"When he died, he was as thin as a skeleton. By the time the stench of his corpse filled the air and people went in to see, they discovered that in his room, besides a spirit tablet and a few tattered clothes, there was nothing.
Destitute.
His greatest wish was not really about how much money he could earn, but to have someone read his books, comment on them, criticize them, and communicate with him.
If someone could tell him how his books were written, he would be happy for the entire day.
Besides this wish, he greedily wanted his books to be number one on the bestseller list, to be seen by everyone in the entire immortal realm. If they could be adapted into films or television, that would be even better.
But then, he starved to death.
What was his fault? He just wanted people to read his books. But until the day he died, no one was willing to cast a free recommendation ticket for his "Ferryman of Heavenly Tribulation."
He was nothing special. He had simply lost everything."
The six-eared monkey told Wan Lei six stories, and it repeated this sentence six times.
But Wan Lei knew that the tragedy in this small town was far more than just this.
Too many people had lost everything.
They were either numb, or in grief, or had fallen, ultimately becoming walking dead.
All the tragedies in this world seemed to descend upon this unfortunate town simultaneously, causing everyone to suffer excruciating pain.
Wan Lei silently lit a cigarette, the smoke drifting into the sky along with the incense.
"They gave the Great Sage faith, and the Great Sage gave them happiness.
Do you think now, is real suffering better for them, or is false bliss better?"
The monkey looked at Wan Lei earnestly, seemingly eager to get an answer from him.
Wan Lei exhaled a thick puff of smoke and, after a moment of thought, said,
"But... you have trapped their souls within those rotten, dead bodies. How long can these bodies last?
Even with the support of willpower, how long can they move? A few days? A few months?"
"The Great Sage's willpower is far more miraculous than you imagine. As long as he wishes, the people here can remain happy forever."
the monkey replied.
"But... I always feel like this is not right."
"Oh? What's not right?"
"This does not align with... the order as I understand it."
"Order?"
"A person's life is like spring, summer, autumn, and winter; all have a fixed destiny. Born as a human, one should be able to live in this world, whether living well or poorly, whether happy or suffering, these are experiences that must be had. It's impossible for a person's fate to be continuously bitter, nor is it possible for someone to be perpetually happy.
Sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy are all flavors that must be experienced.
When people live, they must abide by the law. After death, souls either enter the underworld or reincarnate. These are all orders. Only with stable order can there be a stable social structure.
No matter how unreasonable a social structure is, it has its order. And what you are doing is undoubtedly breaking this order."
The monkey paused for a moment, then chuckled in amusement,
"Although I don't understand what you're saying, I can sense that the Tao you comprehend is the Tao of Order."
"Yes. Good people should be rewarded, and bad people should be punished. This is my order.
In this town, there are so many bad people. What you should do is punish those bad people and let good people live good lives, rather than giving them a false illusion after they die, making them believe they are living in happiness."
The monkey shook its head. "But have you ever considered, how do we distinguish between good people and bad people?
Is the steamed bun shop owner a good person? Yet he was one of those who stole firewood from Xiao He's family.
Is that child's mother a good person? But she sold her body, which also violates the law.
Is that fishmonger a good person? But he killed so many living creatures.
Good people, bad people, how can they be so easily distinguished?
Everyone, more or less, has done evil. Even you, can you guarantee that you haven't killed innocent people?
Do you mean to say you'll kill everyone, including yourself?"
The monkey smiled inscrutably,
"The heart of every person is a mirror. What they reflect is merely the original appearance of this world..."
Wan Lei shook his head,
"Arguing about these things is meaningless. I am here only to investigate the truth."
"The truth is before your eyes. The people in this town believe in Qi Tian Da Sheng, so after they died, the Great Sage gave them a happy life.
This is the truth you seek. You can go back and report."
Wan Lei nodded and sighed,
"Indeed, if I return with this result, I can report it. My mission will be completed, and you can continue to live in peace. It's a win-win situation."
Upon hearing this, the monkey's expression turned slightly grim.
Wan Lei, unconcerned by its expression, continued to speak,
"Between factions, between the strong, isn't it about giving face to each other? Stepping down for each other, covering for each other, collusion. That's how the world works."
"So, you can leave now."
The monkey's tone held a hint of threat.
"But... if we collude, who will be responsible for the tens of thousands of innocent lives that died in vain in this town? Who will seek justice for them?
Could it be that just because of a 'win-win,' the grievances of these tens of thousands of people will be sunk to the bottom of the sea? Who will remember them?"
"Then what do you want? To arrest me? Or to decapitate Qi Tian Da Sheng? To shatter the dreams of these people, and let them sink into hell?"
The monkey let out a scoff.
"No, judgment and conviction are the affairs of the Five Elements Hall. My mission is only to investigate. As I said, I am only here for the truth."
"I've already told you the truth."
The monkey sat back on the cart and picked up a fruit to gnaw on.
Wan Lei slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp and piercing, fixing on the monkey. He said, word by word,
"Then tell me, how did these people die?
I don't believe that in a stable social order, with tens of thousands of people, even if some suffered greatly, others lived well, how could they all have died?
How did they die?"
The monkey smiled, its gaze playful and provocative as it looked at Wan Lei,
"Aren't you an investigator? Why are you asking me? Can't you investigate it yourself?
As much as you can investigate, that's as much as you will know."
Wan Lei gave it a deep look.
This monkey was very strange. It gave him a feeling of being very intelligent and difficult to deal with.
Yet, it was definitely involved in this matter. And he was here to investigate, making them adversaries.
Then why was it telling him so much? Was it trying to brainwash him? To turn him into a walking dead without him realizing it?
But why didn't it just kill him directly? That would have been much simpler."