Journey to the West 013

I don't understand. It misses its old home, and it's actually telling me to go back?

The Great King said I wouldn't understand; it has things to do.

I can't say I agree, but I obey. Who made it the Great King, after all.

To be honest, I also feel a bit nostalgic for the Sunny Cave. When I finally returned here, I couldn't help but feel a touch of melancholy. The scene of all of us lazily basking in the sun together is still vivid in my mind, but this time, after going out, none of us would be coming back.

I felt inexplicably sentimental—a word I learned from humans. A close synonym should be 'sad.'

But my sentimentality lasted only a few minutes before a timid voice came from behind.

"Excuse me... are you recruiting monsters here?"

I turned around. It was a rabbit—no, a rabbit demon, looking like it had only gained intelligence not long ago.

I smiled. "We are!"

The rabbit demon let out a sigh of relief but still looked at me fearfully.

I tried my best to put on a friendly smile. "Don't worry, I won't eat you."

The rabbit demon nearly fainted on the spot.

Suddenly, I understood why, so many years ago, the Great King always carried newly recruited monsters back on its shoulder. For a while, I had thought it knocked them out and forcibly abducted them.

I became very busy: practicing cultivation, cleaning the cave, waiting for the Great King to return.

Sometimes, companions from other caves would also come back, or I would go out to visit them—all arranged by the Great King. I took the chance to pass on the cultivation techniques the Great King had told me to them, and then... out of habit, I would inquire about the Great King's whereabouts.

But no one knew. Ever since that day, the Great King seemed to have vanished into thin air.

The only time I heard news of it was when a monster accidentally witnessed it fighting fiercely with an evil demon, even pulling out all the demon's hair. That monster described it vividly, and from its account, it was indeed our Great King. But... why would the Great King go fight an evil demon?

Though skeptical, it also seemed somewhat reasonable, given that the Great King had been acting a bit neurotic since that day.

A'qi came to drink with me, accompanied by Da Hei and Little Hei. They were now like the Great King back in the day, with a bunch of little monsters following them.

"Did you hear? The monk Tang Sanzang and his disciples passed by your area the other day," A'qi said with a mysterious look.

I shook my head. I truly didn't know. Here in the Sunny Cave, it was just me and the rabbit demon. Between cleaning and cultivation, there was little time for gossip.

"They say a single bite of Tang Sanzang's flesh grants immortality!" Da Hei exclaimed with a sigh.

Seeing me stare at him, Da Hei scratched his head and laughed. "I was just thinking... if there's a chance, maybe I could negotiate with this Tang Sanzang. Just a tiny piece of his skin would be enough for me."

A'qi, Little Hei, and I looked at him with disdain.

Da Hei argued, "It's true! It never specified how much you have to eat! Even a piece of foot skin would do!"

"Eww..." Even the rabbit demon looked at him with some contempt.

Da Hei deflated. "I just want to live long enough to see the Great King return."

At these words, we all fell into silence. Where exactly had the Great King gone?

A'qi took a sip of wine and said, "Practice the cultivation method the Great King left behind diligently. If you master it, you can also live a very long life."

Da Hei sighed.

Actually, the Sunny Cave wasn't that desolate, because every now and then, a companion from a different cave would come back to sit and chat for a while.

They were all doing quite well now, and without us realizing it, we had somehow become the overlords of this region.

Perhaps 'overlords' isn't quite accurate. The Great King once said we could be called 'representatives' or 'leaders.' But I was afraid calling ourselves 'leaders' might offend the Dragon Kings—beings we definitely couldn't afford to provoke.

I was still waiting for the Great King to return. Gradually, the Sunny Cave gained new little monsters again. With helpers, I finally had some breathing room. Suddenly, I remembered my old job: patrolling the mountains. Setting out on this path felt like revisiting an old haunt.

It felt quite wonderful.

I walked all the way down to Chen Family Village at the foot of the mountain. It was here, all those years ago, that I overheard those two humans complaining about the Great King. I wondered if it was because of those complaints that the Great King's temperament changed so drastically.

I shook my head and disguised my appearance. This cultivation method from the Great King was really excellent. It had kept it hidden for so long!

Making sure I looked like an ordinary human, I strolled slowly into the village.

But to my surprise, many houses in the village were dilapidated, some even collapsed from long neglect.

Reaching the end of the village, I finally saw people.

They all seemed to be around the same age. Seeing me, they were momentarily tense, but noticing my friendly face, they started talking to me. These young people were easy to get along with and even invited me to share a meal.

I won't lie to you, I really enjoy human-cooked food. With the same ingredients, what monsters make is simply a waste!

Looking at these villagers, they reminded me of our old selves—eating together, working together, living together.

Oh, during the meal, I saw them help an old woman out. She gave me a kind smile, and I politely bowed to her. She seemed pleased and chattered on about many things, mostly amusing stories from the village's past.

To be honest, I wasn't really interested in these human affairs, just the food.

From then on, I would drop by every now and then for a meal. But I didn't eat for free—I paid.

Even though they refused, I would leave the payment anyway—on the roof beam, in the water vat, under the bed...

Later, that old woman passed away, and I felt somewhat sad. A human life is truly short, but perhaps it was enough for her?

I decided that after this last meal, I wouldn't come again.

I didn't want to watch these young humans gradually grow old and die. Really, that feeling is very uncomfortable.

At this farewell dinner, I listened to them talk in memory of the old woman.

"If it weren't for her back then, none of us would have survived," a man said, downing his cup of wine.

"Yes, I never dared mention it, so Auntie wouldn't recall those past events," a woman said, lowering her head to wipe her tears.

I kept listening, my mouth never stopping. Just kidding, since I won't be coming back, I had to eat my fill today.

As they talked, a man suddenly slammed his fist on the table with a heavy thud.

Perhaps noticing I had paused, they quickly apologized, saying they didn't mean to and asking me not to take it to heart.

I nodded and continued eating quietly, listening to their discussion.

Countless images flooded my mind.

"Hey? Why are you crying?" the young man beside me asked.

I shook my head, my mouth still full.

"Ah... Auntie was a good person. We're all very sad," someone else tried to comfort me.

I nodded, a trace of bitterness spreading in my mouth.

The food had lost all its flavor.