Journey to the West: Starting with the True Lord of the Pure Land

On Flower and Fruit Mountain, inside the Water Curtain Cave.

The stone monkey was initially delighted, but then it heard the old monkey talking about the kings of the world and mentioning a nearby dragon king.

His golden eyes darted around, curiosity piqued, and he couldn't help but ask:

"The Flood Dragon King? I wonder what this Flood Dragon King's background is? He has such a great reputation that even you know about him?"

Seeing that the king had asked a question, the old monkey became even more talkative and said:

"Your Majesty may not know this. This Flood Dragon King, whose Taoist name is Xuanling, is also known as the Flood Dragon Demon King."

Legend has it that he was a dragon who attained enlightenment and cultivated for countless years, possessing truly remarkable supernatural powers.

Some say he can overturn rivers and seas, stir up waves for thousands of miles; controlling clouds and rain, manipulating the weather is just a trivial matter for him.

Its fame was so great that many spirits and monsters of the land and mountains, as well as fish and shellfish of the water, had heard of it.

When the old monkey heard him talk about his neighbor, the Dragon King, the monkeys below perked up and started chattering and shouting in agreement.

Some said they had heard of his renowned reputation, some said he was rumored to be a hundred feet tall, and some said he had a large number of soldiers under his command—it was quite a scene of commotion.

The stone monkey, being newly born, naturally knew little of the outside world. He listened with great interest and couldn't help but ask again:

"Where does such a remarkable person reign supreme?"

The old monkey pointed towards the outside of the Water Curtain Cave and said:

"I have heard that the Dragon King possesses the eight-hundred-mile-long Qingchi Ridge, and his Daoist temple is located in a blessed land called 'Yunmang Mountain'."

It's not exactly close to us, but it's not too far either.

Your Majesty should know that if you go east from our Flower and Fruit Mountain and cross two hundred miles of water, you will reach the territory of Aolai Kingdom.

Beyond Aolai Kingdom, several hundred miles further east lies the territory of Qingchi Ridge, under the jurisdiction of the Flood Dragon King.

Upon hearing this, the stone monkey leaped down from the rock and laughed joyfully:

"So you were right next door! You are truly a wise neighbor!"

Seeing his joy, the old monkey asked again:

"In that case, what kind of king do you wish to be?"

The stone monkey's gaze swept over the various monkey species in the cave, including apes, macaques, and tamarins. A thought struck him, and he chuckled:

"I see that most of you are apes, macaques, and gibbons. Since I am your king, how about I become the 'Monkey King'?"

"You can all become my monkey descendants, living freely and happily in the Water Curtain Cave of Flower and Fruit Mountain!"

Upon hearing this, all the monkeys cheered in unison, "Monkey King! Monkey King! Greetings, Monkey King!"

From then on, the stone monkey concealed the character "stone" and ascended to the throne, thus becoming known as the "Monkey King".

He then led the monkeys, assigning them roles as rulers, ministers, assistants, and envoys, each with their own duties. Every morning they would roam Flower Fruit Mountain, and every evening they would sleep in Water Curtain Cave.

He neither mingles with birds nor follows beasts, but reigns supreme alone, finding boundless joy and carefree ease.

…………

The Monkey King reigned freely on Flower Fruit Mountain, indulging in carefree joy, and before he knew it, another three or five years had passed.

On this day, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle.

The Monkey King was resting under an old peach tree outside the Water Curtain Cave, holding a ripe peach and biting into it, enjoying the juice.

All around, monkeys were climbing and playing, chasing and pouncing, picking fruit and sharing it, their clamor filling the mountains and forests.

They were truly carefree and without worries.

In the midst of their joy, a strange phenomenon occurred.

But then, in the distant east where the sea and sky meet, a mighty azure aura suddenly shot into the sky, its momentum soaring straight to the heavens!

That azure aura was no ordinary light; it contained boundless vitality and ancient Daoist charm, and as soon as it appeared, it swept across all directions.

The energy swept across Flower Fruit Mountain, causing the forest to rustle and the grasses to bow low, and the spiritual energy of the mountain to ripple.

The monkeys had never seen such a sight before.

