The next day, Erlang Shen stood in the Celestial Intelligence Agency’s War Room, his hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the massive display of Midnight City. Dozens of red dots now marked the map, each representing an incident of a demon attack. Ten in total now, with the last two more violent than the first. The most disturbing detail of all was the increasing frequency and aggression of the demons.

“They're getting bolder,” Sun Wukong said, standing next to Erlang Shen, arms crossed. “That last one actually grabbed a human, but I was able to subdue it in time. The human just thought someone had bumped into them.”

Erlang Shen’s gaze didn’t waver from the screen. “And yet, none of them remain for us to interrogate. Each one vanishes before we can apprehend them.”

“It’s not a coincidence at this point,” said Sun Wukong, frowning. “What’s the plan now?”

He shook his head. “I’m arranging for a meeting with the Liaisons.”

The Celestial Intelligence Agency had always operated in the shadows, quietly keeping the delicate balance between the mortal and spiritual realms. Yet, even as its reach and resources grew, Erlang Shen knew that no one realm could oversee the vast complexities of existence alone. Each of the three great spiritual realms—the Sea Kingdoms, the Heavenly Kingdom, and the Underworld—held unique powers, knowledge, and interests that shaped the world in subtle ways. So, when Erlang Shen created the CIA, he appointed three liaisons to serve as the agency’s connection to those realms, ensuring that no threats or disturbances went unnoticed.

The first of these liaisons was Li Muzha, the Second Prince of the Heavenly Kingdom and current Commander of the Central Plains Army. As commander of the Heavenly Army, he oversaw the protection of the Central Plains—sacred land where the fates of gods, immortals, and mortals often intertwined. His older brother, Emperor Li Jinzha, had recently taken over the throne, but it was Li Muzha’s military prowess and strategic mind which earned him an important place in the Heavenly Court. 

The Li brothers were each brilliant in their own right. It was a shame that their youngest brother, Li Nezha, suffered an untimely fate. All three would have ruled the Heavenly Kingdom together as the legacy of the former Emperor, Li Jing.

Then there was Hēi Wú, the General of the Underworld and right-hand man to the Emperor of the Underworld, King Yan. Unlike his counterparts, who wielded wisdom or military might with a degree of flexibility, Hēi Wú was a steadfast enforcer of law and order. The Underworld, where the dead were judged and sent to their eternal fates, was a realm governed by strict rules, and Hēi Wú upheld them without question. His presence in the Celestial Intelligence Agency ensured that any disturbance related to the afterlife was handled with precision and absolute authority.

 Lastly, the liaison representing the Sea Kingdoms was the Crown Prince of the Crystal Palace, Ao Jia. As the future Emperor of all four of the Sea Kingdoms, Ao Jia represented the vast depths of the oceans, realms teeming with ancient power. His father, Emperor Ao Guang, entrusted him with the authority to protect the seas, but Ao Jia’s reach extended far beyond just the waters. Under his stewardship, the Crystal Palace had become one of the most influential powers in the spiritual world, and his involvement with the CIA ensured that threats stirring in the waters wouldn’t go unchecked. 

At the realization that Erlang Shen was going to set up a meeting with all three of the CIA Liaisons, Sun Wukong’s face flushed a deep shade of red. 

“Do I need to be there?” she asked.

Without looking up from his phone, where he was feverishly typing out a message to the group, Erlang Shen casually replied, “I guess not, but what else are you doing? We both know you don’t have any friends.”

Sun Wukong shot him a glare. “Fuck off.”

Erlang Shen’s phone buzzed in his hand and quickly glanced at the screen. “Looks like they’re all free later this afternoon,” he said, looking up at Sun Wukong. “Li Muzha’s requesting that we meet at his office since he’s in the middle of training new Central Plains recruits.”

Sun Wukong groaned, crossing her arms, muttering something about not looking forward to returning to the Heavenly Realm to be around “those Heavenly windbags.” 

Erlang Shen raised an eyebrow, but knew better than to comment any further. 

***

The Heavenly Palace was a marvel of Celestial craftsmanship which seemed to rise from the clouds themselves. Glistening golden rooftops stretched endlessly into the shimmering skies, each one crowned with intricate carvings of phoenixes, symbols of the Heavenly Kingdom’s divine authority. Jade pillars supported sprawling archways, their surfaces engraved with ancient scripts and stories of gods, heroes, and victories long past. The palace’s walls gleamed with precious stones, glowing softly in the golden light of the realm, while the very air around it hummed with the presence of divine energy. 

This was the heart of the Heavenly Kingdom, where the Li family had ruled for countless generations.

In front of the magnificent Heavenly Palace lay a serene pond filled with lotus flowers, their delicate petals in shades of pink, white, and deep violet. The pond stretched wide, its surface so clear that the reflection of the palace’s golden rooftops danced on the water alongside the graceful blooms. 

