How else can we start this new adventure other than our two protagonists giving each-other a bunch of kisses while flying on a cloud? There wasn't a spot on (Y/n)'s face that hasn't been kissed at this point, and she couldn't stop giggling. These two were on cloud nine (no pun intended).
"M-Monkey stop!" she pushed his face away.
"I can't! I'll never stop!"
He kissed her ear, it tickled and she laughed.
"You can't kiss me forever!"
"I'll certainly try! We're finally together, what did you think would happen?!" he nuzzled her cheek. "I love you too much!"
She cupped his face in her hands and made him look at her. She gave him a peck on his lips.
"I love you too."

He blushed, his eyes sparkling. He pulled her closer to him.
"That wasn't good, say it again!"
"Uh, I love you."
"Again!"
"I love you!"
"No, again!"
"I love you Sun Wukong." she whispered, looking into his eyes. "I love you with all my heart and soul."
He slowly inhaled, his lips pursued, clearly fighting the urge to scream out in joy. She couldn't see it, but his tail has been wagging like a dog's this whole time.
"Nope!" he leaned back and turning his head away. "Not good enough! You'll have to say it... At least a thousand times."
She laughed wholeheartedly.

"H-Hey~!!!" they heard someone shout in the distance.
"Ah!" (Y/n) looked back, her eyebrows furrowed. "Nian Zhen!"
"Who?" Monkey glanced back.
In the distance, the small dragon snake was clearly struggling to keep up. At some point, she couldn't take it anymore and she passed out in mid-air, turning back into her human disguise. (Y/n) gasped when she watched her fall and Monkey quickly went back to catch her with one hand, by the back of her clothes, before she could crash. Then they slowly descended down to the ground, and landed in the middle of a road. He gently put (Y/n) down before laying Nian Zhen on the ground like a cloth and hopping off his cloud.
"I'm so sorry Nian Zhen!" she leaned over to look at her. "I got carried away, I was just so happy."
"Cool for you." she exhaled.
"See, she's fine." Monkey said. "Can we go back to where we left off now? You're still like nine hundred and ninety-something short."
"N-no!" (Y/n) shook her head, blushing. "We can't just leave her!"
"And isn't it that one weirdo from the beach?" he pointed at the young woman.
"Weirdo?!" Nian Zhen lifted her head to glare at him, to then let it fall back on the ground.
"It's...a long story." (Y/n) scratched her head before explaining what happened on her end.

"So you're telling me..." Monkey said, sitting cross-legged with his arms folded. "You want us to travel with a demon that literally worked to try and kill us?!"
"Just for this mission!" (Y/n) clarified, sitting in front of him. "She's the one who volunteered to get me to my blood family. Although..." she glanced at Nian Zhen, who was still catching her breath, before leaning closer to him. "I am planning on asking her if she wants to go to the West with us." she said quietly.
"You cannot be serious!"
"What? Poor thing lost her job, she told me she had nowhere to go." she gestured towards her while looking at Monkey with puppy dog eyes. "This could be a good replacement, and it would give her redemption."
"We don't need anybody else, me and you are the dream team!"
"It's...It's 'you and I' first of all." Nian Zhen said as she finally sat up.
"Oh great." he mumbled, rolling his eyes. "A smartass."
"And I don't know about the journey to the West but..." she continued. "I did volunteer for *this* trip, we could talk about the rest once it's done."

(Y/n) smiled at Monkey, waiting for him to agree, but wasn't convinced yet. He huffed. Nina Zhen reached inside an inside-pocket in her oversized coat and took out a little box.
"What's this?" (Y/n) asked.
"Medicine that my parents gave me before leaving the house." she explained as she took one and swallowed it. "They're energy enhancers, for whenever I use too much power. I took one when we arrived at Guan Yin's island too."
"Oh," she tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed. "I didn't notice. I was a bit preoccupied by-"
"Something way more important." Monkey finished for her. "So you really are a weakling, should've known that the green hair wasn't by choice- How do you expect to pass by undetected if you can't even look like a human?!" he pointed at her.
"Won't matter, will it? She's got blue eyes now," she gestured towards (Y/n), then towards him. "And you're Sun Wukong! Besides, now that you're here, we can just use your somersault cloud and-"
"Nope! Not happening!" he said, waving his arm through the cloud to make it disappear. "I am perfectly okay with holding (Y/n) the whole flight, I am not holding the two of you, it'd be cumbersome!"
"Are you sure?" (Y/n) leaned closer to him.
He nodded with a 'Hmm!' and turned away. She sighed, but still smiling at his childish behavior, then she looked at Nian Zhen and shrugged.

"Then I guess you'll be on my back again." the young demon woman stood up, stretching her back and arms.
"Will you be okay though?" (Y/n) asked as her and Monkey stood up as well.
"As long as I take regular breaks, I'll be fine."
"Oh come *on*!" he looked at the sky then back at them both. "At this point, you'd be faster by foot!"
"That's a great idea Monkey!" (Y/n)'s face lit up and she gently pushed Nian Zhen with her as she walked away. "Come on Nian Zhen, let's walk, we've already made it halfway through I think."
"Wha-wait! No!" Monkey exclaimed as he watched them go. "I didn't mean it in a way that I was proposing a solution! I was mocking you two! (Y/n)~!"
"Don't worry Monkey," she looked back at him with a smile. "you don't have to walk. You can go and enjoy your somersault cloud if you want. Bye~." she turned back and whispered to Nian Zhen. "Don't look back."
She sent her a confused look, but kept looking forward. Meanwhile, Monkey scoffed, clicked his tongue, walked in a circle, groaning, ran a hand through his hair. And finally:

"Fine!" he was suddenly standing in front of the two women.
(Y/n)'s smiled became brighter, chuckling, and Nian Zhen blinked twice, looking back-and-forth between the two of them.
"But if we're doing this now, (Y/n)..." he held her by her shoulders and leaned over to be at eye level, a graver expression on his face. "I have to warn you. The curse your dad put on you was enough to hide your powers as long as you didn't use them. But now that you broke it permanently, demons will be able to spot you from miles away. We will be traveling with targets on our backs 24/7. Being attacked by bad guys will be our new everyday routine. Are you ready for this?"
"Yes." she nodded, unbothered. "We were already getting attacked often, this won't be a big change." she patted his hands. "And now, we're stronger than ever, so really, it's them who should be prepared!"
He smiled and happily huffed. He cupped her face his his hands and gave her a smooch.
"That's my girl!" he let go of her and pointed forward. "Let's do this!"
(Y/n) laughed as the two of them walked away. Nian Zhen stood there for a moment.
"Um..." she nervously raised an index. "D-Did you say 'target on our backs 24/7? Bad guys spotting us from miles away? Wukong?" she rushed to catch up to them. "Guys?"

