On the bumping carriage, we found ourselves gathered in a circle, listening to Pangu talk.

  The carriage was currently on auto stroll, a feature that did not previously exist, but did so now.

  When we asked how he made it happen, he shrugged and spoke.

  "I made it do it." And despite their probing he was insistent on this nonsensical statement.

  The old man had Leon and Willow on his lap.

  When I asked why, he smiled with a wistful smile.

  "It reminds me of when I was raising my very own children."

  He paused as wistfulness became bitterness.

  "They grew up too fast unfortunately. Now they're older and always nagging me, warning me not to do anything temperamental.

  Me? I'm not the one that taught that victorious ape!

  And those witches weren't born infants. No, they came out straight ruffians born of my flesh they did.

  So I miss having a little one hopping on my knee. Those moments are few and far between"

  He mused, recalling many memories.

  The old man was practically a walking history book, but juicier and filled with more gossip.

  He talked easily with little prodding, being in a clearly talkative mood.

  Of course, he spent most of it, talking facing towards the children, with us playing second fiddle.

  Ouch.

  Still, we learned much because of it.

  "So the journey to the west was a conspiracy?"

  Servante asked, clearly the most inquisitive, and bookish, pointing out multiple plot points throughout the story which seemed clearly suspicious.

  Hearing this, the old man shrugged.

  "Depends. If you mean the eighty-one difficulties, then no, there were definitely eighty-one difficulties.

  Was it a journey west to mount lingshan, sure.

  Did sun Wukong storm Lingxao palace and escape unscathed? Yes.

  In these regards, no, it wasn't a conspiracy. "

  "But it doesn't make sense. Sun Wukong can scare off Taishang Laojun, but can't beat his mount and boys?

  And the fact that Sun Wukong was utterly suppressed by the nine-headed lion, who was easily subdued by Taiyi Juku Tianzun, yet Taiyi Juku Tianzun is clearly a rank below the jade emperor, yet the book claims that Sun Wukong chased him all over the place.

  It just doesn't make sense. So It's clearly an act put on!"

  Servante persisted, pointing out the obvious flaws in journey to the west, as well as the obvious mounts and guardian beasts that appeared consistently throughout journey to the west.

  Pangu blinked innocently. "I didn't say anything about part of it being staged.

  And just because part of it was staged, doesn't diminish the point of the story, nor does it deny the difficulties of the journey.

  The boys, mounts and guardians truly did their worst on that journey, doing their best to block the journey. Their failure was genuine, as were the deaths of evil demons spread throughout."

  "But why?" Servante asked, and Pangu chuckled.

  "That's the core of it all. That's what you're really asking. What would push immortals to set up such a stage, and put on this show right?

  No point in dancing around the topic child. Just ask." Pangu ruthlessly exposed Servante's real goal.

  "Alright then. What was their intent? What did they gain from this" the young elf asked.

  "Well, it's a multifaceted issue honestly.

  The primary one was to gain merits, in particular, to use these merits to cultivate a strong dharma protector for taoism and buddhism.

  And everyone else who participated got the leftovers, receiving their own share of merits."

  "Merits?"

  "Things given by heaven. Taoists used to explain that doing good acts made you a "person of merit" but mortals misinterpreted it, inadvertently giving birth to a wonderful tonic called merit through faith, which does wonder for advancement. Unfortunately, it could only be gained by doing genuinely good acts.

  It doesn't exist currently by the way, since no one currently believes good will be rewarded, thus halting its production. Blame the cultivators, who've instilled a poor sense of morality in the people.

  No one believes anymore because of them.

  Anyway, the merits were gained by the demons slaughtered, as well as the rectification of countless kingdoms across the way.

  Hence why the rumor that eating Tang Sanzang flesh can grant immortality. Ironically, since enough people believe it nowadays, his flesh does now grant immortality." Pangu chuckled at that bit, clearly amused at the outcome.

  He even paused to pull out a few pieces of beef jerky. "Anyone want some Tang Jerky?"

  "You didn't actually-" I asked uncertainly, and he shook his head.

  "No flesh.

  But I did mix hair follicles in there. So, while it'll totally grant immortality, the cost is that you'll need to eat some hair."

  No one in the room was particularly interested. After all, me and Maria had the underworld awaiting us, and Servante and Lenore believe in Ygdrasill, believing that after death they would be reunited with the great tree herself.

  Such a thing was only tempting to those who feared death.

  To them it was merely a tasteless joke.

