< Chapter 72: The Death of Yuan Dasheng >
"Father, I heard you're planning to find a demon cultivation technique for Uncle Monkey? Please don't do this!" Yuan Er burst into the study, shouting.
Yuan Yi's face turned ashen, and he roared, "Shut up! Who's been spreading nonsense to you?"
"Father, Uncle Monkey's power is already uncontrollable. Those monkeys and their offspring, calling them spirit pets is inaccurate; they are the true masters. The cultivators are merely their caretakers, no more than slaves."
"The situation is already dire. If Uncle Monkey's power increases further, it will only get worse!"
"By then, who will control the Monkey Head Gang?" Yuan Er pleaded earnestly.
Yuan Yi's lips quivered slightly, and he fell into a deathly silence.
The Monkey Head Gang was an enterprise he had built through a lifetime of hard work.
It was easy to conquer a territory, but maintaining it was a different story.
Yuan Dasheng was a Fire Fusion Demon Ape, undeniably powerful.
When fighting side by side, this was an absolute advantage. But now that the Monkey Head Gang was well-established and no other faction posed a threat, this advantage had become an internal concern.
Yuan Er was his only blood relative, and the Monkey Head Gang was to be passed down to him. But could he truly take command?
Yuan Yi had confidence in himself and had no doubt about his relationship with Yuan Dasheng. But when it came to Yuan Er and Yuan Dasheng's relationship, he had severe doubts.
Yuan Yi pondered for an entire day and night. Finally, with a pale face, he called Yuan Er and instructed him, "You must remember! Always treat your Uncle Monkey with the utmost respect. You must hold him in higher regard than you hold me. Understand?"
"Understood!" Yuan Er immediately promised, feeling a surge of joy in his heart.
Guilt-ridden, Yuan Er indeed showed even more respect than before.
All the members of the gang also held Yuan Dasheng in higher regard.
When Yuan Er became the leader, his situation was awkward. He had to rely on Yuan Dasheng to command respect. However, because he repeatedly relied on Yuan Dasheng, he couldn't truly command respect on his own.
Yuan Er knelt by the bed, looking at Yuan Dasheng.
"Uncle Monkey, your kindness to me is as deep as the mountains. I know it, and I remember it in my heart."
"But the emissary was right. Letting you linger on the sickbed is the greatest insult to you!"
"I, I don't want to do this, because I respect you! I admire you!"
"I think, if my father knew, he would definitely agree with what I’m doing."
"I know he would understand me… The enemy is too strong, even the entire Monkey Head Gang cannot contend."
"In that case, I'll join them!"
"My father often said that a true man can bend and stretch."
"What I’m doing, enduring such humiliation, is all to preserve our foundation."
"Uncle Monkey, you must understand my intentions!"
"The Monkey Head Gang is the result of you and my father’s lifetime of struggle. It must not be destroyed in my hands."
"I have to pass it on, pass it to my son, my grandson."
"With this development and growth, one day we will establish the Yuan family as a cultivation family and become the fifth power in Huoshi City!"
"Uncle Monkey, please understand me, don't blame me! You must understand me, right?"
Yuan Er kept murmuring in his heart.
Suddenly, Yuan Dasheng slowly opened his eyes.
Yuan Er's body trembled as if struck by lightning.
Yuan Dasheng's eyes were completely gray and cloudy, devoid of any light.
He couldn't see anything, nor could he hear, but he still had a sense of smell, and he caught the familiar scent of Yuan Er.
Yuan Dasheng tried to get up, his body as heavy as a mountain. He tried to lift his hand, but it was mostly numb.
In the end, he could only slowly extend his finger, pointing towards Yuan Er.
Yuan Er was startled, falling backward onto the ground.
The next moment, Yuan Dasheng's index finger slowly dropped, and he exhaled his last breath.
Yuan Er was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud sobs, tears streaming down his face.
He knelt, walking on his knees, and threw himself onto Yuan Dasheng's corpse, wailing, "Uncle Monkey, Uncle Monkey!"
He cried out the words his father hadn't finished before his death, "Uncle Monkey, I'm sorry. Uncle Monkey, I’m so sorry…"
Unbeknownst to him, Ning Zhuo had also stepped out of the small study.
He stood behind Yuan Er, witnessing with his own eyes the final moments of Yuan Dasheng's life.
Finally, Yuan Dasheng was dead.
But at that moment of success, Ning Zhuo's joy was far less intense and overwhelming than he had imagined.
Ning Zhuo's feelings were complicated at this time.
Yuan Dasheng's downfall was entirely due to Ning Zhuo. Yet, to his dying breath, Yuan Dasheng never knew of Ning Zhuo's existence. He didn't even know how he had provoked such a formidable enemy.
Ning Zhuo never actually wanted to be enemies with Yuan Dasheng. Before Yuan Dasheng stormed the Immortal Palace, they had never even met once.
Fate had used the Lava Immortal Palace as a stage, placing Ning Zhuo and Yuan Dasheng on a narrow path of death. It was either you die, or I perish!
There was no second choice.
"If there was a choice, Yuan Dasheng, I would actually prefer to have you as an ally!"
With regret, Ning Zhuo stepped forward to handle Yuan Dasheng's corpse.
Yuan Er, shocked, instinctively reached out to stop him.
However, Ning Zhuo kicked him aside, finally revealing the disdain and anger he felt deep inside, and hissed, "Get out of the way!"
Even though Yuan Er had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, what good was it with such a temperament?
When Ning Zhuo saw Yuan Dasheng in the bedroom, he confirmed that the Fire Fusion Demon Ape had not taken the Late Autumn Life Preservation Pill.
Zhu Xuanji had clearly handed the Late Autumn Life Preservation Pill to Yuan Er, but the latter had never given it to Yuan Dasheng.
Was it because he didn't have time?
He had plenty of time!
From this alone, Ning Zhuo deduced Yuan Er's true intentions and thus pretended to let him seek Yuan Dasheng's opinion. As expected, Yuan Er had knelt down from the start, only calling out in his heart, never truly speaking.
"Chief Yuan Er, please accept my condolences." Ning Zhuo placed the monkey corpse into his storage bag and was about to leave.
Yuan Er knelt on the ground, grabbing Ning Zhuo's leg, and looked up at him. "When will I see my Uncle Monkey again?"
"As soon as the production schedule is finalized, I'll notify you. Don't worry, it will be very soon," Ning Zhuo reassured him, forcefully pulling his leg free and leaving without looking back.
Yuan Er remained alone in the empty bedroom, dazed like a stone.
Ning Zhuo maintained his composure. As he was about to leave the Monkey Head Gang's base, he overheard the returning gang members discussing among themselves.
"All the Huoshi Forest fruits have been picked, yet that shadow demon cultivator didn't appear!"
"Wasn't he supposed to be hiding in the Huoshi Forest, sealed by the formation?"
"How could he just disappear?"
"Yeah, I was looking forward to a hunt."
"You didn't see it, but Lord Fei Si's face was extremely grim!"
"Now, all the Golden Core cultivators from each family have appeared and are searching throughout the Huoshi Forest."
Hearing this, Ning Zhuo's heart tightened. "Damn it!"
With his sharp mind, he immediately realized he was once again in danger.
After leaving the Monkey Head Gang, he hastened his pace, racing against time, and headed directly to the Flying Disk Workshop.