Indeed, the way back was easier. Although yes, demons and bandits attacked them regularly, they were quickly disposed of. That wasn't what bothered (Y/n) however. Unlike Nian Zhen who would always cower in fear and hide behind her, no matter the size or the number of foes standing in their way. No, what was bothering her was that Monkey would always take the initiative and finish the fight, before she could even do anything. Not that she wanted the fights to go on, goodness no!
"Monkey," she told him after yet another ten-second-long fight. "could you...leave one to me next time?"
"Mmh?" he looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I-It's just that, I can fight now, like, truly! I can feel it, and I want to see what I can do."
"You could just spare with him, can't you?" Nian Zhen said.
"We've almost reached the city." Monkey turned back around and walked away. "Would be a shame to drag this any longer. Besides..." he looked at the young demon with a sinister smirk. "With (Y/n) and I busy sparing, who will protect you if a bad guy sneaks up on you and kidnaps you?!"
"Wukong's right! W-We better get going!" she rushed forward in a panic.

Monkey chuckled. Meanwhile, (Y/n) frowned, but she followed them.
"You'd never refuse a sparing session." she told him. "Why now?"
He took a moment to respond, as if he was giving his real answer in his head, before looking at her.
"Don't you want your first 'true' fight to be more epic than that?"
"Protecting those I care for? That's pretty epic to me."
Nian Zhen looked at her with glassy eyes, caught off guard by her choice of words, but she didn't say anything. Monkey just rolled his eyes. Soon enough, they've reach the city (Y/n) was born in. As soon as people saw their Lord's niece and rightful heiress enter the city, the group was welcomed by cheers and applause.

"Our Lady and Sun Wukong are back from their journey!"
"And she has blue eyes now! How beautiful!"
"Surely they done did somethin' amazing, like savin' the world or somethin'!"
"Welcome back heroes!"
"Ahaha, thank you." she shyly waved as the three of them walked, the crowd making way for them. "Thank you very much."
"Can we go faster?" Nian Zhen whispered, staying close to her and holding on to her sleeve. "All these stares are giving me the heebie-jeebies."
"Really? Alright then. Monke- uh, Monkey?" she looked to the other side of her but he wasn't there.
The two young women turned around. Monkey was taking his sweet time, being a monkey of the people.
"Why thank you! You're so kind!" he said with the most 'humble' of expression, waving with big gestures. "Thank you thank you! All in a day's work for the Great Sage Equal to Heaven- oh you want an autograph?" he took a pot a passerby was carrying and with one of his long nails, he carved his name on it, along with a small drawing of a monkey head. "Here you go." he tossed it back at them. "You're welcome!"
"What the hell that's for my mom! That was fifty bucks!"
"And now it's double that amount, except like a gagillion times more. As I said, you're welcome, human!"

"Sun Wukong please!" Nian Zhen exclaimed while (Y/n) awkwardly chuckled. "Hurry up!"
"Alright alright geez." he rolled his eyes before turning to the crowd. "I apologize ladies and gentlemen, but there are no rest for the heroes... Except when you're me in which case I can do whatever I want-" he quickly established. "However! I am choosing to go on this adventures, because I am just that responsible. I bid you all, bye." he bowed and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
People gasped in awe and cheered. Truth was, Monkey turned himself into a very small bug, which went unnoticed as he flew towards (Y/n) and 'reappeared' in front of her, making her gasp in surprise. He chuckled and kissed her nose.
"Come on girls, let's get going!" he rushed away, gesturing them to follow him.
Nian Zhen frowned, unimpressed by his little magic trick, but the three of them went on. When they reached the Lord's house, they didn't even have to knock for the doors to open for them. All the servants bowed to them, (Y/n) looked around for a moment before walking up to one of them.
"Hello again nanny." she bowed.
The old woman gasped and looked up at her, shocked. Her eyes became teary and she hugged her tightly.
"My lady~!!!"
(Y/n) chuckled and patted her back. Nian Zhen looked on, confused, and Monkey gave her a quick explanation.

"(Y/n), my niece, and daughter of my dearest brother." her uncle the Lord, sitting on his fancy seat with his relatives sitting beside him, smiled once the trio entered the room.
"Hello, family of my blood father." (Y/n) bowed, Nian Zhen doing the same.
"'Sup." Monkey nodded with a smirk. "We're back."
"You really have recovered your eyes color." her uncle tilted his head. "They look more blue than I remembered."
"It suits me more this way." she smiled. "I am here to keep my promise. I do apologize for the sudden change of position," she furrowed her eyebrows. "I hope it wasn't too much for you."
"Oh not at all, I did my very best." he waved his hands and shook his head before scratching his cheek with a shy smile. "But I do admit that I wouldn't mind if someone else took the reins."
"Yes, I understand." she nodded. "In that case I could take charge until I find a new, suitable Lord for the city."
His face lit up.
"I am so happy to hear you that! Your grand-aunt had the exact same idea." he gestured to an old lady who smiled and waved. "You see, the news about your return the first time have spread all around and beyond the city. And since then, a lot of candidates have come here. Though since you left again, most of them left. We wanted you to be the judge. But some of them are still in the city, waiting for you!"

"Really?" she blinked twice, surprised. "Well, that saves us time, that's good. Could you send them all a  letter asking them to come back?"
"Of course of course!" he nodded as the family happily looked at each-other, excited. "In the meantime, we've prepared two rooms for you, Sun Wukong and..." his voice trailed off when he saw Nian Zhen. "Your servant?"
She frowned, groaning.
"This is my friend Nian Zhen." (Y/n) gestured towards her. "I would appreciate if you'd treat her the same as me or Monkey."
"Ah! Yes, my apologies." he bowed his head. "We'll prepare another room right away."
"No need." Monkey smirked. "She'll take the first room." he pointed at Nian Zhen with his thumb. "And we can take the other one." he leaned to the side so that his shoulder touched (Y/n)'s.
"Not gonna happen." she moved him away from her, blushing.
He snickered.
"Okay...?" her uncle blinked twice before clearing his throat. "I'll have the servants prepare a third room during dinner."

