Volume 1: Unsayable – Chapter 10: Hidden Turbulences
In a daze, the Stone Monkey’s consciousness was blurred. It felt as though it were lying on warm water, drifting as if in a cradle. Occasionally, ripples touched it, like a mother’s hand caressing it. This feeling was unprecedented—peaceful and warm, as if it were the safest place in the world. More precisely, it was a feeling of happiness.
Suddenly, the wind grew stronger, causing the water to ripple and occasionally splash. The Stone Monkey frowned slightly—this wind was annoying, ruining its mood. With just a thought, the water immediately calmed down.
Huh? What’s this—
How could the water be so obedient? The Stone Monkey withdrew its thought, and indeed, the waves arose again. It tried several times, and sure enough, the water obeyed its commands. With just a thought, it could make the water hover in the air, taking on countless shapes. It was greatly astonished—when had it acquired such powers? It tried again, but it wasn’t as effortless; clearly, it was still learning and needed time to master it.
The Stone Monkey tried hard to recall the past and suddenly remembered Wu Zhiqi. It had been knocked unconscious by him and then entered this state. Could it be…
The Water-Controlling Divine Ape thrives in water—could this power be passed on to others?
The Stone Monkey was right. It was Wu Zhiqi who had taught it the art of controlling water. Wu Zhiqi, imprisoned for ten thousand years, had given up hope. He knew it would be extremely difficult to escape, while the Stone Monkey, having survived great hardships, clearly had great fortune. Passing on the water-control skill meant almost no loss to Wu Zhiqi, as he hadn’t had the chance to use it in those tens of thousands of years. Moreover, such powers could not be learned by others; only those who could wield the forces of nature with utmost purity could master them.
The Stone Monkey was born from the forces of nature, so there were no obstacles. It could learn and use the skill immediately without any hindrance. Besides, as the foremost among the Seven Divine Apes, it naturally had unique qualities.
※ ※ ※
Deep beneath the mountains behind the Great Sage Zen Temple, thousands of feet down…
Wu Zhiqi’s body had shrunk to just over four feet long. He lay on the ground, listless, as if dead, only occasionally trembling. Only Wu Zhiqi knew that the Great Sage’s national advisor, Bodhisattva Wang, was extremely displeased with his interference in the Stone Monkey’s affairs and was about to punish him again.
In the central stone pool, the substance that the stone monkey regarded as black crude oil churned layer upon layer, as if there were hidden currents moving within. Soon, waves surged violently in the pool, as if countless giant beasts were stirring beneath the surface. Then, flames suddenly appeared out of nowhere on that black oily substance. Blue-violet flames writhed like snake tongues, and the temperature in the entire area rose sharply, with heat waves rolling through. The rocks by the pool gradually turned red.
Wuzhiqi was a divine monkey that thrived in water but feared flames above all. At this moment, his fur began to char, emitting a pungent smell. He tried to curl back, but there was only a solid stone wall behind him—where else could he hide?
Seen from above, it was a sea of fire, with raging demons devouring a trembling little monkey…
※ ※ ※
In the front hall of the Great Sage Zen Temple, Xiao Zhang knelt upright, filled with fear and doubt. He feared that his master had remained silent since that day and didn’t know how he would punish him. He doubted that it was actually the Supreme God Xuantian who had taken away the stone monkey! The Supreme God Xuantian, also known as the Great Emperor Zhenwu, ruled over the gods of the north, possessed profound mystical powers whose depth was hard to fathom, and was renowned in the heavens for his merciless nature.
Xiao Zhang focused his thoughts. Since this matter involved the Great Emperor Zhenwu, it was beyond the reach of the Great Sage’s national advisor, Bodhisattva Wang, let alone him.
It was frustrating—had he not hesitated back then and simply killed the stone monkey, he wouldn’t be feeling uneasy now. But then he thought again and suddenly broke into cold sweat. Since this matter involved the Great Emperor Zhenwu, if he had killed the stone monkey, then right now… At this thought, Xiao Zhang dared not continue thinking and only felt even more hatred toward his master. He found his master extremely strange—although he had taught him some spells, he ignored him and never considered his opinions when making decisions.
In the back hall of the Great Sage Zen Temple, the Great Sage’s national advisor, Bodhisattva Wang, had his eyes slightly closed. His left hand in his sleeve moved continuously, as he murmured words under his breath. After a long while, looking exhausted, he slowly opened his eyes and thought to himself: In the past, the Buddha had said there were four divine monkeys in the world, one of which was this intelligent stone monkey. But what did the Supreme God Xuantian want it for? Despite spending ten years cultivating it, he hadn’t gained much. It seemed this intelligent stone monkey was indeed extraordinary.
※ ※ ※
The mortal world is full of noise, while nine hundred thousand miles above, the winds blow freely.
