Volume 1: Unsayable – Chapter 11: The Dragon Ape Yi

The true form of the Great Emperor Zhenwu is that of the Dragon God, the ancestor of all dragons in the world, historically known as the Ancestral Dragon. He has complete knowledge of all dragons. With just a slight use of his magical power to investigate, he realized that this jiao was by no means ordinary—it was an extremely rare sea-submerging jiao. If it grew up to maturity, it would surely become the king of the seas. This species could only reproduce at the Sea Eye in the Northern Sea, and it had not appeared in physical form for ten thousand years. What was Laojun’s intention in showing it to him?

Laojun said, “This creature was obtained by my old friend from the Northern Sea. I thought it might be of great use to the Great Emperor, so I didn’t dare delay and brought it here at once.”

Zhenwu thought to himself, “Laojun, Laojun… I’ve always known you. You’re rarely this generous. As the saying goes, to gain something, one must first give something. I’m curious to see what conditions you’ll propose.” Though he thought this, he still stood up and bowed, saying, “I shouldn’t accept rewards without earning them. You’re too kind, Laojun.”

Laojun smiled and said, “Brother Zhenwu, let’s cut through the nonsense. I’m here for that Divine Intelligent Ape.”

Zhenwu laughed heartily. “In that case, thank you, Laojun. I also obtained that Divine Intelligent Ape by chance. It’s in the inner chamber now. Please follow me.”

Zhenwu thought to himself that even the Purple Micro Emperor avoided mentioning this Divine Intelligent Ape, proving that its consequences were unpredictable. Now, in the heavens, there was the Heavenly Court in the east and Buddhism in the west, with countless Taiyi Golden Immortals. Even if the seven divine apes gathered together, trying to shake the balance of the world would be like an ant trying to move a tree. Thus, Zhenwu knew that although this Divine Intelligent Ape seemed like a precious treasure in the world, it could also be considered a disaster. Holding it in his own hands posed a dilemma for him.

This creature was highly avoided in the Heavenly Court, and it was indeed inappropriate for him to keep it here. Since Laojun was so straightforward, he must have already seen through Zhenwu’s thoughts. And since Zhenwu loved this sea-submerging jiao so much, he readily agreed, thereby doing Laojun a favor. With his level of cultivation, he naturally didn’t have the petty concerns of gain or loss—gaining it was fate, losing it meant no fate.

When Laojun entered the inner chamber, he saw that the Stone Monkey was unharmed, though unconscious. He wasn’t worried. In terms of alchemy, who in the three realms could compare to the Supreme Lord Laojun? Even if a person’s life force and soul were lost, a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir could revive them.

Laojun left the Purple Cloud Palace and soared upward, returning to the Sky of Sorrow in an instant. In just one breath, he arrived at the Sutra Realm Palace, located among the thirty-three heavens. The Sutra Realm Palace covered a vast area, with a vermilion pavilion towering through the misty clouds—this was the sacred place of the Sutra Realm Palace: the Vermilion Pill Platform.

Upon reaching the third layer of the Zhu Ling Dan Tai, there was a Taoist in yellow sitting cross-legged on a cushion, meditating to cultivate his energy. Seeing Laojun return, the Taoist stood up to greet him, smiling and saying, “Brother Taoist, you’ve succeeded on this journey. Have you troubled me?”
Laojun replied, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t try to take advantage of the situation. This treasure is unique. If you don’t want it, I can keep it to guard the place.”
“If you dare keep it to guard here, I’ll ensure your Tushita Palace never enjoys peace,” the Taoist said with a laugh.
Laojun laughed heartily and said, “I’m just talking. When it comes to mastering both Buddhism and Taoism, I’m indeed far inferior to you, brother Taoist.”
The Supreme Lord Laojun took out the Stone Monkey and examined it carefully. Then he took out a palm-sized emerald gourd from his bosom, opened it gently, and poured out a golden pill.
He weighed the pill in his hand and murmured to himself, “Stone Monkey, oh Stone Monkey, don’t let me down with this golden pill’s power.”
The Taoist, upon seeing the pill, also marveled, “What a marvel, Laojun! This Nine-Transform Internal Alchemy Pill saves him from countless days of meditation and hardship.” Laojun placed the pill in the Stone Monkey’s mouth and gently pressed on its throat, causing it to go down into its stomach. He said seriously, “That immortal stone already has nine orifices and eight holes, arranged according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. Who knows how much immortal energy it has absorbed over the years, storing it all within. My Nine-Transform Internal Alchemy Pill is merely like adding fuel to a fire—it’s a product of fate, after all, and is fundamentally different.”
The Taoist thought for a moment before clapping his hands in approval and saying, “Brother Taoist, your words are wonderful. Let’s send this Stone Monkey back to the mortal world; I’ll take care of him with fate’s guidance.”
Laojun pondered and said, “The Stone Monkey still hasn’t awakened. Having suffered such a severe shock as the leader of the Six Yangs, who knows what he’s been up to underground these past few days, possibly in connection with Wu Zhiqi?”
The Taoist replied, “Wu Zhiqi is restrained by Yu the Great’s chains and guarded by the spells of the Great Sage National Teacher, King Bodhisattva. How could he dare to move?”
Laojun shook his head and said, “Not necessarily. Back in the day, those Seven Divine Apes caused chaos in the three realms, creating endless wonders and an unending cycle of reincarnation. They must possess some mysterious powers that are hard to break through.”
The Taoist laughed and said, “Since it’s a product of fate, it naturally cannot be suppressed. Otherwise, it would be defying heaven. If one could harness this fate, the benefits would be endless.”
Laojun nodded slightly. “That’s a good strategy.”
The Taoist in yellow said, “I have other matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave now.”
Laojun said, “Brother Taoist, wait. We need to set a boundary so that the Stone Monkey can be found.”
The Taoist in yellow replied, “It doesn’t matter if it’s near me.” With that, he waved his sleeve and brushed it across the Stone Monkey’s face. Seeing no change in the Monkey, the Taoist said, “In that case, few will be able to know its true nature.”
Laojun sighed in admiration. “Indeed, each sect’s techniques are unique.”
The Taoist in yellow laughed heartily and disappeared into the distance.

