Final Arrangements and the Monkey King's Return

Su Qing smiled helplessly at those words and shook her head, feeling that they were overthinking things.

As Wukong’s Big Sister, how could she not know his temperament? Why would he need so much careful consideration?

However, even though Su Qing knew Wukong would surely be an obedient student, she decided to stay and help out for a while just to give Jingyue and the Earth God some confidence.

"Alright, alright, that’s enough... It’s about time to go prepare for his arrival." Su Qing stood up and clapped her hands, saying to Jingyue, "Call the Earth God and come with me!"

Jingyue nodded quickly, then summoned the Earth God to follow Su Qing, preparing to welcome the return of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

On the way, Jingyue asked, "By the way, where should we wait for him?"

Su Qing rubbed her chin. "We’ll just wait outside the Water Curtain Cave..."

With his personality, his return was bound to be a grand spectacle.

Jingyue nodded. She and Wukong were monkeys from the same era; she knew his temperament from back then, so she agreed with Su Qing’s assessment.

Outside the Water Curtain Cave.

Su Qing found the stone table under the crooked-neck tree. With a wave of her hand, she cleared away the fallen leaves and dirt.

She sat down and looked at the lush green leaves, a smile touching her lips as she murmured to herself, "I didn't think the tree from back then would have grown so large."

"Sister?" Jingyue looked up at the massive tree. Thinking Su Qing’s words held some deep, hidden meaning, she pondered for a moment before saying, "Yes, this city has grown into a magnificent tree as well. But it will still take many years for it to become a 'tree' like the great cities of the human race. After all, there is a divide between demons and mortals. Making them live together without conflict is truly difficult."

Su Qing froze for a moment upon hearing this, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.

This girl, Jingyue, had been an official here for so long that her mind had become far too active. There was no deep meaning in those words; it was just a casual observation. Who would have thought the girl would jump straight into 'reading comprehension' mode?

'If you aren't the one writing the reading comprehension questions for next year’s exams, I’m not taking them!'

Su Qing shook her head and said, "You silly girl, there was no deep meaning in my words. I was just reminiscing."

She then waved her hand to set out some wine. "Would you like a drink? This is from Lady Chang'e’s private stock—a rare vintage in this world. It would be a pity if you didn't try some."

"My tolerance is poor, so I’ll pass..." Jingyue went silent for a moment before shaking her head. Her tolerance was indeed low, and if she got drunk, she might let something slip. Now that Xiao Qing had a family, saying those things would inevitably affect their sisterly bond. If she pushed further and failed, they might not even be able to remain sisters. She chose to play it safe.

Su Qing didn't know what Jingyue was thinking. She simply shrugged and said, "A pity, but I won't force you if you don't want to drink..."

Jingyue smiled and nodded, then asked, "By the way, how much longer until the Great Sage arrives?"

"Soon, I think?" Su Qing rubbed her chin and calculated. "At most, half an incense stick’s worth of time, and he should be here..."

"That is soon indeed." Jingyue nodded, and the two of them waited quietly.

Su Qing liked wine, but she didn't like getting drunk. Therefore, even with the finest wine, she usually only took small sips. Only when facing Lady Chang'e would she let loose and drink until she was pleasantly tipsy.

Thus, during the wait, she spent the entire half-incense duration finishing just one small cup.

And after that half-incense stick of time...

Just as she had predicted.

A red cloud drifted across the sky.

At the same time, a familiar shout rang out.

"Old Sun is back!"

Hearing the shout, Su Qing shook her head with a chuckle. "That monkey head is back..."

"Should we go over?" Jingyue looked at the monkey in the sky wearing a cassock, feeling that the garment looked exceptionally discordant on him.

"No need. He’ll come to us. With his Fiery Golden Eyes, how could he fail to see us here?" Su Qing shook her head. "Just wait here..."

As soon as Su Qing finished speaking, she saw Wukong drifting toward them.

This made her laugh. "See? Here he comes."

Su Qing stood up and waved to Wukong. "Wukong!"