Yet, as Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong passed by, neither paused to admire the delicate beauty of the flowers. The serene lotus pond, for all its beauty, was just a brief moment of calm before they stepped into the more somber atmosphere of Li Muzha’s military offices.

The military offices, located directly across from the Heavenly Palace, were a stark contrast to the luxurious grandeur of the royal halls. Built with function over form, the military headquarters was a fortress of practicality. Its towering stone walls were lined with banners of the Central Plains Army, and its wide corridors were filled with maps, battle strategies, and Celestial weapons. The scent of burning incense hung faintly in the air, not for decoration but for clarity of mind during strategy sessions.

Inside, Celestial soldiers moved with purpose, their armor gleaming and their faces set in disciplined expressions. These halls were not for leisure or politics—they were for war. It was here that Li Muzha, second prince of the Heavenly Kingdom and commander of the Central Plains Army, planned and executed the defense of the Heavenly realm.

 Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong moved swiftly through the corridor, the echoes of their footsteps bouncing off the stone floors. They knew their way around these military offices without needing to be escorted—a testament to the countless hours they had spent here in their younger days, when they had all served in the Central Plains Army together. 

Sun Wukong was dressed in her dazzling red robes, the fabric flowing around her with each step. Over the robes, she wore her golden armor, intricately engraved with symbols of the Great Sage and her past victories, its gleaming surface catching the flickering light of the celestial braziers. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a flowing ponytail, held by an ornate crown. When conducting official Celestial business, especially when dealing with cross-realm matters, it was customary to dress in one’s traditional garb—a sign of respect for the ancient protocols that governed the Celestial realms.

Beside her, Erlang Shen was clad in his traditional dark blue robes, rich in color and finely embroidered. His bronze armor covered his tall, muscular frame, each piece a testament to the battles he had fought over the centuries. The bronze adornments on his shoulders and wrists gleamed in the faint light, a contrast to the deep hue of his robes. His hair, tied neatly back, framed his sharp, serious features, and his presence exuded the quiet authority of a seasoned strategist and former commander.

At the end of the corridor, they entered Li Muzha’s command room. The air was thick with the scent of incense, and the room was meticulously organized, every weapon, scroll, and artifact in its rightful place. Li Muzha stood at the far end, his gaze set firmly on a map of the Central Plains spread across his desk. He was dressed in full Celestial armor, gleaming gold and silver that caught the light of the divine flames burning in braziers nearby. His long hair, tied back in a warrior’s knot, gave him a commanding presence. 

Immediately after Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen entered the room, Hei Wu followed behind them, his movements precise and controlled, his black and gray robes flowing elegantly around his slim frame, each fold and crease perfectly in place. Over his robes, he wore ornate jade and silver armor, intricately detailed with symbols of the Underworld, its sheen almost otherworldly in the dim light of the room. Not a single hair on his head was out of place, tightly bound in a neat bun atop his head. The only modern touch to his otherwise traditional appearance was a pair of wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

In the opposite corner stood Crown Prince Ao Jia, his posture regal and serene. He exuded an effortless elegance typical of the Royal Family from the Eastern Sea, his light blue silk robe with the trademark embroidery and brocade of the Crystal Palace cascaded gracefully over his tall, lean frame. His armor, made of bright silver, glinted subtly in the light, the delicate designs on it reflecting the flowing tides and currents of the ocean realms he represented. His white-silver hair was styled half up, with the rest flowing freely down his shoulders. There was a calmness in his pale blue eyes as he waited for the others to arrive.

A calmness that was momentarily disrupted the second he saw Sun Wukong enter the room.

The Crown Prince of the Eastern Sea’s gaze flickered briefly toward her, his serene expression never faltering despite his steadily increasing heartbeat.The two met eyes, and in that moment, there was a heavy pull in the air as the room, the military office, the pressing matters of demons and realms all faded into the background. Sun Wukong stood frozen, feeling a tightness in her chest as she looked upon Ao Jia’s regal countenance, his hair flowing down his shoulders, cascading in soft waves like moonlit water, his armor shimmering like the sea. 

Ao Jia, unable to look away, noticed the jade pendant hanging around Sun Wukong’s neck, and observed how the gold details surrounding the dark emerald jade stone seemed to shine as brightly as it did when he first gave it to her centuries ago.

The silence stretched, charged with everything they hadn’t said to one another in over a hundred years since she announced that she was retiring from her Celestial duties. 

Finally…Erlang Shen cleared his throat loudly.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” he said, rolling his eyes, flicking Sun Wukong directly on the forehead. 

Sun Wukong shook her head quickly, snapping out of it, and shot Erlang Shen a glare. Ao Jia, ever composed, straightened his posture. Li Muzha and Hei Wu stood staring at Ao Jia and Sun Wukong with blank expressions like they had just witnessed the most painfully awkward Celestial reunion in history.

Author's Notes: