Di Jiang then said, “Be careful in your endeavors.”

Xuan Ming nodded and left the Reincarnation Netherworld, activating an Escape Technique, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished without a trace.

After waiting for a while, Zhu Rong came out and said, “Big brother, why did you let Xuan Ming go again!”

Di Jiang pondered and said, “During her time in the Reincarnation Netherworld, she acquired great fortune and enlightenment into her own nature, improving her mana immensely and recovering her abilities. She is now fearless against Tathagata and his bald monks, while we still need to slowly accumulate merit… She must have foreseen some major event to act so contrary to her character and leave heedlessly.”

Zhu Rong also fell silent for a moment before saying, “Brother, I have another matter to report to you.”

Di Jiang asked, “What’s the matter?”

Zhu Rong pulled out a Reincarnation Ledger from his sleeve and said, “Many people who should not have died yet have met untimely deaths, and their Three Souls and Seven Spirits did not enter the Underworld but vanished without a trace. There are as many as 3.6 million souls…”

Di Jiang frowned and said, “Could it be that some powerful individual has captured all these souls? What would they want with so many souls? A total of 3.6 million!” He paced slowly, “Leave this matter to you and Houtu to investigate. After you have clarified it, do not startle the snake in the grass, wait for me to handle it.”

Zhu Rong nodded, took the Reincarnation Ledger, and went to find Houtu.

Di Jiang furrowed his brows slightly, thinking to himself, “The world is unexpectedly unsettled!”

Xuan Ming traveled towards Southern Ridge Demon Mountain and upon reaching Water Curtain Cave in front of Mount Huaguo, she announced her name, causing the crowd to retreat in surprise, hurrying to notify Sun Wukong.

After a short while, Xuan Ming was invited up.

Sun Wukong welcomed Xuan Ming in the bronze great hall, smiling and saying, “It’s been a long time since we’ve met.”

Xuan Ming nodded, her expression as indifferent as ever, without a trace of fluctuation. Her steady gaze unsettled Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong asked, “What brings you here?”

Xuan Ming replied, “Recently, I’ve restored my cultivation level and, through understanding the essence of my being, I’ve seen a great peril coming your way. Listen to my poem for evidence: ‘Past, present, future, all resist foresight, Fuxi faces trial, Marquis of the West’s plight. Sudden clarity of heart understands the ordeal, Immobility in all directions ensures peace is sealed.’ Do you understand?”

Sun Wukong laughed after listening and said, “You’re telling me that I will encounter a great disaster soon and should not leave Water Curtain Cave?”

Xuan Ming nodded and said, “Exactly, if you don’t heed this, you may lose your life.”

Sun Wukong nodded and replied, “Thank you for the warning, Ancestral Witch, Sun Wukong takes note.”

Xuan Ming gave him a look and said, “Just be self-aware! Don’t act rashly and ruin your life, conforming to the scene foreseen in reincarnation.”

Sun Wukong knew what Xuan Ming meant—should he die, she would ascend to the Western Heaven to seek vengeance on his behalf.

Xuan Ming chuckled coldly, “Don’t think that I’ve developed feelings for you. It’s because we are entangled in great cause and effect from reincarnation, and severing this tie is extremely difficult.” She gave Sun Wukong another glance, “Take care of yourself, I’ll say no more.”

Having said that, Xuan Ming stood up and left.

After Xuan Ming had left, Sun Wukong fell into deep thought. If he was indeed to encounter calamity, on whom would it manifest? This was something that could not be taken lightly, nor could it be fully trusted. The future was unpredictable, not everyone was like Fuxi, who wielded the Innate Eight Trigrams and whose divination skills were even more formidable than those of the Saints.

But the future could also be reversed and changed.

Descending the mountain, Xuan Ming did not return to the Reincarnation Netherworld but instead headed deeper into Southern Ridge Demon Mountain.

As Xiaoqing was walking through the forest, she suddenly encountered a woman whose presence exuded an aura of grim coldness, blocking her path. Startled, she asked, “What do you want to do?”

Xuan Ming gave Xiaoqing a deep look and said, “You have entangled karma with Sun Wukong. The Buddhist Sect has predicted this about you, he is about to face a great calamity that will fall upon you. I have specially come to find you to resolve his calamity.”

Xiaoqing’s heart raced with panic, and she asked, “Who are you?”

Xuan Ming replied, “I am one of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, in charge of slaughter, Xuan Ming.”

Upon hearing this, Xiaoqing hurriedly prostrated herself and said, “Greetings, Ancestral Witch Xuan Ming.”

Xuan Ming responded indifferently, “There’s no need for such formalities, stand up and talk.”

After Xiaoqing stood up, Xuan Ming continued, “Did you hear what I just said?”

