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chapter 195
“Ha ha! How many years has it been since our three sworn brothers were all in one place?”
“Who knows… maybe 300 years?”
“You’re foolish. Exactly 281 years ago. That Bajie guy got rejected again by the Moon Palace maiden and dragged himself to us—right at that time.”
“Ah, that’s right! Ha ha… It was so humiliating I’d forgotten. Who even suggests confessing drunk?”
“Forget that kind of thing, all of you!!”
Inside Sun Wukong’s shadow pocket dimension.
Somehow, this place—which he had named Huaguo Mountain—was filled with laughter for the first time in a long while.
“Those three brothers really have gathered together. I heard after the Western Heaven expedition, they went their separate ways and it got awkward… but maybe not.”
Bongmawang sat lightly on the mountainside, under the shade of a tree blooming with peach blossoms, watching the three brothers chat.
Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing.
After meeting in so long, the three brothers had so much to talk about that they spent half a day chattering away about trivial things.
“Indeed. Considering all they’ve endured for years, it’s only natural.”
Bongmawang smiled faintly at the unfamiliar face of Sun Wukong.
“Yes, there are times like this,” he also quietly wished, hoping that one day he and his brothers could gather and laugh like that too…
Zhu Bajie, the Righteous Lion of the Left Division
Originally, his dharma name was Wuneng (悟能), not Bajie.
Like Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing, he shared the generational character Wu (悟).
So technically he should have been called “Zhu Wuneng,” but over time his nickname Bajie became more famous, solidifying his name as Zhu Bajie.
Before being expelled from Heaven, he held a high-ranking position as Admiral of the Celestial Navy of the Celestial Sect.
After descending to the mortal realm and completing the myth of Journey to the West, he earned the title of Righteous Lion.
He never reached Buddha’s rank, but he commanded a position almost equivalent to it.
Of course, like Sha Wujing, he couldn’t completely avoid the purge…
“Ha ha!! Our thunder-bare-faced brother actually has disciples. The more I see it, the more amazing it is!”
How did he manage to reincarnate as a human and rise to Astra’s director?
“So does that make me one of your disciples? To think I almost had my head split by an axe from a master… truly a rare experience.”
“Greetings, Master. I’m Jang Lee-hyun.”
“Why all the formality? Call me casually like you would Ojeong. We might as well make a mutual contract at this chance.”
At that moment:
Ding!
[Zhu Bajie, Righteous Lion of the Left Division, wishes to form a Mutual Contract with you.]
[Do you accept the contract?]
Lee-hyun glanced at Sun Wukong.
Of course, Sun Wukong was frowning deeply.
“You’ve only just met him and you’re already rubbing it in!”
“Huh? Isn’t this kind of ritual customary for someone who possesses the myth of Journey to the West?”
“No, it’s not!”
“But there are so many contracts hanging around.”
“Exactly! That’s the problem! He’s my disciple!”
Sun Wukong flailed, insisting on canceling the contract, but:
[Contract accepted.]
[A test for the mutual contract is being prepared. Due to insufficient myth, it may take some time.]
“Hey!!”
Sun Wukong, face red, wagged his finger at Lee-hyun.
“Why refuse such a good thing? And he’s the director of Astra, no less.”
“Right?”
“Ah, really… these guys.”
Sun Wukong grabbed the back of his neck and leaned back.
At this rate, Lee-hyun would have every possible contract in Journey to the West signed in no time.
“Fine. Do as you wish. My throat’s about to give out from shouting.”
“Ha ha ha! The master has been doing far better than you imagine all along!”
“Shut up!!”
Of course, Sha Wujing wouldn’t stay quiet just because he said so.
He said to Zhu Bajie:
“He’s just worried his share of the master will decrease. He’s always been greedy, hasn’t he?”
“I thought so. I’ll remember that.”
“Really, you guys…”
Sun Wukong pressed his temples as he remembered the troublesome antics of his two disciples.
“Enough. Bajie, tell me about yourself. What’s the situation?”
Sun Wukong eyed Zhu Bajie from head to toe.