The vast heavenly palace stretches endlessly, with thirty-three magnificent heavens, all resplendent and intricate, filled with winding corridors and delicate structures. With three eaves and four clusters, dragons and phoenixes soar at every level. Truly, it is a place of grandeur: golden palaces, silver thrones, and purple abodes, along with rare flowers and precious plants. Seventy-two magnificent halls stand there, each adorned with gold nails and jade doors, and every door is flanked by colorful phoenixes dancing at the red gates.
Right in front of the Northern Heaven Gate stood a magnificent palace, exuding an air of solemnity. The three gilded characters “Zixiao Palace” hung prominently above it. The guardians in the form of a turtle and a snake stood on either side of the palace gate, looking like fierce Vajras that filled people with fear at the sight.
Inside the alchemy chamber, the Stone Monkey was placed on a jade bed, from which a faint chill emanated. This was the Northern Sea’s cold jade bed, designed to clear the mind and restore vitality.
Zhenwu the Great Emperor sat quietly nearby, waiting for the Stone Monkey to wake up.
Just then, a heavenly official outside said, “I report to the Supreme Heavenly Emperor: The Great Emperor of the Central Purple Micro North Pole has sent an invitation for you to go and talk.”
Zhenwu replied, “I’ll be there in a moment.” He thought to himself that the Great Emperor of Purple Micro was indeed well-informed—he had just returned to the palace, yet he already knew about it.
Zhenwu immediately ordered his thirty-six heavenly generals to summon auspicious clouds and flew toward the Purple Micro Palace.
Zhenwu and the Great Emperor of Purple Micro had been friends for tens of thousands of years, so there was no need to be cautious. Upon entering the palace, they saw a small green lion playing inside. Its fur was fluffy like a embroidered ball, looking extremely cute.
Zhenwu laughed and said, “My fellow Taoist, you seem to have a good sense of fun—keeping a lion as a pet!”
The Great Emperor of Purple Micro came out to greet him promptly, “What are you saying, Zhenwu? Let’s go inside and talk in detail.”
Zhenwu ordered his thirty-six generals to wait outside and entered the inner hall with the Great Emperor of Purple Micro. After sitting down, Zhenwu asked tentatively, “Did you invite me here because of this spiritual lion?”
The Great Emperor of Purple Micro smiled and said, “You’ll know the reason soon. But even this spiritual lion isn’t as remarkable as that divine ape.”
Zhenwu replied, “That’s true. But the divine ape is still newborn, lacking wisdom and having suffered severe injuries; it hasn’t awakened yet. I think this spiritual lion is indeed extraordinary. If trained well, it could bring about a complete upheaval.”
The Great Emperor of Purple Micro smiled and said, “You’re overestimating it. I don’t need a complete upheaval—just some changes in the court would be enough.”
The two exchanged glances and laughed heartily.
They talked for a long time before parting.
When they left, the little lion was still jumping and playing on the jade railing. It lost its balance and landed on Zhao Gongming’s foot among the thirty-six generals.
Zhao Gongming narrowed his eyes, intending to scare the lion. But the lion wasn’t afraid at all. It shook its mane, tilted its head, and suddenly grew three heads. Its little mouths opened, revealing three sharp fangs, as it prepared to bite.
The Great Emperor of Purple Micro was also shocked and quickly stopped it, picking up the lion and taking it back into the hall. Zhenwu was stunned—since the host had already gone back, what was the point of his staying as a guest?
He shook his head, smiled, and returned to Zixiao Palace, still marveling at the little lion.
Just as he settled in, a deep and pleasant voice came to his ears: “An uninvited guest has arrived; Zhenwu, please don’t take offense.” Zhenwu was stunned—this voice belonged to none other than the Moral Supreme Lord, the one who transformed into the Three Pure Ones. What was the Supreme Lord doing here?
As his thoughts raced, Zhenwu continued moving without pause and soon reached the door. There, he saw a man dressed in a crane-feather cloak, wearing a jade crown and holding a silver-bristled dust brush, waiting outside.
Zhenwu bowed and said, “I’m sorry for not greeting you properly upon your arrival.”
The Supreme Lord returned the bow and smiled, “It’s my fault for coming in such a hurry.”
Zhenwu invited the Supreme Lord into the main hall, and after they took their seats as host and guest and exchanged pleasantries, the Supreme Lord took out an object from his bosom and held it in midair, saying, “Brother Zhenwu, please take a look at this.”
Zhenwu raised his eyes to see the object floating in the air—it was over a foot long, covered in fine scales, with ox ears, a snake’s neck, and an eagle’s claws. Aside from the lack of horns on its head, it seemed like an ordinary little dragon.
Zhenwu stretched out his hand, and the little dragon flew over to him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the dragon’s head, when viewed from the side, resembled that of a fierce tiger. He was slightly surprised—this creature was not a dragon but rather a jiao.