Chapter 337: The Script's Prologue Begins, Grievances and Disputes Resolved

"Open it and see!"

Seeing Yuan Hong cast a puzzled look, Sun Wukong chuckled and said no more, merely gesturing for him to open the animal-hide pouch in his hand~

Yuan Hong did not hesitate; his Dharma power probed inside, and instantly his breathing grew rapid, for the animal-hide pouch was packed to the brim with all manner of treasures.

There were divine weapons of a thousand forms, as well as various Spirit Treasures, divine materials, spiritual objects,... and so on and so forth, too numerous to count.

These were all things the Monkey had plundered from the Longgong treasury; all of them were suffused with treasure light, rising incessantly, and it could be said that none were ordinary items, for their quality was astonishing.

Even that square-sky painted halberd the Monkey had put away earlier was among them.

Yuan Hong raised his head and looked at him with a complex expression.

Sun Wukong winked and laughed, "Little Brother, don't misunderstand; this isn't for you~"

"Your master has helped me so much, and I, Old Sun, didn't have anything good to offer as a thank-you gift before. Now that I finally have some, consider it me borrowing flowers to present to the Buddha~"

Although this Monkey was prone to arrogance when successful, he was not entirely devoid of gratitude; of course, it was mostly for the sake of his reputation—some favors were simply impossible not to repay.

In any case, he hadn't expended much Great Strength to obtain these things, so taking a portion to give to that Yuanlong as a thank-you gift didn't pain him at all~

Yuan Hong pondered for a moment, but in the end, he tossed the animal-hide pouch in his hand back to Sun Wukong.

"Brother Yuan?"

Seeing Yuan Hong decline, Sun Wukong hurriedly said:

"This is a token of my, Old Sun's, sincere heart. Come to think of it, if not for the reputation of your master Yuanlong, I fear I would never have obtained these treasures~"

Having said this, his expression suddenly turned gloomy, and he said with half-genuine, half-feigned anger, "Little Brother, by declining like this, could it be that you look down on me, Old Sun?"

Yuan Hong's brows twitched. Looking at the baleful energy rising between his brows, he couldn't help but mutter inwardly that this Handsome Monkey King was truly fickle! He would flip his face at the slightest provocation~

He hurriedly shook his head to explain, "Old Brother, you've overthought it! It's not that I'm declining, but these things of yours are meant for my master, and I, your little brother, truly dare not overstep my bounds~"

"Moreover, to be honest~"

Yuan Hong paused, deliberately piquing Sun Wukong's curiosity, before continuing, "Based on my understanding of my master, he would not accept this thank-you gift of yours~"

"He won't accept it?" Sun Wukong was stunned, saying, "Could it be that he thinks this gift of mine, Old Sun, is too meager?"

"That's not it~"

Yuan Hong shook his head and said, "It is mainly because my master has always been kind and charitable, never seeking rewards, so he simply would not accept this thank-you gift of yours~"

Yuan Hong felt that this statement was nonsense even as he said it. He had been a trusted aide to his master for some time now, so he naturally knew that his master was the type who would never release the hawk until he saw the rabbit~

It was a far cry from the image he had described.

However, there was one point he hadn't lied to this Handsome Monkey King about: his master truly would not accept this thank-you gift so straightforwardly.

A refusal was the most likely outcome.

After all, he had always remembered his master's previous instructions; everything done and every action taken had only one purpose.

That was to do everything in his power to gain the favor of this Handsome Monkey King of Huaguo Mountain~

Although he didn't understand what use the favor of this Handsome Monkey King would have given his master's current status and position, since his master had given such instructions, it was clear that in his master's heart, a few treasures were not worth as much as the favor of this Handsome Monkey King. Yuan Hong embellished and flattered Fang Longye quite a bit, and Sun Wukong actually believed it, unable to help but say, "Your master Yuanlong is truly of noble character and high integrity~"

"However, Little Brother~"

Sun Wukong changed the subject, scratching his ears and cheeks, "I, Old Sun, am truly offering my thanks sincerely. It's just that if your master doesn't accept this gift, I won't feel at ease in my heart~"

Yuan Hong's eyes flickered, and he smiled brightly, "Don't panic, let me advise you~"

Immediately, he feigned a moment of deep thought, then suddenly laughed aloud: "I have it!"

