Chapter Sixteen: The Study of the Art of Chrysanthemum Explosion

Chapter Sixteen: The Study of the Exploding Rear Technique

Thus, one man and one monkey—one wielding a golden staff, the other carrying an ox fork—turned toward the territory of the Ox Clan.

“How does your clone technique work? It seems pretty impressive!” the monkey asked.

“Bah! Child’s play. I know many more skills, but that wild ox king was just too tough. I hadn’t even used half my techniques before he fell,” Zhou Yu shamelessly boasted.

The monkey stuck out his tongue and smiled sheepishly. “Could you teach me that one?”

Zhou Yu thought to himself, I’m still relying on this trick to get by! How could I just teach it to you?

So, he solemnly examined the monkey from head to toe, pretending to scrutinize him carefully, pinching and patting here and there. Then, with a deeply regretful sigh, he said, “It’s not that I don’t want to teach you, but demons and humans are different! Though we look similar on the outside, our internal structures are fundamentally different. You can’t learn it.”

The monkey’s face fell in disappointment. After a brief silence, he said, “Then continue telling me the story of Sun Wukong.”

Zhou Yu cleared his throat and began, “Once the Jade Emperor dispatched 100,000 heavenly soldiers and generals to besiege the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits...”

These two, with astonishing defense and near-unnatural recovery abilities, journeyed through the night. To pass the time during their tedious trek, Zhou Yu animatedly recounted his own version of the Journey to the West, spitting out words with great enthusiasm. The monkey listened with rapt admiration, ears perked, clapping and cheering when Sun Wukong fought the heavenly army, and clenching his fists as if he were right there on the battlefield when hearing about their overwhelming numbers.

Zhou Yu narrated while carefully gauging the monkey’s reactions, deliberately leaving cliffhangers at critical moments. Only when the monkey pleaded with a sorrowful whimper would he clear his throat and continue, all the while speaking passionately.

Unnoticed, they had traveled through the night until dawn broke, the sky turning pale as they passed through the Black Bamboo Forest. Zhou Yu felt a surge of emotion.

Though only a single night, the journey had been immensely rewarding.

The ox fork resting on his shoulder was proof of their victory.

More importantly, the unshakable confidence gained from defeating the demon king allowed Zhou Yu to break through mentally, while the valuable battle experience would be his crucial bargaining chip for survival.

Prompted by the monkey, Zhou Yu resumed his tall tale.

“Now, Sun Wukong’s skill was truly formidable. Seeing his comrades unable to hold back the heavenly soldiers, he shouted, ‘Hey! Witness my power!’ Then, reaching behind his head, he pulled out a tuft of golden monkey hair, placed it in his palm, and blew a breath of immortal Qi upon it. The hairs transformed into countless Sun Wukong clones, each identical in appearance and wielding the Ruyi Jingu Bang. As soon as his clones joined the battle, they drove the heavenly soldiers into a chaotic retreat.”

In truth, Zhou Yu was merely recounting from memory, enhancing Sun Wukong’s abilities to please his companion. Many details diverged from the original story, but the monkey thoroughly enjoyed it.

At this point, the monkey suddenly asked, “If Sun Wukong can create clones from his monkey hair, can I do that too?”

Zhou Yu felt a bit deflated. “I already told you! Don’t you understand novels? They stem from life, but transcend it!”

The monkey touched his fuzzy head and said, “I guess I don’t really get it.”

Zhou Yu sighed theatrically. “It means you can’t take it literally! If you do, you lose.”

Still curious, the monkey pressed, “So, can the monkey hair clone technique actually work?”

Zhou Yu snapped, “I already said no! Even if it did, I don’t know the specific method! Can you stop obsessing over this?”

The monkey looked a little hurt. “You know, the wild ox king was right. My methods are all unconventional; they’re not up to standard. Without my nearly immortal body, I wouldn’t even compare to a decent demon general. That’s why I want to get stronger.”

Hearing this, Zhou Yu felt a deep kinship. In their hunger for strength, they were truly alike.

Yet the clone technique was his lifeline. Although somewhat similar to the monkey’s skill set, Zhou Yu was reluctant to teach it. After all, they were in demon territory. Though the monkey now fought alongside him, demons and humans differed fundamentally. The future was uncertain; one must always be cautious.

Zhou Yu comforted the monkey, “You don’t need to chase that clone technique so hard. You’re already strong. With that golden staff, you’re formidable. And didn’t that mighty wild ox king fall to your staff?”

“From my perspective,” the monkey said, “your ‘Exploding Rear Technique’ is the truly powerful skill! One move and you took down the demon king! I think you have a natural talent for it. If you practice diligently, you’ll perfect it, becoming a technique feared by all the world’s strongest and demon kings alike!”

Zhou Yu’s encouragement was part genuine, part playful coaxing.

The monkey’s face lit up with joy. “Yes! I have a skill too! My first is the ‘Exploding Rear Technique’! One strike and it wiped out the wild ox king!”

Zhou Yu smiled reassuringly. “If you think that way, good. There’s no invincible technique, only invincible people. I hope you become that invincible monkey!”

Though naturally cunning, the monkey lacked experience, and Zhou Yu’s coaxing had him completely charmed.

