A streak of black light appeared in front of the Six-Eared Macaque.
Even though the Six-Eared Macaque possessed Eyes of Golden Flame, he still couldn't see through the black light and didn't know the true identity of his master.
He prostrated on the ground, as humble as a maggot.
"Master, the Six-Eared has not been efficient in his duties, please punish me."
The Six-Eared Macaque confessed his fault.
A sinister voice came from within the black light, "Having Sun Wukong causing trouble was unexpected as well, it's not that you have been inefficient. Just proceed with the original plan, gather the gods, immortals, and demons of the world, and when the time is ripe, we shall re-establish the Heavenly Court."
"Yes."
The Six-Eared Macaque quickly responded.
After a while, he didn't hear any more sounds.
The Six-Eared Macaque lifted his head, but there was no trace of his master.
The other party had already left.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, the Six-Eared Macaque calmed his mood before leaving the place.
"Hehe."
A gloomy laugh echoed in the dark hall.
Within the Wuzhuang Temple, Qingfeng and Mingyue presented ginseng fruits.
Sun Wukong bit off a large chunk, his expression one of enjoyment.
As for the Holy Infant Great King, he ate without any semblance of image.
"Truly comfortable."
Sun Wukong exclaimed.
Zhenyuan stroked his beard and said, "Younger brother has suffered these past years."
Sun Wukong stuffed the remaining bit of the ginseng fruit into his stomach.
He then poured himself a cup of Immortal Wine and gulped it down.
Then he deeply exhaled and said, "Good fruit, good wine."
Zhenyuan was not in a hurry, waiting for him to speak.
He poured another cup and again drank it all in one go.
A blush appeared on Sun Wukong's face.
He was slightly intoxicated now.
"It's not really suffering, it gave Old Sun some time to think a lot of things through. I should be thankful to Tathagata after all, he did not kill me, and I remember his kindness."
Zhenyuan was slightly taken aback.
His eyes stared at Sun Wukong as if trying to see through him.
The previous Sun Wukong, who fought against the heavens and the earth, although clever, wasn't really scheming.
But now, Sun Wukong seemed stable yet gave him a feeling of unfathomable depth.
Thousands of years of imprisonment really changed a lot.
Wiping the wine stains from the corner of his mouth, Sun Wukong smiled and said, "Big brother, you are the Ancestor of Earth Immortals with an extraordinary status, just keep to your detachment and stay out of trouble. Little brother won't bring trouble to you either, let's part here."
Zhenyuan was about to call out to Sun Wukong, but he had already disappeared.
Extraordinary status, huh?
Zhenyuan shook his head with a smile.
The emperor had fallen,
Even Buddha had died.
Heavenly Court had also fallen apart.
Both of these people had been beyond ordinary,
but they ended up this way anyway,
and he, as Ancestor of Earth Immortals, feared he could no longer remain detached.
In the Western Continent, Mountain of Mind and Heart at the Three Star Cave.
Sun Wukong returned.
After thousands of years, he came back to this place.
The area had already become ruined, the mountains and seas transformed, the once dojo had collapsed completely, now covered with green vegetation.
His eyes became somewhat moist.
This place held few of his pleasant memories.
Afterwards, he became the Great Sage Equalling Heaven and searched through the Three Realms but never found his master again.
Those divine beings with great powers, including Zhenyuan, knew nothing of Patriarch Bodhi's identity.
"Master, who are you really? And why did you teach me these divine skills all those years ago, knowing full well that my departure was destined to cause trouble? Why didn't you stop me? Instead, you pushed me into it even further."
Sun Wukong muttered to himself.
Some people believed that Sun Wukong, being in the midst of it all, was manipulated and still naive.
But little did they think, he was exceptionally intelligent, having seen through it all long ago.
Causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, journeying to the Western Heaven.
These were merely his efforts to cooperate with those people, to save his own life.
But he had ultimately underestimated the control desires of those overlords, thus he was imprisoned in the nineteenth level of hell for thousands of years.
Now, he had been released again.
Yet, Sun Wukong felt that once again, he had entered their game.
Someone holding the chess pieces was calculating all this, using the world as a chessboard for their game.
This chess game, surpassing that of Journey to the West, was much larger.
It had just begun, and already, overlords were falling.
And he, Sun Wukong, was just a piece in this celestial chess game.
If he did not want his fate controlled, he would have to leap out.
Otherwise, he would not escape a tragic destiny.
"Watching the game, chopping wood persistently, slowly walking towards the village with firewoods, selling them for wine, laughing wildly indulging in my own cheer. With the high autumn skies, sleeping under the moon using a pine root for a pillow, waking up at dawn. Recognizing the old woods, climbing cliffs, crossing ridges, wielding an axe to cut the dry vines. Bundling them up, singing on the way to the market, exchanging them for three measures of rice. No petty struggles, the market price steady, not scheming or calculating, without honor or disgrace, peacefully extending life. Whenever we meet, it's either an immortal or a sage, quietly sitting and discussing the Yellow Court."
The faint sound of singing reached his ears.
Sun Wukong whirled around.
He transformed into a streak of bright light and headed toward the source of the sound.
He landed in the mountains, where a woodcutter, wearing a straw hat, straw sandals, clothed in linen robes, a sash tied around his waist, holding a steel axe, was chopping at a dead tree.
When Sun Wukong landed, the scene was all too familiar.
He smiled and greeted with a bow, "Old Immortal, we meet again."
The woodcutter waved his hand and said, "Not at all, not at all. I'm just a humble man, lacking even proper sustenance, how dare I claim the title of an immortal?"
Sun Wukong scoffed, "Not an immortal? How could you live for thousands of years then? Could it be that you're telling old Sun you weren't waiting for me?"
The woodcutter stopped his activity.
He held the steel axe, his eyes twinkling with a hint of a smile.
"You are indeed sharp, this monkey. I'm truly not an immortal, but I am sacred. By seniority, you should address me as your elder brother."
"May I dare to ask your honored name?"
Sun Wukong bowed and asked.
The woodcutter smiled slightly and said, "Throughout the Three Realms, my name is not known, I am the Hermit of Fangcun, Li Guangming."
Indeed, it was a name he had never heard of before.
The woodcutter exuded a faint aura of Dao Rhyme, neither monk, daoist, nor scholar.
Instantly, Sun Wukong confirmed that the other was indeed a disciple of Mountain of Mind and Heart.
A disciple under Patriarch Bodhi, who is divided into twelve generations.
They are vast in wisdom, true in nature, keen in enlightenment.
Li Guangming was clearly a first-generation disciple.
Sun Wukong bowed earnestly, "Sun Wukong pays his respects to the elder brother."
Li Guangming smiled slightly, "We are brothers, no need for such formality."
He set down the steel axe and just sat there on the ground, indescribably free and easy.
"I know your purpose, to find the mentor, and I know where the mentor is, but I cannot tell you now."
"Why?"
Sun Wukong was momentarily stunned.
He had thought he was going to meet the Patriarch, but Li Guangming had just told him that he couldn't reveal the Patriarch's whereabouts.
"The mentor said now is not the time to meet yet, someday there will be a day of reunion, asking you to not seek him out and to go back on your own."
Sun Wukong was somewhat disappointed.
He had many questions he wanted to ask the Patriarch.
But, since the Patriarch mentioned a day of reunion, he would wait.
"Thank you, elder brother, for the information,"
he bowed.
When he looked up again, Li Guangming had already disappeared.
The recent events seemed as if they had never happened at all.