Reincarnated Monkey King

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Wukong awoke to the smell of burning bread.

His eyes snapped open, instincts flaring. Fire? Attack? He tensed—then realized it was just Tian, fumbling with a small iron pan over a weak flame.

Tian scowled. "Damn it! Why won't it cook right?"

"You're burning it, idiot," Lily grumbled, sitting cross-legged nearby. "You need to turn it slowly."

Wukong yawned and stretched. "You call that food?"

Tian shot him a look. "Not all of us can steal fruit like a damn ghost, Monkey Boy."

Lily tossed Wukong a small piece of stale bread. "Eat. If you're staying here, you work. No freeloaders."

Wukong bit into the bread, chewing slowly. It was terrible—hard, dry, barely food at all. He sighed. Buddha, if I ever get my hands on you…

"Alright, boss," Wukong said, mocking her tone. "What's the job?"

Lily smirked. "You learn the rules."

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Rule #1: Don't Get Caught

The slums were dangerous, but not because of criminals.

It was the guards.

As Wukong followed Lily and Tian through the backstreets, he noticed armored men patrolling in groups, their eyes scanning the alleys with open disdain.

"City guards," Tian muttered. "They don't protect us. They hunt us."

Wukong raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because we're 'filth,'" Lily said bitterly. "Commoners without magic. The nobles don't want us ruining their 'perfect city.'"

Wukong folded his arms. Tch. Typical. The strong stepping on the weak.

He glanced at a guard shoving an old man aside for simply walking too slow. If I had my staff…

Lily grabbed his wrist. "Don't."

Wukong raised an eyebrow. "Don't what?"

"You were about to do something stupid."

Wukong smirked. "Me? Never."

Lily's grip tightened. "We don't fight the guards. We avoid them. That's Rule #1."

Wukong sighed. For now.

---

Rule #2: The Black Market Runs the City

"You want food? Weapons? Medicine? You don't go to the nobles."

Lily led Wukong and Tian into a hidden passage beneath an abandoned building. The air grew thick with the scent of spices, metal, and something vaguely illegal.

Then, the passage opened up into a sprawling underground bazaar.

The Black Market.

Merchants with covered faces sold everything from stolen goods to enchanted weapons. Some stalls displayed glowing potions, while others had weapons still stained with blood.

Wukong grinned. "Now this is my kind of place."

Lily led them to a small wooden stall run by a frail old woman.

"Three loaves of bread," Lily said, placing a pouch of coins down.

The woman gave her a tired smile. "Hard times, girl. Price just went up. Three loaves cost double now."

Lily's expression darkened. "That's not fair."

"Nothing in this world is fair, child."

Wukong rolled his eyes. Screw this.

He swiped an apple from a nearby stall without looking and took a casual bite.

Lily elbowed him hard. "Idiot! You can't just—"

"Relax," Wukong muttered. "I do this for a living."

The merchant at the stolen stall glanced their way… but Wukong had already tossed a coin onto his counter without breaking eye contact.

The merchant smirked and winked.

Lily looked at Wukong in disbelief. "How…?"

"Rule #2, right?" Wukong grinned. "The Black Market runs the city. Money talks."

Tian whistled. "Damn. I like this guy."

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Rule #3: Magic is Everything

Later that night, back in the slums, Lily sat across from Wukong, arms folded.

"Alright, Monkey Boy. Time for a serious talk."

Wukong smirked. "Oh? Didn't know you cared."

Lily ignored him. "You used magic back in the alley, right? Against those thugs?"

Wukong tilted his head. "I guess?"

Tian leaned forward. "How? You're a commoner, right? No noble blood, no academy training?"

Wukong shrugged. "Dunno. Just… did it."

Lily's eyes sharpened. "That's impossible."

Wukong leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Well, I am pretty special."

Lily sighed. "Look, here's what you need to understand. In this world, magic is everything. Nobles are born with it. Commoners aren't."

Wukong raised an eyebrow. "And what happens if a 'commoner' suddenly starts using magic?"

Lily's expression hardened. "They get executed."

Tian nodded. "If the nobles find out about your magic, they'll hunt you down."

Wukong grinned.

"Let them try."

Lily groaned. "This idiot's gonna get himself killed."

Wukong just laughed. Oh, this is gonna be fun.

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To Be Continued…