Chapter 155: 247 Chapters, Sun Wukong Returns to Huaguo Shan Afterward

247 Chapters, Sun Wukong Returns to Huaguo Shan Afterward

247 Chapters, Sun Wukong Returns to Huaguo Shan Afterward

――――Liu Guozong's Spring Diary, Sixty-eighth

In the upper half of the spring night, the moon had not yet set; the small birds were already chirping on the willow bank amidst the dawn wind and waning moon. Amidst the dawn wind and waning moon, the small birds' day of happiness began just like that. In the birds' chirping, I also began a day of happiness. However, my happiness is not like the birds' singing; it is earned with sweat (sometimes even a tear) in exchange for food and clothing.

Fortunately I am still alive; being alive, then; being alive, then happy; being alive ought to be happy.

I have eyes; opening them I can see the world; I have ears; I can hear the world; I have a mouth; I can speak the world.

The world is such a wonderful place, with sound and color, laughter and tears, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, tasteless yet complete, all five virtues complete, also all five poisons…… nothing lacking, nothing strange absent…… endless to speak, endless to see, endless to hear……?

Next, I will tell friends another strange and bizarre tale: this happened when I followed the Tang Dynasty great poet Li Taibai on a dream journey to Heaven? Mountain, where I met Wu Cheng'en, the author of Journey to the West; because we were close neighbors living near Huaguo, I pestered him relentlessly, insisting he tell me how Sun Wukong returned from obtaining the scriptures; Wu Cheng'en, worn out by my pestering, had no choice but to tell me another series of odd, hilarious stories; this story cannot be finished in one breath, it must be told in over twenty breaths before it can be completed; please, friends, be patient and listen as I continue to tell it; this story is as follows――――

(I), Sun Wukong again returns to Huaguo Shan

Speaking of Sun Wukong, after escorting the Tang Dynasty monk Tang Sanzang back from the West with the scriptures and just having returned, he bade farewell to his master and his fellow disciple, and returned to his old home, Huaguo Shan.

That Huaguo Shan is the first famous mountain of the East Victory Divine Continent, with strange peaks and strange rocks everywhere on the mountain.

On the strange peaks, colorful phoenixes and golden chickens cry; among the strange rocks, monkeys, apes, immortals, and foxes play. By the streamside, exotic grasses and strange flowers never fade year-round; on the slopes, green pines and verdant cypresses stay green all year.

In the mountain, immortal peaches and fine fruits often form; at the mountain's base, lush forests and abundant bamboo grow.

Moreover, in the mountain lies the number-one cave under heaven: the Water Curtain Cave. Inside the Water Curtain Cave stands an iron plank bridge, called the number-one bridge under heaven. Beside the bridge grow thousand-year-old trees, their branches clustered with flowers in all seasons, exuding fragrant blossoms.

Beyond the bridge stands a naturally formed stone house. Inside are a stone pot, stone stove, stone bowl, stone basin, stone bed, and stone stool.

This is Sun Wukong's old home.

When Sun Wukong, above the clouds, faintly saw the Huaguo Shan he often longed for in his heart, he could not help but feel joy rise to his brows.

When he thought of the eight characters before his Water Curtain Cave, 'Huaguo Shan is a blessed land, Water Curtain Cave is a heavenly grotto,' he could not help but press down his cloud and descend onto a patch of colorful clouds above the peak of Huaguo Shan.

On the colorful clouds, Sun Wukong loudly shouted to the little monkeys practicing martial arts on Huaguo Shan:

"Children, your Great Sage Grandfather has returned!"

The little monkeys on Huaguo Shan, hearing someone shout from the air, 'Great Sage Grandfather has returned……'

They put down their training tools, looked up toward the mountain peak. The little monkeys saw a patch of colorful clouds above the summit, and above those clouds they saw their Sun Great Sage Grandfather, smiling and waving at them.

The little monkeys on Huaguo Shan, seeing that their Great Sage Grandfather had truly returned, called out to their friends in joy: 'Our Great Sage Grandfather has come home! Our Great Sage Grandfather returns in glory to his native land! Quickly prepare wine and dishes to welcome the Great Sage Grandfather and wash away his dust!'

