Volume 1: Unsayable Chapter 66: Waiting to Work

The Bull Demon King laughed and said, “Leave it all to me, old Bull!”
Wukong convinced the Sea-Destroying Dragon. Seeing that the Golden-Winged Roc and the Nine-Spirit Sage both showed approval, he stepped forward and said, “When Taibai Jinxing left, he said, ‘Good causes yield good results.’ Those words actually carry a warning, forcing me to owe him a favor.”
The Golden-Winged Roc said, “Wukong is right. This old fellow seems gentle, but he’s actually cunning—we must be cautious.”
The Nine-Spirit Sage asked, “What do you mean? Could it be that the Heavenly Court is about to send troops to fight?”
Wukong nodded. “It’s very likely. Right now, Flower-Fruit Mountain has just begun to show its strength, like a young sprout. Even though tens of thousands of demon soldiers seem formidable, how can they compare to the Heavenly troops?”
The Golden-Winged Roc was quick-witted, able to grasp the implications at a glance. He immediately said, “If I had no ambition to reach the heavens, why would I dare ascend? If I had second thoughts, I’d just flap my wings and leave—why stay here? Wukong, if you have any good plans, speak up. We won’t hesitate.”
Wukong inwardly praised him—smart people make things easier. He then said, “In this battle, if the Heavenly troops manage to invade Flower-Fruit Mountain, even if we win, the green mountains and clear waters will likely be turned to ashes. So, I ask you two to use your skills to intercept them along the way, weaken their morale, and intimidate them. Is that possible?”
The Nine-Spirit Sage asked, “But how?”
Wukong replied, “I believe the Heavenly Court will be arrogant and underestimate us in this first clash, likely not gathering any intelligence beforehand. Brother Roc, your speed is unmatched in the world, and Brother Sage, your powers are unsurpassed. If you can launch a sudden attack when they approach Flower-Fruit Mountain, you’ll catch them off guard. You just need to strike once and retreat—I’ll handle the rest.”
The Golden-Winged Roc laughed heartily. “Wukong truly understands me well. That’s exactly my usual tactic.”
Wukong said, “With the enemy outnumbering us, we should make use of our strengths and avoid our weaknesses. Brother Sage, might as well endure some inconvenience this time and follow Brother Roc’s lead?”
The Nine-Spirit Sage replied, “My family is also here. Helping you is helping myself. There’s no need to talk of inconvenience. Wukong, rest assured.”
Wukong bowed in gratitude and said, “If nothing goes wrong, the Heavenly troops will arrive soon. You two should set out early to avoid missing the opportunity.”
The Golden-Winged Roc laughed. “Don’t worry. If this mission fails, I wouldn’t have the face to return.”
Wukong then went to the Bull Demon King and whispered something in his ear. The Bull Demon King nodded repeatedly, clearly having received secret instructions from Wukong.
Wukong also spoke briefly with Fengtong, Wu Zhiqi, and Wang Yu, who naturally agreed to comply.

After deploying his troops, Wukong naturally needed to boost the morale of the demons. Last time, the celestial soldiers arrived in a hurry, and the demons of Flower-Fruit Mountain were thrown into chaos before even fighting. This time was different—it was a direct confrontation between Flower-Fruit Mountain and the Heavenly Court. A defeat would have dire consequences. Wukong, who understood the politics of the Journey to the West well, knew that the people in the Heavenly Court were all bullies who targeted the weak. If Flower-Fruit Mountain showed signs of weakness, countless opportunists would surely emerge to take advantage of the situation.

Therefore, this battle had to be won decisively and swiftly. The longer it dragged on, the more unfavorable it would be for them.

Wukong gathered together the demons above the rank of local immortals from the seventy-two caves and declared loudly, “We will soon fight against the Heavenly Court. There’s no need for more words—just six words: Victory means life; defeat means death!”

The White Rhinoceros King swung his hammer and shouted, “Whether it’s the Heavenly Court or the netherworld, if they don’t let us enjoy our lives, then that won’t do!” The demons echoed his words. Since Wukong had divided them into caves and trained them rigorously, their morale had soared. Only now, these demons who had been struggling to survive or minding their own business truly felt a sense of belonging.

The demons, of course, didn’t understand what belonging meant—they only knew to enjoy life as it was. Whoever stood in the way of their happiness would make them unhappy. Another beast leaped onto a high rock and roared, “Fight bravely and showcase the might of our Lion-Tiger Cave!”

Wukong recognized it as the Yellow Lion Demon who had come to Flower-Fruit Mountain with the Nine Spirit Saints. He thought to himself, “Yellow Lion Demon, you truly are a leader. But this time, you won’t get the chance to hold a ‘Hoe Club Meeting’.”

Just as the Yellow Lion Demon finished speaking, a giant elephant-like figure stood up and, imitating him, shouted, “Charge forward bravely! Those who retreat will be executed on the spot!”

Wukong was both amused and exasperated. There weren’t even any celestial soldiers in sight—why show off? It might even demoralize them. Yet he was pleased to see such unity among the caves.

