Belle's smile was so pure, even the Monkey King found himself entranced.
This girl was so clear and untainted, her kindness almost painful to witness.
The Monkey King lifted his gaze to the gloomy sky, and after a long pause, lowered his head to ask, "This journey... was it hard? I didn't get a chance to ask you yesterday. I've walked this road myself—it's bitter, difficult, and long."
He pressed his lips together and said, "It took me ten years to finish that journey. The feelings I had along the way—I still remember them vividly."
Belle shook her head and smiled serenely. "I was lucky. I met a kind old gentleman who helped me all the way. But... I almost wish he hadn't, so I could understand your feelings even more."
Belle tilted her head back, smiling a little foolishly.
"I'm sorry."
"Hmm?"
"You shouldn't have had to walk such a road."
She really was a silly girl, someone from a world entirely different from his own. What kind of fate could bring the two of them together?
But no matter what, in the end, the Monkey King could only let this fate slip away.
Belle smiled without replying, falling silent for a long time before speaking again.
"Monkey King."
"Hmm."
"Can I stay here from now on?" Belle turned to face him, asking earnestly.
The Monkey King paused, then smiled and nodded. "Of course. From now on, this will be your home. Stay as long as you wish."
"Thank you."
The Monkey King furrowed his brow, and as if to break the awkwardness, grinned at Belle and said, "You never used to say 'thank you' to me."
"Now you're a king. They're all in awe of you." Belle pointed to a few demons in the distance hauling stone and said, "You're their pillar."
"That's for them. You don't need to. Just treat me like you always did. Remember, you used to hit me on the head with your Divine Wand all the time."
"Really? I can truly be as carefree as before?"
"Really." The Monkey King nodded.
Belle's face lit up with happiness. She pouted playfully, hurried forward a few steps, and snuggled up beside the Monkey King. "Then I'll really treat you just like before, okay?"
The Monkey King scratched his ear. "How many times are you going to ask?"
Belle's cheeks flushed. She reached out and took the Monkey King's arm, tilting her head to rest on his shoulder.
The Monkey King was instantly startled.
He looked around nervously, only relaxing a little when he saw there wasn't a single demon in sight.
Wasn't this something only couples did?
But what exactly was his relationship with Belle?
A gentle breeze stirred, rustling the green leaves on the mountain branches, carrying the feeling of time passing by.
Belle quietly leaned against the Monkey King, walking slowly by his side.
They walked in silence for a long while before the Monkey King finally scratched his nose and said, "We never used to do this..."
"Who told you to send me those empty letters? I thought at least you'd let me know you were safe, but in the end, even that single line was a lie. Can you imagine how I felt then?"
When it came to matters of the heart, the Monkey King was truly insensitive—but he wasn't a fool.
But what else could he do besides play dumb? Reject her, or accept her?
This debt of emotion—he could never repay it in this lifetime.
Time slipped by, bit by bit. Hesitating, hesitating, he finally spoke.
"Belle, there's something I need to tell you."
"Hmm." Belle closed her eyes slightly, letting the Monkey King lead her along.
"I already have a wife. I've had one for a long time." As he spoke, the Monkey King glanced sideways at Belle. She still quietly leaned on his shoulder.
When they reached a place where others were present, Belle quietly let go of the Monkey King's hand and fell back.
"Are you talking about Anna Yang?" Belle's face still carried a faint smile.
"No," the Monkey King shook his head. "It's someone else."
"What's her name?"
"Her name is... Birdie."
Belle fell silent. After a long pause, she took a deep breath and blinked her blue eyes. "Is she also at Blossom Mountain?"
The Monkey King slowly shook his head. "She isn't here. Before I ever reached Three Hearts Cave, she was already... Remember when I told you, kneeling at the door, about my only friend? I owe her so much, and I have to repay it."
Belle just lowered her head and silently followed the Monkey King, her expression unreadable.
In a daze, she felt a kind of dizziness. This road seemed so long—longer even than the journey from Three Hearts Cave to Blossom Mountain.
She had traveled a hundred thousand miles to be by his side, yet still couldn't reach his heart.
In the end, they were people from two different worlds.
"Once Blossom Mountain is secure, I'll go to the Underworld and check the Book of Life and Death, find her soul, and bring her back to life. She lost everything for me, so... I just want to say... Actually, I don't even know what I want to say, but I feel that before I revive her, doing this kind of thing would make me feel ashamed. I can't accept it myself... I'm sorry, so..."
He covered his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut, his mind a complete mess. He couldn't say another word.
Because he'd already seen the tears glimmering on her lowered face.
"I understand." Belle slowly lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with tears. She smiled and said, "I really envy her. If only it were me."
In that instant, the Monkey King's heart clenched.
After that day, Belle never mentioned the conversation again, but their once-close relationship seemed to grow a little distant.
With Belle and Tina Ao's careful care, Anna Yang gradually recovered and looked completely healed. But her attitude toward the Monkey King grew much colder; apart from work, she barely spoke to him.
After Anna Yang's ordeal, Tina Ao seemed to have matured and stopped her petty tricks.
Blossom Mountain quickly returned to calm. The work proceeded in an orderly fashion, and thanks to the last slaughter, the main demon forces had grown a bit stronger—though the improvement was slight.
Two months later, in December, the not-so-cold winter of Eastrealm arrived, and word spread among the demons that Blossom Mountain had defeated King Broadgaze.
This led many demons, who had been driven to desperation by the South Heaven Gate army, to seek refuge at Blossom Mountain. Along the mango-shaped continent, several clear southern migration routes were traced out from the South Heaven Gate army's maps.
To contain Blossom Mountain's growing power, King Virūḍhaka, who controlled the military, had to deploy his forces across all of Eastrealm to seal off the land, leaving a trail of blood and tears.
In the world of demons, there is no history, no culture, no tradition, no ethics, and no faith. They can't even be called a people.
They were just a group of refugees, unable to see the shape of the world or the promise of tomorrow. All they wanted was the hope of survival, nothing more.
In this dark winter, they rose up to resist the Celestial Army, risking their lives to break through the blockades for a chance at survival. But faced with overwhelming force, no matter how they struggled, it only made their deaths more tragic.
As if doomed from the start, most demons never made it to Blossom Mountain, becoming bones along the southern migration route.
No one knows how much demon blood paved that road. After five years of hard-won growth, this so-called people finally shed all their blood in this winter.
Yet, those who survived the cruelest culling and reached Blossom Mountain were all unwavering, all tenacious, all resolute.
When these scarred demons raised their dulled blades and gazed at Blossom Mountain, howling and weeping, a ferocious beast that even Heaven could not face was quietly taking shape.
At the top of that pyramid stood the most ruthless demon king in history—Sun Wukong.