Chapter 9 Peace and Good Fortune

"I've got it!"

"Stone lions, guardians of the home, dispel misfortune and ensure safety and auspiciousness for a family."

Sun Wukong thought of the names, and said to the stone lion with the bigger eyes, "Your eyes are larger, so you shall be named Shi Wu, also known as 'Peace.' Wherever your gaze falls, there shall be serenity."

Then, he addressed the other stone lion with the larger ears, "Your ears are large, so you shall be named Stone Ear, also known as 'Auspicious.' Whatever you hear, shall be satisfying."

"What a good name!"

"What a good name!"

Both stone lions were delighted and bowed in thanks to Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong laughed heartily, and with a thought, the wisdom from the heart of Bodhi manifested naturally, creating a marvelous technique called Spiritual Transformation.

This technique allowed spirits of plants and stubborn stones to use spiritual energy to condense a Primordial Spirit, freeing themselves from their original form.

"Wonderful technique!"

Sun Wukong passed on this technique to the two stone lions.

"Thank you, Great King!"

Shi Wu and Stone Ear, having received the Spiritual Transformation technique, were extremely grateful.

If they had to cultivate on their own, it would have taken who knows how many centuries to obtain a human form and embark on the path of immortality. But now, with this technique, they could transform into human form ahead of time and cultivate.

In the future, when their true forms take shape and the two merge, they would save themselves untold years of arduous cultivation.

What a deal!

Too good of a deal!

Sun Wukong smiled and said to his monkey disciples, "These two stone lions are now part of us. From now on, when you all come and go through Shuilian Cave, you must greet them."

"Yes, Great King!"

The monkeys were overjoyed and congratulated Sun Wukong as he sat on the throne.

During this time, two red-bottomed macaques and two gibbons stepped forward, knelt before Sun Wukong, and said, "Great King, what a remarkable ability! Where did you learn such extraordinary skills?"

Sun Wukong laughed and replied, "To tell the truth, my skills are the result of serendipity, but I also wandered around the Nanshan Continent for three to five years. Then I took a bamboo raft across the Western Ocean to the territories of the Western Continent, where I met an old ancestor. I stayed with him for seven years, learned the Heart of Bodhi, and cultivated the fruit of wisdom. Thousands of marvelous techniques come to me effortlessly; they are but minor conveniences."

Having said that, Sun Wukong also elaborately told the monkeys about how he had dealt with the Demon King, which left his monkey disciples in awe.

After speaking, Sun Wukong added, "Now, I also have a surname, called Sun Wukong."

The monkeys heard this and joyfully said, "Since the Great King's surname is Sun, then we shall also take the surname Sun. If the Great King is Old Sun, we can be Second Sun, Third Sun, Little Sun—a family of Suns, a brood of Suns, a nation of Suns."

Sun Wukong was also happy.

The beginning of teaching was to have a surname. Having a surname was the beginning of being human.

Though humans possess all sorts of evils, they also have all kinds of goodness.

Where good and evil coexist, there is humanity.

To abandon good and promote evil is to be a demon; to abandon evil and promote good is to be an immortal.

In their joy, the monkeys held a banquet, offering up all sorts of preserved fruit wines, freshly picked coconuts, and celestial peaches – truly it was unparalleled happiness.

However, Sun Wukong, rather than indulging too much, tasted everything sparingly and said, "Now that I, Old Sun, have attained Tao, it is certain that I must teach you some skills as well, so that you can protect yourselves."

"Great King, can we also learn the Immortal Law?" The monkeys were both surprised and expectant.

"The methods taught to me by the Master, along with the wisdom he imparted, cannot be taught to you because those techniques involve seizing the creative force of heaven and earth, delving into the mysteries of the sun and moon, which even spirits find intolerable. If you learned them, it would lead to disaster."

Sun Wukong first discussed the powerful and perilous nature of the techniques he had learned. Then he continued, "However, as my wisdom is innate, I could, with a mere thought, create an exquisite technique especially for you."

"Thank you, Great King!"

The monkeys were overjoyed, dancing and clapping their hands and feet.

