Great Demon Sun Wukong-Chapter 544 - 512 (6.0) Journey to the West
Volume 1: Unspeakable Volume 7: Midnight Murder
Crown Prince Xiao Zhang left the inner chamber and headed straight toward the room where the Stone Monkey resided. From afar, he saw the Stone Monkey pacing back and forth in the courtyard. As Xiao Zhang approached, without saying a word, he scooped up the Stone Monkey and soared toward the mountains behind the Great Saint Zen Temple.
The Stone Monkey was baffled, feeling Xiao Zhang’s tender hand, white as a scallion, gripping him like iron pincers, unable to break free no matter how hard he tried. He thought Xiao Zhang was about to finish him off right there and was greatly terrified; however, what he didn’t know was that the Great Saint National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva ruled with a strict hand, and within the domain of the Great Saint Zen Temple, conflicts and bloodshed were absolutely forbidden, punishable by severe penalties without mercy.
As Xiao Zhang carried the Stone Monkey, they flew farther and farther away, reaching the outskirts of the Great Saint Zen Temple. The Stone Monkey sneaked a glance at Xiao Zhang’s stern face, frantically strategizing: Abducting me to this place in the dead of night bodes ill; with my meager skills, how can I escape?
When they arrived at a mountaintop, Xiao Zhang tossed the Stone Monkey to the ground, flipped his wrist, and a long spear appeared in his hand. This pure white spear was a treasure given to him on the day he became a disciple of the Great Saint National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva. Aside from combat, it had another use: to absorb Creation.
Xiao Zhang’s expression was cold and unforgiving, as if the telekinetic power of an Earth Immortal like the Stone Monkey was utterly worthless in his eyes. Many Earth Immortal experts had been effortlessly slain by his spear, their Creation taken.
Seeing Xiao Zhang take out the long spear, the Stone Monkey’s last bit of hope instantly crumbled. He had no cultivation to speak of, and even if he were to jump off the cliff, he couldn’t escape from Xiao Zhang’s palm.
At that moment, a spark of Spiritual Light flashed in his mind, and he recalled a praise poem about Crown Prince Xiao Zhang from "Journey to the West": Born in the western land of Flowing Sands Country, my father was once the king there. From youth, plagued by many hardships, my destiny hindered by an evil star. In search of the mentor who knew the Eternal Secret, fate allowed our paths to cross, yielding the medicinal formula... Xiao Zhang hailed from Flowing Sands Country, regardless of whether this country had any connection to Flowing Sands River. Focusing on the lines "My destiny hindered by an evil star, in search of the mentor who knew the Eternal Secret," there was room for maneuver.
The Stone Monkey also knew that the influence of the star was one of the four spiritual calamities. If one’s destiny was affected by that star, it was best to accept a monk or Taoist as a master, converting to Buddhism or Taoism for peace. Presumably, this was why Xiao Zhang had become a disciple of the Great Saint National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva.
With that in mind, the Stone Monkey blurted out, "Kill me! The evil star hinders your life."
The Stone Monkey’s voice was not loud, but in Xiao Zhang’s ears, it exploded like thunder. Since his childhood, he had been a spiritual practitioner, and apart from the Great Saint National Teacher Wang Bodhisattva, no one knew his destiny was affected by the star. Moreover, the Bodhisattva had mentioned more than once that his star was different from others’. A single misstep in his practice could lead to a complete loss of progress and a death empty of accomplishment.
The Stone Monkey’s remark was truly a stroke of blind luck, hitting Xiao Zhang right where it hurt. The long spear in his hand, Xiao Zhang hesitated time and again, yet he couldn’t bring himself to thrust it.
The cold tip of the spear pointed at the Stone Monkey’s chest, and although it pointed into the void, the Stone Monkey still felt a chill coming on, unsure of what Divine Skill it was. Humph, just a minor character like Xiao Zhang dares to treat me thus. Alas, circumstances are stronger than a person.
Xiao Zhang couldn’t figure it out and wondered about the Stone Monkey’s origins – could it have the ability to know the past and the future? But if it really was a Divine Monkey, how could his master cast it aside like a worn shoe?
"What is your background?" Xiao Zhang finally asked.
The Stone Monkey thought: As long as you speak, there’s a way to handle this. He answered, "I am a unique Stone Monkey naturally born in the Eastern Land of Enlightenment, with the ability to discern the auspicious and the inauspicious, and to know the past and the future." The Stone Monkey was taking a gamble, betting that Xiao Zhang didn’t know about the abilities of the four unique types of Divine Monkeys. The dispute between the Beautiful Monkey King and the Six-Eared Macaque reaching Tathagata was widely known, but he wagered Xiao Zhang wouldn’t be aware of it.
