Journey to the West (Black Myth)

Inside the Crystal Palace of the Eastern Sea, the Dragon King of the East Sea was engaged in a secret conversation with an elderly Daoist, who had white hair and eyebrows, exuding an aura of wisdom, and holding a horsetail whisk. Suddenly, a demon general reported that a Daoist, who called himself The Measure Heaven Daoist, had arrived outside the Crystal Palace seeking an audience with the Dragon King of the East Sea.

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of the East Sea, Ao Guang, glanced at the white-browed Daoist opposite him. Seeing only a smile and no other response, he frowned and instructed the demon general, "Go back and tell The Measure Heaven Daoist that we recently suffered a great calamity here in the East Sea and are unable to receive guests at this time. Please send him away."

The white-browed Daoist smiled and interjected, "Hold on, Brother Ao. Since he calls himself Measure Heaven, he likely possesses some degree of cultivation. It might be worth meeting him to discover his true origins."

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, nodded in agreement and then instructed the demon general, “Invite The Measure Heaven Daoist in.”

Before long, a Daoist in a blue robe, exuding an extraordinary aura and holding a horsetail whisk, was led into the Crystal Palace by the demon general. He appeared inscrutable, revealing nothing of his level of cultivation.

The Daoist, naturally, was Shi Yue. Although his body, transformed by The Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, could not conceal its aura, its appearance had entirely changed, making it difficult for others to discern anything about him. Only those of superior cultivation could detect he was just a Heavenly Immortal.

Upon entering the Crystal Palace and seeing the renowned Dragon King of the East Sea, Shi Yue took an extra look, noting a significant difference from his imagination. The Dragon King had a full head of yellow hair, with no signs of old age, looking more like a middle-aged man. Beside him stood a Daoist with white hair and eyebrows, who had a mysterious and profound demeanor, concealing his level of cultivation. This piqued Shi Yue's curiosity, prompting him to hurry forward and bow respectfully.

"This humble Daoist, The Measure Heaven Daoist, has long heard of the Dragon King of the East Sea's reputation for bringing rain across the land and showing benevolence to the world, thunderous in fame. Yet, I have never had the honor of meeting you. Today, while passing through the Eastern Sea, it seemed proper to pay a visit, hoping for your understanding, Your Majesty."

The mysterious Daoist with the white hair continued to smile faintly, while Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, coughed awkwardly and cupped his fists in salute, "I was unaware of the origins of Daoist Measure Heaven. Our Dragon Palace recently encountered great trials; please forgive any lack of hospitality."

Shi Yue sighed and said, "There's no need for the Dragon King to laugh at me. Not long ago, on a journey, I encountered a demon monkey who, unknown to me, had mastered many divine powers. I was unable to defeat him and fled to the Divine Continent in the East. Passing by the Eastern Sea, I decided to visit Your Majesty."

The mysterious Daoist's eyes flickered at this, and he suddenly interjected, "Could you please describe the appearance of that demon monkey?"

Shi Yue feigned confusion and asked, "May I know who this Daoist is?"

Ao Guang hesitated slightly, but the mysterious Daoist smiled and responded, "I am called Perfected Taiyi, a friend of the Dragon King. No need for formality, Daoist Friend."

Shi Yue thought privately, "No formality, my foot! Perfected Taiyi! You're kidding me, aren't you? Damn! No wonder I found you disagreeable. But why is someone from the Heavenly Court interfering so early?"

Shi Yue recognized Perfected Taiyi, one of The Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan School, who had once taken on a disciple named Ne Zha. With some knowledge of bioengineering, he crafted a body for his disciple out of lotus flowers. His battle record includes defeating two minor opponents, Lady Shiji and Heavenly Lord Sun. Despite his benevolent appearance, he was ruthless towards the weak but kept a safe distance from true masters.

Maintaining his composure, Shi Yue said, "Speaking of that demon monkey, there's nothing particularly unusual. It looked like an ordinary demon monkey that had gained enlightenment, wielding a rod."

Upon hearing this, the Dragon King of the East Sea's eyes flashed with a hint of anger, while the white-browed elder claiming to be Perfected Taiyi showed bright eyes, quickly masking his expression, and, somewhat eagerly, asked again, "Was the demon monkey white-furred or yellow-furred?"

Shi Yue's heart stirred as he thought, Damn! Could they be looking for me? He then said, "It's neither a white-furred nor a yellow-furred monkey, but a black-furred demon monkey!"

As expected, Perfected Taiyi's eyes lit up and he continued to ask, "Could you tell me where you encountered this demon monkey, and how long ago?"

Shi Yue suddenly narrowed his eyes and stopped responding to Perfected Taiyi, instead turning his gaze to the Dragon King of the East Sea without saying a word.

The Dragon King of the East Sea looked at Perfected Taiyi, who nodded slightly, and then said, "Daoist Measure Heaven, do not be disrespectful. This is an Immortal from the Heavenly Court, known as Perfected Taiyi. We weren't sure whether you were friend or foe, hence the caution. Since you too have been troubled by that demon monkey, we should join forces against this formidable enemy. Truth be told, my Dragon Palace of the East Sea was destroyed by that black-furred monkey's brother, who also stole our treasures. This enmity is irreconcilable! This time, Perfected Taiyi is here to..."

Perfected Taiyi suddenly frowned, interrupted, and said, "Brother Ao!"

He then sighed with a bitter smile and addressed the confused Shi Yue, "Since Brother Ao has revealed this matter, I might as well tell you the truth, Daoist Measure Heaven. However, I ask you to keep this matter confidential."

Shi Yue thought to himself, That old Dragon King is far more straightforward than you. If we haven't had any past grievances, he could be a person to befriend. As for you, Perfected Taiyi, I don't trust your nonsense. You didn't even question my origins, yet you claim to tell me the truth? Outwardly, he remained calm and said, "I wasn't aware an Immortal had descended; please forgive any offenses. However, I am merely a wandering cultivator with limited power, so I fear I can be of little help."

The honest old Dragon King immediately spoke again, angrily, "No matter, even with the combined forces of the Four Seas, we're no match for that demon monkey. Daoist Measure Heaven, you might not know, the black-furred monkey you encountered comes from the same place as the one who destroyed my Dragon Palace, the Flower Fruit Mountain. Perfected Taiyi has come to discuss with me about the Heavenly Court's plan to attack Flower Fruit Mountain."

Shi Yue was taken aback by this revelation, while Perfected Taiyi frowned again and then sighed, "Brother Ao, there's no need to rush. Any campaign against Flower Fruit Mountain needs careful planning. If the Heavenly Court were to attack Flower Fruit Mountain without cause, wouldn't it invite ridicule from the three realms? It must be carefully strategized. I came here specifically to inquire about the black-furred demon monkey. Can Daoist Measure Heaven now tell us where and when you encountered this creature?"

Shi Yue couldn't help but curse inwardly, Damn it! They really are after me. When did I provoke the Heavenly Court? But he didn't want to let Perfected Taiyi have his way, so he feigned puzzlement and asked, "How exactly did the black-furred monkey provoke the Heavenly Court?"

Perfected Taiyi smiled, "There's no harm in telling you. The monkey stole a treasure from one of our Immortals in the Heavenly Court. I came here at the request of a friend to track him down. If Daoist Measure Heaven can provide useful information, the Heavenly Court will give you a significant reward when the monkey is captured. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Yue was skeptical, Damn it! I can't believe this old fox's words! An Immortal's treasure? When did Pilanpo become an Immortal of the Heavenly Court? And coming at a friend's request? Who could possibly request such a thing from you, an old Perfected Taiyi with such high cultivation? It must be the Jade Emperor himself! Damn, how did that old chicken relate to the Jade Emperor, could there be some connection between them? This is a mess. The Great World-Destroying Black Lotus fell into my hands, and now the Jade Emperor sends someone after me. Well, at least this means the little woman is safer now. I'll just take the heat for her. But from now on, I can't appear recklessly.

While mulling over these thoughts, Shi Yue didn’t forget to respond. He said he encountered the demon monkey in Northern Uttarakuru, adding, “Isn't it rumored that there's a Great Luo-level demon king there? Feel free to go there if you dare!”

As expected, upon hearing this, Perfected Taiyi immediately frowned slightly. He glanced at Shi Yue, handed him a jade slip, and left hurriedly, saying that if he ever saw the demon monkey again, he could crush the jade slip and Perfected Taiyi would arrive instantly.

Shi Yue, however, was completely skeptical and didn't believe a word, without any particular reason.

What Shi Yue didn’t expect was that after Perfected Taiyi departed, the previously straightforward Dragon King suddenly seemed deep in thought, his eyes flickering, though what he was contemplating was unknown.

Seeing that the Dragon King of the East Sea showed signs of wanting to end the meeting, Shi Yue, although eager to inquire further about the Heavenly Court’s plan to attack Flower Fruit Mountain, realized that the Dragon King was reluctant to divulge more. Thus, he had no choice but to take his leave.

However, unbeknownst to Shi Yue, as soon as he left the Crystal Palace, the Dragon King of the East Sea, with eyes gleaming, murmured, “Daoist Measure Heaven, if you survive this great ordeal, my Four Seas Dragon Clan will owe you a favor in the future.”

It turned out that the Dragon King was wary of the mysterious figure behind Sun Wukong and didn't dare to mobilize troops against Flower Fruit Mountain, fearing it would shake the three realms and potentially provoke that mysterious figure. Thus, he intended to leverage the Heavenly Court's power to punish Sun Wukong, letting the two sides contend. Unexpectedly, the Heavenly Court approached him first, seeking help to find a black-haired demon monkey.

What ensued was predictable. The Heavenly Court offered a flimsy pretext that the Dragon King didn't believe, but he still disclosed the fact that the demon monkey came from Flower Fruit Mountain, while concealing the detail about the two being twin stone monkeys. This was his way to pit forces against one another and redirect the trouble. Since the monkey hailed from Flower Fruit Mountain, a Heavenly Court assault on the place would inevitably lure the monkey out.

Perfected Taiyi, being a cunning old fox, understood the Dragon King's intentions, and naturally wouldn’t agree to let the Heavenly Court be used as a pawn by the Dragon King. Instead, he suggested deferring action to a later time, arguing that Sun Wukong could wait, and the priority should be capturing the black-haired monkey, a specific request from the Jade Emperor himself, dead or alive. The Four Seas Dragon Clan had a massive army of demon soldiers and could seek revenge on Sun Wukong themselves. The Heavenly Court could even issue a decree to legitimize Dragon Clan actions against Flower Fruit Mountain.

Thus, the supposed confidential meeting between the two parties was essentially a futile negotiation, neither willing to concede, as both were seasoned beings with equally deep schemes, when Shi Yue, in the guise of The Measure Heaven Daoist, arrived. The subsequent events were straightforward. The Dragon King deliberately mentioned the Heavenly Court and spoke of the plan to attack Flower Fruit Mountain, an explosive matter enough to shock the three realms, wanting Shi Yue to spread the word, making it hard for the Heavenly Court to step back, whether to force out the black-haired monkey or otherwise.

The Dragon King was well aware of Perfected Taiyi’s nature; knowing he might violently eliminate The Measure Heaven Daoist if Shi Yue’s power wasn’t above Taiyi’s. So, in the end, he had said, if you died, so be it, but if not, my Four Seas Dragon Clan will owe you a favor.

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