The story begins with the bride marrying off her daughter, and the woman, at the age of one hundred,

Watching chess until the axe handle rots, one is either an immortal or a Taoist, sitting quietly in the Yellow Court!

These words, coupled with being in the territory of Xiniu Hezhou and with the Monkey King beneath him, made Changshou think twice, and he even became somewhat certain:

finally---

They've arrived at Fangcun Mountain!

Soon he will be able to watch the monkey enter the Three Star Cave.

For example, to verify the longevity conjecture.

Soon the monkey stopped carrying him.

A blurry figure appeared in Changshou's old eyes. Although he couldn't see it clearly, he could still tell that the person in front of him was tall and strong.

The story unfolds much like the original, with the monkey mistaking the woodcutter for an immortal. The woodcutter, however, reveals that he is just an ordinary woodcutter who makes a living by chopping wood, supporting his elderly mother, raising his children, and asking for little in life. He is content with his lot and finds happiness in modest wealth.

The folk song I sing is called "Full Garden of Fragrance," taught to me by a hermit on the mountain. I sing it daily to soothe my mood...

The Monkey King is listening.

Chang Shou was also listening.

Unlike the original story, the monkey asked many questions, including not only the location of the immortals, but also the woodcutter's name and the past stories of the mountain immortals.

The monkey is clever.

It's clear that the woodcutter was no ordinary man.

During this process, Changshou obtained a lot of information, including that the woodcutter's surname was Ke, and that in addition to chopping wood, he also liked to play chess, which was taught to him by a mountain immortal when he had nothing else to do. The woodcutter said that he was of poor talent and his chess skills were mediocre, only having a rough understanding of the game.

And so on, blah blah blah.

Whether it was his imagination or he was too sensitive, Chang Shou always felt that the woodcutter's occasional gaze on him was somewhat meaningful.

At the same time, he felt that the woodcutter's extraordinary qualities also lay in:

I smell terrible right now, and apart from monkeys, no living creature would dislike me. Even when hunting, monkeys have to go several miles away.

The woodcutter never complained.

This is quite unusual.

As for whether he could see the woodcutter's expression clearly or whether he was disgusted, Changshou was not worried. The monkey was clever; if the woodcutter really showed a similar expression, he wouldn't have talked to him for so long. He would have already left him and rushed up the mountain, heading towards the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave.

---

Of course, the monkey was eager to become an immortal.

After a brief conversation, they bid farewell to the woodcutter.

Following the direction pointed out by the woodcutter, the monkey carried Changshou on its back. Its body was as swift as a swallow, and its steps were as fast as flying. It walked on the rugged mountain path as if it were flat ground. After crossing a hillside and traveling eight miles, it indeed came to a cave.

The Monkey King stepped forward to observe; it truly was a good place.

The scenery before us is breathtaking, like a painting:

Smoke and clouds scatter colors, the sun and moon shimmer. A thousand ancient cypresses, ten thousand bamboos in full bloom. A thousand ancient cypresses, half-hidden in the rain, stand tall and green; ten thousand bamboos, shrouded in mist, create a hazy, dreamlike scene in the valley. Exotic flowers adorn the gate, and fragrant herbs scent the air by the bridge…

Although Changshou's five senses were not as strong as before, he could still faintly smell a fragrant aroma and hear the cries of cranes and phoenixes...

The Monkey King was overjoyed, jumping around and laughing incessantly.

"Old Chang, this immortal's abode is truly extraordinary. It's no worse than my Flower and Fruit Mountain, and much better than those wild immortal caves that look down on them."

The patriarch of this cave must have been a virtuous immortal who taught without discrimination.

Chang Shou forced a smile.

The monkey was right.

This Patriarch Subhuti was a great master who taught without discrimination. Although he may have only had one true disciple, Sun Wukong, he taught countless unorthodox immortals.

The woodcutter's words serve as evidence.

Once his emotions had calmed down a bit, the Monkey King carefully placed Changshou on a blue stone, then leaped up an old pine tree, picked pine nuts, ate them, and played around.