As expected, Xiao Zhang did not challenge him, but doubts still lingered in his heart: "Then tell me, how do I resolve the issue with the star?" The Stone Monkey replied without hesitation, "Just perform more kind deeds and take fewer lives."
Xiao Zhang sneered, "I thought you were truly capable, turns out you’re just another charlatan. Prepare to die!" The pure white spear thrust forward like a swift serpent, aiming straight for the Stone Monkey’s chest.
The Stone Monkey had let his guard down, not expecting Xiao Zhang to flip the switch so suddenly. Agile in form, he performed a roll and plunged down the cliff.
Xiao Zhang had underestimated the Stone Monkey’s abilities and hadn’t expected him to dare leap into a Bottomless Abyss. Moreover, he only intended to frighten the Stone Monkey, not truly kill him, so he used only half his strength in the thrust. Seeing the Stone Monkey evade, he remained calm. With a leap, although a step later, he flashed through the void, making a sideward cut to recapture the Stone Monkey.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
From below the Bottomless Abyss, a thunderous roar emanated: "Aoooong—"
The Stone Monkey felt a sudden, intense pain deep inside his head, as if it were shattered, and in an instant, he lost consciousness and plummeted straight down. Crown Prince Xiao had almost grasped the Stone Monkey, but the roar stunned him into a momentary lag, scattering his breath. He hurriedly braced himself against the rock wall with his white spear, regaining stability. By the time he looked for the Stone Monkey again, there was no trace to be found.
Let’s not discuss the aftermath for Crown Prince Xiao. As for the Stone Monkey, muddled and unaware of how long or what hardships he had endured, when he finally opened his eyes, he found himself by a stone pool, his clothes torn to shreds, barely enough to cover his body. The warm and cool sensation of the pool water on his two furry legs full of bloodstains was exceedingly comfortable.
Though he had scars, none were serious, and his mind was exceptionally clear. The Stone Monkey looked around; the stone pool was immensely spacious, rivaling a lake in size, too vast to see the opposite shore. The riverbank was extremely narrow, only a few yards wide from the mountain wall. The pool water was eerily still and unusually dense. Upon closer inspection, what seemed to be water actually resembled the crude oil he had seen in a previous life, yet it was completely odorless.
The Stone Monkey slowly stretched his limbs, feeling unscathed, he then stood up. However, his legs were coated with a thick layer of grease which was difficult to remove in haste.
Just then, a furry little hand gently patted his shoulder from behind, startling the Stone Monkey so much he nearly jumped. Calming his heart, he thought: Life and death are determined by fate, what use is there in being afraid? So, he mustered the courage to turn around.
This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.
As he turned, he was taken aback to see a monkey that was even smaller than himself, with a very endearing appearance, staring at him with big, hopeful eyes. On closer inspection, a thin black iron chain passed through the shoulders of the little monkey, pulled extremely tight, drawing its shoulder blades close together, giving the monkey an odd shape as if it were hunchbacked.
The shock in his heart was fleeting. Seeing the little monkey’s similar features to his own, he recognized it as one of his kind and felt a surge of compassion.
Seeing the pity in the Stone Monkey’s eyes, the little monkey revealed a sorrowful expression. He deftly moved to a giant rock by the side of the stone pool, sat down on it, and remained silent, just staring blankly at the pool of black liquid.
The Stone Monkey, seeing his mournful look as if he was about to cry, watched the little monkey sob a few times. However, no tears flowed from his eyes; in this deep pool surrounded by copious lamp oil, the air was extremely dry, and the little monkey’s body probably had not a single drop of water left.
The Stone Monkey walked over, gently patted his shoulder, and then sat next to him on the rock. The two monkeys sat in silence opposite each other, forming an inky silhouette frozen in the depth of the abyss.
After a long while, not knowing how many days and nights had passed, the Stone Monkey felt extremely content with this little monkey by his side, as if they were brothers or even father and son. This overwhelming sense of closeness was far greater than with the many monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain.
Finally, the little monkey spoke up, "What’s your name?"
"I don’t have a name yet, just call me Stone Monkey. How about you?"
"I am Wu Zhiqi."
Heaven! An invisible sledgehammer struck Stone Monkey’s vulnerable little heart—it was Wu Zhiqi!
This seemingly unremarkable little monkey, who even appeared somewhat frail, turned out to be the ancient giant demon Wu Zhiqi!
The Stone Monkey stood up in a flurry, looking around. Deathly silence prevailed.
"Is it just you here?" he asked.
"Just me, for who knows how many years, only me."
The Stone Monkey fell into thought. He had fallen from the cliff, hearing only a roar before losing awareness of everything. Now it seemed, it must have been Wu Zhiqi who had saved his life. Wu Zhiqi had no hint of malice towards him, but rather a certain fondness. No, ’fondness’ isn’t the precise term—it was a feeling of closeness. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and Monthly Pass. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
