"Monkey, didn't you already take Bodhi as your master? Why do you wish to become my disciple as well?"
Zhou Xuan looked at Sun Wukong with an amused smile.
"Immortal, please hear me out. I studied under Bodhi for seven years, but he paid me no mind!"
"Today, I only wanted to learn the art of immortality. I never meant to anger Bodhi, but he stormed off and even whacked me three times with a Measuring Rod!"
As he spoke, Sun Wukong dropped to his knees again, looking utterly pitiful.
Seeing this, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
He had read plenty of Primordial Flow novels, and knew that this monkey was nothing but a sacrificial pawn in the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West.
He had been born of Heaven and Earth, a carefree monkey with no one to bind him.
Yet the schemes of various factions had turned him into the Great Sage Who Settles Accounts!
And settling the accounts wasn't enough. In the end, he was destined to become a puppet of Buddhism!
What a poor monkey!
Zhou Xuan had wanted to save him from the start.
Besides, he had never had much fondness for Buddhism.
And the Grand Plan of Journey to the West was tied to Hongjun's schemes, too!
"That Old Thief Hongjun is addicted to stealing. Back then, he stole my Jade Treasure to become a Saint, and now he wants to steal the Heavenly Dao and take its place!"
"Heh. How could I let him have his way?"
Zhou Xuan mulled things over, then turned his gaze back to Sun Wukong and said:
"Very well, very well. You really have had a rough time, monkey!"
"Since that's the case, I'll take you as my disciple!"
Zhou Xuan cleared his throat and said coolly:
"Ahem. Wukong, listen carefully!"
"I am the first humanoid spirit to take form in primordial chaos. I call myself Daoist Lingxuan!"
"And you are my first disciple!"
"From this day on, you will be the First Disciple of the Ling Xuan Sect!"
As soon as Zhou Xuan finished speaking, the system's voice rang in his mind.
[Ding-dong! Congratulations, host, on establishing the Ling Xuan Sect. System reward: one Primordial Book Library. The Primordial Book Library is formed from the host's will and can instruct all living beings.] [Congratulations, host, on accepting Sun Wukong as your disciple and making him the First Disciple of your sect. Ten Billion Times Share function activated!] [Host, would you like to bind?]
Ten Billion Times Share?
What was that supposed to mean?
Though Zhou Xuan was puzzled, he knew that anything the system gave him was bound to be top-notch.
He immediately said in his mind, "Bind. Of course I'm binding!"
[Ding! Binding successful.]
A soft chime rang out.
With a thought, Zhou Xuan immediately understood what the function did.
Ten Billion Times Share!
Just as the name suggested, he had bound himself to Sun Wukong.
From then on, Sun Wukong's cultivation techniques, cultivation, insights, experience, and even the treasures he gained would all be multiplied by ten billion!
Then they would be shared with Zhou Xuan!
In other words, Sun Wukong would soon become the protagonist of the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West!
He'd storm the Dragon Palace, smash his way into the underworld, wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace, eat the Peaches of Immortality, and steal elixirs. Everything he gained along the way would be multiplied by ten billion and shared with Zhou Xuan!!!
Damn!!!
Zhou Xuan took a deep breath and looked back at Sun Wukong.
When Sun Wukong heard that he was the First Disciple, he was overjoyed. He cheered, bounced around, and leaped about.
"Woohoo! I'm the First Disciple!"
"The First Disciple! That's so freaking cool!"
Watching Sun Wukong dance around, Zhou Xuan couldn't help thinking that this monkey was so innocent. He was just like a fresh college graduate—give him an empty title, and he'd be ready to risk his life for you!
Sun Wukong noticed Zhou Xuan looking at him and felt a little embarrassed. Scratching his monkey head, he said:
"Hehe, Master, since I'm your First Disciple, can you teach me some cultivation techniques now?"
The monkey was impatient!
Zhou Xuan was even more impatient!
After all, the monkey's cultivation and insights... would all be shared with him ten billionfold!
But Zhou Xuan had achieved Dao through sleep. He'd become a Saint after waking from a nap, so how was he supposed to teach a disciple?
Then he suddenly remembered the Primordial Book Library the system had rewarded him. It could instruct all living beings. Perhaps there was some opportunity to be found inside.
