Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

Dragon Slayer turned into a dragon.

Why?

Because so-called Dragon Slayers only knew that by killing the dragon, people could live good days and not be oppressed.

However, they were unaware that the oppression of the common people was never due to any particular dragon, but rather the world and system that turned heroes into dragons.

The background of this history lesson was set in such a world and system.

Like the naively idealistic Ming Lun, he was firm in his beliefs and followed Zhang Muzhi to become a bandit. As the true successor of Zhang Muzhi, his thoughts were naturally progressive, refusing to conform to worldly corruption.

Unfortunately, such people are ultimately lonely.

In a world where everyone else wallowed in mire, to remain unsoiled and pure without being seductive was perhaps nothing but a dream?

In both sentiment and logic, whether Ming Lun was right or wrong, he would be ostracized by society.

This was indeed his tragedy.

His nature was too rigid.

Too rigid, and likely to break.

Unless Ming Lun's "rigidity" transcended the worldly, or rather, if he possessed the strength of Su Jie, then naturally, all would be at peace.

Unfortunately, dragons do not dwell with snakes.

This can also be interpreted this way: Once one has reached a certain realm and interacts with others at that level, they have less contact with the lower levels.

Returning to the point, those who have cultivated to higher realms find it akin to a dimensional strike in this lower order, unsuitable for overt appearance therein.

Thus, this is why the few from Ming Lun only appear in certain significant occasions or merely divide a portion of their spirit to serve as teachers in the academy.

Su Jie thought a lot and finally returned to calm, canceled the pause, allowed the scene to continue, and continued, "Reality is often tragic, especially in this historic period."

"Sun Shouyi was just a vendor selling cold noodles, he did not pursue truth or justice, nor did he chase ideals. If he hadn't been at gunpoint, he would indeed stand for justice like these bystanders, even if it was just justice in his heart."

"But when their own interests and others' justice are weighed on the scales, they will choose their own without hesitation."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts trembled.

Putting themselves in that situation, when their interests and others' fairness were placed on the scales, how would they choose?

Silence, contemplation, and finally an answer emerged.

Their thoughts were not noble.

Perhaps they could nobly claim they would sacrifice their interests for others' fairness, but what would happen when it truly came to that?

They were all Sun Shouyi.

Zhao Xinglong saw through everyone's thoughts and pointed out, "Today is not this stormy era, but the principle is the same; remember the meaning of the word Ming Lun."

"Of course, this is Ming Lun's education. The choice you will make in the future is up to you; we at Ming Lun will not forcibly change your will and thoughts."

Although he said this, Zhao Xinglong understood that among this group of students, some might eventually return to the outer court.

This is not to say that some of them, like Sun Shouyi, would betray their conscience for personal benefit to survive, which is understandable and human nature.

Just as Sun Shouyi thought, lying is not a capital crime.

However, once "lying" occurs, it signifies hesitation in the spirit, and if the spirit is not steadfast, there is no hope of future enlightenment. It would be better to go to the outer courts, graduate, find a good job, and live a stable life.

This is the harsh reality.

[Humble is the pass for the humble; noble, the epitaph for the noble.]

[When Sun Shouyi, the vendor of cold noodles, said it was "two bowls," Ming Lun felt all his spirit dissipating and set down the gun in his hand.]

["Alas~" At this moment, a sigh was heard from among the onlooking crowd, further shattering Ming Lun's last bit of rationality.]

[Why the sigh?]

[In Ming Lun's heart, this sigh was rich with meaning—"I said it's two bowls!" "The county chief and Huang are of the same ilk!" "Both the county chief and his son are unfair!"]

[Amid the crowd's indifference, Ming Lun, looking at Hu Wan covering his triumphant smile, coldly said, "You are an evil man."]

[Then, Ming Lun pulled out a knife and plunged it into his own belly: "Worse than evil, huh? I'm fucking more evil than you!"]

"The onlooking crowd, earlier, was numb and expressionless, but when that knife plunged into Ming Lun's belly, they stood up." Su Jie didn't pause the progression of the scene but merely observed the NPC crowd with eyes filled not with rage, but deep sorrow.

Why hadn't they been willing to stand up before, yet now, because of this knife, they couldn't tear their eyes away?

Because for them, truth and fairness were not as interesting as this knife.

When a true idealist, a revolutionary, died for the people, the people just wanted to see how many bowls of noodles were inside his belly!

Nothing could be more tragic.

Although this history lesson had not yet ended, by this point, Su Jie was truly able to understand why Lu Xun, Mr. Fujino, and others had written such articles and why they had lamented.

