Traveling Through Journey to the West: I Am the Dragon King

Upon hearing the demon king's words, Yun Chonghua then said, "Alas, that's not quite right. Since ancient times, people have always strived for higher positions, just as water flows downhill. If one doesn't secure a position in the Heavenly Court and register as an immortal, no matter how powerful one is, one can never escape the label of 'demon.'"

"But if one receives a divine decree and is ordained by Heaven, then one is at least an 'immortal.' If one can attain immortality and shed the label of 'demon,' one can benefit all living beings in the Three Realms. What harm is there in being subject to some restrictions?"

Wukong remained silent upon hearing this, seemingly lost in thought.

At this moment, a demon king stepped forward and said, "What does it matter if we are immortals or demons? In this blessed land of Flower Fruit Mountain, Your Majesty can call yourself king or saint. As for whether we are immortals or demons, why should we let others bestow titles upon us?"

The remaining demon kings echoed this sentiment, spouting carefree platitudes. The unspoken message was that being a free and independent king was far better than being a slave. They asserted that their king possessed extraordinary abilities and the secret to immortality, and therefore had no need to concern himself with the Heavenly Court.

The voice of the Demon King of the Seventy-Two Caves quickly drowned out Yun Chonghua's advice.

Wukong glanced at the group of seventy-two demon kings who had just been subdued, and then at Yun Chonghua sitting beside him.

Seeing Wukong's hesitant expression, Yun Chonghua sighed inwardly.

Seeing the demons' reactions, he now had a feeling of Liangshan surrendering to the imperial court. He wanted to secure a future for his brothers, but unfortunately, his brothers' men were not of one mind.

However, this is only natural, since Yun Chonghua's "amnesty" was not as good as Song Jiang's.

When Song Jiang accepted the imperial pardon, all 107 of his brothers, regardless of rank, received official positions and rewards.

But among Yun Chonghua's disciples, only Wukong is qualified to serve as an official in Heaven, instead of bringing all seventy-two demon kings from the caves with him.

How could the Demon King of the Seventy-Two Caves be willing to accept that good fortune cannot be shared?

If Wukong did not accept the offer of amnesty, he could be called "King" in the mountains.

The seventy-two demon kings who had submitted to him could also be called "minor kings" under his command. Not only did they all have a kingly title, but they also had a highly skilled person to look after them. They could be described as "outlaws" living a carefree life.

But if Wukong ascends to heaven and becomes an official, leaving the land alone, they will not only lose a capable protector, but they might also become enemies who hunt down these "demons" in the future.

They might even use these monsters as a "pledge of allegiance" to gain promotions and titles in Heaven.

The most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart. Right now, everyone has their own ulterior motives, so they will naturally do their best to stop Yun Chonghua and keep Wukong by their side.

Moreover, Huaguo Mountain's power is currently at its zenith.

Even the Lion Camel Ridge, which is haunted by the three demons for eight hundred miles, has only forty-seven or forty-eight thousand lesser demons.

Currently, on Flower Fruit Mountain, Wukong's direct line of monkeys numbers over 47,000. Adding the large and small followers of the seventy-two demon kings, the total is considerable.

With nearly 100,000 demon soldiers at their disposal, not to mention that Flower Fruit Mountain is still recruiting talented individuals.

This is why Wukong asked about Yun Chonghua's future as soon as they met. If Chonghua was not successful, he could come to Flower Fruit Mountain and become the "Second King," sharing the prestige of the demon realm with him.

Today, Flower Fruit Mountain is at its zenith, with demons offering tribute year after year, performing drills in all four seasons, and collecting grain according to festivals. All are meticulously organized, making Flower Fruit Mountain as impregnable as an iron fortress. They also craft golden drums, display colorful flags, forge armor, and train their skills daily.

Nowadays, not only in this Eastern Continent, but even across the entire Four Continents, there is no monster group stronger than Flower Fruit Mountain.

