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墨書 Inktalez
The ground of Shandong remained desolate as ever. A solitary restaurant stood by the roadside, seemingly forgotten by the world. The sign, worn and faded, barely revealed the words "New Ancient Person Restaurant," exuding an air of melancholy. The owner was an elderly man with thinning hair and missing teeth, who had no idea how many years he had waited there. He called himself the New Ancient Person, having once stumbled into the Ancient People's World, only to find himself trapped in the present, unable to return or escape. Thus, he opened this small establishment to pass the time.
One day, the old man sat inside the restaurant, staring blankly out the window. The last rays of the setting sun bathed his face in a golden hue of sorrow. Suddenly, a gust of wind and sand swept through, and a figure stumbled into the restaurant.
“Stinky! Stinky!” the figure exclaimed while brushing off the dust from his clothes.
The old man focused his gaze and saw that the newcomer was clad in golden chainmail, wearing a purple-gold crown adorned with phoenix wings, and stepping in cloud-like shoes made of lotus silk. It was none other than Sun Wukong, the Great Sage. However, at that moment, Wukong appeared far from his usual spirited self; he looked more like a defeated rooster, head hung low.
“Please come this way,” the old man said hurriedly.
“Who are you to call me 'sir'?” Wukong lifted his head and shot a wary glance at the old man, his tone filled with suspicion and impatience.
The old man remained unperturbed and simply smiled faintly. “I am neither a contemporary nor an ancient person; mentioning it would only invite laughter.”
“Speak freely; I, Old Sun, won’t laugh at you,” Wukong seemed intrigued as he plopped down on a stool and poured himself a cup of tea, gulping it down eagerly.
The old man then began slowly, “Once upon a time, I was also a Xin Ju Shi in the Ancient People's World…”
“Xin Ju Shi?” Wukong suddenly stood up, his teacup clattering to the ground and shattering into pieces. “You are my new benefactor! If it weren’t for your story inspiring me, I wouldn’t know when I could escape that Jade Gate.”
The old man was taken aback as Wukong recounted how he had heard about the New Ancient Person in that Ancient People's World and how that story had led him to learn about the Jade Gate.
After listening, the old man chuckled. “Mr. Sun, I believe you should be thanking me instead.”
Wukong finally sobered up and said seriously, “My new benefactor must not jest. I have something I don’t understand and wish to ask you. Why is it so stinky here? This smell is neither fishy nor muttony; it’s truly peculiar.”
The New Ancient Person replied, “If you fear the stink, you shouldn’t have come here; if you don’t fear it, then stay as long as you like. This place is only a few steps away from that barbarian land; if you go further ahead, you might end up covered in stink.”
Wukong pondered silently: “I am covered in fur; if I get this strange smell on me, wouldn’t I become a stinky Havoc? Moreover, I just disguised myself as Yama King and brutally punished Qin Quai. Thinking back, Qin Shi Huang is also Qin; perhaps Qin Quai is too. They might have been from the same family five hundred years ago. Qin Shi Huang was notoriously stingy; he wouldn’t easily part with the Mountain-Driving Bell. If I forcefully take it from him, I might ruin my reputation. It’s better to ask Xin Ju Shi if he has any way for me to jump out of this mirror.”
With that thought in mind, Wukong asked aloud, “New benefactor, do you know how one can reach the Green World now?”
The New Ancient Person answered simply, “The way there is also the way back.”
"Such a slick answer!" The Wandere remarked. "I naturally know the way here; it's just that traveling from the Ancient People's World to the future is easy, but going back is quite difficult."
The New Ancient Person replied, "In that case, follow me." With that, he grabbed The Wandere's arm and pulled him along. Although Wu Kong felt puzzled, he inexplicably chose to trust this newly met New Ancient Person. He sensed that this New Ancient Person seemed to harbor some secret, one that might be related to whether he could escape this mirror and return to the real world.
The New Ancient Person wore a half-smile as he dragged Sun Wu Kong to a pool of green water. The water was an eerie shade of green, bottomless and covered with a thin mist, resembling the murky breath of demons and monsters. Sun Wu Kong felt a sense of alarm rising within him and was about to ask a question when the New Ancient Person ruthlessly pushed him into the water.
With a loud crash, Sun Wu Kong felt the world spin around him as if he had fallen into an endless abyss. When he regained his senses, he found himself in a resplendent palace. Mirrors surrounded the palace, each reflecting countless images of a panicked Sun Wu Kong, as if mocking his helplessness.
"What on earth is this place?" Sun Wu Kong cursed inwardly, scratching his head in frustration. He felt lost and anxious, desperate to escape this dreadful place.
He wandered aimlessly but soon realized that the palace seemed endless; every path led to another mirror, trapping him in his own reflections. He attempted to fly but discovered that some kind of restriction bound him within the palace. Despite possessing great power, he could not move an inch.
Despair and anger surged within him as he could no longer contain himself. Sun Wu Kong swung his Ruyi Jingu Bang, intending to smash those damned mirrors and escape this maze. However, the mirrors remained unscathed; the Ruyi Jingu Bang only left shallow scratches on their surfaces.
