Ji Hong still watched him calmly, without moving.
"That truly was the happiest time in my hundred-odd years."
"I could perform without restraint, working toward a goal I didn't actually care about, yet it became my reason for living."
"Though later, because of certain unexpected events, my goal changed."
"It went from a false goal to a real one, but it was what my heart desired."
"But regardless, I have to thank you for that journey back then. Thank you for not killing me, and for being willing to ally with me when I was so incredibly weak."
"If... if only you... how wonderful that would have been."
Old White Ape shook his head, somewhat disappointed.
"I enjoyed the process of striving alongside you as Old White Ape."
"So I kept brainwashing myself, telling myself, you are Old White Ape. You're just an ambitious monkey who wants to develop the Demon Domain, nothing more."
"But later, I realized..."
"No matter what I did, you never believed me, not even for a moment."
"Yet you were the one I considered my only friend in this world."
"Do you know how much that means?"
"Huh?"
"Do you understand?"
Old White Ape grew agitated again. He jumped to the ground and paced back and forth, even extending a trembling finger to point at Ji Hong's head as he roared, "There's only ever been the Human Race in your heart, that inferior collection of creatures!!!"
"You could abandon our friendship for the Human Race without the slightest hesitation!"
"Without the slightest hesitation!!!"
"Heh..."
Old White Ape took a deep breath and regained his composure. He looked at Ji Hong with a sickly smile on his face. "Perhaps it's precisely because of your faith and your persistence that I admire you so much!"
"I've slowly