The Journey To The West

"It's Eclipse. You may call me Eclipse," I declared, my response cryptic yet inviting. After a moment's pause, I continued, "We shall meet again soon, Lady Rias." With a cultivator's greeting, a palm salute like a real cultivator, making my sect leader and elders proud.

Anyways jokes aside, I turned to kuroka safely picking her up. I took my leave, shrouding myself and Kuroka in shadows before darting away through the same way I entered, leaving them in awe and surprise.

Inside the magnificent expanse of the Gremory mansion,

a familiar sibling exchange played out. Rias Gremory, the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess, had graced the grand halls of her family home. Her arrival did not go unnoticed.

"Ooh, my sweet little sister has arrived. Come and give your awesome brother a hug," proclaimed a red-haired man, his playful charisma unmistakable. It was none other than Rias's older brother, Sirzechs Lucifer.

"Nice to see you too, brother," Rias replied, her voice filled with affection as she embraced Sirzechs, their familial bond evident.

Sirzechs, ever the showman, couldn't resist his playful antics. "Why did my sister summon her brother? Is it because you miss me?" he inquired with a mischievous glint in his eyes, playfully exaggerating his cuteness. Rias, amused, decided to play along.

"Yes, brother, I missed you," she responded, matching his tone and humor, her eyes dancing in playful agreement. But then, with a subtle shift in her expression, she transitioned to a more serious matter. "But I actually wanted to talk to you about the incident of yesterday," she stated with a newfound gravity.

Sirzechs, perceptive as ever, dropped his playful facade. "Oh, what do you propose, Rias? Actually, I wanted to avoid the politics involved in it; those are troubled waters to step into," he admitted, his tone shifting to one of seriousness, a stark departure from his earlier playfulness. It was as if he had undergone a complete transformation, a testament to the multifaceted nature of his character.

"Brother, can you help me with this? I want to offer her to be my rook," Rias declared with unwavering determination.

"Huuh? Fine, I'll do this favor. I hope you know what you're doing; you're going to offend many clans with this decision," Sirzechs responded, his voice tinged with concern as he contemplated the potential consequences of Rias's choice.

"Don't worry, brother, I can handle it. Besides, I need her more than anyone," Rias reassured him, her resolve unshaken.

As Rias prepared to depart, Sirzechs unexpectedly posed a question that had been on his mind. "Rias, did you see anything when you were in the city near the Naberius clan?"

Anticipating her brother's curiosity, Rias replied with her characteristic composure, her emotions and expression remaining unchanged. "No, brother, not anything out of the ordinary. Why do you ask? Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no, nothing, Rias-chan. I just heard there were disturbances there. Nothing to worry about; your awesome brother will handle it," Sirzechs assured her, reverting to his playful brotherly persona, leaving the matter at rest for the time being.

Back to MC,

With Kuroka in my arms, I rushed out of the city and crossed the outskirts. I saw the area from which I exited the portal. I quickly entered it, and the background changed as I arrived outside the portal. Arya and Arjun were momentarily relieved to see me arrive safely, but their relief turned to shock when they saw that I was carrying someone who appeared seriously injured, their clothes battered.

Even though I wanted to explain, time was of the essence. I urgently asked Arjun to close the portal, "Arjun, quick, close the portal!" Without further delay, he used the dust and closed the portal.

Arya, always curious, immediately asked, "Uhhm, My Lord, who is this?" after we had closed the portal.

"I'll tell you everything, Arya, but for now, let's go. She needs to rest, and we need to leave. The time of our appointment is nearing," I replied.

"Yes, of course, my Lord," Arya said and led the way, with Arjun following quietly. I carried Kuroka to Arjun's house for the time being. Upon reaching there, I didn't remove her cloak completely, only taking off the hood and mask. I tucked her into bed safely, but as I was about to leave, she gripped my hand in her sleep. I tried to loosen her grip, but she refused to let go. It was as if she feared I would abandon her and wanted to hold me close unconsciously. So, I sat beside her, providing her with reassurance.

Arya then entered the room with a bowl of soup in hand, a sly smile on his face when he saw us. 'This guy...!' I thought, Always forgetting that he was a 19-year-old teenager. He handed me the bowl and said, "My lord, this is the rejuvenating potion I prepared. It should help her recover her magic power and chi."

I was surprised. "You know how to brew potions too?"

"Yes, my Lord. I know how to make potions as well. I have many hidden talents," he proudly replied.

