Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

Back at Huaguo Mountain, Ao Yun hurriedly found Sun Wukong and showed him the blueprints for the planned Three Lifes Scholarly City.

The scope of the Scholarly City spanned a hundred li.

With its four sides squared, it boasted grand entrances for students to pass through.

Right at the center was the main campus, covering twenty li, magnificent in style, containing teaching halls divided among a hundred disciplines; accommodation areas for students to rest; canteens for teachers and students to dine; and an inner courtyard market for purchasing various supplies.

Just outside the main campus, to the direct east, lay a wide avenue leading to the outside world, with training grounds on both sides where students could practice morning exercises and stimulate their Qi-Blood.

While the southern, northern, and western sides of the main city were arranged just like any other city, with common residential areas, large marketplaces, and military garrisons.

The Scholarly City might be small, but it had all the necessary parts.

Sun Wukong nodded with satisfaction and drew a circle of peculiar sigils around the main layout of the map, then returned it to Ao Yun, saying, "These sigils I've just drawn are for the formations I'll set up. When the time comes, just enlarge them according to the scale of the blueprint, engrave them on green jade, and bury them with the bricks and tiles underground."

Ao Yun scrutinized the sigils on the blueprint, unfamiliar with what they represented.

"Your Majesty, what are these sigils for?"

If you don't know, just ask.

That was always Ao Yun's way, she never found it embarrassing. Compared to her brothers, her own knowledge was on par with a three-year-old child learning to speak.

Sun Wukong explained, "These are Spirit Talismans I've devised based on the principle of natural Spiritual Energy, which can automatically regulate the city's climate, circulate airflows, and gather Spiritual Energy. Also, with a special method, they can solidify into protective formations..."

But before he could finish, Sun Wukong suddenly turned his head and looked out the window.

Ao Yun also looked out to see the scenery outside—the babbling streams, the bustling crowd—unchanged and as picturesque as ever.

"Your Majesty, what's happened?"

"Nothing much," Sun Wukong said with a slight smile, "it's just that a jealous third party wanted to eavesdrop on us. Unfortunately, with me here at Huaguo Mountain, they won't be able to hear a sound from the island."

"Eavesdropping?"

Ao Yun was puzzled; she didn't know anyone in the world who could eavesdrop from outside the island. Were their ears that sensitive?

"No need to worry, they will only hide in the shadows," said Sun Wukong with an enigmatic gaze. "If one hides in the dark for too long, they'll be afraid to show their true face. They're not to be feared."

Ao Yun blinked, realizing her brother must be talking about the eavesdropper.

Then, Ao Yun remembered something and recounted her experience at the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea, saying, "Brother, that Jiao Demon King is too presumptuous, declaring that he will come to marry into Huaguo Mountain. Such a shameless demon— you must not agree!"

Sun Wukong covered his mouth and chuckled.

Ao Yun with a deep gaze asked, "Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

Sun Wukong waved his hand and said, "Nothing, I just thought of something joyful."

"What is it?"

"Sun Beng is going to have a child."

"Isn't he a man?"

"His wife is having the child."

Seeing Ao Yun's increasingly resentful gaze, Sun Wukong stopped joking, coughed twice, and said seriously, "Alright, let's talk business. If the Jiao Demon King really intends to marry into our Huaguo Mountain, would you be willing, or not?" First published on M|V|L!EMPYR.

Ao Yun said indignantly, "I am certainly not willing! That Jiao Dragon, not to mention how many people he has consumed on the Northern Jambu Continent, even if he truly reforms in the future, his appearance alone is enough to keep people at a distance."

"Brother, you don't actually wish for me to marry that Jiao Demon King, do you?"

Sun Wukong shook his head, "Of course not, but if the Jiao Demon King wants to marry into Huaguo Mountain, it doesn't necessarily have to be with you, right?"

Ao Yun's thoughts raced, quickly seeing the potential maneuverability.

The Jiao Demon King had only mentioned marrying into the family, but he didn't specify whom?

If she could preemptively agree, flatteringly charm the Jiao Demon King, get him drunk and then have someone find an ugly demon to cook the rice into a done deal, wouldn't that be wonderful?

If the Jiao Demon King should go berserk, then the matter would be even easier to handle. They could treat him as an invader of Huaguo Mountain, and her brother would have a reason to subdue him and execute him on the spot.

Ao Yun grinned and said, "I never thought my brother could also have such a delightfully wicked sense of humor."

Sun Wukong neither confirmed nor denied it.

Wicked?

No!

This was just the inherent playfulness of being born a monkey.

To deal with a Demon King like the Jiao Demon King, occasionally indulging the capricious "monkey mind" would add a bit of fun to the mischief, wouldn't it?

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed by in a flash.

Several major Demon Kings from the Northern Jambu Continent hadn't come, but the Three Lifes Scholarly City was already completed.

Thanks to the diligent efforts of the various Demon Kings, all materials were rapidly prepared and the work efficiency was high; in just seven days, a city had risen from the ground.

Sun Wukong personally attended the event, announced the establishment of the Three Lifes Scholarly City, and in the presence of all the spirits of Huaguo Mountain, appointed the Venerable Fox King as the dean of Three Lifes Academy (the main campus building), Taoist Fengyun as the vice dean, and scholars, priests, and monks from Ao Lai as teachers.

He also opened recruitment for teachers and students across Huaguo Mountain.

