At this moment in the Heavenly Court, all Celestial Army units had been mobilized—even those originally assigned to missions outside were urgently recalled.
The vast drill field inside South Heaven Gate was packed with military formations, and the warships flying overhead blotted out the sky.
Within the grand hall, the heads of all Celestial Army divisions were assembled. General Lee sat solemnly in the seat of honor, while the surrounding generals exchanged uneasy glances and whispered among themselves.
"What on earth is happening? Why have we all been suddenly summoned?"
"His Majesty is personally overseeing matters at the Imperial Survey Bureau right now."
"Personally overseeing..."
"I heard that all the Survey Bureau's Skyward Rangers have been dispatched, and South Heaven Gate has sent envoys to probe the demon kings, plus messengers to Spirit Mountain. Apparently... that monkey has returned."
"The monkey?"
In that instant, every celestial general seemed to understand exactly who "the monkey" referred to, and each was left gaping in shock.
Many present had not yet enlisted during the great war 650 years ago, but how could they not know why so many positions in Heaven had suddenly become vacant?
A demon who single-handedly destroyed the entire Heavenly Court.
His existence was nothing less than an unshakable nightmare for the Heavenly Court—one that would haunt them for ten million years to come.
The atmosphere in the hall grew exponentially heavier.
"This... how is this possible? Wasn't he said to be imprisoned by Buddhism? How could the Buddhists ever let him out?"
"Right, right, even if he somehow managed to escape, could Buddhism really stand by and let him roam free? Surely Shakyamuni Buddha himself would intervene and capture him again."
"Has Buddhism made any move?"
One celestial general sighed softly: "No. Indeed, if that monkey had broken out, Buddhism ought to have acted to recapture him. But while Buddhism hasn't stirred, they also haven't replied to Heaven about whether the monkey is still imprisoned... So, odds are, the monkey really has escaped—and Buddhism has some unspeakable reason for silence."
"Buddhism's unspeakable reason..." All the celestial generals turned their gaze toward General Lee in the seat of honor.
General Lee merely swept his gaze over them, saying nothing. From beginning to end, his brows remained tightly furrowed; beside him, Nathan Young was equally grave.
This only deepened the generals' anxiety.
...
Within the main building of the Imperial Survey Bureau, countless celestial soldiers and generals hurried back and forth, constantly sorting through various reports sent from the mortal world.
One celestial general, arms full of scrolls, sprinted down a narrow corridor. Reaching a room deep within, he nodded to the two celestial soldiers standing guard, who immediately pushed open the door for him.
Inside the room, aside from the Jade Emperor seated at the desk, nearly twenty generals from the Imperial Survey Bureau crowded in—silver armor gleaming, yet the air was stiflingly oppressive.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, two generals came forward to take the scrolls from his arms and distributed them among those present.
With a heavy fist to his breastplate, the general knelt on one knee and reported, "Your Majesty, all suspicious points in the reports have been thoroughly investigated as per your instructions. The findings have been compiled here. However, the amount is vast and rather chaotic, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood at a glance. These are the confirmed reports so far."
The Jade Emperor, seated at the desk, gestured for him to rise. "Continue investigating. Be thorough. Do not overlook a single clue."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The general saluted the Jade Emperor again, bowed, and withdrew from the room.
The doors closed.
No sooner had the general left than the Jade Emperor turned to the assembled generals and asked, "Well? Any discoveries?"
"Well..." One general glanced at the scrolls and bowed. "Your Majesty, none of the demon kings have shown any unusual activity. Everything appears normal, as if none have made contact with the demon monkey."
"The demon monkey hasn't met with his old subordinates? That seems unlikely." Another general asked, "Could they be pretending ignorance to lull us?"
"Could we be mistaken, and the demon monkey never escaped at all?"
The generals present were all stunned, looking around at each other.
If it was a false alarm, the Imperial Survey Bureau might lose face, but that would be the best outcome. If the monkey had truly returned, it was far more than a matter of pride.
One general waved a hand. "It's too early to draw conclusions. But among the demons, a strange rumor has begun to circulate."
"A strange rumor?"
Immediately, every general's gaze turned toward him, and the Jade Emperor extended a hand.
