Chapter 278: In this chapter, the emperor Xue Xuan, while acting as a hands-off shopkeeper, spends years in closed-door cultivation

Three protagonists, three ways of life.

Zhao Si finished reading and couldn't help but feel somewhat emotional:

"Playing with plots set in different eras for too long makes me feel like I've time-traveled!"

"Just now Jin Bing slew Di Jiang and accepted Di Jun's abdication, and the next moment he's been imprisoned for countless great cycles, driven to cabin fever by confinement!"

This feeling is too wonderful; it makes Zhao Si, even though he knows the three stories are independent, still have a surreal sense……

"Alright, let it be mysterious!"

Zhao Si shook their head, fully energized, both eager and curious, they asked:

"What about chapter four? Hurry up and bring it up!"

【Chapter four is still a hidden chapter, requiring a special draw. Shall we draw?】

"Nonsense! Draw!"

【Drawing……】

【Ding! Draw successful! Please player start simulation!】

"I've already simulated the era of the Three Tribes at the Dawn of Time, the age of witches and demons, and even the heavenly apocalypse calamity…… I want to see what else you can come up with!"

Zhao Si clicked eagerly:

"Start simulation!"

【Ding! Chapter plot loaded……】

【At some yuan hui yun, accompanied by a wail, you were born into a fisherman's family on the shore of the South Sea.】 【Your family had only you as an only son, so from childhood you helped your parents sort the catch, make dried fish and shrimp paste; in the absence of natural or man-made disasters, your family's life, while not wealthy, was adequately provided for.】

【Besides, people always have dreams; after such boring days for too long, you can't help but yearn for faraway places: it's said that outside the fishing village there is a big city, very prosperous and wealthy, and your family's catch is sold there!】

【In the city there are all kinds of things, all kinds of people, and pretty girls who don't need to fish or dry nets, so they grow up with delicate skin and tender flesh……】

【Of course, what interests you most is not beauty and wealth, but the legendary immortals who can fly and burrow through the earth, live forever!】

【When you were young, you believed there were immortals in the world; they don't need to toil for a living, don't fish or work, just breathe the sea breeze each day and can go without food or drink, go wherever they want and do whatever they please.】

【But belief is belief, reality is reality; no matter how lofty your ideals, you must ultimately submit to the necessities of life—firewood, rice, oil, salt……】

Hmm? Seeing this, Zhao Si couldn't help but frown: "Firewood, rice, oil, salt? What does the Primordial Era need firewood, rice, oil, salt for?"

"System, what the hell are you doing here? Is this still the Primordial Era?!"

Zhao Si couldn't help but doubt, after all, normally the Primordial Era couldn't have mortals, unless it's the Age of Dharma Decline that Xue Xuan just encountered at the start.

But judging from the first three chapters' plots, different simulations follow the same worldview, from the creation of heaven and earth to the era of witches and demons, then to the calamity of the Dharma Decline, each major era only gets one simulation plot.

So, given that Xue Xuan has already cleared the Age of Dharma Decline plot, how could another story with the same era background appear? 【Ding! Idle talk isn't nonsense, adaptation isn't random editing, the simulation game won't spout nonsense, players don't need to rush, just keep reading.】

This……

After receiving the system's explanation, Zhao Si finally felt relieved, but still had doubts about the new plot's era background:

If this isn't the Age of Dharma Decline that Xue Xuan experienced, then which era could it be?

……

【Time passed little by little, you grew up bit by bit, and when you were seventeen, your parents, following custom, began to arrange your marriage.】

【They picked a daughter from another family in the same village, thought her looks were decent and she was willing to work, so they prepared to have you marry her to continue the family line……】

【You: I have no objections.】

【You indeed have no objections, because you've always liked her quite a bit, having grown up in the same village and thus knowing each other well.】

【Thus both sides quickly agreed! Fisherfolk aren't nobility, so they don't need the cumbersome 'Three Letters and Six Rites'; marriage only requires both parents' consent, then sending some gifts to the bride's side.】

【You were overjoyed, only hoping for an early wedding, because you'd already discussed with your parents that after marriage you'd bring your wife to live in the city, thus leaving the fishing life behind!】

【But you never expected that the turning point of fate had already quietly arrived……】

【It was a fine, sunny morning; you and your father set out in the fishing boat, carrying nets, spears and the like, about to go out to sea to fish.】

【But suddenly, you saw not far from the shore a broken raft, with a 'person' lying on it!】

【Seeing the raft run aground on the shore, that 'person' remained motionless; you and your father exchanged a glance and decided to check it out.】

【Your father gripped a fishing spear, warily following behind you, while you cautiously stepped forward to look; upon seeing it, you were stunned: that's no person, it's clearly a monkey!】

