NOVEL WEB Chapter 74 Love Between Human and Monster
Another ten years?
Three hundred and ten years?
Ridiculous!
The Six-Eared Macaque, unwilling to accept this, roared, "Even if it was my instigation, those two little demons only stole two bananas and a handful of sunflower seeds. Is there really a need for ten years?!"
This is simply too much bullying of monkeys!
"Don't play the victim here. If you hadn't barged into Shuilian Cave in the first place, would this calamity have befallen you?"
Ao Yun's expression turned slightly cold, "Bananas and sunflower seeds, though ordinary and not very valuable, your act of instigation is extremely serious. Giving you an additional thirty years would not be too much."
"It is only because you are a Six-Eared Macaque with extraordinary talents that I do not wish for you to stray onto the wrong path. Therefore, I am being more lenient and only adding ten years."
"You neither feel gratitude nor reflect on your actions, instead you continue to bark rabidly here. It really is comprehension fault."
Having said that, Ao Yun no longer paid him any attention and found the cow and sheep demons overseeing the Six-Eared Macaque. He taught them a spell, saying, "If that Six-Eared Macaque causes trouble in the future, just chant this spell. The dragon tooth hook will then agitate his clavicle, causing him unbearable pain."
"Yes!" X2
"Zhu San."
"Present."
The wild boar demon Zhu San hurriedly nodded, "What command does Your Highness have for me?"
Ao Yun said, "You must keep a strict watch over the Six-Eared Macaque and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble. Do you understand?"
Zhu San wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and carefully guaranteed, "Understood."
That Six-Eared Macaque, truly too much of a headache for Zhu San, would likely still cause various troubles in the future.
With his personality, he really couldn't be educated.
Unless, like in the rumors, the king turned the Bull Demon King into a steed just as he might turn this Six-Eared Macaque into one.
But then, who would ride a monkey?
After Ao Yun left, Zhu San said to the cow and sheep demons, "Niu Dalang, Yang Lao'er, keep a closer watch on that Six-Eared Macaque to prevent any mistakes."
Niu Dalang stared with his big bovine eyes and replied, "Understood, boss."
Yang Lao'er nodded as well, saying, "Got it."
After Ao Yun had left, he put aside the matter of the Six-Eared Macaque for a while.
The Six-Eared Macaque, having been taught a lesson, should behave for some time, and that dragon tooth hook. The Six-Eared Macaque didn't have the courage to dig out his own clavicle and the flesh around it.
Because once done, the Six-Eared Macaque would truly be ruined, no longer able to regain his mana.
It's better to live poorly than to die a good death.
This principle, even the most stubborn Demon King would understand.
She believed that the Six-Eared Macaque would stay quiet for a while...
...
Before long, three months had passed.
The immortals, wandering immortals, and divine warriors who had come to Huaguo Mountain were now bidding farewell to Sun Wukong one by one.
Despite his repeated entreaties, he couldn't keep the gods who all had their own affairs to tend to.
Sun Wukong could only bid them goodbye one by one.
Eventually, Zhen Yuanzi also said his farewells to Sun Wukong and returned to Wu Zhuang Guan.
After personally escorting Zhen Yuanzi for 108,000 li, Sun Wukong was finally persuaded by Zhen Yuanzi to return. Upon arriving back at Shuilian Cave, Ao Yun reported on the situation of the past three months.
For instance:
The conditions of the immortals' travels in the seventy-two cities...
How many creatures had close contact with the immortals, and how many were taken as disciples by the immortals...
The immortals stayed in Three Lives Scholarly City to study and teach...
It can be said that, during these three months, the experiences and actions of the invited immortals at Huaguo Mountain were all recorded by Ao Yun.
Apart from that, there was also the development of Huaguo Mountain in these three months.
They gave away Heavenly Dao Eternity coins for free, allowing the immortals to spend them in Huaguo Mountain, which can be considered a way to indirectly increase the circulation of Heavenly Dao and Eternity coins—
"Brother, with the spending of the immortals during these past three months, our Heavenly Dao and Eternity coins in Huaguo Mountain will replace gold and silver even more rapidly."
Even though today in Huaguo Mountain, Heavenly Dao Eternity coins have already become the main currency, it still takes time for them to completely replace gold and silver.
But this time, the lavish spending of the immortals has allowed the Eternity coins and Heavenly Dao coins to very quickly take the place originally occupied by gold and silver, also greatly accelerating the phasing out of gold and silver.
Perhaps, in just a few years, the Golden Eternity Coin and Silver Eternity Coin might be extensively issued.
Sun Wukong thought it over and said, "We should buy more copper and iron. The issuance of Heavenly Dao coins doesn't need to be rushed; we need to consider the economy of Ao Lai. Too great a disparity, and it will become our vassal."
"Uh..." Ao Yun tilted his head, his clear eyes filled with confusion, "Is that not good?"
"Good."
Sun Wukong nodded, then shook his head, "But if the disparity is too great, we will have to help them develop later, which will be time-consuming and laborious. Better to give them some time to catch up."
"After all,"
"What we have in abundance, is time."
Ao Yun seemed lost in thought.
