Chapter 986: It is hard to tell the monkey mind

Li Qi was ashamed, but at the same time, he realized something.

The memories the demonic thoughts implanted in him seemed to contain many secrets, but Li Qi couldn't tell if these secrets were useful or real.

This was truly… quite a headache.

However, Li Qi knew that he couldn't choose the world; in reality… in this world, there was almost nothing to choose.

How did that saying go? In the world, the most precious thing is 'having a choice'.

If one 'has a choice', then that is truly… too fortunate.

The most precious thing Li Qi had fought for and left for his daughter, Li Shiwei, and his disciple, La Qi, was the ability for them to have choices, to be able to refuse what they didn't want.

However, as the first generation Li Qi, he could only push forward slowly, braving the bloody and terrifying obstacles of winter.

Li Qi still said to Golden Monkey, “Below is the Dragon Palace, so let's not disturb others. Let's go to the mountain forest outside to talk; the scenery is also good.”

“Alright!” Golden Monkey wasn't picky; he seemed very straightforward and didn't have many worries or hesitations.

One man and one monkey arrived at a peak in Flower Fruit Mountain, where birds flew everywhere. Various sparrows, eagles, ducks, starlings, thrushes, and robins chirped. A warm and peaceful sea breeze blew from the south, and the afternoon sun cast faint rays.

Li Qi sat down here and said, “Monkey brother, I'll tell you the story I know first; you can see if it's correct.”

Saying this, Li Qi began to recount the Journey to the West from his memories.

From the birth of the Stone Monkey, to cultivating immortality, then wreaking havoc in the Heavenly Palace, then being suppressed under Five Finger Mountain, and finally, journeying to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures, enduring eighty-one tribulations, achieving enlightenment, and becoming the ‘Buddha of Victorious Fighting’.

After finishing the entire story, Li Qi looked at Golden Monkey and asked, “Monkey brother, what do you think?”

“A good story, with truth and falsehood. I just don't understand where you heard it from. Was it a demonic thoughts?” Golden Monkey asked.

“Yes, I learned it from a demonic thoughts, and… I didn't hear it after reaching the third rank. I already knew this story before I even entered the ranks, so…” Li Qi stopped here.

There was no need to say more about what came after; understanding it himself was enough.

“Oh, so you weren't sure, and you came to find me? Haha, I've experienced this kind of thing before. Do you know what I encountered?” Golden Monkey said.

“The Six-Eared Macaque?” Li Qi guessed.

“Yes, at that time, the Mortals… no, don't even mention Mortals, even I couldn't tell the difference. The mastermind behind it was still a demonic thoughts. Later, as you know, I hardened my heart, regardless of right or wrong, truth or falsehood, I just focused on beating the opponent to death. In the end, I really did beat him to death, and that's when the most terrifying thing happened,” Golden Monkey said thoughtfully.

“After killing that imposter, I discovered that I was the imposter.”

When Golden Monkey said this, cold sweat broke out all over Li Qi.

Wait.

Was the one in front of him Golden Monkey, or the Demon Monkey?

“Haha, little brother? What are you afraid of?” Golden Monkey laughed heartily, his tail wagging, extremely happy.

Then, he continued, “Later, I was scared to death, just like you were before, but in the end, I realized that no matter how much you say, as long as you see your true nature and are sincere, it's like a single floating duckweed returning to the vast ocean, rather than getting entangled in those things.”

“Rather, how many things in the world can be clearly distinguished? Why bother with so much?” Golden Monkey said.

But Li Qi couldn't help but ask, “Monkey brother, so, are you really fake?”

Was the one in front of him Golden Monkey, or the Demon Monkey?

Li Qi was filled with doubt and really wanted to know the answer.

However, the Monkey simply spread his hands and said straightforwardly, “I don't know. Which monkey am I? I can't even tell myself, but why bother making it so clear?”

Li Qi was speechless and didn't answer. He was just thinking, was the Golden Monkey in front of him really the Demon Monkey? Or… what was the relationship between the Demon Monkey and the Golden Monkey?

So, the Monkey looked at him and continued, “By now, you probably already know, what was the purpose of the Journey to the West for me, my Master, and my Junior Brothers, meaning Master Sanzang?”