  Seeing that the audience was bored, even the kids were, the old man continued.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "The reason why we also scattered some guardian beasts and boys in was to teach lessons.

  The tale of journey to the west serves as both a tale about how all things have their own weaknesses, and the secrets of taoist cultivation are hidden within the story.

  Despite what mortal rulers think, we never wanted to completely isolate the people from a chance at immortality.

  So we hid its secrets within the story, and only those of sound mind and with chance at immortality could discern it.

  And the final reason, the reason why sun wukong could run rampant in heaven is actually quite important: He had connections."

  Hearing this practical explanation, Servante could only gawk at Pangu's blatant honesty.

  Seeing his awkward reaction, Pangu grinned.

  "Wondering why I'm so honest?

  Even if he's the "Victorious fighting Buddha" now, he was a disciple of the bodhi patriarch.

  The bodhi patriarch is a clone, the "good corpse" of my son Tongtian.

  So, in a sense, that boy is my grand-disciple, and I, his grandmaster."

  Pause

  "My son doesn't see it that way of course, since none of what he's learned comes from me, but so what!? If that monkey can be so shameless as to run to me when in danger, then I can shamelessly consider myself his grandmaster!" He said with a confusing confidence.

  But knowing the old man's shamelessness, there's no point in arguing, as he'd always be self-assured.

  Pangu continued. "Of course, it wasn't just me.

  Sun wukong, as one of the four chaos monkeys, naturally has three older brothers.

  Unlike Sun Wukong, those three have been around for about the same time as Nuwa, so about 55 million years.

  Those three were born early choosing to travel the world until now.

  Unlike the others, he remained dormant for 55 million years, silently accumulating energy, his stone cocoon started shaking a few thousand years back, indicating its upcoming hatching.

  With that in mind, those three came running, asking taoism for help to find him a proper teacher, and to raise his upper ceiling, ensuring a smoother future for him.

  If nothing else, they are considerate brothers. Their request happened to allign with our journey to the west, and our goal of creating some strong dharma protects for the xuanmen orthodoxy.

  Badabing, badaboom, the victorious fighting buddha is born! Many people were amazed when he reached the 6th level, but if you ask me, it was pretty inevitable. If 55 million years of passive energy gathering combined with xuanmen orthodoxy techniques and one mental transformation can't produce a 6th level being, I don't know what could."

  I had to agree with that. After all, it sounds like a ton of investment went into this monkey.

  And 55 million years?

  I can't even begin to imagine what kind of time that is!

  "Are you really human?"

  Lenore asked curiously.

  "Why ask that?" Pangu asked, and Lenore responded naturally.

  "Well, when I look at you, I sense a more ferocious temperament. I thought it was that of a warrior for a bit, or even a ruffian, but no.

  It feels more like a beast. So I was curious if you were really human.

  And you're 1.8 million years old according to your own words. I didn't even know humans have been around for that long." she said, explaining her thinking.

  I had to admit, her senses may be sharper than mine, as I took a minute to sense his aura.

  It did have a subtle sense of that of a beast, but buried deep.

  Seeing all of our curious looks, as even Leon started playing with the old man's hair as if looking for something, Pangu responded helplessly.

  "I am human, just not in the way you imagine.

  Many years ago, humans were not the singular race you see today. It's undergone many changes and splits over the years. As a human from 1.8 million years ago, I was a different species entirely from what you understand as humans.

  At the time, people were more like apes than men.

  That ferocious feeling you sense is leftover from those ages, when I was no different from a furless ape.

  Our foreheads and noses were huge. My chin used to be bigger then too."

  Hearing this, Maria teased "I always thought you looked like an ape."

  Hearing this, Pangu laughed but shook his head.

  "Trust me, I've changed over the years. My face is most definitely not the same. Over the years as humanity changed and evolved I developed the ability to change my body to resemble the modern man.

  I stopped doing it a few thousand years ago.

  I'm not the only one either. Chang'e, an old friend of mine, was born in North America, but upon traveling to Asia decided to take on an Asian form.

  And last I heard, the human emperor Xuanyuan and earthly emperor Shennong have traveled to Africa and taken on an African appearance in order to help establish order there."

  "So from what I'm hearing you older humans get shiftier and shiftier as you get older?" Borsche asked, in a question of genuine curiosity, yet it made the three humans in the room darken.

  Well, two former and one current human. Pangu corrected the ork vigorously.

  "It's not shiftier, it's wiser. Because of our long lives, we understand better than most that people feel a sense of fear towards the unknown.

