3: Chapter 3 I'm the junior brother!

With a single thought, the Monkey King flew to the entrance of Yingjian Cave in an instant.

"You little bird-playing hybrid, come out quickly and meet your Grandpa Monkey!"

The Monkey King pulled out his magic staff and made it as large as a stone pillar from the Golden Chime Hall.

He thrust it into the water and began to stir it frantically.

Ao Lie felt a violent surge of ripples; even the Immortal Cave where he resided began to shake violently, as if it would collapse and scatter at any moment.

A flash of ruthlessness flickered in Ao Lie's eyes before he regained his composure and leaped out of the water.

He bowed toward the Monkey King and spoke.

"Senior Brother, please accept your Junior Brother's bow!"

Ao Lie spoke with a respectful and devout attitude, then quietly gazed at the Furry Monkey before him.

Upon hearing this, the Monkey King lost even the interest to pick his earwax. He put away the Golden Cudgel and rebuked him with a shocked expression.

"Halt! What kind of character are you? How dare you call me Senior Brother! Believe it or not, Old Sun will strike you dead with one blow of my staff, you eunuch!"

Ao Lie felt speechless. He didn't know why this Furry Monkey thought he was a eunuch. Was it because his skin and features were too delicate and handsome?

Did he look like a woman to others?!

...

"Senior Brother, please listen to my story."

Ao Lie walked up to the Monkey King and continued to bow.

"That day, I knelt in the Lingxiao Palace, suffering cold glares... Later, I was suppressed here in the Yingjian Cave of Shepan Mountain. Guanyin Bodhisattva instructed me to take a bald—er... a monk from the Eastern Land Great Tang as my master."

Ao Lie had more to say, but he paused. Looking at the Monkey King's expression, he tactfully stopped speaking.

"So that's how it is! I see! Junior Brother, we truly are brothers in misfortune! Don't worry, if any villains try to harm you in the future, just give them my name."

"Tell them my Senior Brother is the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven who caused the Havoc in Heaven. If anyone dares touch me, my Senior Brother will strike them dead with one blow of his staff."

Ao Lie felt incredibly awkward hearing this. Besides hitting people with a staff, what else could this Furry Monkey do?

Despite his thoughts, Ao Lie's expression and movements were filled with gratitude and sincerity.

"Thank you... Senior Brother!"

The Monkey King was in high spirits. He had been idle today and, upon meeting a 'villain,' had intended to have a satisfying fight for three hundred rounds to satisfy his craving for combat.

He hadn't expected this villain to suddenly turn into his own Junior Brother, but even so, he was very happy.

"Come, Junior Brother Ao Lie, I'll take you to see Master. He will surely be happy about your arrival."

Ao Lie sneered inwardly.

"A monkey is a monkey; his brain is only as big as a walnut kernel, hahaha!"

But he agreed verbally.

"Let's go and see Master."

...

The two of them rode on clouds and mist, flying toward the house on the mountainside.

"Master! Master! Your disciple has an important matter to tell you."

It was just dawn, and the sky was still dotted with a few stars.

The Monkey King began shouting from mid-air until he returned to the woodshed and shook Tang Seng awake from his half-asleep state.

"Master! Master! Old Sun has something important to tell you, wake up quickly!"

Tang Seng wiped his eyes, turned to get up, and put on his clothes. Seeing his Furry Monkey disciple so excited, he couldn't help but feel a bit of interest.

"Wukong, do not be anxious. Tell your Master about this important matter in detail."

The Monkey King was about to speak when, unexpectedly, Ao Lie walked in at that moment.

Ao Lie had long, flowing black hair, with a short, thick little horn on each side of his forehead. Dressed in white, he looked like a hero from a Wuxia novel.

"Junior Brother, you're here. Never mind, Old Sun isn't good at explaining things anyway. Why don't you handle the apprenticeship yourself!"

Seeing Ao Lie enter, the Monkey King finished speaking and consciously walked out of the woodshed. He jumped onto the roof of the thatched house, crossed his legs, and lay down, leisurely humming a tune.

Tang Seng was somewhat surprised. He straightened up, looked up at the tall, lean man before him, and asked in disbelief.

"Benefactor, why does my unruly disciple say you are his Junior Brother?"

He might have already guessed most of it, but he still wanted a proper answer.

Seeing this, Ao Lie immediately bowed and said,

"Greetings, Master! I am the third son of the West Sea Dragon King, Jade Dragon Ao Lie. I was banished to the Mortal realm for a mistake, but fortunately, Guanyin Bodhisattva..."

