Chapter 28: Negotiations

That always low-key woodcutter, the senior apprentice-brother who chopped trees on Mount Fangcun, could he actually be the legendary Hou Yi?

Back when I was cultivating the 'Hou Yi Archery Art' on the mountain, Senior Apprentice-Brother had passed by several times carrying his axe, and even gave me a pointer at a critical moment. At the time, I didn't think much of it, assuming it was normal for someone of his strength to offer guidance. Who would have thought that this senior apprentice-brother was none other than Hou Yi himself, the creator of the 'Hou Yi Archery Art'!

"Junior apprentice-brother." Ji Dian called out with a smile, holding his fan.

"Little junior apprentice-brother." A streak of light flew over from afar and landed, revealing the Monkey King in his gleaming golden divine armor.

"Second senior apprentice-brother, Sixth senior apprentice-brother." Ji Ning quickly greeted, and at the same time couldn't help but carefully examine this Sixth senior apprentice-brother. Many ancient stories were circulated on Earth, and although some were plausible, this Sixth senior apprentice-brother 'Sun Wukong' was quite famous on Earth. Of course, Ji Ning had long seen too many great cultivators.

He had met Lü Dongbin, the Three Pure Dao Ancestors, Patriarch Bodhi, Buddha Tathāgata, and others one after another. Seeing Sixth senior apprentice-brother, Ji Ning was calm, only slightly curious.

"Hehe, I never expected our senior apprentice-brother to be Hou Yi," Sun Wukong chuckled. "Back when I first joined Master's sect, Senior Apprentice-Brother showed me the way. At the time, I thought he was just an ordinary woodcutter. Later I found out he was the senior apprentice-brother, and I wondered how deep he was hiding. Today I learn he's actually that ancient great god Hou Yi—that's not just ordinary hiding."

Hou Yi had become famous far too early.

When Hou Yi slew the Golden Crow Demon King back then, Sun Wukong hadn't even been born yet.

"I joined Master's sect quite early, but I still didn't know Senior Apprentice-Brother's origins," Ji Dian said with a smile. "When I first became Master's disciple, Senior Apprentice-Brother was already with Master, but he was still chopping wood as a woodcutter. Actually, I was puzzled at the time—since he was Master's disciple, why didn't I ever see him seek guidance from Master? Master once said that Senior Apprentice-Brother had already reached the strength of a True God or Dao Ancestor and needed to comprehend on his own; Master couldn't guide him. So I didn't think much of it."

"I heard that back then, because of Chang'e, Senior Apprentice-Brother stormed the Moon Star, intending to cut down the cassia tree there. But that divine tree—cut a bit and it would recover—he simply couldn't overcome it. Could it be that Senior Apprentice-Brother chops trees on Mount Fangcun every day, thinking of one day returning to the Moon Palace on the Moon Star?" The Monkey King lowered his voice and even set up a barrier around them.

"Is Senior Apprentice-Brother's matter something a monkey like you can discuss?" Ji Dian immediately scolded. "This must not be spoken of."

"Senior Apprentice-Brother can't hear us; I'm just talking behind his back." Sun Wukong blinked.

Ji Ning also knew about the matter of Hou Yi and Chang'e—it was Hou Yi's scar. It wouldn't be good to pick at someone's scar.

"Come, come, come. Now the Buddha, the Three Pure Ones, and the others are negotiating with the Chaos Chaosworld. Let's go rest over there for a while." Ji Dian glared at Sun Wukong. "You monkey, don't cause trouble. Be careful not to provoke Senior Apprentice-Brother; we won't be able to help you."

"Right." The Monkey King shuddered and nodded repeatedly. "Senior Apprentice-Brother dominated the ancient era with his archery, and now he's so formidable with an axe. That Demonhand Dao Ancestor is also renowned, at the level of Buddhist and Daoist leaders, yet our senior apprentice-brother cut off his arm with a single axe stroke."

"That was because Demonhand Dao Ancestor was too arrogant," Ji Dian said. "In the ancient era, Senior Apprentice-Brother was already formidable. Even Buddhist and Daoist leaders had to go all out against him. Demonhand Dao Ancestor dared to face him with one hand—it would be strange if he didn't suffer."

Ji Ning smiled and was about to put away the Myriad Emissary, but suddenly remembered how he had involuntarily fallen after being slapped by Demonhand Dao Ancestor earlier, and carefully examined the Myriad Emissary.

"Hmm?" Ji Ning's expression changed.

"What's going on?" Ji Ning immediately discovered that at a core point inside the Myriad Emissary's waist, there was a crack.

