His body, high in the sky, had lost all strength and was slowly falling.
In the end, after fighting to the last, he was defeated by himself.
In the boundless cold, all living beings on earth looked up in a daze, witnessing the final scene.
In the Thirty-Three Heavens, the great powers stood in silence, not uttering a word.
At this moment, all Three Realms had fallen silent.
......
In a daze, a flash of light swept past his eyes.
Monkey slowly opened his eyes, seeing the bright sunlight, the shade of green trees, and the chirping of insects and cicadas all around.
Propping himself up, he saw rabbits playing under the trees and sika deer leisurely nibbling grass.
Everything before him was so familiar, so beautiful it felt almost unreal.
Lowering his head, he stared in shock at his own childish hands.
"Monkey! Monkey!" A voice, both familiar and strange, called from afar.
Turning around, he saw Birdie fluttering down onto a branch before him, shouting, "You useless monkey, you’re getting more and more out of hand! We’re about to set out—how are you still sleeping here?"
"Set… set out? Set out where?" Monkey was stunned, a little flustered.
"To Crescent Star Cave to cultivate, of course! The raft is ready—didn’t we agree to leave today?" Birdie frowned, glaring fiercely at Monkey.
"Crescent Star Cave?" Monkey blinked blankly, then pinched his own cheek hard: "Ow—! That hurts!"
"What are you doing?" Birdie eyed him suspiciously.
Trembling slightly, Monkey widened his eyes and slowly broke into a smile, leaping up in sheer joy.
"Are you okay?" Birdie jumped back two steps, cautiously watching this crazy monkey.
"Let me tell you—I’ve been reborn! I’ve been reborn! This is wonderful—everything can start over!"
"What nonsense are you talking about now?"
Before she could finish, Monkey rushed over and hugged her tightly, rubbing her feathers with all his might.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Birdie hesitated for a long while, then whispered, "We... we still have to set out. Everyone’s waiting on the beach to see you off…"
"No… we’re not going. We’re not going anywhere." At this moment, Monkey’s eyes were already brimming with tears. He held Birdie tightly, softly saying, "We’re not going anywhere. We’ll just stay on Blossom Mountain—together. Is that alright?"
Birdie shrank her head and nestled into Monkey’s arms, her little face turning red. After a long time, she whispered, "Alright, I’ll listen to you."
A gentle breeze stirred, and the leaves rustled softly.
Bright sunlight bathed the earth, shining on the monkey and the bird, turning everything into warm, gentle hues.
The whole world felt so beautiful it could melt all the coldness away.
......
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
A violent wind swept past his ears, and under fierce friction, flames ignited all around, turning everything a deep red.
His tears had not yet fallen before they sublimated away.
Monkey gazed at the sea of stars, slowly smiling: "What a beautiful dream…"
His heart had already shattered into dust.
He slowly closed his eyes and became a shooting star, streaking across the sky.
......
Across the vast earth, a few wandering monks walked slowly onward.
Falling behind, the youngest—a novice monk only eight years old—stopped, staring dazedly up at the starry sky.
The two senior brothers ahead also paused, and the old monk in the bamboo litter turned back and said, "Evan Leaf, why aren’t you moving?"
"Master, I saw that shooting star crying."
“Nonsense! Shooting stars don’t cry, do they?”
The little monk stared dazedly at the sky, murmuring, "I suddenly feel... I am somehow linked to him by fate. One day, I’ll find him."
As he spoke, he turned and smiled at his master.
That smile was as pure as the water in a mountain stream—utterly clear, untouched by any trace of impurity.
On ruined Blossom Mountain, a cold wind swept through, stirring up clouds of dust and sand.
Lord Buddha (Shakyamuni), Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata, Manjusri, Samantabhadra, and more than a hundred Buddhas appeared one after another.
Suddenly, Lord Buddha clutched his chest and sank to one knee. His golden radiance had long since faded, and his face looked lost and dazed.
"Venerable Master..."
Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata hurried forward to support him, but Lord Buddha raised a hand, stopping him in his tracks.
"To deal with that demon monkey, I was forced to twist his Dao-heart with words, creating the illusion that Buddhism had already been defeated, dissolving his obsession. But..." Lowering his head, Lord Buddha sighed weakly. "Victory is mine, but my cultivation is gravely damaged. I fear it may take centuries before I recover."
"This..."
"Go quickly—capture the demon monkey, seal his powers, and remember: do not let either the demons or the Heavenly Court learn of his whereabouts. Otherwise, I truly cannot face him again."
After a brief hesitation, Right-Dharma Radiance Tathāgata pressed his palms together and bowed deeply. "I shall obey, Master."
Arms open wide, the falling meteor tore through the night sky and crashed heavily into Ruby. Blood burst from her lips, but she held on by sheer willpower.
In the freezing wind, she gritted her teeth, using the last of her strength to cling tightly to the unconscious Monkey in her arms.
Her frail body trembled.
From Blossom Mountain to Crescent Star Cave, then from Crescent Star Cave to the Heavenly Court... She had chased after Monkey for hundreds of thousands of miles. Yet in the end, she hadn’t even had the chance to say a final word to him.
"Monkey Brother... do you know? In my heart, you’ve always just been my Monkey Brother—not the Handsome Monkey King, not the Great Sage Equal to Heaven... Ruby is my true name, because you gave it to me."