Somehow escape

"Hey, wake up, wake up!"

Ugh… Who's calling me? Just let me sleep in peace…

"Oh damn, the master is still completely knocked out."

"That strange ability of his really lets him sleep for that long?"

Alright, that's it. I'm about to punch someone. Who keeps calling me?!

Suddenly—

SMACK!

A slap so powerful that I felt like I was ascending straight to heaven.

"UGAAHH!! THAT HURTS!!!"

"Oh! You finally awake!"

Clutching my burning cheek, I glared at the culprit.

Oh. It was Wukong, looking all innocent as if she hadn't just smacked the soul out of me. Meanwhile, Bajie looked absolutely terrified, and Yu Long simply stared at me with her usual blank expression.

"Huh? Where… am I?"

"Still not fully awake, huh? We're in a forest."

"A forest? I thought we were still in the underwater kingdom or something?"

"Well… about that..."

Five minutes earlier…

Wukong strutted toward the group with a smug grin plastered on her face.

"You want me to praise you or something?" Bajie asked, visibly annoyed.

"Not from you, at least. Just stay jealous, okay?"

"I hate you."

Ignoring Bajie's complaint, Wukong turned toward Tang Sanzang—then, without warning, scooped him up in her arms.

"This butt belongs to me now! Time to go!"

"Hey, hey! Who said it was yours?!"

"Finders keepers~"

"You opportunistic monkey!"

While Bajie and Wukong bickered, Yu Long silently scanned her surroundings. Something felt... off.

Then—

BOOM!!!

Right as she had that thought, disaster struck.

The entire group turned toward the source of the sound. A massive rock had crashed down, and water began gushing in from seemingly nowhere.

They looked up—only to see water cascading from… the sky?!

"Ahh, an illusion barrier. No wonder we could breathe underwater." Wukong casually dug a finger into her ear.

"Illusion barrier?"

"Too lazy to explain. Just know that we need to get out of here. Fast."

Right as she said that, the water poured in even faster. Bajie started panicking immediately.

The group bolted, desperately searching for an exit.

"Uhh, anyone know how to get out?"

"No clue."

"Wait, what?! I thought you had a plan! You can use your powers to find a way out, right?"

"Listen, just because I'm stronger than your mother doesn't mean I'm omnipotent. Illusion barriers are a whole mess to deal with, okay? It's not as simple as smashing my way out."

Yu Long narrowed her eyes, scanning the area carefully.

Then, she spotted something glowing faintly in the distance.

"...An exit?"

"Huh? Where?" Wukong raised an eyebrow.

"Over there..."

"We're saved!!" Bajie cheered.

But before they could even make a move—

CRASH!

A giant rock fell directly onto the glowing light.

And just like that, the exit was gone.

Water surged into the space even faster.

"...You know what? I suddenly feel like eating pork today." Wukong turned to Bajie with an eerily calm smile.

"HEY! THIS ISN'T MY FAULT!!"

The water reached their knees.

Wukong debated whether to just break the entire barrier. If she did, though, the full force of the water would come crashing in.

That could be dangerous.

Then—

"Hey, need a hand?"

A new voice joined in.

Yu Long and Bajie immediately snapped their heads toward the source, their expressions darkening with hostility.

Standing there was Bai Ling, looking far too amused for the current situation.

"Ahh, your little sis still hold a grudge against me~" Bai Ling teased, raising a hand in mock innocence.

"Do you know how to get out?" Wukong cut straight to the point.

"Yeah. Yu Shen told me the escape route in case this barrier ever collapsed."

"Like hell I'd trust you! You damn bastard!" Bajie snarled.

"You attacked us in front of Master! I'd rather go back to that damn village than believe a word you says!"

Yu Long said nothing, but her sharp gaze made it clear—she hated Bai Ling too. After all, he was the one who had kidnapped her.

"Relax, piggy. He owes me a favor-"

"I already paid you back."

"That one doesn't count. You haven't killed him yet."

"Tch. You're good at exploiting people, aren't you?" Bai Ling smirked, then tossed a card toward Wukong.

"Teleportation pass. There's a teleport point above ground, so this will take you straight there. Lucky for you, it works for four people."

"Nice. Saves me the trouble." Wukong grinned and activated the card immediately.

In an instant, the group vanished.

A few second pass.

The four of us reappeared at the fishing dock.

We startled a fisherman so badly that he almost fell into the water.

We, on the other hand, had landed face-first onto the wooden planks, asses sticking up in the air.

"Ugh..." Wukong groaned, pushing herself up.

She glanced around.

Perfect. They were safe.

"And that, Master, is how we escaped!" Wukong said proudly.

"...I see. Well, at least no one died—"

I stopped mid-sentence.

Something nagged at the back of my mind.

Wukong's clone…

The one who had chosen to stay behind and fight Yu Shen…

Even if she was just a clone, she had her own unique personality.

"...Wukong, can you summon another clone with the same personality as the one who was defeated?"

"Huh? You mean the clone I gave you? Well… too bad. Nope. Every clone has its own mind, and no two are the same. So, no, you won't see her again."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair—

Only to freeze.

"...Huh?"

Something felt... off.

I turned to the three disciples.

Wukong was struggling to hold back laughter.

Bajie looked at me with deep sympathy.

Yu Long… was just Yu Long.

My gut sank.

I rushed toward the nearby lake and peered into my reflection.

…No.

Half of my hair was gone.

Darkness clouded my vision as I felt my knees give out—

And I promptly fainted into the water.

"OH NO!! MASTER FELL IN THE LAKE!!" Bajie screamed.

"Relax. I'll fish him out."

…My hair.

***

Bai Ling continued his search, even as the water had risen up to his waist.

He kept walking, step by step, determined and unfazed by the collapsing ruins around him. He pressed forward until, finally, he stopped.

"There it is."

A small smile tugged at his lips as he reached out with his free hand, grasping onto something buried beneath the wreckage.

With a firm pull, he dragged it out from the rubble—revealing a girl, partially destroyed.

However, instead of bleeding, her wounds emitted smoke.

"A Wukong clone… No wonder I sensed something familiar."

The lifeless eyes of the clone shifted ever so slightly, locking onto him.

"Even if you're just a clone, you still retain some core traits, huh? I have to admit, I'm surprised you managed to last this long."

Her lips parted weakly.

"G...e...t... l...o...s...t."

Bai Ling chuckled.

"Rude—just like the real monkey."

Without another word, he extended his energy toward her.

The clone's broken body, once engulfed in smoke, began to regenerate.

And the moment she regained control—she lashed out.

A powerful kick shot toward Bai Ling's face.

But he dodged with ease, twisting in place before swiftly pinning her down.

"If you think you can force anything out of me, keep dreaming." The clone spat.

"That's not my goal." Bai Ling replied smoothly. "There's a reason I saved you, little clone."

Their eyes met, locked in an unspoken battle of wills.

Then, Bai Ling leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper near her ear.

"Tell me… Would you like to see your master again?"

The clone froze.

A silence stretched between them.

Bai Ling smirked, his tone gentle yet enticing.

"If you help me, you'll be able to see him as much as you want. I won't stop you."

Another silence.

The clone stared into Bai Ling's eyes, her expression unreadable.

This was the hardest choice she would ever have to make.