Volume 3: A Long Journey, Chapter 244: The Obsessed Daughter

Hou Tu brushed the hair from her forehead. Though unintentional, her natural beauty made every movement alluring. Wukong, far from being sexless, was naturally stirred by her stunning appearance. He reminded himself from time to time that she was a deity who had lived for tens of thousands of years—best not to provoke her.
When Wukong heard Hou Tu speak of the unusual spirit, he asked, “What’s so unusual about it?”
Hou Tu replied, “This place lies in the Nine Nether Realms. I often travel underground, so I know quite a lot about spirits. As the saying goes, what follows the spirit is called a soul. There are countless souls in the world, each with its own type. Broadly speaking, they fall into living souls and dead souls. Living souls are those whose physical bodies still exist but whose souls have separated. When people are sick, in critical condition, or suffering from nightmares, such living souls occasionally emerge. If the living soul returns, the person can survive; if not, their soul is scattered.” At this, Wukong thought of Li Shimin’s soul wandering in the netherworld—wasn’t that a living soul? Only, this living soul not only failed to return but also had its body taken over by someone else.
Hou Tu continued, “Dead souls are those whose physical bodies have perished, but whose souls do not enter reincarnation. Wandering souls in the world are not at ease either; many mischievous spirits chase them. Once caught, they are thrown into hell to suffer before being forced into reincarnation.”
Wukong couldn’t help asking, “Why chase them?”
Hou Tu replied, “We can’t blame them for being meddling. Remember, the living in the world are finite, but wandering souls never die. If we ignore them, their numbers will only grow. If they develop into powerful spirits, they’ll be even harder to control.”
Wukong laughed and said, “It seems all beings in heaven and earth are under control—even after death, they can’t find peace.”
Hou Tu gave him a meaningful look and said, “It’s hard for humans to overcome heaven. Even if they succeed, there’s always something beyond.” Wukong felt a stir in his heart—Hou Tu’s words seemed to imply something.
Without pressing further, Wukong asked, “Is this spirit a living soul or a dead soul?”
Hou Tu smiled and said, “The oddity is that it’s neither living nor dead.”
Confused, Wukong asked, “How can that be?”
Hou Tu replied, “Out of curiosity, I exhausted all my efforts and spent a long time before finally uncovering this secret.”
Wukong was puzzled. With her high level of cultivation and status, why would Hou Tu take such an interest in a spirit for no reason? Even if she had nothing to do, it seemed pointless.
Hou Tu said, “Fortunately, the result satisfied me greatly. Even if it took thousands or tens of thousands of years more, it would have been worth it.”
Wukong was shocked. What was the origin of this spirit to deserve such effort from Hou Tu?

Hou Tu spoke calmly, saying, “Because this spirit is none other than the Creative Divine Ape.” Though she remained composed, Wukong could hardly sit still. The Creative Divine Ape? There were only seven such apes in the world—Wang Yu of the Venting Peaks in Qitian Ridge, Wu Zhiqi in the Northern Sea, and the Intelligent Divine Ape, the Six-Eared Monkey, whom he had seen himself. As for the Armed Divine Ape and the Yin-Yang Divine Ape, there was not a trace of news about them. Without a doubt, this spirit must be one of them two.

Wukong asked, “Did Empress Hou Tu summon me here to confirm this?”

Hou Tu replied, “It wasn’t me who called you here; clearly, it was him who led you here.”

Wukong asked, “Then how do you know I am the Intelligent Divine Ape?”

Hou Tu said, “There are stars in your pupils. You may be able to hide them, but you certainly can’t deceive me.”

So that’s how it is. He had misunderstood. It turned out Hou Tu didn’t know about his journey to obtain the scriptures; everything had been done by this spirit on its own. Apparently, by seeing the stars in his pupils, she recognized his identity and also confirmed that this spirit, like Wukong, had not yet awakened.

Since it was a Creative Divine Ape, it surely wouldn’t harbor ill intentions toward him. Could it be that it had brought him to Hou Tu to bestow some kind of fate upon him?

