"What? You’re saying... our father... is the Divine Monkey Great General of the Domain of Myriad Demons?"
Lan Niang and her sister Hong Ji were joyfully strolling through the streets of the capital of Xiuyuan Kingdom when they encountered the old white ape.
The old white ape revealed their origins to them, leaving them astonished.
"Yes. Back then, the Divine Monkey Great General had urgent duties and had to prioritize the common people! It’s not that he didn’t search for you; he searched for over a decade." The old white ape’s acting was exquisite. He heaved a deep sigh, his face a mask of distress. Especially when speaking of the Divine Monkey Great General, he made it seem as if the general had suffered immense hardship over the years trying to find his two daughters.
"Young ladies, please come with me now to meet my lord. He is waiting for you in the tavern," the old white ape said.
He knew that the Divine Monkey Great General was determined to recognize these two daughters and bring them back into the fold. They had a role to play in the Divine Monkey Great General’s grand ambitions for hegemony.
As for why the old white ape was so eager to help the Divine Monkey Great General? First, they were both from the Monkey Clan. Second, a gentleman gives his life for a lord who appreciates him. What strategist doesn’t dream of his lord achieving the destiny of a king?
Lan Niang, gentle by nature, now believed her father had suffered greatly to find them, and she couldn’t wait to meet him.
Hong Ji, however, with her spirited personality, wasn’t so easily moved. She snorted. After all these years of not searching, he suddenly finds us now? No matter how she thought about it, something seemed off.
"Sister," Hong Ji said after a moment of contemplation, "let’s go ask the Sect Leader first. If the Sect Leader approves, then we can go meet this ’father’ of ours."
Hearing this, the old white ape feared that any delay would bring complications. Wu Tian’s background was impossible to investigate.
Why were the Flying Leaf Sect and Qian Zhong Country destroyed? No one knew, because any outsider who might have known was already dead.
The Divine Monkey Great General speculated that the Great Heavenly King of Dogs had a hand in it. As a fifth-rank Heavenly King himself, the Divine Monkey Great General was acutely aware of the power of the Great Heavenly King of Dogs. He believed that only the Great Heavenly King of Dogs possessed the strength to annihilate Qian Zhong Country and the Flying Leaf Sect in a single day.
Even so, Wu Tian’s background remained a complete mystery. Unless absolutely necessary, the Divine Monkey Great General did not want to offend him.
The old white ape thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly welled with tears. "Young ladies, I beg you, please go see my lord. All these years searching for you, he has lost all appetite for food and drink. It pains this old servant to even watch."
Seeing this, Lan Niang turned to Hong Ji. "Let’s just go see him. We can tell the Sect Leader later."
Hong Ji hesitated, but seeing her sister’s firm resolve and urgency, she could only nod.
Lan Niang desperately wanted to reunite with her father and find her roots.
Hong Ji was different. Her temperament wasn’t so forgiving. You abandoned us for so many years, and now you think you can just take us back? What do you take us for?
"Follow me." Seeing that both Lan Niang and Hong Ji had taken the bait, the old white ape smiled faintly and personally led the way.
Little did they know, this scene was witnessed by Dao Feng and the little fellow. Dao Feng was out looking for a drink, while the little fellow had come out simply because she was bored and looking for someone to put in their place. She certainly hadn’t expected to see this.
Dao Feng remarked with feeling, "They’ve finally learned their origins and found their father. I’m happy for them."
"I pity them," the little fellow said with a sigh.
Dao Feng frowned slightly. Why would she say something like that?
"I’ll keep following them. You go tell my dad," the little fellow said, finding the situation highly amusing. Without waiting for Dao Feng to agree or disagree, she acted first and asked for permission later, trailing after them.
Dao Feng’s brow furrowed, but he had no choice but to go find Wu Tian.
「In a tavern within the capital of Xiuyuan Kingdom, the Divine Monkey Great General was drinking.」
Members of the Monster Race could take human form. Although the Divine Monkey Great General currently appeared as a middle-aged man in his forties and not in his true monkey form, he still possessed an imposing air of authority that commanded respect without anger. The casual furrow of his brow, however, revealed that his mind was troubled.
This was a performance coached by the old white ape, who had advised him that to win his daughters back, he had to orchestrate a pity ploy. The Divine Monkey Great General trusted his Strategist completely, so he did exactly as he was told.
"General, the two young ladies have arrived," the old white ape’s voice called out at that moment.
The Divine Monkey Great General feigned such excitement that the wine cup in his hand smashed to the ground. He leaped to his feet, looking eagerly toward Lan Niang and Hong Ji.
Tears welled in his eyes. As a Great General, his acting skills were the real deal.
He walked toward them, his body trembling and his voice shaking. "Are... are you... my... precious daughters?"
"Father!" Lan Niang called out, though the word felt foreign on her tongue.
As an orphan, every time she saw other children with a father while she had none, her heart would ache with sorrow. Now that her father had appeared, she felt a pang of bitterness and longed to speak of it.
"Hmph." Hong Ji, on the other hand, gave a cold snort and questioned him directly, "Divine Monkey Great General, foremost Military Strategist of the Domain of Myriad Demons. Tell me, if you couldn’t find us before, how is it that you suddenly found us now?"
The Divine Monkey Great General’s brow furrowed slightly; this daughter would be difficult to handle.
But he answered with great earnestness, "Do you think your father didn’t look for you? For all these years, I have been searching endlessly! How many times did the ministers impeach me for neglecting my military duties? But I kept searching! Through how many battles did my heart burn with anxiety, terrified that you might be caught in the crossfire? How many nights did I wake from my dreams, wondering if my two precious daughters were living well?"
He paused. This formidable Great General, a pillar of strength, was now choked with sobs.
"Father," Lan Niang began to cry as well. "It is our fault. We thought all these years you hadn’t looked for us, that you didn’t want us."
"No, how could I not want you?" The Divine Monkey Great General shook his head. His performance had to be convincing. "It is my fault. Will you forgive your father?"
With that, the Divine Monkey Great General prepared to kneel.
"General, you mustn’t! For a father to kneel to his daughters... this goes against the laws of heaven!" the old white ape cried out, rushing over to stop him.
Lan Niang reacted quickly and also hurried to hold him back. "Father, I forgive you! I’ve already forgiven you!"
"And what about Hong Ji?" The Divine Monkey Great General turned to her, his face a mask of anxiety, looking as if he would try to kneel again. "You... you still won’t forgive me?"
"I forgive you." Age and experience would always prevail; with this cunning move, the Great General breached even Hong Ji’s defenses.
"Good, good, good." The Divine Monkey Great General laughed, now impatient to set his plan in motion and arrange for his two daughters to enter the inner palace.
"Father has never had the chance to properly care for you. Come with me now." His voice was sincere as he pursed his lips. "Let’s go back to our home. Let me take care of you from now on. Please, give your father this chance, will you?"
Lan Niang and Hong Ji looked at the Divine Monkey Great General’s face, which was filled with concern.
Just as they were about to agree, a young and playful voice rang out.
"Your act is pretty convincing, but unfortunately, you can’t fool me."