Chapter 120: The Triumphant Return

As the sun rose and the sky grew bright, Ye Sansi realized it was getting late. He summoned his sword and took to the air, circling the perimeter of Mount Zunzhou to search for the Peng Immortal.

Eventually, he found the Peng Immortal in the west, pacing back and forth in a state of great anxiety. Ye Sansi quickly descended.

Approaching him, Ye Sansi called out, "Brother Peng!"

Seeing it was Sansi, the Peng Immortal grabbed his arm and laughed, "I knew you would be fine. There is a saying that 'good people have their own heavenly protection,' and it is certainly true. By the way, were you able to find your friend?"

"Brother Peng, before I was taken into the Demon Realm, I had already found my friend. You can rest easy; the catastrophe in the Strange Demon Realm has been resolved..."

"Good." With that, the Peng Immortal gathered clouds, and as Ye Sansi stepped onto them, the man and the immortal ascended into the sky.

The Peng Immortal was overjoyed that the disaster in the Strange Demon Realm had been averted. The heavy weight that had been pressing on his heart finally lifted, leaving him in high spirits.

"Really?"

"My friend said it himself; how could it be false? Let us hurry back and see for ourselves, so we can stop worrying."

The Peng Immortal was puzzled. After a moment of thought, he asked Ye Sansi, "Was it not resolved by dealing with the giant rock? What other method could there be? I have thought about it for a long time and could not come up with one."

"Hahaha, Brother Peng, when I left, Brother Wang told me there were two methods. I had originally intended to find a powerful being to resolve this disaster, but who would have thought we would end up using the first method?"

Above the clouds, the Peng Immortal asked casually, "Brother Sansi, your friend is truly formidable. All of us monsters working together could only hold back that giant rock. That your friend could resolve it entirely—his power is truly admirable."

Ye Sansi smiled. "Brother Peng, my friend could indeed have shattered the rock, but considering that the place where the fiery debris fell would remain barren for centuries, he chose not to attack the rock itself."

"The root cause? The caster?"

"Brother Peng, you are right. My friend tracked it to the Demon Realm and discovered that it was the Demon King who had cast the spell. He ended the Demon King's life, which stopped the formation and averted the catastrophe."

The Peng Immortal was curious and urged, "Brother Sansi, stop keeping me in suspense. What exactly was this method?"

Ye Sansi laughed. "The method was simply to seek out the root of the formation..."

"As for him, he said the scenery of this world is beautiful and he wanted to clear his mind..."

The Peng Immortal nodded and let out a long sigh. Gazing at the horizon, he smiled and said, "This world is not only beautiful, it is also very interesting, filled with so many rare and wonderful things. I have often wished to travel and enjoy the human world; how carefree and happy that would be! But the Strange Demon Realm needs me, and I cannot leave. Otherwise, I..."

Hearing Ye Sansi's account, the Peng Immortal was not only astonished but also disbelieving. The Demon Realm's defenses were no weaker than those of the Strange Demon Realm, and it was filled with ancient monsters of a thousand years. To sneak in and take the life of their sovereign was surely no ordinary feat for a demon.

The Peng Immortal laughed heartily. "I can't believe it, I truly can't! Brother Sansi, I never expected you to know such a powerful being. Where is he now?"

Ye Sansi smiled. "Brother Peng, how about this: when we return and disperse the Demon Realm's army, you should come with me out of the Strange Demon Realm. And bring your wife, too. Have a good time traveling for a few years, then come back. It won't delay anything important..."

"Brother Sansi, what you say makes sense. I have spent decades selling tea in the village, and everything has been fine. It seems I really should take a good rest."

Mid-sentence, the Peng Immortal smiled and waved his hand repeatedly. "Enough, enough. I only hope that the Strange Demon Realm remains peaceful. Once I am at ease, it will not be too late to visit the human world."

Ye Sansi understood the Peng Immortal's sentiment. Although the scenery of the Strange Demon Realm was magnificent, spending a hundred years there would inevitably lead to weariness. It was only because the Peng Immortal had carved the word "loyalty" into his heart that he was able to endure it.

The other monsters bowed in salute. It seemed they were unaware of the catastrophe the Strange Demon Realm had suffered and were still following the King's orders, guarding the village without stepping away.

Ye Sansi followed the Peng Immortal to find the spirit stone, used magic to enter the Strange Demon Realm, crossed the dangerous terrain, passed through the front hall, and finally ascended the clouds to the defensive line. The clouds in this area were pure, without a hint of red; it seemed the disaster had indeed been resolved.

As they talked, they arrived at the village. Upon landing, dozens of great monsters stepped forward to salute. "Elder Peng, does the King have any instructions?"

The Peng Immortal shook his head and said, "This Elder and I went out on business and have just returned. What you must do is remain hidden within the village. If you see anything suspicious, report it immediately. Do you understand?"

"I will tell him the truth. I have had a friendship of several hundred years with the King; he will not mind. Once I have arranged everything, I will go to see him, and then I can come back with you."

Ye Sansi knew of the bond between the Peng Immortal and the King. Although they were subject and sovereign, they were like brothers. His words to the Peng Immortal had been intentional...

The Peng Immortal took Ye Sansi's arm. "Brother Sansi, you go to the Royal Palace first and explain the events of the last few hours to the King. I will go tell your sister-in-law to prepare a meal. Later, come to my house, and we shall drink and talk. How about that?"

Ye Sansi nodded in agreement. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Brother Peng, are you not going to see Brother Wang? If he asks, what should I say?"

