"Arrange a battle? Are we going to attack them?" Belle set the tray down on the table beside the Monkey King and asked casually.
"Attacking isn't realistic. Let them attack us instead. They'll make the move, we'll defend. Of course, the scale can't be too large—otherwise, the casualties will be too heavy for either side to bear." The Monkey King casually picked up a slice of apple and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing.
"They'll listen to you?"
As soon as she finished asking, Belle realized it was a foolish question.
Although she didn't know what kind of agreement the Monkey King had reached with Nathan Young, everyone in Blossom Mountain knew that General Lee was now in the Monkey King's grasp. As long as he didn't go too far, it shouldn't be difficult to make South Heaven Gate yield.
Belle rarely concerned herself with military or political affairs—in fact, she didn't understand them at all, so asking was pointless. Sometimes, she thought, it was better not to know.
This Monkey King was already completely different from the one in Crescent Star Cave. Back then, he only wanted to cultivate immortality. But now?
Just a few short years had passed, and she knew the Monkey King's cultivation had stalled. Breaking through now was as hard as reaching the heavens. His pursuit of immortality was over. The Monkey King before her was now brimming with ambition, fully devoted to his great rebellion against Heaven.
As for why he had to rebel against Heaven, apart from being a demon himself, there was another reason: he wanted to descend into the Hall of Life and Death, consult the Book of Life and Death, and defy fate itself.
As for this second reason, almost no demon in Blossom Mountain knew of it. Aside from Anna Yang and Belle herself, perhaps no one else here was aware.
The Monkey King naturally didn't answer Belle's question. He just chewed his fruit while moving a wooden stick back and forth across the sand table, which was shaped like Blossom Mountain, deep in thought.
If Anna Yang were standing beside him right now, they might be able to discuss things. But unfortunately, it was Belle.
Belle was long used to this. She couldn't help much, so she'd learned to simply stand quietly to the side and watch.
She stood there for almost an entire hour.
The Monkey King was still engrossed in the sand table, occasionally stepping onto the balcony to gaze at the distant fleets, but Belle was already fighting the urge to yawn.
Belle truly couldn't understand the Monkey King's affairs. He was so busy, and she didn't feel comfortable asking. Even if she did, he wouldn't have time to explain in detail. There was so much going on in Blossom Mountain that she wouldn't be able to grasp it all at once, and in the end, she might just create more trouble.
"If the Monkey King saw me yawning while he's dealing with serious matters, he'd definitely be unhappy, wouldn't he?" With that thought, she quietly slipped out the door.
She's been here for a while now and gets along well with the demons here. It's not like in the beginning, when everyone was wary because of their different races. But no matter what, Belle still felt she couldn't truly fit into Blossom Mountain. In the end, she was just an idle outsider.
Once, Belle had thought about asking the Monkey King to let her work with Anna Yang on alchemy. Her cultivation was shallow, and she might not be able to do much else, but compared to the new disciples in Blossom Mountain, she was still much better.
But the relationship between the Monkey King and Anna Yang, and the subtle tension between Anna and herself, made her abandon the idea. It was better not to add to the complications.
Lost in thought as she walked, Belle found herself back in her own room without even realizing it.
"Should I keep cultivating?" she wondered.
If she wished, she could live at Blossom Mountain just as she had in Crescent Star Cave: a regular routine, devoted cultivation, studying scriptures, Daoist arts, talismans, and formations every day.
Back when they first settled in Blossom Mountain, Anna Yang had, thanks to her powerful memory, nearly copied the entire Scripture Tower of Crescent Star Cave. It wasn't hard to find whatever texts Belle needed here.
But she always felt that wasn't right.
Everyone else was striving and fighting so hard, yet she was always focused only on her own cultivation. Was this really okay? Wouldn't it make things difficult for the Monkey King?
She wondered.
Sitting down on her couch, she pulled from her sleeve the Jade Tablet that Lord Lao had given her before their parting—a special device for communication—and pondered again.
"How is that old gentleman doing now?"
She had only mentioned the 'old gentleman' briefly to the Monkey King, saying that it was thanks to a kindly immortal that she arrived safely at Blossom Mountain. Perhaps the Monkey King had too much on his mind, for he hadn't paid much attention, and never brought it up again.
After that, she never mentioned him to anyone else.
After all, he was an immortal, and this was Demon City.
Belle still had some doubts about this 'Mr. Boyang Li.' What did he really mean by those last words? Did he deliberately arrange to meet her and escort her to Blossom Mountain?
"Maybe it was all just a misunderstanding."
After all, Belle considered herself just a minor disciple from Crescent Star Cave—hardly worth such trouble from the old gentleman.
