The spacious cave was silent, save for the flames flickering in the brazier, casting everything in this wild, primordial cavern into a savage relief.
Of the Six Demon Kings present, none answered the Nine-Headed Wyrm's question. The tension in the air was palpable.
King Roc fixed his gaze on the Nine-Headed Wyrm and countered, "You only just got back?"
Was that a tone of interrogation?
The Nine-Headed Wyrm merely gave a cold, dismissive smile and said nothing. They were never truly allies; he had never owed these Six Demon Kings any explanations. With King Roc's hostility so blatant, he saw even less reason to answer.
Seeing the Nine-Headed Wyrm refuse to answer, all eyes turned in unison to King Bullhorn seated at the head, as if waiting for him to take a stand.
King Bullhorn rested his arms on his knees, and the strange look in his eyes as he regarded the Nine-Headed Wyrm could no longer be concealed.
He asked softly, "Did you just come back from Blossom Mountain?"
"So what if I did?"
Instantly, the atmosphere seemed to grow even more strained among the Six Demon Kings.
Before King Bullhorn could speak again, King Roc cut in, "You lingered in Demon City for so long—what exactly were you doing there?"
"Do I owe you an explanation for my actions?" The Nine-Headed Wyrm shot King Roc a glare.
"Oh?" King Roc sneered. "In that case, why don't we attack Blossom Mountain together tomorrow? You, plus the six of us—surely we could take it."
"You're insane."
With that, the Nine-Headed Wyrm turned to leave, but King Roc quickly blocked his way.
"How am I insane?" King Roc's birdlike eyes widened, gleaming with menace.
The Nine-Headed Wyrm glanced warily around the cave.
The four other demon kings nearby seemed ready to act, while King Bullhorn at the head remained silent.
The Nine-Headed Wyrm opened his mouth, about to speak, but in that instant, a sudden realization struck him.
Unbeknownst to him, he had already stumbled into a trap laid by that monkey!
Under the starry night, the wooden walls of Demon City atop Blossom Mountain blazed with torchlight. Rows of heavily armed demon soldiers patrolled back and forth, while hidden sentries lurked in the shadows. Across the city, defensive formations glimmered everywhere, each one ready to spring into action.
The war that had been so long in the making seemed to end before it had truly begun. Yet inside Demon City, vigilance did not wane; on the contrary, nerves were tighter than ever.
Monkey gazed through the palisade, his eyes fixed on the distant fires of the South Heaven Gate Fleet, which looked like a second Milky Way strung across the horizon.
Standing nearby, Anna Yang asked, "I don't quite understand—why did you keep the Nine-Headed Wyrm for so long today?"
Monkey blinked his slightly reddened eyes, weary from days of toil, and breathed out a faint mist into the night. "If I told you I only kept him for tea, would you believe me?"
Anna Yang thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I don't believe you."
Monkey grinned, lowering his head. "That's just it. None of those demon kings will believe it either."
Anna Yang paused, then suddenly understood. "Is this a scheme to sow discord?"
Monkey thought for a moment, then replied, "Not exactly. Call it testing the waters."
Anna Yang frowned. "Why did you wait until Nathan Young arrived before letting the Nine-Headed Wyrm go? And you made sure he saw Nathan Young, didn't you?"
Monkey glanced at Anna Yang, who looked puzzled, and smiled without answering.
Anna Yang sighed. "I feel like you're becoming more of a Sage's Path strategist than I am."
"Do I have a choice? Don't forget who my ultimate opponent is. If I can't outthink these demon kings, what else is there to discuss?"
...
"There's no way the few of us could take Blossom Mountain. Do you really think the Handsome Monkey King is the only one there? He's already used General Lee as leverage to strike a deal with South Heaven Gate. Now their army is his watchdog. If we rush in, we're just throwing our lives away!"
"How do you know he's already struck a deal with South Heaven Gate?"
"Nathan Young arrived just as I was leaving."
"Nathan Young arrived just as you were leaving? Did you actually see him with your own eyes?"
Without thinking, the Nine-Headed Wyrm replied, "Yes!"
Only after answering did he realize he'd fallen into another trap.
The faces of the demon kings darkened; King Roc even clicked his tongue and laughed. "So, South Heaven Gate and Blossom Mountain were negotiating such a secret deal, and they let you see Nathan Young arrive? Looks like you and the Handsome Monkey King hit it off right away. Don't tell me, after all that time in Blossom Mountain, he only kept you for tea? Just tea?"
The Nine-Headed Wyrm's teeth ground together audibly.
King Roc turned to King Bullhorn and continued, "The moment you entered the city, we saw the troops mobilizing. The demon army that had been stationed inside began searching the surroundings, and that rat spirit kept chasing every clue we left behind. With your cultivation, you couldn't possibly have missed the troop movements. Yet you claim you were just drinking tea—leisurely, at that? If you'd been under house arrest, I'd believe it. But you came out without a scratch. Did the Handsome Monkey King suddenly change his mind and let you go? Or did he want you to come back and tell us that he's made a deal with South Heaven Gate, so we'd stop thinking about attacking Blossom Mountain?"
With that, King Roc burst out laughing.
None of the other demon kings joined in.
The Nine-Headed Wyrm's face turned ashen. He clenched his teeth and fists, glaring at King Roc.
There was no way to explain it, and no way to make them believe.
Normally, he'd have already struck back. But today was different.
Being falsely accused was infuriating, but he couldn't lose his temper. Not here. Facing the Six Demon Kings, he might be able to fight his way out, but what about Princess Marina Azurewave and the Azurewave Dragon King?
After a long pause, he snorted. "If you don't trust me, then let's part ways peacefully."
With that, he turned to walk toward the inner chamber.
Just then, King Roc shouted, "Trying to leave? Not so easy!"
As he spoke, he lunged forward, thrusting his halberd at the Nine-Headed Wyrm.
The Nine-Headed Wyrm, ready for this, spun around. Instantly, black feathers sprouted across his bare chest, forming an armored shield.
Just as the halberd was about to pierce the Nine-Headed Wyrm's chest and the other demon kings prepared to strike, King Bullhorn leapt in front of him, swinging his iron staff to deflect King Roc's weapon.
"Enough!" King Bullhorn roared.
At his shout, the other demon kings halted their attacks.
Just then, supported by Princess Marina Azurewave, the Azurewave Dragon King emerged from the inner chamber, step by step.
"Old Dragon King, why have you come out?" King Bullhorn hurried past the Nine-Headed Wyrm to greet him. "If you're unwell, you should rest."
The Azurewave Dragon King coughed painfully into his hand and waved. "I heard everything."
"It's just a misunderstanding, Old Dragon King. Please don't take it to heart."