Beneath the shade of the trees, Aiden Chen, just returned to Crescent Star Cave, was bustling about with high spirits.
Clara Heart sat quietly nearby, watching in silence.
After a moment, she lifted her head and gazed toward the Hall of Silent Meditation.
A gentle breeze stirred, making the trees that screened the hall sway softly before her eyes.
"Uncle Master Wukong is here," Yvonne Rain, seated across the table, gently reminded her.
"Which one... is it?"
"The original one."
"Oh." Clara answered faintly, saying nothing more. She simply kept her head lowered, quietly watching Aiden, her gaze hollow as if drawn into the abyss of memory.
......
In front of Qi Tian Palace in Lionback Kingdom, the bustling square was piled high with gifts of all sizes.
Six-Eared Macaque bustled back and forth with the gift list, tirelessly checking and rechecking, grinning from ear to ear.
"Do you think she'll like this dress? It should be exactly the same as the Violet Mist Fairy Dress I told you about, right?"
"Do you think she'll like the luminous night-pearls?"
"The origin of this magic tool is anything but simple..."
Listening to Six-Eared Macaque's endless chatter, Gavin Goathorn wanted to say, "Lady Belle is both Master Subhuti's inner disciple and Lord Lao's cherished student—she surely lacks for nothing." But when the words reached his lips, he changed them to, "If it's a gift from you, Great Sage, how could Lady Belle not love it?"
His smile was painfully awkward, but Six-Eared Macaque chose to ignore it.
"Really?"
"Of course it's true. When have I ever... lied to you, Great Sage?"
"Yes, I think so too. Heh, last time I brought Aiden back, she didn't say it, but I could tell she was delighted. Come, let's check everything again from the top. We can't miss a single thing. If she ends up unhappy, none of you will have a good time!"
Gavin Goathorn cautiously reminded him, "Great Sage... you've already checked everything three times."
"Huh? Three times already?"
"Three complete checks, and for the smaller categories, at least five times."
"Uh... is that so?" After thinking for a moment, Six-Eared Macaque waved his hand. "Alright then, lift the gifts—we're heading out now!"
"Yes, sir!"
At his command, a great throng of demon generals took up the role of porters, hoisting the big and small chests onto their shoulders and marching out in grand procession. From afar, the line looked like a dragon sweeping across the sky.
The spectacle left the demon kings, sidelined and cold-shouldered, utterly dumbfounded.
"Is this... a wedding procession?"
"No way, didn't he just storm off without looking back? How did he change his mind so fast?"
"Who knows? It's not like I follow him around all day. Besides, our Great Sage—who could ever guess what he's thinking?"
While the demon kings were busy speculating, King Roc quietly distanced himself from the group, slipped into a corner, and drew out a Jade Tablet from his robe.
......
At this moment, in the Hall of Silent Meditation, Monkey and Subhuti sat facing each other in silence. Eight hundred years as master and disciple, and now, sitting together, all that remained between them was silence.
Heavy breathing pressed the atmosphere of the entire hall to an extreme tension, as if the slightest spark would set it all off.
With his eyes slightly lowered, Subhuti gazed meaningfully at the deep pit Monkey had smashed into the floor, sitting motionless as if he had realized something. Opposite him, Monkey's teeth were already grinding audibly.
"What do you mean by this?"
Looking at the pit, Subhuti's lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile—proud, yet unspeakably bitter.
"What exactly do you mean!"
Slamming his palm heavily onto the floor, a loud bang echoed through the hall, causing it to tremble. Monkey roared, "Today, you must give me a clear answer!"
Maintaining his forward-leaning posture, thin wisps of smoke drifted from Monkey's slightly parted lips, clearly showing his agitation.
Subhuti responded calmly, "What is it you want me to clarify?"
"Clarify what you've been doing all these years! Clarify..." Monkey stood up abruptly, glaring down at the cross-legged Subhuti, his tone fierce: "Clarify why you acknowledged Six-Eared Macaque!"
Hearing this, Subhuti composed himself, closed his eyes, and after a long pause, reopened them—still only staring at the empty floor, sighing lightly as if nothing had happened: "Did I, as your master, do wrong?"
"Was it right?" Monkey's eyes widened.
"Was it not right? He is only missing some memories—does that mean he isn't Sun Wukong?" Raising his head, Subhuti finally met Monkey's gaze. His expression never changed, as cold and unyielding as a statue.
At that look, Monkey was stunned. After a moment, he slowly began to laugh—a bitter, complicated smile.