Volume 1: Unsayable, Chapter 8: Ancient Secrets

“Why did you save me?” asked the Stone Monkey.
Wu Zhiqi tilted his head and thought for a moment before saying, “Why should I save you? Why shouldn’t I?”
“So you’re… a monkey?”
“A monkey? Haha… I’m a monkey? How could you even ask that? Are you also a monkey?” Wu Zhiqi laughed hysterically, his voice hoarse and desolate.
“Do you also think you’re a monkey?” Wu Zhiqi turned to stare at the Stone Monkey.
The Stone Monkey felt uneasy, as he was facing a mighty ancient demon. Though Wu Zhiqi seemed harmless, his combat form during the battle against Prince Zhang in the sky was unforgettable—a monster five zhang tall, on par with a Vajra being. His own small frame couldn’t even withstand a single step from him.
“Isn’t that so? If not a monkey, then what?”
Wu Zhiqi’s gaze was piercing, like two sharp swords piercing into the Stone Monkey’s heart. He declared firmly, word by word, “We are not monkeys! We are apes!”
Seeing Wu Zhiqi’s serious expression, the Stone Monkey, though still doubtful, dared not ask further.
Realizing he had lost his composure slightly, Wu Zhiqi quickly reverted to his gentle demeanor. Sighing, he said, “You’ve just been born; it’s natural you don’t understand this.”
Noticing the Stone Monkey’s confusion, Wu Zhiqi’s expression grew even more sorrowful as he recounted an ancient secret.
“Since Pangu created the world, ten major species gradually emerged across the universe. The highest rank—” Here, Wu Zhiqi gave a bitter smile and continued, “The highest rank belongs to the Five Immortals: those of heaven, earth, gods, humans, and ghosts. That is, Heavenly Immortals, Earthly Immortals, Divine Immortals, Human Immortals, and Ghost Immortals. Among these five, the Ghost Immortals are the weakest, while the Heavenly Immortals are the strongest. Even the Ghost Immortals, who take detours, hold a higher status than any of the lower five ranks.”
“Are the lower five ranks the scaled, scaled, feathered, feathered, and insect types?” interjected the Stone Monkey, only to regret it immediately. He had just been born—how could he know such secrets? He hoped Wu Zhiqi wouldn’t suspect anything.
To his surprise, Wu Zhiqi rarely smiled: “Indeed, a wise and intelligent ape, with early wisdom. Since you know, I’ll explain briefly.”
“As you said, the lower five ranks are called the Five Insects: scaled, scaled, feathered, feathered, and insect. The latter four are easy to understand—they are all creatures with scales, feathers, or shells. Only the ‘Ying’ is the most peculiar; it has no feathers, scales, or shell—”
“What is it then?” asked the Stone Monkey again.

“That is what humans are—ordinary people all belong to the Ying category. Ying ranks first among the lower five classes but is still learned. He possesses extraordinary wisdom, is quick-witted and eager to learn; if blessed enough, he can ascend to become an immortal. As for the gods, humans, and ghosts in the upper five classes, they too gradually cultivate through practice in the lower five classes before attaining such powers and daring to call themselves immortals.”
“Besides that—” Wu Zhiqi seemed to intend to create suspense as he asked the Stone Monkey, “Do you know of any other species?”
The Stone Monkey shook his head in confusion. He only faintly sensed that the answer Wu Zhiqi would give must differ from what the Tathagata had said—“There are four more monkeys who roam the world and do not belong to any of the ten categories.”
Wu Zhiqi continued, “Besides those, there are seven divine apes, created by heaven and earth. The first among them is the Spiritwise Divine Ape.” He gave the Stone Monkey a meaningful look. “That’s you.”
What?
The Stone Monkey was shocked—was the Spiritwise Divine Ape really me?
Spiritwise Divine Ape! Wise Stone Monkey!
Was what Wu Zhiqi said true or false?
If true, why had the Tathagata hidden the truth? And who were the other six of the seven divine apes? If false… The Stone Monkey thought for a moment. Wu Zhiqi clearly seemed in trouble and had no reason to deceive him.
How could he recognize himself as the Spiritwise Divine Ape at a glance? He felt a special closeness to him, as if there was an unbreakable blood connection across countless times and spaces. Could that be the reason he recognized him?
Now the Stone Monkey believed that the moment Wu Zhiqi was captured by Prince Xiao Zhang, that glance back must have seen him, and he recognized him right then.
The Stone Monkey calmed himself down and asked, “Then who are the other six divine apes?”
Wu Zhiqi said joyfully, “Seeing that you’re not surprised, do you remember something else?” The Stone Monkey nodded. Of course, he wouldn’t admit that he had come here mysteriously. At this point, he could only go along with what Wu Zhiqi said.
Wu Zhiqi became energized, as if his body grew larger as well. He said enthusiastically, “These seven divine apes are called divine because they were born before the ten major species. They all possess the power to reach heaven and earth, to reverse the sun, moon, and stars. The first is the Spiritwise Divine Ape, versatile and skilled at reading the times and environments, able to move stars and rearrange the heavens. The second is the Yin-Yang Divine Ape, understanding human affairs, knowing life and death, distinguishing fortune and misfortune, and skilled at avoiding death and prolonging life. The third is the Arm-Extending Divine Ape, capable of holding the sun and moon, shrinking mountains, predicting good and bad fortune, and reversing the universe. The fourth is called the Clever Divine Ape, good at seeing far and hearing clearly, able to understand principles, know what’s ahead and behind, and see everything clearly.”

