Chapter Seventeen: Fellow Disciples

“Filthy monkey, I’ll teach you a lesson.” King Yu Rong had intended to show off his powers before the Bull Demon King, but instead, his abilities had benefited Yuan Wujie, slapping his own face in the process. This was the first time King Yu Rong, ruler among demons in the mortal world, had suffered such a humiliation.

“If you have any tricks up your sleeve, go ahead and use them.” Yuan Wujie looked at King Yu Rong, who lay sprawled on the ground, and felt an urge to devour him.

When he was in Heaven, it was that wicked dragon who stoked his pride, and combined with his inability to control his innate powers, led to the bizarre impulse to swallow. Yet that dragon did possess some formidable abilities; monkeys are naturally afraid of water—even the long-armed apes are not adept swimmers. Swallowing the dragon gave him mastery over water, letting him move through it with ease.

Now, Yuan Wujie could control his innate supernatural abilities, and yet he still felt the urge to devour the wounded King Yu Rong. Clearly, the king possessed talents worth coveting.

“Fine, I’ll grant you your wish.” Water and fire surged together on King Yu Rong’s body, his form swelling to more than triple its previous size. The wounds from moments before seemed to vanish, and his aura grew even more overwhelming.

“Die!” King Yu Rong unleashed his attacks—one fist blazing, the other like a raging tide—relentlessly assaulting Yuan Wujie. Both fists struck simultaneously, forcing Yuan Wujie, who was using his Thunderwind Staff to defend his chest, to retreat.

For the first time since descending to the mortal realm, Yuan Wujie felt threatened. The attacks churned his blood, but he forcibly suppressed the surging energy. He activated his Mountain-moving, Sea-crossing divine power, channeling the Geng Metal essence within his core, infusing its power into his Thunderwind Staff, and charged at King Yu Rong.

With thunderous clashes, the two monkeys tangled fiercely, their blows sending shockwaves rippling out to the surrounding demons.

“Clear out of Firecloud Cave, at once!” The Bull Demon King shielded the others from the aftershocks, quickly ordering the demon horde to withdraw.

He himself remained inside. Neither monkey’s attack could harm him, and with Yuan Wujie’s unusual lineage, he was in no danger.

The two monkeys broke apart again atop Firecloud Cave. New wounds appeared on King Yu Rong, each inflicted by the sharp Geng Metal energy on Yuan Wujie’s staff. The king tried many times to block them, but failed, and aside from protecting vital spots, he ignored lesser injuries and focused solely on his offense.

Yuan Wujie, too, suffered injuries to his demon body during King Yu Rong’s full-force assault. Though the Geng Metal energy on his staff was razor-sharp, it couldn’t deal fatal blows; both traded wounds, each accumulating more gashes. King Yu Rong guarded his vital points with great care, deftly evading Yuan Wujie’s deadly strikes every time.

“I see you’re nothing special after all.” Yuan Wujie sensed that King Yu Rong’s powers couldn’t last much longer. Just moments ago, the king was battered and bloodied, but after unleashing his forbidden art, his aura soared. Such powers surely demanded a heavy price.

“Then let me show you the true strength of your grandfather, King Yu Rong.” The king hadn’t expected that even with his forbidden technique, he could only fight Yuan Wujie to a standstill. Activating it consumed his own vital essence, granting a brief surge of power. He had thought both he and Yuan Wujie were at the Celestial Immortal level, and even if Yuan Wujie was stronger, he couldn’t be that much stronger. With the forbidden art, victory should be assured. Yet in battle, he realized Yuan Wujie’s skills far outstripped his own, and now, pressed to the limit, he had no choice but to make sacrifices.

“Let’s see what you’re really made of.” Yuan Wujie felt King Yu Rong’s aura spiking again, the fiery and watery powers on his body beginning to merge.

It seemed he would have to use his trump card. Yuan Wujie prepared to unleash his ultimate killing technique. Though his current cultivation could barely support its activation, if he didn’t use it, King Yu Rong’s exploding power might prove fatal. With this killing art, Yuan Wujie was confident he could slay the king. Whatever kinship King Yu Rong had with the Bull Demon King, his own life was what mattered most.

Meanwhile, the Bull Demon King, witnessing the escalating conflict, knew it was time for him to intervene. If he didn’t, the overwhelming power both displayed would surely result in disaster for one of them, and whichever side suffered, he would be hard-pressed to justify it.

“A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! This is like the river flooding the Dragon King’s temple!” The Bull Demon King flew to the heart of their combat, stopping them from clashing again.