“Yes, I mostly understand. Humanity is seeking to acquire Buddhism itself. The Human Emperor sending Tang Monk to obtain scriptures might have been to deliberate on this plan in advance, right?” Li Qi said, “But I don't quite understand why Marshal Tianpeng and General Rolling Curtain, who are Heavenly Gods, also had to go on the journey?”

“You might not believe it, but the Heavenly Gods truly had no ulterior motives. The two of them ended up on the Journey to the West simply by accident. They were banished to the Mortal realm with nowhere to go and were simply picked up by my Master.”

“As for me… it's hard to say. I think, similar to you, I was arranged by others. From my birth to my cultivation, I was arranged for the Journey to the West. Ultimately… everything succeeded, I swung my staff at the demonic thoughts, wanting to shatter Monkey Mind, but was ultimately sealed. After that, you unsealed me,” Golden Monkey said.

Golden Monkey's life also seemed to be anything but peaceful.

However, it was said from the beginning that everyone was like this.

Who isn't a chess piece?

“Then, Monkey brother, I mostly understand.” Li Qi nodded. He had pretty much grasped the various schemes between major powers, and the many issues and power entanglements involved behind the ‘Journey to the West’.

The Journey to the West was essentially a prelude to today.

Humanity wanted to annex the Buddhist realm back then, right? So Tang Monk's mission was to probe the depths of Buddhism? But perhaps it wasn't just that, because Tang Monk's true identity was a Buddhist Disciple named Golden Cicada, who reincarnated as Master Sanzang, a Monk from Tang Nation, hence called Tang Monk.

Then, the struggle over Tang Monk became particularly important. It would be unrealistic to say that Buddhism didn't exert effort in this.

The final outcome should also be clear.

The people under Buddhism wanted to utilize Tang Nation's reverence for Master Sanzang and his identity as the Imperial Brother to spread the Dao in the human realm. The various temples Li Qi had seen before should be the concrete manifestation of this scheme.

Monks began to spread their influence in Tang Nation, with countless temples emerging. Even the Human Emperor personally stamped the Buddhist Seal, allowing Buddhism to spread in the human Dao.

However… in the end, those Monks who tried to spread Buddhism in the human Dao paid the price.

The reason… must be very simple.

Everything they did probably didn't receive the support and instruction of the World Honored One Tathagata.

Isn't it normal for them to be played to death by the combined forces of the Human Dao and the Demonic Dao when the World Honored One didn't act? In the end, Tang Monk truly became Tang Monk and didn't revert to Golden Cicada.

And Golden Monkey was the spiritual monkey chosen for the Journey to the West plan. He himself probably didn't quite understand the intricacies of it until many years later.

So… Golden Monkey later chose to challenge the demonic thoughts, but was sealed as a result.

That's why… Golden Monkey said to Li Qi at that time: “Since that's the case, you can worry slowly. Just worry for a while, and I'll go first.” (See Chapter 960 for details)

So he had experience.

Li Qi thought it over and over, and after almost sorting things out, he sighed and stopped asking about the Journey to the West. Instead, he stated his purpose: “Monkey brother, I'm preparing to declare war on the Demonic Dao. I want to know if you have any good ideas?”

“Oh? Do you truly have this intention?” Golden Monkey asked.

“Yes, if I wish, I want to kill the demonic thoughts, or… be killed by the demonic thoughts,” Li Qi said.

“Haha! You have the heart! Then I will definitely help you. I can't tell you now, but how about this: I need to prepare first. Before that, you declare war on the Demonic Dao. If there's anything you can't handle, just tell me, and I'll be there immediately to help you out!” Golden Monkey immediately jumped up, seemingly very happy that Li Qi was willing to eliminate demons.

One must know that Golden Monkey's reputation was also famous for ‘subduing demons’.

Li Qi nodded, not taking offense at the other party's concealment.

Clearly, at the second-rank stage, many riddle-like behaviors aren't truly meant to be riddles, but rather are forced to be hidden. If not hidden, it would probably be equivalent to not doing anything.

If others found out, it would be a huge loss. It's better to quietly wait for Golden Monkey.

Li Qi smiled, “With Monkey brother's words, that's enough. Then I'll head back first.”

“I'll be waiting,” Golden Monkey said.

