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Wu Kong shook his head, casting aside the desperate cries of Ba Jie. He never looked back; turning around would only remind him of those annoying promises and responsibilities. Right now, he just wanted to fly freely, soaring far away, ideally leaving behind that nagging monk and the pig that only grunted and mumbled.
But his stomach inconveniently growled, reminding him that even the Great Sage of Heaven needed to eat. Wu Kong irritably scratched his monkey fur. In this desolate wilderness, where could he find food? He aimlessly drifted through the clouds, his fiery golden eyes casually scanning below, hoping to encounter a target for robbery or at least a household willing to share some alms.
Two hours passed, and not a single person appeared; not even a monster was in sight.
Just as he was about to give up and turn back to find that monk and pig, a city suddenly appeared before him. The towering city walls loomed high, with majestic towers rising above. A green flag fluttered atop the city gate, emblazoned with sixteen gleaming golden characters: "Tang Dynasty New Son of Heaven Taizong Thirty-Eighth Generation Descendant of the Resurgent Emperor."
“Tang Dynasty?” Wu Kong halted abruptly in mid-air, his eyes nearly popping out. How could this be possible? He rubbed his eyes; no mistake—this was indeed the "Tang Dynasty." Had he unknowingly returned to the East?
Impossible! Wu Kong shook his head vigorously, dismissing this absurd thought. He hadn’t even reached the Western Paradise yet; how could he return to the East? There had to be some trickery involved.
Could it be the work of a demon? He had heard that some monsters loved to disguise themselves as earthly emperors to confuse people. Perhaps this was some foolish demon trying to mock him, Sun Wu Kong!
But then he reconsidered; after all, he had once caused quite a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace—what kind of deities hadn’t he seen? If those powerful demons were involved, they might conjure illusions that were hard to distinguish from reality. But mere minor demons thinking they could pull tricks right under his nose?
Could it really be the Eastern Tang Dynasty? A bolder thought began to form in his mind. He recalled what Bodhi Patriarch had once said: in this world, everything operates according to its own rules, cycling endlessly. Perhaps this journey to the Western Paradise was a circular path that would eventually lead him back to where it all began.
“But if this is truly the Eastern Tang Dynasty and I’m merely passing through the Western Paradise, why hasn’t Buddha called out to me? Buddha and I have crossed paths several times; surely he is a nostalgic person who wouldn’t let me make a fruitless trip?” Wu Kong’s heart was filled with confusion.
He scratched his monkey jaw and suddenly remembered an old story. Back when he had yet to become a disciple and was carefree at Flower and Fruit Mountain’s Water Curtain Cave, he had befriended a brother named Messenger in Green. That Messenger in Green was well-read and knowledgeable; he had gifted Wu Kong a book called "Kunlun Chronicles." Within its pages were various strange tales, one of which Wu Kong remembered vividly: “Those who claim to be Chinese are not Chinese but are enamored by China’s name and thus adopt it.”
Could it be that this place wasn’t really the Eastern Tang Dynasty at all but rather some location in Apara-godānīya? They were impersonating the name of the Tang Dynasty with the intent of confusing him, Sun Wu Kong?
Wu Kong was originally a stubborn stone from chaos, absorbing the essence of sun and moon until he gained sentience. Yet despite his intelligence, sometimes his mind didn’t work as quickly as a mere stone. Here he was, staring at the words "Tang Dynasty" on the city gate for ages, scratching his head in frustration, utterly perplexed.
“Is this Tang Dynasty for real?” Wu Kong pondered, his thick eyebrows knitting together like two wriggling caterpillars on his face. He had caused quite a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace and had seen all sorts of bizarre things. Yet here he was, fooled by such an elaborate illusion that even he, Lao Sun, could not see through it.
His heart raced like a trapped rabbit, unable to calm down. He couldn’t help but think of Tang Seng, his master, who often rambled on about righteousness and morality but could always say something enlightening at critical moments.
“If only my master were here, he would surely see through the mystery in an instant,” Wu Kong sighed. But now, separated from his master, it was up to him as the disciple to do something.
He focused again on the city before him. The towering walls and grand gates loomed large, with banners fluttering atop the watchtowers and soldiers patrolling back and forth, exuding an air of authority. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought he had returned to the flourishing era of the Tang Dynasty.
Yet the fourteen characters on the banner reading “New Emperor: The 38th Descendant of Emperor Taizong” pricked his finger like a needle, forcing him to accept this reality.
“Nonsense! Absolute nonsense!” Wu Kong shouted angrily. “My master left the Tang Dynasty only twenty years ago at most; how could there be thirty-eight emperors since then? Did this emperor hatch from a hen, laying thirty-eight eggs in a year?”
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn’t help but curse loudly: “Fake! Fake! It’s all fake! If you admire our great Tang Dynasty so much, why not just write ‘China’? Why insist on writing ‘Tang’? Besides, my master often says that today’s Tang Emperor is a brand-new enlightened ruler. Think of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin—noble and revered in his prime! How could you, a mere little demon, know such secrets? It’s clearly just a disguise trying to pass off as genuine! It’s all fake!”
