Within the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Fleet is a true anomaly: fierce in battle, fearless of death, and renowned for their military merit—yet for these very reasons, they remain out of step with the vast bureaucratic apparatus.
Often, the Heavenly Fleet finds itself the target of exclusion.
Shunned from without, they naturally band together within. While it may not be true of the upper ranks, at the grassroots level, the Fleet’s sense of loyalty and mutual protection surpasses all others.
Just before departure, several veteran officers openly encouraged Zane Price to act boldly. As long as the terms weren’t too harsh, they would find a way to make it work—even if it meant keeping secrets from Commander Skyler.
Carrying the instructions of his fellow officers, Zane Price arrived at the mouth of Stillwater Valley.
To show his sincerity, he shed his ever-present armor for a scholar’s robe. At the valley entrance, he drew his sword from his waist and tossed it to the ground, bowed deeply, and called out: “Zane Price, under Commander Skyler, requests an audience with Elder Stillwater!”
......
In a rare moment, the room was lit by candlelight. Elder Stillwater and Shawn Cloud were absorbed in a game of Go, while Danny Crimson, clutching his sword, dozed on a nearby meditation mat.
Just as Elder Stillwater was about to place a white stone, he suddenly lifted his head, his ears twitching slightly.
“What’s wrong, senior brother?” Shawn Cloud asked.
"They’ve sent someone over."
"Huh? Sent someone over?" Danny Crimson, half-awake, jolted upright. "Are we about to fight?"
The other two looked at the flustered Danny Crimson and smiled helplessly. Elder Stillwater said softly, "I'll go meet him."
......
At the mouth of the valley, a giant mask formed in the raging wind.
Seeing the mask take shape, Deputy General Zane Price hurriedly bowed and said, "Deputy General Zane Price under Commander Skyler of the Heavenly Fleet greets Elder Stillwater."
"Say what you have to say." Elder Stillwater replied coolly.
"I wish to ask Elder Stillwater to release the three soldiers you are holding."
"You came here just for this?"
Zane Price bowed and said, "Commander Skyler acted rashly before, sending men to infiltrate Stillwater Valley. I apologize to Elder Stillwater on his behalf."
With that, he bowed deeply.
Standing inside the hall, Elder Sky stroked his beard and said, "Now that sounds like someone who knows how to talk."
After a brief silence, Elder Stillwater asked, "Did your general send you here to apologize?"
Hesitating for a moment, Zane Price bowed his head and replied in a clear voice, "No. The general permitted me to visit Elder Stillwater, but did not mention any apology."
"Hmph. If he won’t even apologize, what’s the point of all this? You should just go back."
With that, he was about to disperse the spell, but Zane Price quickly reached out to stop him. "Please wait, Elder Stillwater. I have something to say, though I’m unsure if it’s appropriate."
"Speak."
Lifting his head, Zane Price said, "Commander Skyler is straightforward by nature, but what he said that day was not untrue. Elder Stillwater, you must be aware of this."
Elder Stillwater did not respond, simply listening in silence.
"Dragging this out benefits neither of us. Given Commander Skyler’s temperament, getting him to apologize is nearly impossible. Why not let Elder Stillwater name a condition that I can decide on? Consider it giving the Heavenly Fleet some face, and we can both step down gracefully and resolve this quickly. No need to alarm Cloudrealm Sky Harbor or Crescent Star Cave. Would that be acceptable?"
"You’re just a deputy general. What makes you think you can set conditions?"
"Elder Stillwater, you’re mistaken. I may be just a deputy general, but I’m not the only one eager to resolve this. How can we know what’s possible if we don’t even try to talk?"
"Oh?" Elder Stillwater chuckled. "If that’s the case, there is indeed something your Fleet can give, and it’s something I want. But you’ll need to turn a blind eye."
......
Early the next morning, two Heavenly officers delivered a letter explaining the infiltration of Stillwater Valley, and expressed their apologies verbally, though it was not a true apology.
Elder Stillwater replied with a letter of understanding, then, surprisingly, released the captives without hesitation.
Commander Skyler was utterly baffled, but the surrounding officers seemed to think the outcome perfectly reasonable.
This only deepened his confusion.
When the Heavenly officer and two soldiers were brought aboard the warship, they were still trembling, clearly having been tormented by Elder Stillwater during their days in captivity.
With the captives returned and the withdrawal order from Cloudrealm Sky Harbor delivered, the ten thousand Heavenly soldiers encircling the valley vanished before noon.
Miles Moon and Anna Yang were both puzzled by how easily Elder Stillwater let the Heavenly Fleet go. The demons, on the other hand, cared little for the details; the withdrawal of the Heavenly Fleet was a cause for celebration.
After all this turmoil, the days that followed felt especially peaceful. Still, the occasional patrols outside the valley reminded them that their danger was not entirely gone.
In a sense, the demons had become like birds trapped in a gilded cage.