He also chewed up some pine nuts, intending to feed them to Changshou with his fingertips.

Chang Shou was terrified. He tightly closed his lips, refusing to speak even though this step caused his muscles to ache as if they were being cut by knives.

I would never eat the saliva of a stinky monkey.

Even if this dead monkey is suspected to be a naturally divine being.

Soon the cave entrance opened.

A beautifully crafted fairy boy emerged, successfully diverting the monkey's attention and saving Changshou from spitting.

Because of his poor eyesight, Changshou didn't notice the monkey's regretful look.

The Monkey King sighed inwardly.

These pine nuts are sweet and delicious, and taste great.

Unfortunately, the old man was too rigid and conservative, and missed out on this delicious treat.

What drooling?

What's this about cleanliness?

Humans have too many rules and are just being overly fussy.

The monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain don't have so many fuss or bad habits. Those who are close to each other will not only share each other's saliva, but also sleep in the same bed, bathe together, urinate together, catch lice together, and even raise a mother monkey and a bunch of baby monkeys together.

I haven't even complained that you don't have a single hair on your body.

I haven't even thought you're uglier than a wild boar in the mountains.

I haven't even complained that you stink more than monkey poop.

He absolutely refused to admit that he had become addicted to feeding the animals.

Suppressing my thoughts.

The Monkey King looked at the fairy boy in the cave, and his eyes lit up.

This was truly no ordinary celestial abode; even the young attendant there was more presentable than those wild immortals. His hair was tied in two braids, and his wide robes billowed in the wind. His appearance and body were distinct, and his heart and form were both empty.

The child of eternal life in the mountains is completely untouched by the dust of the world.

The Monkey King couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

---

The fairy boy asked a question he already knew the answer to:

"Who's causing this disturbance?"

The monkey stepped forward and bowed:

"Immortal Child, Old Man Chang and I are both disciples seeking the Dao and learning immortality. Having heard of the name of our patriarch, we have come here specifically to become his disciples and learn immortality."

The fairy boy said to the monkey king:

"My ancestor was just about to ascend the altar to preach when he said there was a monkey outside who was studying the Tao, and he ordered me to come out and greet him. I suppose that was you."

The Monkey King was so happy that he scratched his ears and cheeks.

"It's me! It's me! It's me!"

He nodded repeatedly.

As Old Man Chang once said, important things should be said three times.

The fairy boy nodded: "Then come in with me."

The monkey was overjoyed and responded. He picked up Changshou and was about to go inside when he was immediately blocked by the fairy boy.

With a disdainful twitch of his nose, the fairy boy said, "The patriarch only told you to go in, not that he should go in."

The Monkey King flattered:

"Fairy Boy, we came together, so naturally we should go in together."

The fairy boy said bluntly:

"The Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave is the ancestral master's Daoist site and the ancient immortal's abode. The cave is pure and clean. How can we allow such filthy air to enter? It is a small matter to pollute the spiritual energy of the cave, but a big matter to disturb the ancestral master's cultivation."

Even my fellow disciples, when they were about to become ghost immortals, would voluntarily leave the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave and seek a place in this mountain before returning after achieving their goal.

Each patriarch instructed that this person must never enter.

It was like being doused with a bucket of cold water.

The Monkey King's initial excitement diminished considerably, and his rationality returned. He realized the subtext in the fairy boy's words.

It was indeed to make him go along.

Old Man Chang wasn't mentioned at all throughout the entire event.

"The patriarch was willing to let a monkey like me in, so he must be a compassionate immortal with a broad mind. He would not abandon an old man who cannot take care of himself, nor would he want to see his soon-to-be disciple as a heartless person who would not help someone in distress."

Fairy Boy, please have mercy!

Let me bring Old Man Chang in.

At worst, I won't take him to see the patriarch.

The fairy boy hesitated for a moment, his expression conflicted.

The monkey and the fairy boy were momentarily frozen in place, unable to move forward or backward.