, and those rumors will die on their own. Hahaha!"
"Understood, my lord."
......
"General! General! Are you alright?"
The demon attendants scrambled in panic, trying to help the Monkey King to his feet.
But at that moment, the pain on the Monkey King's face slowly faded away.
"Don't... don't touch me. Cough, cough..."
The attendants jumped in fright.
"Don't touch me. I can... stand up myself." He gritted his teeth, trembling, bracing himself against the door, forcing himself up bit by bit.
His blood-soaked body slowly rose to his feet in front of the attendants, turned, and shuffled into the room.
"Everyone out... Close the door behind you," he said with difficulty.
"Y-yes, General." The attendants, stunned, bowed slightly and slowly retreated outside.
The empty room was once again left with only him, all alone.
From now on, the surveillance will probably be even tighter.
Still, I made it through this ordeal.
Thinking this, the Monkey King couldn't help but smile. That faint smile quickly turned into a fit of coughing, splattering drops of blood.
He had to brace himself against the table just to stay upright.
"That Serpent Lord... can't relax around me for even a moment. Cough, cough..."
He stood there dazed for a long time, until a flying insect slipped through the half-open window and transformed into human form.
"Do you realize he just had the intent to kill you? You won't be this lucky every time."
"Anna Yang... you know the techniques for the Spirit-Refinement Stage, right?" the Monkey King asked in a haze.
"You want to learn the technique right now?" Anna Yang's eyes widened, her lips pressed together as she looked at his trembling body. "You forced your way through just now, and now all your meridians are damaged. This isn't an ordinary injury... You..."
"I don't have time... no time... cough... it has to be quick." He shook his head slowly, trying to clear his mind. "I want to learn... Cloud Vault first. You have the incantation for Cloud Vault, right?"
He smiled faintly, but it was a bitter smile.
"Right?"
Looking at his body, ready to collapse at any moment, Anna Yang could only bite her lip and nod silently.
Seeing Anna Yang's confirmation, his eyes finally closed in relief, his body tilting and slowly falling.
In a haze, he saw Anna Yang rushing toward him, panic in her eyes...
......
This seemed to be a monkey destined for a life of hardship. As he himself said, he was a frequent guest at death's door.
But it was precisely this turbulent fate, this oppressed life, that made him ever more resolute.
Pain is strength.
All suffering is transformed into strength, gathering in his resilient heart, nourishing the seed buried deep within, waiting for the moment to break through and blot out the sky.
A three-hundred-year difference is enough to change countless things, but he wondered if it could change what he truly wanted to change.
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