Hearing Gungun's inner thoughts, Houtu's eyelids twitched slightly.
She had assumed Gungun was unwilling to go because the East Sea was dangerous. Perhaps Ao Yue had laid a trap there, just waiting for the bear to walk into it. Once caught, whether through threats or temptations, Gungun would be forced to join the Heavenly Court no matter what.
Houtu had not forgotten that Eastern Emperor Taiyi had twice invited Gungun to ascend to heaven and serve as a Demon God, even offering the innate spiritual treasure, the Jade Radiance Twofold-Unity Lamp, as an inducement the second time. Especially... That damned bird even wanted to make Gungun his mount! Doesn't he know this silly bear belongs exclusively to me? Damn him!
The Demon Race had the Demon-Summoning Banner. Once someone was captured and forced to surrender a strand of their true spirit, they would have to submit whether they wanted to or not. Even a mighty figure like Kunpeng could do nothing about it. But...
This bear was actually refusing to go over such a trifling concern. That truly caught a witch off guard!
At the thought, Houtu's delicate brows furrowed slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she ventured, "Gungun, Torch Dragon has already fallen. His body perished and his Dao dissolved, so the karmic burden he carried naturally dissipated along with him. Even if you go to see him off, it won't affect you."
"Mm... I'm still not going. I don't like attending banquets like that." Hearing Houtu's words, Gungun raised its eyes, considered for a moment, and still shook its head.
"What if there's delicious food at the banquet?"
"How could a banquet like that possibly have anything delicious? It'll certainly be crowded, and there'll be crying all around. Ancestral Witch, I'm not some bear who's never seen the world."