Chapter 294

The broken raft drifted ever closer.

And the speck of golden light on the raft grew ever more conspicuous, appearing especially illusory in the sunlight.

Lin Liu stared at it blankly; in that moment he seemed to cross countless memories, returning once again to that ignorant summer of his youth...

The tiny waves turned into thrust, blowing the crude raft toward the shallows; eventually it rose and fell with the tide, running aground on the beach.

And the gaunt, skin-and-bones golden-furred great monkey on the raft now fully appeared before Lin Liu's eyes.

【You had prepared a jug of fresh water in advance, walked over, and gently brought it to its lips; feeling the water, it instinctively began to drink… After a moment, the fresh water revived it, and it dazedly opened its eyes, its golden pupils inexplicably bearing some sacred imagery.】

【Seeing it wake up, you took out some fruit and softly said, "Eat."】

【With your past-life experience, you knew it was a long-term vegetarian monkey, so you brought only fruit and no fish or meat.】

【The monkey stared blankly, emotion flickering in its eyes, then cautiously took the fruit and began to gobble it down in big bites…】

【When this long-term vegetarian monkey finally ate its fill and drank enough, it also finally regained some strength… The first thing it did upon regaining strength was to immediately scramble up from the raft, bowing respectfully and excitedly before you, and speaking in human language!】

【"Immortal above! Please Immortal, accept me as your disciple!"】

【That familiar line again……】

【You couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing it; when we first met in your past life, the monkey also called you Immortal, and now it does again… Does it call every person it sees "Immortal"?】

【You grew curious: "Why do you call me Immortal?"】

【"Because…"】

【The monkey wanted to speak but hesitated, seeming unable to describe its meaning; it anxiously scratched its ears and cheeks for a while before barely managing to come up with a relatively fitting expression.】

【"Because… you have quite a genuine flavor!"】

【"Genuine flavor?"】

【You stared, completely unable to figure out what sort of strange adjective this was……】

【Yet you inexplicably felt this word was important, as if it concealed some nontrivial information.】

【Thus you grew ever more curious and pressed: "What does 'genuine flavor' mean?"】

【"Strong flavor, needs no extra salt?"】

【The monkey thought: "It's… it's very real! Different from everyone else…"】

【Although the monkey couldn't fully express its meaning, from its words it seemed that in its eyes you were not an ordinary mortal, but a genuine mortal…】

"Genuine?"

Seeing this keyword, Zhao Si, who had been closely monitoring information changes, couldn't help but frown: "Lin Liu genuine… Could the monkey be seeing his protagonist identity?"

The so-called protagonist is essentially a high-level "anchor"; this was the most crucial information uncovered in chapter three, and because this information was confirmed, Xue Xuan dared to abandon the primordial wasteland and enter the "Eternal Primordial Wasteland," ultimately clearing the game.

Moreover, this information's importance goes beyond that; aside from helping Xue Xuan clear the game, it is the only piece of information in the three chapters so far that touches upon the essence of the "system protagonist," a matter of extraordinary significance! In the world, everything except the protagonist is false, and the system can conjure up any number of clones at will, as many as desired.

This high-level "anchor" of the protagonist is the sole reality in the world; before the protagonist, even Pangu, who is called "Being," pales in comparison.

What Pangu can anchor, the protagonist can also anchor; what Pangu cannot anchor, the protagonist can also anchor; the protagonist is akin to a high-spec Pangu! Xue Xuan is like this, and Liu Lin theoretically should be as well.

But the monkey is a native; how could it see that Lin Liu is the protagonist? "Something's off…"

Zhao Si frowned, realizing the problem wasn't simple: "In the previous three primordial chapters, neither sages nor the Heavenly Dao had ever detected any difference between the protagonist and others, yet the monkey… on what basis?"

Never mind that this monkey isn't the original Sun Wukong; even if it truly were the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Victorious Fighting Buddha, its stature still falls short of sages and the Heavenly Dao—how could it instantly see through the protagonist that even sages cannot? "It seems I've underestimated the monkey…"

Zhao Si pondered: "It not only can find the Lingtai Fangcun Shan that even Lin Liu cannot locate, but also can see through the protagonist identity that even sages cannot perceive… What exactly is it?"

