Right, I had a feeling that he’d be ‘Zhu Bajie’ from the beginning. However…. Just in which aspect was he anywhere remotely ‘Pigsy’?

[A small portion of the audience cannot comprehend the outer appearance of Zhu Bajie.]

[A small portion of audience members are complaining that this is an insult to the original work!]

[Judge, ‘Meihouwang’, argues that this doesn’t even make sense!]

It seemed that there were some members of the audience with a similar train of thought as me. And then, in the next moment….

[The majority of the audience welcome the choice of the current Zhu Bajie.]

…..Ng??

[Number of votes obtained is increasing greatly!]

[Fable chamber’s ranking has increased greatly!]

….Could it be?

[Judge, ‘Cleanser of Altars’, is satisfied with his outer appearance.]

Those in the know should already be aware of it – this ‘Cleanser of Altars’ was Zhu Bajie’s Modifier.

[Judge, ‘Cleanser of Altars’, is deeply satisfied by the casting of his role.]

[150 additional points have been awarded!]

As Yu Jung-Hyeok glared at me with his trademark piercing eyes, large letters slowly floated up before my eyes.

~ Episode 2. The Conquering King, Zhu Bajie ~

*

[Congratulations! Your Fable chamber’s ranking has broken into the top 100.]

Han Su-Yeong looked at the message floating up before her eyes and scrolled to the next page with a wry grin on her face.

The folks inside the panel screen were acting according to the plot she had cooked up. She pushed up the horn-rimmed glasses on her nose that didn’t have any lenses and muttered to herself.

“…..These kids’ sucky acting might cause me a heart attack at this rate.”

Fortunately, though, her Fable chamber broke past the 1000 voting points mark and had entered the upper ranks. There was a knock coming from the door behind her, and Yi Su-Gyeong stepped into the room.

“I’ve brought some fruits.”

“If you bothered to even knock, you should at least wait for an answer. Or don’t knock at all.”

“How is everything going?”

“…..About as I expected. That Fei Hu’s rank is way too high and it’s not as easy as I thought to catch up.”

Yi Su-Gyeong confirmed Han Su-Yeong’s Fable chamber ranking over the latter’s shoulder and spoke. “It’s only been a couple of days, but you’re already so high up. Amazing.”

“Compared to my heyday, this sort of achievement is nothing, you know. Besides, we don’t know what’ll happen next.”

Han Su-Yeong bit into the apple as she fiercely burned the torch of determination. She could see the dumbfounded face of Sun Wukong within the panel screen. “….From here onwards, it’ll depend on how well that Sun Wukong does his job.”

*

“You’re right. I’m Sun Wukong.”

Yu Jung-Hyeok heard my reply and glared at me with questioning eyes. Right afterwards, his right eye glowed in the golden light.

[The usage of ‘appraisal skills’ isn’t allowed within the applicable scenario location.]

Due to the worldview’s restriction, his [Eye of Sage] didn’t activate. Since I had already expected that to happen, I wasn’t even remotely surprised by it.

“Looks like you wanted to shoot lasers from your eye,” said I with a refreshing grin on my face.

Whatever the case might have been, Zhu Bajie was fated to become my underling, according to the original story.

“Shin Yu-Seung! What are standing around dazed for?! Quickly defeat this guy!!”

Yi Gil-Yeong, still dangling in the air, began to thrash about frantically.

She glanced at him as if it was none of her business, and asked Zhu Bajie, instead. “Even if you like dumplings that much, how could you build a factory and use people like slaves? And why did you kidnap women in the first place?”

While listening to her yell, I studied our surroundings.

⸢Zhu Bajie was a demon king of lust and gluttony in the original ‘Journey to the West’.⸥

If you thought about the original’s storyline, then the episode we were currently experiencing wasn’t a complete impossibility.

However, even if she detested Yu Jung-Hyeok, Han Su-Yeong wouldn’t have stuck this closely to the original. She even changed the ‘Ways of Survival’ to that minute degree, didn’t she?

Besides, even if she wrote such a scenario, Yu Jung-Hyeok wouldn’t have agreed to….

“I didn’t kidnap these women.”

His words quickly prompted the surrounding ladies to yell out.

“That’s right! We weren’t kidnapped at all!”

I studied their expressions. Not one of them looked to be under the mind-control spell.

Meanwhile, Yi Gil-Yeong yelled out in response. “So what?! Didn’t you enslave people to make lots of dumplings so you can eat them all??”

Right, that’s what the slave in the factory told us. However, there was one thing that I couldn’t understand.

Yu Jung-Hyeok really liked [Murim dumplings]. It was verging on obsession, even. But, would someone like him ever touch dumplings mass-produced in a factory?