He looked at Sun Wukong and said slowly, "I remember telling you earlier, Old Brother, that my master Yuanlong has a wedding approaching soon. You could very well present these things as a wedding gift~"

"That would be reasonable and appropriate, and your attitude would be sincere; I imagine my master would not refuse~"

Sun Wukong was overjoyed and clapped his hands, saying, "What Brother Yuan says is very true! It just so happens that I, Old Sun, can go join in the fun and see how the wedding of us cultivators differs from those of the mortals!"

However, amidst his joy, Sun Wukong was troubled, "It's just that I don't even have an invitation. To show up for no reason, I fear I might disturb your master."

He knew how to be polite now; when he was raiding Longgong, he hadn't shown such concerns.

It could only be said that the series of actions Yuan Hong had taken since meeting him had deeply imprinted the unfathomable image of Fang Longye into the Monkey's mind.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong is human nature.

The Monkey naturally had his concerns, fearing that showing up uninvited would annoy that unfathomable Yuanlong~ Yuan Hong smiled, "Is that all? It's just an invitation; leave it to me~"

Sun Wukong was naturally delighted and said, "Then many thanks, Brother Yuan!"

"Pah~" Yuan Hong waved his hand and said, "What is there to thank me for~"

Continuing to deepen this Handsome Monkey King's favor for his master, he added, "My master Yuanlong has always held you in high regard; even without me, I fear he would have sent an invitation to invite you to attend his wedding~"

Sun Wukong touched his head and laughed happily, "I never thought that I, Old Sun, being unknown, could actually catch the eye of your master Yuanlong~"

"My master loves making friends!"

Yuan Hong breathed a sigh of relief in his heart; he had finally completed his master's instructions for the most part.

As a key figure in the Journey to the West, and even a protagonist, Fang Longye naturally wanted to meet Sun Wukong and strike up a friendship~

But as mentioned before,

To go out of one's way to approach him would be too demeaning. How could that compare to this Monkey taking the initiative to come and build a connection? Therefore,

Even without this encounter with Sun Wukong, Yuan Hong, upholding Fang Longye's instructions, would have found an opportunity to guide this Monkey to participate in the upcoming wedding~ After some laughter and conversation, the two ended their talk, and surrounded by the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain, they entered the Water Curtain Cave to hold a grand banquet to celebrate the joy of obtaining the treasures~ After three rounds of wine,

The atmosphere in the cave grew heated, and the monkeys began to play finger-guessing games and toast one another.

At this moment, a monkey holding a ladle of Monkey Wine approached the high seat to toast its Great King, and at the same time, it gathered the courage to ask:

"Great King, we have seen that armor; it is truly a fine set of armor, such brilliant colors! But I wonder, what is the story behind the weapon the Great King obtained?"

"Compared to the divine weapons distributed to us, what are its wonders?"

Once these words were spoken, they naturally drew the agreement of the monkeys, who all shouted, "Great King, tell us about it!"

"Haha!"

Sun Wukong took the ladle of Monkey Wine, drank it in one gulp, let out a hiccup, and laughed loudly:

"Very well, I shall let you all witness the mysteries of this Ruyi Golden Cudgel of mine!"

He immediately stood the Ruyi Jingu Bang upright in Water Curtain Cave, pointed at it, and said, "Whoever among you can move this, I, Old Sun, will reward you handsomely!"

The monkeys heard this and immediately began to clamor and make a ruckus, each coming to try and lift the treasure, yet it was like a dragonfly trying to shake an iron tree; they could not budge it in the slightest.

Even the four old apes among them with the greatest strength could do nothing about this iron rod.

They bit their fingers and stuck out their tongues, saying, "Grandfather! It is so heavy, how did you manage to bring it here, Great King!"

Sun Wukong laughed heartily, stood up and approached, opened his hand, grabbed it, and said to the crowd with a smile:

"As the saying goes: 'A good bird chooses its tree to roost in.' This divine object is the same; it is born with spirit and chooses its own master."

"Never mind you lot, this treasure was suppressed in the Sea Treasury for who knows how many years, and only this year, upon meeting this Great King, did it shine with such brilliance~ In the past, that Dragon King didn't even recognize this treasure, treating it merely as a piece of black iron; that fellow couldn't even lift it himself."