Wukong waved his hand and ordered, “All of you, go back. Take a break from training for a few days to rest and regain strength. No alcohol in any cave—remember that well!” The demons dispersed. Marshal Ma stepped forward and said, “My king, there’s something I’d like to say… but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate.” He hesitated, unsure whether to speak.

Wukong asked curiously, “Anything related to the fate of our clan should definitely be spoken. If it’s trivial chatter, then there’s no need.”

Marshal Ma replied, “Your king’s mastery of cultivation is a great joy for Flower-Fruit Mountain. Over the years, demons from all directions have joined us, making our mountain more powerful than ever. That’s certainly a good thing. But…”

Wukong frowned. With so many matters at hand and now this annoying issue, he grew impatient and said, “Hurry up! I’ll decide everything!”

Marshal Ma trembled slightly before saying, “However, as the powers of various caves grow stronger and the demon kings possess divine abilities, our four marshals of the Water Curtain Cave, though holding high ranks, have rather mediocre skills. If this continues, won’t we be looked down upon?”
Upon hearing this, Wukong immediately understood Marshal Ma’s point. The four marshals—Ma Liubeng and Ba—were zwar known as Armored Ape Monkeys and Red-Tail Horse Monkeys, but their abilities were actually quite ordinary; they were by no means divine apes, though their exact nature was unclear. In terms of intelligence and skill, they were indeed superior to other monkeys, which was why Wukong had appointed them as marshals. The orderliness of the stronghold and its strict discipline were largely thanks to their efforts. Unfortunately, they had never practiced cultivation and merely grew in this blessed cave, absorbing a little immortality energy, thus possessing only human-level powers without any divine spells or abilities.
The seventy-two demon kings of the caves each had astonishing skills, some even possessing heavenly immortality powers—how could anyone not be envious? Wukong appreciated their diligent performance, as they had never made any mistakes. So he said to Marshal Ma, “I understand your concerns. After this great battle, when we have some free time, I’ll teach you some cultivation methods. How much you learn will depend on your own abilities.”
Marshal Ma was overjoyed and knelt down, saying, “Thank you, Great King! Thank you so much!”
Finding his behavior amusing, Wukong kicked him in the buttocks and scolded, “Stop acting so pretentious! Go and watch over the fine wine in the cave. Don’t let those gluttons break military discipline!”
Marshal Ma sprang up and rushed back to the Water Curtain Cave, dancing with joy.
Below Flower-Fruit Mountain, Tongfeng moved stealthily through the jungle like a ghost, occasionally shifting stones or moving giant trees. His movements were incredibly fast, and soon he had arranged everything on the southeast slope.
Tongfeng jumped down from the mountain and looked back up, sensing something was still off, so he returned to make further adjustments.
It turned out that Wukong knew Tongfeng was skilled in formations, and using formations to defend the mountain was ideal. He had already instructed Tongfeng to cover the east side of Flower-Fruit Mountain with formations, so that even if heavenly soldiers attacked, it would take them some time to break through.
Tongfeng had doubts—after all, heavenly soldiers came from the sky; what was the use of setting up formations on land? But Wukong only told him to arrange the formations and not worry about anything else, as there were proper arrangements in place.
On the west side of Flower-Fruit Mountain, by the sea, Wu Zhiqi sat alone on a huge rock, watching the tides. He thrived in water and loved living by the sea, but at this moment, Wukong had tasked him with guarding the west shore of Flower-Fruit Mountain. Though he was alone, his control over water was extraordinary. As long as he was in a watery area, he feared not even an army of thousands.

Watching Wu Zhiqi’s prowess, and reflecting on the days since he escaped, his heart swelled with emotion. Wu Kong was vastly different from the wise divine ape of his past life. The original seven divine apes seemed to be created in the same mold; though intelligent, they lacked strategy. Though they lived freely at first, they ultimately ended up wandering from place to place.

The current Wu Kong, though young, was steady and mature, as if all matters under heaven were within his grasp, giving people a sense of security. As Wu Zhiqi was thinking, someone leaped out of the sea—it was the Sea-Submerging Dragon. Seeing Wu Zhiqi alone here, it was also taken aback. The two had not had the chance to compete since their last battle. The Sea-Submerging Dragon knew Wu Zhiqi’s innate abilities were extraordinary, and his divine strength was truly astonishing. Even with its dragon body, it found it difficult to match him; he was indeed not its opponent, and it could only admire him.

The Sea-Submerging Dragon landed in front of Wu Zhiqi and said coldly, “With your skills, are you also idle?” Wu Zhiqi understood why the Sea-Submerging Dragon was upset and replied, “Like you, I have important military duties here.”

The Sea-Submerging Dragon asked, “What duties? Are you here to guard these old and weak people with me?”

Wu Zhiqi shook his head smiling and said, “It’s fine to tell you. Wu Kong can predict the future. He foresaw that heavenly troops would attack this mountain from here, so he asked me to wait here.”

The Sea-Submerging Dragon was first stunned, then overjoyed. “If that’s the case, I can also have a share!”