"Damn it! Am I really going to be trapped in this hellhole?" Sun Wu Kong shouted in frustration and accidentally pushed open two intricately carved windows. Outside was a row of Vermilion railings adorned with ice patterns; the gaps between them seemed wide enough for him to squeeze through.
"Hehe, Sun Wu Kong is not so easily trapped!" A glimmer of hope sparked within him as he transformed into a small spider, ready to slip through the gaps in the railings.
However, just as he was about to succeed in his escape, the Vermilion railings seemed to come alive, twisting and contorting into hundreds of slender red threads that ensnared him tightly.
Sun Wu Kong was taken aback and struggled desperately, but those red threads were incredibly resilient; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free. To make matters worse, these threads appeared to possess life of their own, continuously tightening around him until they caused him excruciating pain.
"Damn it! What kind of sorcery is this?" Sun Wu Kong cried out in agony, filled with fear and despair. He attempted to change into various forms in hopes of escaping the bindings but found that those red threads could seemingly see through his intentions; no matter what shape he took, they would ensnare him tightly.
Eventually, exhausted and defeated, Sun Wu Kong reverted to his original form and collapsed helplessly on the ground, allowing the red threads to bind him like a dumpling. He looked up at the sky as tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
"Master, where are you? Your disciple is suffering here!" Sun Wu Kong shouted in despair, his voice filled with helplessness and sorrow.
At that moment, a beam of golden light descended from above as a kindly old man slowly landed before him and bowed deeply.
"Great Sage, do not panic; Old Man has come to rescue you," the elder said gently as he waved his hand lightly. The red threads binding Sun Wu Kong snapped apart and transformed into specks of red light that dissipated into the air.
Wu Kong sighed with relief, quickly getting to his feet. With tears of gratitude in his eyes, he said to the old man, “Thank you for saving me! May I ask your esteemed name? I, Old Sun, will surely repay you in the future!”
The old man stroked his beard and smiled, saying, “Old Man is merely a humble villager, not worth mentioning. Great Sage may not know, but this place is the palace of the Little Moon King in the Green World. You accidentally stumbled into his ‘Knot of Grapes Palace,’ which is why you were trapped. The Little Moon King was originally a scholar who, after becoming king, indulged in pleasure and ordered the construction of thirteen palaces corresponding to the Confucian Thirteen Classics. The one you inadvertently entered is one of them.”
“Now I see,” Wu Kong realized, feeling quite disdainful of the Little Moon King’s absurd behavior.
The Wanderer was puzzled but still managed to bow respectfully and asked, “May I inquire your esteemed name? I will surely repay your kindness today in the future.”
The old man waved his hand and laughed, “It’s just a trivial matter, nothing to mention. Old Man is Wu Kong, just a passerby.”
“Wu Kong?” The Wanderer was taken aback; this name was exactly the same as his own. He looked the old man up and down, filled with suspicion. “Is there really someone in this world with the same name as I, Old Sun?”
The old man laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the valley. “What? Can there only be one Wu Kong in this world?”
The Wanderer thought to himself that this old man was quite rude to joke about I, Old Sun's name. Just as he was about to get angry, he heard the old man continue, “Five hundred years ago, I, Old Sun, caused a ruckus in the Heavenly Palace and was suppressed under Wuxing Mountain by Tathagata for five hundred years. Later, I was rescued by a monk named Tang Seng who escorted me to the Western Paradise for scriptures. Along the way, I vanquished demons and monsters; it was quite impressive!”
The more The Wanderer listened, the more he felt something was off. What the old man described was clearly his own experience. Could it be that he was truly being impersonated by that Six-Eared Macaque? With this thought in mind, The Wanderer’s anger flared up. He drew out Ruyi Jingu Bang and pointed it at the old man, shouting, “You unruly monkey! Don’t speak nonsense! I, Old Sun, will tear off your false face today!”
The old man remained calm and did not flinch despite The Wanderer’s furious glare. He simply sighed softly and said, “You unruly monkey are still so stubborn! Do you know who I, Old Sun, am?”
In a fit of rage mixed with laughter, The Wanderer retorted, “You’re just an imposter! How dare you ask who I am? Take this!” With that, he swung Ruyi Jingu Bang down at the old man.
The old man swayed slightly and transformed into a beam of golden light that shot into Wu Kong's brow before vanishing without a trace. No matter how The Wanderer attacked wildly afterward, there was no sign of him left. The more he struck out in confusion and fear grew within him—could it be that this old man was truly another version of himself?
Just as The Wanderer stood there uncertainly, a voice suddenly echoed in his ears: “‘Family Helps Family’! It’s a pity you remain oblivious to reality and mistake truth for illusion!” This voice was ethereal and distant as if coming from beyond the heavens or resonating from deep within his heart, leaving The Wanderer dizzy.
When he finally regained his senses, he saw leaves swirling in the air as they danced in the wind. The Wanderer stood there dazed while the last words of the old man echoed repeatedly in his mind, stirring up turbulent waves within him.
“‘Family Helps Family’”—perhaps this old man truly was his true self.
Wu Kong hurriedly bowed towards empty space in gratitude—thankful to himself.
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