Volume 2: The Path That Can Be Told, Chapter 180: Qi Tian Ling

At the Peach Banquet, it was uncertain whether Marshal Tian Peng’s plan to tease Chang’e would go as planned. But good or bad, he still had to go and see for himself.
Wukong knew there were many spies in the Heavenly Court. If he remained in his monkey form, he feared being noticed by mountain gods and local deities. So, before setting sail, he transformed into a scholar in white.
After leaving the Northern Sea, he felt as if he had lost something. With his mastery over water magic, he could move freely beneath the sea—a truly delightful sensation.
But where should he look for them now? Hou Yi must be waiting for him anxiously. Yang Jian might know their whereabouts, but with his current appearance, it was better to keep as few people in the know as possible.
After thinking for a while, Wukong suddenly had an idea. He remembered the Banana Cave on Cuiyun Mountain. If nothing went wrong, the Rakshasi should be there. If he could find her, finding the Bull Demon King wouldn’t be difficult!
He flew straight south, asking along the way. In just a few hours, he arrived in the Country of Black Chickens. Wukong was pleased—this country was also on the journey to obtain the scriptures. From there, heading west, he would naturally find Cuiyun Mountain.
Wukong headed west along the main road. Soon, he reached Flaming Mountain. Before approaching, he sensed the presence of King Fengtong Yu. There was no need to search for Cuiyun Mountain—it was obvious that all the demons had gathered there.
Not wanting to draw attention, Wukong used a spell to hide his appearance and sneaked into the mountain. What a magnificent mountain! Delicate flowers adorned it, and wild grass covered the ground. Streams flowed together, and clouds drifted lazily over the streams. Thick vines covered the valleys, and lush trees lined the distant peaks. Birds sang, geese flew by, deer drank water, and monkeys climbed trees. The green mountains served as natural barriers, and the blue cliffs resembled hairpins. The rolling dust made it hard to reach, yet the gurgling springs and rocks were endlessly fascinating.
After turning several bends and going deeper, he encountered a thick atmosphere of evil, chilling to the soul. In the forest, the wind howled, and in the streams, the water flowed ominously. Even birds couldn’t fly over, and even immortals found it difficult to pass. Countless cliffs and valleys, endless curves and bends. No one dared to enter amid the rolling dust, yet the strange rocks were endlessly interesting. Mist and clouds resembled waves, and both rocks and trees were accompanied by the sounds of birds. Deer carried mushrooms away, while monkeys returned with peaches. Foxes and raccoons jumped around on the cliffs, and deer and antelopes played around on the mountain tops.
Suddenly, the roar of tigers scared him, and spotted leopards and wolves blocked the path.
The more Wukong looked, the happier he became. Indeed, his brothers had not disappointed him—they had chosen an excellent location to build a great demon mountain!
After locating King Fengtong Yu’s dwelling, Wukong entered his cave and revealed his true form. Fengtong was overjoyed. Wukong signaled him to be quiet and said, “Don’t make a fuss. I’m here on a personal matter, just to see Senior Dayu.”
Fengtong asked, “Who do you think we’re trying to hide this from?”
With a thought, Wukong reverted to his monkey form and said, “There’s no one to hide it from.”

Fengtong said, “That’s best. I’ll call them over right away; there’s important business to discuss with you.” Without waiting for Wukong’s reply, he left the cave.

Important business? He had lived at the bottom of the sea for forty-nine years. If there were truly important matters, why would they have delayed so long?

Before long, six people rushed in—Fengtong, Wang Yu, the Bull Demon King, Dayu, Hou Yi, and the Qilin. Everyone was delighted to see Wukong.

Wukong glanced at them and asked, “Why are a few people missing?”

Fengtong replied, “Our eldest brother is in seclusion now, while the three elders—Rushou, Jumang, and Zhurong—have gone out on a trip.”

After sitting down, Fengtong said with a smile, “This ‘important business’ isn’t that urgent, which is why it’s been delayed so long. This mountain has existed for fifty or sixty years, yet it still doesn’t have a name. Everyone has their own opinion, and we’ve argued dozens of times without reaching a decision. That’s why we need Wukong to make a ruling.”

Seeing everyone looking at him eagerly, Wukong felt a warm surge in his heart. He said, “What merits or abilities do I have to dare to make such a ruling? Just to see all my brothers and elders safe is the greatest joy for me.”

The Bull Demon King said, “Stop joking. It’s the real matter that matters. First, my name—should really shake the heavens and move the gods. But those few—” He was about to swear but glanced at the Qilin and quickly stopped himself, probably having learned his lesson. “Those few all say it’s not good. Wukong, please uphold justice for me!”

Wukong asked, “What name did you think of, brother? Tell me.”

The Bull Demon King replied, “I originally thought of ‘Mountain of All Demons,’ but since there are many elders here, not all of whom are demons, I changed it to ‘Mountain of Humans and Demons.’ With both humans and demons, does that work?”