Wukong descended from the clouds and landed before Su Qing, then bowed to her. "Big Sister!"

The once unrestrained Wukong was gone; in his place was a Victorious Fighting Buddha with a much more Buddhist aura.

Su Qing sighed softly. "It is a pity that you ultimately became the Victorious Fighting Buddha... If I hadn't let you go on that pilgrimage back then, perhaps..."

"What are you saying, Big Sister? I did it of my own free will. If I hadn't gone on the pilgrimage, I would have been pinned under Five Elements Mountain, never to be free. By going and becoming a Buddha, although I must practice the Buddhist Dharma, I have at least gained my freedom."

Wukong shook his head as he spoke.

As a Spiritual Stone Monkey, he was naturally intelligent. There were things he could figure out clearly without them being said.

He understood that everything Su Qing had done back then was for his own good.

It was just unexpected that it ended like this.

However, Wukong did not regret becoming a Buddha.

After all, the benefits of Buddhahood outweighed the drawbacks.

At the very least, it was a true attainment.

He had shed his identity as a mere mountain spirit...

And with this status, his Flower-Fruit Mountain could develop even more safely under his protection.

Su Qing gave a wry smile and shook her head, saying nothing more.

Wukong felt like he knew everything.

But in reality, he was still mostly kept in the dark.

However, Su Qing didn't plan to say anything more either.

After all, if she kept talking, real problems might arise.

"Alright, since you’re back, go ahead and be your Handsome Monkey King! However, you’ve been away from Flower-Fruit Mountain for so many years that you likely don't know what it’s like now or how it operates... So, I plan to have the Earth God and my sister Jingyue assist you. This is to ensure you don't make any mistakes after taking office, and to help you learn how to manage the current Flower-Fruit Mountain."

Su Qing immediately shifted the topic to the affairs of the mountain.

These things had to be said sooner or later; it was better to give him a heads-up now.

Sun Wukong fell silent for a moment after hearing Su Qing’s words, then nodded thoughtfully. "Big Sister is right... When I returned this time, I also noticed that Flower-Fruit Mountain has undergone massive changes since I left. During the incident with the Six-Eared Macaque, although I returned for a while, I was too busy eating and drinking to understand the changes... Now it seems I truly must take the time to understand and learn."

Wukong was no fool, nor was he someone unwilling to learn.

Especially now that he had experienced so much, his temperament had mellowed significantly, allowing him to settle down and study.

Su Qing nodded with satisfaction. "I knew you weren't someone who wouldn't listen to advice. In that case, I’ll take you to have a good talk with the Earth God later!"

"Big Sister, don't you know my temperament by now? Aside from you and Master, the thing I care about most in this life is this Flower-Fruit Mountain... Now that it has developed so well, how could I bear to let it return to its old state? Eating hair and drinking blood is, after all, not a sign of civilization. I have seen much of the prosperity of the mortal world; how could I not wish for this Flower-Fruit Mountain to be just as prosperous?" Wukong looked at the city and grinned.

"I suppose I underestimated you," Su Qing chuckled.

"Hehe. By the way, Big Sister... I remember that back then, I crossed names off the Ledger of Life and Death, which resulted in many of my monkey children and grandchildren in this mountain becoming neither truly alive nor dead. Now... how are they?" After agreeing to learn, Wukong suddenly remembered a more important matter and couldn't help but ask.

Sun Wukong believed he hadn't wronged many people, but upon reflection, he felt he had wronged those monkeys. At the time, he thought he was doing them a great favor by giving them eternal life, not realizing he wasn't giving them life, but rather making it so they could never be reincarnated... They were left to wander the world like walking corpses, suffering the torments of a living hell. Thinking about it now, he hadn't helped them; he had harmed them!

Thus, he felt guilt toward those monkeys and naturally wanted to know their current situation.

