“The Fiery Golden Eyes? Hah! Rest assured. I did not lay any ritual arrays here,” Gu Hai said indifferently.
“Hehe! Just a habit of this Old Sun. Don’t take offense,” Sun Wukong said with a smile.
Although Sun Wukong said that as a pleasantry, it still carefully scanned the area. It landed before Gu Hai only after assuring itself no trap or ambush awaited it.
“This is an excellent brew of my Han Nation. Great Sage is a lover of wine. Would you like to sample it?” Gu Hai offered with a smile.
“Hehe! I have already given up drinking. We can just speak,” Sun Wukong smiled back at Gu Hai and scratched an itch.
Given up drinking? Gu Hai knew that it was not that Sun Wukong had given up drinking, but it was keeping its guard up against him.
“Just speak? Hah! Great Sage, I wonder how your investigation went? Has the Gautama Buddha found the answer?” Gu Hai smiled.
Sun Wukong stared at Gu Hai with a strange look in its eyes. “I did not find the answer. However, you brought me here. Gu Hai, shouldn’t you explain it to me?”
“Explain it? I believe you noticed that this place is different from what you imagined. I can send you back right now. Would Great Sage want that?” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Send me back?” Sun Wukong suddenly looked away.
“What’s wrong? Do you have other thoughts?” Gu Hai asked, feeling puzzled.
“I heard that old baldy, the Present Buddha, mention that my previous world is probably a small immortal firmament, just like Long Zhanguo’s Warring Nation Immortal Firmament. The Present Buddha and the others want such a small immortal firmament. Do you have one?” Sun Wukong stared at Gu Hai.
Sun Wukong did not reply to Gu Hai. Instead, it raised its doubts. Clearly, it was very crafty.
“No!” Gu Hai shook his head.
“No? Then, where did I come from?” Sun Wukong asked with a frown.
“Won’t you know where you came from after you return?” Gu Hai countered seriously.
“Hehehe! I just want to know where I came from. I never said that I had to return. Gu Hai, you don’t look like a powerful person. Tell me, what is going on? How did I get here? I recall being crushed under Five Fingers Mountain; then, you brought me here. You must know what is going on?” Sun Wukong glared at Gu Hai.
“Oh? You have never thought of returning?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.
Sun Wukong does not wish to return? This is going to be very problematic.
“I know a lot more about this place now. Heh! Go back? You must be joking! Just how big was my world? I could arrive in India with just a few somersaults from China. As for this world, it took me three months to get to the Spirit Mountain Holy Land when I first arrived. Heh! The two worlds are simply of different sizes. Just how big was my world? Yet, you want me to return? This Old Sun is not stupid. How could I do something so stupid? Humph!” Sun Wukong glared at Gu Hai.
“Bigger might not be better. The place you come from is your true home,” Gu Hai said.
“Humph! You can forget about trying to fool this Old Sun. That is my true home? If it is as the Present Buddha and the others say, it is just a small immortal firmament. Aren’t you the master of that immortal firmament? Doesn’t that mean you can do anything you want to me there? Heh!” Sun Wukong mocked coldly while staring at Gu Hai.
Sun Wukong was very intelligent. After bringing out the doubts in its heart, it did not need Gu Hai to answer it. It could guess a few things from his expression.
Unfortunately, Gu Hai’s expression did not change at all.
Sun Wukong frowned, unable to make out what it wanted.
“A small immortal firmament would appear in this world only once every one million years. How could it be that easy to obtain one? Furthermore, I have been to Long Zhanguo’s immortal firmament. I believe the Present Buddha and the others have also seen other small immortal firmaments. Can a small immortal firmament birth a powerful Great Sage Equal to Heaven like you?” Gu Hai looked at Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong raised its eyebrows as its face sank. “Indeed. The Present Buddha wondered what was going on. Perhaps I come from a future world? Or a past world? Did I travel through time?”
The monkey king wanted to extract information from Gu Hai through guesswork. However, how could he be so easily tricked by it?
“How about this? I’ll show you a book. You can decide whether you want to return or not after reading it.” Gu Hai smiled.
“Oh?” Sun Wukong’s expression changed.
Gu Hai took out a book titled Journey to the West.
“Journey to the West?” Sun Wukong snatched it and quickly started riffling through it.
Flip! Flip! Flip! Flip!
Sun Wukong flipped through the pages rapidly.
As it read on, its expression changed.
“My birth? Nuwa’s Mending Heaven Rock? Heh! To think that it is so detailed, even writing about my acceptance into my master’s tutelage? Humph! Did you write this? Did you investigate all this?” Sun Wukong asked with an unsightly expression.
No one would feel comfortable seeing their information recorded by someone else.
“Causing a commotion in hell, causing a commotion in the dragon palace, causing a commotion in heaven? Heh! It is very detailed. Oh? Old Man Gautama? To think that this recorded his trick in such detail! Humph! How much have you investigated?” Sun Wukong glanced at Gu Hai unhappily, then continued flipping through the book.
Finally, it reached the part where it was trapped under Five Fingers Mountain. Only then did it notice something off.
“Something’s wrong. There are only so few events. Why is this book so thick?” Sun Wukong frowned slightly.
It continued reading.
“Hey? Venerable Xuanzang? What is this? Just seeing a wild tiger scared him into crawling away? He became my master? Hahahahaha! What a joke! Who came up with it?” Sun Wukong looked at Gu Hai with disdain.
[TL Note: Venerable Xuanzang is a monk on which Journey to the West was based. In the story, Sun Wukong’s master was also named Xuanzang. Before he embarked on his journey, the emperor had declared him the emperor’s sworn brother and given him another name, Tang Sanzang, which is the more popularly known name. This was to honor him, allowing him to have the family name of the dynasty (Tang Dynasty) and the imperial clan. Here is the Wikipedia entry on him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xuanzang.]
Gu Hai showed a solemn expression, not saying anything.
Sun Wukong continued flipping through Journey to the West. As it read on, its expression turned increasingly unsightly.
“The Six-Ears Macaque? He is my sworn brother. Old fogey Gautama…” Sun Wukong glared.
“The Demon Ox King? He does not recognize me? That makes sense; that was not me. That old ox must have noticed something off. What? The old ox got…!” Sun Wukong’s eyes became slightly bloodshot.
“My monkey followers at Flower and Fruit Mountain had to surrender?”
“My brothers! Hah! Hehehehehe! Journey to the West? The journey killed or captured all my brothers? Someone impersonated me?” Sun Wukong suddenly glared at Gu Hai.
Gu Hai grabbed Journey to the West.
Bang!
He crushed the book, instantly reducing it to powder.
“You vanished, so Gautama made a new Sun Wukong and eradicated demons on the journey to lure you out,” Gu Hai said indifferently.
“Ptooey! What a ridiculous Sun Wukong! What could that trash do on the journey? It couldn’t defeat anyone, yet it used my name to kill my brothers. How excellent for Gautama! How excellent for all the deities and buddhas in heaven!” Sun Wukong clenched its fist as rage appeared on its face.
“Do you want to return?” Gu Hai asked at an opportune moment.
Sun Wukong’s eyes turned cold as it looked at Gu Hai.
“Hehehehehe! I have been here for only a few years. According to the book, I should have been trapped for five hundred years, yet only a few years have passed. The contents of this book are all made up, right? Are you trying to trick me into returning?” Sun Wukong scowled at Gu Hai.
“Whether you believe it or not is up to you,” Gu Hai said indifferently.
Sun Wukong’s face sank as it stared at Gu Hai. The various events were clearly recorded, down to its brothers’ habits, weaknesses, family situations, and locations. The book was simply too detailed. It would have believed the book long ago if not for the time factor. Even so, it still felt nervous.
“That is the future? Right? My world is in the future?” Sun Wukong continued staring at Gu Hai.
“You will know when you return.” Gu Hai refused to say anything.
“Humph! Return? I don’t believe you. If you want me to return, show me your abilities. Whether you have a small immortal firmament or some other reason, I will follow you if you can defeat me. If you cannot defeat me, then explain everything and let this Old Sun beat you up!” Sun Wukong suddenly took out the Malleable Golden Staff and swung it at Gu Hai.
“You bastard!” Shangguan Hen shouted from behind.
Then, Shangguan Hen waved his hand, immediately bringing out a large tortoiseshell shield.
Boom!
Sun Wukong’s staff struck the tortoiseshell shield, cracking it. However, the Malleable Golden Staff stopped.
“A tortoiseshell? Let’s see if you will come out or not!” Sun Wukong’s expression turned cold as it swung its weapon again.
“Unruly monkey, how rude!” Ao Shun shouted as he punched.
“Roar!”
When Ao Shun punched, a dragon-head-shaped manifested fist appeared out of nowhere and flew toward Sun Wukong.
“Humph! A dragon? When this Old Sun trampled on the dragon kings of the four seas, you still did not know where you were!” Sun Wukong glared as it swept its Malleable Golden Staff horizontally.
Boom!
The staff shattered the dragon-head manifested fist.
“What?” Ao Shun’s expression changed.
“You are somewhat capable. Even the dragon kings of the four seas would not be a match for you. Humph!” Sun Wukong snorted coldly.
Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech! Screech!
Suddenly, countless bats appeared in the surroundings and rushed at Sun Wukong.
“Vampire bats? Humph! When this Old Sun was in the Eight Trigram Furnace, I gained not just the Fiery Golden Eyes but also an indestructible body! Bring it on! Let’s see which is harder! Your bats’ teeth or this Old Sun’s skin!” Sun Wukong sneered.
Rumble…!
When Sun Wukong swept its staff horizontally, it knocked back countless bats, preventing them from biting it. The one or two bites that got through proved futile. Sun Wukong was born of a rock and was incredibly hard. Furthermore, it had gained an indestructible body. There was no way to bite it.
Boom!
Shangguan Hen, Ao Shun, and Chang Ming surrounded Sun Wukong. The four soared into the sky, fighting an intense battle.
Ao Shun held a dragon-shaped chain that split into four, then sixteen, and then many more. This formed a large net rushing toward Sun Wukong.
Shangguan Hen now held a saber and had many manifested sabers around him. Countless saber strikes flew toward Sun Wukong.
Aside from countless bats, many black pearls appeared around Chang Ming, continuously shooting at Sun Wukong.
Boom!
Despite fighting against three by itself, Sun Wukong did not seem to be losing. It knocked back the three experts when it swung its Malleable Golden Staff.
“Humph! The three of you are not enough! Again!” Sun Wukong sneered.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sun Wukong was like an invincible war god. Everywhere its Malleable Golden Staff reached, it knocked Chang Ming, Shangguan Hen, and Ao Shun back. However, the three attacked together, flying back in the blink of an eye. The intense battle continued.
“Unfortunately, Ancestor Puti refused to write a letter to Sun Wukong. Ancestor Puti? Hah! I understand your intentions. You love your disciple. Since Sun Wukong is already here, it does not need to return. However, if Sun Wukong does not return, it will be a loss for me.” Gu Hai showed a sullen expression.
He extended his hand, and a golden calabash appeared on his palm.