Ao Lie relayed the same story he told the Monkey King to Tang Seng, with some slight modifications.

Ao Lie continued,

"Therefore, entrusted by Guanyin Bodhisattva, I have come today to take you as my Master, to protect you on your journey to obtain the scriptures. Master, please accept your disciple's bow."

Tang Seng watched him, quickly reaching out to help Ao Lie up while speaking.

"Good, good, good. Since it was arranged by Guanyin Bodhisattva, I shall accept you. I hope you can follow my teachings and not be hasty or anxious."

Ao Lie quickly agreed.

...

The next day, they continued their journey westward. Even after they had long passed Yingjian Cave, Guanyin Bodhisattva did not come to interfere.

Aside from appearing as an Incarnation of a Mortal to give Tang Seng the tightening fillet, she said nothing more. Later, Ao Lie used the Monkey King's greed to pass the tightening fillet to him.

Ao Lie thought about it; the Buddhist sect orchestrated this whole ordeal for two reasons.

First, to promote Buddhism and increase its popularity.

Second, to use the journey for the scriptures to set a layout for the entire world of Journey to the West, eventually obtaining the Karma of the Heavenly Dao to enhance their strength.

So as long as he didn't do anything to disrupt the entire journey—like his original self, who ate Tang Seng's mount right at the start, which was practically suicide—he would be fine.

Naturally, as long as things didn't go haywire, those Heavenly Gods and Buddhas wouldn't meddle in other people's business; after all, it was all for their own benefit.

Most gods and Buddhas turned a blind eye, leaving the decision-making power to Buddha Tathagata of the Western Paradise.

Ao Lie breathed a sigh of relief. He had originally thought about using Tang Seng's words to help settle matters for him.

Namely, to dissuade Guanyin Bodhisattva from taking his pearl and to agree to his status as the second disciple. Now it seemed those worries were entirely unnecessary.

Ao Lie followed behind the Monkey King, walking at a leisurely pace.

The Monkey King twirled his magic staff, scratching himself and jumping around, fully displaying his monkey nature.

"Junior Brother Ao Lie, do you know where this magic staff of mine, which can change size at will, came from?"

As he spoke, the Monkey King began to demonstrate the Divine Ability of the Golden Cudgel.

The Golden Cudgel grew and shrank freely as the Monkey King murmured under his breath.

Ao Lie sneered inwardly. Looking at the show-off monkey before him, he suddenly thought of the performing monkeys chained up on the roadsides in his past life.

The reverence he once felt for the Great Sage the Equal of Heaven was gradually fading.

Ao Lie's eyes curved slightly, and he propped his chin in his hands, saying with a look of surprise and curiosity,

"Senior Brother, I've heard a bit about the origin of this Golden Cudgel. You got it from my relative's house, didn't you?"

The Monkey King chuckled foolishly, put away the Golden Cudgel, and replied,

"Hehe, that's right. I got it from that Old Dragon King of the East Sea. Of course, he gave it to Old Sun voluntarily; otherwise, how could I have the heart to just take it away!"

Ao Lie suddenly thought of something and then asked his Senior Brother, calling the monkey to a halt. Tang Seng also watched quietly.

"Senior Brother, could you let me weigh this magic staff? I've heard long ago that this staff weighs ten thousand catties. Let me see the world today!"

The Monkey King didn't say anything. He pulled an embroidery needle from his ear, blew a breath on it, and whispered "Grow."

The embroidery needle immediately expanded into an iron staff, standing in the Monkey King's palm.

"Take it. If you really can't lift it, just say the word, and Senior Brother will help you."

Ao Lie smiled slightly, completely unconcerned.

Here, one had to mention a writing bug of the original author, Wu Cheng'en. If the immortals in Journey to the West could move mountains and seas, could they really not lift an iron staff of ten thousand catties?

It was too ridiculous.

It truly made one laugh or cry.

Ao Lie took it and easily swung it around a few times, mimicking the Monkey King by murmuring the incantation according to the script.

The Golden Cudgel then grew and shrank accordingly.

The Monkey King was surprised and couldn't help but raise his opinion of Ao Lie.

"Senior Brother, this Golden Cudgel is very good. The weight is solid; it can definitely strike many monsters dead with one blow."

The Monkey King gave a bitter smile and nodded. After that, he stopped jumping around and stopped playing with his staff, just walking quietly.

Even Tang Seng couldn't help but feel a bit surprised, but he said nothing.

The party of three waddled along the road further to the west.

Ao Lie knew very well that the next location involved a monster who was quite famous on the internet in his past life.

"Cassock Thief, just wait. My Shadow Legion needs you!"