But then he reconsidered: “What if this emperor changes like a child playing games? One month one emperor; in less than four years, that could be thirty-eight! Maybe it’s true after all?”
He had never been so eager for an answer or an explanation as he was now. He descended from the clouds and landed on a hillside. Frustrated, he grabbed a crooked tree by the roadside, shaking it until its leaves fell like rain.
“Earth God! Come out here!” he bellowed at the ground, his voice echoing like thunder in the valley.
Usually, whenever he muttered a spell, the Earth God would come running in a flurry to pay his respects. Today, however, there was no response at all.
“Is this rebellion? What is going on?!” Wu Kong fumed. What was this? He was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, yet now he couldn’t even summon an Earth God?
Wu Kong thought to himself: “Something must be seriously wrong; otherwise, the Earth God wouldn’t dare to neglect me like this. Well then, I should ask the Duty Officer; he’s well-informed and will surely know what’s going on.”
Wu Kong shouted loudly at the sky, "Where is the Duty Officer? Where is the Duty Officer?" However, no matter how hard he yelled, there was no response. Wu Kong's anger flared up instantly, and he revealed his true form from when he had caused chaos in Heaven, wielding the Ruyi Jingu Bang like a thick barrel. He leaped into the air, bouncing around and causing a ruckus for quite some time, yet still no celestial being appeared.
In frustration, he decided to ignore it and activated his Cloud Somersault, heading straight for the Heavenly Court. He wanted to ask that old Jade Emperor what was going on in the world!
The fire in Wu Kong's heart burned hotter as he charged into the heavenly realm, determined to confront the Jade Emperor for answers. But as soon as he reached the Heavenly Gate, he found it tightly shut. Wu Kong shouted, "Open the door! Open the door quickly!"
At that moment, a voice came from inside the gate, tinged with impatience: "You really don't understand urgency! My Lingxiao Palace has been stolen; why would I let you in?" Then another voice chimed in mockingly, "Boss, you still don't know? Why was Lingxiao Palace stolen? Five hundred years ago, a guy named Sun Wu Kong caused a ruckus in Heaven. At that time, he couldn't steal Lingxiao Palace and has held a grudge ever since. Later, he gathered a bunch of monsters under the pretense of seeking scriptures and made friends with various demons from the West. One day, he had these monsters use a scheme to steal Lingxiao Palace. This is what they call using the enemy to attack the enemy—there's no way it wouldn't succeed. This monkey is really like a long-haired Zhuge Liang; one can't help but admire him!"
Hearing this, Wu Kong felt both amused and furious. He was naturally hot-tempered and could not tolerate such unwarranted ridicule. He pounded and kicked at the gate even harder, shouting incessantly, "Open the door!"
The voice inside replied again, "If you really want to open this Heavenly Gate, just wait five thousand four hundred sixty years and three months until my Lingxiao Treasure Hall is completed. Then we will welcome our esteemed guest!"
"Five thousand four hundred sixty years and three months? Hahaha!" Wu Kong laughed so hard he could barely breathe, his laughter filled with desolation and anger. "What a Lingxiao Treasure Hall! What an esteemed guest! You bunch of clowns really think this heaven belongs to you? I've roamed this world for hundreds of years; what kind of demons and monsters haven't I seen? Today I'm actually fooled by your nonsense—it's truly laughable!"
Wu Kong had come to Heaven hoping to see the Jade Emperor and obtain the Scripture of the Purple Text from the Spirit Book to clarify the truth behind the New Tang on Earth. Instead, he was met with closed doors and unwarranted humiliation.
He wiped away his smile, gripping the Ruyi Jingu Bang tightly as it buzzed ominously in his hand. His eyes burned with fierce rage as if they could incinerate everything before him. "Let me ask you: where is that old Jade Emperor now? And who is this so-called 'Thirty-Eighth Generation Descendant of the Resurgent Emperor' down on Earth? If I don't get an explanation today, don't blame me for being ruthless with this staff!"
Hearing Wu Kong's genuine fury and recognizing the earth-shattering name of "Lao Sun," those inside felt a twinge of fear. However, recalling the might of the Jade Emperor and Heaven's authority, they steeled themselves and replied defiantly: "The Jade Emperor has decreed that until Lingxiao Treasure Hall is completed, no human or demon shall be seen from below—especially not you, a monkey who can't even distinguish between human and demon! As for that so-called grandson emperor down on Earth, that's not something for a wild monkey like you to inquire about! If you know what's good for you, just roll back to your Flower and Fruit Mountain and stop seeking your own demise here!"
Wu Kong laughed in anger: "Flower and Fruit Mountain? That place was flattened by your Heavenly Court after that ruckus! Now I have no home to return to, yet you tell me to go back there—how ridiculous!" He swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang fiercely, intending to smash down the Heavenly Gate. "Today I will see who dares block my path!"
Unfortunately, although the gate trembled under his assault, it remained unmoved. With no other choice left, Wu Kong attempted to bypass the gate and flew deeper into Heaven along its barrier. He knew that today's events on Earth and in Heaven were no coincidence; there must be a massive conspiracy lurking behind them.
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