Volume 1: Unsayable, Chapter 35: You Are Not Awake

The Bull Demon King said, “Before the New Year, I went to the coastal areas of Nanzhan Continent and encountered a strange demon. It moved unpredictably and possessed extraordinary powers. I fought with it for half a year, but it ended inconclusively. Now that we have time, how about going to meet it again?”
Wukong replied, “That’s great! I’m anyway idle.”
The Bull Demon King was overjoyed. “There’s no time to lose. Let’s set off right away!”
Without bidding farewell to the others in the mountains, the two rode on clouds for thousands of miles as if strolling leisurely, and soon arrived in Nanzhan Continent.
The Bull Demon King searched carefully, stopping from time to time, trying to locate the same place as before. Wukong asked with a smile, “Brother, you’re getting old and your memory is failing. How can you forget the way?”
The Bull Demon King replied, “Young brother, you don’t know. That monster is extremely good at changing its form. It often moves mountains and fills seas to erase its dwelling place. Most of my battles with it were spent searching for it.”
Soon, they arrived at a peak covered in rocks. The Bull Demon King’s eyes lit up. “This must be it!” He shouted loudly, “Hey!” With a shake of his feet, the thousands of peaks ahead collapsed into flat ground in an instant.
A figure leaped out from among the rocks. Upon seeing it, Wukong was shocked!
Why was Wukong so surprised? It was because the demon across from him looked exactly like him—except for his clothes and the golden staff in his hand, there was no difference at all.
The monster smiled at Wukong and then disappeared again. A voice that seemed to come from ancient times echoed in Wukong’s ears, “Follow me!” At the same time, a deep urge and guidance arose within him, compelling him to follow.
Seeing Wukong distracted, the Bull Demon King called out, “Brother, calm down! That demon is very cunning and powerful!” Wukong came back to his senses and felt ashamed. Though he had high cultivation, his practice time was very short. His combat experience was vastly inferior to that of the Bull Demon King, and his spiritual focus was not steady enough.
Then, the demon’s mysterious voice spoke again, “You don’t know who I am, but I know you are the Spirit Monkey. Hide from that old ox. How can we of the same race harm each other?”
Wukong was shaken. Since the monster mentioned the Spirit Monkey and said they were of the same race, could it be one of the Seven Great Monkeys? True or not, he had to give it a try. Ever since meeting Wu Zhiqi, Wukong had been thinking constantly about the Seven Great Monkeys. Now that he had finally encountered one, how could he miss this opportunity?
He was confident in his skills. Even if faced with a strong enemy, he would find a way to escape. But how could he deceive the Bull Demon King?

Wukong said to the Bull Demon King, “Thank you, brother, for the reminder. This place is vast; let’s split up and act separately. If we find that demon, we’ll signal for help. Does that sound good?”
The Bull Demon King pondered for a while and said, “That’s fine, but be extremely careful, younger brother!”
Wukong replied, “Don’t worry, brother. Even if I can’t defeat it, that demon won’t be able to capture me in just a short time.”
The Bull Demon King nodded and then soared away to search for the demon.
At that moment, the voice spoke again, “Five hundred li to the northwest, there’s a mountain valley with an illusionary array inside. Follow these directions, and I’ll wait for you there.” After that, there was no further sound.
Wukong followed the instructions and indeed saw a secluded valley five hundred li away, filled with towering trees and mist, exuding a mysterious atmosphere. He entered the valley and, as directed by the demon, headed in the direction of Kun earth and Gen mountain. After turning a few times, he saw a bright area ahead, with green cypresses and pines, a small bridge over flowing water—utterly beautiful.
The demon was sitting on the bridge, smiling as he met Wukong’s gaze.
Wukong remained cautious and did not dare approach. The demon shook himself and took on another form—about four feet tall, with a tuft of white hair on his forehead, naked but bearing a solemn and dignified appearance.
He said, “My name is Fengtong. Do you know me?”
Wukong had his suspicions, but hearing the name Fengtong filled him with astonishment. As expected, based on the Bull Demon King’s description, this demon’s whereabouts were elusive, and his appearance resembled the Wind-Bringing Divine Ape mentioned by Wuzhiqi. Yet why didn’t he feel that mysterious sense of closeness he had felt with Wuzhiqi?
After pondering for a long time, Wukong slowly said, “Words alone aren’t proof.”
Fengtong sighed heavily and said, “Your wisdom isn’t fully developed, so I can’t blame you. The seven divine apes were torn apart, often separated by yin and yang. The fault lies with me!”
Although Wukong had heard Wuzhiqi explain the seven divine apes in detail, he still didn’t know what had happened tens of thousands of years ago. After thinking for a while, he asked, “If you’re not at fault, then what can you do?”
Fengtong was stunned, his thoughts swirling. His gaze became deep and distant, as if recalling the past events. Then he raised his head to the sky, wept bitterly, and cried, “If I’m not at fault, then what can I do? What can I do?”
Seeing his genuine emotion, Wukong was convinced to about eight or nine parts. He walked over, placed a hand on his back, and said, “Time flies like a white colt passing through a gap; a thousand years pass in a dream. Since we are immortal beings, why dwell on the past? Why not look to the present and find a way forward together?”
Fengtong immediately stopped crying. He stood up, shocked, and said, “You… you still remember those words?”
Wukong was also surprised. “Remember… remember what?”