"If I, Old Sun, hadn't been dissatisfied with the other weapons in his Longgong, that old coward probably wouldn't even have remembered this piece of divine iron in the Sea Treasury! It is also true that things have their own masters; this divine iron sat in the Sea Treasury for so many years, and not a single person could lift it, yet the moment I, Old Sun, went there, I merely complained that it was a bit too thick and long, and it changed in response, following my heart's desire to become shorter and thinner~"

"I, Old Sun... there is a line of characters on it, clearly visible, which reads 'Ruyi Jingu Bang'..."

The monkeys could not help but say, "Could it be fated from a past life that the Great King was meant to obtain this treasure!"

Sun Wukong, receiving the praise of his own subjects, was naturally full of pride and happy to the extreme~ Yuan Hong, standing to the side, felt his face twitch upon hearing this, and could not help but complain in his heart: this monkey has great abilities, but his knowledge is truly pitifully shallow~ He actually thinks that the East Sea Dragon King, a Taiyi Golden Immortal, wouldn't recognize a Merit Spiritual Treasure? I wonder what the origin of this monkey really is? His strength and his knowledge truly do not match~

He could not help but develop a deep interest in Sun Wukong's background.

However, thinking of how the East Sea Dragon King, a Taiyi Golden Immortal, still acted so humble and put on an act to deceive Sun Wukong, and even his own master was going out of his way to get close to him, he dismissed his curiosity~

When he was small, his grandfather had told him a principle: eat only as much as your bowl can hold.

The water here is too deep!

What you shouldn't know, don't go prying into. Curiosity can kill a monkey~ Sun Wukong, under the praise and flattery of the monkeys, felt his spirits rise and shouted, "Children, watch this Great King's divine powers!"

Immediately, he lifted the Ruyi Jingu Bang, turned a somersault, jumped out of the cave, used the Law of Heaven and Earth, arched his back, and shouted: "Grow!"

Instantly, his body grew in response.

In a flash, he was tens of thousands of feet tall, his head like Mount Tai, his waist like a towering ridge, his eyes like lightning, his mouth like a blood basin, and his teeth like swords and halberds; a power so fierce it was unrivaled erupted, surging straight into the clouds and obscuring the sunlight in the sky.

"'Law of Heaven and Earth'!"

Yuan Hong watched, his internal Dharma power surging, and he felt a bit eager to try, his hands itching, wanting to spar with this monkey~

This divine power was not one he didn't know, though it was not as powerful as the one displayed by this Handsome Monkey King.

But the next moment, Yuan Hong extinguished the thought of sparring with Sun Wukong~ He saw the iron rod in his hand also grow in response, becoming so tall it touched the sky and reached the earth.

With a slight stir, it frightened all the tigers, leopards, wolves, and insects, the monsters all over the mountain, and the Seventy-two Cave Demon Kings, making them kowtow and worship, trembling and terrified out of their wits.

"A perfect match~"

Feeling this might that made his heart tremble with fear, Yuan Hong sighed helplessly.

He could still spar a little with the Law of Heaven and Earth, but when the Law of Heaven and Earth was combined with the Ruyi Jingu Bang, it was truly peerless and unstoppable.

Previously, he could still fight him for dozens of rounds, even if this Handsome Monkey King was holding back, he could still spar for ten or twenty rounds.

But now, with this Handsome Monkey King possessing the Ruyi Jingu Bang, he feared he wouldn't even be a match for one blow; if one rod came down, he would likely lose his life! It seems this Ruyi Jingu Bang is indeed a top-tier treasure, and from this, one can see how deep the water behind this Handsome Monkey King is! Thinking of this,

Yuan Hong became increasingly cautious.

"Exhilarating, truly exhilarating."

Sun Wukong retracted his divine power, leaped over to Yuan Hong, and shouted, "Truly exhilarating!"

Then he looked at Yuan Hong before him, his eyes shining brightly, and said eagerly:

"Brother Yuan, why don't we have a spar!"

Yuan Hong was startled, knowing this would happen, and quickly waved his hands, saying: "Better not! Brother Sun's divine powers are boundless, this little brother admits defeat!"

Seeing Yuan Hong decline, Sun Wukong smacked his lips several times, looking quite disappointed.

