"Carry them out horizontally."
Monkey said this lightly, almost offhand.
Jade Cauldron's mouth twitched sharply when he heard this.
For a moment, he even had the illusion that if anyone had to be carried out horizontally, he might be included too. Was he already aboard a pirate ship now?
Unconsciously, he shrank his head and watched Monkey cautiously.
Six years ago, he met Monkey in his own cave residence; they had talked deeply, and Jade Cauldron considered himself to know him fairly well.
Back then, Monkey was like a newly grown youth, standing at a crossroads in life—his temperament unsettled, his goals unclear, stubborn but essentially kind-hearted.
And now?
Six years have passed, yet Jade Cauldron's impression of Monkey remained that of the immature youth from his memories.
That was why he agreed to come to Blossom Mountain and see for himself. Monkey’s cultivation now far surpassed an ordinary demon king; if he could truly hold this whole power in his grasp, then even if mistakes were made, they wouldn’t be catastrophic.
Now he saw it for himself: Monkey did indeed have the entire Blossom Mountain force firmly under control, wielding unimaginable authority. But Jade Cauldron also saw another side of him.
The brazier blazed with fire. From afar, Jade Cauldron could hear all kinds of roars and screams echoing through this vast underground space. Not far from him, a "student" was being whipped until his flesh split open for failing to finish his assignments on time.
A shrill bell rang, and all the demons stopped their work and left their posts for the living quarters. Jade Cauldron could clearly see the food they received was as foul as a basin of slop.
These demons lived in such an environment.
Meanwhile, the well-rested demons from the living quarters surged out to replace them.
Whether they wished it or not, every demon in this empire gritted their teeth, endured endless suffering, and grew at a shocking rate—always ready to challenge the Heavenly Court’s authority and overturn the world.
This Monkey was no longer the same one from six years ago.
Jade Cauldron could not imagine what had happened in those six years. Now, Monkey had chosen his own path and stepped out of hesitation, but Jade Cauldron did not know if he still retained his original kindness.
He was wielding unrivaled iron-fisted control over what was likely the strongest demon power in the world, rising at an astonishing pace, forging a vast demon empire with thinking far ahead of its time.
Whether they wished it or not, every demon in this empire gritted their teeth, endured endless suffering, and grew at a shocking rate—always ready to challenge the Heavenly Court’s authority and overturn the world.
Monkey’s old stubbornness was now on full display, but whether his original kindness remained was still open to question.
At least, from what Jade Cauldron saw now, for the sake of power, for the safety of this place, for future victory, Monkey would stop at nothing and didn’t mind using any bloody means.
Jade Cauldron couldn’t help but tense up at this.
It was clear now that the real danger here wasn’t the lawless, illiterate demon masses, but this Monkey King before him.
Once they mastered those hot weapons, Jade Cauldron was sure they would wield their power to the fullest, and keep them firmly under control. On that point, he had no worries now.
But chaotic disorder could only bring limited casualties, while planned brutality could drag the whole world into the abyss.
There was no doubt—Jade Cauldron hated the Heavenly Court, and always had. There was also no doubt he loved inventions, and he was fascinated by Monkey’s ideas.
But was he really ready to become a sinner for all humanity?
Faintly, Jade Cauldron felt himself shrinking back.
“Aren’t you going a bit too far?” Jade Cauldron asked with a dry laugh.
Monkey looked at Jade Cauldron with that same faint smile and said slowly, "If you ever get the chance to witness the Celestial Army's slaughter of demons, you'll feel this isn't nearly enough. We are a race that doesn’t belong in this world, struggling to carve out a path—we’re bound to pay a price, to make sacrifices. Rather than being killed by the Celestial Army for their merit, isn’t it better to contribute here? Does it really matter whether they consent or not? What do you think?"
"They’re your own kind. Even if they refuse, you shouldn’t—"
"They are my kind, yes. But if they don’t believe in our shared cause, then they’re heretics." Monkey put his arm around Jade Cauldron’s shoulder and started walking back. "If the Celestial Army can kill them for military merit, if demon kings can sell their heads, why shouldn’t I enslave them a little? Really, this is a ‘human rights’ issue. In principle, I support equality and freedom, but is it not too soon to discuss such things with a race that hasn’t even won the right to walk in the sun?"
"Besides, if I could sit down and talk with them properly, I believe most demons would be enlightened. I just don’t have the time or energy. There’s too much to do, and some less important things have to be set aside. We can’t cover every detail—just the big picture. Don’t you agree?"
