Volume 1: Unsayable – Chapter 4: Searching for the traces of immortals

Though life on Flower-Fruit Mountain was carefree, the Stone Monkey could not find peace in his heart. He realized that he had memorized the three types of Taoist techniques he had heard when first entering Water Curtain Cave. Although he was not stupid, he did not possess an innate memory like that. Could it be that his talents had changed since he crossed over? Or was it some magic trick done by that preacher?
The Stone Monkey always associated this preacher with Patriarch Subhuti. Throughout Journey to the West, it was Patriarch Subhuti who brought the greatest benefits to Wukong. But why would he do such things?
In the blink of an eye, a year passed, and the day the Stone Monkey had longed for finally arrived. That day, he sat on a stone platform, staring blankly at the fruit wine on the stone table before him. A few little monkeys rushed in in a hurry and reported, “Great King, an old monkey has suddenly died. We don’t know why!”
After a brief pause, the Stone Monkey said, “Call all the ministers into the hall.”
For easier management, the Stone Monkey divided the more than a thousand monkeys into three ranks. Aside from himself, four red-tailed, armless old monkeys were appointed as deputy cave leaders, in charge of food and miscellaneous tasks. There were also over a dozen monkeys with high prestige who held positions as well.
When these monkeys entered the cave, the Stone Monkey ordered the little monkeys to prepare a feast. The other monkeys found this banquet somewhat sudden, as the Great King seemed displeased, but they dared not ask too many questions.
After several rounds of drinking, the Stone Monkey suddenly shed tears. Of course, these tears were fake. In his past life, he had been an actor, so pretending emotions was nothing to him.
One red-tailed monkey stood up and asked, “Why is the Great King troubled?”
The Stone Monkey replied, “Today, another member of our race has passed away. Thinking about it, you and I will surely face the same fate in the future—falling into the cycle of rebirth. How many more days of joy are left?”
The armless ape monkey stepped forward quickly and said, “The Great King is an immortal being. How can you fear such things? It’s we ordinary beings who cannot escape the cycle of life and death.”
Although the armless ape monkey stood with his head bowed while the Stone Monkey sat high on the platform, the Stone Monkey noticed a glimmer of joy in his eyes, which made him suspicious. Yet he remained silent and said, “I indeed am not afraid of these things. It’s you who are suffering.”
The armless ape monkey was slightly disappointed, but after a moment, he said, “If the Great King truly has such intentions, it would bring great joy to all of our race!”
“Where does this joy come from?” the Stone Monkey asked.
“Doesn’t the Great King know that there are three types of beings in this world who are not under the rule of the King of Hell? They are gods, immortals, and Buddhas. If we can find someone with great magical powers and learn some spells and skills, we can avoid the cycle of rebirth and live forever.”
The Stone Monkey pretended to be surprised and said, “There really are such things? Do you know where they live?”

The Armored Ape Monkey said with delight, “It’s right in the ancient caves and immortal mountains—traces of immortals can be found in all four great continents.”
The Stone Monkey slapped the armrest of the stone chair and exclaimed happily, “Great! I’ll go down the mountain tomorrow to seek immortality, so that you too can break free from the cycle of rebirth and enjoy eternal happiness with your family.”
The Armored Ape Monkey was overjoyed and clapped his hands repeatedly, saying, “Tomorrow, we’ll hold a grand feast, gather fresh fruits, and bid our king farewell!”
How could the Stone Monkey not understand the Armored Ape Monkey’s intentions? He thought to himself, “You wish I never return so you can become king of the mountain again. It’s a pity—though you’re quite cunning among the monkeys, with your limited vision and abilities, how could you possibly understand the rules of this world?”
The next day, the monkeys chopped down pines to make a raft and had a joyful feast. Then the Stone Monkey, carrying a bamboo pole and some fruits, set sail across the sea.
With just one person and a raft crossing the vast ocean, the Stone Monkey felt no worries or fears, for he clearly remembered that *Journey to the West* mentioned, “For days, the southeast wind blew strongly, carrying him to the northwest shore, which was part of the Southern Continent.”
After saying goodbye to the group, the Stone Monkey lay on the raft, letting it drift on the water.
Most of the monkeys on the shore had tears in their eyes. When the Stone Monkey was king, he cared for the old and weak and distributed resources fairly. Now that he had left, it was uncertain when he would return. Naturally, some of the older monkeys had their own plans. From that day on, Flower-Fruit Mountain had no ruler. Though the Stone Monkey still held influence, distant help couldn’t relieve immediate needs, and a fierce struggle seemed imminent.
The Stone Monkey was fully aware of this, but his ambitions were lofty—he didn’t care about Flower-Fruit Mountain, and anyway, he would return sooner or later.
Clouds floated in the sky, and the sunlight was warm and gentle. A monkey with great ambitions and a thirst for knowledge was about to embark on his journey!
The Stone Monkey rose with the sun and rested at sunset. There were plenty of fruits on the raft, so he wouldn’t run out for three or five days. But after three days, looking at the calm water, he began to grow anxious.
The book clearly said, “For days, the southeast wind blew strongly.” Three days had passed—why was there still no sign of wind? Without strong winds to help, he feared he might die trapped on the raft.
On the fifth day, the wind finally blew.
It was a fierce wind, truly making one realize: fame and fortune fade away with the water, and life drifts like waves.
The raft tossed about in the ocean like a leaf, floating with the waves.
Instead of fearing it, the Stone Monkey was pleased. He used several thin vines he had prepared to tie himself firmly to the raft. The wind came from the southeast, and they were heading northwest—travelling with the current indeed made things easier.
In just a few days, a dark line appeared on the horizon—likely the land of the Southern Continent.
When the raft reached shallow waters, the wind died down and the waves calmed. The Stone Monkey picked up the bamboo pole and rowed for a while until he reached the shore.