【"Really genuine? Different from everyone else?"】

【Hearing this evaluation, you couldn't help but touch your head: as a mortal who has blended into the crowd for two lifetimes, this is truly the first time anyone has given you such a special appraisal……】

【Although you don't know exactly why, even a guess from your gut tells you that the biggest difference between you and others is none other than your protagonist identity, right?】

【Could the monkey possibly see that as well?】

【You silently wondered, then increasingly raised the monkey's importance……】

【"Immortal!"】

【The monkey doesn't care what brainstorming you're up to; it just wants to cling to your golden thigh, so it devoutly pays homage to you.】

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

【Accept it as a disciple?】

【You hesitated for a long time……】【This isn't stinginess on your part; you have a clear awareness of your own half-baked skills, fearing to lead others astray!】

【All you possess is one set of the Contemplation Method, and you haven't accumulated much incense divine power; if you really fought, you'd be no different from an ordinary mortal, unable to use your techniques smoothly……】

【With this level, you dare to take on a disciple?】

【And once the monkey goes out to sea in the future, as long as it reaches Xiniu Hezhou and finds the Lingtai Fangcun Shan, it can take Patriarch Bodhi as its teacher, cultivate longevity immortal arts, and easily transcend the mundane……】

【The gap is too vast; you dare not imagine it.】

【Thus, after careful consideration, you decided to speak frankly and hand the choice over to the monkey itself.】

【"I am not an Immortal……"】

【In its expectant gaze you sighed: "I'm just a newbie who's just stepped onto the Divine Path—I can't do anything, I have nothing; if you take me as your master, you'll be ruined for life……"】

【"The only thing I can tell you is about your future."】

【Under the monkey's bewildered stare, you earnestly recounted your past-life experiences with it—including how you met, your quest for immortality in Xiniu Hezhou, and finally attaining the Immortal fruition, thereafter transcending the mundane……】

【……】

【Having finished speaking those incredible words, you stopped and earnestly awaited its reply.】

【Monkey: ……】

【Now it's the monkey's turn to brainstorm.】

【But it soon gave its reply: "I believe you!"】

【Huh?】

【You are surprised at its simplicity, at your own such wild and unfettered words—it doesn't even harbor any doubt? You can't help but wonder how it managed to survive for nearly ten years in the treacherous Southern Continent in its past life, being so gullible, it's likely already been sold off for money by others……】

【It saw your doubt, then grinned: "Don't hide it from me, Immortal; from childhood I have had a clear and perceptive heart, best at seeing people's good and evil, and also able to discern truth from falsehood in speech… My heart tells me you are not lying."】

【It… it even has this trick?!】

【You are genuinely startled; you've spent so long together in your past life, yet you never knew it had this ability… It seems that in its past life, it wasn't overly trusting of you.】

【But why, in this life, does it reveal this ability?】

【After thinking, you realized: in this life, you and it have exchanged sincerity for sincerity!】

【You told it the secret events of your past life; it returned the favor, disclosing its ability to discern true hearts, and the bridge of trust was quietly built.】

【You can't help but feel moved—ultimately, only sincerity can be exchanged for sincerity……】

【But the next moment, you immediately recalled your past life's deathbed, when you used your dying words to trick the monkey out of its longevity immortal method—it… was it really deceived?】

【Or… did it know you were deceiving it and willingly let itself be deceived?】

【Thinking of the monkey that grew anxious and sorrowful because of your death, you fell into silence……】

【After a long while, you once again fixed your gaze on the monkey before you, and asked it with a myriad of thoughts.】

【"Have you decided? I have nothing here…"】

【"I have decided!"】

【It answered without a hint of hesitation, solemnly: "Immortal, I only wish to take you as my master, and I do not wish to seek Lingtai Fangcun Shan!"】

【"Why?"】

【This unexpected answer made you, already surprised, even more surprised: you have no advantages at all, so why… it…】

【"Because although Putí Lǎozǔ's longevity immortal method is good, it can ultimately save only me, a single monkey, and cannot save my island of monkey offspring!"】

【It said solemnly: "I go out to sea seeking immortals, and it has never been just for myself alone; if I truly, like in my past life, took Putí as my master, then I would also fail just as it did."】

【"I cannot forget my original aspiration in seeking immortality, nor can I betray the mission given to me by the monkey offspring; if I lose my original aspiration, what difference is there between me and a failure?"】

【Its eyes shone with a sacred golden light that penetrates people's hearts: "I am not just a lone monkey; my body bears everyone's shared expectations…… How could I abandon everyone and go off to enjoy the blessing of eternal longevity alone?"】

【"Such longevity, I do not want!"】

【"Such an immortal method, I will not practice!"】

【The monkey's words rang out like metal striking stone; its sincere heart will never change!】

【"I am not the failure of my past life!"】

【……】

【(End of chapter)】