“Brother King Yu Rong, I’ve just remembered—this is an old friend of mine. It’s been so long since we last met, I forgot his face, which caused this misunderstanding. Will you both give me this favor and call a halt?” He hurried to smooth things over.

“Since you ask, brother, I’ll let him off this time.” King Yu Rong breathed a sigh of relief; had the fight continued, even a victory would cost him most of his cultivation.

“Hmph! Let me off? Don’t blame me for disregarding the Bull Demon King’s face. King Yu Rong, do you dare face your grandfather in a real fight?” Yuan Wujie, confronting his enemy, would not accept even the slightest humiliation.

“You…” King Yu Rong could no longer fight and could only retort verbally, but he hadn’t expected Yuan Wujie to be so forceful.

“Brother, please, grant me this favor. If this battle continues, your cave will be destroyed.” The Bull Demon King cursed King Yu Rong inwardly; beaten so badly and still provoking others, but he had to keep the situation under control.

“Since you’ve spoken, brother, I’ll spare King Yu Rong his miserable life for now.” Yuan Wujie’s words infuriated King Yu Rong, but at this moment, he was powerless to retaliate.

“All of you, come in!” The Bull Demon King summoned the demon horde back inside.

“This is my old friend. We hadn’t seen each other in so long, I failed to recognize him. Only after fighting King Yu Rong did I realize who he was. King Yu Rong is wounded; take him away to recuperate. I wish to catch up with my old friend.” Whether they believed him or not, the Bull Demon King ordered them to leave.

Another sudden turn. Truth Immortal and the Fox Adviser’s expressions changed repeatedly, their emotions more tumultuous than ever before. Best to return and await the king’s judgment; who could predict what would happen next?

With the Bull Demon King’s instruction to converse with Yuan Wujie, the cave was cleared of all other demons.

“May I ask…your name, honored monkey brother?” The Bull Demon King had intended to ask about Yuan Wujie’s master directly, but realized it would be too abrupt without first learning his name.

“No need for formality, brother Bull Demon King. My name is Yuan Wujie, disciple of the Doumu Palace, one of the thirty-six halls of Heaven. When I descended, my master instructed me that should I encounter you, I need only declare my master’s name, and you would treat me as a fellow disciple. Thus, I came to your cave.” Yuan Wujie understood what the Bull Demon King wished to know, and spoke plainly.

“I didn’t expect the Lady to remember me.”

“May I ask, brother, who is your master? Mine never mentioned you.” Yuan Wujie was curious which disciple of the Sect the Bull Demon King belonged to.

“There’s no harm in telling you—my father is Kui Niu.” The Bull Demon King spoke with pride; to be the mount of a living sage was an honor unmatched in the world.

“Brother, did the Lady entrust you with a message?” The Bull Demon King looked to Yuan Wujie.

“No, she merely instructed me to train well in the mortal world.”

“Haha, then I’ll take you around and show you the sights below!” The Bull Demon King threw an arm around Yuan Wujie’s shoulders and led him out of the cave.

“My lord!” The demon horde had all returned to their posts. The guards at the entrance saw the Bull Demon King and Yuan Wujie emerge and greeted them respectfully.

“Why are the bull soldiers on one side of the mountain and the fox soldiers on the other?” The Bull Demon King asked, puzzled, glancing at the bull soldiers.

“My lord, Second Lord issued an order a few days ago. The Fox Adviser objected, leading to a heated quarrel. For easier management of Firecloud Cave, Second Lord split the forces, assigning half to fox soldiers and half to bull soldiers.” The bull soldiers, loyal to Truth Immortal, naturally spoke on his behalf.

“Nonsense.” The Bull Demon King’s face darkened; was it over such a trivial matter that chaos erupted?

“My lord, it’s not as simple as that. Second Lord wanted to attack a village near Hao Mountain, but the Adviser argued that those villages pay tribute to Firecloud Cave every year. For the sake of long-term benefit, the Adviser opposed Second Lord’s command. When Second Lord decided to divide the cave’s forces, the Adviser protested, but Second Lord would not listen, relying on your support and repeatedly insulting the Adviser. Even when your old friend first arrived, Second Lord stepped forward to insult him as well.” The fox soldiers quickly explained.

“Outrageous! Truth Immortal dares behave so?” The Bull Demon King thought the dispute was just about attacking villages—a minor issue easily resolved with some discipline. But to insult Yuan Wujie, his honored guest, he could not let it pass.

From birth, Kui Niu had repeatedly taught him the bonds of sect brotherhood. Yet, on Yuan Wujie’s first arrival, Truth Immortal dared act so arrogantly. Without some punishment, he would become truly lawless.