Su Qing gave a light laugh and shook her head. "Rest easy. For those mortal monkeys without cultivation, I have already used my connections in the Underworld to send them into reincarnation. Although most of them might not be reborn as humans, at least they are no longer eternally trapped in this world. As for the demon monkeys with cultivation, as their power improves, their bodies naturally age slower... the Curse of Immortality is not a hardship for them. So, you didn't necessarily do a bad thing... let’s just say it was a mix of good and bad."

Hearing this, the weight in Wukong’s heart finally lifted.

He nodded and said, "Thank you, Big Sister, for doing so much... This was something I should have been the one to fix."

"Haha, it’s fine, just a small matter." Su Qing waved her hand dismissively.

She was soft-hearted by nature. Even if Wukong hadn't asked, she likely would have stepped in to help after seeing such a situation.

It was, after all, a deed of merit.

"Regardless, I must thank you, Big Sister," Wukong said. "By the way, are those monkeys still buried in that same place?"

"Yes, they are still buried there. If you want to see them, go ahead."

"I won't go today. I’ll prepare tomorrow and then go pay my respects to everyone properly." Wukong pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

"That’s fine too." Su Qing was slightly amazed that Wukong’s temperament was no longer so impulsive. She continued, "By the way, there is an Underworld Yaksa stationed there. When you go, don't go hitting him for no reason... Although the fellow is lazy and has mostly been freeloading here, we’ll need his help to send any future deceased demon monkeys to the Underworld. Besides, he was the one who sent the previous monkeys off... In a sense, he has helped us quite a bit, so don't be reckless."

"I understand," Wukong nodded. "I’m not that impulsive anymore; I understand the situation. You can rest easy, Big Sister..."

Su Qing nodded. "Alright, let’s go into the city! I imagine the monkey generals from back then are already waiting for you..."

Hearing this, Wukong grinned. "Good, good, good! Then let’s go into the city to celebrate, Big Sister!"

Su Qing had no objections. She simply nodded and brought Jingyue along.

And so, a grand banquet was held at Flower-Fruit Mountain to celebrate the return of the Monkey King.

Late at night.

Su Qing sat alone by the sea, gazing at the pale, bright moon. She murmured to herself, "So, the matters of Flower-Fruit Mountain have finally come to a close... All that’s left is to peacefully collect Incense Power, raise my children, and then survive the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth."

"Speaking of which, I’ve been running here and there lately and haven't been able to visit Little Bai. I wonder if she’s managed to conceive this time... Even though her secret technique is impressive, whether she conceives is still a matter of probability, just like with normal people. I really wonder what the point of that setting in the technique is. Is it just for a sense of achievement?"

"Things are much simpler on Yuhe’s side... unfortunately, the girl born from the Mother-Child River water doesn't carry my bloodline and has no possibility of cultivating. Even though the little girl is indeed adorable, she will ultimately be a mortal. A hundred years from now, she will be nothing but a pile of bones... Sigh, it’s truly hard to have everything."

"And Yuhe is exceptionally fond of that child. The eventual parting is bound to be painful."

"Sigh, another thing for me to worry about."

"Moreover, the Great Tribulation is imminent. After the Great Tribulation, will the divide between immortals and mortals still be the same as it is now?"

Su Qing sat there thinking about many things, her thoughts drifting further and further away until even the sound of the waves in her ears gradually faded... she was truly lost in thought.

However.

At that moment, an untimely voice rang out...

Breaking Su Qing’s train of thought.

"Sister Su?!" Bai Zhu’s voice sounded behind Su Qing, bringing her back to her senses.

She turned to look and saw Bai Zhu standing on the beach with her bare, white feet. Her white hair seemed to glow under the moonlight. Perhaps because she had suddenly stumbled upon Su Qing, her small feet under her white skirt shifted restlessly, toes digging into the sand...

Seeing her like this, Su Qing couldn't help but think the Little White Dragon was incredibly cute...

She really wanted to pick her up and give her a squeeze.

Especially those little feet—they were just too adorable...

However, to maintain her image and not turn into a 'weird older sister,' Su Qing suppressed the strange thoughts in her heart and asked:

"Why aren't you playing at the banquet? Why have you come to the seashore for a stroll?"