Chapter 9: Who is the Woodcutter?
"The woodcutter's insights on the cultivation of the Huang Ting scripture, the woodcutter?" Sun Wukong scratched his face, deep in thought.
At that time, when he first arrived at Magic Square Mountain, it was the woodcutter who had shown him the way, only then did he find the Three Star Cave.
Later, when he was cleaning and fetching water at Magic Square Mountain, he often went to the back mountain to chop wood. Over those seven years, he had seen the woodcutter many times, yet had not realized that he was a cultivator.
"This fellow is not straightforward." Sun Wukong had never thought deeply about it before, but now, upon careful consideration, he realized this person was no ordinary man.
Magic Square Mountain, the Three Star Cave on the slanting moon, this place was truly a celestial dwelling.
If the woodcutter was merely a mortal, how could he chop wood anywhere on the back mountain as if entering an uninhabited territory, and also understand so much about the situation of the Three Star Cave?
"I must probe into this whenever I get the chance." Sun Wukong thought, and another idea struck him, "Hmm, I wonder if the friends on Zhihu know about the woodcutter?"
With this thought, he immediately opened the Persuasion System and posted a new question on Zhihu.
"I am Sun Wukong, may I ask if seniors here know about the woodcutter from Magic Square Mountain?"
Without waiting long, there was a response from a netizen.
BroadSword606: "Magic Square Mountain is the base of Patriarch Bodhi, the woodcutter, if human, had no chance to freely chop wood on the mountain, so there's only one possibility—he must be a disciple of Patriarch Bodhi."
"Senior thinks just like I did!" Sun Wukong was pleased.
But a rebuttal followed quickly.
SpiralIntestines: "The person upstairs is wrong, the woodcutter made it very clear when he first met the monkey; he has an old mother to take care of, so he can't cultivate."
BroadSword606: "Then how do you explain his intimate knowledge of the Three Star Cave and freedom to move around Magic Square Mountain? Try sending a mortal to chop wood on Mount Ling."
"Mount Ling and Magic Square Mountain are not the same thing, you're just making pointless arguments, such an arguer!"
"I'm calmly discussing this with you, don't just throw around the 'arguer' label,
the woodcutter claims he has to support his old mother and cannot cultivate, but who knows if he's telling the truth or not,
besides, he lives next to immortals, sings immortal songs, and discusses the Huang Ting scripture; which mortal could possibly do that?"
"Argumentative person!"
"Get lost!"
...
"Heh heh, interesting, interesting, it seems not every senior on Zhihu knows everything, there are stronger and weaker ones." Sun Wukong scratched his hand.
The two Zhihu users' heated debate was quite enjoyable to watch, yet, in the end, it was still unclear if the woodcutter was a mortal or not.
However, by this time, several more users had responded, and one old acquaintance's reply caught his attention.
PrimordialKnowItAll: "Let me answer this for you; the woodcutter is the great witch of the Witch Clan, Hou Yi, the first Divine Archer of the primordial times. After shooting down the nine suns, pursued by the Demon Emperor, he finally hid at Magic Square Mountain.
He disguised his identity, turned to practice ax skills, and later transformed into the woodcutter Wu Gang, spending time beside Chang'e in the Moon Palace, while also cultivating his ax skills."
Below this reply, someone reminded: "Wrong, it's Da Yi, not Hou Yi; 'Hou' is a suffix exclusively used by the emperors of the Xia dynasty. Hou Yi was the Divine Archer who usurped power in the Xia dynasty.
Secondly, with Chang'e involved, saying Wu Gang was an incarnation of Da Yi makes a bit of sense, but what does that have to do with the woodcutter?"
"They all belong to the ax gang."
"That works? You guys really know how to ruin mythology!
"Isn't mythology just about imagining and creating within a limited logic?"
"Big brother speaks the truth."
"Hmm, if I were Sun Wukong, I would definitely learn archery from the woodcutter. A Sun Wukong with long-range firepower would be thrilling just to think about!"
Sun Wukong thought these netizen seniors were quite interesting, and it seemed that the netizen named "Ancient Master of All" was certain the woodcutter was the legendary Yi who had shot the sun.
At that moment, the Persuasion System also offered a new suggestion.
"You have received a new suggestion: learn archery from the woodcutter, completing the suggestion will earn you a Fourth-Rank Treasure Box."
"Learn archery? Hmm, that's a good idea," Sun Wukong's eyes shifted as he considered.
What exactly was the woodcutter's identity? He'd know if he took the opportunity to find out.
The next day, he went to the back mountain and after a brief search, he found the woodcutter chopping wood.
"This fellow is actually here, saves me another trip," he thought.
He saw a robust man in coarse clothes, chopping wood in a forest with an axe.
Sun Wukong, already a Daluo Golden Immortal, had seen the woodcutter chop wood before and hadn't thought much of it. Now, seeing it again, he noticed there was some skill in the way the man's axe split the wood.
He cut a thick branch as thick as an arm effortlessly and the cut was impressively smooth.
Indeed, not simple!
Curious, Sun Wukong approached and greeted with a bow, "Old fellow, chopping wood again?"
"It's you, lad," the woodcutter laughed, standing straight and wiping the sweat from his forehead, "What's the matter, hasn't your master taught you the path to immortality?"
"Hehe, he has, he has," Sun Wukong said with a scratch of his head and a laugh, "It's just that recently my cultivation has been a bit frustrating, so I came out for a walk to see what's around."
Thinking that Sun Wukong was getting flustered because the laws were too hard to fathom, the woodcutter pondered a moment. He picked up his axe, walked to a sapling, and said solemnly, "Although I do not understand how to cultivate, I know it must not be so simple.
Just like chopping wood, at the beginning, it took a lot of effort to chop a single piece of firewood,
but as I got used to the axe, I felt I could split open anything with one swing."
"Therefore, in all things, one must not be eager for quick success. Be humble and patient. As long as you cultivate diligently, you are always making progress." As he spoke, he casually swung his axe and split the sapling in half.
"You have received a new suggestion: Be humble and patient, cultivate diligently, completing the suggestion will earn you a Third-Rank Treasure Box."
"Can I receive suggestions without even realizing it?" Sun Wukong was very pleased; this was an unexpected gain. He bowed again to the woodcutter and said, "Thank you, old fellow, for your guidance."
"Glad you understand," the woodcutter smiled and nodded, but deep down he was puzzled. This monkey was a bit odd today.
"After knowing each other for so long, I have yet to ask for your esteemed name, old fellow," Sun Wukong suddenly asked.
"Who am I to have an esteemed name? Just call me Wu Gang," the woodcutter laughed heartily.
"Oh? Wu Gang?" Sun Wukong scratched his face, his eyes twirling, before he managed to suppress his surprise.
Just like what "Ancient Master of All" from the web said, the woodcutter was Wu Gang!
That would mean the woodcutter was also the greatest Divine Archer, Da Yi!
He had read some mythological histories and world origins in the scriptures at Scripture Pavilion in the Cave of Three Stars, and he certainly knew the world began from the ancient times, experiencing many great calamities before evolving into the present Three Realms.
Thus, he was familiar with the legend of Yi shooting down nine suns.
Thinking this, Sun Wukong produced a bow and arrow out of thin air and directly said, "Old brother, recently I have been wanting to learn archery; I wonder if you could give me some pointers?"
The woodcutter's smile gradually faded.