At this point, the Stone Monkey suddenly remembered how similar this was to the tone in which the Tathagata evaluated the Four Monkeys of Chaos. The four monkeys mentioned by the Tathagata were the Intelligent Stone Monkey, the Red-Tailed Horse Monkey, the Armless Ape Monkey, and the Six-Eared Monkey. The Stone Monkey grew increasingly convinced that Wu Zhiqi’s words were true, as the Tathagata’s evaluation clearly placed those four monkeys several levels lower.

“As for the fifth,” the Stone Monkey listened intently, “it is called the Water-Raising Divine Ape. It becomes active when it encounters water, possessing immense strength. Later generations misinterpreted it as the Water Goddess, while others called it the Great Water Ape Sage.” Wu Zhiqi paused briefly before continuing, “That’s me.”

“The sixth is called the Wind-Dispelling Divine Ape. It can transform in countless ways, appearing and disappearing mysteriously. It is the most mysterious of the Seven Divine Apes.”

“The seventh Divine Ape is known as the Pest-Driving Divine Ape.”

The Stone Monkey asked in confusion, “Why are the first six called Divine Apes, but this one is called a Sage Ape?”

Wu Zhiqi replied, “Although the Pest-Driving Divine Ape ranks last, its abilities are almost beyond ordinary limits. It is very likely the strongest among the Seven Divine Apes. As for exactly what makes it so powerful, even I don’t know. It is precisely because of its extraordinary abilities that it is called a Sage Ape.”

The Stone Monkey listened carefully, memorizing the names and characteristics of these seven Divine Apes.

From Wu Zhiqi’s tone, it was clear that these Seven Divine Apes were extremely important and powerful beings. If they existed before the ten major species, did that mean they were created by the very essence of the universe, existing long before even celestial immortals or Great Luo immortals?

But why wasn’t anything about these Seven Divine Apes mentioned anywhere in the entire Journey to the West? All the immortals remained silent—only the Stone Monkey, the Red-Tailed Horse Monkey, the Water Goddess… What could be the reason? Could there be a huge secret hidden behind the legends of these Seven Divine Apes, a secret so profound that everyone kept quiet about it?

The Stone Monkey was utterly puzzled, with no clue at all. Looking at Wu Zhiqi’s half-smiling expression, he suddenly understood and cursed himself for being foolish. Since these Seven Divine Apes existed before the ten major species, even asking the Great Luo immortals might not yield an answer. Yet Wu Zhiqi right before him was one of those who knew the truth.

By avoiding the person who knew the answer and wasting time on unfounded speculations, wasn’t he going the long way around?

Just as the Stone Monkey was about to ask, Wu Zhiqi seemed to read his thoughts and said, “The ape represents origin and foundation. At the beginning of all things, when heaven and earth had not yet been created, within this chaos, there was an essence of creation that gave birth to living beings. Later, when Pangu split the heavens and earth, and the Kunpeng bird cleared the sky, the world became clear and fresh, with yin and yang interacting, allowing all things to arise.”

“The Seven Great Ape Kings, along with Pangu and the Kunpeng, were the earliest creatures in this world. After Pangu created the heavens and earth, he became one with them, existing neither in birth nor death. As for the Kunpeng, after clearing the skies and earth, its whereabouts are unknown; only the seven of us remained. Back when wisdom first emerged and nature was carefree, we could roam freely among mountains, rivers, and seas—what joyous times those were.” Wu Zhiqi’s gaze drifted into the distance, seemingly longing for those carefree days.

“I really can’t remember when that was—probably around three or four hundred thousand years ago. When humans, birds, and beasts appeared, conflicts and chaos ensued, and since then, peaceful times have never returned.”

The Stone Monkey was shocked. The Seven Great Ape Kings, along with Pangu and the Kunpeng, had existed three or four hundred thousand years earlier than other species—truly the ancestors of all ancestors.