With a resounding "bang," the door was kicked open.
Everyone in the room jumped in shock.
Monkey strode in, expressionless, stepping over the high threshold. He walked straight toward the table, reaching for a piece of fruit only to find the fruit plate completely empty. He snorted coldly and sat down in the chair.
Everyone in the room watched him in silence.
Louis Quickpaw asked cautiously, "Great Sage, is something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Monkey replied.
"Did the negotiations with Marshal Silver go smoothly?"
"Talks broke down. I beat him up," Monkey said flatly.
"You... beat him up?"
Louis Quickpaw pulled himself together and dared not ask further.
The others, seeing Monkey's furious demeanor, all fell silent in fear.
Tripitaka, sitting cross-legged on the couch, took a deep breath, paused for a moment, then rose slowly, shaking out his sleeves. "Though I've never quite understood why the Great Sage insists on seeking Marshal Silver for the westward journey," he said, "the truth is, if he helps, it's a favor; if he refuses, it's his right. In any case, Great Sage, you shouldn't have attacked him."
Monkey whipped his head around to glare at Tripitaka, but after opening his mouth, he couldn't find any words for a long while.
After a long pause, he turned away and sighed. "You have no idea how much history there is between me and him. Seeking him out was already a last resort. Just seeing him makes me furious—damn it!"
As he spoke, Monkey slammed his fist down on the table, punching a hole in the solid wood.
"And he struck first. When he was Marshal, he lacked self-awareness; now as a pig demon, he's still the same!"
Louis Quickpaw watched Monkey nervously.
Tripitaka spoke in a clear voice, "Everyone has their own principles. As for Marshal Silver, I've heard a little about his story; by rights, he should be a good man."
"A good man?" Monkey snorted with laughter. "What's the use of being a good man? I even promised him that if the westward quest succeeds, I'd restore him to a human body, and he still..."
"Restore him to a human body?"