Not a Single Word Could Be Trusted

Daiyue and Miko were dumbfounded.

They both felt that the woman before them was spouting nonsense, but on careful thought, her logic seemed perfectly sound. As for why it overlapped so heavily with Journey to the West... thinking of Shi Tiexin's strength, thinking of the Huaxia Dragon Group's mystery, the two women suddenly had a terrifying thought—could Wu Cheng'en's work back then have been documentary literature?!

They always said literary works came from life and rose above it.

I understand the part about rising above life.

But the part about coming from life was a little terrifying...

Miko was still struggling to remain rational, while Daiyue had already begun accepting the premise.

Yet the one who truly took Youyou's words to heart was actually someone eavesdropping.

He was a towering figure.

He had been standing in the shadows, utterly without presence, like a rotting log or a stone, drawing no attention at all.

Only when he spoke did they realize that such a burly man was here.

"This humble monk thought your mountain temple had long been thoroughly tainted by the secular world. Even Shaolin has gone public and started selling shares—who would still believe that you possess the true Buddhist lineage? I never expected the source of Asian civilization to truly remain the source. I underestimated you."

He stepped out of the shadows, clad in a monk's robe and wearing a bamboo hat. His left hand was raised with a single palm upright, while his right held a Buddhist staff, and an outrageously oversized string of prayer beads hung around his neck. The thick staff looked light in his huge hand. Every iron ring clanging from its head was heavy, and each pitch-black bead was as large as a steamed bun, yet he bore such a load without the