Tongfeng said, “Back then, the seven great divine apes were besieged by countless immortals and demons, some captured and some killed. Only you and I remained. You said exactly these words, word for word. You remembered them! You’ve actually awakened! Haha, heaven is merciful—our clan has hope of revival!”
Wukong thought to himself, “I just blurted those words out casually. How could they turn into words from my past life?” He explained carefully, “I said those words just in response to the situation; I didn’t remember anything. Since we’re brothers, how could I deceive you?”
Tongfeng was stunned but had no choice but to believe him. He murmured, “So, you still haven’t awakened… still haven’t awakened…”
Wukong asked, “What does it mean to awaken?”
Tongfeng replied, “When enough fate has accumulated, one will naturally awaken.”
Wukong asked, “And what’s the point of awakening?”
Tongfeng said, “Once awakened, one will be like me now—knowing everything.”
Wukong laughed and said, “Then one would spend their days regretting the past, hating what’s gone, losing their spirit, and fading away. If that’s the case, it’s better not to awaken. It’s better to live as bold and heroic as I am!”
These words came naturally. Once spoken, Wukong felt a surge of chaotic fate within him, as if it circled once before settling again.
Tongfeng fell into deep thought, and Wukong didn’t disturb him. They sat there for a long time.
Perhaps it was a few hours, perhaps months, or even years. Suddenly, Wukong felt a warm current flow through his heart—just like the scene when he was with Wu Zhiqi. At that moment, Wukong truly realized that the person beside him was indeed the Divine Ape Tongfeng. This feeling transcended flesh and spirit, existing above all living beings—it could never be faked.
The Divine Ape Tongfeng said, “You don’t know me, but I know you. That’s because I haven’t slept, and you haven’t awakened. That feeling just now was the connection of fate.”
Wukong nodded and said, “I’ve already met the Divine Ape Xingshui. It’s only now that I realize this is what’s meant by the connection of fate.”
The Divine Ape Tongfeng leaped dozens of feet into the air and shouted joyfully, “Wu Zhiqi! He’s not dead! Haha, hahaha…”
Thinking of Wu Zhiqi, Wukong felt an inexplicable sadness rise in his heart. Seeing the Divine Ape Tongfeng rolling around in the air in extreme joy, Wukong said coldly, “Though he’s not dead, he’s trapped in a cage, unable to be free. That’s worse than death.”
The Divine Ape Tongfeng stopped moving abruptly and said viciously, “Is that true? Our clan’s divine powers existed before heaven and earth. Killing them is easy, but trapping them is incredibly difficult!”

Wukong said, “When I met him, I had not yet begun my cultivation, so I couldn’t save him. I only know that the chain that locked him was made by Dayu. To save him, we must succeed on the first try; otherwise, he will be on guard, and it will be difficult to try again.”
The Wind-Bringing Divine Ape calmed down and murmured, “Dayu’s chain, Dayu’s chain… If he’s dead, then so be it. Why would there still be a chain left?”
Suddenly, he raised his head abruptly and said, “I remember now. There indeed is such a chain, called the ‘Ruyi Locking Demon Chain.’ It can change at will, becoming large or small, and is specifically designed to seal away the powers of gods and demons. But this isn’t hard either—just find a descendant of Dayu and use their life force as a catalyst to melt it apart.”
Hearing that there was a way to break it, Wukong was overjoyed, but then he said, “But the Great Sage National Advisor, King Bodhisattva, is a descendant of Dayu. Do we really have to take his life force?”
The Wind-Bringing Divine Ape chuckled and said, “Whoever he is, if we don’t take his, will we take yours? You’re right. Surely Wu Zhiqi also told you that only a descendant of Dayu can control the ‘Ruyi Locking Demon Chain.’ Then naturally, it was a descendant of Dayu who imprisoned Wu Zhiqi.”