His appearance was peculiar: neither fully human nor completely fallen…
Then Wukong noticed it: a scar across his chest, partly hidden by clothing.
“You’ve noticed that already? Your eyes truly are sharp.”
Bajie smiled and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a deep scar from the left chest down to the lower abdomen.
Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing’s eyes deepened in shock.
Lee-hyun was also surprised; the markings were familiar.
“That is…”
“The Vessel of Light, isn’t it?”
The Vessel of Light—a sealing magic Raphael used to trap the Demon King.
Zhu Bajie nodded to Lee-hyun.
“Yes. Same as the Demon King in the Convergence Cave. Raphael left it with me personally.”
“Explain fully. Did he harm you as well?”
Sun Wukong growled as if he would storm Heaven, but Bajie shook his head while buttoning his shirt.
“On the contrary. Raphael was helping me.”
“Raphael… helped you?”
Sun Wukong and Sha Wujing were confused.
Lee-hyun, however, understood everything clearly.
The previously disconnected pieces now aligned.
“You formed some kind of alliance with Malah, Raphael’s group?”
“…!?”
“Ha ha! This isn’t something to pass over lightly! Explain how you came to that conclusion, Master!”
Lee-hyun nodded, looking at Bajie.
Bajie merely smiled.
“It’s simple deduction. Raphael never intended to harm the Demon King. If the goal were eradication, a complex sealing ritual wouldn’t have been necessary.”
“Ha! True, sealing is no easy task.”
“Many suspected a connection between Astra and Malah, that Astra was receiving their blessing.”
“Ha ha! Why is that?”
Bajie said nothing, only smiling as if urging Lee-hyun to continue.
Lee-hyun recognized this gaze—it was like when he first met Lee Gunsan.
The current Zhu Bajie was no longer the Righteous Lion but Astra Director Caleb.
“The word ‘Astra’ comes from Latin, meaning ‘stars.’ In scripture, stars are overseen by angels.”
Not just a successor of Celestial Great Sage Sun Wukong, but Lee-hyun, leader of Cheongrae, could be recognized for his abilities.
“Even Michael Shepherd, Astra’s chief of staff, has shown favor to me under Gabriel’s command. Couldn’t he have suspected me from the start?”
This allowed for closer ties with Astra.
“You deduced this from the reactions of the archangels Gabriel and Raphael?”
“If they knew I was Jet, or a Cheongrae agent, naturally they’d have such ‘eyes’ in Heaven as well as Earth.”
“Ha ha. Gathering small clues to draw a big picture. I was right—you are a vital talent for this world.”
Bajie’s eyes gleamed.
“So, how about coming to Astra this time?”
“Sorry, I already—”
“This isn’t the previous recruitment offer. This is a new one.”
Bajie’s gaze on Lee-hyun glistened with greed.
“This morning, a new proposal was made at White Burn. You’re planning to grow Z Team into a separate corporation as a new Cheongrae division, right?”
Lee-hyun smirked internally.
Watching so clearly, Bajie’s insight or America’s prowess—impressive.
“That, I can provide. Or more. With my support, Guam’s business and the next director position here won’t be a problem.”
“Just hearing it sends shivers down my spine.”
“Right? So join us. Accept your colleagues too—”
“I still refuse.”
Lee-hyun smiled and shook his head.
“Why not? Such a great opportunity… not due to racial concerns, I hope?”
“I just prefer it here. It allows me more freedom.”
“Is that so? Astra’s rules are strict, indeed. A shame.”
Bajie licked his lips.
“But we can still maintain good relations, can’t we?”
“Ha ha! Boldly refusing, yet so cheeky. Truly, your master has excellent disciples.”
Bajie looked pleased despite regretting losing him.
Lee-hyun also liked this version of Bajie.
Previously, he seemed an inscrutable schemer, but now he appeared trustworthy.
Bajie continued:
“You’re right. Astra currently receives Malah’s blessing. It’s why I survived the godly blades, and why I could lay the foundation for revenge in the mortal realm.”
Lee-hyun nodded solemnly.
The alliance of Malah and Astra helped him grasp the future global situation.