Both (Y/n) and Monkey gasped.
"Speaking of which!" she said. "We forgot to ask-"
"Give us that damn peach soup recipe!!!" Monkey exclaimed.
"What the hell...?" Nian Zhen sent them a weird look, leaning back a little bit.
"Once you taste it, you'll get it." (Y/n) quietly told her.
"I don't like peaches."
Monkey loudly gasped and glared at her, as if she just insulted his mother.
"And you want us to travel with this...this individual?!" he whispered sharply to (Y/n).
"I can hear you!" Nian Zhen opened her arms. "I'm right here!"
(Y/n) just laughed and her two companions glared at each-other.

"By the way," she asked during dinner. "whatever happened to my other uncle?"
"He has been stripped of his tittles and riches, and will live the rest of his life in poverty."
"Poverty...? Is it still a problem here in the city? I thought you took care of that."
"Ah, well..." he scratched his cheek, his eyebrows furrowed. "With my new position, I have a lot more work to do, so I can't take care of everything."
"I see..." she inaudibly sighed.
'I guess taking care of an entire city is no simple matter. I'm glad I won't be doing that anytime soon... That sounded selfish.'

Meanwhile, Monkey handed Nian Zhen a bowl of soup.
"Try it."
"No. I'm carnivorous."
"If you go on the journey to the West, you'll have to convert to buddhism and you'll have to be vegetarian. So better get used to it now."
"Pretty sure there are no rules that say that. And also..." she lifted an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth going upwards. "So you're saying I *am* going to the West with you guys?"
"I'm saying if you *wanna* go to the West." he glared at her. "Don't put words in my mouth."
"Only if you don't put food in mine."
He placed the bowl down while still glaring at her.
"I don't like you."
"And I don't see why (Y/n) likes you."
"Because she's smart and she can see all-mighty greatness when she sees it. I don't see why she likes *you*."
"I think you're mistaking greatness for painstakingly cringy arrogance."
"You little brat!" he hit the table and stood up, pointing at her. "You wanna go?!"
"Monkey!"

He looked at (Y/n), who was glaring at him, slightly nodding her head as a silent way to say 'sit back down'. With a pout and a huff, he did, folding his arms.
"We're guests here." she said. "Please behave."
"What do you mean we're guests? This is *your* house!"
"Then *you're* a guest." Nian Zhen pointed at him.
"No I'm not! What's hers is mine too!"
"Woaw." she rolled her eyes. "Possessive much?"
"What do you know about relationships?! You're like a kid!"
"I'm nineteen!"
"Literally?! My Lord! That's a *baby* in demon years, and you expect me to take anything you say seriously?!"
She gasped, offended. He touched a nerve there.

"Monkey," (Y/n) handed him a full bowl of soup. "I ate too much, do you wanna finish my bowl?"
"Do I!" his face lit up, he took the bowl and started drinking.
"And Nian Zhen," she looked at her. "do you want to check out the library? I only saw a glimpse of it, but there are a lot of books there."
The young demon glanced around, noticing the people staring, before nodding with a hum. (Y/n) smiled and asked her nanny to escort her there.
"But please, leave her be once she's there." she whispered.
Nian Zhen heard that, and nodded again, this time to say thank you (which (Y/n) returned) before leaving. (Y/n) let out a heavy sigh.
"My apologies." she bowed to her blood family.
"No need, no need." a woman, one of her cousins said. "It's us who are sorry that you must manage these two."
She glanced at Monkey, who was too preoccupied by his delicious meal to care.
"Not at all." she smiled. "They're actually quite fun to be around."
'It's just that it doesn't bode well in a strict setting like this one.' her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

The very next day, our protagonists woke up and heard the news that candidates have formed a line outside the house to apply for the position of new Lord. (Y/n) was led to a dressing room and while servants helped her put on a hanfu 'worthy of her status', Nian Zhen waited on the other side of the paper screen. Monkey was forced outside the room itself.
"These fabrics must be worth a fortune." Nina Zhen said as she looked at the others hanfus on display. "And the library's great too- Why don't you want to live here?"
"Because it's not my home."
"Aren't you the heiress of the second previous Lord, your real dad? Rightfully the place is yours." she shrugged. "You could have this whole place just for yourself! If it was me, I'd accept it, even if I'm not gonna live in it right away. And once I get back, I kick everyone out!"

(Y/n) chuckled, while the servants sent each-other weird looks.
"I'm happy with what I got. I wouldn't know what to do in such a grand place all by myself anyway."
"Do whatever you want!"
"But what if all I want is to not be alone, and be with the people I like?"
"...Well that's your problem."
She laughed, and stepped out once she was ready. Nina Zhen seemed unfazed, and mostly glad that the wait was over. (Y/n) however took her time to look at herself in the mirror once she stood in front of it. She caressed the soft fabrics, all four layers of them, and touched the ornaments in her stylized hair.
"Please don't touch your hair." one of the servants quickly said.
"Sorry." she turned to Nian Zhen. "I look so pretty~!"
"Let me see dammit!" Monkey tried to open the door.
"No! You mustn't!" three servants pushed the door to close it again. "Not when our Lady is not ready!"
A loud groan could be heard in the hallways.

"Not ready?" (Y/n) tilted her head.
"Of course." one said. "There is still much more to do." they made her sit on a stool.
"My Lady," another one took her hand and closely looked at it. "You have dirt under your fingernails!"
"...Yes...?" she squinted her eyes, confused. "Is that bad?"
"Very much so!"
"Oh...I didn't know, everyone in my village has dirt somewhere."
"Oh my, how terrible." they all looked at her, concerned.
(Y/n) did her best not to frown.
"It...It wasn't."
"No matter, we shall make sure that the beauty you have inside..." they turned her head to face the mirror. "Shines just as brightly on the outside."
From the corner of her eyes, she could see brushes and she gulped. Nian Zhen groaned and sat somewhere in a corner, she knew this was gonna take long.

