The wind whipped dust past Monkey's face as he slowly turned to look at Tina Ao.
"They..." Tina Ao hesitated, then finally said softly, "They have their own hardships and reasons."
"Did they surrender to Heaven?" Monkey asked quietly.
"No," Tina Ao shook her head. "Actually, over these years, Heaven's attitude toward the demon race has changed a lot—really, they've had to change. Demons aren't what they used to be, and after that battle 650 years ago, the Celestial Army was basically rebuilt from scratch and still hasn't fully recovered. Heaven just can't deal with all the demons in the Three Realms at once, especially now that Buddhism is interfering in Netherworld affairs..."
"So?"
"So, they've shifted from extermination to containment—only attacking minor demons. As for the great demons, as long as they don't go too far, Heaven might even acknowledge them, though they still weaken them whenever possible. Heaven has compromised on many issues, but on one thing they refuse to yield: Blossom Mountain's rainfall."
Looking at Monkey, Tina Ao continued slowly, "Great demons don't trust each other; there are constant frictions and it's hard to unite. They all need something to prove their legitimacy and win the hearts of demonkind. The Great Sage is missing, Lindsay—the heir—is dead, and Shortbeak, whom you personally appointed as Grand Marshal, has also fallen in battle. Aside from the Third Saintess, the only claim they can fight for is Blossom Mountain itself."
"But no one can hold their ground here. Without rainfall, this place can't provide enough food for the minor demons seeking refuge, nor can it support a vast demon empire. I suppose that's Heaven's real reason for forbidding rain over Blossom Mountain."
Monkey blinked blankly, his thoughts a tangled mess.
Just this brief conversation—how many messages did it reveal?
The whole world had changed beyond recognition; everything seemed to be spiraling out of control.
To witness the collapse of Blossom Mountain's once-mighty power firsthand—the taste was indescribable.
After a brief silence, Tina Ao continued, "Nine-Headed Wyrm hasn't surrendered to Heaven—he still commands his own forces, controls his territory, and sometimes even clashes with the Celestial Army. But, unexpectedly, Princess Marina Azurewave and the Azurewave Dragon King have received titles from the Jade Emperor. I suspect... some kind of deal was made."
"Nine-Headed Wyrm... hasn't changed a bit." Monkey's lips curled in a faint smile. He took a deep breath and chuckled softly, "Are you pleading for them?"
"I wouldn't dare," Tina Ao replied, bowing quickly.
"Forget it, I won't ask you. If I meet him someday, I'll ask him myself."
With that, Monkey strode away.
Tina Ao hurried to catch up, sticking close to Monkey, and hesitantly whispered, "Great Sage, you've just returned. Right now, gathering hearts is more urgent than hunting traitors..."
Monkey suddenly stopped walking.
Tina Ao also halted immediately, a little anxious as she stared at Monkey's back.
"It seems you really are close with the Azurewave Dragon King and his family."
Tina Ao was startled and lowered her head slightly. "Great Sage... you must be joking."
"From the start, you've been afraid of me—always stopping short in your words. Yet for the Azurewave Dragon King's family, you dare plead their case."
Tina Ao's hands, crossed in front of her, unconsciously tightened.
The world had changed—for Monkey, and no less for Tina Ao.
Monkey was no longer the same as when Blossom Mountain had just found its footing. He was truly the king of all demons—even without Heaven's Way-level cultivation, if he wished to destroy the Four Seas' Dragon Palaces, it would take only a thought; no one could stop him.
He was no longer the monkey Tina Ao could joke with or play tricks on. A single wrong word could doom the Four Seas.
Watching Monkey warily, countless thoughts flashed through Tina Ao's mind in that short moment.
"Don't worry!" Monkey's voice suddenly rose, and he let out a long sigh. "I don't plan to pursue anything. They made mistakes, but so did I."
"Great Sage..."
"Come on, let's go see them. Actually, I've changed my mind—don't let them know I've returned." With that, Monkey strode off.
Not far away, in a world of yellow sand, he could clearly sense the presence of about a dozen minor demons.
...
In the distance, a large band of mountain bandits rushed down the slope.
Sitting upright with his eyes closed, Tripitaka slowly opened a slit in his eyes. "About twenty of them," he murmured.
His expression remained unchanged.
The look startled the bearded man beside him, who couldn't help but grow uneasy.
"Boss! We're here!"
"Surround him!"
A large crowd of bandits quickly encircled Tripitaka.
Tripitaka slowly rose, leaning on his staff, and stepped forward, bowing. "Let us begin."
Manjusri lightly patted the monk's shoulder, sighed softly, and turned to leave.
The monk glanced at Manjusri, then looked back at Tripitaka, and finally turned to follow Manjusri away.