Huaguo Mountain, with its enchanting spiritual beauty, and his elder brother, who was also ranked among the immortals, were destined to have a boundless future.
Letting Ao Lai keep up on their own would stir their creativity, and by the time Huaguo Mountain would enjoy the fruits of their labor, wouldn't that be wonderful?
His elder brother was indeed wise!
"By the way, Ao Yun, have there been any demons raising questions about the new Transformation Skill recently?" Sun Wukong asked about the new Transformation Skill.
"Apart from some stubborn old ones who still have objections, the other demons have adapted and hold your new Transformation Skill in high regard."
The new Transformation Skill had already started to be promoted.
The demons had moved from initial resistance to acceptance now, and even looked down on those who still sported a beast's head; this had taken only about a year.
Previously, when demons transformed, they would either completely turn into human form or keep a beast's head and cover their bodies with animal fur.
Those who chose to fully transform into humans generally wanted to blend into humanity, inspired by the desire to be counted among immortals and Buddhas, a step that often required one to first become human.
Whereas those with a beast's head tended to value their freedom, achieving human form but continuing to behave willfully and carelessly, failing to understand manners and acting merely on instinct.
This type of demons either proclaimed themselves kings in the forests or served as soldiers under various mountain kings.
However, this did not hinder their aspiration towards the ranks of immortals and positions among Buddhas.
Still, ultimately speaking, humans were the most numerous in the three realms. Although there were many spirits and monsters in the world, the weaker demons hardly dared to offend humans.
Indeed, most demons longed for human life.
For instance, the demons of Western Bull Demon Province, most of whom lived deeply in old forests and inhabited spacious caves, did not consume humans like beasts, raw and bloodied, but rather cleaned and cooked them, either by steaming or boiling.
Perhaps these demons did not think of themselves as learning from humans, nor even had the concept, but it didn't prevent their instinctual yearning for human life.
Completely transforming into humans meant abandoning their demonic past to merge with humanity; those sporting a beast's head likely did so to maintain their race's dignity and clarify their separation from humans.
In a sense, this also indicated insecurity about their own race.
The existence of Huaguo Mountain and Sun Wukong had given the myriad spirits who joined the mountain confidence, hence Sun Wukong's new Transformation Skill had been easily implemented.
They transformed into human forms but did not retain the beast's head; instead, they kept identifiable features like ears, wings, antlers, and such.
Initially, a Demon King thought this was somewhat inappropriate.
To fully transform or to keep sporting a beast's head to uphold their race's magnificence—this new Transformation Skill gave them the odd feeling of being neither here nor there.
However, when the first batch of newly transformed appeared at Huaguo Mountain, the humans living there developed a strong interest in these demons.
Especially towards females, they were fixated.
Following this, most demons gradually got accustomed, and those with sufficient Mana began to learn the new Transformation Skill to become more popular.
"Only..."
Ao Yun paused, thought about his wording, and then continued, "Only, romances between humans and demons have begun, and although this doesn't violate the heavenly rules, some people are indulging their desires excessively." ThischapterisfromthecollectionatM-VL-EM-PYR.
Hearing this, Sun Wukong laughed.
The longing for beauty is inherent to all.
The newly transformed demons, possessing both human beauty and racial characteristics, were bound to attract human attention.
But human-demon romance...
"Ao Yun, what do you think is the solution?" Sun Wukong asked.
"Elder brother, love between humans and demons, across different races, isn't really a problem; the main issue is still the difference in lifespan," Ao Yun addressed the fundamental issue.
Compared to the beings of Huaguo Mountain, the lifespan of humans was far too short.
Even with Huaguo Mountain's abundant Spiritual Energy, the average human lifespan was only about a hundred years.
And the demons?
At least three hundred years.
This issue had been discussed between Ao Yun and Sun Wukong long ago, and the conclusion was not to interfere.
But this would lead to various ethical dilemmas.
For instance: if a person and a demon fell in love in this life and the person died first, forgetting their previous life in the next and loving someone else, what should the demon do?
Snatch love with a forceful hand?
Or silently offer blessings?
Or: if a person, in order to continue their previous love with a demon, accidentally avoided drinking Meng Po Soup during reincarnation and sought to reunite after growing up, should the demon accept them?
After all, they are not the same person physically; does it count as being cuckolded by oneself?
Or, if before the person's reincarnation, the demon had already bore a child, what if the child grew to be the same age or even older than the father?
Sun Wukong, stroking his chin, thought for a moment and said, "Love wounds the deepest. There's no need to intervene; romances between humans and demons at Huaguo Mountain are not common, let them be for now."
Ao Yun nodded.
Even if one wanted to manage such issues, it would be difficult.
"Then, elder brother, our next step is to continue building cities,"
"After this Huaguo Mountain Festival, more and more demons and humans will come to our Huaguo Mountain. I estimate the population will reach saturation within ten years, and we'll need more cities."
"I project that once we've established one hundred and eight cities, the number of spirits can reach ten million..."
"When that happens, Huaguo Mountain can officially become its own kingdom, and elder brother, your title of the Eastern Leisurely Spirit King will truly be well-deserved."