One month after entering Stillwater Valley, the Monkey King’s wounds were fully healed and he threw himself into cultivation. By the third month, the demon refugees also recovered under Miles and Anna’s care.
Yet, instead of joy, the demons’ moods were unusually low.
During a midnight council, the demons fiercely debated whether to leave Stillwater Valley and head to Blossom Mountain. In the end, they agreed on a policy of free choice.
Those who wished to go to Blossom Mountain would go; those who wanted to stay would have the Monkey King speak to Elder Stillwater on their behalf.
Clearly, they had grown deeply attached to this comfortable new home.
But when it came time to register, every single demon chose to go to Blossom Mountain.
It seemed they had grown dependent on the Monkey King during this time. Most believed that, while going to Blossom Mountain was risky, it was a wiser choice than staying in Stillwater Valley, already targeted by the Heavenly Fleet.
When the last demon removed his bandages, the Monkey King followed his plan and made his way to Elder Stillwater’s residence. He landed in the courtyard just as the setting sun cast its rays; Elder Stillwater was playing the zither in the pavilion, with his disciple Shawn Cloud standing nearby.
Shawn Cloud quietly made a gesture for silence; the Monkey King understood and sat to listen.
Elder Stillwater was a music devotee, his centuries-long obsession with melody reaching unimaginable depths. The tunes he played, tossed off with a flick of the wrist, could easily captivate anyone.
It was a pity that music in this era was so limited; otherwise, with such centuries of accumulation, what the Monkey King heard today would surely have been something else entirely.
Unlike last time, Elder Stillwater finished the piece after only a short while.
"Wukong greets Elder Stillwater."
"You’ve come?" Elder Stillwater waved his hand, and the zither vanished from the table, replaced instantly by a tea tray.
A lit charcoal stove appeared at the side, with water in the kettle bubbling away.
"Mm." The Monkey King nodded quietly, walked to the table, and sat on a stone stool. "Thank you for taking care of me during this time, Senior Brother."
"It’s only right. We’re brothers of the same sect. The road of cultivation is long—if even fellow disciples can’t support each other, wouldn’t it be unbearably lonely?"
"In the end, Master also..."
"That’s his business. He’s our master, so when he speaks, we disciples ought to respect him. But if he doesn’t speak, we do what we must. So, are you here to say goodbye?"
"Yes. I’ve already troubled you for three months, Senior Brother. It’s about time I leave. Also, I wanted to ask you again about that question from before."
"Resurrection?" Elder Stillwater pushed a cup of hot tea toward the Monkey King.
"Yes. How can I bring someone back to life?"
Elder Stillwater let out a long sigh and said, "Given your friend’s situation, first you must determine the state of her soul. Has she already been resurrected, entered reincarnation, or is she still a wandering soul somewhere in the Netherworld?"
"How do I determine that?"
"That’s simple. Just check the Book of Life and Death. If she’s been resurrected or reincarnated, there will be a mark in the book. If she’s still a wandering soul, there won’t be. Lord Lao spent more than half a year searching the Book of Life and Death in the Netherworld before leaving. That means he found out, by some means, that she was not just a wandering soul."
"Senior Brother, you mean... Birdie has already been resurrected or reincarnated?" The Monkey King was startled.
"Exactly." Elder Stillwater quietly nodded, stroking his long beard.
Staring blankly for a long while, Wukong finally blinked and asked, "Even Lord Lao spent over half a year searching—if I try, won’t it take even longer?"
No matter how strong his cultivation, searching the Book of Life and Death was a far cry from Lord Lao’s search. After all, Lord Lao did it in broad daylight—while he would have to sneak around.
Was the Book of Life and Death really something anyone could just peruse? The longer one lingered in the Netherworld, the more likely disaster would strike. Half a year...
A slow, knowing smile gradually spread across Elder Stillwater’s face.
At first, Wukong was puzzled. Then his eyes went wide. "I just need to check the last section Lord Lao examined!"
"Clever!" Elder Stillwater chuckled. "The Book of Life and Death cannot be tampered with. All we need to know is which volume and which section Lord Lao last read, and we’ll find what we’re looking for. Of course, prepare yourself—even with the answer, there may be no way forward. Her soul was deliberately led away. Whoever did it surely knew Lord Lao could trace things this way, yet dared to do it anyway. That means there’s a deeper game at play here."
"I understand." Wukong nodded silently. "And after that? If she’s already been resurrected, that’s one thing. But if she’s reincarnated... how can I restore her memories?"
"Then you’ll need to seek out Lady Lethe."
"The Lethe Draught?"
"Exactly." Elder Stillwater nodded. "Every living soul must drink a bowl of the Lethe Draught before reincarnation. They say it wipes away memories, but in truth, it extracts the earth-soul, leaving the memories of this life behind. If you retrieve the earth-soul from Lady Lethe, you can restore her memories. However..."