Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

At the cold iron mine, the Six-Eared Macaque watched the recent increase in demons and raised his eyes toward the distant colorful mists and the faint singing, silently clenching his fists.

He yearned for that boisterous singing and dancing!

But...

It had nothing to do with him.

Why was the world so unfair?

The Six-Eared Macaque was resentful. Why did he, a monkey just the same, have to toil away in the mines, while another monkey was flattered by immortals and enjoyed everything?

If Huaguo Mountain were his, could he not also have such enjoyment?

The Six-Eared Macaque asked himself that question internally.

And he found an answer.

Yes.

Everyone was a monkey, and moreover, he was one of the Four Perils, the Six-Eared Macaque. Anything Sun Wukong could do, he could surely do as well.

After all, they were all monkeys!

Just what family did that Sun Wukong belong to?

The Six-Eared Macaque was somewhat puzzled.

It was said that Sun Wukong emerged from an Immortal Stone at Huaguo Mountain, supposedly making him the Stone Monkey, but he did not seem to be that. He did not feel the corresponding aura.

Among the Four Perils, if they encountered each other, there should be a resonance, an understanding of each other's identity.

But he could not see through that Sun Wukong...

That Sun Wukong very possibly did not belong to the Four Perils.

"Heh, why am I thinking about these things?"

Thinking up to this, the Six-Eared Macaque scoffed at himself with a wry smile.

What was most important for him now was to remove the chains that pierced through his clavicle and escape so that he could have the opportunity to take revenge on Sun Wukong later.

Although it was he who started the trouble, how could a demon admit to a mistake?

He had his own pride!

However, the first step to escaping was to release the chains on his body.

How to unlock them?

The chains had pierced through his clavicle and coiled around his body, forming a web on his back, like a suit of iron clothing, and were forged from cold iron, refined by thousands of hammerings, far beyond his current strength to tear apart.

The Six-Eared Macaque looked up at the cow demon and the sheep demon who were guarding him.

Cow Demon: "What are you looking at?"

Sheep Demon: "Quick, get mining!"

The two of them were a bit displeased.

This day was a grand festival at Huaguo Mountain, and they too wanted to attend, but since they had to monitor the Six-Eared Macaque, they were naturally not very happy.

The Six-Eared Macaque sneered and continued to swing his shovel, digging up clods of earth and stone.

These two dimwitted demons were of no use.

Though dumb, they were not completely foolish, unlike other lesser demons who could be hoodwinked out of pure curiosity.

Compared to curiosity, these two demons were primarily obedient to commands.

Tsk, tsk!

One could only say that Huaguo Mountain indeed had better discipline among the demon ranks than other Demon Kings' subordinates.

With such thoughts, the smile on the Six-Eared Macaque's face gradually faded, leaving only a bitter and deep-seated hatred.

If Huaguo Mountain belonged to him...

Then surely, even in his sleep, he would wake up laughing.

But there was no place for him in Huaguo Mountain.

"Just wait, even though these cold iron chains have pierced my clavicle, over time, with years accumulating upon months, just a thousand years and my body will adapt to this cold iron, and then..."

Mid-thought, the Six-Eared Macaque suddenly paused.

It seemed that he remembered that if he did not tempt fate and mined obediently every day, his sentence was only three hundred years.

Three hundred years of sentencing...

One thousand years of adaptation...

Between the two, any demon with a brain would not hesitate.

With furrowed brows, the Six-Eared Macaque muttered, "So, the best method of escape suitable for me is to honestly work for three hundred years?"

What sort of situation was this?

The cow demon and the sheep demon observed the Six-Eared Macaque, whose expression was constantly changing, and exchanged glances.

"Has he gone mad?"

"I think he's lost his mind."

"Yeah, that makes sense, after all, he has to dig for three hundred years."

"He brought it upon himself. Who told this foreign monkey to cause trouble outside Shuilian Cave?"

"Exactly, serves him right."

Listening to the duet of the two demons by his ear, the Six-Eared Macaque had a face full of black lines and cursed silently, "Idiots!"

However, to the Six-Eared Macaque, quickly removing the cold iron chains was not very realistic, but he also refused to entertain the notion of mining obediently. Publication courtesy of M|V|LE-MPYR.

"There are more little demons around lately, perhaps I can make use of this situation and stir up some trouble with them."

The Six-Eared Macaque pondered this possibility.

He just needed to escape, that was all that mattered!

As for the chains of cold iron on his body...

As long as he escaped, he would always find a way to deal with them.

