Monkey King cursed inwardly. Five hundred years under this blasted mountain, and not even a single peach to eat—just molten metal pouring down on him every day! On top of that, the Four Heavenly Guardians, Five Noble Truths (Buddhism), and Six Celestial Generals had been assigned to monitor him constantly. If he hadn't been scheming to escape the clutches of the Buddhist Sect, he'd have broken free long ago and slaughtered the lot of them!
Become a Tathagata? Who needed that?!
Bodhisattva Guanyin, however, was entirely unaware of his true feelings. She believed that five centuries of suppression had finally softened Monkey King's rebellious spirit. Pleased with what she perceived as a change in his attitude, she nodded approvingly.
"Good!" she said. "The pilgrim will arrive soon. He will release you when he arrives."
With that, Bodhisattva Guanyin turned and departed.
"Bah!" Monkey King spat as soon as Bodhisattva Guanyin was out of sight. "Five hundred years under this mountain! I've even forgotten what a female monkey feels like!"
Then, catching himself, he shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no! I'm human, not a monkey!"
Indeed, this Monkey King was no longer the original Monkey King. In his past life, he had been named Monkey King after the legendary figure due to his father's obsession with the classic Journey to the West. Influenced by his father, the modern Monkey King had become equally infatuated with the story.
One day, while watching the scene in Journey to the West where the Monkey King merely stole peaches after immobilizing the Seven Fairy Maidens, he found himself frustrated at Monkey King's lack of ambition. Fueled by emotion, he accidentally kicked a live electrical socket and was electrocuted on the spot. When he next opened his eyes, he found himself in the original Monkey King's body—right inside The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord's furnace.
Thus, Monkey King had truly become the Monkey King. Though he embraced his new identity, he couldn't help but feel a sense of regret over the timing. If only he'd arrived earlier, perhaps he could have had some "fun" with the Seven Fairy Maidens, and maybe even become the Jade Emperor's son-in-law. There'd have been no need to wreak havoc in Heaven, either.
But here he was, condemned to five hundred years beneath this mountain, forced to endure endless torture. He would be expected to thank the Buddhist Sect for his release and even wear the cursed Golden Headband.
Was this even a life fit for a monkey… no, for a man?
Gritting his teeth, Monkey King made up his mind: he was done playing along!
Just then, a mechanical voice rang out in his mind: "Ding! The Journey to the West Karma System is now binding."
"Binding successful!"
Confused, Monkey King listened as the system explained itself. The Karma System would reward him with Karma Points for altering the predestined course of the Journey to the West. These points could be exchanged for various mystical techniques, magical artifacts, spiritual fruits, and elixirs. There were even primordial energies and innate virtues for sale, items that could grant sainthood!
Drooling at the possibilities, Monkey King quickly opened his account balance, only to find a glaring zero. The realization brought him back to earth with a sigh.
"System, where's my starter pack? A beginner's gift or something!" he demanded.
"Notice to host: The Journey to the West has not officially begun. System functions remain restricted. The host may only browse the catalog for now," the system replied curtly.
"And what's a 'starter pack'? This system doesn't understand. Goodbye."
No matter how loudly Monkey King shouted after that, the system ignored him. Left with no other option, he browsed the system's catalog to console himself.
Still, the system had mentioned that changing the journey's trajectory would earn him Karma Points, which meant he could acquire all these treasures soon enough. Determined, Monkey King began plotting how to disrupt the journey's course.
For centuries, the Buddhist Sect had designed the Journey to the West to maximize their gains, arranging Eighty-One Trials to test the pilgrim. While he was trapped under the Five-Phased Mountain for the first few trials, he would have a say in the later ones. But he knew he couldn't hide his intentions from the Western Sect forever. The Two Western Saints, however shameless, were still saints, and his current strength wasn't enough to put up a fight. He needed a strong backer.
Naturally, the first candidate that came to mind was Tongtian. Of all the Daoist figures, Tongtian had suffered the most after the Great War and would surely be willing to join forces if given the chance to disrupt Buddhism.
What a pity! Tongtian himself is still confined in the Zixiao Palace, unable to locate the Daoist grounds on Golden Ao Island, let alone free himself from the alchemy furnace he's currently trapped in.
However, as he considered his options, an idea struck him. Perhaps The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord was a suitable ally after all. The original Monkey King had never known The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord's true identity, but Monkey King did. The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord was the Good Corpse of Laozi, the Daoist sage himself!
If The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord agreed to help, Monkey King's plan would be assured.
As it happened, The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord harbored his own grievances toward Buddhism. After the Great War, the Three Pure Ones had gone their separate ways, and Buddhism had monopolized the gains, expanding shamelessly. Now, they sought to strengthen their hold even further.
Although the grand path of fate was unchangeable, smaller fates could still be influenced.
The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord had long been covertly sabotaging the Buddhists, even collaborating with Duobao Daoist, Tongtian's first disciple, to devise the "Conversion of Hu into Tathagata" scheme. Unfortunately, their plan backfired, leading to Duobao Daoist becoming the present Tathagata.
Presenting himself as an ally in The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord's schemes was perfectly aligned with The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord's goals. If the Buddhists suffered, both he and The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord would benefit.
With his plan set, Monkey King brandished his staff and stirred up some havoc under the mountain to let off steam. He knew he would soon be released but couldn't resist a bit of chaos first. Besides, he was confident that Tathagata would take the blame for any mess he made—after all, it was all part of the Buddhist Sect's grand plan.
Meanwhile, The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord began weaving his own strategies and obscuring Monkey King's intentions from the watchful eyes of Heaven's diviners.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]