"Ahem!"
Zhou Xuan cleared his throat and looked at Sun Wukong.
"Wukong, I accept disciples according to my own preferences, not their natural talent!"
"That means my teaching methods are different from everyone else's!"
As he spoke, Zhou Xuan raised a hand and pointed, then continued:
"Wukong, do you see that little building atop the mountain?"
Sun Wukong looked up and saw a little building standing at the summit.
Its roof was made of gold, its walls of white jade, and it shimmered with Daoist Charm and divine light!
Sun Wukong was delighted. "Master, I see it!"
Zhou Xuan nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Since you can see it, off you go. I should get back to studying some techniques... And remember, monkey, no slacking!"
"The Primordial Book Library is formed from my will and contains the Three Thousand Great Daos. What you comprehend will depend entirely on your own fortune!"
With that, Zhou Xuan lay back in his rocking chair. Somehow, a book had appeared in his hands, and he was reading it with great interest.
Sun Wukong sneaked a glance at the title: Madam, I Know You're Faithful, but You Wouldn't Want Your Husband to Get Fired, Would You?
"Wow! A title that long must mean it's an incredibly powerful technique!!!"
"Even someone as amazing as Master studies so hard. How could I, a monkey, slack off?"
Thinking this, Sun Wukong felt both ashamed and impressed. He bowed to Zhou Xuan, then headed for the Primordial Book Library.
An hour later, he finally arrived in front of it.
Only when Sun Wukong approached did he realize that everything there seemed utterly ordinary!
The floor was spotless.
The bookshelves were plain and unadorned.
Yet they held tens of thousands of books, packed tightly together.
Sun Wukong stepped forward and casually opened one.
"Huh? The Golden Bottle Is Missing?"
"Could it be a story about a bottle made entirely of gold going missing, and the protagonist searching everywhere for it?"
Sun Wukong muttered to himself. Then his eyes suddenly lit up, excitement written all over his monkey face.
"The books on this shelf all have really long titles!"
"Just like the one Master was reading!"
"These must be profound cultivation techniques!"
Sun Wukong was simple-minded. As far as he was concerned, the longer a book's title, the more powerful it had to be.
And the titles on this shelf were longer than the last:
I Was Forced to Share a Room with Several Energetic Men
When I Asked My Wife to Look After My Gravely Ill Father, She Chose to Betray Me
The Same Commuter Train, the Same Familiar Scenery. Until I Met This Woman.
One Weekend, While My Girlfriend Was Away, I Couldn't Resist the Temptation of Her Best Friend
Sun Wukong took a deep breath and bowed deeply to the bookshelf!
Only then did he pull out a book, with the utmost reverence and solemnity.
His hands trembling, he opened it!
Huh!
It was blank?
There was nothing there!!!
Sun Wukong was dumbfounded. Unwilling to give up, he pulled out another book, On a Business Trip, I Repeatedly Put My Arrogant, Beautiful Boss in Her Place. It was blank, too.
Sun Wukong pulled out another book, I'm a Schoolteacher. During a Home Visit, I Encountered Something I Couldn't Resist. That one was blank as well!
"Huh? What's going on?"
"Is Master playing a trick on me?"
As soon as Sun Wukong said that, he slapped himself hard across the face!
"Sun Wukong, how dare you doubt Master?"
"Why would someone as powerful as Master play a trick on a monkey?"
Once he'd calmed down, Sun Wukong thought it over carefully and came to a conclusion:
"It must be that my understanding is too shallow and my cultivation too weak, so I'm not qualified to read these books!"
That had to be it!
Sun Wukong took one last, reluctant look at the title Graduation Ceremony's Over. This Is the Gift Your Older Sister Gives You on Your Coming-of-Age.
Then he put it back, crestfallen!
He secretly swore that one day, Old Sun would understand these most profound and mysterious cultivation manuals!
Then he slapped himself again.
"Old Sun shouldn't reach for what's beyond his grasp!"
"I should start with the simplest books!"
Sun Wukong turned to another bookshelf and took a closer look. The titles there were all fairly short:
Lunyu
The Legend of Wukong
Journey to the West
Dragon Ball
A Chinese Odyssey
Young A Bin
Um, Where's My Husband?
Before you continue