Just his weapon, the spontaneous iron staff...

```

When the six-eared macaque was captured, the Free Will Iron Staff soldiers were put in the treasure room in Shuilian Cave, and it was nearly impossible to retrieve them.

"I'll retrieve that divine weapon later, for now, I'll just leave it in Sun Wukong's care."

Thinking so, the six-eared macaque took the opportunity while the bull demon and sheep demon were having their meal to gather a group of lesser demons with promises of reward, "Do you want to remain slaves here for the rest of your lives, or do you want freedom?"

"We do."

The newly captured lesser demons all nodded in agreement, unaware of the exact nature of this place but having heard of the infamous reputation of Huaguo Mountain's mining fields.

No return from here!

A survival rate of one in ten!

Only by escaping could they possibly live!

Not far away, another group of demons that had received their meals early were watching the six-eared macaque as he tried to sway the newly arrived lesser demons and snickered at the scene, but didn't tip off the novices.

After all, some of them had been beguiled by that very six-eared macaque, which resulted in three more years spent mining.

For the older batch of demons, mining here was quite agreeable. As long as they completed their daily tasks, they would get three meals a day, with meat in every meal.

Moreover, they had ample rest time and single-occupancy living quarters, unlike before where they had to sleep in the same cave with several brothers. It was indescribably better.

Compared to serving under wild demon kings doing chores like tending fires, patrolling mountains, or picking up firewood without pay, this place was vastly superior.

Though they still had to work, the tasks were fewer than before, and they even received wages.

In their living area, there was a market where they could purchase all kinds of items they could never have dreamed of owning, and whatever they bought was theirs, safe from theft.

Because if anyone reported to the guards, there were enforcers to administer justice, with regular patrols to check on matters. Should they find anyone abusing the weak, the perpetrators would be punished severely without fail.

Once, a leopard demon, relying on his fierceness, stole a towel from a goat demon and was then caught, stripped of all his fur, and was utterly humiliated.

The foreign demons who had been here for a while were able to appreciate something they had never experienced outside—order.

This order protected these lesser demons, granting them dignity.

That's right, dignity.

Outside, they were just lesser demons under a demon king's command, summoned and dismissed at will, chopped down without a second thought if they fell out of favor, with no dignity at all.

But here, they were prisoners, required to mine, to build roads...

Yet, they felt they could stand tall, straightening their long-bowed backs.

However, such a notion, once spread outside by some who had left, became dark propaganda that Huaguo Mountain's mines were an abyss that devoured all beings, where going meant certain death.

The lesser demons who spread such tales were usually more cunning, looking to tout their own prowess to take advantage and bully others in the outside world.

After all, the demons released from Huaguo Mountain usually gained in strength, not by much, but definitely more than the average minion from the wilds.

Adhering to the belief of being a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a large pond, these lesser demons spread their tales as such.

Unfortunately, these lesser demons did not understand that a thousand rooster heads could never equal the plumage of a single phoenix tail.

"What are you gathered here for?"

The guarding bull demon came back over, "Time to eat."

At these words, the lesser demons crowding around the six-eared macaque instantly scattered and ran to the meal cart pushed by the guards. Under the guards' scolding, they formed an orderly line to receive their food.

```

For these new demons, freedom is indeed precious, and dreams are even more valuable, but if it comes down to food, both can be forsaken.

In this vast heaven and earth, nothing is more important than eating.

No matter how eloquently the Six-Eared Macaque speaks, or how far he dreams, their growling stomachs always take precedence.

Don't they need to be filled first?

So, eat.

The Six-Eared Macaque's eye twitched as he cursed under his breath, "A rabble of fools."

These little demons are unreliable!

But he had to rely on these little demons... It was a sad affair indeed.

Then, he too lined up behind the little demons.

Because one must not cut in line.

Even if the little demons ahead were willing to give up their spots, it was not to be done, because those who give up their spots and those who cut in line would not eat that day.

If one could not eat, then he, with his mana sealed, could only rely on his body's natural mana consumption to replenish his strength, and should his source be damaged, even if the Pi Pa bonds were later broken, restoring mana wouldn't be the issue anymore, but rather he would have to cultivate anew.

Therefore, the Six-Eared Macaque especially cherished every opportunity to eat.

After the Six-Eared Macaque received his meal, the Ox Demon took out paper and pen to record, "...Today, the Six-Eared Macaque gathered two or three dozen little demons, seemingly conspiring to rebel..."

While the Six-Eared Macaque was eating his shredded meat mixed with rice, in the heart of the Sacred City outside Shuilian Cave, Sun Wukong was toasting with the immortals, savoring Jadescent Nectar and tasting the myriad fruits of Huaguo Mountain.

What are the myriad fruits?

Golden pearls bounce, red bloom and yellow plump.

Ripe cherry golden pearls so true and sweet; red bloom and yellow plump, the mature plums, fragrant and tart.

Fresh longan, sweet flesh, thin skin; fiery lychee, small seed, plump sac.

Green apples and verdant pears, so fresh they appear right off the branch; loquats with orange husks, leaves still attached.

Pear-shaped pears and chicken heart jujubes, quenching thirst and soothing agitation, dispelling tipsiness.

Fragrant peaches and soft apricots, their sweet scent is like Jadescent Nectar; crispy plums and bayberries, tartly refreshing as fat and curdled cream cheese.

Dark-seeded red watermelons cracked open, huge persimmons with their four yellow lobes.

Pomegranates burst, revealing cinnabar grains like fiery crystal beads; yams and chestnuts sliced open, their firm flesh like golden agate.

Walnuts and ginkgo nuts perfect for tea snacks, coconuts and grapes can be made into wine.

Hazelnuts, pine nuts, and crabapples fill the trays; oranges, sugarcanes, and tangerines overflow on the tables.

Simmered yams, boiled yellow essence, pounded Poria mixed with Job's tears, gently stewed in a stone pot over a low flame.

The immortals were overjoyed.

Though the immortal fruits of Huaguo Mountain were not like those in the heavenly court, they were vicarious and fresh, pleasing to the palate.

Though there are many delicacies in the world, how could they compare with the joy of Huaguo's fruit?

The immortals honored Sun Wukong at the head seat, taking turns to present him with wine, flowers, and fruits, indulging in revelry all day long.