“Father, I heard you’re seeking a cultivation method for Demon Ape Uncle? Please don’t do this!” Yuan Er burst into the study, shouting.

Yuan Yi’s face turned ashen. “Silence! Who’s been filling your head with nonsense?” he roared.

“Father, Demon Ape Uncle’s power is already unchecked. His monkey horde, they’re called pets, but truthfully, they’re the masters. The cultivators are just slaves who feed them!”

“The situation is already dire. Letting Demon Ape Uncle’s power soar further will only worsen things.”

“When that happens, who will truly own the Monkey Head Gang?” Yuan Er pleaded.

Yuan Yi’s lips trembled slightly as he fell into a deathly silence.

The Monkey Head Gang was the foundation he’d built with a lifetime of hard work.

Conquering a kingdom is easy, but maintaining it is hard.

He was old, and even when young, he could barely maintain the balance within the gang.

Yuan Dasheng, being a Fire Melt Demon Ape, was indeed formidable.

In battles, that was an absolute advantage. But now that the Monkey Head Gang was established, with no rival gangs posing a threat, that advantage had become an internal concern.

Yuan Er was his only heir, and the Monkey Head Gang was meant for him. But could he control it?

Yuan Yi had confidence in himself and unwavering trust in his relationship with Yuan Dasheng. However, he severely lacked confidence in the relationship between Yuan Er and Yuan Dasheng.

Yuan Yi pondered for a day and night. Finally, with a pale face, he summoned Yuan Er and only instructed him, “Remember! You must treat your Demon Ape Uncle well. Show him even more respect than you show me. Understand?”

“Understood!” Yuan Er immediately promised, his heart filled with joy.

Feeling guilty, Yuan Er did indeed show more respect than before.

All members of the gang also held Yuan Dasheng in higher regard.

But when he became the gang leader, his situation became awkward. He had to rely on Yuan Dasheng to gain the loyalty of the masses. Yet, because he constantly relied on Yuan Dasheng, he could never truly command their respect.

Yuan Er knelt before the bed, looking at Yuan Dasheng.

“Demon Ape Uncle, your kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain. I know, and I remember it all.”

“But the envoy is right. Leaving you to eke out an existence on this sickbed is the greatest insult to you!”

“I… I don’t want to do this, because I respect you! I admire you!”

“I think, if Father knew in the afterlife, he would agree with my decision.”

“I know, he would understand me… The enemies are too strong, even the entire Monkey Head Gang can’t defeat them.”

“Since that’s the case, I’ll join them!”

“Father always said, ‘A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm.'”

“My actions, my bearing this humiliation, are all to preserve the foundation.”

“Demon Ape Uncle, you must understand my pain!”

“The Monkey Head Gang is the result of your and Father’s lifetimes of hard work. It cannot be destroyed in my hands.”

“I must pass it down, to my sons and grandsons.”

“As we develop and grow, one day, we will establish the Yuan family as a cultivation clan, becoming the fifth power in Fire Persimmon City!”

“Demon Ape Uncle, please understand me, don’t blame me! You must be able to understand me, right?”

Yuan Er repeated these words in his heart.

Suddenly, Yuan Dasheng slowly opened his eyes.

Yuan Er’s body trembled as if struck by lightning.

Yuan Dasheng’s eyes were a cloudy, lifeless gray.

He couldn’t see anything, nor could he hear, but he still retained his sense of smell. He sensed Yuan Er’s familiar scent.

Yuan Dasheng tried to rise, but his body was as heavy as a mountain. He wanted to raise his hand, but he had little sensation in it.

In the end, he could only slowly extend a finger, pointing it at Yuan Er.

Yuan Er was startled and fell backward onto the ground.

The next moment, Yuan Dasheng’s index finger slowly fell, and he ceased to breathe.

He had finally departed.

Yuan Er was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud wails, tears streaming down his face.

He knelt and crawled on his knees, throwing himself onto Yuan Dasheng’s corpse, crying out, “Demon Ape Uncle, Demon Ape Uncle!”

He shouted the words his father had left unsaid before his death: “Demon Ape Uncle, I’m sorry. Demon Ape Uncle, I’ve failed you…”

Ning Zuo, who had been in the small study at an unknown time, walked out.

Standing behind Yuan Er, he had witnessed Yuan Dasheng’s final moments.

Finally, Yuan Dasheng was dead.

But at the moment of success, the joy in Ning Zuo’s heart was not as intense or overwhelming as he had imagined.

Ning Zuo’s mood was complex.

Yuan Dasheng’s current plight was entirely due to Ning Zuo. Yet, until his death, he was unaware of Ning Zuo’s existence. He didn’t even know how he had provoked such a formidable enemy.

And what about Ning Zuo?

Ning Zuo didn’t actually want to be enemies with Yuan Dasheng. Before Yuan Dasheng entered the Immortal Palace of Molten Lava, they had never even met.

However!

Fate had turned the Immortal Palace of Molten Lava into a stage, placing Ning Zuo and Yuan Dasheng on a narrow, deadly path. It was either you die or I die!

There was no other choice.

“If there were a choice, Yuan Dasheng, I would actually prefer to be your comrade-in-arms!”

“What a pity…”

Filled with regret, Ning Zuo stepped forward and began to handle Yuan Dasheng’s corpse.

Startled, Yuan Er instinctively reached out to stop him.

But Ning Zuo kicked him away, finally revealing the disdain and anger he held in his heart, and scolded in a low voice, “Get out of here!”

Even with a Foundation Establishment cultivation base, what use was Yuan Er with such a temperament?

When Ning Zuo saw Yuan Dasheng in the bedroom, he confirmed that he had not taken the Late Autumn Life-Preserving Pill.

Zhu Xuanji had clearly given the Late Autumn Life-Preserving Pill to Yuan Er, but the latter had never given it to Yuan Dasheng.

Did he not have the time?

He had plenty of time!

Based on this alone, Ning Zuo had determined Yuan Er’s true thoughts, and therefore feigned asking him to seek Yuan Dasheng’s opinion. As expected, Yuan Er had immediately knelt down, only calling out in his heart, never truly speaking.

“Gang Leader Yuan Er, please accept my condolences.” Ning Zuo put the monkey corpse into a storage bag and prepared to leave.

Yuan Er knelt on the ground, grabbing Ning Zuo’s leg, and looked up at him, “When can I see my Demon Ape Uncle again?”

“Once the production schedule is finalized, I’ll come and notify you. Don’t worry, it’ll be soon.” Ning Zuo reassured him, pulled his leg away forcefully, and left without looking back.

Leaving Yuan Er alone, stunned like a stone in the empty bedroom.

Ning Zuo maintained a calm demeanor. As he was about to leave the Monkey Head Gang’s base, he overheard the returning gang members discussing amongst themselves.

“All the Fire Persimmon forests have been searched. That dark shadow demon cultivator still hasn’t appeared!”

“Wasn’t it said that he was hiding in the Fire Persimmon forest and was sealed off by the formation?”

“How could he have disappeared?”

“Yeah, I was still looking forward to a hunt.”

“You didn’t see how ugly Lord Faysi’s face was at the time!”

“Now, the Golden Core cultivators from each family have shown themselves and are searching the Fire Persimmon forest everywhere.”

Hearing this, Ning Zuo’s heart tightened, “Crap!”

With his sharp mind, he immediately realized that he had fallen into another crisis.

After leaving the Monkey Head Gang, he quickened his pace, racing against time, and headed straight for the Flying Disc Workshop.