Lies Never Hurt; the Truth Is the Sharpest Knife!

Su Yuan immediately recited a poem.

"Watching chess, the axe-handle rotted away; chopping wood, ding-ding rang out; I strolled slowly by the valley mouth beneath the clouds. Selling firewood, buying wine, laughing wildly to delight myself... Wherever we met, they were immortals or Daoists, sitting quietly to discuss the Yellow Court."

The little demon guarding the gate scratched his head. Though he did not understand its meaning, he felt this man carried an extraordinary bearing.

Besides, having accepted a pouch of spirit stones from him, he dared not slight him in the least. He turned and darted into the cave dwelling behind the waterfall.

Almost instantly, a blinding golden light tore through the curtain of water, and the gale it raised made Su Yuan's robes flap fiercely.

"Who are you? How do you know that poem? And this axe—where did it come from?"

The Great Sage asked impatiently.

Seeing the Great Sage's reaction, Su Yuan secretly rejoiced, though his expression remained calm and unruffled.

He had long since memorized Journey to the West by heart. Naturally, he knew that the woodcutter who had guided Sun Wukong to Patriarch Bodhi had been holding an axe and chanting this very poem.

"My late father was merely an obscure woodcutter in the mountains."

Su Yuan gave a slight nod, his tone mild, with just the right hint of wistfulness in it.

"I had long heard of the Great Sage's mighty reputation. Now that I have seen you today, Great Sage, your bearing remains as splendid as ever."

Sun Wukong's eyes rolled once as he looked Su Yuan up and down. Scratching his face, he asked warily,

"You know Old Sun's past rather well. Just where did you come from?"

Su Yuan knew the heat was still not quite there. He had to add another powerful dose of medicine.

With a faint smile, he slowly recited another poem verse he had kept hidden up his sleeve—

It was the opening incantation Patriarch Bodhi had spoken when he secretly taught Wukong the wondrous formula for immortality in the middle of the night:

"Hard! Hard! Hard! The Dao is most profound; do not take the golden elixir lightly. Without a true man to impart the wondrous formula, empty words leave the mouth weary and the tongue dry!"

The Great Sage froze on the spot. His eyes reddened in an instant, his breathing quickened, and he demanded urgently,

"Master... Were you truly also a disciple under Master?"

"Did he... did he ever mention Old Sun?"

Seeing the fish had completely taken the bait, Su Yuan gritted his teeth and decided to administer one more strong dose.

Su Yuan put on a helpless expression, shook his head, and smiled.

"You still have the nerve to bring it up? The old immortal said that monkey fur on your head was too stiff and prickly! Back then, he flicked your forehead three times in the cave, and when he returned, his fingers still hurt for quite a while!"

The monkey could no longer hold himself back. Two streams of hot tears burst from his eyes. He fiercely wiped them away with the back of his hand, only to choke up even more.

"Master! Master! Old Sun... Old Sun misses you!"

When he looked at Su Yuan again, there was none of his previous coldness in his gaze. His eyes brimmed with intimacy as he grabbed Su Yuan and began talking without pause.

"You look older than me, so I'll call you Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother, what is with your cultivation? Why is it so loose and ordinary?"

He looked Su Yuan up and down, then suddenly came to a realization.

"Oh—! Old Sun understands now! Senior Brother, your innate foundation is simply too rotten. Yet Master still managed to guide you to the realm of a Yuan Immortal! Tsk, tsk, as expected of the old man!"

The smile on Su Yuan's face instantly froze, and his chest felt stifled.

Lies never hurt anyone; the truth was the sharpest knife!

If you did not know how to speak, then do not speak. This monkey's tongue was far too venomous!

Su Yuan's mouth twitched as he squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth.

"Master taught according to each person's needs. What mattered was comprehension, not brute force. Heh heh, comprehension was what mattered."

Sun Wukong deeply agreed and slapped his thigh.

"Right, right, right! Comprehension! Back then, Old Sun won out because my comprehension was high!"

