Chapter 3: Shi Yue Establishes Authority - Two Kings Without Hierarchy

The monkey found everything fascinating and was happily playing with the rest of the monkey troop. Shi Yue, meanwhile, had no time to deal with the little monkey following him. He had quickly woven together some soft vines to make a skirt for himself, at last ridding himself of a feeling of awkwardness, and then began to dart around Flower-Fruit Mountain.

He wanted to see how large Flower-Fruit Mountain was and what the outside world was like. However, he soon discovered that no matter which direction he took, he could not leave the boundary of Flower-Fruit Mountain, eventually stopping speechlessly in front of a cliff.

Beneath him lay a deep abyss, and about 50 meters ahead was a waterfall. Shi Yue remembered clearly that this was the fourth time he had arrived here. No matter which direction he went, he always ended up at this place!

The mountain wind howled around him as he stood on the precipice, frowning.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. Focused intently on the waterfall, he began to smile—it was Water Curtain Cave! This was well within his abilities. Covering a distance of 50 meters should be easy for him.

Thinking of this, Shi Yue decided to act instantly. Haha! Sorry, Sun Wukong, but I'm going to beat you to Water Curtain Cave.

To be safe, Shi Yue backed up a long distance. After a running start and a strong leap, he soared straight into Water Curtain Cave, landing right on its iron bridge.

The sight before him was not what he imagined, and for a moment, he was stunned. The biggest difference was the size—the space inside the cave was enormous, big enough to hold thousands of people.

He wandered around and found nothing but a pile of stone furniture. There was nothing else. Could a stone pot cook food? Who had developed this cave palace, and when?

After lingering for a while, Shi Yue lost interest, leaving Water Curtain Cave with the intent to integrate with the monkey troop and have a "heart-to-heart" talk with "Sun Wukong." He thought it might lead to some "unexpected gains."

He had a feeling in his heart that if he could leave Flower-Fruit Mountain, he should be able to find Bodhi Patriarch's mountain gate in the Western Continent. But for now, he had not even glimpsed a shadow of the East Sea. Even from the highest peak, he couldn't see the sea, suggesting that Flower-Fruit Mountain was shrouded by a great magical spell.

However, Shi Yue hadn't anticipated that as he was leaving Water Curtain Cave, Sun Wukong arrived with the monkeys, having finally discovered the cave mansion of Flower-Fruit Mountain.

Spurred by the title of "Great King," Sun Wukong easily jumped into Water Curtain Cave, but as he landed on the iron bridge, he found a pair of footprints. This made him ponder for a long time, lost in thought.

Later, as Shi Yue was searching for the monkey troop throughout the mountain, a group of young monkeys excitedly rushed toward him from a distance, chirping wildly.

"Black Monkey King, Black Monkey King, we've found Water Curtain Cave, and the Great King told us to invite you to join us."

Shi Yue was surprised, not expecting Sun Wukong to become king so quickly. Smiling, he asked, "Why call me Black Monkey King?"

A young monkey immediately chirped, "Your brother Sun Wukong became our Great King, and he said we should also call you Great King. Come on, the Great King and the elders are waiting."

"Alright! Lead the way."

Shi Yue laughed and casually questioned, "You all know I'm Sun Wukong's brother?"

A monkey replied excitedly, "Of course, we all saw you and the Great King emerge from that stone."

Shi Yue thought to himself, that's good. If Bodhi Patriarch has any "spies" here, hopefully, when I become an apprentice, there won't be favoritism against me.

Led by the young monkeys, Shi Yue soon returned to the precipice, where several sturdy vines had been hung as bridges for the regular monkeys.

With a flash in his eyes, Shi Yue soared upwards directly from where he stood, landing smoothly in Water Curtain Cave. The young monkeys chirped and clambered up the vines behind him.

Inside Water Curtain Cave, Sun Wukong sat grandly behind a stone table. Seeing Shi Yue appear in the entrance, he stood up immediately, eyes sparkling, and warmly greeted him with a boisterous laugh, "Brother, where have you been these days? We haven't seen even a shadow of you."

Other monkeys hadn't noticed how Shi Yue entered, but Sun Wukong clearly saw his brother soar in the same way he had, but seemingly more effortlessly. This made Sun Wukong's eyes flicker with contemplation.

Shi Yue smiled and replied, "I was trying to see the world outside Flower-Fruit Mountain but ended up wandering around without finding a way out."

After speaking, Shi Yue observed the monkeys within Water Curtain Cave. Hundreds of monkeys had gathered, and the stone tables were covered with various fruits.

Seeing no response to his comment, Shi Yue wondered why there was silence despite some monkey elders mentioning the outside world had demons? Why was no one responding?

Sun Wukong merely remarked casually, "What's so great about the outside world? It can't compare to our paradise here on Flower-Fruit Mountain. Brother, how do you find our cave mansion? From now on, we are the kings of Flower-Fruit Mountain."

"I object!"

As soon as Sun Wukong finished speaking, a discordant voice rose from the front of the troop. It was one of the elder monkeys, a black-furred monkey, whose eyes glinted viciously as it stared at Shi Yue.