  Of course, for me it's a bit different. I'm simply used to this current form and haven't changed in so long that I no longer even remember my old form." Pangu said with a look of reminiscence.

  Servante hearing that felt a new feeling. A sense of astonishment, but also a desire to roll his eyes at such a Versailles statement. So, this was what humans felt when they heard such exaggerated statements.

  It just made me feel funny, wondering what it felt like to grow so old you can no longer remember your old face, have no reminder of what you once looked like.

  "Any other questions?" Pangu asked, and this time Lenore spoke.

  "Who is the strongest swordmaster you've ever met?" she asked eagerly and Pangu chuckled just as eagerly as he contemplated.

  "What a difficult question! If we speak in terms of cultivation, Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is the strongest swordsman.

  But if we're talking about in terms of pure skill?

  Nobody you would know.

  The man I'm thinking of was a nobody. An old hermit residing in the woods, forgotten by history.

  But his skill? Legendary.

  He cut through an apple, so smooth was the cut that it passed through the apple. The apple did not split in half, because his cut was so precise that it slid through its essence.

  A miracle.

  I don't even know how he did it to this day.

  Unfortunately, the man had only reached the 2nd level, his power not equal to his skill.

  For someone so skilled to die of old age is perhaps the cruelest joke I've ever seen." Pangu recalled, yet this recollection was clearly regretful.

  How could it not be?

  Even I had to admit it sounded like one of the greatest wastes of the world.

  If you swing your sword, then it is all but confirmed that your blade is destined to impact the object.

  A normal swordsman would cut that object open, a poor one simply smashes it.

  A master perhaps could create a clean slice.

  But for your blade to pass through an object, to so cleanly cut it that the object itself does not react, what kind of skill is that?

  And it can't be a scam, not with someone as powerful as Pangu skillfully watching. And if it was, then that actually elevated him in my eyes.

  With that kind of skill, we probably would've made him a minor god for sure! If nothing else, our pantheon is good at grabbing talent, since every bit counts.

  Last I heard, the underworld is in desperate need of more accounting gods, so even A-ranks are starting to get a chance of godhood, though it's definitely less rewarding than it sounds, as Anubis vehemently suggested I never take that position up.

  Hearing this, even Servante had to click his tongue in disappointment.

  "To think such a swordsman has disappeared into the long river of time." He sighed, while Lenore looked crestfallen.

  "As much as it pains me to say this, it's not the strong ones who live the longest, but the most cunning or the luckiest."

  He paused before adding. "I count as lucky."

  "Oh? Then am I lucky?" I asked jokingly and Pangu just gave me the dumbest look.

  What do you think? Even Maria and her attendant gave me a funny look.

  Yeah, I regretted opening my mouth the second I did.

  Definitely not lucky.

  "Any other questions? We're almost there anyway." He pushed and Leon asked this time, asking a question befitting a child.

  "Who's the strongest person you've ever met?"

  "Hard to say little man. At the 6th level, a lot of people even out. Ymir and Surtr are strong but lack finesse.

  While Bahamut and Tiamat aren't weak by any means, they disdain human form, which causes them to be a bit limited in combat. While dragons are strong, their giant bodies becomes troublesome in combat, especially Tiamut and her five heads.

  Yinglong's better, knowing to use human form more often, but unfortunately, he spends most of his time fawning over Xuanyuan's daughter. A simp if you will.

  Fafnir is powerful and cunning, but sleazy and lazy. Would rather scheme than fight. I do prefer him over kunpeng. I don't know about strongest, but if there was a weakest amongst us old men, he's definitely it. He put all of his stats into defense and speed, all to run away faster. Even my three sons, peak 5th level beings, could beat him if he didn't run."

  The old man kept going and going for the next few hours until a sound went off.

  Ding Dong!

  "That wasn't in the carriage's enchantments." Servante said with a frown and Pangu chuckled.

  "Yeah I added it."

  "How?"

  "I forced it." Pangu said again rather nonchalantly.

  I chalked it up some 6th level voodoo that he wasn't explaining.

  "Anyways, that bell means we've arrived at our destination.

  The inheritance site is just up ahead.

  Get ready.

  Despite the fact that she's long been dead, a lot of people owe her favors.

  There's a reason why this inheritance hasn't been obtained by anyone yet." Pangu warned.

  I had to admit, that warning is quite ominous.

  After all, the whole reason Pangu is even her is because he owes her a favor.

  One of the beings who stands atop the world owes her a favor already.

  Who else will I run into in this site?

  Ra?

  Fuxi?

  Chaos?

  Please let this be a normal field trip...