Since Hou Tu could see the stars in his pupils, she must also be able to deceive many others. His identity as the Intelligent Divine Ape was rather awkward—many knew about it, but most pretended not to. The Three Pure Ones before, Buddha, and surely Zhenwu and Ziwei in the heavens must also be aware.

“Then how did Empress Hou Tu discover that he is the Creative Divine Ape?” Wukong asked.

Hou Tu replied, “He isn’t seeking death, yet he refuses to be reborn. It seems he fears life greatly, hence his resistance. With his cultivation level, he could easily find someone to possess and become a genuine Taiyi Golden Immortal, but he simply refuses to do so.”

Hearing that the spirit was the Creative Divine Ape, Wukong felt a surge of closeness and smiled, asking, “So what exactly does he want to do?” Hou Tu said, “Since the day I met him, he hasn’t said a word. Fortunately, he still has no hostility toward me.”

Wukong asked, “Is he the Yin-Yang Divine Ape?”

Hou Tu asked, “Why do you ask?”

Wukong replied, “Neither dead nor alive, existing between yin and yang—perfectly fitting the name of the Yin-Yang Divine Ape.”

Hou Tu laughed and said, “You’re just guessing. In my opinion, he is the Armed Divine Ape!”

Wukong was slightly surprised and asked, “What’s the evidence?”

Hou Tu replied, “I’ve also dealt with Creative Divine Apes before. I know well that the Intelligent Divine Ape is supreme, representing the Taiji. After that come the Yin-Yang Divine Apes, symbols of chaos and movement. Only then do the Five-Element Divine Apes come into play. All his magic belongs to earth, so it’s easy for me to tell. If it’s not the Armed Divine Ape, then who else could it be?”

It was the first time Wukong had heard of such a theory about the Five Elements Divine Apes. He already knew that Tongfeng belonged to wood, Wang Yu to metal, and Wu Zhiqi to water. Since the Armless Divine Ape belonged to earth, then the Six-Eared Monkey must belong to fire.

He recalled how, on the mountain ridge earlier, the ghost had disappeared before him in an instant—a speed even he could hardly imagine. It turned out it had used earthearthEarth magic magic. If earth-based spells weren’t so masterful, how could they reach such a level? It seemed Hou Tu was right. That ghost was indeed the Armless Divine Ape.

Now that he had seen six of the Seven Divine Apes, Wukong felt no joy. The Armless Divine Ape would rather become a creature that was neither human nor ghost than be reborn as a divine ape. Wasn’t this a tragedy for the Creator Divine Ape?

Seeing Wukong’s expression of sorrow, Hou Tu said, “Your worry is pointless. His emotional entanglements must be resolved by the Creator Divine Ape; I am powerless to do anything.”

Wukong replied, “Anyway, I still thank Goddess Hou Tu for helping to find him a place to live.”

Hou Tu said, “There’s no need for thanks, Spirit Bright Divine Ape. I also have old grudges with your clan of divine apes. In fact, I owe you a lot.”

Wukong thought to himself, Why does Hou Tu’s tone sound exactly like that of Dayu and the others? So he asked directly, “May I ask, Goddess Hou Tu, do you know Dayu?” Hearing this, Hou Tu suddenly froze, a hint of sadness appearing on her face. She said, “I do. But if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten long ago.”

Wukong could easily tell from Hou Tu’s expression change that she not only knew him but also had a deep connection with him.

Hou Tu then asked Wukong, “You also remember Dayu? It seems you and the Armless Divine Ape are alike—still not awakened. How can you remember past events?”

Wukong realized that Hou Tu clearly still didn’t know about Dayu and the others entering the Kunpeng’s belly. So he said, “It’s not that I remember; I’ve seen him.”

Hou Tu smiled faintly and said, “I know you’ve seen him. Ah, it’s all in the past. Let’s not bring it up again.”

Wukong laughed and said, “I saw him just a few days ago.”

Hou Tu’s smile vanished, and she asked solemnly, “What did you say? He’s been dead for tens of thousands of years. Where did you see him?”

