Chapter 53: Sun TaoTao

After determining that this place was very likely a fragment world of a parallel world where that “Great Sage” dwells — it sounds a bit awkward to say, but aside from high-level civilizations like witches that can fix their species’ destiny-lines, the appearance of parallel worlds is actually quite normal.

Jiang Cha then knew what she needed to do.

“Monkey Girl, why don’t you try to compete for the Monkey King position?”

From her hiding place on the periphery of the monkey group, perched in the treetops, the girl asked with curiosity.

After all, the Water Curtain Cave story is the origin point of everything. If that Great Sage had never been caught into the conflict, maybe he would have simply lived out a mundane life as a common little demon-monkey.

The later legends of Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Monkey King, Fighting Buddhahood and so forth would have nothing to do with him.

“Why fight for that ghost of a thing? What benefit is there?”

The monkey girl curled her lips in disdain, looking at the waterfall with scorn in her eyes.

“Aren’t monkeys naturally born wanting to compete for leadership?”

“I’m a demon, not a common monkey. And anyway, what you called is a male monkey — what does that have to do with Monkey Sister me?”

“…..”

Jiang Cha hadn’t thought of that.

But this raised a problem: if this monkey girl had absolutely no desire to compete, then how would the “play” of this world run?

The girl pondered and decided to wait and observe for a while.

She wasn’t quite certain what the “script” of this world was.

Monkey Girl and Jiang Cha fell silent there in the trees, while on the mountainside the monkey demons finally hashed out a regulation.

It must be said, primates are really good at internal strife. On this small Flower-Fruit Mountain, they divided into three monkey tribes. The leaders of the three tribes fought a battle, deliberated for three days, and the result was very simple and blunt:

Whoever enters the Water Curtain Cave first becomes the Monkey King.

“Hey, Monkey Girl, you’ve lived out here so long—haven’t you ever known any monkeys?”

Watching those monkeys jump into the waterfall and then flow back out, Jiang Cha, a bit impatient with the silence, spoke up.

“No.”

“Your social connections are really bad~.”

Jiang Cha’s gentle laugh seemed to irritate the monkey girl; she scratched at her ear and cheeks a bit, but didn’t kick back. She only snorted coldly with a distant tone.

“Sticking together for survival—that’s for the weak.”

She did have the grounds to say that.

Leaving aside the fact that that Great Sage is essentially distinct from these monkey demons, even the Monkey Girl in her current strength was enough to one-on-one defeat those monkeys below.

“Hey, look, that little monkey over there looks a lot like you.”

“…..”

Monkey Girl had been intending to ignore the talkative Jiang Cha, regretting why she bothered to accompany her here to watch monkeys play “male vs female monkey race,” but at that instant she drifted over a glance—and froze.

It was a small female monkey who had just stepped forward, face timid and scared, clearly forced into the contest. Her strength was poor, and she was at the lowest tier in the tribe.

By all rights, this small female monkey shouldn’t have been called upon at all—but…

“Looks like someone in the tribe wants that little female monkey dead. Tsk tsk. Internal strife in monkey tribes is harsh.”

If that little female monkey had any advantage, it was that she was at least relatively pretty. Without thinking too hard, Jiang Cha could already guess some of the hidden reasons behind it.

But she teased in a playful tone, as though the incident was nothing:

After all, even if the lives in the world fragment are just soulless shells, what difference does it make? It’s just a monkey.

“Damn, these bastards—none with real strength, but they’re top of internal conflict… Little human girl, wait here. I’ll go and be back soon.”

“Eh?”

Jiang Cha was taken aback.

But in the instant she was distracted, the Monkey Girl somersaulted out, rushing ahead of the hesitant female monkey into the waterfall.

‘…What’s this? World correction or historical inevitability?’

Jiang Cha had reason to believe that even if she hadn’t brought the Monkey Girl here, circumstances would have forced her to enter the cave to save that little female monkey somehow. She would then become the Monkey King, and for her descendants she would battle demons and gods, eventually causing havoc in Heaven and being sealed by the Tathāgata — the familiar storyline.

To bear a crown is to accept the weight. Even if external factors influence it, the moment the Monkey Girl becomes King, causality becomes tangled with her irrevocably.

“Ugh, I’m starting to regret dragging her here so hastily.”

Mainly because Jiang Cha didn’t expect that in this story, the Monkey Girl would enter the Water Curtain Cave to save someone.

Indeed, you can’t take what a tsundere says at face value.

Especially golden‑haired tsundere—never trust a single word from them.

“Monkey King is born! Monkey King is born!”

“Which subordinate is this, so valiant and powerful!”

Seeing that sudden figure emerge intact from the waterfall, the entire monkey tribe became chaotic with excitement.

But the Monkey Girl paid them no heed. She directly returned beside Jiang Cha.

“I say… you do not think that by doing this you can avoid trouble, do you?”

Jiang Cha, with half‑open eyes, muttered softly.

“…. We’ll delay for one more day. I can’t manage the rest.”

“Fair enough.”

The so-called Water Curtain Cave was actually a natural cave opening. Whether anyone had lived inside before was unknown. As long as someone broke its sealing, entering would no longer be difficult. Otherwise, a thin waterfall curtain could not possibly hold back a group of monkey demons.

In the following days, everything remained calm.

“Monkey Girl, do you have a name? I can’t keep calling you ‘Monkey Girl’ forever, can I?”

“No. You?”

She plucked a peach and turned to face Jiang Cha.

“I clearly have a name. But exchanging names feels too one‑sided if only I do it…”

The girl sat on a tree branch, swinging her little legs, head bent in thought. Then with a clap of her hands she cried excitedly:

“How about I give you a name then?”

“Go away. Why give me a human name?”

Monkey Girl waved her hand dismissively, but Jiang Cha paid no heed.

After all, golden‑haired tsundere is classic — believing a single word they say is foolish.

“You agreed? Okay, let me think… Since you’re a monkey, your surname must be Sun then.”

“I already said I don’t want any name.”

“‘Xing’er’ and ‘Wukong’ are too masculine. Let’s pick something cute…”

“How about Sun TaoTao? It’s cute and easy to remember.”

“You asking for a beating?”

“If you like it, even better!”

Monkey Girl: “…..”

…