"Are you okay (Y/n)?" Nian Zhen asked, a bit concerned, her and Monkey standing on either side of her.
"I'm okay." she nodded, shifting uncomfortably in the Lord's chair (or in this case, Lady's). "It's just that, I really want to scratch my face." she gestured to her face, which was covered in heavy makeup. "But I don't want to ruin the artists' work, it's so pretty."
"And I can't even kiss you with this." Monkey sadly mumbled.
"No you can't."
"Not even a little bit?"
She pressed her fingertips on his mouth and smacked her lips.
"There you go." she faced forward again.
His heart skipped a beat. He turned away with a clenched fist, his tail wagging.
"Alright my niece." her uncle and other relatives entered the room. "Are you ready to meet the candidates."
She cleared her throat and straightened her back. Nian Zhen also gave herself a more proper posture, and Monkey of course didn't care.
"Yes. Please let the first one in."

And so the interviews began. Now, (Y/n) didn't know anything about city-planning or 'Lord-ing', and that was why she insisted Monkey and Nian Zhen conduct the interviews with her. After all Monkey was a King (despite almost never acting like one) and Nian Zhen was just overall smart and knew how to think critically, asking important questions the other two wouldn't think of. However, it didn't take a genius to tell who wasn't a right fit fo the position: everyone so far.
"What would you do if the enemy knocked on that door right now?" Monkey pointed.
"Now, what is the setting exactly? What's the time? Because I clock out at 6:30, once that time passed, I am but a man and I focus on my family."
"That is sweet," (Y/n) slowly nodded. "if it wasn't for the fact that as a Lord, you'd then let the enemy invade the city."
"Yeah that's a coward move! Next!"

"I am the heir of my family's land," another one went on a monologue, without even being asked anything. "my hobbies included baking - as in I love eating baked sweets - horse riding, and long walks on the beach. I also enjoy buying gifts for my dear friends and partners."
"And have you been working on any projects or social programs? How do you help your parents in the development of your land?"
"..."
"Have you ever worked, ever?" (Y/n) asked as the other two leaned closer.
"...define 'working'."
"Next!"

"Is that the Liao heir?!" (Y/n) pointed.
"Aha~! I see my reputation precedes me!"
"Exactly. Next!" both her and Monkey said at the same time.
The young man scoffed and had to be forced out of the room. His complaints were ignored by our favorite couple, Nian Zhen however told them that she will be needing an explanation later.
"Did you also break his arm?" he whispered to (Y/n), referring to his bandaged arm.
"No, that might have been Ai Chow's parents' doing." she whispered back. "But did you see his nose? It's crooked now."
He snickered.
"Nice."

"Do you have any references?" Nian Zhen asked another one.
"My grandma once told me I was the world's more beautiful boy."
"Just once...?" (Y/n) mumbled, feeling bad for him.
"What does that have to do with anything?!" Monkey shouted, frustrated at this point. "Get outta here!"
As yet another candidate left the room, the trio collectively let out a heavy sigh. If (Y/n) wasn't wearing makeup, she'd rub her temples.

"Are we sure this is for a Lord's position?" Nian Zhen asked. "This seems more like a match-making session."
"They're all just spoiled dumbasses." Monkey rolled his eyes. "Makes sense they don't know anything about how things are done in the big boy's chair."
"They were all pretty young so far." (Y/n) adjusted herself in her seat. "Let's just hope the next ones have more experien-"
She froze, just as the other two did, as soon as she saw the teenager facing them. There was a moment of silence, during which he awkwardly looked around.
"Excuse me?" she addressed one of the servants in the room. "Could you go get my uncle please?"
They nodded and rushed out of the room. They came back soon after with her uncle.
"Uncle..." she gestured him to come closer, which he did, and she said under her breath. "Why is there a child in front of me right now?"
"A-A child?" he nervously chuckled. "Oh please."
"How old are you?" Nian Zhen asked.
"I'm sixteen."
"You alone couldn't manage the city, and you're an adult. Do you really think this child could do it?" (Y/n) pointed at the teenager.

"With the right training and mentoring, he is sure to be a good Lord and husband."
"Husband?"
"He...He is of age."
(Y/n)'s eyes widen.
"Woawoawoa!" Monkey turned him around to face him. "What is going on here?!"
"I knew it!" Nian Zhen pointed. "It is a match-making session!"
"What's the meaning of this?!" (Y/n) stood up. "I said I'd find a new Lord!"
"Y-yeah, so that you could control the city together! That's what we thought you'd- Okay." he raised his hands. "There may have been some miscommunication here."

"...You wanted me to marry a child?!"
"We didn't *want* you to, he was just one of the candidates!"
"Are you alright buddy?" she looked at the kid.
"Can I go back to playing my friends now?"
"Of course you can. And you know what, go to the kitchens, tell the chefs I sent you here and have them cook some treats for you and your friends, as an apology. Now go and have fun."
"Yes!" he threw his fist in the air and rushed out of the room.

"Umh, in case this wasn't obvious from the get-go," Monkey wrapped his arms around (Y/n)'s neck from behind and pulled her close to him. "(Y/n)'s heart is already taken!"
She blushed, holding his arm to make sure she doesn't put makeup on his fur.
"W-Well," her uncle's eyes darted around. "that's fine. It's commun for nobles to have lovers on the side-"
"On the side?! I am the number one husband-material main man on her list!"
She became even redder and closed her eyes, wanting to cover her face.
"I am *insulted* right now! Have you forgotten who I am?!"
"Okay, let's calm down now!" she tugged on his arm, seeing her uncle cowering in fear.
Suddenly, the door busted open.
"Hand over the woman!" the Liao heir pointed, as a group of armed men entered and took down the guards.
"Huh?" Monkey looked at him, unfazed.
"I think he's having another tantrum." (Y/n) said.

"That woman lived as a peasant for twenty years, and just because she turned out to be Golden Cicada, she thinks she can reject me on the basis of baseless rumors?! I will have none of it!" he exclaimed.
"How you are still your family's heir after what you did is beyond me!" (Y/n) exclaimed as she removed Monkey's arm from her.
"Yeah." Monkey stepped forward. "And what happened to the toad huh?"
"How do you even know this?! I've made sure that the situation was swept under the rug!"
'Right.' she thought. 'He doesn't know we've already met, I guess he doesn't recognize me with all the makeup on.'
"Whatever!" he shook his head. "Demons can turn on you, those snakes!" that made Nian Zhen glare at him. "Mercenaries are much more goal-oriented, the goal being money! And no one has more money than me!"
"Your *parents* have money! Not you!" Nian Zhen pointed.
"Silence weird-haired girl! Their money is basically mine! Now hand over the woman's hand in marriage before I take over the entire house!"
"Try if you dare!" (Y/n) exclaimed.

