Chapter 27: The King of Gluttons!

Chapter 27: The King of Foodies!

Gazing at the golden staff beside the colorful monkey, which had inexplicably changed color once again, Zhou Yu was nearly certain that this was Sun Wukong’s legendary weapon. It was an intuitive feeling, supported by guesswork and various signs. By now, even the most bizarre occurrences no longer surprised Zhou Yu; a genius only needed three seconds to memorize anything.

In the blink of an eye, the mountain of food piled high was devoured by Zhou Yu and the colorful monkey.

Several hundred wild boar soldiers nearby stood dumbfounded, unable to fathom how such small bodies could contain so much food. A unanimous thought arose among them: both new kings must be true foodies.

Zhou Yu looked up and saw the wild boars gazing at him with admiration. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he asked sheepishly, “Is there more?”

At his words, the wild boars were astonished, thinking their new king truly bore the demeanor of royalty—such an appetite was befitting of a ruler.

A plump wild boar soldier stepped forward respectfully. “Mighty King! You are a model for us all, worthy of our learning!” he declared, then ordered the others to swiftly bring more food.

Zhou Yu was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

The plump boar explained, “A king with such a vast appetite must be formidable! Our wild boar clan has always looked down on those who eat only a little. Only by eating abundantly can one grow stronger!” He unconsciously patted his round belly, proudly embodying the spirit of a foodie.

Suddenly, Zhou Yu understood—the boar clan revered those who could eat well. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction. “That’s it! Great minds think alike!”

The plump boar beamed with delight, thinking his flattery had perfectly hit the mark. Yet he humbly waved his hands, saying, “You flatter me.”

The colorful monkey interjected, “What’s there to be modest about? What my brother says is my word! If he calls you a hero, then you’re a hero. You’re a boar, not a bear. There’s no such thing as a pig-bear, so calling you a hero is spot on!”

A cold sweat dripped down Zhou Yu’s forehead. He wiped it off and said, “Well, that works too.”

The plump boar prostrated himself, exclaiming, “Wise King! Mighty King!”

The colorful monkey felt elated. With a single wave of his hand, he helped the plump boar up and said, “You seem clever. From now on, you’ll be the leader of these wild boars. They’re all under your command. As long as you follow me faithfully, no one will dare harm a hair on your head. Understand?”

The plump boar cried out, “Thank you for your favor, thank you for your promotion!”

Zhou Yu smiled and nodded at the colorful monkey, as he had the same intention. This plump boar was clever and respected among his peers, but most importantly, his strength was weak. Making him leader of the wild boars meant no risk of rebellion.

At that moment, the boar soldiers brought out another large pile of food. The other boars stared greedily, their mouths watering.

Zhou Yu knew well what foodies treasured most: food itself. And what they could least tolerate was watching others eat while they starved.

He deeply understood this sentiment. With a wave of his hand, he said, “Everyone, don’t just stand there. Go ahead and eat.”

Yet, the hundreds of wild boars looked at each other hesitantly, none daring to move.

Zhou Yu frowned.

The plump boar approached and whispered, “Reporting to the King, the food for this winter was all taken by the rebel forces. What’s here is the last remaining supply.”

The colorful monkey shrugged carelessly, “I’ll lead you to take it back soon.”

But Zhou Yu knew that empty promises were no match for tangible benefits. He stood and said to the plump boar, “Distribute this food among the brothers. Since they follow us now, none shall go hungry.”

The plump boar’s expression turned strange. As low-ranking soldiers, they were often the most miserable—working hardest but eating worst, prone to beatings and even death. When had a king ever cared for them so much?

Zhou Yu sensed his thoughts and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Everyone calls me Fatty,” the plump wild boar replied.

“Fatty, don’t feel uncomfortable. From now on, whenever we have meat to eat, we’ll never let our brothers go hungry,” Zhou Yu declared.

Fatty’s eyes welled with tears. Turning to the hundreds of wild boars, he roared, “See that? This is the real king worth following! Not only is he a foodie himself, but he truly understands us!”

The wild boars, ignoring everything else, surged forward and devoured the food in moments.

Fatty wiped his tears only to find the food gone, then stomped his feet in frustration. “What a bunch of foodies! How can you eat so fast?”

Thus, the fame of the two foodie kings from the Wild Boar Forest began to spread among the demon clans.

After resting a while longer, Zhou Yu dove into the waterfall for a thorough wash. With his growing strength, even jumping into a deep pool in late autumn no longer chilled him.

