Chapter 354

【Heaven's Mandate Person?】

【One glance to determine truth, appraised as playing with a dark horse…… no, it's an ape god, so it's playing with ape god…… no, you even call yourself "Liu Zang", so it's playing with paper bridal clothing……】

【Damn it! The ingredients are too complicated!】

【In short, upon seeing this monkey that changed your fate, you suddenly realized: if the current predicament truly has a solution, then it almost certainly lies on this monkey, for it truly bears the Mandate of Heaven!】

【As the protagonist of the dream world, even if your sudden appearance has taken its place, it will not change its importance to the dream world.】

【No matter what, it is the center of the world, the shadow cast by the nine sages upon the dream world; its nature is destined to be extraordinary……】

【So you decided to treat it well.】

……

When the monkey woke from sleep, it only felt a wave of warmth and comfort.

"I…… am I dead?"

It murmured mutteringly in confusion.

Unexpectedly, someone answered in a muffled voice:

"No, you are the first to wake up……"

Startled, it turned and sat up, instinctively looking around:

This is an ordinary fisherman's household, with plenty of dried fish and shrimp stored inside, plus various assorted sea products, so a strong fishy smell lingers here, making its nose twitch uncomfortably.

But no matter how you say it, this proves that living people reside here, unlike the dead silence elsewhere.

Moreover, the master of this place saved it! The monkey felt grateful and naturally wanted to repay this kindness, but it didn't know that General Lin's kindness could never be repaid……

Moved, it quickly found the benefactor's location: a person wearing a bamboo hat and straw cloak, busy processing the catch inside the house; though the face couldn't be seen, the impression was that of an elderly person, their advanced age obvious.

"Thank you, old sir, for saving……"

Before it could finish its words of thanks, the opposite "old sir" raised his head and laughed: "I'm certainly not an old sir."

Only then did the monkey see clearly: the person before it was actually a young man, at most around twenty years old…… This made it wonder: how could such a young person act like an old man in every move?

Before it could think further, it suddenly stiffened! Because it had seen this person before, a very long time ago……

"You you you?! ……"

The monkey jumped up from the bed on the spot, its whole body trembling with fear, the terror on its face impossible to hide: "How could it be you……"

"Very surprised?"

Lin Liu grinned: "Last time I saved you, you didn't even say thank you; this time I saved you again, yet you're still like this…… This really hurts me."

Hearing this, the monkey's facial fear remained, but its heart managed to calm somewhat.

After all, they were its benefactor who had saved it twice, so it ought to show some gratitude; thus it barely managed to thank this terrifying, unparalleled evil god: "Th…… thanks……"

Lin Liu laughed heartily: "Are you really that afraid of me? Am I that scary?"

Is there?

Of course there is! In the monkey's spiritual perception, this seemingly harmless young man is actually terrifying to the utmost!

It had seen bad people before—those greedy for wealth, for power, for pleasure…… all sorts of villains it had encountered—but compared to this person, their darkness and malice were utterly insignificant.

Compared, it's like a meteorite versus a black hole, or a ditch versus an abyss…… simply incomparable! Theoretically, he must be an utterly wicked, heaven-defying evil god!

Therefore, no matter how peacefully and kindly he acts, it's all just a disguise……

But out of politeness, the monkey didn't speak the truth; it didn't even speak at all.

And its silence actually amounted to saying everything……

"Fine……"

Seeing the monkey hurt his pride again, Lin Liu's mouth twitched: he couldn't be bothered to explain.

No, explaining is useless, because I am truly a heaven-defying evil god who slaughters all living beings……

After such an unpleasant meeting, you curiously asked about its experiences over the years.

Although the monkey fears you, it can barely get along with you for now; moreover, it genuinely wants to confide in someone, so it cautiously began to tell you……

Thus you learned its past: after parting with you, it searched everywhere in South Jambu Continent for an immortal to take as master, but, as you know, after wandering a great circuit it found no target; South Jambu Continent truly has no immortals, only a pack of pretentious wild gods.

And just as it despaired over this, a disaster it never even imagined struck……

"……I don't even know what happened, but from that day on, no matter where I go, I haven't seen a single living person!"

The monkey, still trembling with fear, said: "The cities are full of dead people, the countryside has not a single living person, corpses everywhere…… but the corpses show no external wounds; I really don't know how they died."

"I'm afraid to run around everywhere, so I crossed the sea from the Southern Continent, first went to Xiniu Hezhou, then to the Northern Continent, and also to the Eastern Continent."

"I've searched everywhere under heaven, yet found nothing—there are not only no immortals in the world, but not even a single living person…… I truly don't know what demon could have done this."