Although there was no fiefdom, the rabbit demons had cultivated enough land in the ten-thousand-household village to feed the entire Strange Demon Realm, so he lacked nothing. Since this trip was entirely due to Ye Sansi's efforts, the Peng Immortal thought it best to attribute all the rewards to him alone, which was why he told Ye Sansi to go to the Royal Palace by himself...

Flying above the clouds, the Peng Immortal gestured to Ye Sansi, then descended to find the rabbit demons at the village, while Ye Sansi continued on his sword toward the Royal Palace.

Ye Sansi had saved half of the Strange Demon Realm on this trip; it was a great achievement. If the King bestowed a reward, it would surely be substantial. How could he forget the Peng Immortal during such a good time? Besides, he would be leaving in less than two months; if there were any fiefdoms or the like, he would have no use for them, so he might as well let the Peng Immortal have them.

The Peng Immortal understood this logic. Upon their return, there would certainly be no shortage of rewards, but as an Elder, his status was second only to the King, and he could use the treasures of the Strange Demon Realm at will; there was nothing he particularly desired.

Ye Sansi scratched his head and laughed. "Brother Wang, what is wrong? Why are you so silent?"

"Hahaha, it is just that seeing Brother Sansi return has made me so happy that I don't know what to say. Brother Sansi, come, come, sit on my throne and rest, and tell me slowly about everything that happened after you left the realm..."

Inside the Royal Palace, the King had been sitting with his eyes closed, resting. As Ye Sansi approached, he finally sensed him and stood up to greet him.

Ye Sansi arrived and leaped down, landing steadily. The King went to meet him, having intended to ask many questions, but upon seeing him, he didn't know where to begin.

Since the King had said as much, Ye Sansi did not stand on ceremony. Knowing that the King's words were sincere and not mere formalities, Ye Sansi ascended the palace steps and sat on the throne.

Seeing Ye Sansi sit, the King was very satisfied. He smiled, walked over, sat lightly on the edge of the seat, and asked, "Brother Sansi, where is Elder Peng?"

"What?" Ye Sansi asked in surprise. "The throne? How can this be? The throne is a symbol of the Emperor; it is not for subjects to occupy. If you ask me to sit, surely you don't intend to charge me with the crime of usurping the throne, hahaha!"

"Brother Sansi, what talk of sovereign and subject is there between us? You call me Brother Wang, and I call you brother. This is merely a large chair carved from stone; why shouldn't you sit on it? There is no one else in the hall, so it is quite all right."

The Peng Immortal's kindness and sense of justice were clear to Ye Sansi, so he echoed with a laugh, "Indeed, Brother Wang. If it weren't for Brother Peng's help, my journey would have been much slower, so this credit must include him."

"Hahaha." The King laughed heartily. "That goes without saying. The rewards have already been prepared, just waiting for Elder Peng to arrive so I can bestow them one by one. By the way, was the trip successful? Can you tell me what happened?"

"Brother Peng said that resolving the disaster in the Strange Demon Realm is a major event. He is having my sister-in-law prepare a meal and wine, and he said he would arrange that first before coming to pay his respects to the King."

The King smiled. "Elder Peng is always so thoughtful. For hundreds, nearly a thousand years, he has contributed so much to our Strange Demon Realm. Even though he could have achieved the path of immortality, he never left because of me..."

The Demon King was, after all, the King's own younger brother. Since childhood, he had been studious and clever. Now, his strength surpassed his own, and he was ruthless, decisive, and viewed monsters as superior and humans as base. Perhaps he truly was more suited to sit on the throne than he had been at the time...

"Was I wrong..." the King whispered softly.

...For half an hour, Ye Sansi recounted his experiences since leaving the realm. The King listened, lamenting the power of the Demon General and feeling relieved that Ye Sansi was safe and sound.

He also felt a sense of regret over the fall of the Demon King. The feelings in the King's heart were strange; he had fought the Demon King for a thousand years, and now that his life had suddenly ended, he found himself feeling a sense of pity.

At this moment, the Peng Immortal arrived. Seeing Ye Sansi sitting on the throne with the King standing nearby, he did not look surprised and bowed as usual.

The King quickly said, "Hey, hey, there is no one else in the hall, don't bother with these formalities. Come, come closer and speak."

Ye Sansi asked in confusion, "Wrong? Brother Wang, what have you done wrong?"

"Hahaha." The King stood up, waved his hands repeatedly, and laughed, "Nothing, nothing. I don't know why I said that. Consider it idle talk, idle talk..."

"No, that won't do." Ye Sansi stood up quickly and said urgently, "I am used to being free and unfettered. If you asked me to manage an acre or two of land on the Nameless Peak of Mount Buyun, I could do it, but I cannot manage this vast Strange Demon Realm."

The King patted Ye Sansi on the shoulder and smiled. "Since you do not wish to be King, I will not force you. But the Strange Demon Realm will always be your home, and I will always be your brother. If you cannot bear the human world, come here, and I will protect you for all time."

The Peng Immortal smiled as he ascended the steps, joking, "Your Majesty, it seems you want Brother Sansi to be our King. And so it should be! After all, he saved half of our Strange Demon Realm and destroyed the Demon King. With such a great merit, yielding the throne would be only right."

The King laughed aloud. "Hey! Elder Peng, don't say that; I truly had that in mind! If Brother Sansi were willing to be King, I would indeed step down..."

Ye Sansi bowed and saluted. "Thank you, Brother Wang!"

"Didn't I say that there is no need for formalities between brothers? Brother Sansi, Elder Peng, come with me..."