‘Malah pursues absolute goodness, order, and the balance of scales.’
Their influence extends beyond Heaven to Earth.
But:
“Malah helped you? That Metatron?”
Sun Wukong furrowed his brows in disbelief.
Metatron, highest angel of Malah, sometimes classified as a major deity.
“Yes.”
“Why the…?”
“They say it’s for ‘balance.’ If we all fall, the scales won’t align. Ha ha. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”
Sun Wukong’s face flushed red.
“Then why the deception! Metatron was surely…”
“Yes. One of the main culprits behind pulling you out.”
“Yet you were fooled?”
Bang!
Sun Wukong slammed his fist on the table.
Sha Wujing squeezed his eyes shut.
Wukong’s wrath gripped Bajie’s neck.
His face went pale, yet Bajie calmly replied:
“Deception, so what?”
“…What?”
“Regardless, I survived thanks to them, didn’t I?”
“…!”
“I don’t know Malah’s exact thoughts. Nor do I care.”
Bajie twisted one side of his mouth into a sneer, showing his fangs.
A fierce visage unlike his usual calmness—the smile of a demon who once laid waste to cities with gluttony and lust.
“They hid me from Heaven’s surveillance. That’s why I survived. Isn’t that enough?”
“….”
“They even enabled me to inhabit Caleb’s body, and find my brothers in the mortal realm. Did you know that?”
His sarcasm deepened, fangs gleaming.
“The dungeon you were in—the Monkey’s Den—I was the one hiding it from the outside.”
“…What?”
Sun Wukong’s eyes widened.
“I hid the chaos in China, India, everywhere, to protect you. Malah helped behind the scenes.”
“…!!!”
Lee-hyun nodded gravely.
He had suspected the same: how Sun Wukong survived despite Peng Jinghao searching the globe.
“Wujing, what about you?”
“….”
“What of the master’s other sworn brothers? Who helped Bongmawang escape, prevented forces from entering the rift with the Demon King? Who disrupted information? Don’t tell me all that was mere luck!”
“….”
As Bajie’s laughter grew, Wukong and Wujing were speechless.
Only deep silence flowed.
Half-reclined, Bajie shrugged.
“So I say it doesn’t matter. Whatever Malah’s scheme, if there’s a tool for us, why refuse?”
Lee-hyun recalled the heavily veiled rumors about Astra’s director.
Mysterious past, mastermind of the world’s strongest combat corps, unmatched in espionage and schemes.
A strategist who revived the US as a superpower during the dungeon era.
…That was Zhu Bajie.
“Even now, he’s working to rescue the master from Sama Hui. Why? Because all I have now is this wretched body!”
Sun Wukong pressed his lips.
A shadow passed over Bajie’s eyes.
“I know what you worry about. You fear this is all Metatron’s grand scheme, waiting for when all brothers reunite, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Then wait until then and handle it.”
Bajie smirked.
“That can be dealt with when the time comes.”
“….”
After a long silence.
“Sigh! Truly… I never thought I’d owe you like this in my life.”
“That’s what makes life interesting, isn’t it? Aren’t we living it fully?”
Sun Wukong scratched the back of his head and lowered it.
“I apologize. I let my emotions take over.”
“No. If I were you, I’d have done the same. Perhaps even used them more ruthlessly.”
Wukong scratched his forehead, realizing he probably would have.
“Good. Then what is Malah’s exact goal? Forget balance and peace. What are they really after?”
“That is—”
Just as Bajie was about to answer:
‘Could we perhaps answer that ourselves?’
A voice echoed from the sky.
Instantly, the three brothers looked up. Sun Wukong’s expression stiffened.
‘A door…!’
Lee-hyun saw a massive beam of light stretching across the blue sky of Huaguo Mountain.
A sacred radiance that seemed to melt one’s soul.
Similar in shape and size to the prison of the Demon King, yet indescribably powerful, a door was about to open.
[Myth: ‘Archangel of Wednesday’ wishes to appear at Huaguo Mountain!]
[Raphael attempts descent.]
Raphael was about to make an appearance.