"Why don't you try and stop me instead?!" he snapped his fingers (on his non-bandaged hand).
A couple of mercenaries stepped forward, they were dragging two tied up servants with them. (Y/n) became more tense.
"We got hostages!"
"Let them go!"
"Only if you come to me my Lady!" he reached out a hand towards her.
She pursued her lips and looked at Monkey. He noticed her stare and smiled.
"I'll take care of this." he casually walked up to them. "This will be easy."

He took a small stick out of his ear, then flicked it to make it grow in size. He rotated his staff a few times before striking a pose, smirking at the mercenaries.
"You!" the Liao heir pointed to the biggest men in his group. "Kill him!"
"B-Boss." he stuttered. "That's Sun Wukong."
"Do you want the money or not?!"
"Yeah, come on buddy." Monkey gestured him to come closer. "I'll even let you get the first hit. Fair, ain't it?"
The tall and beefy man gulped, then shook his head to get a grip of himself. He bumped his fists together, which were each enveloped in chains, and walked up to Monkey, who just smiled and politely waited for him to swing.
"What is he doing?!" Nian Zhen whispered harshly.
"I think he's just having fun with it." (Y/n) said, on high alert and keeping an eye on every other servant as well as the hostages, making sure no one gets hurt.
The mercenary hopped a few times before swinging his fist and punching him dead in the jaw. Monkey fell over backwards and onto the tilled floor with a dry 'omph'. Everyone gasped and looked on in pure shock. Sun Wukong, taken out by a single punch.

"Wha-what the hell?!" Monkey tried to stand up. "He got me right in my weak spot."
"Weak spot?!" (Y/n) and Nian Zhen exclaimed, this was a first for both of them.
"Oh, but thank the Heavens, I can still get away..." he began to slowly crawl, as if his legs couldn't move anymore. "by using my arms, which are still very much functional."
"T-tie him up you idiots!" the Liao heir pointed at him.
The mercenary hit him one more time in the jaw and after letting out a cry of pain, Monkey stopped moving just in time for another mercenary to tie him up. Meanwhile, since the attention was all on him, a few servants were able to leave the room unnoticed.
"We got another hostage now!"
"My Lady." (Y/n)'s nanny pulled her aside. "Come this way, quickly."
(Y/n) kept looking at Monkey as she was pulled away. He glanced at her and winked. Her eyes widen.
"...Are you serious?!" she exclaimed, right before her and her nanny went through a secret door.

"Hey! What about me?!" Nian Zhen wanted to follow them, but just then, the Liao heir looked over.
"Where is she?!"
"Uh..." she tensed up. "Who?"
He groaned.
"Tie her up too! Tie up everyone in this room in fact, and look for my future bride!"
Monkey's eye twitched. One of the men grabbed Nian Zhen, making her yelp, and tied her up. They were still some people left in the room, but thankfully they didn't notice that most of them have left.
"You know," he rolled his head towards his direction, speaking in a slightly higher pitched voice. "if I were to get married, I'd want it to be in a veeeery long room, so that me and my soon-to-be wife can enjoy a long walk together as we walk to the hotel. And, oh my lord, there's the perfect room for it on the second floor."
The Liao heir's face lit up.
"That's it! We'll put the hostages in that room, at the very back, and wait there! So that when my future bride comes, I will lavish in her beauty as she walks towards me!"
"Oh noooo!" Monkey looked at the ceiling, putting his tail on his forehead so as to mimic a hand. "Me and my big mouth! I should've stayed quiet when I had the chance!"

"What are you doing?!" Nian Zhen whispered to him, standing side by side as they and the other hostages were escorted.
"I'm sorry Nian Zhen." he looked at her with a grave expression. "I'm afraid this is the end for us."
Her face became paler as she gulped.

"I think this is enough." (Y/n) said after she barricaded the door to the office they just went in.
"Oh Lord in Heaven." her nanny paced around nervously, fiddling with her handkerchief. "What a horrid young man that one."
"He really is." she went to the window and looked down.
"We must call someone for help!" she joined her and looked out. "Ow, but we're too high up, no one will hear us. And even if we do, they have hostages now, the guards won't be able to do much. Ow but I refuse that my Lady gives herself up to him!"
"Nanny." she held her shoulders, bending a little bit to be at eye level. "It's gonna be okay, don't worry." she smiled.
She smiled back, her eyebrows still furrowed.
"May I?" she pointed at her handkerchief.

She gave it to her. (Y/n) took it with both hands and leaned back. She deeply inhaled before rubbing it aggressively on her face.
"Ohoho~!" she took it off, her makeup all smeared. "Ah~! That feels way better now!" she rubbed her cheeks with her hands, getting makeup on her palms
"M-My Lady!"
She sighed, feeling lighter.
"I really am no lady huh?" she handed it back. "Thank you very much, you stay here until I come back and get you okay? And look for a hiding spot in case they try to come in." and began to climb down the window. "I do apologize to the tailors if I ever ruin this hanfu."

"We're freaking dead!" Nian Zhen lamented (as she's been doing ever since they got here), her eyes teary. "Diplomatic adventure are supposed to be non-deadly!"
"Have you ever been on diplomatic adventures?" Monkey raised an eyebrow. "They're usually the *most* deadly of all."
"Oh gods!!! We're gonna die and (Y/n)'s gonna marry a jeeeerk!" she cried.
"Would you shut her up before I kill her myself?!" the Liao heir shouted. "No point in killing hostages if the other side can't even see it."
One of the mercenary went up to her and she cowered in fear before her mouth was covered by a cloth.
"Thank you." Monkey nodded.
She glared at him, which made him snicker. The other hostages sitting with them seemed relieved as well.
"Oh man," he wiped a tear with his hand before putting back under the rope around him. "that's funny.
"Mm-mmmh?!" her eyes widen, then she gave him small kicks. "Mh-hmm mmh!"
"Relax~ will you?" he rolled his head. "If anything, me being here is the best solution."
"Mmh-hmhmm?! Phmh?!"