Teachers with expertise and proper conduct would qualify to apply, for a monthly salary of a hundred black-patterned coins.

Students, be they demons or humans, as long as they wish to learn, may enter the academy to study together and grow together.

And the tuition?

Fifty Eternal Coins per year.

With the issuance of Eternal Coins and Heavenly Coins, within the boundaries of Huaguo Mountain, objects of gold and silver were gradually replaced by these two types of currency. However, to prevent inflation, most people used only the Black-Patterned and Red-Patterned Eternal Coins, while the Silver-Patterned and Red-Patterned Heavenly Coins were rarely seen.

Normally, the replacement of currencies wouldn't happen so swiftly.

But with Sun Wukong in charge, with a single decree, no one dared to object, and the Eternal Coins and Heavenly Coins really were more exquisite than ordinary currency. Moreover, worn on the person, they could even extend one's life and could rival the benefits of cultivating.

Who wouldn't like such currency?

Thus, Three Lifes Academy was inaugurated.

Sun Wukong hosted a banquet in the city with all the spirits of Huaguo Mountain that lasted three days and nights before everyone gradually returned to their original posts.

"Your Majesty."

Generals Sun Beng and Sun Ba, and Marshals Sun Ma and Sun Liu, who were guarding Sun Wukong, glanced at Yuyan, who was drunkenly blushing and being carried on Sun Wukong's back, and whispered, "Giving full authority over Three Lifes Academy to the Vixen King and letting her be responsible, what are we to do if the talents educated in the future do not serve Huaguo Mountain?"

Sun Wukong raised his hand and said, "The people of the world belong to the world. Huaguo Mountain is not a place of tyranny. If they have their own dreams in the future and wish to leave and fulfill them elsewhere, I would be happier than anyone else."

Sun Beng expressed concern, "But what if the talents who leave in the future attack Huaguo Mountain? We live in peace with the world, but people's hearts can change; or perhaps after they leave, they are no longer in control of their own destinies, serving other masters, and resenting the prosperity of Huaguo Mountain. What then shall we do?"

Sun Wukong stopped in his tracks and looked up at the clouds drifting by in the sky.

Beng, Ba, Ma, and Liu, the four monkeys, did not interrupt, waiting quietly for their king to think.

"When soldiers come, we will block them. When water comes, we will cover it with soil."

Sun Wukong said, "Huaguo Mountain is our home, and we naturally have to protect it. Therefore, you and all our monkey descendants must strive even harder to learn and cultivate."

"We do not bully others proactively, but if others bully us, we too must have the strength to resist."

"Encourage the children to work hard."

Initially, Sun Wukong wanted to say, 'With me here, there is no need to worry.'

But after a moment of thought, he changed his mind.

Although he was the king of Huaguo Mountain and could protect the entire mountain, even forever,

The best protection is to enable them to protect themselves.

That is why he built a city in Huaguo Mountain.

That is why he educated the spirits and demons of Huaguo Mountain.

That is why, when he went to the underworld, he merely politely asked the King of Hell to erase only his own name, without making all his monkey descendants immortal as well.

"We understand," the four monkeys said, suddenly enlightened, and bowed respectfully to Sun Wukong.

Returning to Shuilian Cave, he came to the cattle shed. Tie Shan had just finished reprimanding the Great White Bull and was about to go back to rest when she met Sun Wukong.

Because she had to tend to the cattle, she only took part in half of the three-day celebration before dragging the drunken Great White Bull back to Shuilian Cave.

"Greetings, Master," she said.

Sun Wukong, surprised, smiled and asked, "Why so formal now? Before, you used to call me by my name so directly."

Tie Shan covered her bottom, her cute face slightly twisted, "I was punished by my master."

Sun Wukong couldn't help grinning as he took Yuyan off his back and handed her to Tie Shan, saying, "Take Yuyan back to the room to rest. She's been playing wildly for three days."

Tie Shan pouted, carrying Yuyan, who was shorter by a head, and complained discontentedly, "You keep spoiling her. Just because she's a little younger than me, she gets to stay by your side while I'm stuck herding cattle."

Though she complained, Tie Shan gently carried Yuyan on her back with light steps, as if afraid to wake her sister.

Watching the two women's figures disappearing into the distance, Sun Wukong felt a quiet admiration.

If things had proceeded as in the first simulation, both Tie Shan and Yuyan would have become wives of the Bull Demon King, and their relationship would have been terribly strained, each wishing death upon the other.

But now, they truly seemed like inseparable and caring sisters.

Sun Wukong shook his head, clearing his mind of extraneous thoughts, and entered the palace, taking his seat on the throne, he opened the Life Simulator.

This treasure was equivalent to an extremely accurate spell for foretelling the future.

Unfortunately, a future that is too accurate is easily changed, and he himself was not too fond of a predetermined future.

Otherwise, he could have simply sought trouble with the six Demon Kings based on the results of the last simulation, then waited for the celestial court to invite him to heaven and be conferred the title Carefree Emperor of the Equal Heavens.

"I wonder if this simulator has any other uses. If it's just this, then I, Old Sun, should be able to sense where exactly in my body this thing exists."

This was what Sun Wukong found puzzling; he couldn't detect where exactly this thing resided within him.

In the body?

He felt no discomfort anywhere.

In the spirit?

That wasn't it either. His spirit was pure and uniform, with no odd presence.