Wukong watched Xu Linglong gently stroking her black blade, fully aware that her eyes were fixed on him.
But he understood...
That sentence had been a pure, simple threat.
If killing the Pig Demon was not enough, then Dong Gua could die too.
Either he talked and his mission could continue, or they all died and his mission would fail.
She did not hesitate to strike her own people, all to force out an answer that might have been obtained simply by investing more time.
Wukong combined the intelligence Chu Xingchen had provided and spoke:
"The Upper Lord suspects there may have been a mole involved in the destruction of the Eastern Victorious Divine Continent. I was ordered by the Upper Lord to protect these two — the last ones who know the information — and assist them in locating the mole."
Xu Linglong nodded in understanding, then asked in a lighthearted tone:
"It's been quite some time now. With a Buddhist Son like yourself assisting them, surely you've gathered some intelligence by now?"
Wukong shook his head: "No intelligence whatsoever."
Xu Linglong turned her gaze to Dong Gua, who was still kneeling to the side.
Dong Gua felt that gaze upon her and answered with a trembling voice:
"Th-that's correct. There really is nothing."
"Oh?" Xu Linglong's tone carried genuine curiosity.
"I overheard some of your conversation earlier."
"Are the two of you simply unwilling to cooperate with this Buddhist Son? Or is it exactly as he said — that you don't care about our great cause and are just coasting day by day?"
Xu Linglong's tone was not harsh. It sounded as casual as asking whether someone had eaten breakfast that morning.
But to Dong Gua's ears, it translated to — you useless hound couldn't even handle a simple task. Perhaps you'd make a better soup.
"This subordinate does not recognize this monk, and he has not displayed even a trace of demonic aura. How could this subordinate possibly know whether he is a mole attempting to infiltrate us?"
Dong Gua did not attempt to conceal anything. She stated exactly what was on her mind, using the associative logic to also deflect blame for her own failures.
Xu Linglong nodded lightly in agreement, then looked back at Wukong with an innocent tone:
"She makes a fair point. Even I couldn't see through your true nature."
"You're Dong Gua, right? Tell me — how exactly can we establish basic trust?"
Dong Gua listened to what sounded like an impossibly foolish statement from Xu Linglong, but she understood this was a prompt being passed to her. She had to answer; she could not dodge it:
"At the very least, you should let us confirm that he is one of our kind!"
Xu Linglong nodded in satisfaction. She offered no reaction after that, simply gazing quietly at Wukong, waiting for him to demonstrate.
Wukong assessed the situation for a moment longer, confirmed that he stood roughly a ninety percent chance of losing to Xu Linglong, and spoke after brief deliberation:
"I cannot demonstrate."
"Oh?" Xu Linglong raised the black blade slightly, her tone filled with concern. "Do you mean you genuinely cannot, or that you are not permitted to?"
"I bear a seal placed by the Venerable Lord. I cannot, and must not, reveal myself." Wukong's tone remained even.
"The Buddhist sect is vast as the clouds. If I could be easily seen through, how could I have stayed embedded for so long? I stand by what I said — if you have doubts, you need only ask above."
Xu Linglong did not respond. Instead, she turned to Dong Gua:
"He says that. Do you think we should trust him or not?"
"We shouldn't!"
Dong Gua answered without hesitation — whether out of spite or genuine belief, even she could not say.
Xu Linglong nodded in satisfaction once more, her black blade rising slightly, as though the next strike would claim the monk's head.
Wukong faced Xu Linglong's killing intent with an expression as calm as ever.
If Xu Linglong truly intended to kill him, then words were pointless; he needed only to stay on guard and fight.
If she could not see through him and dared not strike rashly, then letting the situation stall here was not a problem either.
Moreover, the indirect exchange had already yielded Wukong some useful intelligence.
The only issue was that leaving like this would make it difficult to report back to Chu Xingchen.
Wukong gripped his golden mace and stared directly at Xu Linglong without speaking, allowing the awkward, cold silence to stretch on.
Ultimately, it was Xu Linglong who broke the silence, her tone turning icy:
"To think that becoming an official demon has made you forget even the most basic rules. You see my presence before you — why do you not kneel?!"
As she spoke, she removed the hat from her head, revealing her true face. Her expression was severe, and the intimidation in her eyes was unmistakable.
With those words, the question of whether he was genuine or an impostor was entirely swept aside.
The issue now was one of loyalty and protocol.
