"Hey Jude, don't make it bad…"
The monkey-headed youth strolled leisurely with his eyes closed, humming a tune that felt foreign and awkward on his tongue.
His stroll, however, wasn't on solid ground—it was along the narrow railing encircling the Korin Tower's summit, with nothing but sheer drops and howling winds beyond.
Eyes still shut, he moved effortlessly. Suddenly, he ducked—a slow energy beam whizzed past where his head had been. Without missing a beat, he flipped backward one-handed, dodging a second beam. No third came, and he continued his casual walk. Just as he neared the end of the loop, a dozen beams shot at him in rapid succession, weaving a loose net.
The monkey danced along the railing, twisting and flipping midair, evading every shot.
---
At the tower's center, by the sacred pool, Yamiru, Annin, and Mr. Popo sat playing cards. Yamiru lowered the hand he'd been using to fire the beams.
The monkey finally opened his eyes, peering down from the railing. "Almost no climbers this year…"
This marked his tenth year atop the tower.
He knew nothing of the first five years, but once he'd learned to sense ki in the sixth, he'd often detected strangers' energies far below—aspirants drawn by the legends of the tower. Yet as his mastery grew, climbers dwindled. By now, none came at all.
"If you return to the human world, more will come," Yamiru remarked offhand, tossing his last card to defeat "landlord" Mr. Popo.
"Why?" The monkey leapt down, puzzled.
Annin set down her unused cards and flicked his forehead. "You, a living testament to the tower's power, walking among mortals—wouldn't that prove the legends true?"
"Oh…" The monkey half-understood, eagerly offering to shuffle for Mr. Popo.
Mr. Popo—holding a humiliating 17 unused cards—politely declined, his inky face sweating slightly. These card games, invented by the god, were entertaining, though he suspected they served some deeper purpose.
Perhaps… to preserve the joy of being human? He glanced at Yamiru's masked face, unreadable as ever. The god's ki radiated only boundless calm—like the sky itself.
---
The monkey knew it was time to descend.
He'd grown to love this place:
- The enigmatic Kami Yamiru, who wore an animal mask, spoke in riddles, and once taught them this strange "Hey Jude" song after losing at cards.
- Annin (Supreme Elderly Lord), stern yet kind—a mentor, maybe even a mother figure. She'd trained him relentlessly, even after he'd finally snatched the water pot in his eighth year.
- Mr. Popo… Well, Mr. Popo was… hard to describe. His unblinking stare always sent shivers down the monkey's spine.
With a small bundle of belongings, he bowed deeply to his teachers.
Annin tapped her chin. "Come to think of it—we can't keep calling you 'Monkey.' Need a name?"
Mr. Popo: "Indeed."
Yamiru chuckled. "I've got one, if you want it."
Minutes later, the monkey—no, the newly named warrior—leapt from the tower, freefalling with the wind, reminiscing about his decade of training…
"I have a name now."
Just before face-planting, he focused, activating Bukūjutsu (Flight). His descent halted abruptly, leaving him hovering inches above the ground.
With a deep breath, he stepped onto solid earth for the first time in years. Around him lay remnants of sacrificial offerings left by past climbers. He turned, waving at the distant tower, then strode forward.
The jungle surrounding Korin Tower now felt different. He sensed faint, dwindling traces of demon ki—scattered, weak, fewer than before.
Suddenly, he understood why climbers had stopped coming.
"I know what I must do."
Perhaps it was precisely because the demonic presence in this vast jungle had grown weaker and sparser that the humans who managed to reach the base of the Korin Tower had likewise become fewer and less capable...
"I will build a dojo..."
Walking alone out of the jungle, crossing grasslands, traversing mountains and rivers—months later, the tattered and ragged monkey finally returned to his hometown.
"A martial arts dojo."
Standing on the hillside at the village's edge, he gazed down at the place he once called home.
The era of demons had ended over a decade ago, and the village had grown significantly since then.
When the monkey left ten years prior, animal-people like him had only just been freed from their shackles—thanks to that miraculous divine proclamation. Now, a decade later, he saw children of animal-people, monster-people, and ordinary humans playing together without any visible barriers. At least, that's how it seemed.
"Hm?" Suddenly, he sensed an unusual ki.
Then, the ground trembled slightly, and the villagers erupted into panicked shouts.
The young men of the village gathered, armed with spears and knives, their faces pale with fear as they stared at the monstrous demon charging toward them.
"It's just a common demon!" An old man, gripping a farming tool, rushed out. "What's there to fear? I've killed plenty of these in my day!"
"No, don't!"
"Grandpa Ghrisha!"
"That's a demon!"
The young men were stunned—this frail, usually gentle elder was now charging forward with terrifying ferocity.
"Uwahahaha! Finally, some humans to eat!" The demon roared, lunging at the old man. Ghrisha's face twisted with hatred as he swung his farming tool with all his aged strength.
BAM!
The demon's head caved in as it was sent flying like a cannonball.
Everyone froze. Even the old man was dumbfounded, staring at the tool in his hands. Then, a voice called from above:
"Old Man Ghrisha, still as fierce as ever, huh?"
Looking up, he saw a monkey-headed figure floating in the air, grinning down at him.
"Monkey?!" The old man's eyes bulged. "Was it you who sent that demon flying?! Well, I'll be damned—I thought you'd died somewhere! Don't tell me... you actually found the Korin Tower? You met that god, the White God?!"
At his words, the other villagers erupted in excitement and disbelief.
Meanwhile, the demon struggled to get up.
"Yeah..."
The monkey—no, Son Lin—cupped his hands together. A ball of light formed between them, and with a swift motion, he fired a Ki Blast, obliterating the demon in an explosion.
The blast's glow illuminated the villagers' stunned faces as he landed dramatically in the aftermath.
"But now, I have a name. Given to me by the god himself..."
Picking up a stick, he clumsily carved three blocky characters into the dirt.
Hearing that the name came from the divine savior, the villagers crowded around, peering at the writing.
"What kind of characters are these?"
"I've never seen them before... Are they divine script?"
"No idea..."
They exchanged confused glances. Part of them wanted to accuse the monkey of illiteracy—of scribbling nonsense—but since it involved the god, they didn't dare.
The monkey scratched his head. He was illiterate, after all. Most of what he knew had been casually taught to him over the past decade by Annin and the god during his time on the tower.
But these three characters? They were his name. That much was certain.
Pointing solemnly at the first character, he announced:
"This one is 'Son'."
Then the second:
"This one is 'Li.'"
And finally, the third:
"This one is 'n'."
---
[Flashback – Korin Tower]
Yamiru grinned. "I have a name for you. Want it?"
Annin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is it?" It was rare for Yamiru to take initiative like this.
With a wave of his hand, three blocky characters—孙六耳 (Son Lin)—appeared on the ground.
"From now on, you'll be Son Lin," he said cheerfully.
---
"So that's your name now?" Old Man Ghrisha frowned. "But... you don't have six ears?"
(Chinese Pun with his name, don't thing too much.)
Son Lin touched his own ears and muttered, "How should I know what the god was thinking..."