"That way, I can keep an eye on the hostages and make sure no one here gets hurt." he smirked. "And now she can have open field without worrying too much."
She frowned, confused. His grin grew larger, which started to make her feel unsettled.
"All this time, they were either too weak or too strong." a spark appeared in his eyes, trying to stay quiet despite being clearly excited. "And these guys are at the perfect level." he snickered.
'Seriously?!' she thought. 'That's insane!'
'Now,' he thought. 'knowing her, she'd start by taking as much attention away from the hostages as possible.' he glanced at the window. 'So, a distraction...Any time now...'
CRASH!

Everyone but Monkey flinched and gasped. He cackled and clapped the soles of his shoes together like they were hands. The Liao heir clicked his tongue.
"You, you and you two!" he pointed at half of the mercenaries in the room. "Go and destroy whoever made this!"
The men prepared their weapons and rushed out of the room, only a couple of them remained.
'Have fun (Y/n)~!' Monkey smiled as he pull out some of his hair from his tail. 'See for yourself what you're capable of now!'

(Y/n) carefully opened the door and peeked out into the hallway. She was able to go back to the dressing room and change back to her regular outfit. She heard people running and quickly closed the door again. Thankfully they were just passing by, they sounded panicked, most likely because of that explosion. She took a deep breath and stepped out, checking around every corner before moving forward, even sneaking past a few armed men a couple of times. She was on the first floor and she had no idea where the hostages were. Thankfully, since last time she was here, she has came up with a mental map of the place. Still a bit of a blur for her, but at least, after scouting the entire first floor, she remembered where the stairs were.
'Second floor it is then.' she thought as she went up to a double door.
She carefully opened it, trying to produce as less creaking noise as possible. But even if she managed to be as quiet as a mouse, it wouldn't matter because the tall beefy mercenary from earlier was right on the other side facing her. Seemed like he and the others behind him were about to go through that door themselves.
'Shoot.' (Y/n) nervously chuckled.
She would've attempted to run away if it wasn't for the big head grabbing her by the head and throwing her into the room.

"We got 'er boys!"
"Wait, she changed outfits!"
"We could dress her up before taking her back to the boss!"
"I call dibs on the hair!"
The group was now circling her. Looking around, she noticed a flight of stairs on one of the back corners of the room that led to an indoor balcony, and on that balcony was another double door. Now with a destination in mind, all she had to do was get there. Just as the biggest man approached her, she took a deep breath, centering herself. The man reached out his hand. Her eyes began to glow. With swift movements, she grabbed his wrist and turned around, pulling it down so the man would bend over and she could elbow him in the face. He became disoriented, (Y/n) let go of his wrist so she could complete her spin and punch out in the face, knocking him out. There was a collective gasp.

"The hell?" one of the men said. "Isn't Golden Cicada supposed to be like a healer or somethin'?!"
"That was the previous version." she calmly said, getting in a fighting stand, her hands glowing slightly.
Now here was the thing: Monkey had centuries of fighting experience under his belt, and so when him and (Y/n) shared a body then separated again, a part of that knowledge stayed with her. So, although her natural strength and stamina remained the same, she now had a good grip of martial art, and could now efficiently - as Monkey would put it - "kick major ass".
'Despite all of that, these men are professional mercenaries.' she thought, frowning in her focus. 'I shouldn't underestimate them.'

There was some hesitation, but eventually the mercenaries all attacked her. And indeed they put up a good fight, but (Y/n), with her chi-blocking skills, took them all out. Meanwhile, the Liao heir could hear people shouting in pain and he gulped, wondering who that fighting monster was. Actually, all the mercenaries here were bigger than her, but she used that to her advantage.
"You little feisty brat!" a big guy ran and jumped, with the goal of smashing her into the ground.
She took a step to the side and, once within reach, she grabbed him by the shoulder and the flank. She kept a hold of him and spun around, using his weight to gain speed, then launched him to the others, knocking them over. Now that a path opened up, she jumped over them and ran for it. However, more mercenaries were in the process of going downstairs, so she took the fastest option and went for the wall. She jumped and used her powers to make her hands and feet stick to it, then she climbed up and a fast speed. One guy was already on the balcony and tried to grab her, she used chi-blocking to numb his arm then grabbed his shoulder and pulled. He fell down and crashed on a table, breaking it into pieces. Swiftly, she jumped over the rails and went trough the doors.

"(Y/n)!" Monkey's face lit up and he and Nian Zhen shouted her name (though her mouth was still covered).
The Liao heir took a step back. But he let out a sigh of relief when, from other doors, the rest of the mercenary entered and stood between her and them. The room was long, and there were a lot of them. (Y/n)'s eyes narrowed as she slid a foot back and bent over a little bit before sprinting forward, creating a small cloud of dust behind her. She didn't want to slow down nor stop before she got to the end of the room. Anyone that stood in her way, she'd either dodge or punch. At some point, someone jumped, trying to tackle her, she crouched so that he'd be above her, then lifted him up by the stomach, putting all her strength on her legs. With a loud grunt of effort she pushed him away, knocking over a couple more people in the process.
"That's my girl!!!" Monkey clapped his shoes together. "Whoop whoop!"

(Y/n) kept running. She at some point punched somebody and broke their nose. The Liao heir gasped.
"No way...Mei-hui..." he backed away, pressing his back against the wall and shaking like a leaf. "He has a sister?!"
Monkey cackled.
"That's the same person you idiot! There's only one (Y/n)!" he said with sparks in his eyes.
The young man felt a shiver down his spine. Finally, (Y/n) reached the end of the room, she was completely out of breath and did get hit a few times along the way, but she made sure not to show any weakness.
"Let them go!"
"Okay!" he rushed to untie Nian Zhen.
"Oh..." her shoulders dropped. "Okay."

"Wha-?!" he looked around. "Where are the other hostages."
"Oh I freed them a while ago." Monkey stood up and took the rope off of him like it was a simple shirt.
"What the hell?!"
"Yeah as soon as there were no guards left, I used some of my hair to make duplicated turned into insects, then they each cut the hostages free and told them to discreetly step out by the back door." he smirked. "You were too distracted by (Y/n) to even notice. Speaking of which- (Y/n)~!" he hugged her and picked her up, pressing his cheek on hers. "That's was so cool! You saved me! Is that what Tripitaka felt all the time?! I should get kidnapped more ofte-Aouch!"
(Y/n) put some of her powers in her hand and hit him on the flank, making him let go of her and rub the spot where she hit him.