Gradually, dawn brightened; the sun rose above the horizon, radiating fiery passion in the deep autumn morning.

Zhou Yu shaded his eyes, looking toward a valley now visible in the distance. “Is that where the Ox Clan lives?”

The monkey twirled his golden staff as he walked. “Right. That’s ours now! Tens of thousands of oxen—all under our command!”

Zhou Yu was surprised. “Tens of thousands? Are you sure they’ll all obey us?”

The monkey patted his chest. “My reputation is no joke!”

Zhou Yu scoffed, “Bragging?”

The monkey frowned slightly. “Did I fight the Demon Emperor alone? Did I challenge hundreds of demon kings and survive? You think that’s bragging?”

Zhou Yu yawned. “Nonsense! You were just being chased, weren’t you?”

The monkey seemed offended, silent as they pressed on. After a while, he pointed ahead. “Watch closely. I’m going to show you how I tame these tens of thousands of oxen!”

As they neared the valley, Zhou Yu sensed something amiss. Thick dust clouds churned within the valley, as if an army of thousands was galloping wildly.

“Look at that dust. Could the oxen be mustering troops to chase us out?” Zhou Yu asked anxiously, pointing toward the valley.

The monkey narrowed his eyes and examined the scene. Then he patted his chest confidently. “Don’t worry! No one knows demons better than me. Those stinky oxen don’t have the guts! We already killed the wild ox king! They won’t resist but will cower at our feet, begging for mercy!”

Zhou Yu remained uneasy. “Then what about all that dust?”

The monkey thought for a moment, then irresponsibly suggested, “Maybe the oxen know they’re about to welcome the greatest king in history and are preparing a celebration.”

Zhou Yu looked hard at the monkey. “I see you’re not just a bragger, you’re a bullshitter too!”

The monkey growled in frustration, swinging his golden staff wildly as he stormed ahead.

Zhou Yu chuckled, thinking this monkey was truly endearing. Where was the wildness of the original Sun Wukong?

In truth, Zhou Yu was mistaken. The monkey’s wildness had been worn down over years of being hunted and battered by demon kings. On the other hand, the monkey had finally found someone as tough and similarly ostracized as himself—a human demon outcast—so naturally he felt a kinship, though unaware of the concept of mutual understanding.

As they walked, the monkey suddenly shouted, “Almost there! Shall we race to see who arrives first?”

Zhou Yu asked, “You’re not angry anymore?”

The monkey gave a sharp look. “If I stayed angry all this time, I’d have died from it years ago!”

Zhou Yu considered this and relaxed. The monkey’s temper was like a true monkey’s—quick to flare, quick to fade. After all he’d endured, it was only natural.

“Alright,” Zhou Yu said.

The monkey grinned slyly and suddenly leapt forward, soaring over ten yards in a single bound.

Zhou Yu’s heart sank. *You were almost dead not long ago; how did you get so strong so fast?*

Actually, the golden staff in the monkey’s hand was constantly channeling energy into him, though Zhou Yu was unaware and just thought the monkey was ridiculously tough.

“Luckily, my recovery is pretty good too!” Zhou Yu pushed off with both legs, launching forward like a cannonball.

But upon landing, he stumbled, nearly falling.

“Damn! Still not fully recovered!” Zhou Yu winced as a sharp pain stabbed his chest. The wild ox king’s fork had pierced him deeply. Though the wound healed quickly thanks to his strong regeneration and dark energy supplement, he was not yet whole.

So Zhou Yu had no choice but to keep pace behind the monkey, jogging slowly.

The monkey glanced sideways, saw Zhou Yu lagging, and stopped to wait.

Zhou Yu called out, “Good of you to be considerate.” He quickened his pace.

But just as Zhou Yu was about to catch up, the monkey sprang into the air again.

Zhou Yu cursed in frustration, “Stop teasing me!”

The monkey chuckled, “If not now while you’re still hurt, then when?”

Zhou Yu laughed and scolded, “Didn’t expect such shamelessness from a monkey. Shamelessness knows no species or boundaries.”

“Learned it from you,” the monkey grinned.

Together, man and monkey laughed and bantered as they approached the valley.

The monkey leapt onto a rock first, spreading his arms wide and shouting, “Bow down! Submit! My subjects!”

Zhou Yu climbed up behind him, looking down on a chaotic scene. Ox-headed soldiers and ordinary ox beasts were running wildly in every direction, as if fleeing disaster. The swirling dust came from their frantic stampede.

“This doesn’t seem right,” Zhou Yu nudged the monkey, who was still lost in daydreams with closed eyes.

The monkey opened his eyes, looked at the valley, then suddenly shouted, “How can this be? This makes no sense! Among demons, strength rules. Whoever kills the previous demon king becomes the new one—an ironclad law!”

Zhou Yu said, “That depends on who killed the previous king. You’re a wanted criminal.”

The monkey shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. There have been precedents. Besides, if they dared not recognize me as king, they should have informed the Demon Emperor White Bone Cry and raised an army to exterminate me! Why is it such chaos instead?”

Zhou Yu was even more puzzled. “Shall we go down and see?”

The monkey nodded, and the two descended along the rocky cliff into the valley below.