Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

"Have you ever heard of the saying, 'When there are three thousand weak waters, only one scoop is taken?'" Sun Wukong asked lightly as he looked at the Mortal Dust Peach.

"I know,"

Ao Yun nodded, acknowledging the reference comes from a minor story in the scriptures.

Beneath the Bodhi Tree, Buddha once asked a man, "In the eyes of the world, you are as wealthy as a nation, you rule over a territory, and you have a wise wife. Why then do you appear melancholy?"

The man replied, "It's precisely because of this, I don't know what to choose."

Buddha smiled and said, "Let me tell you a story.

One day, a traveler was about to die of thirst. Out of compassion, I created a lake before him, but he didn't drink a drop. Puzzled, I asked him why.

"Since I cannot drink the entire lake and my stomach is small, why drink at all?" he answered.

With a radiant face, Buddha concluded to the melancholic man, "Three thousand weak waters, but only a scoop to drink."

Such a story, literally, would sound foolish to anyone on earth—no one would refuse to drink the water.

But the underlying message is to remind people that while one might encounter many wonderful things in life, truly grasping even one of them well is sufficient."

"Since you understand that, the explanation becomes easier,"

Sun Wukong smiled, pointing at a tree laden with three thousand Mortal Dust Peaches and said, "Three thousand worldly entanglements, much like life's illusions, one is enough for you. Plucking one does not lessen their existence."

"This fruit exists because of the mortal world."

"The three thousand worldly entanglements are the cause; the peach, the effect. With cause, there is effect. This fruit thrives on the essence of the mortal realm's dust and continues infinitely as long as this essence persists,"

Ao Yun seemed enlightened.

At that moment, Yuyan too swam to the shore, emerged, transformed back into her original form rigidly, and shook off all the water droplets without any remaining on her clothes. She returned to her human form, "The king must be boasting; aren't those unripe fruits just growing a bit faster?"

Sun Wukong said, "Although you are right, no matter how fast the other fruits grow, there are only three thousand ripe ones on this tree."

Three thousand is a metaphorical number, but on this particular Mortal Dust Peach Tree, it represents an actual count, whereas the unripe fruits symbolize an infinite theoretical number.

Sun Wukong's intentions to convert the three thousand to a real number on the Mortal Dust Peach Tree were obviously to ensure the tree was laden with ripe fruits, suitable for entertaining celestial beings.

Moreover, converting three thousand from a virtual number to a real number is also a manifestation of turning the intangible into tangible.

Calling over the four monkeys, Sun Wukong instructed them to keep watch and prevent other monkeys from attempting to pick the peaches. Though these monkeys might not reach the fruit, it was still necessary to watch closely to avoid them playing around in the clear pond.

Yuyan eyed the Mortal Dust Peach in Ao Yun's hand and suggested, "Sister Ao Yun, that peach is too big for you to eat alone, why not cut it into pieces and share it?"

As she spoke, she tried to reach for it.

Strangely enough, her hand passed directly through the Mortal Dust Peach as if unable to touch it at all.

"What's going on?"

Yuyan looked at her clean, white hand and then back at the large, red Mortal Dust Peach, her cheeks puffed in dismay, "King, is this some trick of yours?"

Sun Wukong chuckled, "That would be a wrongful accusation."

What did she mean by him playing tricks?

Only the person who picked the peach can touch this Mortal Dust Peach.

The first person who plunges into the mortal world becomes deeply connected with it, and naturally, only this person can enjoy the peach.

If others wish to eat it, they must have the permission of the owner, who then must personally tear it open for them to partake.

Yuyan frowned, "To tear it open with hands? Isn't that too much trouble? Can't we use a kitchen knife?"

Sun Wukong replied, "This is a fruit of the mortal world, so only a person steeped in worldly dust can share it. If cut with any other tool, it will lose its effect and turn into a common Flat Peach."

The so-called common Flat Peach refers to the one that matures every six thousand years.

However, the Flat Peach transformed from this Mortal Dust Peach won't just be a six thousand-year one. As time passes, its efficacy and age also increase.

For Sun Wukong, however, if the peach loses its mortal essence and retains only vitality enhancement and mana replenishment, it won't be as useful to him anymore.

It would just be a taste.

Yuyan complained, "King, for most cultivators, and even for immortals, a Flat Peach that can enhance longevity and mana is what's truly important, isn't it?"

Sun Wukong remained noncommittal.

While extending life is important, for a virtuous True Immortal, the ability to stay detached from the mortal world yet understanding its essence could advance one's spiritual path and bring them closer to the ultimate Primordial Fruit—wouldn't that be more wonderful?

As for life-extending items...

They are abundant within the Three Realms, and every three years (by the long days of heaven), the Heavenly Court holds a Flat Peach Banquet, so virtuous True Immortals never lack for longevity.

The Heavenly Court's Flat Peach trees number three thousand six hundred, each bearing both ripe and unripe fruit. Although they mature every three thousand, six thousand, or nine thousand years, every year (by mortal timing) sees some fruit maturing.

Thus, the Heavenly Court never lacks life-extending Flat Peaches.

At every annual Peach Banquet, all celestial beings with official roles in heaven have their share of the peach.

Joining the conversation, Ao Yun said, "In that case, I will share this Flat Peach with Yuyan and Tie Shan. As for the marvels of the mortal world, I think it's best to slowly experience them over time."