Li Qi nodded, then disappeared.

The conversation with Golden Monkey was over. Golden Monkey had already promised to help, so now it was Li Qi's business.

Li Qi arrived in the Void Realm.

He looked at the entire Void Realm.

Now, Li Qi's field of vision could encompass the entire Universe.

He could see that the entire Universe was expanding at an extraordinary speed, causing him to be able to see everything, yet never truly see everything.

It was very strange, but that was the reality.

He did possess the ability to observe all spacetime, but even as he observed all spacetime in that one second, while he was looking at these things, the Universe had already expanded with more possibilities.

Therefore, he could only ever see 'all of the present'. When he began to observe the present, the future had already been born and had become the present.

This Universe is currently at nine o'clock. Li Qi saw the Universe at nine o'clock, but by the time he finished looking, it was already nine o'clock and one minute, and he hadn't yet had time to see the Universe at nine o'clock and one minute.

Thus, there are always variables, always the unexpected.

This made the second-rank's authority seem less despairing, but also made the entire Universe more vibrant.

Since the second-rank couldn't be omniscient to Mortals, Mortals took this opportunity to flourish and grow.

Moreover, Li Qi clearly saw the 'regions' of this Universe.

Was that… the influence of the Star Officials?

Each massive star region had a great and vast Spirit behind it.

All living beings within them carried the characteristics of that specific region.

If Li Qi were to describe it, perhaps it could be called—home.

Different locations in the Universe radiated different vitality, different life amplitudes, different chemical gases, different constellations radiated different magnetic forces. You can call it whatever you want, but it truly exists, and it is a great reality.

What kind of place will create what kind of life.

Moreover, from this regional characteristic, Li Qi felt another layer of… a feeling similar to 'Taiyi'.

“So, that's what Taiyi thinks?” Li Qi murmured to himself.

Taiyi's body is composed of all the collectives in this Universe, so, in Taiyi's view, when these beings are free, it is when he lives in a vibrant 'region', not when he wanders aimlessly.

Humans are free only when they obey a collective, profound, and inherent voice.

Obedience comes from within. All living beings must belong to a vibrant, healthy, and faithful group that actively strives for some unfulfilled or even unrealized goal; only then is he a free person.

Those who flee into the wild wilderness, alone, are by no means free; they only gain their own solitude.

Because a person is most free only when they have no perception of freedom; the call for freedom is actually the clanking of shackles.

The deepest self is far from man, and the conscious self is a stubborn child, but we can believe one thing: if you want to be free, you have to give up the illusion of doing whatever you like.

Doing whatever you like is actually giving up freedom.

However, this homogeneity is by no means total identity.

In the eyes of many, they believe that the people of a certain group have almost identical ideological content, and their ways of thinking are very similar.

Therefore, when people from a certain group encounter something, no matter how big or small, whether it's family affairs or national matters, their behavior in each country is almost indistinguishable from others, and their ideas are even identical, speaking with one voice, and acting in the same way.

This notion is completely wrong; their homogeneity manifests in a more essential place.

Put them in the same room, and you can perceive this difference. There will be a barrier between them, and this barrier does not arise from subjective will.

Even if all of them are kind and almost always polite, there is still an indescribable difference between different regions, giving the feeling that, although one cannot say exactly why, they are different animals.

This is not born of snobbery; the reason is much more complex. To use a romantic metaphor: “It seems their heartbeats are different.”

And from Li Qi's perspective, this reason seems to stem from an even more terrifying cause…

Because they come from different Star Officials.

Therefore, they cannot integrate into each other's lives.

This is surprising, even frightening.

This made Li Qi examine his younger self.

Coming from 'the World', he also seemed to have a clear barrier with beings from outside the realm. Even if Li Qi was kind and polite, this barrier was clearly present, leaving him with almost no friends from outside the realm.

Li Qi lamented this fact that he had suddenly observed, and then began his journey to eradicate demons.

In an instant—

Countless 'Qi Palaces' appeared in the Void Realm.

Just like all the ruins outside the realm.

Li Qi set up trials and treasures inside.

Since he was going to do something, the first thing was to gather manpower.

And manpower to fight demonic thoughts cannot be created out of thin air.

He needed to find sufficiently advanced intelligences, and they needed to be smart enough.