NOVEL NEXT Chapter 198: Question Card, The Answer Unknown to All!
Chapter 198: Question Card, The Answer Unknown to All!
Faced with such a huge disparity, Lu Ya could only try to clear his mind quickly, determined to answer the question correctly. He certainly didn't want to end up with nothing in the end.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat was once again abuzz with discussions.
[Sun Wukong: So it's a question and answer game to get rewards? I thought we could ask the Body List questions to learn some hidden secrets!]
[Erlang Shen: Only the owner of the Question Card can answer the question. The rest of us can only watch from the sidelines.]
[Ancestor Minghe: Still, it's kind of fun. Lu Ya seems a bit unhappy, though. I just hope that when it's my turn, they don't give me a difficult question. I'd be satisfied with any random reward.]
At this point, Lu Ya didn't even bother interacting with the other powerful figures in the livestream. He was entirely focused on the screen, eager to find out what the question would be.
Soon, the question appeared—but it only confused Lu Ya even more. Instead of a written question, a scene was shown.
The scene depicted four people and a horse.
Leading the group was a monk dressed in a golden kasaya, holding a monk's staff, with fair skin and a face radiating serenity. The light of Buddha surrounded him, clearly marking him as an enlightened monk.
The next figure, however, was someone everyone recognized—it was a monkey, none other than Sun Wukong, who had been very active in the livestream. But most people didn't understand why Sun Wukong appeared in the scene, especially since the current Sun Wukong was still trapped beneath Five Elements Mountain.
Behind the monkey was a pig demon with considerable magical abilities. He kept muttering about being too tired, clearly grumbling about the long journey.
The last figure was a burly monk with a full beard and a fierce expression. Around his neck was a necklace made of human skulls, giving him a fearsome appearance. Yet, he walked at the rear of the group, carrying a load without complaint.
Finally, there was a white horse, led by the bearded monk. The horse was majestic, and there was a faint hint of a dragon's figure in its outline.
As this scene flashed by, the question appeared:
"Who is the first monk in the scene a reincarnation of?"
"You may consult those around you, but they cannot answer for you. Time is limited; if you don't answer within twelve hours, the Question Card will expire, and the reward will vanish!"
This question left Lu Ya completely stumped. He had never had a good relationship with Buddhism, so how could he possibly know which high monk the figure in the scene was a reincarnation of? This was the kind of question only someone from Buddhism might know, not an outsider like him.
Four people and a horse, and the only one Lu Ya recognized was the monkey in the middle.
At a loss for how to respond, Lu Ya decided to ask Sun Wukong directly.
[Lu Ya: Monkey, why are you in that scene? What's your connection to the monk? Who is that monk reincarnated from? Tell me quickly!]
[Sun Wukong: I'm as confused as you! How would I know? I've never been through anything like this!]
[Curtain-Lifting General: Why do I feel like the fourth person looks like me?]
[Ancestor Minghe: Sun Wukong, you appear in the scene. How could you not know? Are you purposely keeping it from Lu Ya?]
[Sun Wukong: Don't accuse me, old man! I'm telling the truth. I don't know what's going on either. I don't remember anything about that scene!]
[Taiyi Zhenren: Well, this makes things difficult. If even Sun Wukong, who's in the scene, doesn't know, how is anyone supposed to know who the monk is reincarnated from?]
While everyone was discussing, the high-ranking members of Buddhism and the Jade Emperor Haotian were in turmoil. Others might not recognize these figures, but they certainly did. The figures were the reincarnated Jin Chanzi, Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse.
These were the individuals they had already chosen to journey west to retrieve the scriptures, marking the beginning of this great tribulation. Only a few high-ranking figures knew about this plan.
The sudden appearance of this future scene in the livestream shocked them. Moreover, the fact that it showed events hundreds of years in the future made them even more alarmed.
At the same time, they felt an even deeper reverence for the Body List. Initially, the rankings and the rewards only demonstrated the List's power, but this ability to foresee the future made them realize the List was on par with the Dao of Heaven itself.
Knowing this, those in the know remained absolutely silent, not daring to reveal a single word.
[Sun Wukong: This is driving me crazy! Is that monkey really me? If it is, why don't I remember anything? But if it isn't me, why does it look exactly like me?!]
[Chiyou: Who could know? You don't even know yourself. It's not like that monkey is one of your clones!]
[Taiyi Zhenren: Could it be that the scene is not from the past or present, but from the future? If it's the future, that would explain why Sun Wukong has no memory of it. No one has the power to erase his memories at his level!]
[Ancestor Minghe: Now that you mention it, that's actually a reasonable explanation. No wonder Sun Wukong doesn't recognize himself.]
[Sun Wukong: Me, in the future? Impossible! You expect me to follow some smelly monk around? I'd rather die! It's clearly fake!]
[Guanyin Bodhisattva: Don't speak so rashly, monkey. You don't know what the future holds. You may change your mind one day!]
[Sun Wukong: Get lost! I don't want anything to do with you Buddhists, much less follow a monk around! Protecting a monk? Dream on!]
Guanyin Bodhisattva, knowing that Sun Wukong had already been chosen for the mission, was subtly hinting at his future. She didn't directly expose the truth.
However, Sun Wukong, having been imprisoned beneath Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha, bore a deep grudge against all Buddhists. He held no goodwill toward them and was filled with resentment.
But no matter how much he struggled or resisted, it was already decided that he had no choice but to accept his fate. In the deal between Buddhism and the Heavenly Palace, Sun Wukong didn't yet have the power to break free.
Even if he fought with all his might, in the end, he could only accept his destiny.