"I've heard that Dragon's Pool isn't exactly a good place either. If I were to go alone, I'm afraid..."
Shortbeak didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he shot a furtive glance at the Monkey King, but quickly realized Simon's face was expressionless, focused only on leading Fiona Fox forward.
This Monkey King was always so cold and inscrutable; no one could ever guess what he was thinking. Only when he looked at Fiona Fox did a trace of gentleness appear in his eyes.
This troubled Shortbeak greatly.
At first, he would always try to guess what was going through the Monkey King's mind, but he was always wrong.
Thinking back, he'd just rambled on again.
But if he'd always been wrong, then what reason did the Monkey King have to stay with this group?
He didn't understand—truly didn't understand.
After silently following the Monkey King for a long while, he finally couldn't hold back and prepared to slip away: "I'll go scout ahead."
"Shortbeak."
"Hm?"
"Be careful these next few days. If you land on the ground, try not to stray too far from me."
"Huh?" Shortbeak was confused by what he heard, but judging from the Monkey King's expression, it didn't seem like idle talk. After a moment's hesitation, he replied, "Got it."
He turned and ran a few steps before taking flight into the sky.
Watching Shortbeak soar in the distance, the Monkey King let out a quiet sigh.
The day passed without incident. By nightfall, the group finally stopped at the foot of a small hill.
The woods here were fairly dense, making it a good hiding spot. But Shortbeak brought back some troubling news: ahead lay a vast grassland.
With hundreds of demons walking openly across the plain, it wouldn't take a Skyward Ranger—or even a passing cultivator flying overhead—to spot them.
Upon hearing this, White Ape looked a bit dejected. Jackal and Big Bull, on the other hand, seemed amused by the situation.
"If we travel through the night, how long will it take?"
"At our current pace, it'll take at least three days."
"What if we take a detour?"
Shortbeak didn't answer, but from his expression, White Ape already knew the answer.
This meeting was the most harmonious since they'd started gathering to make decisions, but it ended without a resolution.
Late into the night, the Monkey King could still hear White Ape's heavy sighs nearby.
Quietly sitting up, the Monkey King gently freed his hand from Fiona Fox's grasp, took a roundabout path, and after confirming Jackal and Big Bull were sound asleep, carefully approached the ever-insomniac Shortbeak and patted his shoulder.
"What?" Shortbeak, who was half-awake to begin with, suddenly widened his frightening eyes.
"Come with me." The Monkey King turned and walked away.
"Huh? Oh." Shortbeak quickly scrambled up and followed.
The two of them quietly left the camp, but after only a short distance, the Monkey King found a comfortable spot and sat down.
From where he sat, bathed in moonlight, he could just make out White Ape tossing and turning and Fiona Fox sleeping soundly.
Shortbeak sat down beside him. "What's up?"
"I have something I want to ask you."
"Ask me?"
That was a rare occurrence.
The Monkey King turned to him and asked calmly, "Can you tell me more about Dragon's Pool?"
"Huh?" Shortbeak was momentarily stunned, then a smile appeared on his face. The Monkey King finally seemed a bit more normal.
"I don't actually know much—it's all hearsay."
"Just tell me what you know."
Shortbeak gave a dry laugh, blinking his frighteningly large eyes, and began slowly: "Every so often, the Heavenly Court launches a raid on Dragon's Pool—at least once a year. The battles are said to be brutal. Any demon who joins the place for the first time is put in the vanguard... Only those who survive the war are truly accepted as full members."
"Huh?"
Shortbeak swallowed nervously before continuing: "Of course, not every demon who comes to join is sent to the vanguard. If the Serpent Lord favors someone—or their followers—they're accepted directly."
"Oh? So that's the rule. Hahaha." The Monkey King suddenly laughed, leaving Shortbeak puzzled again.
"And yet so many demons still flock to a place like that?"
"Because all anyone knows is that the Heavenly Court has never managed to conquer it—they don't know about the rest... Maybe it's because those who aren't accepted don't survive. My toad demon friend got lucky. Every demon wants a safe den, without having to worry about Skyward Rangers every day."
In a way, though there are many demons scattered across the land, their information channels are extremely limited. They simply lack the ability to build a society like humans do.
"I get it now," the Monkey King said with a silent nod.
Shortbeak blinked and continued, "That's why I can only go with you. Big Bull and the others might get accepted directly, but I definitely won't. But you—you're sure to make it. Honestly, I've always had my own reasons for staying with the group. Otherwise, flying solo would be less risky for me. But what good would it do? Dragon's Pool needs soldiers, but it also needs a vanguard. I'm afraid I'd only make it into the vanguard. I was hoping White Ape would be favored by the Serpent Lord—he's a rare Sage's Path demon, and it was my idea for him to go to Dragon's Pool."
Shortbeak paused and looked toward the foot of the hill.
In the shifting moonlight, his keen vision could clearly see White Ape tossing and sighing.
"But seeing how he takes in the little ones, I suddenly feel like we'll never reach Dragon's Pool."
The Monkey King patted Shortbeak on the shoulder. "I understand. Go get some sleep."
"You know I can't sleep at night. Owls hate this routine of moving by day and sleeping at night." Shortbeak sighed helplessly. "Jackal probably feels the same way."
"Then just go back and rest."
Shortbeak considered asking about the Monkey King's words from earlier, but realized Simon was clearly sending him away. Disappointed, he shook his head and spread his wings, flying back to camp.
Once Shortbeak had left, the Monkey King took out a jade slip, infused it with spiritual power, and pressed it to his lips.
"Yang Chan."
After a long moment, the jade slip vibrated faintly, and Yang Chan's sleepy voice came through: "What is it? Can you not use the jade slip in the middle of the night? Do you think everyone is like you and doesn't need sleep?"
"Do you know Dragon's Pool?"
"Dragon's Pool? That's the Serpent Lord's territory, right? What, did you offend him? Want me to ask the Three-Headed Serpent to take care of him for you?"
"You could do that?"
"Hmm... If I go to Dragon's Pool and stir things up, the Three-Headed Serpent would probably come out on his own." She laughed, her voice ringing clear and sweet through the jade slip.
The Monkey King chuckled softly, knowing Yang Chan was only joking.
The Three-Headed Serpent is actually Yang Jian's three-bladed spear. For her to ask her brother for help—that just isn't her style.
"Can you help me look into the Serpent Lord's background?"