Xiaoqing nodded incessantly, saying, “I heard you! But what the Ancestral Witch spoke of is truly too profound, I find it difficult to understand.”

Xuan Ming sighed, pondered for a moment, and then said, “Let me put it this way, you are friends with Sun Wukong, and he has helped you a lot. However, he is about to face great misfortune, and this disaster is because of you. Do you understand now?”

With her low mana, Xiaoqing did not know anything about the karmic calamity Xuan Ming mentioned, hearing only confusion. But now that Xuan Ming explained it this way, she understood. She was entwined in karma with Wukong, and because of this karma, the Buddhist Sect had calculated it would befall her. Wukong’s calamity was to be borne by her; an unavoidable fate, bound to happen sooner or later.

Her only purpose in going to the Water Curtain Cave to find Wukong was to ask him not to leave the mountain, but it was really just to see him one last time. Such a calamity, when its time comes, cannot be easily evaded, can it?

After listening, Xiaoqing was startled again and said, “Brother Monkey has profound mana, how could he face great disaster because of me?”

Xuan Ming simply said, “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. I’m here to inform you of this matter.”

Anxious, Xiaoqing said, “How can I resolve his calamity? I owe him a debt of gratitude and am willing to suffer in his stead!”

Xuan Ming nodded slightly and said, “It’s commendable that you think this way! I shall now pass on to you a secret technique of the Witch Clan, known as ‘Shape Swap and Shadow Move.’ Such a Dharma Gate is not easily seen through, even by Saints.”

Xuan Ming then transmitted the secret technique of the Witch Clan to Xiaoqing, who committed the spells and the mental discipline thoroughly to memory.

Xiaoqing asked, “Ancestral Witch, how should I go about resolving his calamity?”

Xuan Ming asked, “Did a Green Lion chase you recently?”

Xiaoqing nodded and said, “Exactly, it’s because of that Green Lion’s pursuit that I went to the Water Curtain Cave for help, and he gave me three strands of monkey hair.”

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ming smiled slightly and said, “He gave you three strands of monkey hair as well? With them, this plan is bound to succeed.” After pondering for a while, “That Green Lion is a mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva of Buddhism, and this time it is Buddhism that is plotting against him. Come closer, and I’ll tell you how to avert his calamity.”

Xiaoqing leaned in, and Xuan Ming whispered to her, “…When the time comes, just do as I instructed, and follow these steps.”

Once she had finished, Xiaoqing bit her lip and nodded, “Rest assured, Ancestral Witch, I will repay his kindness. I will bear this calamity in his stead, even if it costs me my life and my path, I am willing.”

Xuan Ming too nodded, a hint of admiration in his eyes, and said, “That is excellent. I shall say no more, take good care of yourself. This calamity is inevitable; if you do not follow my instructions, the calamity will fall on someone else, and then I would not know if I could still intervene. Remember, remember!”

Xiaoqing’s heart was resolute, and she nodded without saying a word.

Xuan Ming gave Xiaoqing a few more instructions and then drifted away alone, her destination unknown.

To overcome this calamity, all depended on Xiaoqing now after all, no one else would be willing to make such a sacrifice for Wukong. Xuan Ming had seen into the future, and Wukong’s fate was tied to this calamity, which was now Xiaoqing’s to face. She made her promise to use the monkey hair in case of danger, to not waste her life, and thus be of no help to Wukong; otherwise, the calamity might fall upon someone else, and Xuan Ming would not have it so easy to calculate.

Plotting may seem simple, but in reality, it is exceedingly complex, requiring meticulous planning, and every move tightly linked to the next—as can be seen from the schemes laid out against Wukong by the Saints of Buddhism and Daoism in years past.

After saying goodbye to Xiaoqing, Xuan Ming turned back and followed her at a distance, ready to intervene if things went awry, lest Wukong succumb to this calamity and she needed to help him escape from trouble.

Xiaoqing sighed, and as Xuan Ming had instructed, she hid a monkey hair in her hair, repeatedly reciting the imparted Dharma Gate in her mind, fearing any mistake could doom Wukong.

Mortal World is full of those crazed with love, this tale irrelevant to wind and moon.

The world is not without people willing to sacrifice for love, and Xiaoqing is one such person. She says nothing, but harbors a feeling deep in her heart. This sensation, similar to how Zixia silently cared for Wukong in the past, unnoticed by him. It is a humble yet heartrendingly sad affection.

Perhaps, only at the moment of her greatest sacrifice for him, will he have an epiphany.

This, so much like a predestined cycle of reincarnation.

O vast, azure heavens, who is this for?

Ps: [About updates, I will ensure two updates every day from now on, the first update between 11 am and 12 pm, the second update between 4 pm and 5 pm, explosions will be notified separately, updates may not be on time, please do not rush if it is due to unforeseen circumstances.]