We can only hope that these so-called spiritual fruits and elixirs are effective. If they can extend our lives by a few hundred years, it won't be a bad deal.
"Even if I, Old Sun, die, I cannot secretly pass on this knowledge to anyone without my teacher's knowledge. So give up on that idea!"
Sun Wukong was adamant, telling Wang Mang that this was a bottom line that could not be crossed, and that he should forget about it.
"Can't you really make an exception?"
"cannot!"
"Alright! As long as Sun Wukong compensates me with some spiritual fruits and elixirs, I won't hold it against him. As for the loss of 400,000 soldiers that caused me to suffer, let's just call it even!"
Wang Mang knew when to stop and didn't dare to push too hard. After all, as the monkey himself said, what if he still had some hidden tricks up his sleeve and managed to escape from under the Five Elements Mountain? Wouldn't that cause a lot of trouble?
"No, you have to swear that you won't cause me any more trouble and won't do such dirty things again, otherwise, I won't believe your credibility!"
Sun Wukong shook his head violently. He wasn't stupid; he wouldn't easily believe a verbal agreement between two parties.
Moreover, this damned mortal emperor is really weird; he has absolutely no moral compass, he's just a complete idiot.
Only by making an oath can there be a guarantee.
This is no ordinary world, but a middle-thousand world where the Heavenly Dao exists. If you break your oath, the consequences will be severe.
"I don't even know how much spirit fruit and elixir you're willing to compensate me with, so how can you swear an oath? Explain yourself clearly first, and then I'll swear!"
Wang Mang frowned. Having lived in this world for over seventy years, he naturally knew that this world was different from his previous life on Earth.
If you break your vow, you will be punished 100% of the time. This is something that countless people have proven with their lives, and it is absolutely true.
"Hmm... I'll take a look first!"
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong did not object. He closed his eyes, picked at his ear, pulled out some things, threw them on the ground, and with a flash of light, they turned into a sack.
"Phew, luckily I, Old Sun, still have some savings!"
Sun Wukong gasped for breath, then pulled something out of his ear, using up all the magic power he had accumulated over a long time, leaving him extremely weak.
What a monkey! He uses his ears as storage space. No wonder he always stuffs the Ruyi Jingu Bang into his ears.
Xiao Ning, who was standing to the side like an invisible man, secretly gave a thumbs-up.
"Take a look for yourself. All the spiritual fruits and elixirs that I, Old Sun, have accumulated are in this bag. Take the goods and then swear an oath!"
After catching his breath, Sun Wukong said to Wang Mang with disgust.
Wang Mang's eyes lit up as he looked at the sack. After hearing what the monkey said, he rubbed his hands together, took two steps forward, and, not minding the fishy smell on Sun Wukong's face, picked up the sack and began to examine it.
After a thorough count, there were a total of eight peaches and twelve golden pills.
However, Wang Mang did not understand the age and efficacy of these elixirs and peaches.
"Great Sage Sun, I am ignorant and do not recognize the value of this treasure. Please explain it to me!"
Wang Mang looked at the treasure before him and then glanced at Xiao Ning, only to see him shake his head slightly. He had no choice but to turn to Sun Wukong for help.
"Those peaches are all of inferior quality, ripening over three thousand years. Ordinary people can eat them to clear away impurities and extend their lifespan by five hundred years. Taking a second peach will have no effect!"
"The golden pills all come from Laozi's Tushita Palace. The ones with one cloud pattern are ten first-stage golden pills, and the ones with two cloud patterns are two second-stage golden pills."
"A first-stage Golden Core can enhance a cultivator's magical power by a hundred years, while a second-stage Golden Core can enhance it by five hundred years. Both are only effective for cultivators below the Immortal level!"
Sun Wukong did not hesitate. He glanced at them and immediately discerned their detailed information.
Xiao Ning nodded to himself. He realized that the effects of these peaches and golden pills were indeed as the monkey had said, and he wasn't lying.
"Five hundred years of lifespan...that's wonderful! Hehe, in that case, I'll gladly accept it!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Mang's eyes lit up even more. He looked at the peaches of immortality and golden pills in front of him, almost drooling, and burst into laughter.
"Wait, you have to swear an oath if you want to take it!"
Just as Wang Mang was about to leave with the peaches and two bottles of elixirs, Sun Wukong stopped him.
"Very well, Heaven above, I, Wang Mang, swear! As for the matter of Sun Wukong causing me to lose 400,000 troops, after compensating me with eight three-thousand-year peaches of immortality, ten first-stage golden pills, and two second-stage golden pills, this matter will be settled, and I will not pursue it any further!"
"If you break this oath, may I be pierced by a thousand arrows and die a horrible death!"
Wang Mang straightened his face, raised three fingers, and swore an oath to the heavens.
"That's more like it. Alright, you can leave now!"
Upon hearing the contents of his oath, Sun Wukong nodded in satisfaction and waved for him to leave.
While filled with rage, he began to calculate that once this mortal emperor named Wang Mang obtained the peaches of immortality and the elixir of immortality, he would surely consume them himself. No one could resist the temptation of extending one's lifespan by five hundred years.
The monkey himself has been imprisoned for 500 years, and there are still 495 years left. When he is freed, he can go and settle accounts with him for being pissed on and extorted today.
Otherwise, why would the monkey have so easily given up the peaches of immortality and the golden pill? It had calculated everything meticulously.
As for not giving Wang Mang the method of cultivation, there were also considerations. Firstly, if he had given it to him, it would have been difficult to explain to Patriarch Bodhi.
Secondly, if Wang Mang obtains the cultivation method and cannot resist the temptation to practice it, he will be violating the Heavenly Laws. When the Heavenly Court investigates, even if Wang Mang is reduced to ashes, it will not be as satisfying as the monkey taking revenge himself.
Therefore, after much consideration, Sun Wukong still did not pass on his cultivation method to Wang Mang.
It intends to use the peaches of immortality to keep Wang Mang alive until it escapes, and then personally avenge the humiliation it suffered today.
As the saying goes, "a monkey is very clever," and that's certainly true.