Wukong replied, “Elder Dayu isn’t dead at all. It’s a long story. Please don’t worry, Goddess.” Then he recounted everything from start to finish—how he had taken him into the three realms, into the Kunpeng’s belly, and saved him with the blood of creation. Seeing that Hou Tu was almost certainly Dayu’s close friend, he didn’t hide anything.

Hou Tu listened as if enchanted. Even after Wukong had stopped speaking for a long time, she remained silent, her gaze fixed straight ahead. Uncomfortable under her stare, Wukong asked, “Elder Hou Tu, is something wrong?”

Hou Tu shook her head and sighed, “It’s truly pitiful. Back then, everyone said the Divine Ape was the source of all evil, yet who would have thought that these so-called righteous people would end up being saved by it? Your willingness to repay kindness with kindness is something hard to find again in this world.”
Wukong said, “As the elder said, let’s not dwell on the past. Great Yu and the others were also deceived; it wasn’t their true nature. Now they rule Xiniuhuo Continent, forming their own faction with a strong foundation. There’s still time ahead, and I naturally need to leverage their strength.”
Hou Tu murmured, “If he’s back, why didn’t he come to find me sooner?”
Her words echoed throughout the hall, lingering for a long time, sending chills down Wukong’s spine. He thought to himself that Great Yu must have a very special relationship with Lady Hou Tu!
He wanted to defend Great Yu but didn’t know exactly what their relationship was, so he asked, “Elder Hou Tu, please forgive my boldness, but may I ask what your connection is to Great Yu and the others?”
Hou Tu replied, “It’s fine. Having lived for so many years, I’ve seen it all—what’s there not to ask? In ancient times, many divine beings emerged. The world was divided into the Five Elements deities based on their unique powers. Do you know who they are?”
Wukong thought for a moment and said, “The God of Metal, Ru Shou; the God of Wood, Ju Mang; the God of Water, Gong Gong; the God of Fire, Zhu Rong; the God of Earth…” He stopped and looked at Hou Tu.
Hou Tu said, “Exactly. I am the God of Earth! I’m surprised you know all of them.”
Wukong replied, “The God of Water, Gong Gong, is no longer alive. He fought against Zhuanxu in the northwest corner of the world and died after hitting Mount Buzhou with his head.”
Hou Tu showed a hint of sadness and said, “I know about that too. But back then, I was naive. Since I couldn’t find his body, I thought he wasn’t dead. As the saying goes, ‘When water comes, earth covers it.’ He must have fought against me countless times, but never won once.”
“When everyone tried to hunt down the Divine Ape, they invited me to join, but I was angry with Great Yu and refused to go. Who knew that after parting that time, we would never meet again?”
Hearing this, Wukong understood that Hou Tu indeed had a special bond with Great Yu.
Wukong said, “Elder, tens of thousands of years are but a blink of an eye. We can’t afford to miss each other anymore. If you truly feel the same, then be together—enjoy every day together.” Having come from a later era, Wukong understood matters of love better than those ancient divine beings. His words made perfect sense.
Hou Tu said, “What you say makes sense, but how can I… go look for him?”
Wukong asked, “Are you worried about others?”
Hou Tu replied, “Others? Who can control me?”

Wukong smiled and said, “Elder Hou Tu, whether it’s love or hate, it’s all part of one’s natural nature. If you keep second-guessing yourself, aren’t you just deceiving yourself?”
Hou Tu pouted like a little girl and said, “I don’t know if he’s back, but he should know I’m here. Tell me, why doesn’t he come to find me?”
Wukong sighed and said, “I… how would I know?”
Hou Tu replied, “If he doesn’t come to find me and doesn’t even let me know, Humph! How could I go looking for him on my own?”
Wukong sighed. Whether they were young girls or immortal beings, once it came to matters of love, their intelligence seemed to decline. An idea struck Wukong, and he said, “Elder, there is indeed a secret behind this, but Elder Dayu strictly instructed me not to tell anyone else.”
Hou Tu’s eyes sparkled as she asked, “Hurry up and tell me—what’s the secret? Could it be he has someone else in his heart?”