Crescent Star Cave, bathed in bright sunlight.
A gentle breeze swept through, making the grasses and trees in the courtyard rustle softly.
Inside the small house, Clara Heart spread out a sheepskin map, leaning over the table to examine it closely.
Beside her, Aiden Chen was too short to see, so he kept jumping up, but still couldn’t reach. All he could do was gaze longingly at Clara.
"Any news about Senior Brother Wukong lately?"
"No," Yvonne Rain shook her head, stretching her neck to look as well.
Clara tilted her head, calculated with her fingers, then reached out to measure across the map of the Western Ox Continent. Finally, she drew a small circle and said, "He should be somewhere around here. We'll just go and look for him."
With that, Clara rolled up the map.
"Aunt-Master Clara, are you going to look for Uncle Wukong?"
"Mm."
"Aunt-Master, why not just ask the Heavenly Court directly? They watch everything every day—they must know where Uncle Wukong is."
Clara placed the map into a nearby paper tube and replied calmly, "I don't want extra complications."
After speaking, she took Aiden Chen by the hand and walked outside. At the door, she turned back to instruct, "This trip shouldn’t take too long. Help me tidy up the alchemy room and restock any missing materials. When I return, I’ll be going into seclusion to refine pills."
Aiden Chen only half understood, but Yvonne Rain’s brow furrowed slightly.
Going into seclusion to refine pills only uses common materials. Clearly, the pills are meant for Aiden Chen.
Back when I entered the Kunlun sect, I served tea, fetched water, made beds—what didn’t I do? Even then, all I got was a basic entry-level technique. This Aiden Chen, who knows what luck brought him here—he hasn’t even formally joined the sect, and his future master is already preparing pills to improve his aptitude.
Clara was a special case—two great masters took her in at once, which surely meant she had some unique fate. But how did this ordinary mortal child end up with such luck? If Clara accepts him as a disciple, then Master Sage Subhuti and Lord Lao would both be his grandmasters!
Thinking this, Yvonne Rain couldn’t help but sigh.
"People really do have different destinies. In less than two hundred years, his cultivation will probably surpass mine."
But then, thinking about it, she found it funny. After all, she was already a Spirit-Transformation Stage cultivator—was it really right to envy a little mortal child who hadn’t even begun his cultivation?
Yvonne Rain shook her head helplessly, then turned and walked toward Clara Heart's alchemy room.
But now that she thought about it, what did Master and Aunt-Master talk about last night?
She couldn't help but wonder.
......
Blackwater River.
Amid the soft rush of waves, the river water had already soaked the mud and sand beneath Monkey's feet.
Leaning on his Golden Staff, he bowed his head and watched in silence.
"What are you thinking about?" Marshal Silver asked quietly.
"I'm thinking about what outside help we could find." Monkey scratched his cheek and said, "But after turning it over, there's really no one to call. If the Buddhists made their move, Heaven is out of the question. Even I can't break through, and Louis Quickpaw's crowd are only good for numbers, so calling them is pointless. The Four Dragon Kings command water, but they're no match for the demon kings. After all that, there's just Crescent Star Cave and Calmforge Palace left. Too bad neither is easily moved."
Monkey paused, then casually asked, "What about you? Any old friends who could help?"