Volume 1: Unsayable – Chapter 35: The Water Ape

Tongfeng saw that Wukong was in a bad mood and also sighed, saying, “We brothers are both penniless. If we had some miracle pill to heal our wounds, why would we have to trouble Wu Zhiqi?”
At the mention of a “miracle pill,” Wukong was overjoyed. The three miracle pills given to him by Patriarch Subhuti still remained unused—perfect for this situation. He leaped up and shouted, “I have a miracle pill! I have one! You didn’t mention it, and I almost forgot! Hurry and go find Wu Zhiqi!”
Tongfeng rejoiced, “You have a miracle pill? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Wukong looked embarrassed. “I’ve been practicing cultivation for only a short time and forgot about these pills.”
Tongfeng said with a wry smile, “This is something that can save a life—how could you forget it? One must always be clear about the magical treasures and pills they possess, as cultivators might suddenly find themselves in danger at any moment. Given Wukong’s current level of cultivation, it’s truly unacceptable that he forgot this.”
Tongfeng explained the importance to Wukong, who felt greatly enlightened. He had thought this world was just a place for fun, never realizing that life-and-death struggles could occur at any time. Tongfeng led the way, using his spiritual sense to sense Wu Zhiqi and search deep into the sea.
By now, Wu Zhiqi had regained his five-zhang height and was sitting quietly in the seawater. The emerald-green water surrounded him, flowing around him in a continuous cycle, allowing the essence of water to seep into his body. The areas burned by the Triple True Fire had already healed, with only traces remaining on his shoulders.
Wukong took out the golden pill and waved it in front of Wu Zhiqi. Wu Zhiqi immediately stared at it intently and exclaimed, “This is the Nine-Revolution Golden Pill of Lord Laozi. Where did you get it?”
Wukong was also shocked. Strangely, Wu Zhiqi knew the name of Lord Laozi, and even recognized his pills. What worried him most was whether Patriarch Subhuti might actually be in disguise as Lord Laozi—why then had he taught Wukong martial arts?
Wukong was filled with doubts but didn’t respond. He simply said, “It was just a coincidence. You should take the pill. If it heals you, that’s good; if not, there’s nothing I can do.”
Wu Zhiqi laughed heartily. “Taking this pill will surely enhance my cultivation even further!” He took the pill, stuffed it into his mouth, closed his eyes, and no longer showed any signs of breathing.
Wukong watched for a long time but saw no movement from Wu Zhiqi. Tongfeng pulled at Wukong’s robe and said, “Don’t worry. This pill is extremely powerful. It will take at least three to five days to fully digest.”
The three of them had nowhere else to go and could only sit there waiting for Wu Zhiqi to wake up.

On the fourth day, Wu Zhiqi opened his eyes, and a golden light radiated out, so intense it seemed tangible, shining for dozens of feet underwater and causing many fish and shrimp to scatter in all directions. He stood up, laughing wildly, and roared, “Truly an excellent pill—exquisitely satisfying!” Seeing Wu Zhiqi full of energy, Wukong immediately asked, “Are your injuries still a problem?” Wu Zhiqi raised his arms and waved them a few times, saying, “I’m better than ever!” Wukong then explained in detail the whole story of his battle with the evil dragon. Before he could finish, Wu Zhiqi grew furious and said, “How dare such a reckless fool exist! I’ll capture him and make him apologize to you!” With that, he vanished into the sea in an instant. Wukong was stunned. In water, unlike in the air, only the Water Avoidance Technique could be used; even with his water-controlling powers, he couldn’t move that fast. Tongfeng explained, “Wu Zhiqi thrives in water. In fact, he’s just as powerful in water as in the air. No one else can learn his ability to teleport.” Wukong exclaimed, “Ah!” If one could teleport in water, wouldn’t that mean being invincible? Even the dragon could only adapt to circumstances and didn’t possess such a skill. Tongfeng said, “Just wait patiently. Within three days, Wu Zhiqi will surely capture that dragon.” Wang Yu remained silent for a long time before eagerly interjecting, “Two days.” Wukong, half-believing and half-doubting, waited patiently. By the second day, they felt dark currents moving beneath the sea, and Wu Zhiqi’s shouts could be heard from afar. All three had sharp eyesight, and following the sound, they saw Wu Zhiqi approaching triumphantly, holding the evil dragon in his giant hands—the very one who had fought Wukong. Wukong felt dizzy. Wu Zhiqi’s combat strength was truly terrifying; in just one day, he had captured the dragon. The dragon came over dejectedly, showing disdain for Wukong when they met. Wukong ignored him and asked Wu Zhiqi about the details. Wu Zhiqi chuckled and said, “It’s nothing special. I just made a bet with him— whoever lost would become his servant.” Wukong was speechless. Wu Zhiqi was quite shrewd, understanding the importance of decisive action. Fighting back and forth like himself would only leave lingering threats even if he won. When asked more about the battle, the dragon still refused to admit defeat, saying, “What strange magic did you use to make it hard for me to move in water? If it weren’t for the water, I would have won!” Wukong scornfully replied, “Born as a dragon, living and growing in water, yet you can’t even defeat a monkey on land. How dare you argue?” The dragon thought about it and realized he was right. He glared at Wukong angrily and said nothing more.

