Old Ox, My Heart Aches

Su Yuan watched the winds of opinion below shift violently. Though the Bull Demon King's face had turned livid, he was clearly beginning to hesitate.

Su Yuan decided to win over another heavyweight Great Sage as the final straw to break Old Ox.

Gritting his teeth and stomping his foot, he even brought out the good stuff he had originally planned to siphon off for himself.

"Fine! Meeting you Great Sages today has made me regret not meeting you sooner. To show my sincerity, I, Su Yuan, will personally pay out of pocket—of the twelve Unfixed Flying Boats above, I'll put nine up for sale!"

Su Yuan's heart was bleeding.

He had originally intended to report eleven of the twelve as "combat losses," then take them to the black market and make a killing.

But now, he had no choice but to painfully part with nine of them and sell them to the Six Great Sages at cost.

With a wave of his hand, projections of nine sleeker, more finely crafted streamlined flying boats appeared on the display board.

"Heavenly Realm Bingyin Type Four—Modified! Genuine first-owner boats for exclusive Milky Way Navy use! Guaranteed actual mileage of five billion li! Original paint, never bumped or scratched! Surging power, peerless escape speed, only 9,700 spirit stones per hundred li! Whether for transporting troops and cargo or roaming the four seas, these are top-of-the-line!"

That final straw completely crushed the Flood Demon King's psychological defenses.

He gave the Bull Demon King a deep salute, his face filled with resolve and apology.

"Big Brother! I'm sorry! Let me call you Big Brother one last time! These heavenly boats... I... I must have them!"

With that, he no longer hesitated. He spun around and strode to the jade contract tablet, snatching up the floating spirit brush and signing his name with sweeping strokes.

Seeing that the Flood Demon King had signed as well, the Great Sage Driving Away Gods, Rong Monkey King, stopped trying to persuade the Bull Demon King.

He simply stepped forward himself, black qi curling around his fingertips as he swiftly carved his mark.

The Bull Demon King watched his brothers leave him one by one and sign their names upon the contract. His massive body swayed slightly.

At last, he let out a long, heavy sigh and closed his eyes helplessly.

The tide had turned beyond recovery.

At that moment, the "shills" transformed from Wukong's hairs all left behind harsh words before wrapping up and departing.

"Alas! They beat us all to it!"

"Damn it! We were one step too slow!"

"Next time! Next time, we'll get there first!"

Seeing that all Six Great Sages had left their names on the contract, the great stone hanging over Su Yuan's heart finally crashed down. He let out a long breath.

The light of the formation around the valley flashed, then quietly withdrew.

Venus Star Lord and Xu Jingyang descended gracefully upon auspicious clouds, immortal in bearing and gentle in their smiles.

Now that the Great Sages had signed the contract and recognized the situation, they no longer put on airs. Facing these important officials of the Heavenly Court, they all bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Venus Star Lord! Greetings, Xu Heavenly Master!"

Venus Star Lord stroked his long beard, wearing a spring-breeze smile as he delivered a lofty speech on behalf of the Heavenly Court.

"My fellow kings—no, I should now call you fellow Daoists! First, on behalf of the Heavenly Court and Gouchen Dijun, this old man sincerely welcomes and congratulates you all on the wise choice you have made today! Welcome to the harmonious and loving family of the Heavenly Court!"

His voice was gentle, yet naturally authoritative.

"The present structure of the Three Realms is no longer one in which the Heavenly Court alone dominates. As they say, 'A lone sun cannot bring forth life, and one tree cannot make a forest.' The future will surely be a new era of multipolar development and mutually beneficial cooperation! Your willingness to follow the times and embrace change is proof of great wisdom! The Heavenly Court will certainly uphold the principles of reason, benefit, and restraint, joining you in seeking development and creating glory together!"

"As for the specific details of our cooperation,"

Venus Star Lord said with a smile, turning sideways and handing the stage entirely to Su Yuan.

"Special Envoy Su Yuan will handle all coordination with you. This old man looks forward to good news from you, fellow Daoists!"

With that, he and Xu Jingyang stepped aside and watched with smiles.

Su Yuan immediately stepped forward and began handling the follow-up matters in an orderly fashion.

Signing the formal agreement, taking commemorative pictures with recording jade mirrors, distributing symbolic tokens, arranging the time and method for the first transfer of supplies... everything proceeded smoothly and with remarkable efficiency.

The Great Sages also gathered around to discuss their specific shares.

The Flood Demon King was utterly unceremonious, directly taking control of the allocation rights for the nine Unfixed Flying Boats. He was determined to claim them.

The Roc Demon King mainly took charge of arms, Spirit-Nourishing Leaves, and the distribution of some standard magical artifacts.

The Great Sage Driving Away Gods was even less polite, claiming the exclusive sales rights for "Wraith," clearly intending to become the biggest supplier in the evil cultivator circles for the next fifty years.

Everyone gained something. For a time, the valley was filled with lively chatter and laughter, as though the tense confrontation from earlier had never happened.

Sun Wukong also crawled out of Su Yuan's ear at just the right moment, revealing his true form and grinning as he greeted his "elder brothers" again.

Everyone understood without saying it aloud, merely exchanging, "Congratulations, congratulations," and, "Same to you, same to you." The scene was perfectly harmonious.

Sun Wukong even instructed his monkey descendants to lay out a banquet outside the valley.

Spirit fruits and immortal brews were served in an endless stream, entertaining the newly minted "partners" and the Heavenly Court's immortal envoys.

For a while, cups passed back and forth, and host and guests alike enjoyed themselves.

Only the Bull Demon King, though he too had signed and received a considerable share, sat among the feast clutching a jar of strong liquor. He was sullen and out of place amid all the revelry.

Su Yuan was no ordinary man. Drinking banquets and dinner tables were practically his home ground.

Carrying two jars of the strongest Immortal-Burning Brew, he sat beside the Bull Demon King. Without saying a word, he first drank three large bowls with him in succession.

The liquor burned like fire as it went down.

After two jars of strong liquor, a deep red glow spread across the Bull Demon King's dark face.

Old Ox, usually quiet, dignified, and composed, seemed to have become an entirely different bull.

The floodgates of speech opened completely. He rambled on and on without end.

He slung an arm over Su Yuan's shoulder, reeking of alcohol.

"Bro... brother... urgh..."

He let out a resounding belch, and his bull eyes struggled to focus.

"I'm telling you the truth... this Old Ox, my heart aches!"

Su Yuan took the opportunity to fill his bowl again.

"Brother Ox, take your time. I'm listening."

The Bull Demon King lifted the bowl and drained it in one gulp, his gaze beginning to drift.

"Ah, this bull's whole life... what was it all for? Fighting tooth and nail, building up such a huge estate, earning this empty title of Great Sage Pacifying Heaven... for what? Huh? For what?"

"Wasn't it all for my precious son? This Old Ox's life is just like this, but I have to secure a good future for the boy!"

His tone carried the honesty and stubborn devotion of an old farmer.

"Listen to me finish... don't interrupt!"

He suddenly became somewhat agitated, waving his huge hand and nearly shoving Su Yuan to the ground with one slap.

"Your sister-in-law... Rakshasa..."

When the Bull Demon King mentioned the Rakshasa Lady, his voice lowered.

"She's always going on about how the child may rule the mountains, but no one teaches him. His wild nature is hard to tame—what will happen later? He needs a proper livelihood."

"So I thought, once I became a Great Sage and had a famous name, I could... I could invite a renowned teacher, or... or join some famous sect, so the child could walk the proper path, bring honor to our ancestors, and let this Old Ox's family... produce a true Great Sage, so we won't be called savage bulls anymore..."