Sun Wukong's eyes flickered but he did not interject.

The black-furred monkey continued, "Black Monkey, you don't have as much fur as we do." Shi Yue felt sweat bead up—"Black Fur"? But he internally shrugged at the names. "Besides being king, I'm the strongest elder here. You need to beat me before I call you king."

Instantly, every monkey's gaze was fixed on Shi Yue, with the sounds of chattering filling the hall.

"Hey, do you think Black Monkey King can beat Black Fur the elder?"

"Black Fur can't beat Black Monkey King. He came from the same stone as our king and must be just as powerful!"

"Yeah, Black Monkey King might not have much fur, but his body looks frightening. Black Fur can't be his match."

The other three elder monkeys also fixated on Shi Yue, while even Sun Wukong's eyes gleamed, hoping to see his brother's strength, perhaps not wishing to challenge him directly in case of embarrassment among the troop.

Shi Yue chuckled softly; it seemed time to demonstrate authority. Smiling easily, he signaled to the black-furred monkey, beckoning confidently, "Come here."

In response, Black Fur thumped his chest to display his strength, roaring defiantly as he charged, but what happened next stunned the hall into silence.

Shi Yue, with inherent power, simply caught the monkey's neck with a single hand, hoisting him effortlessly, rendering him immobile.

Straightening his form, Shi Yue's muscular build rippled with tension that made him appear larger than life, like a living titan, radiating explosive power.

All the monkeys in the hall gazed at him with starry eyes, captivated by his strength. The other three elders also stepped back slightly, their prior animosity evaporating. Only Sun Wukong continued to fidget, deep in thought.

Tossing Black Fur aside with a smile, Sun Wukong pointed at the apron around Shi Yue's waist, asking, "Brother, what's that?"

Shi Yue looked at the makeshift apron and chuckled, "It's something like clothing."

Walking over, Shi Yue sat at a stone table beside the one Sun Wukong had taken, both tables clearly prepared in advance.

Sun Wukong didn't immediately return to his chair. Hearing about the 'clothing,' he scratched his head, glanced at the apron, then at the monkey troop, and finally his own bare body. Suddenly feeling uneasy, he turned red and hurriedly hopped back to his seat, grabbing a fruit peel to cover himself.

Shi Yue watched, astounded, before accidentally sputtering out a sip of monkey wine in laughter—Sun Wukong, known for his pride, feeling embarrassed!

Sun Wukong flushed deeper, agitatedly said, "I'll be back!" and leapt toward the entrance, leaving all the monkeys gape after him.

Shi Yue wondered if he was embarrassed or frustrated, as the hall buzzed again with monkey chatter.

The white-bottomed macaque named Long Fur whispered to Shi Yue, "Um, Great King, what happened to the Great King?"

Shi Yue rolled his eyes internally—two kings both called Great King. In a conversation, it could easily confuse anyone listening. He gave up on correcting them and stated, "Mind your business and stay out of things that don't concern you!"

Long Fur shrunk back immediately, while Shi Yue felt a hint of concern that Sun Wukong might actually take offense at today's events.

The black-furred monkey, getting back to its feet, fetched a bowl of monkey wine and followed with a nod, "Great King, I, Black Fur, submit. Here, a toast to you."

"Good!"

Shi Yue roared as he lifted his bowl and downed the monkey wine. The taste was surprisingly good. Smiling at Black Fur, he said, "Today, I'll give you the name 'King Kong.' Do you accept?"

The black-furred monkey froze, then excitedly knelt and bowed repeatedly, "Thank you, Great King, for the name. Thank you, Great King, for the name."

Immediately, the other three elder monkeys looked at Shi Yue with fiery eyes, their intense gazes fixed upon him.

Seeing this, Shi Yue quickly raised a hand to ward them off, "I only came up with one name for now. Perhaps your Great King will name you later."

The three hopeful elders looked disappointed, their eyes dimming slightly. Shi Yue cleverly changed the subject, scanning the troop, "Has anyone here ever left Flower-Fruit Mountain, or knows how to leave?"

The monkeys exchanged glances, none speaking up. At length, a gray-furred elder hesitantly asked, "Great King, are you planning to leave us?"

Shi Yue was speechless, "Have none of you ever been curious about what the world outside looks like? Haven't any of you ever wanted to explore?"

The four great elders exchanged bewildered glances. Newly-named King Kong seemed puzzled as he replied, "They say there are monsters outside. Flower-Fruit Mountain is always spring, rich in resources, with endless fruit. What could possibly be better outside?"

Shi Yue continued, "Are none of you even a little curious or tempted to see for yourselves?"

All four shook their heads without hesitation.

Shi Yue was even more speechless when he suddenly saw Sun Wukong burst back into the hall, beaming. He let out a series of chuckles; remarkably, he too now wore "clothing." He cast a proud glance at Shi Yue as if to show off—look, I have what you have too!

Sun Wukong leapt onto the stone table, stamping his foot, and declared boldly to the monkeys inside the Water Curtain Cave, "From now on, my brother Shi Yue is also your Great King. Flower-Fruit Mountain will have two Great Kings, equal in status. Is there anyone who disagrees?"