The birds were so frightened that they dropped their peaches and fruit, squeaking and squeaking. Some scurried into the cracks in the rocks, while others climbed to the treetops, covering their heads and shrinking their necks, looking around in panic.

More than that.

As the azure aura soared into the sky, powerful auras suddenly rose from all directions, near and far, stirring up the clouds and creating a fierce wind.

Many more streaks of light shot out from all directions, even from above Flower Fruit Mountain, like shooting stars chasing the moon, all heading straight for the source of the azure energy.

The aura emanating from these figures, even if only a fraction of it was unintentionally leaked,

This also caused the beasts in the mountains to tremble and the birds to panic, and for a time, monkeys cried and tigers roared, creating chaos.

The Monkey King, however, was not afraid at all. He suddenly threw away the peach pit and leaped onto a high rock.

Seeing his monkey followers in a panic, he scratched his ears and cheeks, stamped his feet repeatedly, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Children, don't panic! Don't be afraid! Quickly hide in the cave and don't come out!"

Upon hearing the sound, the monkeys, as if receiving a command, hurriedly pushed and shoved each other, all scrambling to hide in the water curtain cave behind the waterfall.

The Monkey King did not go in.

He stood alone on the cliff in front of the cave, looking up at the sky, his golden eyes shining brightly, reflecting the flowing clouds and streaks of figures skimming through the air.

What a great Monkey King!

He was born from a spiritual stone, with a clear mind and the innate fire element hidden in his chest.

Having witnessed that towering sword mark before, I was already deeply shaken. Today, seeing this boundless azure energy and the clouds moving in all directions...

An unprecedented surge of emotion and longing arose in my heart.

That thrill wasn't fear, but a yearning that originated from one's true self, a yearning that was both innocent and primal.

It was as if something deep within my heart was quietly awakened by this vast celestial phenomenon and by those figures galloping freely across the heavens.

He felt a surge of heat rising in his chest as he gazed at the boundless sky, the vast blue sea, and the ever-shining blue glow at the horizon.

He thought to himself, "The world is so vast. I may be happy to be king or ancestor here, but what about a hundred years later? A thousand years later?"

So, can we only be like the boys, panicking and hiding at the slightest sign of trouble?

He scratched his cheek, his golden eyes gleaming, and muttered to himself, as if questioning the heavens and earth:

"This world is so vast. What should I ask for?"

Just as the Monkey King was feeling a surge of emotion, he suddenly heard a surprised voice from above.

"what?"

Before the words had even faded, a gust of demonic wind swept down from the sky and suddenly stopped above Flower Fruit Mountain.

A thick, foul-smelling demonic wind dissipated, revealing a colossal figure—a demon king with a tiger's head and a human body.

What a ferocious demon king! Do you know what he looks like? A poem testifies to it:

His round, golden eyes shone like lamps, and his steel teeth were like serrated nails. His mustache was like iron wire, and the mane at the back of his head was sharp and pointed.

Its mottled skin was rough and hard, its claws gleaming like silver in the sunlight. A stench of blood swept across the land, and a demonic aura suspended in the air terrified all living beings.

Foxes and rabbits in the mountains are terrified, wolves and insects in their burrows hide themselves. It is that roaming mountain hermit who, greedily watching the strange phenomena, descends from the clouds.

The tiger demon hovered in mid-air, its fierce eyes sweeping over the mountains and rivers below.

He had come following the soaring blue aura and the sounds from all directions, and stopped here briefly.

Upon seeing the mountain filled with spiritual energy and abundant flowers and fruits, their eyes immediately lit up with surprise and greed.

The tiger demon observed closely and then caught sight of the golden-haired monkey standing alone below, gazing at the sky. It noticed that the monkey stood tall with its head held high, its eyes gleaming with a strange light and a hint of spiritual energy emanating from it, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary creature.

A thought flashed through the tiger demon's mind, and a greedy desire arose within him. He thought to himself:

"In these desolate mountains and wild ridges, there are such clever and beautiful monkeys hidden?"

Judging from its natural talent and spirit, capturing it and using its monkey head as a snack with wine would be an unexpected bonus!

The demonic wind was about to fall.