Wukong said, “Since you’ve been defeated, I demand that you leave this place and go live by the Eastern Sea. What do you say?”
The dragon looked astonished. “I was defeated by him, not you. Why should I obey you?”
Wukong shrugged helplessly and glanced at Wu Zhiqi.
Wu Zhiqi smiled and said, “Very well. From today onward, you shall live by the Eastern Sea!”
Wukong curled his lips and said, “How dare I not bow under someone else’s roof? Why go to such lengths?”
The dragon sneered, “Who do you think I am? You can kill or harm me as you wish. But since I was defeated by this monster, I must obey only him. Others don’t deserve that right! If you want, just finish me off with a single strike.”
Wukong laughed and said, “I didn’t expect you to have some backbone after all. Very well, I’ll fulfill your wish. Stick out your head so I can kill you.” At these words, everyone was shocked.
Wukong looked at the others and said solemnly, “We are not ordinary cultivators. As I expected, the road ahead will be full of hardships. It’s no exaggeration to say we have enemies everywhere. Even now, we have an irreconcilable feud with the Heavenly Court. If we ever face a powerful enemy in the future, we must unite as one. Though this evil dragon has some skills, if it won’t obey orders, what’s the point of keeping it?”
As Wukong spoke, everyone’s expression grew serious. If things followed his plan, it would indeed be like that. Although this evil dragon was now subdued, its allegiance was unclear. If it had any connection with the Heavenly Court, it could become a serious threat.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing the words “Heavenly Court,” the dragon asked in shock, “What feud do you have with the Heavenly Court?”
Wukong replied coldly, “It’s just that I killed a few of their heavenly generals. Are you surprised? Why ask such things at the brink of death?”
The dragon said fiercely, “To be honest, I also have a deep blood feud with the Heavenly Court. We share the same enemy. I’m not saying this to save my life; it’s the truth.”
Wukong was pleased. A deep blood feud meant this evil dragon must hold great resentment toward the Heavenly Court. He said, “Oh? Is that so? I wonder what kind of feud you have with them?”
By now, the dragon’s proud gaze had vanished, its eyes distant, as if lost in painful memories. It slowly said, “It’s a long story…”
The dragon stared at Wukong and the others and asked, “You all know I belong to the dragon race. But do you know which type of dragon I am?”
Wukong shook his head. It seemed he suddenly remembered something and said, “Chi dragons have no horns, coiling dragons don’t fly, winged dragons have wings, and dragon-like dragons have scales. You must belong to the dragon-like dragon race. But whether it’s a dragon or a dragon-like dragon, they all have four claws. Why do you have five?”

The evil dragon was surprised by the spaciousness of the place, but then showed a grim smile and said, “It is precisely because of this fifth claw that a great disaster befell me, leading to the decline of my family and the death of my parents.”
Wukong asked in confusion, “People also have six fingers and seven toes, which is quite normal. You just have an extra claw—what’s the big deal?”
The evil dragon curled his lips and said, “How could you understand the reason? Haven’t you heard, ‘A dragon with five claws is truly a dragon, but a dragon with five claws brings disaster’? If this fifth claw had appeared on a dragon, it would surely bring great wealth and honor, and even ruling the four seas wouldn’t be surprising. But since I was born as a dragon, having this fifth claw is a tremendous disaster.”
Wukong thought to himself, so there’s a legend about the five-clawed true dragon after all. No wonder the emperor’s dragon robe is embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon—it symbolizes that he is the rightful emperor.