The monkey poured out such a bitter lament.

You: ……

Eyes observing the nose, nose observing the heart, I don't understand, I don't understand……

However, its words made you ponder: In this life, has it not found Lingtai Fangcun Shan?

After thinking, you probably found the reason: It must have been frightened by the corpses and run about in panic, unconsciously deviating from its original route, so it failed to find Lingtai Fangcun Shan.

After all, Fangcun Shan is truly small; trying to blindly search the world for it amidst a chaotic route is as difficult as finding a needle in a sea—searching for a thousand years with no result is indeed quite normal……

"Exactly!"

As you were speaking, the monkey suddenly recalled something, its eyes reflecting anticipation and unease: "How have you lived so long? You're almost a thousand years old…… You're not a mortal, are you?"

Although it still fears you, under the temptation of immortal arts it still wishes to gain something here…… In response, you smile and nod.

"That's right, I am an immortal true god."

The guess in your heart, confirmed by your own words, also made the monkey delighted: "Then can I become your disciple and learn immortal arts from you?"

It feels uneasy, because its two meetings with you have not been pleasant; if it therefore loses its immortal affinity, then……

"No."

You bluntly shattered its fantasy, leaving it with an inexpressible sense of loss.

"Because I don't have the kind of immortal method you want."

You told the dejected monkey about the flaws of divine path cultivation. After hearing it, its heart was a tangle of emotions—disappointment in the divine path and bewilderment about the future.

For thousands of years, it still hasn't found a good way to lead the monkey and its descendants to immortality, even though it itself was immortal from the start, but its companions weren't immortal—what's the point of such solitary immortality?

It gradually grew disheartened...

You noticed its loss and suddenly asked, "What are you planning to do next?"

It shook its head.

"I don't know..."

"You don't know?"

You sighed helplessly: "I knew it was a blockhead..."

"How about you stay?"

You tentatively proposed, after all, guarding a tomb alone in the world is too lonely; if this continues, you fear you might truly want to seek death.

Now that the monkey has come, you might as well keep it, living together with you in the fishing village, so you can look out for each other.

Furthermore, you fear that if its mindset breaks, it might seek death; after all, it is the protagonist of this dream world, and if it dies, this world will reset—information you learned long ago from Puti Laozi.

If it were to reset, let alone whether it would affect those who have already transcended in the eternal wilderness, just consider yourself: Puti Laozi said that once the monkey resets, the world will rewind to when it was just born, a process that could be called a heaven‑and‑earth reversal, theoretically destroying everything!

Including you!

So even if only for your own life, you cannot let it die; you and the monkey accompanying each other forever is actually the best win‑win you can imagine.

Two lonely children of destiny—still, huddling together for warmth is better...

However, this little rascal won't give face!

"No!"

Your good intentions only earned its refusal: "I swore to the monkey and its descendants that I would help them find the way to immortality, but I still have nothing to show for it—how could I stop?"

"I believe there will surely be an immortal in heaven and earth who can grant me this immortal method!"

The single‑minded monkey seeking the Dao is full of anticipation!

But you clearly know its anticipation will come to nothing; there is no such immortal method in the world, not even Puti Laozi possesses this gate...

"Believe me, such a thing doesn't exist in the world!"

You solemnly advise it.

"Why?"

The monkey doesn't understand: "Even if you don't have it, surely no one else does? Since there is one true god like you in the world, there must be other immortals who might have what I want..."

"No, they don't."

You say in a deep voice.

"Really? I don't believe it."

The monkey stubbornly disbelieves that: "Besides, even if they don't have it, I still need to ask them in person to know..."

"No need to ask; no one knows this better than I."

You close your eyes.

"Why?"

It feels you are really strange, as if you know everything.

But you don't answer, because you fear it would learn that all living beings and gods have been liberated by you...

After hesitating a moment, it warily rises: "Farewell!"

It feels you are rather off...

"Wait!"

You suddenly call out to it; amid its wariness, you let out a faint sigh.

"Would you like to hear a story? A tale of my three lifetimes of reincarnation; after you hear it, you can decide whether to leave."

"Perhaps the story will sound fantastical, but... I believe you can tell truth from falsehood."

The monkey hesitated, then ultimately did not leave, simply sitting earnestly on the ground, quietly waiting for you to tell the story.

It is willing to trust you once.

Seeing that, you no longer beat around the bush, and slowly begin to recount those long‑buried, yellowed events...

"A long, long time ago one day, a fisherman and his son went out to sea to fish, but before they even boarded the boat, they saw a broken raft on the shore, with no one on it—only a golden monkey..."

The monkey widened its eyes!

(End of chapter)