On the flagship, the signal corps frantically waved their command flags, and the drummers had already changed their rhythm. General Lee’s intentions were clear: he wanted Nathan Young to withdraw and switch out the duelist.
But that was only General Lee’s wish—not Nathan Young’s.
Nathan ignored the signal flags and paid no heed to the drumbeats. He simply kept charging at Monkey King, again and again.
Through these repeated assaults, Monkey King gradually noticed a strange expression on Nathan’s face.
Was that... shame? Monkey King’s brow furrowed slightly.
Before leaving, Anna Yang had asked him not to hurt Nathan. But in a clash of arms, avoiding injury was easier said than done—ultimately, it was just making trouble for himself. Still, Monkey King knew Nathan had indeed helped Anna quite a bit before, and by extension, had helped him too. In the end, both he and Blossom Mountain owed Nathan a great debt.
Monkey King has one virtue: persistence. He also has one flaw: stubbornness. In truth, they’re two sides of the same coin—the difference is only in how you look at it.
Expanding on that, he not only remembers grudges, but also favors. If he owes someone, he never forgets it, always seeking a way to repay the debt.
Whether it’s Anna Yang or Belle, he’s the same—though nowadays, he owes more than just these two. If you count carefully, Jade Cauldron Immortal, Elder Stillwater, and Moon Dynasty all deserve a share as well.
In his eyes, the best deal was with Tina Ao and the Eastern Sea Dragon King—a promissory note for ten million Gold Essence, settled. Though he never intended to repay it at first, since the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace was never truly helping him. As a newly minted demon king, it was normal to moonlight as a bandit, shake down a few travelers, and do a bit of strong-arming and mischief on the side.
Not even dabbling in banditry would feel right for a demon king—when Heaven comes to list his crimes, he’ll be scratching his head for excuses.
But after spending so much time with Tina Ao, he felt a bit embarrassed about not paying his debts...
Sometimes Monkey King wondered: did he ask for too much Gold Essence in the first place? Would ten million have sufficed instead of a hundred million?
Still, a big number is at least a number. The worst kind of debt is the kind you can’t quantify. Unfortunately, what he owed Nathan Young was exactly that sort.
Yet no matter how big that favor was, it wasn’t enough to make Monkey King surrender on the spot. After all, behind him stood all the demons of Blossom Mountain.
So he had no choice but to fight. And once the fighting started, injuries were inevitable. But from start to finish—because his opponent was Nathan Young—Monkey King had exercised extreme restraint. He couldn’t possibly defeat Nathan with just a fraction of his power, but at least he signaled before each strike. Sometimes, he even matched Nathan’s defenses on purpose.
If not for that, how could Nathan have blocked Monkey King’s staff with his weapon every time? With Monkey’s unpredictable fighting style, a feint or two would have let him land a heavy blow head-on without trouble.
If he really fought that way, Nathan’s injuries wouldn’t just be scrapes and minor internal bruises from blocking the staff.
But by holding back so much, had he only provoked Nathan’s furious shame?
It made Monkey King wonder if he’d chosen the wrong way to repay his debt.
But at this point, what else could he do? Should he go even further, or actually cripple Nathan Young?
Another clash, another heavy swing of the staff. Nathan Young crashed down hard, kicking up clouds of dust.
He’d lost count of how many times this had happened—even Nathan himself couldn’t remember. Against Monkey King, he could barely fight back. The reason wasn’t just strength; even in technique, he was outmatched.
None of his many artifacts could even get close to Monkey King.
This Monkey King’s combat prowess was on a completely different level. Even sparring with Erik Yang hadn’t been this exhausting for Nathan.
But why would Master Sage Subhuti take in such a monster as a disciple? Was he planning to oppose Heaven itself?
Nathan couldn’t tell General Lee anything about Blossom Mountain. If he did, he’d expose all his private ties with Erik Yang and Anna Yang.
What irritated Nathan most right now was that Monkey King was clearly holding back.
Not only did Monkey never strike first, but even his counterattacks always followed the same predictable pattern—sometimes he even seemed to warn Nathan before each move. If not for that, there’s no way Nathan could block every strike so precisely.
Without ever taking a direct hit, all Nathan suffered from start to finish were minor scrapes and bruises. But that only made him even angrier.
It felt as if Monkey King was just playing with him—making a monkey out of him.
Realizing this, Nathan’s face burned with shame, and his next charge was even more desperate.
Who was he? Third Prince Nathan Young! Did he need anyone to hold back for his sake—especially in front of all 180,000 Celestial troops at the South Heaven Gate?
He almost wished Monkey King would stop holding back and just knock him out with full force. At least then it wouldn’t be so humiliating—he wouldn’t feel like a total fool.
As the dust settled, the exhausted Nathan Young clutched his scraped arm and staggered out of the crater, bending down to pick up his Flame Spear.
Just then, a black leather boot stepped on the Flame Spear.
Looking up, he saw Monkey King standing before him, leaning on the Golden Staff.
Monkey King took a deep breath and lowered his voice, sighing, “This is pointless. You should go back. Anna Yang asked me not to take your life, and fighting like this is meaningless. Go—let someone else come.”
His bearing was as lofty as a celestial god surveying the mortal world, tinged with faint helplessness. He meant well, but that helplessness only made Nathan Young even more furious.
He had never suffered such humiliation!
Clenching his fists, Nathan was about to charge forward.
“Stop!”
A sharp rebuke rang out from behind.
Turning around, Nathan saw General Lee, wielding his trident and with the Exquisite Pagoda floating behind him, staring coldly.
That look instantly chilled the thousand-year-old childlike warrior, one of Heaven’s most renowned generals, to the bone.
At that moment, he almost wanted to cry.
“That Nathan Young, always ruled by emotion,” King Bullhorn sighed from afar. “Still, the Handsome Monkey King’s strength is astonishing—no wonder he alone could lead Blossom Mountain to defeat King Broadview.”
King Roc said, “That’s not good for us. The stronger he is, the harder it’ll be to take Blossom Mountain.”
“Looks like we’ll need to adjust our plans for Blossom Mountain,” King Bullhorn said.
Lord Jiao, standing beside him, remained grim-faced.