Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

"Learn martial arts?"

Wang Chao couldn't believe it, "Those gangsters can also practice martial arts?"

Isn't this a joke?

If the gangsters learned martial arts, wouldn't that make them even more ruthless?

"They are gangsters, but they often fight and have stronger physiques than ordinary people. Just by learning a few moves, they can exhibit considerable strength," Sun Shisheng said slowly. "Moreover, learning martial arts can change a person's spirit and temperament, allowing them to undergo a complete transformation."

"Just like you. In the past, you were silent and hardly dared to say a few words in class."

"But now?"

"Confident, generous, and always smiling."

Wang Chao nodded; this was indeed true.

Moreover, the fact that he and Sun Shisheng were teaching the gangsters from the south of the city had become known amongst his schoolmates, and now people looked at him with a hint of respect.

He liked this feeling.

This was the power and privilege that came from strength!

However, Wang Chao was not indulged in it because he knew that if he became complacent, he would just end up being a somewhat tougher gangster for the rest of his life.

"What do you think makes a gangster a gangster?" Sun Shisheng suddenly asked Wang Chao this question. "Why be a gangster?"

Wang Chao had never considered this question. After thinking for a while, he tentatively said, "Because their intentions are not right?"

"Why are their intentions not right?"

"Er... Probably because they didn't study properly?"

"Is that so? There are many people in this world who don't study, yet why do they live honestly?"

"..."

Wang Chao fell silent for a moment, continuing to reflect. Thinking about the wealth gap in various places, it seemed as though he had an idea: "It's their way of survival."

Jiangnan City was still developing, and those gangsters might not have started as gangsters; they worked honestly.

But——

Maybe because they made a mistake, got into trouble once, had a record, and after coming out, they couldn't find a job and became unemployed.

Or perhaps, life was too hard, they were oppressed too much, their mentality collapsed, and their way of thinking changed.

Maybe also because they had no ties or burdens.

Unable to find a decent job but wanting to survive, they needed money.

For that, they could only become gangsters.

Just to make a living.

Of course, understanding that is one thing, but it doesn't give them the right to bully others at will.

Wang Chao still disliked gangsters.

However, if they could reform and become better individuals, that would be a different story.

"Exactly, it's about survival," Sun Shisheng nodded. "We give them an honest path, a new way to survive, so that they can earn money. Naturally, they will no longer be gangsters."

Thinking back to Sun Shisheng's intention to teach the gangsters martial arts, Wang Chao exclaimed in surprise, "Are we going to open a martial arts school, Sun?"

Sun Shisheng nodded: "That's the preliminary plan."

Wang Chao asked, "Do we have the capital to open a martial arts school?"

Sun Wukong asked, "Have you heard of the saying, 'Master the arts of pen and sword, and sell them to the emperor's family'?"

Wang Chao realized, "Sun's meaning is, we start by working at other martial arts schools, as coaches, to save up some money?"

"Smart!"

Sun Shisheng looked proud, as if he had found a promising student, "But the first step we need to take is to challenge other martial arts schools."

Challenge a martial arts school?

Wang Chao expressed his concern, "Isn't that bad?"

Although in movies, this is the best way to become famous, he didn't harbor any resentment against those martial arts schools and didn't want to do this—it would tarnish their reputation and make enemies of them.

"Don't worry, the martial arts schools I have found have a reputation in this city but are involved in illegal activities behind the scenes," Sun Shisheng said slowly.

"Illegal activities?"

"The intricacies of capital operations are something you do not know and do not fully understand, but you must be aware that companies that have grown strong are not clean," Sun Shisheng said indifferently. "It's not to say they are necessarily bad, but they definitely aren't the virtuous kind; they all have draconian practices."

Wang Chao nodded, "I understand, in this world, it's not just black and white. As long as I'm strong, even if they have draconian practices, I can shatter them with a single punch!"

"That's the spirit," Sun Shisheng said with a smile.

Arriving at the southern sports center, Liang, Guang, and a small handful of ruffians were already waiting there.

"Sun, you've arrived!"

Liang hurried over, showing a smiling face.

"Sun."

Guang, standing by the side, was also ingratiating, but now he had shaved his once dyed red hair and got a bald head like Guang's, looking much sharper.

They had about twenty to thirty brothers, but with recent sensitivities and the commotion with the police yesterday, they didn't dare to gather in large numbers anymore. Hence, there were only a small handful of them here.

"How does it feel to do good deeds?" Sun Shisheng asked.

"It feels a bit weird." Liang thought for a moment and still told the truth, "They are both scared and puzzled, and some even think we've gone insane."

"Normal, since you guys were gangsters before, and now you're reforming, it's bound to create a sense of contrast for others," Sun Shisheng said with a smile.

"I know, this is what's called 'character collapse,'" Guang called out.

"By the way, I still don't know your real names," Sun Shisheng asked.

"My name is Li Liang," Liang scratched his head.

"I'm Wang Guang," Guang was grabbing his butt.