Wukong's tone remained calm: "While cloaked in this Buddhist form, I naturally cannot kneel. Once I shed it, I shall pay my proper respects."
Xu Linglong's expression softened instantly, and a smile appeared on her face:
"In that case, never mind."
"By the way — how are things on your end? Is there any message you can relay?"
Wukong seamlessly spun a fabrication: "The situation is dire. With the Great Buddha manifesting, the pressure on the Buddhist sect is immense. Many of the Venerable Lord's plans cannot proceed as intended, so much of the intelligence is now known only to the Venerable Lord himself."
He naturally did not know the specifics. But as long as he made everything sound terrible, then many otherwise suspicious circumstances would have a convenient excuse.
Many things could be explained away — because the situation was dire, there were no reinforcements, which was why certain risks had to be taken.
Xu Linglong wore an expression of apparent sympathy, seemingly accepting Wukong's words at face value.
Both of them harbored doubts, and both wanted to extract answers from the other.
Xu Linglong wanted to know the true situation within the Buddhist sect and whether they intended to plant a mole among the demons.
Wukong wanted to learn from Xu Linglong the identity of the demonic mole within the Buddhist sect.
Their conversation consisted largely of veiled implications.
By the end, neither had obtained the answer they sought.
Dong Gua remained kneeling where she was, quietly listening to the entire exchange.
She had heard every word clearly, yet she could not extract any substantive information from it.
This made her even more anxious. If she could have understood something, she might have been able to seize a sliver of a chance to survive.
But not understanding meant she might no longer have any use at all.
Dong Gua's breathing grew slightly ragged as she fought to control herself.
Xu Linglong seemed to lose interest in the conversation and moved to the actual matter at hand:
"Since you've come as reinforcement, it's only proper that we work together and get to know one another. Investigating the situation as a team can only help."
Wukong nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Dong Gua saw her last chance slipping away and spoke up urgently. But what came out was no longer normal speech — it was a strange, distorted sound. The language of demons.
"My Lord, it is possible he cannot even speak the demonic tongue. He may not be one of our kind after all."
Xu Linglong's gaze swept over her, but her expression did not change in the slightest. She continued speaking:
"Very well. I acknowledge his identity."
"You will serve as his deputy from now on — get to the bottom of what happened in the Eastern Victorious Divine Continent as quickly as possible."
"Do not delay any further."
Dong Gua's throat tightened. Her mind raced, but she could only reply:
"Yes..."
Xu Linglong said nothing more and turned to leave.
She left behind two figures — one kneeling, one standing — and a pig-masked corpse lying motionless on the ground.
Dong Gua felt her essence stabilize and return to normal. She let out a heavy breath and slumped to the ground, her eyes fixed on Wukong.
Wukong looked down at Dong Gua. A faint smile appeared on his face, and when he spoke, his tone shifted into that same strange, distorted cadence.
"I can speak the demonic tongue."
Dong Gua froze. Hearing that unmistakable demonic language and seeing the smile on Wukong's face, she was momentarily stunned.
Wukong's gaze shifted to the lifeless Pig Demon, and his voice returned to normal:
"Burn him clean first. Leave no trace."
With those words, he turned and walked away.
These demons truly thought too little of their opponents.
Since he was infiltrating their ranks, learning their language was only natural. Obtaining demonic linguistic materials had not been difficult for Wukong at all.
From here on out...
As long as his cover was eventually blown, he would inevitably leave behind some trace.
That trace might be enough to identify the mole — or at the very least, to narrow down the search.
He had already prepared a method to transmit any intelligence he gathered directly to the Radiant Buddha.
As for feeding himself to the demons in the process...
So be it.
[
Dear Readers,
I post 3–4 high-quality chapters daily across multiple fictions, with free chapters unlocking every week for everyone to read.
If you enjoy the work and would like to support it, any donation is deeply appreciated. I have a support page where you can contribute whatever amount you are comfortable with. As a small thank-you for your generosity, supporters receive some early access and bonus content as a token of appreciation.
Support Options:
$6 — Early access to 10 chapters ahead
$8 — Early access to 20 chapters ahead, plus bonus chapters
$10 — Early access to 30 chapters ahead, plus bonus chapters and character artwork
Please use your browser instead of the Apple App when making a contribution. The app adds a 30% fee and delays payments by two to three months, so browser donations save you money and reach me much faster.
Whether you donate, read, or share the story with others, your support is what keeps these daily releases going. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Support: patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
]