The four great continents of the world are called Eastern Divine Continent, Southern Contemplative Continent, Western Ox-Happy Continent, and Northern Kuru Continent. Speaking specifically of the Western Ox-Happy Continent, it is now the land of Buddhism, governed by the Spiritual Mountain in the West. The people here are said to be devoted to Buddha, peaceful, non-possessive, and non-violent; each strives to cultivate spiritual energy and seek immortality. One day, in the territory of the Western Ox-Happy Continent, a magnificent peak stood tall, surrounded by thousands of other peaks. The sheer rock cliffs resembled a peacock spreading its tail. After a fresh rain, the forests were bathed in a soft green glow, and the streams had a dark green hue with mist rising from them—truly a fairyland-like scene. Along the mountain path, withered vines entwined old trees, birds sang melodiously, and there were rare flowers, precious herbs, green bamboos, and tall trees, all creating a delightful atmosphere. Amidst the bird songs, the Stone Monkey gradually woke up. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a magnificent place, so beautiful it resembled a fairyland. Even breathing felt comfortable. The Stone Monkey had no interest in admiring the scenery; he tried hard to recall past events, but his thoughts were in chaos. Prince Zhang, the Great Sage National Advisor Bodhisattva Wang, Wu Zhiqi… When did those things happen? It seemed like yesterday, yet it felt like ages ago. Later, he seemed to hear people talking and see some faces, but everything was too vague, and he couldn’t remember much. The Stone Monkey got up from the ground and touched some moss with his hand. He then went to the stream to wash his hands. The water was cool, and as soon as it touched his hands, water droplets began to jump around. Huh? This is… The Stone Monkey finally remembered the dream of water floating on the surface. This water was so obedient—it was really fun. His clothes were already tattered and torn, so he simply ripped them all off and jumped into the stream. He played in the water alone for a while until he was clean, then went to the trees in the forest to look for wild fruits to eat. The green fruits with red seeds were of unknown origin, but they tasted sweet and fragrant. The Stone Monkey picked a handful and sat down to savor them quietly. Just then, he heard a man’s singing coming from deep in the forest: “The chess tree is broken, the chopping sounds echo; walking slowly at the valley entrance beneath the clouds, selling firewood and buying wine, laughing wildly to indulge my feelings…” Hearing this song, the Stone Monkey showed a strange expression. The accent was the same as the Sichuan dialect he had heard in his past life. Could it be that he had arrived in the land of Western Shu? As he listened further, his expression became serious, and his heart pounded with excitement. Here was the song: “I gather them into a load, sing as I go to the market, and exchange them for three sheng of rice. There’s no competition, prices are fair. Without scheming or calculation, free from honor or disgrace, I live a peaceful life. Wherever I meet others, they are either immortals or Taoists, sitting quietly discussing the Huangting Scripture.”

Isn’t this exactly the song sung by the woodcutter he met in the mountains before encountering Patriarch Bodhi? He had endured a hard year in Jambudvipa, almost losing his life, and who would have thought that after sleeping for a while, good fortune would come from heaven. If nothing went wrong, the next step would be meeting Patriarch Bodhi and achieving great mastery in his monkey skills. Could it be that Patriarch Bodhi had come to Jambudvipa to wait for him?

The Stone Monkey calmed his mind. Whatever it was, following the script here should be fine.

Following the sound of the song, the Stone Monkey saw a woodcutter sitting on a dead tree, swinging an axe to cut wood. With a quick glance, he laughed to himself. This “woodcutter” was wearing gauze clothes, a silk belt around his waist, and holding a brand-new, shiny axe. How could this be a woodcutter? It was clearly a deity descending to experience life among mortals. Probably some deity acting in a play, unaware of the hardships of ordinary people. If they could afford such clothes, they would have long built themselves houses and become wealthy, rather than going up the mountains to cut wood.