Volume 1: Unspeakable Chapter 1: A Fate Across Lifetimes

In the Eastern Victory Continent, in the country of Aolai, atop Flower-Fruit Mountain…
A peach blossom petal spun and fell from the branch, circling in the air before landing in the hand of a monkey.
The monkey picked up the petal with its not-so-agile fingers, brought it to its nose, and inhaled its faint fragrance. Frowning slightly, its large eyes shone like bright stars, innocent and childlike.
It stared at the petal as if it were the lips of a lover, from noon until dusk.
Eventually, the petal began to wither and shrivel. Disappointment clearly showed on the monkey’s face. It looked up at the sky, then down at the ground, before standing up and rushing downhill.
The petal slowly drifted down from the mountain top, falling into a babbling stream below and floating with the current.
Above was the sky, below was the earth—there were trees, jungles, streams, fresh fruits, grass, thorns, rocks… A group of monkeys playing and frolicking—looked exactly like me. Were they many versions of me?
One monkey slowed down as it watched the group; the group stared at that one monkey, pointing and making strange noises.
“Come here!” called a tall monkey.
“Why should I come?” the monkey asked.
“We’re all monkeys. We should be together!”
“So I’m a monkey… Then what does it mean to be together?”
“To be together… means… not to part,” replied the tall monkey.
“Does it mean being as close as you all are?” the monkey asked.
“Yes, that’s right,” said the tall monkey, tossing a fresh peach over. “I’m Afei. Here, have this peach.”
The monkey took the peach, not understanding.
“It’s very delicious,” said Afei.
The monkey bit into the peach. Bright red juice splashed everywhere, leaving droplets on its fur. “Does it like to be eaten?” the monkey asked.
Afei grinned as if laughing. “I only know I like eating it. Who cares if it likes to be eaten?”
The monkey looked at the peach with a bite mark in it, as if wounded or bleeding. Suddenly, it resented itself—why had it taken a bite? Yet the taste was indeed… delicious!
“What’s your name?” Afei asked.
The monkey, still holding the peach, was stunned. “I don’t have a name yet.”
“We all have names. I’m Afei. That one is A Bao, and that one is Xiao Tian…” Afei introduced them one by one.

An indescribable emotion spread through the monkey’s heart—a uncomfortable feeling. Was it… sadness? It seemed as if a voice was echoing in its mind. Who was it? Who was defining sadness for it? Naturally, no one replied. Birds of a feather flock together, and the other monkeys gathered around it. A little monkey said, “You popped out of a rock; I saw it.” The monkey scratched its head; it didn’t know where it came from either. A Fei wore a solemn expression, which looked somewhat comical, and said, “Let’s call you Stone Monkey.” The monkey took a bite of a peach and murmured, “Stone Monkey… Stone Monkey. Is that a name?” An old monkey said, “If you agree, then it’s a name.” “Alright, then I’m Stone Monkey.” Another strange feeling arose in the monkey’s heart. Stone Monkey—why did this name seem so familiar? “Then I’ve given you a name!” A Fei said happily. It was the first time he had given another monkey a name; usually, only a few old monkeys had that right in the troop. “Stone Monkey!” A Fei called. The monkey seemed to ignore him, lost in thought. “Stone Monkey! Stone Monkey!” A Fei called louder, but the monkey still didn’t respond. A little monkey whispered, “What’s wrong with him?” A Fei felt a mix of shame and anger. It was his first time giving someone a name, and they ignored him. He raised his furry arm and said, “This monkey is a bit hard of hearing. Let’s call together.” Dozens of monkeys shouted in unison, “Stone Monkey! Stone Monkey! Stone Monkey…” A loud noise erupted in the monkey’s mind. It closed its eyes, its thoughts traveling across mountains and rivers, through countless past lives, back to its former human existence… Shi Hou was the name from its past life. Its father’s surname was Shi, and its mother’s was Hou, giving rise to this ambiguous name. Shi Hou studied acting. His family had been in business for five generations and was extremely wealthy abroad. But unlike those rich second-generation heirs who only knew how to race cars and chase girls, he was extremely serious about studying and working. There was a well-known director in China, surnamed Zhang, famous for his adaptations of Jin’s works. In recent years, he had turned to adapting classic novels, starting with “Journey to the West.” Shi Hou’s mother wanted him to enter the entertainment industry. Since the Shi family wasn’t short of money, they used their wealth to secure him a role as Sun Wukong. Shi Hou disapproved of his mother’s approach. He had always dismissed Director Zhang’s works, yet he loved “Journey to the West” deeply. After much consideration, he agreed to his mother’s request.