⸢”I do not eat what others have made.”⸥

Yu Jung-Hyeok even declared as thus, so it didn’t make sense for him to use slaves just for the purpose of eating mass-produced dumplings.

And as if to prove me right, Yu Jung-Hyeok spoke in a slightly sorrowful tone of voice. “I haven’t eaten these [Murim dumplings].”

“What are you talking about?! You dumpling psycho! Shin Yu-Seong! Do something already!”

Rather than answering the boy, Yu Jung-Hyeok stared past the crowd around us. Dozens of houses were lined up along the alleyway. The delivered dumplings were placed before each house’s entrance. I could see the village’s young kids flocking around them to happily eat them.

“….Could it be?”

It was at this point that a warning message suddenly appeared over the whole village.

[A revolt has occurred in the ‘Dumpling factory’!]

The village’s entrance once guarded by the gatekeeper crumbled and the factory’s slaves rushed in.

“We will no longer labour for you!”

“Dumplings over here, dumplings over there, dumplings freaking everywhere!!”

“Kill him! Kill that pig bastard!!”

The eyes of the slaves gleamed viciously as they wielded hoes and rakes.

Women were greatly astonished and began shouting out.

“Those Yogoes still haven’t learned their lessons!”

“Yogoes?? But, this guy here is the real Yogoe, isn’t he?”

Yi Gil-Yeong shouted out, still oblivious to the situation.

Yu Jung-Hyeok put the boy down as his expression hardened. “….Indeed, I should’ve killed them from the get-go.”

In that moment, I figured out what was going on here.

Currently, I was the ‘Sun Wukong’, so it’d be possible for me to borrow some of his powers. I stared at the waves of Yogoes rushing over here and strengthened my vision.

[Stigma, ‘Fiery Golden Eyes Lv. ???’ is activating!]

The ‘Fiery Golden Eyes’. The Great Sage’s unique Stigma that allowed him to discern Yogoes and demons.

The colour of the world gradually changed, and the appearance of the humans rushing over here transformed. Twisted figured emerged, their eyes filled to the brim with murderous intentions. As expected, they were not human beings.

“Zhu Bajie is not our enemy.”

Yi Gil-Yeong’s eyes went extra-round after he heard me. He even looked disappointed for some reason. “Whaaat? Dang it….”

“Rather than ruling the village, Zhu Bajie has liberated it, instead. It’s those creatures that had been tormenting this village as they are not humans, but Yogoes that previously ruled this place.”

The slave Yogoes finally revealed their true colours and unleashed their Status to destroy the village. Yi Gil-Yeong and Shin Yu-Seung only then realised what had happened and began directing the crowd.

“Everyone, step behind us!”

….The revolt of the factory’s slaves, was it?

This situation was the complete opposite of the [Demon World Revolution] in the past. What we had to do now was not liberation, but suppression.

Yu Jung-Hyeok stepped forward first and unsheathed his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] from… No, hang on a second??

[A portion of the audience members are puzzled by Zhu Bajie’s choice of weapon.]

[Several judges are curious as to why Zhu Bajie is suddenly using a ‘blade’ instead.]

[Judge, ‘Cleanser of Altars’, is complaining about the whereabouts of his ‘Nine-Tooth Spike Rake’!]

According to the original story, Zhu Bajie didn’t use a bladed weapon, but a rake called [Nine-Tooth Spike-Rake].

[Many audience members are overwhelmed by the ‘Conquering King Zhu Bajie’s’ fighting spirit!]

[A portion of audience members are deeply arrested by the handsome Zhu Bajie’s charms!]

[A portion of judges are accepting the change in weapons that reflect the current trend.]

[Judge, ‘Cleanser of Altars’, coughs awkwardly and says that he’ll overlook it this time as it looks cool.]

[5 additional points have been awarded!]

Dammit, were you implying that one’s face could even serve as Probability?

Yu Jung-Hyeok stepped forward and suddenly brandished the [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] in my direction, then drew a very tiny circle on the ground around my feet.

“You do not step beyond this line.”

“Eh?”

“Move one step, and I’ll kill you.”

And then, Yogoes’ necks began flying away next.

His sword technique on display was beautiful enough to entrance the viewers. His swordsmanship had taken yet another major leap forward when compared to before, making it impossible to imagine just how far he had to push himself to reach such a realm.

“You’re doing okay, Pigsy!”

“Go get them!”

Even before I noticed it, both Yi Gil-Yeong and Shin Yu-Seung were standing next to me and cheering on. We stood there and spectated on Yu Jung-Hyeok soloing the great army of Yogoes.

[Judge, ‘Prisoner of the Golden Headband’, feels happy about this pleasing and relaxing progression of the story.]

Only now did I finally understand the deeper meaning of Han Su-Yeong author-nim’s firm resolution. Indeed, the story of the retired Sun Wukong was a pretty good one.