Fortunately, before long, the Demon Kings from various caves all came to offer congratulations, some presenting golden drums, some colorful flags, some armor, wishing to pay homage to Sun Wukong as their lord, offering tribute every year and reporting for duty in the four seasons.

This made Sun Wukong overjoyed; he immediately unfurled his banners, beat the gongs, set out a wide array of delicacies and flavors, filled the cups with coconut wine and grape nectar, and feasted with the crowd.

As for that feeling of disappointment that had arisen in his heart, it was naturally cast to the back of his mind~

After the feast,

Sun Wukong, with the help of Yuan Hong, began to gather the monkeys, totaling over forty-seven thousand, and appointed the four old monkeys as commanders to lead the monkey troop.

The two Chijiri Horse Monkeys were called Marshals Ma and Liu, and the two Tongbei Apes were called Generals Beng and Ba; led by these four commanders, they lined up for drills.

He also integrated the other demon crowds of Huaguo Mountain, organizing them into auxiliary troops and demon civilians, some following the drills, some following the seasons to collect grain, all in perfect order.

Practicing martial arts and raising an army, he turned Huaguo Mountain into an iron-walled city, beginning his journey to make a name for himself across the Four Seas~...

Returning to Fang Longye, in Beiju Luzhou, at the former site of the Yuanyang Sect, where flying pavilions stood tall on pine cliffs, Fang Longye still guarded the intersection between that Honghu World and the present world.

Just at this moment, a streak of colorful light suddenly emerged from the void, and in just an instant, it submerged into the top of Fang Longye's head and disappeared.

It was the incarnation of his thought that had gone to the East Sea, returning to his true self.

"These Four Sea Dragon Kings have a firm heart for the Dao; even though the hope is slim, they still do not give up or despair~"

Fang Longye recalled the conversation his thought incarnation had just had with these four old dragons and shook his head with a smile.

"However, if I hadn't intervened, they might have actually gotten their wish~"

Fang Longye thought to himself.

At the very least, East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang had a chance, in this epoch, to seize enough Heavenly Luck and fortune to attain the Dao of Daluo~ After all, whether in Journey to the West or Eastward Journey, the East Sea Dragon King's role is not insignificant.

"It doesn't matter!"

Fang Longye said in a great mood.

Not to mention, after his intervention, Ao Guang's role in Journey to the West would likely be reduced quite a bit.

Anyway, he had already reconciled with the Four Sea Dragon Kings regarding this matter. Even Ao Guang, who had lost a son because of him, was no exception~

Things naturally went as he had expected.

After he provided compensation, these four old dragons were all beaming with joy; at the very least, the resentment in their hearts towards him had dissipated significantly~

After all, the items he brought out had great origins, all coming from the battlefield ruins of the Longbo Clan and the Giant Ao Clan.

Although each piece looked tattered—some Turtle Shell fragments, a section of broken bone, and the like—these were all things left behind by Daluo.

The Great Luo Dao aura remaining on it alone is a rare stroke of fortune, enough to make most Taiyi Golden Immortals flock to it—come to think of it, this battlefield ruin was indeed a fortuitous encounter born specifically for him.

Yet, under the rotation of Heaven and Earth, it was originally meant to appear only when he was about to attain the Great Luo Dao.

As a result, through the interference of Yinglong Laozu, it was forcibly brought forward to the Golden Immortal stage.

Although he cannot yet get his hands on the innermost and most precious fortune, the things he has obtained from the periphery alone make him feel stuffed at his current stage.

After all, his cultivation realm is far, far lower than the realm he was originally meant to have when it appeared.

Many things have naturally become precious to him now—no, they are precious even to Taiyi Golden Immortals; one only needs to look at the reactions of the Four Seas Dragon Kings when they saw the things he brought out to see that.

These four old dragons, who are single-mindedly seeking to attain the Great Luo Dao, naturally would no longer begrudge his interference.

After all,

If one really looks into it, Ao Guang has not lost anything, and even that Ruyi Golden Cudgel, which ranks as a top-tier Merit Spiritual Treasure, will have the Brahma sect foot the bill.

At this time, Ao Guang only has hearsay and a half-understood grasp of the importance of the item to Monkey.

He does not know that this favor to Monkey will bring him such immense Heavenly Luck and merit when the Journey to the West eventually unfolds—

(End of this chapter)