I had read The Journey to the West countless times since I was a child, and I knew every character in it by heart. This time, to prepare for the role, I read this classic work from start to finish several more times. After receiving the script, I experienced the most disappointing day of my life—it was absolutely terrible. I couldn’t help but wonder: Could it get any worse? The entire script was filled with jokes, parodies, and anachronisms. Just by looking at the plot, I couldn’t believe it was actually The Journey to the West I had in mind. I threw the script aside, turned on my computer, and sent an email to the screenwriter: This version of The Journey to the West is too orthodox; I fear I’m not up to the task. If the script is revised according to the following ideas, I’d be willing to play any of the characters. During the Three Kingdoms period, Tang Seng and his disciples, ordered by Sun Quan, traveled from Eastern Wu to Western Shu to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Along the way, they were attacked by the heroes of Liangshan, but fortunately, Dai Yu came to their rescue with her sword. As a result, Tang Seng and Dai Yu developed a passionate love affair. Baoyu, who had grown up with Dai Yu, went to confront Tang Seng and was killed by the city guards. He was reborn as Kong Ming, who ruled Western Shu and took charge of the sacred scriptures… In this way, all four great classical novels would be covered, transcending time, ethics, logic, and convention—how delightful! After sending the email, I shook my head and smiled. Why get upset? In this era, even the worst works have countless fans. Who cares? I tore up the script that so many people desired, then picked up the phone and called my mother: “I’m not playing this role.” I could imagine my mother’s shocked expression on the other end, but I didn’t explain anything. I hung up and turned off my phone. Any film or TV work should respect the original work—it’s a basic sense of conscience, which I’ve always believed. But as for The Journey to the West, perhaps not many people truly understand it. I’ve also watched the 1986 version of the series. In terms of quality, it’s barely passable; the only positive aspect is that the entire crew put in effort, which is commendable and shows respect for their work. As for the countless explicit and implicit themes, codes, power struggles, and strategic battles in The Journey to the West, it’s likely impossible to express them through other art forms. Wu Chengen—if he truly created The Journey to the West alone, calling him a genius wouldn’t be an overstatement. Lost in thought, I picked up The Journey to the West again and soon became immersed in it. Here’s a poem: Before chaos separated heaven and earth, everything was in turmoil, unseen and vast. Since Pangu shattered the primordial chaos, clarity and turbidity have been distinguished. He nurtured all living beings with utmost kindness, and through his creation, everything became good.

To understand the true power of creating the universe, one must read The Journey to the West: The Legend of Equaling Heaven… What? The Journey to the West: The Legend of Equaling Heaven? These last two lines should clearly be “To understand the true power of creating the universe, one must read The Journey to the West: The Legend of Overcoming Adversities.” “Overcoming Adversities” originally meant resolving hardships—so why did this copy say “Equaling Heaven”? With great confusion, Shi Hou continued flipping through the pages. After skimming a few pages, a genuine smile appeared on his lips as he murmured, “This is the Journey to the West I’ve been looking for…” Before his words could finish, Shi Hou’s figure turned into a beam of white light and disappeared into the thick volume of Journey to the West… “No, I haven’t finished reading it yet—” Shi Hou’s voice suddenly cut off in the room.