Chapter 1364: Six Ears Rejoices: Sun Wukong, You

He did not know that he was already caught in the scheme.

At this moment, Sun Wukong hid in the shadows, forming a hand seal, severing a strand of fortune from himself and letting it settle upon Liuer.

Otherwise, Liuer's fortune would never rise to prominence, merely becoming one of the eighty-one trials as in the original tale.

This technique could never deceive a Great Luo or a Semi-Sage.

But now, with celestial fate muddled, there was a chance it might succeed.

It was this strand of fortune that made Liuer feel better and better, as if everything now unfolded according to his will.

"Fate!"

"It seems heaven itself wants me to defy heaven and change my destiny!"

Liuer barely suppressed the urge to laugh aloud, oriented toward Dongsheng Shenzhou, and rode the clouds away.

Though he had never found a master these years, his Six-Ears Divine Ability had allowed him to overhear many cultivation methods; though not yet a Heavenly Immortal, he had already weathered the heavenly tribulation and become one of the Immortal Path, so riding the clouds was no difficulty.

Huaguo Mountain, the ancestral root of the Ten Continents, the origin dragon of the Three Isles.

This place gathers the craftsmanship of heaven and earth, harbors its mysterious wonders, and is a supreme blessed land.

Soon after arriving in Dongsheng Shenzhou, Liuer easily found Huaguo Mountain.

Because the place was simply too distinctive.

There, spiritual energy surged like tides, auspicious qi rolled in waves; phoenixes sang clear calls, qilins strolled leisurely—truly a divine blessed land.

Beneath the auspicious qi, however, lurked a few threads of black energy, ominous and inscrutable.

Seeing this, Liuer understood.

This must be demonic malevolence.

Having read Journey to the West, he knew Huaguo Mountain was no blessed land—it was home to seventy-two demon kings.

These demons had not disturbed the monkey tribe merely out of fear of immortals and gods.

Once the Monkey King left the sea, the monkeys' hard days would begin.

With a strand of Sun Wukong's fortune on him, Liuer rode the clouds and easily landed before the Water Curtain Cave.

Along the way, he felt as if he had passed through an invisible barrier.

"This must be either a self-formed restriction of Huaguo Mountain, meant to protect Sun Wukong, or a restriction set by immortals!"

"It seems fate truly favors me. I can enter this place so easily—what great fortune."

He had originally planned to leave the sea and seek a master.

But he was Liuer, not Sun Wukong—who would take him in?

So he devised a plan: to bring the monkeys along to seek a master.

When they arrived together, perhaps he too could attain boundless divine abilities.

Actually, divine abilities were not the key.

With his talent, becoming as powerful as in the original tale would not be difficult.

The key was that during cultivation, he could influence the monkeys' temperaments and emotions.

Only by growing close to the monkeys could he manipulate them and stage a clever substitution of one for another.

Otherwise, he had no way to insert himself into the Journey to the West plot.

Sun Wukong was the very opportunity.

No sooner had he landed than a monkey leapt down from a tree and approached.

"Where are you from, monkey? Why have you come to our Huaguo Mountain? Did you hear of our Great King's fame and come to pay homage?"

"Precisely so," Liuer, who had been searching for an excuse, replied with admiration, "I've long heard of the Great King of Huaguo Mountain's name; today I've come specifically to pay my respects. I beg you to introduce me."

"Introduce you? You monkey sure know how to speak. Follow me!"

The monkey, unreserved, led Liuer straight toward the back mountain.

Not far along, Liuer saw a monkey bathed in golden light, lounging lazily atop a massive rock, biting into a peach as he gazed over.

"This monkey is unfamiliar—he doesn't look like one of us from Huaguo Mountain. Where are you from?" the stand-in monkey asked.

Liuer repeated what he had said earlier.

The stand-in monkey was surprised: "My fame has spread that far? Sigh, trouble—when your reputation grows, so do your troubles."

Liuer was startled.

Something's wrong.

Shouldn't early-stage Sun Wukong have been extremely vain and glory-seeking?

Why does this monkey not only look lazy but also have such a lethargic disposition?

This doesn't match the original tale.

Liuer was profoundly shocked.

"Little monkey, go away. I have words with him."

The stand-in monkey waved his hand; the little monkey bowed respectfully and withdrew.

"Are you confused?" Sun Wukong asked.

Liuer was startled: "What do you mean?"

"You shouldn't be here now!" The stand-in monkey gazed at the sky, his expression subtle. "Have you also glimpsed the celestial fate?"

Cold sweat broke out on Liuer's back.

Could it be that this Sun Wukong has also read Journey to the West?

"One day, I dreamed of a most extraordinary thing. In the dream, I cultivated the Immortal Path… and ultimately became the Victorious Fighting Buddha!"

"Such a life is not what I want. I've decided—I'll spend my three hundred years here on Huaguo Mountain, free and easy, and that will be enough for this life."

Hearing this, Liuer was desperate.

If Sun Wukong doesn't leave the mountain, how could he become fellow disciples with him, build deep bonds with Sun Wukong, and then scheme against him?

"Great King, your pursuit of the immortal Dao and a life of ease aren't in conflict. Why don't we leave the mountain together? When the time comes, you can still return to the mountain as the all-powerful Great Sage Equal to Heaven, while I take your place in the tribulation and become that Victorious Fighting Buddha."

The Six-Eared 【Monkey】 is different from Sun Wukong.

He has no extraordinary fortune, no great power willing to cultivate him, and no one willing to let him become the protagonist.

A fruit-position like the Victorious Fighting Buddha — he would dream of it.

"You take my place?"

"If things go badly, it could cost your life."

The substitute monkey looked astonished. "No, no, how could I ever endanger your life?"

"I enter this game of my own free will; why should the Great King trouble himself further?" Six-Ears urged him on and on. "I beg the Great King to leave the mountain. When the time comes, the Great King will be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, guarding the monkey clan, while I become a holy Buddha of Lingshan — wouldn't that be the best of both worlds? Outside the prohibitions of Flower-Fruit Mountain, there are plenty of demons and monsters. Could the Great King bear to see the prohibitions vanish and the monkeys bullied by fiends?"

The substitute monkey fell silent in thought.

Up in the Nine Heavens, Sun Wukong was nearly laughing himself to death.

Whether Six-Ears was willing or not, he had the means to seize the fortune Six-Ears was meant to gain in the Journey to the West.

But that this death-trap fellow had walked into it willingly of his own accord — it was simply too funny to him.

"Very well then, I'll do as you say." The substitute monkey heaved a long sigh. "When the time comes, don't you go regretting it. I certainly don't want to go to the Western Heaven to eat vegetarian fare and chant sutras."

"Set your mind at ease, Great King — I will never regret it!"

Six-Ears straightened his face, his heart wild with joy: "Mere Sun Wukong, taken in by me with just a few words — truly stupid! Watch me, the holy Buddha Six-Ears, toy with you in the palm of my hand. Ha-ha… my Dao is accomplished!"

PS: Thanks to 15283.. for the tip — thank you, big shot, for the support.