...
Blossom Mountain, swallowed in dust and sand.
Behind a ruined wall, Monkey stared dazedly at the small hillside ahead.
At the foot of that hill was a cave. Outside it, a young monkey demon slouched, clutching a long spear, dozing. His patched cloth robe made him look like a refugee.
Everything seemed to have returned to the days before Blossom Mountain was founded—perhaps even worse.
"They live inside?"
"There are several other places like this. Altogether, there should be four or five hundred demons left on Blossom Mountain."
"What level of cultivation do they have?"
"After the war, Blossom Mountain's spiritual energy grew thinner and thinner, so it's hard for the demons here to advance. Little Seven is at the Spirit-Refinement Stage, Daisy Grass as well. The rest—there are a few at the Spirit-Absorption Stage."
Monkey blinked blankly and sighed softly, "Can they find enough food here?"
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Tina Ao slowly shook her head. "No, there's very little food here. That's why Little Seven often comes to me for help."
"Do you give it to him?"
"Whenever he asks, I always help. But unless things are truly desperate, he won't come to me." Tina Ao let out a faint sigh.
"He has real backbone," Monkey said with a gentle smile. "Thank you."
Tina Ao quickly bowed. "It's what I should do."
"Truly, thank you," Monkey repeated.
Tina Ao fell silent.
After a moment of silence, Monkey asked, "By the way, what's Little Seven's background?"
"He's a native monkey demon, and the leader here. Six hundred years ago, during that great war, his cultivation was still shallow and he held no important post. With so many demons on Blossom Mountain back then, you might not remember his name, Great Sage, but if you saw him, you'd probably recognize his face... Great Sage, do you want to meet them?"
Monkey stood quietly for a long, long time, staring at the dust-covered young demon clutching a spear at the cave entrance, lost in thought.
"Or... should I bring them here to meet you, Great Sage?" Tina offered.
Monkey remained standing, silent. After a long while, he asked, "There's not enough spiritual energy here, it's not suited for cultivation—why do they still stay?"
"There are many reasons. Daisy Grass stays to wait for someone; the rest are mostly here as refugees."
"Refugees?"
"Mm." Tina nodded. "After all, this is still the demon race's sacred ground. Though there's no rain, the Celestial Army doesn't dare set foot on Blossom Mountain lightly. So, compared to the little demons wandering outside, life here may be hungry, but it's safer. Of course, sometimes there are 'pilgrims.'"
"Pilgrims?" Monkey frowned.
"Even though Blossom Mountain was burned by the Buddhists, many things were left behind. Right after the war ended, lots of demons liked to come here and dig around, sometimes finding valuable things—elixirs, or high-quality weapons. They called these demons 'pilgrims.' But now, there are fewer and fewer of them; after all, it's been centuries, and whatever could be dug up has long been taken. And these demons don't stay long—they aren't here to settle."
At this, Monkey couldn't help but let out a rueful laugh. He shook his head and turned away.
Tina hurried after him.
"Great Sage, you really don't want to meet them?" she asked again.
"No need. There's nothing worth seeing," Monkey replied lightly. Then he asked, "How is Anna Yang now? Is she still at Guang River Estuary?"
"Sister Anna is at Mount Hua."
"Mount Hua? How is she holding up?"
"Probably... not too well."
"What exactly is her situation?"
"Sister Anna is still imprisoned under Mount Hua by General Erlang. All the demon factions want her to come out and lead, and they've tried rescuing her many times. So General Erlang keeps a heavy garrison at Mount Hua. Of course, Heaven wants her too—the Celestial Army is always searching for her, since she's the Holy Mother recognized by all demons. As for her actual situation, I don't really know."
Monkey gave a weary smile. "I was pinned for six hundred and fifty years... I didn't expect she'd be sealed away for just as long." He sighed softly. "All right, I understand."
"So, will you go to Mount Hua next?" Tina asked cautiously.
Monkey shook his head. "Not for now. In this state, I can't face her. Let's go back to the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace first. I need your help with something."
As he spoke, Monkey had already risen into the air.
"Back to the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace?" Tina quickly caught up.
"Has South Heaven Gate been rebuilt?"
"Y-yes, it's been rebuilt."
"I need you to do something for me," Monkey said softly. "I'm going to write a letter. You deliver it to the current Jade Emperor. Tell him I've returned, and I'm very displeased with the state of Blossom Mountain. Say that I'm 'threatening' you to pass the message. Effective immediately, Blossom Mountain's rainfall is to be restored. If he refuses, I'll come to the High Sky Throne Hall myself to discuss it. But if that happens, South Heaven Gate will probably need rebuilding again."