Volume 1: Unsayable – Chapter 28: Riding the Currents of Fate

The King of Yuyin was stunned speechless for a long time before reluctantly accepting the circular magic artifact. Though this treasure could store various magical items, it was powerless against the Bull Demon King’s true form, and using it was useless.
The Bull Demon King said, “Do you still want to compete?”
Realizing that with his own abilities, it would be extremely difficult to harm the Bull Demon King’s true form, the King of Yuyin said gloomily, “You two are bullying one person—what more is there to say? But if I leave, you two can’t stop me.”
Seeing that the King of Yuyin’s tone had softened, Wukong stepped forward quickly and said, “Brother, don’t misunderstand. The two of us just happened to pass by and noticed the unusual dark clouds, so we came to check it out. Since you’re so skilled, we just felt like having a little spar—it’s not a matter of life or death. Why do you need to leave?”
Realizing Wukong wasn’t lying, the King of Yuyin sneered, “Heh heh, your curiosity ruined my plans. I was refining a magic artifact at the foot of Aolai Peak. Once completed, neither of you would be my match. Now that you’ve disrupted me, what will you give me in return?”
The Bull Demon King had already reverted to his true form and said, “Stop trying to swindle people. If you’re not convinced, come fight again!”
Wukong signaled the Bull Demon King with his eyes and asked, “I wonder what’s so special about your treasure that you must refine it at the foot of the peak?”
With an arrogant expression, the King of Yuyin replied, “Haven’t you heard that the Spiritual Mountains are dotted with beautiful peaks, beneath which lie endless geothermal fires? Aolai Peak is so steep that it naturally has powerful geothermal energy beneath it. Using this to refine magic artifacts is a secret known only within our sect—nothing worth revealing to outsiders.”
Wukong laughed and said, “Brother, don’t misunderstand. There are countless cultivation methods, each with its strengths. Even if your sect has secret techniques, I don’t take them seriously.” Seeing that the King of Yuyin wasn’t angry, he continued, “To me, Aolai Peak seems quite ordinary. I doubt its geothermal energy is much better.”
The King of Yuyin stared at Wukong and sighed, “That’s true. To the south lies a great mountain, but it’s full of demons and monsters. I don’t like trouble, so I settled for this peak instead.”
Wukong thought to himself that aside from his own Flower-Fruit Mountain, there was no other great mountain to the south. An idea struck him, and he said, “If you trust me, I’ll help you go to that great mountain to refine your artifact. How about that?”
The King of Yuyin sneered, “Even if I don’t trust you, what can you do to me? But from what I’ve seen of that mountain, only someone with great powers can control it. If you fail, don’t blame me.”
Wukong laughed and said, “Of course, I won’t blame you. But if we succeed, how will you thank me?”
The King of Yuyin replied, “If you can take control of this peak and protect me as I refine this artifact, I’ll regard you as my brother. How does that sound?”
Wukong laughed heartily. “It’s a deal!”

The Bull Demon King turned his back and chuckled secretly. What a clever monkey—having clearly promised to compensate for the losses earlier, he now added conditions. Truly shrewd. Without delay, they set off. Three auspicious clouds were summoned, and the three of them stepped onto them and flew south. Although the King of Yuyin agreed to follow Wukong, he was cautious and stayed behind the two of them, keeping a distance. The Bull Demon King transmitted a message through the air: “Do you realize we’ve had great fortune today?” Wukong asked, “What fortune?” The Bull Demon King replied, “It’s said that when the King of Yuyin appears, blood flows for thousands of miles. Isn’t that also fortune?” Wukong shuddered and said, “I don’t know if what you say is good or bad. Though this King of Yuyin has a rebellious temperament, he prefers peace over chaos and is by no means a violent person. Don’t believe false rumors.” The Bull Demon King laughed and said, “I hope it’s true. I, the old Bull, will surely benefit from it too.” They returned quickly, and in just an instant, the three of them reached the territory of Flower-Fruit Mountain. Above the clouds, the King of Yuyin pointed at Flower-Fruit Mountain and said, “This is it. These mountains are filled with spiritual energy; truly a blessed land. I wonder which demon has taken possession of this mountain. It’s truly enviable.” Wukong smiled secretly but said, “We’ve been fighting for two days, yet I still don’t know your name. It would be good to have a title for you.” The King of Yuyin hesitated for a moment before saying, “I have no name. Just call me King Yuyin.” Wukong thought to himself that this name was quite fitting for a King of Yuyin. But if that was the case, wouldn’t the Bull Demon King have to be called King Ox? Wukong and the Bull Demon King introduced themselves in turn. When King Yuyin heard the Bull Demon King’s name, he asked, “Are you the mighty Bull Demon King who destroyed the Lion and Camel Kingdoms a thousand years ago?” The Bull Demon King laughed heartily and said, “Those monsters were causing chaos and defying heaven’s order. If they weren’t put in order, they would eventually suffer divine punishment. Do you happen to be related to them?” King Yuyin didn’t even look at the Bull Demon King and said, “They deserve it. I was just a step late and you snatched it from me.” Hearing the two talk about the Lion and Camel Kingdoms, Wukong became intrigued. So that place had such a history. But within just a few hundred years, it had been taken over by the Green Lion, the White Elephant, and the Roc, becoming a great power—something the two of them couldn’t have predicted. Wukong said to King Yuyin, “Brother King Yuyin, I wonder which mountain you’ve chosen. I’ll fetch it for you.” Hearing Wukong’s confident tone, King Yuyin pointed to a high peak three miles behind the main peak of Flower-Fruit Mountain and said, “I won’t trouble you too much. This one will suffice.” Wukong nodded and said, “Follow me.”