Diving to the bottom, he found the depth immeasurable and saw no fish swimming. A strange, inexplicable fear crept over him, prompting a quick ascent. Once ashore, the unease lessened. Lying on a rock to bask in the sun, he mused wryly, “Is this just a psychological fear from watching too many horror films?”

The colorful monkey called from nearby, “Ready yet? Hurry up, let’s go!”

After half a day’s rest and plenty of food, Zhou Yu felt fully restored. His energy levels had returned to their previous peak and continued to rise. It seemed the climactic battle had expanded the energy he could wield.

He stood, leaped from the rock, and landed ten yards away. The gust from his landing scattered dry leaves beneath his feet.

The wild boars watching this were even more impressed by Zhou Yu’s extraordinary presence. Much of their obedience stemmed from Zhou Yu’s human form, which they associated with the royal bloodlines of the demon clans.

“Two mighty kings! We congratulate your triumphant return!” Fatty nodded enthusiastically.

The colorful monkey was about to reply carelessly when Zhou Yu grabbed his arm.

Zhou Yu’s face darkened. “Wait. You all must follow us. First, to clear the path ahead, and second, to cheer us on.”

Fatty looked reluctant. “But—”

Zhou Yu stepped forward, radiating authority, his murderous intent locking on Fatty. “Is that difficult?”

Startled by the killing intent, cold sweat dripped down Fatty’s face. Quickly, he said, “No, no, it’s our duty.”

“Good. Then line up!” Zhou Yu withdrew his menace.

Fatty nearly collapsed from relief. Composing himself, he hurried off to organize the hundreds of wild boars.

“When dealing with subordinates, be both firm and kind. Don’t let them disrespect you, but don’t make them fear you alone,” Zhou Yu advised the colorful monkey.

The monkey nodded thoughtfully.

Soon, Fatty returned. “Reporting, King! The troops are ready and waiting.”

Zhou Yu nodded with satisfaction and looked to the colorful monkey.

The monkey shouted, “Then let’s move out!”

Seeing no other choice, Fatty gritted his teeth and replied loudly, “As you command!”

Thus, led by a crowd of hefty boars, Zhou Yu and the colorful monkey set off toward Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The rebels had chosen their refuge well—an imposing mountain named Flower-Fruit Mountain.

The colorful monkey was thrilled, sensing destiny’s hand.

Zhou Yu felt the same. Looking at the monkey, his gaze shifted. He thought, “I’m just a counterfeit son of destiny, but you’re beginning to look more and more like the true reincarnation of the Great Sage Sun Wukong. I’ll have to find a way to make you call me ‘big brother.’”

Behind Zhou Yu trailed eight sturdy but somewhat dim-witted wild boar soldiers. Had they not been troublesome, the rebels would have taken them away already.

The eight struggled to carry a heavy, impressive weapon—a golden staff that drew the gaze of the colorful monkey, who held it tightly, unwilling to part even for a moment.

After half a day’s travel, dusk fell, and the sun began to set.

At that moment, Fatty came running up to Zhou Yu and the monkey, bowing deeply. “Reporting, Kings! Rebels spotted ahead!”

“They haven’t reached Flower-Fruit Mountain yet?”

“They started late and couldn’t catch up. Also, they’re slowed by the monkeys they brought along.”

The colorful monkey gripped the golden staff, ready to attack, but Zhou Yu stopped him.

Zhou Yu turned to Fatty. “Go check on the monkeys.”

Though surprised, Fatty understood immediately—it was a cautious move, striking carefully rather than recklessly.

Determined to follow Zhou Yu and the colorful monkey, Fatty clenched his teeth. “Understood!”

“Wait.” Zhou Yu called him back, locking eyes sternly. “If you succeed, you’ll have made a great contribution. Those rebels you capture will be under your control.”

Pausing, a murderous gleam flashed in his eyes. “But if you try any tricks... well, I haven’t tasted pork in a long time.”

Fatty beamed with joy, realizing Zhou Yu was serious. Becoming the first boar king of the wild boar clan would be a glorious honor. After deep thanks, he left in pursuit of the rebels.

Watching Fatty’s retreating figure, Zhou Yu nodded and sighed, “Truly the best choice for a subordinate.”

He turned to the colorful monkey. “Make good use of Fatty.”

The monkey observed Zhou Yu’s leadership style carefully, learning rather than feeling threatened.

After a while, Fatty came running back in a flash.

The monkey hurriedly asked, “How is it?”

Panting heavily, Fatty said, “They’re impatient with the monkeys’ slow pace and are about to attack. They intend to kill all the monkeys.”