Sun Wukong gave a slight smile as he saw the monkeys jumping around. With a wave of his hands, a myriad of books appeared, the collection of Master Puti from Three Star Cave.

Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, the classics and secret texts of a hundred schools of thought, everything was there.

Although there were books, the monkeys couldn't understand them. Sun Wukong thought that teaching them alone would never amount to anything significant. Wouldn't it be better to find some scholars in the human world to teach the monkeys instead?

However, this time, he couldn't do as he did in the simulator and use force like he did when seizing weapons; he needed to go to the human realm and politely invite them—a trial in itself.

And since Master Puti was versed in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, yet he had only acquired the second level of Buddhist and Taoist teachings, he should experience the world of men.

Just then, the four monkeys spoke up, "Great King, we are content here, but others might fear us for being a menace and invade our realm. What should be done then?"

"This Huaguo Mountain, besides that Demon King, also has all kinds of beast kings and bird kings."

"We need time to learn our skills, and if the Great King is not around, wouldn't we be bullied again?"

Sun Wukong said, "There's no need to worry. I already have a plan. By tomorrow, I will subdue all the demons of Huaguo Mountain, so that this mountain will no longer be shrouded in foul miasma, ensuring our peace."

The four monkeys looked at each other in astonishment.

They had never imagined that their Great King had the capability to subdue all the demons of Huaguo Mountain.

Was this mere boastfulness?

These four monkeys, being older and capable of human speech, had conversed with hunters who had come to Huaguo Mountain, and knew a thing or two about the outside world.

The demons were formidable, but they also exaggerated. The monkeys thought that their Great King was also being overly proud.

But seeing how certain he was, they suspected he truly had such abilities.

Immediately, the four monkeys were thrilled.

If the Great King were to subdue the demons of Huaguo Mountain, then Huaguo Mountain would truly belong to monkeys, with even tigers having to lie beneath them.

"Great King, although you have vast divine powers, we are as weak as unbonded chickens, and we only have shoddy weapons seized from the Demon King and his minions. We need better arms for self-defense," said the two gibbons with tufts on their backs.

The two macaques with red buttocks chimed in, "Great King, about two to three hundred miles east of our mountain there lies Ao Lai Country. It is said there are countless soldiers and civilians, sure to have plenty of gold and weaponry. Why not go there and either buy or manufacture some weapons?"

"Good idea," nodded Sun Wukong. He thought to himself that this was exactly like in the simulator where the four monkeys suggested he go to Ao Lai Country to buy or craft weapons, but unfortunately, the version of him in the simulator had banished his true nature and forcibly seized them.

This time, he could not do the same.

Otherwise, he would be the first to laugh at himself.

But how to fund such purchases?

Although he knew the art of turning stone to gold, and the gold and silver created by his powers could last forever, using such transformed gold and silver to trade was against true values, would debase currency, and funds should be genuinely earned in the human realm, which was the sustainable approach.

Considering this, Sun Wukong said, "My children, go to the seashore and roam, catch clams and amass pearls and gemstones. I will take them to the human realm to trade and obtain money to buy quality weapons."

The monkeys were already restless, and upon hearing this, they hurried to the seashore to dig for clams and search for pearls.

And with Huaguo Mountain being rich in resources, yielding countless fine jade and agate, some monkeys went to collect these stones.

To the monkeys, pearls and agate were neither edible nor useful, just pointless things.

But to humans, the craving for them was likened to their own pursuit of a female monkey, making them valuable.

In Shuilian Cave, only the two gibbons with tufts on their backs and the two macaques with red buttocks stayed behind to listen to Sun Wukong's teachings and receive a rudimentary education.

These four monkeys were different from the rest, more intelligent.

Recalling the simulator and Tathagata's mention of the four monkeys, Sun Wukong realized that these four might be extraordinary and possibly encounter opportunities to become immortal in the future.

"Report!"

A little monkey rushed in from outside the cave and exclaimed, "Great King, disaster strikes! A Demon King has come to our gate, likely seeking revenge!"

······