Chen Shuo froze, then narrowed his eyes.
"'This humble monk'? Heh. Looks like I didn't clean things up thoroughly enough... Which side are you from? Saha Temple, Orchid Temple, Bodhi Temple, Rosy Clouds Temple, or those people from Fanmi?"
Jing'en pressed his palms together and spoke softly amid the eerie tension.
"Where this humble monk comes from is unimportant. What matters is this: are you certain that everything you've seen is real?"
Chen Shuo frowned and studied Jing'en's expression.
Yet all he saw was compassion and regret, as though Jing'en had finally found a solution, only for it to be too late.
...For some reason, Chen Shuo's heart was pounding.
He had an urge to order the Golden Armored Guards to kill the monk on the spot. But something made him suppress it. He said slowly,
"Real? See this Golden Dome? Even someone from the Gate of Rakshasa would have nowhere to hide here. How could what I've seen not be real?"
At that, Jing'en closed his eyes. A long while passed before he opened them and asked another question.
"Then do you remember what you first desired from this thing?"
Desired? What an awkward word. Wouldn't 'wanted' be more natural? But of course I know that much...
I know...
Know...
Chen Shuo frowned.
Come to think of it, what did I want in the beginning?
He thought for a long time before he managed to dredge the answer from a corner of his mind.
"That's right. When I first sought this thing, I only wanted the Ten-Thousand-Fathom Palace to become one of the Thirty-Six Sects. Then, even with such a coveted mountain of riches in our possession, we could enjoy at least a century of peace..."
As though guiding him, Jing'en continued.
"And after that? With a treasure like