"What is wrong with you?!" she sent him daggers. "Faking being taken hostage when you could've just taken them out from the very beginning!"
"They had a hostage already, I didn't wanna risk it."
"You clearly had an ulterior motive!"
"You yourself said you wanted to fight!"
"I wanted to fight when necessary, not to show off!" she turned away from him. "I'm not like you!"
He looked hurt, and sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry okay?" he leaned to the side to look at her face. "(Y/n)?"
"(Y/n)!!!" Nian Zhen wrapped her arms around her neck as soon as she could move again. "I was sure we were gonna die! I hate diplomacy!"
"I'm sorry you were scared Nian Zhen." she patted her back. "I am glad you're okay."
"Emotionally I'm not!"
"Oww..."

Monkey sighed through his nose, sad to be ignored. The Liao heir tried to sneak away, but he grabbed him by the back of his collar without looking. The two young women let go of each-other.
"So where are the others?"
"I led them in a room where no one could find them. Come on." Monkey walked to the back door, dragging the Liao heir with him after knocking him out with a clean hit to the neck.
"Say, what was that crashing earlier?" Nian Zhen asked on the way there. "What did you do?"
"Well..." (Y/n) scratched her cheek. "I didn't do anything actually. I was going to create a distraction once I change clothes, but then I heard that loud noise. As to what or who caused it, I'm as confused as you guys."
"What?" Monkey asked as he stopped in front of a door and opened it, his eyes widen. "Where?!" he exclaimed when he saw that out of around twenty people, only seven were remaining.
"Oh thank goodness my niece you're alright!" (Y/n)'s uncle came up to them. "A group of peasants came in and started taking people with them!"
"What?!" (Y/n) exclaimed.

Just then, they heard voices coming closer.
"There are still some left, come on!"
The trio looked over, a small group of men were running over, but stopped when they saw them. The one leading the group gasped.
"(Y/n)... Your eyes really did turn blue."
She gasped and pointed.
"Other uncle?!"
"The one who tried to kill you?" Nian Zhen asked.
"Huh. Almost didn't recognize him." Monkey mumbled. "He sure looks less clean since last time we saw him and I don't even think that's because I beat him up."
"What is he doing here?" she whispered to (Y/n).
"What are you doing here?!" she asked directly.
"I'll explain later, are there any more mercenaries around?"
"Don't trust him my niece!" his younger brother exclaimed. "He's probably here to take revenge on us!"
But she recognized the look of seriousness on his face. It was the look of someone who's focused on his mission.

"I don't think so."
"I should've known." his shoulders dropped in relief. "With Sun Wukong, it must've been a piece of cake."
"Actually, *she* beat 'em up." Monkey pointed at her with his thumb.
There was a moment of shocked silence, during which (Y/n) bashfully chuckled. Her oldest uncle slightly shook his head.
"We'll can talk later, for now, let's focus on bringing everyone outside to safety."
"Ah, my nanny! She's in the office."
"Copy that. I'll go get her."
"I'm coming with you."
"H-hey wait!" Nian Zhen reached out a hand.
But the two relatives didn't wait and ran away. Monkey just watched them go as the other men took escorted the hostages out.
"You're gonna let her leave with the guy who tried to kill her?!" she asked, following him as he followed the others outside.
"Yeah." he casually said. "I can tell, that guy's a totally different person. And I guess she can too. Heh." he smiled. "They really are related huh."
Nian Zhen frowned, still worried, but she didn't want to venture out on her own.

"So it was you who made that crash?" (Y/n) asked on the way to the office.
"Not really, it was a idea we came up together."
"We?"
His gaze wandered.
"...It may sound strange to some. But this exil may have been the best thing that's ever happened to me." he smiled faintly. "I've learn more in a couple of months than all of my years as Lord. The people...were harsh, but they were good-hearted and pushed me to redeem myself by help them and the community in any way I could. I'm truly grateful for them."
His words made her smile.

"You really have changed, uncle."
"Thank you, labor work did make me gain some muscles." he happily huffed.
"I didn't mean it like that!" she chuckled and pushed him lightly.
"I...I do apologize for...what I did and what I said." he looked down. "I was just overwhelmed...almost consumed, by jealousy and greed." he stoped and bowed to her. "I hope you can one day forgive me."
Her smile softened and patted his shoulder.
"Given how those men followed you, they treat you like a leader. That gives me everything I have to know about your redemption."
They smiled at each-other. When they reached the office and bursted down the door together, the nanny didn't recognize her previous boss until they went outside. The hostages were safely escorted, and the mercenaries were all tied up.

"M-My Lord!" she covered her mouth. "My, you've...you've become quite handsome."
"Must be the beard." he caressed it with a proud smile which he tried to hide.
"Brother, I uh..." (Y/n)'s other uncle walked up to his brother, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. "I supposed I should apologize for my assumptions. I..." he bowed. "Thank you for saving us."
"Right!" (Y/n) enthusiastically nodded. "Crashing two carts against one another, I would've never thought of that!"
"Oh, n-no." he shook his hand while waving his hands. "I should apologize to the carts' owners, they've given them to us so kindly."
"But if you haven't done it, I would've probably broken a big expensive vase or something."
'Or maybe set a fire somewhere in the house?' Monkey snickered.
"Still my niece, you've taken down a whole group of mercenary! That's incredible!"
"Oh, n-no. Your men took out some of them as well, and you handled the hostages like champions, I would've never."
"But still, we-"
"But still, I-"
"Geez, this family sure loves to apologize huh?" Monkey rolled his eyes as him and Nian Zhen looked on.
"This will take for-ever." she sighed.

Finally, the three relatives admitted their parts in the last few hours.
"Young uncle." (Y/n) said. "I think I found a good replacement for the position of Lord." she placed a hand on her other uncle's shoulder.
"Huh?!" her two uncle, and the people around them, exclaimed.
"Hey! I'm not trusting this dude!" a servant pointed.
"Yeah," a family member folded their arms. "he may have helped in saving us, but that won't instantly erase what an prick he used to be!"
"I understand that." she nodded. "That's why he won't be leading alone." she placed her other hand on her other uncle's shoulder.
His eyes widen, she smiled at him.
"You said that, you couldn't do everything by yourself. And your brother has learned a lot since then, with both your knowledge combined, you're sure to work wonders." she looked at the other and smiled. "Plus, two people are better than one, right?"