Today's Sun Wukong truly deserves the title of "the most famous demon throughout history, revered by all the world's mountains and rivers."

Furthermore, Huaguo Mountain is a crucial location, being the "ancestral vein of the ten continents and the source of the three islands." Not only is it rich in spiritual energy for cultivation, but it also boasts numerous rare and exotic plants and flowers.

With such resources at his disposal, it's no wonder that Wukong became so arrogant that he wanted to challenge the Heavenly Court.

At the height of the power of the demons of Flower Fruit Mountain, Yun Chonghua came to "poach" him and talk about "recruiting" him. The fact that the demon kings of the seventy-two caves didn't "kick him out" was already a great favor to him as the "second-in-command".

Seeing that he couldn't defy the public's anger, Yun Chonghua decided to stop trying to persuade them. He said, "Hehe, that's not wrong. Since everyone has their own ambitions, I won't force them."

Wukong also said, "Hehe, today we brothers are reunited, let's not talk about these things! Come! Let's drink!"

The two brothers then drank a few more cups.

Just then, Yun Chonghua's soul sensed the mountain spirit's call.

"Hurry back, I found something interesting in the river."

Although Yun Chonghua didn't know what the mountain spirit was talking about, since she had taken the initiative to call him, she must have indeed discovered a treasure.

Yun Chonghua glanced at the sun on the horizon and felt that it was about time.

So Yun Chonghua said to Wukong, "Brother, we are reunited today, and I am deeply grateful for your hospitality. However, I still have some matters to attend to at my residence. I will not trouble you any further today. We will meet again another day. If you have the time, you are welcome to visit the Sishui River God's Palace."

When Wukong heard that Yun Chonghua was leaving, he stood up and said, "Brother, since you have important business to attend to, please feel free to do as you please. We brothers don't need such worldly formalities. You can come and go as you please in my Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain."

Yun Chonghua stood up, cupped his hands to Wukong, and said, "Alright! In that case, I'll return to my residence first and meet with you again another day, brother."

Just as Wukong was about to see him off, Yun Chonghua suddenly remembered the matter of the Four Dragon Kings coming to Heaven to complain.

He had almost forgotten about the four old mudskippers because they posed no threat whatsoever.

at this time

Yun Chonghua stopped and said, "By the way, brother, when I came here, I saw the Four Dragon Kings ascend to heaven together. You were wearing armor and carrying weapons that were all obtained from the Dragon Palace. It seems they went to the Jade Emperor to file a complaint. Brother, you must be extremely careful."

At this moment, the Demon King said, "Grandpa Dragon King, do not worry. Your Majesty's abilities are extraordinary, and with our assistance, what can the Four Seas Dragon Kings do?"

Upon hearing this, Yun Chonghua shook his head. Now he truly understood what it meant to be "ignorant of one's own limitations."

Seeing Yun Chonghua shake his head, Wukong said, "Don't worry, brother. I'll handle this carefully."

Yun Chonghua nodded and said, "Alright! In that case, I'll head back now. Farewell, brother!"

Afterwards, Wukong escorted Yun Chonghua down from the high platform. After the two brothers bid farewell, Yun Chonghua rode on auspicious clouds and went straight back to Sishui.

In a short while, Yun Chonghua had returned to the Sishui River God's Palace.

The mountain spirit waited in front of the water palace.

Yun Chonghua asked, "What treasure did you find? Why did you call me back in such a hurry?"

The mountain spirit didn't answer directly, but instead kept her in suspense, saying, "You're truly blessed. The tremors and the river's backflow just now actually washed that treasure out. I just don't know if you can lift it up."

Seeing the mountain spirit's mysterious demeanor, Yun Chonghua became even more puzzled.

Although the Mountain Spirit is an incarnation of the White Tiger God and is somewhat playful, he is not an unreliable person.

Yun Chonghua didn't ask any more questions and simply followed her to the place where the "treasure" had been found.