Picking up a few pieces of clothing left by fishermen on the shore, a subtle thought flashed through the Stone Monkey’s mind: Am I a monkey now or a human?
Upon arriving at the seaside market town, the Stone Monkey used his agile skills to steal some steamed buns and ate them in a secluded place.
Looking back, he realized he had been in the Journey to the West world for over a year and finally tasted food again.
After eating his fill, the Stone Monkey wondered where he should go next.
According to the plot of Journey to the West, the Stone Monkey searched for immortals in South Jambudvipa for eight or nine years without success before heading to West Ox Continent, where he met Patriarch Subhuti.
But the Stone Monkey knew that Patriarch Subhuti was an unusual figure in the story—unknown as to his origin or destination, seemingly existing only to teach Sun Wukong.
If he went straight to West Ox Continent now, there was a high chance Patriarch Subhuti would not be there. Since the future was unpredictable, it was better not to take risks. After much deliberation, the Stone Monkey had no idea what to do and began wandering around the area.
With his fur all over his body, ordinary people avoided him at a distance, making it difficult for him to coexist with humans, which filled him with frustration. The Stone Monkey headed north, hoping to find a desolate mountain to spend those eight or nine years before deciding what to do next.
Along the way, South Jambudvipa’s prosperity far exceeded his imagination; everywhere there were people. Unbeknownst to him, the road he was on was an official route, so how could he find a desolate mountain?
After countless times of blisters on his feet and sweat poured out, the Stone Monkey moved slowly, stopping frequently. Before he knew it, seasons changed, and a year and a half had passed.
The Stone Monkey felt increasingly cold as he entered a barren land with towering mountains blocking his path, with not a single house in sight.
One day, snowflakes as big as goose feathers began to fall from the sky, turning the world white in an instant. The Stone Monkey had no interest in admiring the snow; he just wanted to find a mountain hollow to shelter from the wind and snow.
Having endured this year and a half of hunger and hardship, the innate sense of superiority that came with being born from a magical stone had vanished, and his advantages as a traveler had yet to show. The Stone Monkey felt disheartened. Finally finding a mountain crevice to hide in, he was shivering with cold.
Taking out the two dry buns he had left, a tear rolled down from his furry eyes and landed on one of the buns.
Not to mention his luxurious life as a noble in his past life, even on Flower-Fruit Mountain after traveling through time, the Stone Monkey had never suffered any hardship. This experience was the first time he had faced such difficulties in either life, so how could he not feel sad?

With one bite, swallowing the tears as well, the Stone Monkey thought to itself that once the snow stopped, it would head south—at least that way it wouldn’t freeze to death. Just then, it felt a wave of extreme cold, as if it had fallen into an ice cellar; the tears on its face instantly turned into ice beads, and the bread in its hands became as hard as iron. Fortunately, it wasn’t made of flesh and blood, otherwise it would have turned into an ice monkey right away. Even so, its whole body was frozen stiff, unable to move.

As the Stone Monkey was filled with fear, it heard a sharp shout from the sky: “You wretched beast! Where do you think you can run?” The voice was quite clear, seeming to belong to a young man. Followed by several loud booms, along with the sound of metal colliding.

The sound grew louder and louder. Suddenly, a thunderclap rang out, causing the entire mountain to shake violently. Then, the cliff beside the Stone Monkey slowly collapsed. Thankfully, it fell outward; otherwise, the Stone Monkey would have been crushed under the mountain, unable to move for ten thousand years.