Jade Cauldron gave a dry laugh, not sure what to say for a moment.
"Now, let’s talk business. Will you help me research hot weapons? You’re the only one who’s truly skilled at it—even if Master Sage Subhuti himself were here, he’d be stumped for a while."
"If I refuse, will I also be carried out horizontally?"
"No, I won’t. But if anyone asks, you’d best answer that way."
"Huh?"
I may not succeed. Until the day of true success comes, nothing is certain. If the Celestial Army sweeps in and wipes us out, then you, Jade Cauldron, for helping me make hot weapons—even as one of the Twelve Golden Immortals—might not be spared. So the best excuse is: I forced you to help me.
"You’ve really thought this through for me."
"So? Have you made up your mind?"
"I still need to think it over..."
"No rush, take your time. Stay a few days—I’ll have Anna Yang keep you company. You two haven’t seen each other in ages, have you?"
"Uh, if I really refuse, you won’t have me carried out horizontally?"
"Hmm, I’ll have to think that over too."
"..."
......
In the pitch-black night, on a clearing in the forest of Western Ox Continent, Lord Lao sat with his eyes lowered.
Not far away, Belle gripped a gleaming dagger, trembling as she faced a rabbit she had tied up tightly. The rabbit, on the other hand, seemed perfectly calm, not afraid at all, and blinked at Belle.
She hesitated, and hesitated, and still didn’t move for a long time.
Lord Lao couldn’t help but lift his eyelids and glance at her, asking softly, "Shall I do it instead?"
"No! Elder, let the junior handle it. Respecting the old and cherishing the young is Crescent Star Cave’s fine tradition!" Belle protested, but still didn’t act.
She waited a while longer, then simply let the rabbit go.
Watching the rabbit hop away into the woods, she let out a sigh of relief.
"If you’re like this, how will you ever hunt?" Lord Lao asked helplessly.
"It’s fine, we can pick wild vegetables. Elder, you don’t mind eating vegetarian, do you? I brought a field guide for wild greens, but first we’ll need a fire—it’s getting cold."
As she spoke, Belle picked up some firewood, piled it up, added dry grass, and took out a fire striker.
...
But soon she realized a problem: she’d brought the fire striker, but in her rush, forgot the tinder...
Helpless, she started trying to make fire by rubbing sticks.
It was her first time doing this, and after a long effort with the wrong technique, she only managed to shred the branch—no fire.
Lord Lao couldn’t bear to watch any longer. While Belle turned away, he secretly stretched out a hand from his sleeve and pointed—a spark appeared in the dry grass, slowly catching fire.
"Huh? It lit? What happened?" Belle stared blankly at the fire.
Lord Lao smiled lightly. "It must have worked just now—it sometimes takes a moment to catch."
"But I wasn’t rubbing it there."
"Hmm, maybe it self-ignited. Dry weather, you know—forest fires happen in autumn, looks like you got lucky."
"Oh? Really? Seems I’m pretty lucky. Well, Elder, wait here—I’ll go look for wild vegetables."
"It won’t be easy to find them this late, will it?"
"It’s fine, I’ll use the fire for light." Belle pulled a half-burned stick from the fire.
Lord Lao watched Belle bustle back and forth for a long while, but she still found nothing. He sighed helplessly.
At this rate, will they even be able to travel tomorrow? he wondered.
He quietly pointed at a nearby clump of grass, which trembled.
"Hey, look—that seems to be wild vegetables."
"Hmm?" Belle hurried over, checking with her field guide. After a long look, she frowned: "No, these aren’t in the guide. Eating the wrong thing can cause diarrhea—we can’t eat these. Elder, have you ever foraged for wild vegetables before?"
With that, she turned and left.
Lord Lao nearly coughed up blood.
Those were top-grade 'wild vegetables,' some could even replenish spiritual power...
Did Subhuti never teach his disciples how to identify spiritual herbs for easy plundering?
Lord Lao beckoned to Belle, "Come, let me see what wild vegetables are in your guide."
Belle came over and handed him her field guide.
He flipped through it, glanced casually, then quietly pointed again.
Another clump of grass nearby trembled slightly.
"Look, there’s some over there."
"Oh, there really is! I just searched there and didn’t find anything—how odd." Belle checked the guide, "But it’s still a bit different."
"It’s fine, not much difference! Pictures and real plants never match exactly!"
Lord Lao couldn’t take it anymore; he rolled up his sleeves and went over to pick them himself.
This girl—if he hadn’t come along, could she really have made it to Blossom Mountain alive? he wondered.