The general hurriedly handed his scroll to the Jade Emperor, bowing. "Your Majesty, it's just an unrelated, peculiar rumor. It says a monk, on Buddha's orders, has set out from Tang in the East to journey west to Spirit Mountain's Thunderclap Monastery to obtain scriptures. It also claims... this monk is Tripitaka reborn, and a single bite of his flesh grants immortality. There are even stranger details: supposedly, he carries a golden alms bowl that can gather all the world's wealth, and a robe that, if worn, allows one to ascend to the heavens in broad daylight..."
At this, many of the Heavenly Generals present breathed a sigh of relief and broke into laughter.
"Your Majesty, this is obviously just a rumor. Only those bumpkin demons would believe such nonsense."
"Exactly! Never mind the claim that eating flesh grants immortality, but a golden alms bowl that gathers all the world's wealth and a robe that lets you ascend to Heaven in broad daylight? Whoever started this clearly doesn't understand the first thing about reality."
The scattered chuckles quickly swelled into uproarious laughter, and the heavy atmosphere in the room lightened considerably.
The Jade Emperor sprawled over his desk, squinting as he carefully examined the scroll. Raising his head, he fixed his gaze on the assembled generals and said, "In just one night, every demon in the mortal world is talking about this. Do you still think it's just a rumor?"
The laughter stopped abruptly.
One of the generals hurriedly saluted, stepped forward to pick up the scroll, and studied it closely. His expression grew increasingly grave.
The other generals crowded around, passing the scroll among themselves.
"So... someone is deliberately spreading these rumors?"
"Who would do such a thing?"
"To spread across the Three Realms in a single night, the mastermind behind this must be formidable. In all my years at the Skyward Ranger Bureau, I've never seen a rumor travel so swiftly."
"The timing is uncanny. Could this be connected to the Monkey King's movements?"
Stroking his long beard in thought, the Jade Emperor barked, "Investigate! If this scripture-seeking monk truly exists, find him at once!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
At that moment, the door slowly creaked open.
A Court Herald entered, clutching a memorial, and bowed to the Jade Emperor. "Your Majesty, an urgent dispatch has arrived from the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace."
Instantly, the generals were taken aback, and even the Jade Emperor was startled.
At this moment, the entire Heavenly Court was on edge, nerves stretched taut as bowstrings.
"An urgent dispatch?"
The Court Herald quickly presented the memorial.
As soon as the Jade Emperor opened the memorial, his face went deathly pale.
Every general in the room stared wide-eyed, transfixed.
Panicked, the Jade Emperor tore open the letter tucked inside the memorial and read it closely. As his eyes moved over the words, beads of sweat as large as soybeans rolled down his forehead.
After a long moment, when he finally set the letter aside, the Jade Emperor collapsed into his chair as if drained of all strength.
A general asked quietly, "Your Majesty, is... is there news?"
"It's really him... it's truly him." The Jade Emperor blinked desperately, glancing about as if lost, unable to find the words for a long time.
The surrounding generals were already stunned into silence.
"It's really him... he... he's at the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace?"
The Jade Emperor nodded faintly, dazed. "He had the Dragon Palace deliver this letter, demanding... that rainfall over Blossom Mountain be restored immediately. Otherwise, he'll come to the High Sky Throne Hall himself to discuss the matter."
Swallowing hard, the Jade Emperor asked in a voice barely above a whisper, "What do you all think we should do?"
Everyone present bowed their heads slightly.
Soon after, a Court Herald hurried out of the room and made his way quickly to the main hall of the South Heaven Gate garrison.
After saluting the assembled generals, he took small steps to General Lee's side and asked in a low voice, "His Majesty wishes to know: how does the current South Heaven Gate compare to six hundred and fifty years ago?"
General Lee was startled by the question and quickly grasped the situation. He quietly bowed and replied, "Please inform His Majesty: the current South Heaven Gate formation is inferior to that of six hundred and fifty years ago."
"Understood..."
...
Meanwhile, in a small town nestled among the southern mountains, a young man in a cotton robe lounged against the stone lion at the yamen gate, chewing on a stalk of dogtail grass and yawning with a slouch that made him look like a street thug.
The two gate guards glanced at him from time to time, and so did the passing townsfolk.
In a border town of just over a hundred households, any stranger was bound to stand out.
Fortunately, it was a time of peace; if war had been raging on the frontier, he would have been seized and questioned the moment he set foot in town.