[Judge, ‘Cleanser of Altars’, is drunk on the coolness of himself.]

[Judge, ‘Meihouwang’, is slightly dissatisfied by the cool-looking Zhu Bajie.]

[30 additional points have been acquired.]

It was around this point in time that I heard a rather numinous voice resounding out from the skies above.

[Wait! Stop your actions!]

The half-dead Yogoes screamed loudly and began prostrating on the ground. The skies above the village opened up, and a Constellation kitted out in a Taoist robe made his entrance.

Judging from his attire, I was pretty sure that he was Taishang Laojun (the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord).

[Oh, Conquering King Zhu Bajie, those Yogoes you have slain are pigs that I reared back in my palace in Tushita. They escaped after fearing their fate of being served up on the heaven’s dining table, so show them sympathy and allow me to take the surviving ones away.]

Yup, that pattern had finally shown up.

The entirety of the Journey to the West’s plot unfolded in such a fashion. An event would occur, the culprit would be revealed as a Yogoe, and when it was about to be vanquished, some weird Taoist dude would suddenly pop up and say “Actually, that Yogoe is XX that I’d been rearing” before taking it away with him.

[A portion of judges are awarding extra points for the development that reflect the original work.]

[30 additional points have been added!]

Of course, there was no way I’d let such a development slide without saying something, what with my twisted disposition and all. “If you were planning to take them away anyway, why didn’t you come and help the villagers from the beginning?”

[My apologies. I was somewhat occupied earlier….]

Nope, actually, you couldn’t be bothered earlier.

Even in reality, countless Constellations of <Emperor> rarely tried to aid their Incarnations, just like now, when they had prior knowledge on what was going on in the scenarios.

“Take them away.”

[Thank you.]

Yu Jung-Hyeok gave his permission, and Taishang Laojun ascended up to the sky along with his ‘pigs’.

(Once Taishang Laojun took his pigs away, peace finally visited this rural village.)

A normal story would’ve come to an end here.

But then, my [Fiery Golden Eyes] suddenly stung and the outer appearances of the Yogoes leaving alongside with Taishang Laojun wavered about greatly.

[….Don’t want…. go]

[….For how long….]

I heard the Yogoes’ voices, their tone sounding eerily familiar. Even though they luckily avoided getting killed, none of them looked happy about it. How should I put this?

It was as if they wanted to die in this place, instead.

*

“This village is now yours. Although you’ll have to operate the factory by yourselves, you won’t go empty-bellied like in the past.”

With that, Yu Jung-Hyeok joined our little group.

The villagers held a tearful farewell party for us before we left. Or more specifically, they seemed to be disappointed not of us leaving, but due to Yu Jung-Hyeok going with us….

“Chet. I wanted to beat him up and then drag him away.”

Once the party ended, Yi Gil-Yeong and Shin Yu-Seung set off on the road again, and I followed after them as well. Meanwhile, Yu Jung-Hyeok was keeping a few steps of distance away from us.

What an awkward atmosphere this was.

Now that I thought about it, I had no clue what Yu Jung-Hyeok was like around my other companions when I wasn’t around.

I ended up worrying about him and so, I had to say something. “Excuse me, Junior Brother. Why don’t you walk closer to us?”

“….And who’s your ‘junior’ now?”

That idiot glared back at me with incredibly intimidating eyes and I couldn’t say anything else.

Meanwhile, the kids sidled up to my side and began chatting away in happiness.

“Hey, Demon King of Salvation, you did alright back there.”

“If you haven’t discovered the truth about those Yogoes back then, we might have ended up in a big disaster, disciple-nim.”

To be honest, I hadn’t done anything of note. Yu Jung-Hyeok killed Yogoes, and the one who saved the village was also him. All I did was spectate from the sidelines and say a couple of lines. Even then, kids were busy praising me, not him.

I glanced at him. As if he hadn’t heard anything, he concentrated on polishing his [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword].

⸢In that moment, Kim Dok-Ja began wondering for the first time ever. ‘How did my companions see Yu Jung-Hyeok while I’m not around?⸥

Not too long afterwards, it became evening.

Gathered firewood burned brightly and we formed a small circle around the campfire to bathe in its warmth. It felt almost as if we were out camping.

It was Yu Jung-Hyeok who oh-so-suddenly decided to act like a wet blanket in this pleasant atmosphere.

“I shall act on my own from now on.”

His voice sounded utterly disinterested, as if he was still polishing his damn sword, prompting me to respond unconsciously. “What do you mean by that?”

“Going to India and fetching the ‘sacred texts’ will end this journey, is it not? I alone will be sufficient for this task. I shall go there and….”

“You must not do that!”

