Chapter 34: The East Sea Dragon Palace?

Suddenly, the Green Snake King’s expression shifted, and he cried out in alarm, "Are you having me monitored?"

"Monitored, you say..." Yu Qiye could only say that such a term didn't quite fit. As the creator of the two "Demon Seeds," Yu Qiye could faintly sense their positions. He had been aware the moment the Green Snake King left the Flower-Fruit Mountain. One does not simply let a meal slip away once it is within reach. More importantly, the Demon Seeds were manifestations of a portion of his own soul and could not be lost. Thus, Yu Qiye had come.

Seemingly intimidated by Yu Qiye’s terrifying strength, the Green Snake King took a deep breath, suppressing the ripples of fear in his heart, and explained, "King Tianya, I only felt that there was a stroke of fortune in the East and wished to pay a visit. I do not know why you would stand in my way."

Without a word, Yu Qiye simply raised his right hand.

"Oh, no!" The Green Snake King let out a startled cry and, without a moment’s hesitation, reverted to his true form. "Hiss... Hiss..." With a piercing cry, a massive green serpent, dozens of feet long, appeared in the sky.

Yet, at that very moment, the wind reversed, swirling into a gargantuan cyan tornado that engulfed the Green Snake King’s entire body. "Hiss... Hiss..." A shrill, agonizing hiss echoed across the heavens.

"King Tianya, I have no feud with you! Why do you commit such a ruthless act?"
"King Tianya, I will fight you to the death!"
"No, no! King Tianya, please, spare me, I beg you..."

No matter how the Green Snake King shrieked, Yu Qiye remained unmoved. He simply held his right hand up, unleashing a terrifying suction force. Visibly, the Green Snake King’s body shrank under the constriction of the cyan tornado... until it was reduced to the size of a fist, falling into Yu Qiye’s palm.

This was the nature of the Demon Seed: refining flesh, soul, and cultivation into a single, pure "Demon Pill."

Just then, a voice called out from above the clouds, "I wondered who was making such a stir. So it is Brother Crow." A figure emerged—it was the Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong. Yu Qiye’s actions had created quite a commotion, and Sun Wukong, still within the Water Curtain Cave, had sensed it and arrived immediately.

"This Green Snake demon harbored a grudge against me from years ago. I am merely rooting out the weeds," Yu Qiye explained, flipping his hand to tuck the "Demon Seed" into his sleeve.

"Rightly so, rightly so," Sun Wukong nodded repeatedly. "Come, shall we go to my Water Curtain Cave for a drink?"

"Very well," Yu Qiye replied. With a slight nod and a spread of his wings, he flew straight toward the Water Curtain Cave.

...

Inside the Water Curtain Cave, clear springs cascaded, and water dripped from the cliff crevices at the entrance. The droplets fell like crystalline jade beads, forming a shimmering curtain. Yu Qiye and the Monkey King arrived in succession as streaks of light, descending before the stone table at the highest point of the cave. The table was already laden with spirit wine and celestial fruits, and below, countless monkeys and ape descendants gathered.

Yu Qiye noticed several formidable demons among the monkey troupe: a wolf demon, a leopard demon, and even a vibrant green mantis demon—likely of the same clan as the twin-bladed mantis he had encountered before.

"As expected of the Handsome Monkey King, you certainly have a way of making friends," Yu Qiye remarked. The Tianya Cave had been established for over a decade, yet it had never seen the liveliness of this day at the Water Curtain Cave.

"Who is this?" many of the demons wondered, noticing the newcomer on the high dais. He was slender, possessed a pair of wings, and his expression was exceedingly cold and stern, giving off an aura of chilling mystery.

"This is King Tianya, my brother. His strength is not a whit inferior to my own," Sun Wukong introduced him before Yu Qiye could even speak.

"What? The Great King’s brother?"
"Wait, this is actually King Tianya?"

Exclamations of shock rippled through the demons. Although Yu Qiye and Sun Wukong were fellow disciples, they had agreed to address each other as brothers in public, never revealing the truth of their master-disciple bond.

...

The demons drank and made merry, some even dancing in the open—a joyous scene indeed. However, Sun Wukong suddenly sighed, "I know not why, but I always feel as if something is missing."

Yu Qiye narrowed his eyes, vaguely sensing what was on the Monkey King’s mind. "I suspect you feel the lack of a proper outfit and a weapon that suits your hand?"

Sun Wukong’s eyes lit up. "Brother Crow truly understands me." He stepped forward, "Do you have any suggestions?"

"With your vast supernatural powers, ordinary weapons would certainly not suffice," Yu Qiye said, taking a sip of wine.

"That is true, that is true," the Monkey King nodded repeatedly.

"Then I am afraid I am at a loss," Yu Qiye said, spreading his hands. Even now, he lacked a weapon of his own.

"..." Sun Wukong blinked, looking a bit bewildered. Just then, as if realizing something, an old monkey stepped forward. "Great King, might you be able to descend into the sea?"

"Descend into the sea? What is difficult about that?" Sun Wukong said boastfully, "Since I achieved success in my cultivation, I have paths to the heavens and doors into the earth. I can walk through the sun and moon without a shadow, pass through metal and stone without obstruction, water cannot drown me, and fire cannot burn me. Not to mention the sea, where is there in this world that I cannot go?"

"Wonderful!" The old monkey exclaimed, "Since the Great King has such powers, you could visit our neighbor, the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace. The Dragon Palace holds countless treasures; if the Great King is willing, you could seek out the old Dragon King and demand a weapon that suits you."

Sun Wukong’s eyes gleamed at the mention. No one noticed that Yu Qiye, who was drinking, wore a strange expression. He had scrutinized the old monkey—he was entirely ordinary, unlike the previous White Ape who had been shrouded in mystery. He was, it seemed, just an ordinary monkey demon.

*It makes sense,* Yu Qiye mused. *Before, when the Monkey King was merely mortal, the immortals and Buddhas dared to observe him, even scheme against him. But now that he has achieved cultivation and possesses his Golden Eyes, even a Great Luo Immortal would risk exposure.*

Yu Qiye realized this was a good thing—good for both him and the Monkey King. No longer would they have to worry about some grand power secretly playing a role-playing game.

Sun Wukong rose suddenly and looked at Yu Qiye. "Brother Crow, would you care to accompany me?"

"No," Yu Qiye refused decisively. He desired a low profile. If he dared to storm the Dragon Palace with the Monkey King today, that shameless old Dragon King would dare to report him to the Heavenly Court by tomorrow. And then, he would be exposed to the eyes of all the immortals—something Yu Qiye did not desire.

"Very well, then I shall return shortly." Sun Wukong turned into a streak of light and dove into the lake beneath the Water Curtain Cave. The lake led directly to the Eastern Sea; calling the Dragon Palace a neighbor was no exaggeration.

Watching the Monkey King depart, Yu Qiye’s lips curled into a subtle arc. "As impetuous as ever." With a sigh, he transformed into a wisp of breeze and vanished silently into the depths of the cave, leaving the demons behind to stare at one another in confusion.