"Let him in," the Serpent Lord drawled.
Before long, the Monkey King entered the hall.
In the flickering firelight, his face appeared pale and sickly, his spirit listless. Instead of his usual black armor, he wore a simple court robe, and his gait was unsteady, like that of an old man.
He slowly made his way to the center of the grand hall, gave a brief military salute, and said, "Your Majesty, I greet you. May I ask why Your Majesty has summoned me at this late hour?"
Gene Elk lowered his head; he could clearly see those slightly drooping hands trembling.
Just a few days ago, the owner of those hands had stood alone against a thousand foes, fighting through the night without falling. And now...
A fine general, and in just a few days, how has he come to this?
This scene left Gene Elk, standing to the side, a bit surprised. But recalling the blood-soaked body from a few days ago, he felt somewhat relieved.
To have survived at all—perhaps that is already a stroke of luck.
"Oh?" The Serpent Lord, lounging sideways on the dragon throne, eyed the Monkey King and chuckled, "You seem to have recovered rather quickly."
"Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune, I am merely a bit fatigued. Otherwise, I am quite well," the Monkey King forced a smile.
Seeing the Monkey King's frail appearance, the Serpent Lord asked offhandedly, "Can you still fight in battle?"
The Monkey King hesitated and glanced at Gene Elk standing nearby. "I fear my body has not yet recovered. I worry that..."
He paused briefly before continuing, "...I might hinder Your Majesty's affairs."
His deep, subdued coughing annoyed the Serpent Lord, who rolled his eyes, took a long breath, and said slowly, "It wouldn't really cause trouble. Even if you go to battle, it's only to command."
After a brief silence, the Serpent Lord frowned, pursed his lips, and continued, "Seeing you so weak, I ought to let you rest for a few more days. But the Celestial Army is already at our gates, and we truly lack manpower. I must ask you to take up the burden."
With that, he stroked the box placed beside him on the table, laughing with interest.
The Monkey King awkwardly forced another smile, standing motionless in place.
Gene Elk slowly turned around, raised his head, and declared loudly, "His Majesty trusts you—only then does he ask you to go to battle. Shouldn't you hurry and thank him?"
The Monkey King lowered his head, remained silent for a long time, then took a deep breath and reluctantly cupped his hands, "Thank you for Your Majesty's great favor."
"Alright, alright," the Serpent Lord waved his hand at the Monkey King, sounding weary. "You may go. After so many days of rest, report to the barracks first thing tomorrow morning. From then on, you are to follow General Gene's orders in all matters."
"As you command."
"You may go."
"Yes, sir."
As the Monkey King exited the grand hall, his deep coughing could still be heard from afar.
The Serpent Lord clicked his tongue and laughed, shaking his head. "These days, I've grown more suspicious of this Monkey King. The day he killed White Ape with his own hands and offered proof of loyalty, I thought I could trust him. Yet, somehow, I still feel there's something odd about all this."
"Then why does Your Majesty still send him to battle?" Gene Elk asked in confusion.
"I mentioned to you before about making him the vanguard, but after thinking it over these past few days, it seems unwise. Tsk... He didn't even dare let me know about his breakthrough that day. Even if he isn't plotting rebellion, he's certainly not loyal. For such an important matter, if I put him at your side, I'm afraid you won't be able to control him. I heard he could get out of bed a few days ago, so I thought to keep him in the city until this crisis passed. But seeing him just now... Hehehe. Better stick to the original plan. This monkey is a variable, and with the Celestial Army's hand, let them deal with him. Saves me the daily worry. It's exhausting."
"As you command!"
...
Outside the grand hall, the Monkey King blinked and slowly raised his head, gazing at the swirling clouds in the dazzling eastern night sky. After a moment, he lowered his head and, with a faltering gait, quietly left the palace.
Watching the Monkey King's lonely figure gradually fade into the distance, the servants waiting outside the hall all wanted to laugh, but dared not make a sound for fear of angering the Serpent Lord.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—how fortunes change.
Just a few days ago, he received his title, and all the court officials came to offer congratulations. Yet in less than half a month, he has fallen to this state.
At this moment, no one noticed the faint smile curling at the corner of his downcast lips.
...
At dawn the next day, as the sun rose high, countless massive shadows were cast upon the ground.
The expected guests had finally arrived.
Among the drifting clouds, a massive Celestial Army fleet—composed of six super warships, eighteen heavy cruisers, and twenty-five light frigates—appeared, slowly sailing two hundred miles east of Dragon's Pool, their banners fluttering.
These warships were even larger than those of the Heavenly Fleet. Each was oval-shaped, with enormous sails spread wide like giant birds soaring through the sky. From afar, they looked like floating cities suspended in midair.
Wherever those shadows passed, the birds and beasts on the ground looked up in awe, scattering in panic.
Amid the fierce wind, a celestial soldier on the main sail of one warship gripped the ropes with one hand, braced a foot on the top sail, and hung half-suspended in the air, gazing into the distance.
"Kid, isn't that tiring?" An old soldier lying atop the lookout tower rubbed his eyes.
"Aren't we supposed to be on alert?" The new recruit looked up, frowning.
"Alert?" The old soldier burst out laughing. "Kid, how long have you been here?"
"I... I just got transferred here." The new recruit's face flushed red.
"Hmph, that's what I thought." The old soldier shrugged helplessly. "Do you know where we're headed?"
"Isn't it Dragon's Pool?"
"You know, and yet you still act like this?"
"Well... well..." The new recruit's face grew even redder. After stammering for a while, he asked, "Aren't we going to fight demons? What if someone tries to ambush us...?"
With a sigh, the old soldier shook his head helplessly. "Who would dare ambush the Celestial Army? Demons? They'd rather run than face us. I can't be bothered to explain. Give it a few days—you'll understand soon enough."
"What do you mean, I'll understand in a few days? Understand what?" The new recruit suddenly unfurled his white wings and flew up to the lookout tower, pestering the old soldier. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
The old soldier glanced at him wearily, closed his eyes, and muttered as if to himself, "Anyway, take my advice—get some rest. When the fighting starts, just kill a few more. It's not the first time. Reconnaissance, vigilance—it's all pointless."
With that, he lazily yawned, shifted to a comfortable position, and drifted off to sleep, looking quite content.
The new recruit looked up and saw that all the celestial soldiers waiting on deck were dozing off in various positions. The two at the helm were deep in animated conversation, and as for those on lookout duty...
From the lookout tower came the sound of snoring—he was already asleep.
"What... what is going on here?" The new recruit grew even more confused.
On the warship's deck, two celestial generals spread out a map and began studying it.
"We'll camp here for the night. You all head over there."
"Separate?"
"That's right—split up. They'll camp over here. Then, the next day, they'll follow this route to this spot, where we'll ambush them."
"Aren't they sending out warships this time?"
"Heh... they will, just fewer ships. Last time we destroyed so many at once, they probably haven't recovered yet. A few of their warships will set out from here, and you'll face them head-on."
"Wait, we're only sending a few warships?"
"That's King Virūḍhaka's decision."
This unit isn't here to fight a real battle at all...
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This is the third update—one more to come...