He descended from the clouds and landed right on top of that peak. There, the Demon King was already waiting to greet him. This peak was under the control of the White Rhinoceros King, one of the seventy-two Demon Kings of the Caves. Seeing Wukong grace him with his presence, the White Rhinoceros King appeared utterly astonished and overjoyed.

When Wukong explained his purpose, how could the White Rhinoceros King refuse? He bowed deeply and invited the three of them into the cave to talk.

But Wang Yu shook his head slightly. As soon as he heard the White Rhinoceros King agree, he vanished in a puff of dust. Wukong smiled bitterly—Wang Yu was incredibly skilled, yet his personality was quite peculiar.

Wang Yu had already told him that using earthfire to forge magical artifacts wasn’t like draining a pond to the bottom; it was merely borrowing it, so its impact on the local spiritual energy was minimal. In effect, Wukong was doing someone a favor without paying any price at all. Though he knew it might still be some unfathomable fate at work.

Since arriving in the World of Journey to the West, aside from advancing his training schedule a bit, meeting Wu Zhiqi, and learning the “Qi Tian Staff Technique,” everything else had followed its original course. He currently had neither the strength nor the clue to change anything; he could only wait for an opportunity to change his fate of being trapped under the Five Elements Mountain and forced to become a Buddha out of despair.

At least, he still had time.

As he was thinking, a voice came to Wukong’s ears—it was Wang Yu: “It will take at most ten years, at least seven years, to succeed.” Hearing this, Wukong felt somewhat disappointed, but then thought that such a short period was negligible compared to the often-thousand-year-long cultivation process.

In the following days, Wukong gathered the demons of Flower Fruit Mountain and, along with the Bull Demon King, held a feast, drinking and enjoying themselves in joy.

One day, the Bull Demon King said to Wukong, “Brother, though life here is carefree, it’s not a long-term solution. I need to find a place to refine my true form.”

Wukong was stunned. The Bull Demon King was extremely strong, and Wukong had planned to rely on him as a great ally as he explored the world. Now that he was leaving, what should he do?

Wukong didn’t want to persuade him to stay, so after racking his brains, he suddenly asked, “Who else is left at your home?”

The Bull Demon King was taken aback. “Only your sister-in-law is at home. Why do you ask?”

Wukong replied, “It’s nothing special. If you don’t mind, you could bring her to Flower Fruit Mountain. I’ll create more caves and plant more spiritual mushrooms and beautiful grasses. It’ll be livelier here, and she’ll have someone to take care of her.”

Hearing this, the Bull Demon King showed signs of gratitude. “I appreciate your brotherly feelings, Wukong. But your sister-in-law has lived there for so long… I’m not sure if she can adapt to this place.”

Wukong smiled. “What’s the difficulty? Let’s invite her over together as brothers, and we’ll see.”

The Bull Demon King looked troubled. “This…”

Wukong smiled inwardly. This Bull Demon King must not be on very good terms with the Iron Fan Princess; otherwise, why would he leave such a delicate and beautiful wife at home unattended? He invited her here, yet she kept making excuses to avoid coming.

At that moment, the Bull Demon King was quite troubled. He had been entrusted by his master to become brothers with Wukong and would surely need to visit often in the future. How could he know that Wukong already knew the name of the Rakshasi woman and even that he would later have a mistress named the Jade-Faced Fox? If the Rakshasi really came here, wouldn’t he have to deal with this formidable woman constantly?

Seeing Wukong’s sincerity, it was hard for him to back out. With a firm decision, he said, “Very well. Given your brotherly kindness, I’ll go bring my wife here. It will be delightful for our family to be together!”

Wukong was overjoyed and said, “That’s great! I’ll immediately order people to prepare a dwelling for your wife, so she can also see the magical scenery of my Flower-Fruit Mountain.”

Leaving aside Wukong’s arrangements, the Bull Demon King left Flower-Fruit Mountain and headed straight up to the Thirty-Third Heaven.

In the Trisolar Palace of the Thirty-Third Heaven, Laozi sat in the hall, fingers twisted and eyes closed. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and said, “Let the Bull come in.”

The attendant went outside and indeed saw the Bull Demon King approaching on clouds from afar. “Your master asks you to come in,” the attendant said coldly.

The Bull Demon King stepped into the hall, thinking of ways to persuade his master to help him stay away from that woman. But when he entered, he saw Laozi sitting on a couch, with a woman kneeling in front of him. She had her hair tied back, wore sturdy clothes, and appeared bold and valiant—she was none other than his own wife, the Rakshasi woman.