Departure

Looking at the village below him, Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh.

This is the place he stayed for 7 years, one could say that this is home when he awakened into this beautiful yet dangerous world.

It doesn't matter now though, he needs to step out of his comfort zone to be truly strong.

"Are you ready now kid?" The Monkey King asked him. They are standing on his cloud, Kinto-un, looking at the remote village below them.

Cao Cao's farewell wasn't exactly a farewell, but more like see you later. He asked the Monkey King to alter their memories and remove anything related to him. The Monkey King was even generous enough to give some treasures so that his family could escape poverty.

He almost burst into tears when he heard that and swore that he would repay this kindness.

"Yes, Master?" Cao Cao wasn't sure what to call him.

"Just call me gramps, the same way my descendant called me." Master, Lord, King. Sun Wukong was used to it. He would prefer if Cao Cao just called him gramps.

"I see… I'm ready, Gramps." Taking one last look at the village, the Hero Descendant turned to the Monkey King.

Nodding his head, Sun Wukong light tapped Kinto-un with his foot.

"To our destination, Mount Huaguo!"

With that declaration, the cloud flew at the fastest speed and disappeared into the sky.

—

"Ooof." Landing embarrassingly in the ground. Cao Cao wobbly stood up.

'I miss the ground, woohoo!' That cloud was going fast! Not even those roller coasters in his past life have brought him that much intensity.

"Still alive kid?" The Monkey King snickered. It was understandable, it's his first time flying after all.

"I-I'll manage." The True Longinus user answered.

The Daiyoukai shrugged and started walking.

"This is Mount Huaguo, this is where I currently stay. Unless of course, Lord Indra summons me." Sun Wukong explained while blowing his pipe.

"This is also where you will stay for an unforeseeable future."

Cao Cao looked around the place. It was a mountain alright, he could even see the clouds surrounding them, as if they were above the sky.

"Amazing." The Chinese Warlord descendant muttered. This is the first supernatural place he's been.

"Indeed." Sun Wukong nodded in appreciation.

"Now then, you can find a place to stay here. Unpack your things and after that, find me." With that the Great Sage Equaling Heaven vanished in the puff of smoke.

'Youjutsu?' shaking his head. Cao Cao followed his instructions and looked for a place to stay.

—

"Is this it?" Looking at the cabin in front of him, the Hero Descendant wondered. He wasn't picky by any means so this cabin would do.

Stepping forward, he held the handle of the door and twisted it open. This will be his home for the next few years, at least until he has the power to travel the world by himself.

Just as he opened it, Cao Cao felt an incoming attack and jumped back.

"That was a nice move there buddy." Hearing the voice coming from inside the cabin, the Hero Descendant looked at the door to see a staff sticking out. Mostly likely the object that attacked him.

Retracting the staff, a humanoid figure came out of the door.

"Yo!" The culprit revealed himself to be a boy of similar age to him, wearing a Chinese Armor.

Seeing the attacker, Cao Cao prepared his martial stance.

He's gonna summon his spear if needed.

"Chill out buddy, I didn't know that Gramps had a visitor." The little Monkey King dispelled his staff.

"Visitor? I'm surprised you didn't call me an intruder…" wait…

"Pffft …Hahahaha! As if! Gramps is strong, no way an intruder can bypass him that easily." Figures, that was dumb of him.

"Anyways, what's your name? Mine's Bikou by the way." Bikou walked to him and offered his hand.

"Cao Cao." The Hero Descendant shook his hand.

"Wait, Cao Cao?! Wasn't that the name of the Chinese Warlord in the Three Kingdoms?!" The Monkey King descendant was surprised.

"I'm his descendant, and judging by how you called the Monkey King 'Gramps', I assume you're his descendant as well?" Cao Cao nodded and asked a question of his own. Though he already knew it.

"Yep, Gramps is my Gramps alright." Bikou took back his hands and summoned his staff, signifying his connection with the Monkey King.

Cao Cao stared at the future Monkey King in front of him.

'The first character that I met who belongs in the same generation.' The True Longinus wielder said in his heart.

He found it a shame that the original novel didn't show their full potential and had to rely on Issei, therefore stealing their spotlight.

"Your grandfather took me in as his pupil, so I guess I'm your rival now." Cao Cao pushed his thoughts in the back of his head and stated his role.

"Wait! Gramps has a disciple now?!" Bikou was shocked. He didn't think that the old geezer would actually take a disciple.

Looking at the hero descendant in front of him. The Future Monkey King wondered how someone managed to garner his Gramps' attention.

He didn't believe that being a Hero Descendant would be enough.

Is it perhaps related to those Sacred Gears he heard from his ancestor?

He would understand if that's the case.

"Is it really that weird?" Then again, the Monkey King was known to be very chaotic in his youth.

Which indeed begs the question, why did the Monkey King accept him so easily? In his defense, aside from True Longinus, he didn't think that he's worthy enough for the Great Sage Equaling Heaven to personally teach him.

Or maybe he's just underestimating his value.

From what he remembered in canon, Sun Wukong introduced Cao Cao to Indra, maybe this is also the same here?

To be the next Vanguard of Svargoloka.

Cao Cao was, after all, considered the Strongest Human by beating the Two Heavenly Dragons in canon along with the Gremory Group and Balance Break Azazel.

Maybe the Emperor of Heaven foresaw this and decided to take action through Sun Wukong?

The Hero Descendant shook his head. He can think about all of this later. For now, focus on training.

"Is there a problem buddy?" Seeing Cao Cao shook his head out of nowhere. Bikou asked worriedly.

"There's nothing, I just remember that I was supposed to find your ancestor after I'm done unpacking." Now that he thinks about it, wasn't he already spending too much time here?!

"Crap! Are you for real?!" Bikou look uttered a foul language

"Then hurry up, or else Gramps would whoop our asses!"

Cao Cao was weirded out that Bikou was more panicked than him but he agrees, leaving a bad first impression on training is not something he wants.