Mountain of Humans and Demons! Wukong couldn’t help but laugh out loud. When he saw everyone staring at him in surprise, he realized there was no such term as “human and demon” in this world, so even if he said it, they wouldn’t understand. The Bull Demon King was even more embarrassed and angry, shouting, “Why are you laughing? Is it good or not?!”

Wukong immediately shook his head seriously and said, “It’s not good!”

Fengtong laughed and said, “I knew Wukong wouldn’t approve of your name, but you just wouldn’t believe it.” The Bull Demon King had already lowered his head, looking very depressed. Wukong comforted him, “Brother, your name is appropriate, but it’s too straightforward. It’s only mediocre.”

Wang Yu suggested, “Divine Exclusion Ridge.” Wukong shook his head. Wang Yu was straightforward—he just took two characters from the name.

The Qilin said, “In my opinion, since the shape of this mountain resembles a Qilin with its head raised, it would be best to call it Qilin Mountain.” The Bull Demon King couldn’t help but mutter, “It doesn’t resemble it at all.” Dayu also agreed, “It really doesn’t.”

The Qilin said, “At least the colors are somewhat similar! It’s much better than your names that have no basis at all.”

Dayu said, “I’ll name it Dengyunling. Look at those towering peaks that seem to reach the clouds—almost impossible to climb. Is this name fitting?”
Wukong replied, “If it’s called Dengyunling, it’s better to call it Qitianling!”
As soon as he spoke, Hou Yi said, “That’s a good name. Dengyunling indeed lacks a bit of the grandeur of Qitianling.” The Qilin also said, “Hmm, this name is not bad!”
The Bull Demon King said, “No, no. After all this discussion, Wukong, you’re not fair—you’re putting your own name forward.”
Dayu wondered, “Could it be that Wukong’s real name is Qitian?”
Wukong laughed and said, “Not at all. Back then, on Flower-Fruit Mountain, my eight brothers and I formed a brotherhood, each taking a nickname. I was called the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and my second brother was called the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven.”
“Let’s call it Qitianling! When will this discussion ever end?” the Qilin asked.
After some deliberation, they finally settled on the name. Upon careful thought, they agreed it was indeed good—full of ambition and grandeur. Since ancient times, there had been the Heavenly Court in the east and the Western Heaven in the west. With the name Qitianling, it seemed as though the two major forces of Buddhism and Taoism were now in opposition, dividing the world into three realms.
After settling this matter, Wukong asked, “Over these decades, has anyone come to harass us in the mountains?”
Tongfeng replied, “Strangely enough, we’ve never had such peaceful times. The Heavenly Court ignores this mountain completely. Even the heavenly soldiers fly around it instead of passing through.”
Wukong smiled and said, “Peace is certainly good, but I’m afraid this won’t last for many years.” He stood up and said, “Gentlemen, I have an important matter to attend to. I must leave Qitianling in your care.”
Dayu said, “Wukong, you’re too kind. We consider this place our home.”
Wukong bowed and then turned to Hou Yi, saying, “Elder, please follow me.”
Hou Yi had been hoping that Wukong would come to find him for decades. Seeing that Wukong indeed called for him, he was overjoyed and followed him out of the cave. Wukong asked, “Is there a quiet place?”
Hou Yi replied, “Then let’s go to my cave. No one will disturb us there.”
Hou Yi had always loved solitude and lived alone on a low peak to the northwest of Flame Mountain. Upon arriving at his cave, Wukong said, “In another year, I’ll accompany you to the heavens to look for her.”
Hou Yi was truly puzzled. “Why must it be next year? Is there some secret behind this?”
Wukong thought to himself, Of course there’s a secret, but I can’t tell you. After thinking for a while, he said, “If you trust me, follow my arrangements. Otherwise, it might be easy for you to see your wife, but it will be extremely difficult to understand what she’s thinking.”
Hou Yi smiled bitterly and said, “At this point, I can endure another year.”
Wukong asked, “Do you know how to transform or hide yourself?”

Hou Yi shook his head and said, “I know a bit of the basics. You should know that in ancient times, bravery was valued above all, so people didn’t bother learning such tricks.”
Wukong smiled and said, “These tricks can be very useful. If you don’t mind, I’ll teach you a spell for invisibility; you’ll need it someday.”
Hou Yi replied, “I’ll leave everything to your arrangement.”
Wukong passed on the spells of “Flying and Disappearing” and “Transforming Form” to Hou Yi. Hou Yi memorized them after just one hearing, but they didn’t work at first.
Wukong explained the key points in detail. After all, Hou Yi already possessed the cultivation level of a Hunyuan Golden Immortal, so he mastered these two spells in just one day. What remained was to practice them until they became so skillful that no one could detect them.