That old gentleman cultivated the Sage's Path, so he could calculate past and future. His last words must have been meant to warn Belle that coming to Blossom Mountain was risky.
If that was the case, then he really was right. There are 180,000 Heavenly soldiers camped outside the city now—this is hardly a peaceful place.
Now that General Lee is a prisoner, things are stable for the moment. But who knows what will happen next.
Lost in thought, Belle muttered, "Ever since we parted at the coast, I haven't contacted him again. Has he already returned to Heaven?"
She gripped the Jade Tablet, but in the end, tucked it back into her sleeve.
After all, she was now in a den of demons, and demons and Heaven were mortal enemies—it was better not to drag him into trouble.
Thinking this, she looked up.
Right in front of her, Lord Lao stood quietly, wearing a playful expression. "Why did you put it away again?" he asked.
"Ol—Old..." Belle quickly covered her mouth, blinking in surprise. After a moment, she lowered her voice and said, "Old gentleman, why are you here? This is, this is..."
"This is Demon City," Lord Lao finished for her with a smile, watching as she frantically closed all the doors and windows.
Once all the doors and windows were shut, Belle stared at Lord Lao in alarm and asked, "You knew this was Demon City, and you still came?"
"Why shouldn't I come to Demon City? You really underestimate this old man! Sure, I'm getting on in years, but don't forget—the Sage's Path favors the old. Relax, not a single demon has noticed me." Lord Lao chuckled, making Belle even more nervous.
Belle still felt uneasy. She warned Lord Lao, "Old gentleman, I'm going out for a bit. Please don't wander around."
"Alright, I won't go anywhere. I'll just wait here for you," he replied.
Belle slipped outside and looked around. Once she was sure everything was normal, she returned to her room, brewed a pot of tea for Lord Lao, and frowned as she asked, "The city has been on high alert these past two days. There are warships patrolling overhead, and they've set up formations. Old gentleman, how did you get in?"
"I just walked in through the front gate," Lord Lao said, pointing toward the city gate.
"You came in through the main gate?" Belle was so shocked her mouth fell open.
"Yes, that's right."
"The demons guarding the gate didn't stop you?"
"No. They couldn't see me—I used an invisibility spell," Lord Lao replied.
"But aren't there restriction formations on the city walls?"
"Those only work on ordinary spells. My invisibility is a unique technique," Lord Lao said, raising his head proudly and laughing like a mischievous old child.
Belle wasn't in the mood to play along. She lowered her head, thought for a moment, and asked worriedly, "Doesn't that mean the city's defenses are weak?"
Lord Lao chuckled and said, "Not exactly—it's just that I happened to master this unique technique."
The defenses of Demon City really weren't weak—layer upon layer, with formations both obvious and hidden. Even Heaven's top craftsmen would marvel at their ingenuity. It's just unfortunate they happened to encounter Lord Lao. Even formations set by Buddha himself might not work on Lord Lao, let alone those arranged by Anna Yang.
But Lord Lao knew this; Belle did not.
She immediately asked, "Then, old gentleman, could you teach me how to modify the formations so they could block your invisibility technique?"
Lord Lao almost choked at her question.
"Little girl, seriously? Am I that annoying to you?"
"No, not at all. I just want to help the Monkey King somehow," Belle quickly explained.
"Then find something else to do. The city's defenses really are excellent—very excellent. For now, there's no need to change them."
"Really?" Belle asked, half believing, half doubting.
"Really."
"But if you can get in so easily, then those great gods in Heaven could do it even more easily," Belle said.
"Hey, am I really that unimpressive in your eyes?" Lord Lao sighed helplessly.
The defenses of Demon City truly were excellent. Even his two less promising disciples, both at Spirit-Transformation level and armed with his own magic tools, had never managed to set foot inside. Given such limited resources, to achieve defenses like these—if that isn't good, then what is?
Thinking this, Lord Lao couldn't help but marvel at Anna Yang's talent. After a thousand years of war, with the Jade Emperor constantly suppressing Guanjia Port and withholding supplies, all it did was force out a war god like Er Lang and a master strategist like Anna Yang.
Anna Yang, who managed all the logistics for Guanjia Port, was far superior to those pampered craftsmen in Heaven.
Obsession can hinder cultivation, but for some people, it's essential. For example, Anna Yang, Er Lang, Marshal Tianpeng, and even the Monkey King—at heart, they're all the same kind of person.
People grow in adversity. When fate hasn't run its course, the more you suppress them, the harder they'll bounce back.
Many people don't understand this, including those gods in Heaven.
As Lord Lao pondered this, Belle remained oblivious, lost in her own worries.
"Find something else to do... but what could I possibly do?" Belle muttered, head down.
"There are many things you could do. If you don't know how, I could teach you," Lord Lao said, stroking his long beard.