Anna Yang let go. Now, the vast demon empire of Blossom Mountain rested entirely on Monkey’s shoulders. Faced with all sorts of entrenched problems, the burdens he carried were beyond words. What’s more, he still urgently needed to carve out time for that task he had dreamed of for over a century.
Early the next morning, Monkey hurriedly prepared to return to Blossom Mountain with Belle.
Just before leaving, Elder Skyreach came to see them off. Only through his words did Monkey learn that, originally, Elder Gale hadn’t allowed them to invite Monkey to the banquet. Yet at the last minute, he somehow changed his mind, not only inviting Monkey but also reminding him to bring Belle.
Everyone assumed their master wanted to use this chance to mend his relationship with Belle, but couldn’t bring himself to say so. After all, he only had four disciples, and the youngest—Belle—was his favorite. No one expected the banquet to end so unhappily.
Monkey glanced sideways and saw Belle twisting her sleeves, her lowered eyes shimmering with tears. He asked gently, "How about you stay here with Senior Brother Skyreach at Crescent Star Cave for a few days?"
"No." Belle quickly shook her head. "I—I want to go back to Blossom Mountain."
"Are you sure?"
"Mm." Belle nodded.
Afraid she’d hesitate if she lingered, Belle stepped back, turned, and left without ever once meeting Elder Skyreach’s eyes, though he tried several times to say something to stop her.
In the morning light, her lonely figure faded into the distance—delicate, yet carrying an indescribable resolve.
After all, birds of a feather flock together. Isn’t that true for Monkey and Anna Yang as well?
The girl before him could leave everything behind and walk eighty thousand miles alone, just to stay by his side, asking for nothing else.
Yet he couldn’t even keep the smallest promise to her.
Maybe it was too many ties, maybe it was the obsession in his heart—he’d long since lost control over his own fate.
After a few words with Elder Skyreach, Monkey chased after Belle in the morning light, whisking her away on the clouds toward Blossom Mountain.
They traveled in silence.
......
Six days later, at midnight, two thousand five hundred miles north of Blossom Mountain’s border in Eastern Divine Continent.
"Hurry! They’re almost on us!"
In the forest, a man and woman crept along, using the shadows of the trees for cover.
The man was agile enough, but the woman had no experience at all—she couldn’t even conceal her own spiritual power.
The Six-Coach Heavenly Marshal Convoy thundered overhead, and the pair quickly pressed themselves against a tree, stopping in their tracks. Only when the six carriages had disappeared into the distance did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Just two thousand more miles and we’ll reach my junior brother’s territory. Once there, they definitely won’t dare to chase us."
"Junior brother?"
The man smiled. "You call him the Great Sage Equal to Heaven."
"That demon monkey is your junior brother?" the woman blurted out in shock.
Meanwhile, four li behind them, five Heavenly Generals were racing forward, clutching a compass-like device.
......
Qi Tian Palace, Blossom Mountain.
In the spacious, well-lit study, Monkey sat upright at his desk, reading memorial after memorial, while a little demon servant occasionally replaced his cold tea.
Blossom Mountain’s current system is highly centralized. To keep a tight grip on Blossom Mountain, Anna Yang held nearly all power in her own hands—even the logistics of the five demon kings’ armies couldn’t escape her control.
The advantage of this system is stability and extremely efficient governance. The downside is a lack of vitality—and the ruler is constantly exhausted.
Just as Anna Yang said: there are no small matters on Blossom Mountain. Every demon’s food, drink, and daily needs—even the tiniest trivialities—become enormous affairs when gathered at the center.
During Anna Yang’s rule, she needed these methods to maintain stability and build her authority—it was a necessary compromise. Now that Monkey is in charge, he’s more than capable of keeping the demons in line without such measures. So, his first priority is reform: restoring everything to normal.
But is reform really that simple?
An institution that has obeyed the central authority since its founding suddenly has to implement autonomy in all its parts—the problems pile up like mountains. Most importantly, the majority of issues are unforeseen, yet every small change affects the whole system.
Things were already complicated enough, and now he had to carry out all sorts of reforms at the same time...
After more than a century of cultural development, the demons of Blossom Mountain are no longer the bandits they once were. Many are more cultured than scholars in human kingdoms. Each memorial is long-winded, filled with indirect hints and accusations, and the endless factional strife leaves Monkey feeling like he could cough up blood.
It’s not hard to be a king, but to be a competent king is another story—especially when your ministers are cunning and you don’t even have a cabinet. Miss a single word in a memorial, and you might regret it for a lifetime.
"Everyone is scheming against me alone..." Monkey finally understood what Anna Yang meant by those words.