With that, Ao Yun pulled a hairpin from her hair, transformed it into a knife, and sliced the Mortal Dust Peach into three pieces.

To Ao Yun's surprise, there was no pit inside the peach!

After the Mortal Dust Peach was cut open, its exterior's red jade color faded, shifted to a pinkish-white hue, and inside, the peach flesh was sparkling and transparent, as if it could drip water.

The fragrance lacked a hint of mortal dust, making it even more tempting.

Ao Yun unconsciously swallowed, and both Yuyan and Tie Shan's eyes widened. Chapter source: My Virtual Library Empire (M|V|L4EMPYR).

The three of them shared and ate it.

Ao Yun still had some manners, while Yuyan and Tie Shan devoured it greedily; had their mouths not been too small, they probably would have swallowed it whole like Zhu Bajie swallowing the ginseng fruit Sun Wukong had once seen.

The peach melted in their mouths, and within the time it took to burn a stick of incense, they had finished their own Flat Peaches.

Yuyan sucked on her fingers, not wanting to waste a drop of juice; Tie Shan took out a silk handkerchief to wipe her hands; Ao Yun used a spell to gather water from nowhere, cleaning her hands.

Sun Wukong felt somewhat sorry.

The Mortal Dust Fruit was treated by these three as ordinary Flat Peaches, truly a waste of heavenly material.

But, who could help it since the Mortal Dust Peach Tree, formed from a combination of a Bodhi leaf and a Flat Peach's core, had endless Mortal Dust Peaches?

They might as well eat them.

Sun Wukong also picked a Mortal Dust Peach, taking a bite.

The peach flesh dissolved upon entering the mouth, then ascended as an essence of mortal dust into his spiritual platform, coiling around his Primordial Spirit, followed by—

A wispy, gentle smoke rising slowly;

A graceful, slow rainfall;

A vague, red hue permeating the Primordial Spirit;

A light dust sticking to the True Spirit;

The mortal essence transformed into misty rain, soaking the Primordial Spirit, flowing within, and then gradually dissipating from the Primordial Spirit, transforming into cloud mist, returning to the Bodhi Heart Tree behind him, causing the missing crimson Bodhi leaf to grow back again.

Curiously, Ao Yun asked, "How does the taste of the Mortal Dust Fruit compare to Flat Peaches?"

Although she too had picked a Mortal Dust Fruit, she shared it with Yuyan and Tie Shan, losing its essence and turning it into an ordinary eternal Flat Peach, therefore she didn't know the taste of the Mortal Dust Peach.

"Refreshing as water, sweet as sugar; both sorrow and joy evolve from the heart and also vanish from it," Sun Wukong shared his thoughts, "it can cleanse the Primordial Spirit, making it even clearer."

Yuyan tilted her head, puzzled, and asked, "Great King, how did you taste both water and sugar at the same time?"

"Happiness, anger, sadness, joy, the seven emotions, and six desires, all states of human life, are all mortal essences, naturally adding varied flavors," Sun Wukong responded with a smile.

"Mixing so many flavors on your tongue, doesn't it make you feel sick?" Yuyan couldn't understand, "I once tried mixing sugar and salt in my mouth, and that taste was overpowering and hard to swallow."

"Mortal Dust Peach is different; it gradually transitions and finally integrates into one," Sun Wukong explained, "it can touch the soul."

Yuyan: "......"

Could such a taste truly be accepted by the tongue?

Impossible, right?

But seeing Sun Wukong assert so confidently and apparently experiencing it deeply, he probably wouldn't deceive her.

Too bad, she couldn't pick a Mortal Dust Peach, much less eat it.

Sun Wukong took another bite of the Mortal Dust Peach, saying, "But if you want to know the taste of the peach itself, it's actually not much different from Flat Peaches, both are sweet."

Yuyan was at a loss for words.

Was she too dense?

Or could she not comprehend the Great King's intention?

"Well, rather than knowing the taste of the Mortal Dust Peach, you should go and refine the Refined Tofu Cake Elixir; that's your scoop from the three thousand difficult ventures," Sun Wukong nibbled at the Mortal Dust Peach, soon finishing it completely, not leaving a drop of juice.

That sight made the three who had just eaten the Flat Peaches grow a bit hungry...

...

The news of the Mortal Dust Peach Tree spread throughout Huaguo Mountain.

For the vast majority of creatures in Huaguo Mountain, it was just another treasure, becoming a topic of conversation during meals and tea.

However, for the demons outside Huaguo Mountain, it was yet another reason to plot against Huaguo Mountain.

Unfortunately, for these demons, all their plots could not evade one monkey: Sun Wukong.

Unless they defeated him, they could not seize Huaguo Mountain.

Even though the Monkey King needed to report to heaven annually, Huaguo Mountain was secured like a fortress, invulnerable to ordinary demons, and there were seventy-three Demon Kings within, in addition to the East Sea Dragon Maiden.

Once the Dragon Maiden made a move, the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea would inevitably get involved, and since the Dragon Kings of the four seas were connected by the same breath, probably at that time, the aquatic tribes of the four seas would also come to assist.

Not to mention, Sun Wukong had already joined the ranks of the immortals.

The land demons attacking Huaguo Mountain meant that the heavenly army might deploy, leaving these malicious spirits only one way out: death.

Thus, attacking Huaguo Mountain was the least wise route.

The remaining method was to steal...