"Nice, nice," I praised him. I checked the temperature of the potion, finding it warm, just right to drink. I then turned towards Arya, only to see his smug face as he had made sure the potion was at the right temperature. Without further delay, I fed the soup to Kuroka, and the potion began to take effect.

After that, I used soul transmission to explain everything that happened in the underworld and Kuroka's situation to him, omitting the details of what happened with Rias. Even though he understood that I told him only briefly, he grasped that I had shared all the important information. After a while, I called Arjun to thank him for his help and settle his payment.

"I really have to thank you for your help, Arjun," I said as he entered the room.

"No need to thank me, Grey. I just did what I was paid to do. Instead, I have to thank you for your help in curing my mom," he humbly replied.

"Anyways, here is the payment as promised." I handed him a Gold card specially used in the supernatural world for transactions. "This is more than what we agreed, I can't take this," he said, looking confused by the extra items.

"Please keep it, I insist. Think of it as a token of my gratitude and the beginning of our friendship," I persuaded him, and after another 15 minutes of discussion, he finally agreed to keep it.

Our flight to Delhi was scheduled for the evening, with a layover in Vietnam and Guangzhou, China before finally reaching Lianyungang. It was nearly more than a day's journey, so I wanted to rest until the evening before we left. With Kuroka holding onto me, I adjusted beside her and fell asleep immediately.

"Hey, my Lord, wake up, it's time," I heard a distant voice, seemingly coming from far away, telling me it was time for something. I was about to ignore it when I suddenly remembered I had a flight to catch. I woke up unwillingly, and as I opened my eyes, I was momentarily breathless.

Beside me was Kuroka, her emerald-green eyes fixed upon me with a captivating mix of curiosity and love. The subtle play of emotions in her feline gaze drew me in like a moth to a flame. Curiosity twinkled in those enchanting orbs as if she were pondering the mysteries of the world and, in that moment, finding me to be the most intriguing puzzle of all.

But intertwined with that curiosity was something more profound and heartwarming. Love radiated from her gaze, a warmth that enveloped me like a comforting embrace. It was a love that transcended words, a silent declaration of affection that needed no spoken affirmation.

As our eyes locked, time seemed to stand still, and in the quiet connection of our gazes, a silent understanding passed between us. In that moment, only a word escaped from my lips unconsciously, "Beautiful." Hearing my words, her face flushed with happiness. I asked her in a loving tone without breaking eye contact, "How are you feeling, Kuroka-san?" She quickly broke the eye contact and replied in a soft voice, "Kuroka, you can call me Kuroka, nya~."

"Umu, how are you feeling now, Kuroka?" I asked. Hearing this, her face and eyes lit up with delight, and she answered, "I am very good, nya~."

"Good, let's get up and freshen up. We have to leave for somewhere safe," I said to her.

"Okay, nya~," she replied. "And what should we do about your dress?" I asked.

"No need to worry, I can regenerate it, nya~." With that, she remade her dress into a new one. It was a short frock in a gothic style, different from her usual attire, making it a good disguise so that ordinary devils couldn't recognize her.

With that settled, I left the room for her to get ready and went to another room to prepare myself. After a while, I returned to the living room to wait for Arya and Kuroka. As I entered the room, I saw Arjun sitting there, reading a magazine. I sat on the sofa and asked a question that had been on my mind for a while, "So, Arjun, you won't ask who she is?" I was curious about his perspective on the situation.

"Oh, do I want to know about her?" he replied with a question of his own.

"No, you don't need to know for now," I answered.

"Well, there's your answer," he said, and we both smiled, realizing that he had his own principles. In the meantime, both Kuroka and Arya were ready to leave. With a final greeting to Arjun, we left, and I had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time I would see him.

On the way, I briefed both Kuroka and Arya about the details of our journey. Arya genuinely cared about the information,

While Kuroka simply wanted to be with me and was less concerned about the destination than about being with me most of the time.

After changing multiple flights, we finally arrived in Lianyungang, China. Throughout the journey, we faced no difficulties with formalities due to my belonging to a supernatural family, indicating how deeply the supernatural world had rooted itself in this place.

It was time for me to head to Hua Guo Shan, or Mount Hua Guo, to enter the Mythical Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.

To Finally meet THE GREAT VICTORIOUS FIGHTING BUDDHA, THE MONKEY KING.

SUN WUKONG.