His attitude turned warm and enthusiastic. Turning sideways, he extended a hand to lead the way.

"Senior Brother, do not take offense. Old Sun misspoke! Quick! Please come into the cave for a talk! We martial brothers must have a proper chat!"

Su Yuan followed step by step behind the Great Sage. Watching the excited Great Sage before him, he repented inwardly without cease.

Sinful, sinful! Great Sage, I truly did not mean to deceive you.

My father in the mortal realm really was a woodcutter. That part is absolutely true! As for everything else, you figured it out yourself!

But this Great Sage does not seem particularly bright. His eyes are full of clear, pure stupidity, just like... a college animal that had just graduated.

Later, I need to take it easy with the fooling. I cannot fool him into becoming crippled.

Wukong had no idea what he was thinking. Excitedly leading the way ahead, he scratched his ears and cheeks while muttering nonstop,

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother! Did Master send you? What instructions does he have? Is he summoning Old Sun back to the mountain?"

"Old Sun has long wanted to return and show filial devotion to him. It is a smoky, filthy mess outside; it is nowhere near as comfortable as the mountains."

Su Yuan cleared his throat and chose his words with care.

"My master hopes that you can return to the Heavenly Court."

"Return to the Heavenly Court?"

The two entered the cave. Wukong abruptly stopped walking and murmured,

"Master... Master truly meant this?"

Su Yuan answered with absolute certainty.

"My master truly does hope so!"

My master, Venus Star Lord, truly does hope you will go up to the Heavenly Court! Every word I said is the truth!

Wukong nodded thoughtfully at this.

The two sat down on stone stools inside the cave. Sun Wukong even unusually tucked away his ever-restless legs and sat properly cross-legged, upright as a well-behaved child.

The more Su Yuan looked at his solemn expression, the more panicked he became. Cold sweat had already soaked his back.

It is over. I went too far. The Great Sage actually values the bonds of his school so deeply. If he finds out I have been spinning lies nonstop, forget the Jade Emperor's decree—even if the Jade Emperor personally descended to the mortal realm, he might not be able to save me!

At that moment, Sun Wukong let out a faint sigh, his voice full of grievance and unwillingness.

"Senior Brother, you do not know this, but the Heavenly Court wounded Old Sun too deeply!"

"Back then, they coaxed Old Sun up there with sweet words, only to give me a lowly post tending horses. They went too far in bullying me! If not for that, why would Old Sun have ranked last among the Seven Great Sages I swore brotherhood with, suffering the secret mockery of those brothers for nothing?"

The moment Su Yuan heard this, he knew the opportunity had come. He hurriedly continued the deception along that line, his tone incomparably sincere.

"Great Sage, there is something you do not know."

"When Venus Star Lord summoned you to Heaven back then, his original intention was to recommend you as reserve talent and focus on cultivating you."

"Who could have known that petty men would slander and frame you, saying the Imperial Horse Bureau lacked a chief steward? That was why your great talents were put to such petty use."

Thinking back on what had happened, the Great Sage cursed under his breath.

"At the court assembly back then, it was Martial Star Lord who submitted that memorial to the Jade Emperor. That scoundrel!"

Su Yuan planted the thorn, then turned to continue painting a grand feast in the air.

"Ah! Great Sage, that is all ancient history now! You must know that times have changed! You are now the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, whose deeds shook Heaven and Earth and whose might awed the Three Realms! You drove back the Heavenly King in a single battle—who in the Heavenly Court did not know of you? Who had not heard of you? Who would still dare look down on you?"

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

"If you return this time, the treatment will absolutely be different! I can guarantee it here and now: once you go up there, you will at least be a leader at the Heavenly Court's executive level! You will absolutely hold real power in your hands!"

Seeing Wukong's ears twitch, Su Yuan immediately struck while the iron was hot, counting on his fingers.

"Annual leave, housing subsidies for a blessed cave paradise, meal allowances for dragon liver and phoenix marrow, recuperation at the Jade Pool immortal realm—every one of these top-tier benefits will be provided! You will have them all!"