Yet the young man seemed utterly unconcerned by all the attention. No matter how they stared, he treated them as if they were invisible, basking in the warm sunlight, yawning, and apparently waiting for something.
Soon, the yamen's main doors swung open.
The local magistrate personally escorted Tripitaka out, beaming as he clasped his hands in thanks. "Master, I am truly grateful. I've sent men after these mountain bandits many times, but they know the terrain so well that they always escape. Who could have guessed you'd capture them all single-handedly? My deepest thanks!"
"You are too kind, sir." Tripitaka pressed his palms together respectfully. "It was no trouble at all."
At that moment, a yamen runner led Tripitaka's white horse to the gate.
The magistrate stroked his beard and asked, "By the way, Master, where are you headed?"
"I journey west," Tripitaka replied.
"West? But if you go west, you'll cross the border... Do you have a travel permit, Master?"
Tripitaka smiled gently, pressing his palms together. "I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot linger. Please, sir, return inside."
The magistrate didn't suspect anything and simply nodded. "Well then, I wish you a safe journey, Master."
Tripitaka saluted again and turned to mount his horse.
Just then, the young man who had been waiting at the gate walked over and took the reins from the yamen runner.
The magistrate was momentarily taken aback and asked softly, "And this is...?"
Tripitaka gazed at the young man and took a deep breath. "This is a disciple I took in along the road—he has not yet been tonsured."
At this, the young man glanced up at Tripitaka, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
After bidding farewell to the magistrate, the two slowly left the town. In the sunset, they truly looked like master and disciple from afar.
A gentle breeze swept by, flattening the grass on either side of the mountain road.
With a flicker, the young man's cotton robe became battle armor, and his face transformed into a furry monkey's visage.
Leading the horse step by step, Monkey asked in a low voice, "How did you know it was me?"
"I guessed," Tripitaka replied. "I had a strong feeling you would come back."
"Oh? Your intuition is pretty sharp." Monkey glanced back at the town, his voice slow and lazy. "Looks like you've got some real skills—everyone in town is talking about how you single-handedly dealt with over twenty bandits and hauled them in a line to the yamen."
"I know a little martial arts, but I can't compare to the Great Sage himself."
Monkey gave a faint smile and sighed. "If you could help me deal with Shakyamuni, that would be true skill. I've decided—I'll walk this road with you. After all, six hundred and fifty years have gone by; what's another ten? Once everything's settled, I'll go to Mount Hua to fetch her—otherwise, I'd just bring more trouble, and her second brother-in-law wouldn't let me see her anyway. But let me be clear: I have no intention of joining Buddhism."
Tripitaka pressed his palms together. "I understand. I would never force you."
Monkey shot Tripitaka a look. "Wouldn't work even if you tried. By the way, how'd you dare go to the yamen without a travel permit? Weren't you afraid they'd haul you back to Chang'an?"
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"Of course I was afraid, but the matter had to be resolved, didn't it?"
"Could you really resolve it?" Monkey burst out laughing. "I was standing at the door and heard those bandits getting chummy with the jailers. If dozens of bandits can't be wiped out after repeated campaigns, there's obviously something fishy going on."
"I did notice some clues," Tripitaka said, rocking on horseback with a long sigh. "Just didn't expect it to be so blatant... Looks like I'll need your help after all. If they're released again, they'll just go back to preying on the weak."
"So, you can't save them all and now you're sending souls to the afterlife instead?"
Tripitaka shook his head. "Just scare them a little; don't take their lives."
"Ha! You must have some real pull—getting the Great Sage Equal to Heaven to personally scare off a few petty thieves." Monkey stretched out a lazy finger. "But only this once."
Tripitaka smiled and bowed. "Thank you."
...
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study of the High Sky Throne Hall, the Jade Emperor and his top officials sat in silence around a letter, their faces dark as iron.
After a long silence, the Jade Emperor furrowed his brow, glanced around at his ministers, and said in a low voice, "First, instruct the Dragon Palace to restore rainfall over Blossom Mountain as a gesture of goodwill. Then... send a special envoy to try to meet with that demon monkey, sound out his intentions, and, if possible, negotiate an agreement. Also, report this to the Three Pure Ones, Master Sage Subhuti, and Zhenyuan the Great Immortal, and see what they think. And check for any response from Spirit Mountain."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"