The forty-seven thousand little monkeys, without exception, leapt up trees, climbed branches, sought fruit, rejoiced happily, ran and jumped about, setting out wine and feast to welcome the Great Sage Grandfather and wash away his dust.

After eating and drinking their fill, the monkeys, big and small, surrounded Sun Wukong. Some asked their Great Sage Grandfather about length and shortness, about cold and warmth; others complained to him of grievances and poured out their hearts; still others performed games, somersaults, and tree dragonflies for the Great Sage Grandfather to showcase wonderful acts. Seeing this group of innocent and pure monkeys before him, the Great Sage was so delighted that he forgot all the hardships of the journey to obtain the scriptures.

Just as the Great Sage was rejoicing, among the little monkeys surrounding him was a plump little monkey who mysteriously asked Sun Wukong: 'Great Sage Grandfather, I heard that your master was deceived by the White Bone Spirit's honeyed words, and even made to recite the Tightening Hoop Spell as punishment—truly he does not know good people. Your master is extremely foolish……'

Sun Wukong heard the plump little monkey calling his master 'foolish', and before the monkey could finish, he grabbed its ear and scolded: 'You little monkey-headed fool, how clueless! A monkey's mouth cannot spit out ivory. Shut your monkey mouth! My master is the most kind-hearted and wisest ** teacher in the world. Do you not know the principle \"striking is intimacy, scolding is love\"? How can you use a petty heart to measure a gentleman's belly!'

The plump little monkey repeatedly begged for mercy: 'Great Sage Grandfather, spare my life, Great Sage Grandfather, spare my life. I dare not, I dare not. I was just speaking casually, with no ill intent.'

The Great Sage said: 'My master is the number-one eminent monk under heaven; are you casually slandering people?'

The plump little monkey apologized to Sun Wukong: 'I dare not do it again next time. I swear, if I ever again casually speak ill of your master, I deserve to be struck by lightning, burned by fire, cut by blades, chopped by axes……'

Sun Wukong was amused by this plump little monkey before him; being a monkey who cultivated to immortality himself, he knows that being articulate, active, mischievous and playful is the nature of monkeys, so he also forgave it. Especially seeing this little monkey's appearance just after making that oath, even while still angry, Sun Wukong was amused by this little monkey before him, and that bit of stinginess vanished.

At this moment, all the little monkeys on Huaguo Shan also interceded for the plump little monkey, and Sun Wukong thus went along with the flow to do a favor.

Sun Wukong said to the little monkeys who were pleading for the plump little monkey: 'All right! Considering everyone's face, I will spare you this time. If you again speak recklessly and slander others at random, I will first pluck out your monkey head and then throw you into the Eastern Sea for the fish to eat. Do you remember that?'

'Remembered! Great Sage Grandfather, I will never again speak recklessly or slander others. However, I did not do it on purpose.' the plump little monkey said obediently.

After a moment, the plump little monkey that Sun Wukong had just scolded asked him again: 'Great Sage, I heard it took you three times to subdue that White Bone Spirit. The White Bone Spirit is quite cunning as well. Will it still reappear to harm people now?'

Sun Wukong looked at this innocent plump little monkey before him; although it had just spoken a wrong word, it can know its mistakes and correct them, it has shortcomings as well as strengths. It is good at thinking and eager to use its brain—isn't that precisely its strength?

Thinking of this, Sun Wukong said to the little monkeys: 'Children, although I have subdued the White Bone Spirit, but this world…'

'Remembered! Great Sage Grandfather.' the little monkeys replied in unison.

At this moment, among the little monkeys, there was one with a pointed mouth and small eyes who softly asked Sun Wukong: 'Great Sage Grandfather, I heard that Flaming Mountain is very formidable; you exerted great effort to borrow the Palm-Leaf Fan from the Iron Fan Princess and extinguished the fire. Will the fire reignite?'

The little monkeys also shouted in unison: 'The thin little monkey asked well! Great Sage Grandfather, we also want to know whether the fire of Flaming Mountain will reignite again; please tell us!'