Ji Ning tried to use the Myriad Emissary to mobilize power, but found it completely impossible. The crack... it was as if the energy transmission of the entire Myriad Emissary had been severed, rendering it useless.

"It's broken? How is that possible?" Ji Ning was stunned.

The Myriad Emissary.

This, this was his most powerful killing move now. With the Myriad Emissary, his strength could approach the leader level, comparable to Bodhi and Shadowless Dao Ancestor. But how could the Myriad Emissary suddenly break? Even attacks from Buddhist and Daoist leaders landing on the Myriad Emissary would hardly damage it.

A single light slap from Demonhand Dao Ancestor broke the Myriad Emissary? But it was indeed strange—just one slap and he had involuntarily fallen.

"Second senior apprentice-brother, Sixth senior apprentice-brother." Ji Ning said in a low voice, "The Myriad Emissary is broken."

"What?" Ji Dian and the Monkey King were both startled.

Ji Ning nodded solemnly: "It should have been broken by Demonhand Dao Ancestor. I don't know how she did it."

The Monkey King gritted his teeth.

Ji Dian frowned and said softly: "Hmm, these Myriad Emissary puppets were forged by the Outcast Gate. They should have prepared measures to prevent them from being seized by our side. They must have left behind a method to 'disable the Myriad Emissary.' But this method is very difficult. On the battlefield of the struggle for qi, your opponents were all Celestial Immortals and True Gods; they couldn't disable your Myriad Emissary. However, Demonhand Dao Ancestor is after all a leader-level great cultivator, and knowing some key point of the Myriad Emissary, she could easily disable it."

"Yes, I also heard that back then, when the Myriad Lord died, all his Myriad Emissaries were disabled at once." The Monkey King also nodded.

"The Outcast Gate's Myriad Emissaries still need Demonhand Dao Ancestor to personally disable them. They're not as powerful as the Myriad Lord." Ji Dian said.

Ji Dian suddenly said: "We must tell Master immediately."

"Right, quickly tell Master." The Monkey King urged.

...

The negotiations between the Nuwa Camp and the Outcast Gate were conducted by the top few great cultivators.

Time passed.

The other great cultivators waited silently in the Zhulu Major World for the outcome of the negotiations. Ji Ning, Ji Dian, and the Monkey King of Mount Fangcun also waited nearby.

After a long time, the sky began to lighten.

Only then did the great cultivators of the Outcast Gate leave the Zhulu Major World.

...

"Master, Senior Apprentice-Brother."

Ji Ning, Ji Dian, and the Monkey King, who had been sitting, quickly stood up. Patriarch Bodhi and Hou Yi walked side by side from afar through the void into this courtyard.

"How did it go, Master?" The Monkey King quickly asked.

"Your junior apprentice-brother Ji Ning suffered a great loss, but our Nuwa Camp is still fine." Patriarch Bodhi said.

"A disciple's loss is nothing; as long as it benefits our side in this war, that's fine." Ji Ning said.

Bodhi looked at Ji Ning: "Mainly, I, Hou Yi, and several others discussed in secret. The Outcast Gate suddenly acted against you; they probably had many detailed preparations. They were prepared; we were not. Moreover, we are in the lead in the struggle for qi, so although we are angry, we will not easily force a final decisive battle."

Hou Yi also nodded: "Of course, if the Outcast Gate doesn't know their place, we will go to war with them."

"Obviously, the appearance of your senior apprentice-brother, especially his strength, made them uncertain." Bodhi said. "This negotiation turned out to be somewhat beneficial for our Nuwa Camp."

"What was the result?" The Monkey King quickly asked.

"The Outcast Gate's only demand was that Ji Ning not participate in the struggle for qi." Bodhi said.

Ji Ning's expression changed.

"What? That's too..." The Monkey King immediately grew angry.

Bodhi continued: "We agreed. Our demand was... that all the Myriad Emissaries on the Outcast Gate's side not participate in the struggle for qi. Although the Outcast Gate lost one Myriad Emissary, they still have nine! If all nine Myriad Emissaries were deployed, even my disciple Ji Ning here would be stretched thin."

"Yes." Ji Ning nodded.

Indeed.

Dealing with a single Myriad Emissary required some time, affecting its center of gravity and then capturing it. If two Myriad Emissaries coordinated, they could completely neutralize him. The other seven Myriad Emissaries could then slaughter freely.

"After all, Ji Ning suffered a loss this time. They had to pay some price. The death of Darklight Swordmaster was in vain." Bodhi looked at Ji Ning. "Disciple, you won't be able to participate in the upcoming struggle for qi, but you've also prevented all their Myriad Emissaries from participating. You've truly rendered great merit for our side. If you need anything, just ask."