【That monkey, of unknown breed, happened to be about the same height as a person, so it's no wonder you mistook it for a human.】

【What's more striking is that its whole body is covered in golden fur; in the morning sun over the sea, it shines like gold, so anyone who sees it can't help but exclaim, 'What a handsome monkey!'】

【However, this handsome monkey is skin and bones; monkeys are known to be thin, but this one is reduced to just bone, clearly starving.】

【At this moment, this handsome yet skinny monkey lies motionless on the stranded broken raft, unsure whether it's dead or alive……】

【"Dad…… this……"】

【The kind-hearted you hesitated, looking at your father, unsure whether to step forward and help.】

【"Don't go!"】

【Your father shook his head carefully, solemnly saying: "This monkey's not right… appearance aside, it actually arrived on a raft… it might be a water monkey!"】

【Would a normal monkey tie up a raft?】

【Would a normal monkey sit on a broken raft and drift to the shore?】

【This is completely abnormal no matter how you look at it!】

【What your father said makes sense; this is very likely the legendary monster 'water monkey'!】

【But, a monster……】

【You couldn't help but feel a flicker of childhood fantasy: if there are monsters, could there be immortals? If so, would the monster know where the immortals are?】

【Ding! Spurred by your childhood daydreams, you inexplicably entrust all sorts of childhood fantasies to this strange monkey before you; you realize your life stands at a crossroads—whether to live an ordinary life or pursue your dreams—all in a single thought…… Your choice: (?) 】

【A: Save it, offering whatever aid you can to the strange monkey of unknown fate, fantasizing that you might obtain traces of immortals from it! B: Don't save it; this strange fellow is most likely the water monster, and if it goes berserk, not only will you suffer misfortune, but your family and even the whole village could face calamity!】

Zhao Si:?

Zhao Si finished reading this long block of text; the more they read, the stranger their expression became, an inexplicable sense of déjà vu welling up……

"System."

Zhao Sishen took a deep breath:

"Making light of it isn't nonsense, adapting isn't random editing……No wonder you'd say that; turns out you're just playing with memes!"

【It's not bad that the player can catch the meme.】

Zhao Si patted his face, helplessly asking: "Give me the lowdown—is this actually Journey to the West or not?"

【No.】

"Then……how much have you adapted?"

【In any case, it's not random editing.】

Not finished, huh!

Zhao Si let out a long sigh: "Isn't……this not a half-original primordial flow? The storyline's already been connected; even if you want to open a new chapter, you should still pick from the established plot—I thought you would create a future primordial world..."

【This chapter was selected by the player themselves, with no behind-the-scenes manipulation.】

【Furthermore, this chapter's storyline will not deviate from the established historical context of the first three chapters; players can rest assured.】

"Alright!"

The System said as much, so Zhao Si naturally had no other objections; after thinking: "If this monkey really is Monkey Bro, and its background is Journey to the West, then helping it definitely has benefits."

"If not……at most die once, it's not a big problem; restarting also counts as gaining experience."

The result of the thought was: "Choose A, help it!"

【You chose option A, to save it, providing some feasible assistance to the strange monkey whose life or death is unknown, imagining you could obtain traces of immortals from it!】

【You decided to help it.】

【But you're not an idiot after all; you dare not recklessly stake your life on a hasty decision, so you painstakingly convinced your father for a long time before he reluctantly agreed to your assistance.】

【Under your arrangement, your father set up the fish spear to the side, carefully covering for you; if the opponent turns hostile, he'll take it down immediately! A monkey that can be knocked out by hunger surely can't be invulnerable to blades.】

【After making full preparations, you then took some fish meat and fresh water and went forward to treat it……】

【You cautiously checked its breath, and upon finding it still had air, you slowly poured fresh water toward its mouth.】

【The golden-haired big monkey, whose lips were all dry and cracked, as soon as it felt water at its mouth, instinctively caught it.】

【After drinking a bit, it seemed to regain some strength, opening its eyes and staring blankly at you; after noticing your actions, it didn't panic like a wild monkey but instead obediently watched you, staying still and letting you do as you pleased.】

【Seeing this, you were both surprised and delighted—surprised that it could understand human nature, likely truly a monster! Delighted that it could understand human nature, possibly truly a monster!】

【In your complex thoughts, you again fed it fish meat, but it shook its head, seeming not to want to eat.】

【Monsters don't eat meat?】

【Just as you were puzzled, you saw it struggle to rise, then bow respectfully to you, excitedly uttering human words.】

【"Immortal, please accept me as your disciple!"】

【You:?】

……

(There are some minor matters; today only one chapter, folks please bear with. ())

(Chapter complete)