Indeed, Zhu Bajie using his Cloud Riding technique, or even me utilising the Somersault Cloud, would reach India in the blink of an eye. For sure, Sun Wukong mentioned this fact back in the original story too, and when I was much younger, I also questioned the logic behind it as well.

⸢Why didn’t Sun Wukong go and get the texts by himself?⸥

I now had a better understanding of why he didn’t.

“If you do that, then there will be no meaning to this story.”

Taking over fourteen years of slow crawling to cross the distance short enough to traverse in one night – that time existed for the sole purpose of completing the story that was the ‘Journey to the West’.

However, Yu Jung-Hyeok’s thoughts were different. “I don’t have the time to waste here.”

“This trip should not be that long. It’ll definitely not take over 14 years for us, so please be patient. Progressing according to the itinerary while meeting the rest of our companions should prove to be a good experience for you.”

He must’ve found it unexpected that I said those words, because he began staring at me while speaking up. “You are not one of my companions.”

Yup, of course.

There was no way that this deeply-suspicious-of-everyone Yu Jung-Hyeok would believe me.

“I know that.”

Silence descended among the group.

Yi Gil-Yeong wordlessly tossed a pebble inside the campfire, while Shin Yu-Seung nervously studied Yu Jung-Hyeok’s and my current moods, her fingers fidgeting around with the soil on the ground.

It was then we heard the sound of a stomach growling loudly. Yi Gil-Yeong frowned tearfully and rubbed his belly.

“I’m starving….”

I grinned slightly and pulled something out from my inner pocket. “Would you like some dumplings?”

It was my secret stash of dumplings that I made while walking on that ‘Dumpling Road’.

Yi Gil-Yeong warily eyed me but still received a dumpling anyway. He eventually bit into it. His eyes opened up real wide, his irises trembling powerfully.

“What the heck?! This is so much tastier than what I ate back in the factory!”

Of course, it was tastier. It simply had to.

[A portion of the audience members are getting really curious about the taste of ‘Murim dumplings’.]

I sensed Yu Jung-Hyeok [999] flinch ever so slightly on my shoulder.

In the meantime, I handed the dumplings over to Shin Yu-Seung and Yu Jung-Hyeok as well.

The latter frowned and shook his head. “I don’t eat food made by other people.”

“Other people didn’t make this.”

He seemed deeply puzzled by that. Most likely, he had no idea what I was talking about. He then glared at the [Murim dumpling] resting before his eyes with some suspicion, but eventually made up his mind and cautiously reached out to it.

And very slowly, so very slowly, as if he was studying his new enemy, brought the dumpling near his nose.

“….This aroma??”

That’s right, eat that damn dumpling, you bastard.

Yu Jung-Hyeok continued his pained deliberation over and over again, and in the end, brought the dumpling towards his lips very slowly. As if he was tearing into the neck of the enemy commander, he took a small bite out of it.

Yi Gil-Yeoung, Shin Yu-Seung, and I tensely observed the sight of him chewing the dumpling. Even the chef [999] on my shoulder had stopped moving and waited for the dude’s reaction.

Gulp.

Yu Jung-Hyeok finally finished swallowing his initial mouthful, then proceeded to take another bite. Very, very slowly, the frown on his forehead disappeared. His lips bobbed up and down in great haste.

The speed at which he consumed the dumpling increased. Second bite, third bite….

Eventually, his hand reached out to the second dumpling. But then, he flinched and stopped, and began glaring at me instead.

“What are you looking at?”

I sneakily averted my gaze and began chowing the dumplings as well.

….If I used the [Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint] here, I might have heard something much more entertaining just now, but well, I swore not to use that anymore, so….

“….It’s not that bad, I suppose.”

I heard Yu Jung-Hyeok’s nearly-inaudible muttering and quietly looked up at the sky. The stars of the night sky sparkled as they looked down at us, as if the destruction of the world was a story belonging to a distant realm.

While chewing the dumpling, I began thinking this for the first time. That I wouldn’t have minded this story going on for a little while longer.

*

[Deep night has arrived.]

[‘Journey to the West Remake’ System will enter one hour of maintenance.]

The darkness descending was pitch-black. Everyone had fallen asleep.

Sun Wukong used his arm as his pillow and began snoring away, and as for the pair of Tang Sanzangs, they used each of the Monkey King’s legs as their own pillows to sleep as well. They must’ve been fatigued by the journey.

However, a shadow quietly stood up, utilising this dead of night where the messages from the audience members and the judges had disappeared temporarily.

It was Yu Jung-Hyeok.

He silently unsheathed [Dark Heavenly Demon Sword] and approached the sleeping Sun Wukong.

And very slowly, he pointed the tip of his blade against the sleeping figure.

<Episode 81. A dumpling’s reminiscence (2)> Fin.