Soon the white monkey spoke up: "Your Majesty possesses such supernatural powers, and we saw it clearly just now. Why don't you take us to live in the immortal's cave with you?"
The monkeys were also moved by the white monkey's words, and one after another they called him "King!" If it were a newborn stone monkey that had no social experience, it might have been infected by the atmosphere and followed suit.
You suppressed the urge to smile and said solemnly, "You all know this is a celestial abode. I just saw the remnants of a campfire inside. If we rashly occupy a celestial abode, and the immortals return to punish us, wouldn't that just mean you'd lose your lives for nothing?"
The white monkey's smile froze, its eyes widening in astonishment once more. It couldn't fathom why a newborn like you would utter such words, so it quickly added, "Your Majesty need not worry. That immortal will certainly not return. Your Majesty can lead us to reside here in peace."
You feign caution, but inwardly you're overjoyed: "How do you know so much? Have you already entered the immortal's cave and seen it? How about we make you our king, and if the immortals return to punish us, you'll bear the consequences alone?"
The white monkey was extremely anxious. Things were completely out of its control. It was impossible for it to be the king; the position had to be yours, otherwise how would the subsequent arrangements proceed?
Seeing this, you decided not to tease it anymore, because you also wanted to know what the white monkey's purpose was. Fortunately, you granted its wish and said, "Alright, I'll take you all into the cave to stay."
The white monkey breathed a sigh of relief. Although it didn't know why you had changed your mind, it was fine as long as everything proceeded according to plan.
You became the king of the monkeys, leading them to live in the cave. Seeing the scenery inside the immortal's cave, the monkeys were incredibly excited, jumping and leaping about.
You secretly observed the white monkey's movements, but unfortunately, it hasn't done anything strange since then.
Time flies. You have lived on Huaguo Mountain for more than ten years and explored everything about it. You have learned that Huaguo Mountain is extraordinary and that there are many monsters on the mountain.
Strangely, these monsters never bother you; they always stay away from you whenever they see you.
[You don't understand, and you think it's because the other party is weaker than you and you're afraid.]
[Over the years, you have consistently pursued cultivation, but to your astonishment, your strength has not improved by even a fraction each day; in fact, it has regressed at an extremely rapid pace.]
You know you've been tricked, and your prime suspect is that white monkey.
[However, you dare not act rashly because you activated the Eye of Destiny years ago to examine this monkey's information, but due to the vast difference in strength, you obtained very little information.]
All you know is that this white monkey is a Bodhisattva from the Western Paradise. Therefore, you know that the one who plotted against you is a deity from the Western Paradise in this world.
Faced with your declining cultivation level, you were forced to leave Flower Fruit Mountain. However, this action directly alarmed the White Monkey.
"Why does Your Majesty wish to leave this paradise and live in the barren lands outside? Don't you miss your thousands of monkey subjects?" The white monkey blocked your way, not wanting you to leave.
[You are filled with rage. You know that from before you were even born, you were already being schemed against by the gods and Buddhas of the Western Paradise. Now you are trapped, and they will not let you escape. You can only obediently follow the path they have laid out for you.]
[Decades have passed in the blink of an eye. Your cultivation is gone, and you've become an ordinary monkey. You've given up struggling, wanting to see what tricks your opponent is planning.]
Several years after you lost all your cultivation, the white monkey finally made a move.
One day, while a group of monkeys were having a meal, an elderly monkey suddenly collapsed and could not get up.
The surrounding monkeys were startled. They rushed forward, checked its breath and listened to its heartbeat, and said sadly, "Your Majesty, it's dead."
[You replied expressionlessly: "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order of things in this world, so there's no need to panic. Just bury them properly."]
Unexpectedly, the white monkey suddenly said, "I've heard that immortals can live forever. Why doesn't Your Majesty take an immortal as your master, learn the art of immortality, and then teach us after you've mastered it?"
You glanced at him and said calmly, "No interest, I won't learn. I just want to enjoy the rest of my life here and live out my days in peace."
[You sneered inwardly. You were already quite powerful back then; immortality wouldn't have been an issue, living for thousands of years was easily achievable. Now you've destroyed all my cultivation, and you want me to learn some bullshit art of immortality? No way!]
The white monkey's face stiffened, but he composed himself and continued, "Your Majesty, you cannot spend the rest of your life in such a muddle! Have you forgotten your thousands of monkey descendants...?"
The white monkey kept chattering, stirring up the atmosphere among the other monkeys, and forcing you to go on a morally charged mission.
You ignored him and lay down on the stone bed, fast asleep.
In the days that followed, the white monkey whispered in your ear every day, and you felt yourself on the verge of a mental breakdown.
[You lost your temper for the first time and roared at the white monkey: "If you make another sound, I'll kill you! You're the king, I'm the king!"]
But the white monkey was not afraid at all and continued to whisper in your ear every day. You could no longer tolerate it and ordered the monkeys to kill the white monkey.
[Given your status as king, the monkeys had no choice but to comply. Even on his deathbed, the white monkey remained fearless, desperately pleading, "Your Majesty, becoming an apprentice to an immortal is entirely beneficial. By learning the secrets of immortality, one can roam the world freely, unbound by the constraints of lifespan."]
[Finally, the white monkey died, and you finally slept peacefully.]
The next day, another brown monkey appeared, speaking the same language as the white monkey.
You broke down. You knew the brown monkey was the transformed white monkey, and you gave in.
You have embarked on a journey to find the secret to immortality.
The monkeys built you a bamboo raft, and you sailed it on the sea.
After years of drifting at sea, a mysterious force guided you to Xiniu Hezhou.
[You set foot on this continent, and because you resembled a monkey, people berated and even hit and cursed you upon seeing you. Naturally, you wouldn't tolerate it, and you gave those who attacked you a good beating, which silenced them.]
You're having a wonderful time eating, drinking, and playing on this continent. You're actually a little grateful to that white monkey now; if only you'd known this would happen, you would have just run off and been enjoying yourself here.
You cast aside your search for immortality and began to settle down here peacefully.
After living comfortably for a few years, those who were plotting against you became suspicious. According to the timeline, you should have arrived long ago. Could something have gone wrong on the way? After a quick calculation, their expressions changed, and they prepared to secretly intervene and push you forward.
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