In Su Jie's eyes, this was not just a history lesson, but also a spiritual practice.

As the scene continued, amid the disembowelment, the candidate continued to urge Ming Lun to split his belly, and the onlooking crowd did nothing to stop it.

In their eyes, the spectacle was far more important than a human life.

And when the young lad held out the bowl, retrieving that one bowl of watery, mush-like jelly—

Hu Wan laughed.

But this smile was complex.

Hu Wan's face was somewhat pale, though corners of his lips were turned up, a look of incomprehension gleamed in his eyes.

Happy, yet perplexed.

Happy about what?

The boy had actually disemboweled himself!

Perplexed about what?

The boy had actually disemboweled himself.

In Hu Wan's scheme, he wanted the boy dead, but not in such a manner; he had never imagined someone would actually disembowel himself over a bowl of jelly to prove his innocence.

He couldn't understand, absolutely couldn't understand, even thought the boy was a bit foolish.

At the moment the lad showcased to everyone that he had only a bowl of jelly, Hu Wan suddenly seemed to understand something—he wanted to trade his own death for everyone else's awakening.

But it failed.

By then, Hu Wan had realized that the boy was a true idealistic revolutionary, who, if he could awaken the people, wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his life.

However, the death of the boy would not awaken anyone; it would only make people think the boy was mad.

To kill oneself by disembowelment over a bowl of jelly.

If that wasn't madness, what was?

From the perspective of bystanders like Su Jie and others, it was clear who was the most laughable—the crowd.

This chapter is part of the collection on MV2LEMP2YR.

But in the context of this era, the most laughable person was only the boy at the center, the focus of the crowd.

[As the boy loudly proclaimed his innocence to everyone, but—]

[No one cared.]

[People just walked away without a word.]

[The boy looked towards Hu Wan, since the public didn't care, then at least he could lead Hu Wan to die; however, Hu Wan slowly stood up, wiping the tears from the corner of his eye, saying, "I know you only had one bowl, you were deceived."]

[During the speech, another tear trickled from the corner of Hu Wan's eyes.]

This time, everyone saw clearly, that murky teardrop.

"After the boy disemboweled himself, the martial scholar immediately ran off to find a doctor, but we all know he was definitely going to claim credit with Huang," Su Jie said indifferently, looking at Hu Wan who seemed pleased, "But Hu Wan didn't, because he couldn't, because he was once just like the boy."

"Look closely, was his smile really one of pleasure?"

"Yes, but it's mixed with too much."

"Hu Wan is a normal person, just like everyone else, he can't stand the stench of human intestines, but he stayed after everyone left, just to mock a man who absolutely couldn't be saved?"

"That would be too foolish. He couldn't have failed to think that people like Zhang Muzhi are currently rushing this way. His staying only increased the likelihood of being killed by the furious Zhang Muzhi."

"For Hu Wan, the boy might just represent his past self, shedding tears, not those of a crocodile, but rather to bury his former self."

"He has died, both intellectually and spiritually."

Zhao Xinglong applauded.

"You see it very clearly."

"In this era, there are countless boys like him, some, like the one before us, sacrifice themselves for the revolution, dying worthlessly; others die to awaken the masses."

"And the majority of them, give up their persistence and become 'Hu Wan'."

This was a unique history lesson.

The students were deeply moved.

"Hu Wan actually understands the boy the most, doesn't he?"

"He said the boy 'was deceived'; it shouldn't be that he deceit the boy, after all, it was just over a bowl of jelly, and those bystanders know it. They claim to seek fairness, but when fairness is presented before them, they turn a blind eye, even avoid seeing it."

"Yes, the boy didn't fall for Hu Wan's tricks, because Hu Wan never deceived the boy from the beginning to the end, the boy was driven to death by that group of onlookers."

"Hu Wan's tears are not only for himself but also for the boy, and more so for this tragic world, because in such times, most people will become him, become Huang."

"Hu Wan, too, was once the boy."

Listening to his classmates speak as if they were delegates in a language class, Su Jie smiled knowingly, not caring whether they truly understood or were just moved to speak; he needed to make a summary:

"People always have two sides."

"Even the greediest of men have their sincere side; even the most despicable have their idealistic side."

"In the future, we mustn't grasp onto the other's vices and greed to establish our own righteousness, and thus criticize; otherwise, we are no different from the so-called Huang or Hu Wan."

"Wisdom, then, requires us to grasp at true feelings and ideals, devising ways to make them our allies, to achieve our common goals!"