The morning sun rose slowly, its dazzling rays spilling across the mortal world.
After the violent upheaval, the river was gradually receding, and the land once submerged was slowly reemerging from the water.
After days of turmoil, the Blackwater River affair was finally drawing to a close. As the waters calmed, Marshal Silver could at last lower his shield.
Tripitaka and Prince Adrian crouched beside Jack Rivers, carefully tending his wounds.
"Master Tripitaka... I'm sorry..."
Tripitaka gently shook his head, continuing to clean Jack's wounds with quiet care.
Judging by his demeanor, he was clearly preparing to forgive Jack Rivers yet again. Monkey King found this faintly irritating.
But there was nothing to be done about it.
In the end, Tripitaka was still the true protagonist of this westward journey—it was up to him to prove the Dao. That earlier question from Tripitaka had left Monkey King stunned.
"If you do not hold a heart of compassion, how can you prove the Dao?"
Indeed, if enlightenment cannot be attained, what is the point of this whole journey?
Fine, looking at Jack Rivers' half-dead state—he was just a minor player anyway. If Tripitaka wanted to protect him, so be it. Just keep an eye on him, and once he recovers, send him away.
But now, it seemed there was another problem to deal with—someone not half-dead, but completely gone.
Thinking this, Monkey King reached up to smooth his damp fur, then glanced sidelong at the motionless Golden Body lying on the ground. Just as he was about to speak, he froze.
"Great Sage, what's wrong?" Barry Bear asked from the side.
Monkey King did not answer. He furrowed his brow and looked upstream, toward the source of the Blackwater River.
In the distance, the group saw something slowly flying toward them.
"Clara Heart? What is she doing here?"
......
The Eight-Trigram Disc lowered its altitude, skimming over the river's surface as it flew.
Monkey put on his trademark shameless grin, spread his hands, and said, "You see? Nobody noticed anything. Maybe you showed up just to claim credit, but looks like you missed your chance. Tough luck."
The moment he said this, Clara’s face flushed bright red.
Aiden looked up at Clara, his face full of alarm.
Clara glared at Monkey for a long moment, gritted her teeth, then took a deep breath and said, "I didn’t come here to trade barbs with you."
With that, she reached to her waist, pulled out the hairpin, and tossed it toward Monkey.
Monkey caught the hairpin easily, opened his palm, and looked at it with a blank expression.
As soon as he saw it, Monkey’s expression froze.
How could he not recognize this hairpin?
Clara had no grudge with Guankou; in fact, she seemed to have some ties with the Southern Heavenly Gate. With the right connections and favors, seeing Anna Yang wasn’t impossible. So it wasn’t strange for her to have the hairpin.
But for this girl to bring the hairpin to him now—what exactly did she mean by it?
Noticing Monkey’s odd expression, Clara lifted her chin in pride.
After a brief silence, Monkey pocketed the hairpin as if nothing had happened, and asked softly, "What’s this about?"
"Someone asked me to deliver a message to you," Clara replied.
"What message?"
Clara pushed Aiden forward and pronounced each word deliberately: "The Third Saintess says you are to take him as your disciple. One day, he will split Mount Hua and rescue her."
"Split... Mount Hua?" Monkey’s breathing grew tense at her words.
Monkey fully understood Anna Yang’s intent—but could he act on it now?
If he could, why was he still here?
Even freed from Five Elements Mountain, he hadn’t escaped the Three Realms. As long as the Buddha existed, it was as if a sword hung perpetually over his head.
Forget splitting Mount Hua to save Anna Yang—even restoring his Heaven’s Way cultivation, Monkey claimed it was unnecessary, but in truth, he was simply afraid.
Any step too far could give the Buddhists an excuse. Any excuse could mean disaster for those close to him. The catastrophe six centuries ago, that helpless agony—Monkey would do anything to avoid reliving it.
Would he really pull Anna Yang out now, just to have her share that risk with him?
Monkey was unwilling—and afraid.
Blinking, Monkey said softly, "I’ll keep the hairpin. Take the child back—I’m not accepting any disciples."
"And then?"
"What do you mean, 'and then'?"
"What do you mean, 'and then'?"