Her word, and the way she smiled at them, it reminded them of her father, their late brother. The middle child who would always bring them together whenever they'd argue. Tears built up in their eyes.
"He did use to say we worked better together, right brother?" the youngest one smiled.
The oldest one sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Out of the two of them, he was crying the hardest.
"You're... You're right, brother."
The two brothers hugged each-other, and pulled (Y/n) in as well.
"Aww~!" she patted their backs. "This is nice."
"Now." the oldest new Lord pointed at the Liao heir. "Kill this little roach for invading my family's home and for trying to force my niece into marriage!!!"
"Now now brother." his brother patted his shoulder, smiling with furrowed eyebrows. "He's the son of another Lord, we can't do that. We can however send a personal, strong worded letter to his parents telling them what he did. And also tell them about this terrible accident that broke both of his legs."
The two brother looked down at him with dark glares, who was tied up, gagged, and shaking like a leaf.

"Um..." (Y/n) awkwardly stood there. "Isn't it still a bit intense? I mean, no one got hurt."
The oldest Lord sighed.
"You're right my niece. We must be better than that." he thought for a moment. "Give this man the cheapest, ugliest outfit you could find, and pay the mercenaries to return him to his parents, with the letter we'll write."
The Liao heir screamed something incomprehensible and struggled to move.
"That outraged him more than having his legs broken?" Nian Zhen frowned as Monkey cackled.
"Let me help you write that letter." (Y/n) said. "He's done a lot more than what he did today!"
"Oh! Do tell us over dinner tonight."
"Let's share our dinner with my men too, to thank them for their help."
"Of course, they can even come in if they want."
Seeing her two uncles happily chat, she smiled.

"Sun Wukong." the two Lords faced him when the trio was about to leave the city the next day. "We give you our blessings."
"Ha! Nice."
"You are lucky to have (Y/n) with you."
"Hey! If anything, *she's* lucky to have *me*!"
She sighed, smiling.
"Thank you so much." she bowed to them. "And thank you again for your hospitality."
"Ow (Y/n) please." her youngest uncle slightly shook his head. "This is *your* home, you don't have to-"
His brother placed a hand on his shoulder, shutting him up.
"Have a safe journey (Y/n)." he smiled. "And make sure you come back to your home."
She smiled, and nodded before saying one last goodbye. And so the trio left the city, once again under the applause of the people.

"Despite everything, this went way better than I expected." (Y/n) said as she waved.
"Yeah? Even the part when a kid applied to marry you?" Nian Zhen asked, still uncomfortable being the center of attention.
"Okay, except that."
"Well I don't know about you but I'm glad we didn't stay, and that you didn't become a Lady in the end."
"Ah? What happened to 'you could have this place for yourself'?"
"'Cause the life of a Lady is actually just as dangerous as a traveler's!" her sudden shouting caught (Y/n) off guard. "Your whole house gets attacked, and you can be forced to marry a jerk!"
"I supposed that's true." she chuckled. "But as long as we stick together, then everything will be fine."
Nian Zhen smiled and nodded.
"You, me," she continued. "and-uh..."
The two of them looked back.
"Ahahahaha~!" Monkey waved at the crowd with the most 'humble' of laughter. "Your praises are too much! I can't accept them!" he said, while gesturing them to keep them coming.
"Wukong! I swear to the gods above!" Nian Zhen yelled while (Y/n) sighed.

"Well, it's been fun." Monkey placed his hands on his hips after they left the city. "The two of us will now go on our journey to the West. Good luck with..." he made circles with his hands before looking at Nian Zhen. "whatever you got going on."
"Monkey, come on." (Y/n) nudged him. "She's very smart, she could be a big help for us."
"Oh yeah, she was very helpful at annoying the mercenaries to death, along with me and the other hostages."
"It's okay (Y/n)." the young demon smiled.
"Are you sure...?" her eyebrows furrowed.
She nodded.
"I'll just find another job, one that actually allows me to make a living and doesn't come with the risks of certain death." she chuckled.
(Y/n) looked down, a bit sad, and Monkey clapped his hands with a smile.
"Glad that's settled. Time for us to go our separate ways! Come on (Y/n)."

Him and Nian Zhen started walking and (Y/n)'s eye widen as she let out an 'ah' of surprise. Monkey looked back and-
"Why are you still following us?!" he stopped and pointed at Nian Zhen.
"I'm not," she casually shrugged. "I am going to find a job at the next city. Just so happens that the city in question is West from there."
(Y/n) gasped, her face lighting up. Monkey clicked his tongue, glaring at her.
"You smartass." he said between his teeth.
"And if she can't find a job she likes in that city, I guess she'll just have to keep going West." (Y/n) walked up to be beside her and smiled at Monkey. "Nothing wrong with a tag-along right?"
Monkey groaned.
"Now there's two of them."
"Let's go then." Nian Zhen walked passed him and glanced back at him with a smug look. "Don't make me wait for you."
His fists clenched as small flames of rage seem to lit up in his eyes. (Y/n) wrapped her arm around his.
"Come on Monkey. Don't you wanna go on this new adventure?m
"I wanna go back to being in a coma."
She laughed.

"So..." he glanced away, then looked at her. "Are you still mad at me?"
She blinked twice, as if she has forgotten about that. Before she could let go of him and go back to sulking, he placed his other hand on her arm and leaned closer to her.
"Peaches...I am sorry." he softly said, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Really..."
She blushed, the look in his eyes making her heart skip a beat. She smiled at kissed him on the cheek.
"I accept your apology. Don't ever do that again though."
"But how else am I supposed to show you how awesome you are?!" he whined.
"I got the lesson." she patted his hand. "I am awesome, you would've have fallen for me if I wasn't."
"Preach!" he nodded firmly.

"Um, excuse me?!" Nian Zhen called out in the distance. "I know what I said, but you could you guys not let me walk by myself for so long?! Hurry up!"
They both laughed and started walking as Nian Zhen huffed, her cheeks puffed up and her hands on her hips as she tapped the ground with her foot.