Both of them were in an indecent pose.

Sun Shisheng nodded, indicating he had remembered.

Li Liang's face showed bitterness as he said, "Sun, we're not going to be gangsters anymore, but we can't find any proper jobs. We've all been in jail, and no one would want to hire us."

"Yeah, Sun, we only have a little money left, enough to scrape by for a month, but after that, we'll starve to death, and it's too embarrassing to ask our families for help..." Wang Guang also complained.

"Whose fault is that?" Wang Chao cursed, "Who told you guys to do so many stupid things in the past."

"Chao, we had no choice," Wang Guang said to Wang Chao, knowing his capability, but he still retorted since at worst he would get beaten up. But they really couldn't find work.

Sun Shisheng waved his hand to silence Wang Chao and played the good cop, "I have a way, but you have to listen to me within this month."

Li Liang quickly replied, "No problem!"

Wang Guang also said, "We'll listen to you!"

Sun Shisheng nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Now, to take on a dojo challenge with us, do you know where the strongest martial arts gym nearby is?"

"We know, we know."

Li Liang said eagerly, "It's a Thai Boxing Gym, where there's a top expert, fair-skinned and tender, but extremely formidable, named Chan Yinsha, a ninth-dan in Muay Thai."

"Chan Yinsha?" Wang Chao muttered.

"You know her?" Sun Shisheng asked.

"No, but the name sounds very poetic, with a Zen feel to it."

Wang Chao shook his head, sharing his thoughts, "To be honest, in this day and age, if someone has a name like that, they either have a profound ancestral tradition or just try to be mysterious."

"There's another possibility," Sun Shisheng said.

"What possibility?"

"She could be a projection of an entity from another world or something," Sun Shisheng said casually.

"Huh, like a reincarnated deity?" Wang Chao scratched his head.

"Not quite, just a similar flower from another world," Sun Shisheng shook his head. The genuine article resides on M|V|L&EMPYR.

Wang Chao let out an "Oh," as if speaking about another version of himself from a parallel world.

There was more than one world, he knew that now.

After all, the Spiritual Energy that Sun mentioned came from other dimensional worlds or the like.

He didn't quite understand, but that didn't prevent him from grasping that these dimensional worlds were akin to parallel universes or planes similar to the real world.

Perhaps, there was another him in those worlds too.

Li Liang and Wang Guang, of course, also heard the conversation between Sun Shisheng and Wang Chao, since the two men didn't try to hide it.

"Liang, what are they talking about?" Wang Guang asked quietly.

"How would I know?" Li Liang cursed, "Maybe they're talking about some martial arts novel."

"Oh—"

Sun Shisheng looked at the two men and said, "Lead the way."

"Yes, yes!"

Li Liang ordered the small group of juniors behind him to leave. He and Wang Guang led Sun Shisheng and Wang Chao to the busiest street in the southern part of the city.

There was a constant stream of people coming and going.

Wang Chao asked, "Sun, doesn't practicing martial arts require a quiet place? Why are martial arts gyms always in such bustling areas?"

"The same two words, survival."

Sun Shisheng's eyes gleamed with wisdom, "Like me, drawing Spiritual Energy from other dimensions, I naturally don't need to worry about food, but others do."

"It's the same with practicing martial arts."

"When we ate yesterday, Tang Zichen told you as well that her kung fu is about killing enemies, not performing, right?"

Wang Chao nodded, "Yes, kill enemies, not perform."

Leading the way, Li Liang and Wang Guang suddenly felt a chill on their backs.

That one sentence had pierced through to their trembling hearts.

These two guys...

Just what are they?

"To kill, not to perform. To be honest, I find it a bit narrow-minded," Sun Shisheng said, "The birth of kung fu originated from that turbulent era, mainly to strengthen the nation and our people."

"But what is the most fundamental thing?"

"Survival."

Wang Chao pondered, "So, studying kung fu is also for survival?"

"A simple truth, isn't it?" Sun Shisheng smiled, "In ancient times, humans fought against ferocious beasts, which was the origin of martial arts. And what was its purpose?"

"Survival, procreation."

"Later, humans became the dominant species on the planet, and martial arts were used to fight our own kind."

"With different regions, environments, and cultures clashing, battles were inevitable, and martial arts became a tool for killing. Its purpose, too, was survival, to allow oneself to live on, to keep one's civilization enduring."

"But as the times developed to the present, with the world gradually becoming unified, martial arts, for most people who learn it, just have a couple of paths forward."

"One is to become a coach, perform to attract students to join, and then to compete in fights; the other is to be a stunt double or martial arts stars, to do good publicity."

Wang Chao understood.

Making money, nothing shameful about that.

Yet, he felt a certain sadness.

"Feeling upset?" Sun Shisheng asked with a smile.

"A little," Wang Chao clenched his fists, "A practice meant for strengthening our nation and people has now been reduced to such petty purposes."

"The Way changes with the times," Sun Shisheng said calmly, "What remains unchanged is neither the Way nor real kung fu."