For a moment, their eyes locked across three zhang of distance, the tension thick in the air.
Aiden looked up, wide-eyed, his gaze darting between the two.
All around, the others watched in silence.
A small breeze swept by, stirring dust across the ground.
Clara frowned slightly. "So you really don’t intend to do anything?"
"Do I need to report my actions to you?" Monkey snapped.
Clara’s anger flared. She snorted, "Can’t you at least speak properly?"
"Me, not speaking properly?" Monkey snorted coldly. "To be exact, it’s not that I can’t speak properly—I just don’t want to speak to you at all. Listen carefully: I dislike you, intensely, truly dislike you. I want you far away from anything related to me. If you weren’t my junior sister, if not for our master, I’d have killed you already. Maybe worse than just killed. And whatever’s between me and Anna Yang is none of your business. Whether your motives are good or bad, it’s not your place to meddle. Got it?"
Monkey let it all out in one long breath.
Clara was left stunned by his outburst.
Her eyes widened, staring at Monkey in disbelief.
Finished, Monkey gestured dismissively, turned, and dragged his Golden Staff back to his old seat, ignoring Clara completely.
Even Tripitaka glanced sidelong at Clara, gauging the fallout.
Clara stared at Monkey, tears already glimmering in her eyes.
"Crying won’t help," Monkey said, turning away with a sigh. "When someone I dislike cries, it just makes them even more detestable."
Instantly, tears began to fall, one after another.
Aiden looked around, completely at a loss. He nervously tugged at Clara’s skirt hem.
"Sis... don’t cry," he whispered.
Clara reached out and stroked his head. Her lips curled up slightly, but no real smile would come.
After a long moment, she took a deep breath, blinked away the tears, and said softly, "It’s fine, Aiden. Let’s go."
Aiden?
Monkey’s ears twitched. He whipped his head around, eyes wide.
From a distance, Clara shot Monkey a glare and lifted Aiden onto the Eight-Trigram Disc.
Then she jumped aboard herself, summoned her power, and flew away.
Monkey never called out to stop them, but his eyes only grew wider as they left.
As soon as Clara departed, everyone loosened up again.
Prince Adrian sat down beside Monkey, patted his shoulder, and joked, "Why do your conversations always sound ready to explode? Great Sage, I bet you two must’ve been enemies in a past life."
"Did she just call that kid Aiden?" Monkey asked.
"Huh?"
Monkey turned, very seriously, and asked again, "Did she just call him Aiden?"
Prince Adrian scratched his head, thinking it over. "I think so, but I couldn’t hear very clearly. Why?"
Barry Bear chimed in, "It was definitely Aiden, Great Sage. I heard it loud and clear."
Hearing this, Monkey’s mouth twitched twice.
Clara stared blankly at Monkey, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"Crying won’t help," Monkey said, turning away with a lazy sigh. "When someone I dislike cries, it just makes them even more detestable."
At once, her tears fell in fat drops.
Aiden looked around helplessly, nervously tugging at Clara’s skirt.
"Sis... don’t cry," he whispered.
Clara reached out and stroked his head. Her lips lifted slightly, but she couldn’t force a smile.
After a long pause, she took a deep breath, blinked her eyes, and said, "It’s fine, Aiden. Let’s go."
Aiden?
Monkey’s ears twitched, and he spun around, eyes wide.
From afar, Clara shot Monkey a glare, lifted Aiden onto the Eight-Trigram Disc.
She jumped aboard herself, summoned her spiritual power, and flew away.
Monkey never called out to stop them, but his eyes only grew wider as they left.
Once Clara was gone, the others immediately relaxed.
Prince Adrian came over and sat beside Monkey, patting his shoulder. "Why do your conversations always sound so explosive? Great Sage, I swear you two must’ve had some grudge in a previous life."
"Did she just call that kid Aiden?" Monkey asked.
"Huh?"
Monkey turned, very seriously, and asked again, "Did she just call him Aiden?"
Prince Adrian scratched his head, thinking it over. "I think so, but I couldn’t hear very clearly. Why?"
Barry Bear chimed in, "It was definitely Aiden, Great Sage. I heard it loud and clear."
At that, Monkey’s mouth twitched twice.