Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

Spirit Platform Square Inch Mountain, Moon Three-Star Cave!

For Sun Wukong, it is a place etched deeply in his soul, impossible to forget.

Logically, although Ancestor Bodhi is a reclusive figure, he was able to teach me the Law of Heaven and Earth, Somersault Cloud, the Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations, Exteriorization of the Body, Vajra Indestructible Body, and various Divine Skills in just a few short years, which shows that the inheritance of Three-Star Cave should be renowned across the three realms.

However, Sun Wukong has made a grand scene by causing Havoc in Heaven and endured five hundred years of calamity under Five Elements Mountain. He has experienced immense glory and fallen to the lowest depths, yet he has never heard a single bit of news about Moon Three-Star Cave.

He has not heard Ancestor Bodhi's name among Immortals and Buddhas, nor seen any of his former fellow disciples.

It was as if the days of cultivation under Ancestor Bodhi were merely a dream.

Unexpectedly, today deep within the underground palace of Eastern Temple, he encountered a senior disciple from Three-Star Cave.

The sudden appearance of this senior disciple was truly unexpected!

"Wukong, are you also imprisoned here?" Wumiao, Sun Wukong's senior disciple, saw Sun Wukong in the dungeon but did not appear joyful. Instead, he frowned worriedly and asked.

"Senior disciple, do I, Old Sun, look imprisoned?" Sun Wukong flipped two somersaults outside the dungeon to demonstrate his freedom and spoke.

"Eh?"

Hearing Sun Wukong's words, Wumiao finally realized that he was too excited upon seeing Wukong and hadn't noticed that Wukong wasn't imprisoned but was walking freely here.

"Wukong, since you're not imprisoned, why are you here?" Realizing Sun Wukong's freedom, Wumiao's curiosity grew, and he asked strangely.

"I, Old Sun, sneaked in for some business. What about you, senior disciple? Why are you imprisoned here?" Sun Wukong responded casually and then asked.

"After you were expelled by Ancestor, I was punished for making a mistake and imprisoned here..." Hearing Sun Wukong's words, Wumiao replied with a sorrowful appearance.

"After I, Old Sun, left? You were punished too?"

Surprised by Wumiao's words, Sun Wukong asked, "Senior disciple, what mistake did you make?"

"Wukong, do you remember the tea kettle Master cherished? I shattered it by accident and was punished with imprisonment!" With no reason to hide, Wumiao replied.

"Just because of breaking a tea kettle, senior disciple, you were imprisoned for centuries!?" Wide-eyed, Sun Wukong looked at Wumiao in shock.

He himself was imprisoned under Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years, and Wumiao was punished soon after he was expelled.

It seems, Wumiao has definitely been imprisoned for at least over five hundred years.

"You are not any different!" Wumiao's words made him shake his head and sigh as he looked at Sun Wukong.

Indeed, Wumiao seemed quite wronged; just for breaking a kettle, he was imprisoned for such a long time.

However, Sun Wukong wasn't much better off, was he?

Just because he boasted his Seventy-Two Transformations and transformed into a pine tree in front of his fellow disciples, he was expelled!

"Sigh…"

"Sigh…"

Both Wumiao and Wukong sighed simultaneously after reflecting on their punishments, causing the atmosphere to grow heavy.

Indeed, being by Master's side for so long, it seems Master's temperament had grown strange.

For minor mistakes, the punishment was extremely harsh, either imprisonment for hundreds of years or outright expulsion!

"Senior disciple, since I, Old Sun, see you suffering here, I cannot stand by idly. Let me break you out!" After a moment of silence, Sun Wukong proposed, volunteering to help.

Sun Wukong highly values the bond forged while learning together at Three-Star Cave.

Moreover, having been similarly imprisoned under Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years, Sun Wukong understands the taste of human warmth and coldness, deeply empathizing with Wumiao.

"No, Wukong, don't save me..." However, hearing Sun Wukong's words, Wumiao hurriedly shook his head and refused.

"Why!?"

Wumiao's words made Sun Wukong look at him strangely, baffled.

Indeed, after being imprisoned for so long, now having a chance to escape, why would his senior disciple refuse?

"It's Master who imprisoned me here. If he doesn't permit my release, how dare I escape! Wukong, don't save me, lest you also get implicated!" Shaking his head, Wumiao answered.

"This…" Hearing Wumiao's words, Sun Wukong hesitated.

Indeed, to act against Master's will?

Considering this, Sun Wukong indeed lacks the courage.

"Wukong..." Seeing Sun Wukong's hesitating expression, Wumiao silently paused for a moment and then asked: "Since you were expelled by Master back then, have you dared to look back once?"

"I, Old Sun, haven't dared to..."

Shaking his head, Sun Wukong admitted.

At these words, he paused slightly and continued: "Moreover, after leaving, I, Old Sun, caused numerous troubles, I am ashamed to see Master!"

"There you have it; you dare not return after expulsion, how can I escape when imprisoned?"

"So, Wukong, your intention is appreciated, you better attend to your matters first. When Master's anger fades, and he releases me, I'll seek you out for a drink!" Understanding that Sun Wukong doesn't dare return either, Wumiao nodded.

After saying so, Wumiao curiously asked Sun Wukong: "You mentioned causing many troubles; if it's not urgent, can you tell me, senior disciple?"

"Senior disciple, you don't know? It seems you were imprisoned quite early!"

The uproar caused by the Havoc in Heaven was significant, yet senior disciple didn't know? Sun Wukong opened up and briefly summarized his experiences after being expelled.

Although Sun Wukong didn't go into detail, this recount took almost an hour.

"Wukong, the troubles you caused are indeed massive! Stealing the Sea Calming Needle, erasing the Book of Life and Death, eating Peaches, drinking Imperial Wine, stealing Supreme Elder Lord's Golden Core, causing Havoc in Heaven..." Hearing Sun Wukong's recount, Wumiao looked at Sun Wukong wide-eyed with shock.

Although he knew Sun Wukong's nature, he didn't expect such recklessness after leaving.

Disrupting the Empress's Peach festival!

Causing havoc in the Jade Emperor's Heavenly Palace!

Eating the Supreme Elder Lord's Golden Core!?

In one breath, he managed to offend three major figures of the Heavenly Court!

However, there was something off about these incidents.

"Senior disciple? What are you pondering?"

After recounting his experiences to Wumiao, Sun Wukong noticed his pondering expression and asked curiously.

"Wukong! Your situation seems quite unusual!" Hearing Sun Wukong's inquiry, Wumiao didn't hold back, responding candidly.

"Unusual? Senior disciple? What do you mean?" Curious about Wumiao's words, Sun Wukong asked.

"Firstly, let's discuss the Stable Attendant matter..." Wumiao began, raising one finger.

"Senior disciple, that Stable Attendant matter happened long ago, why bring it up!?" Hearing this, Sun Wukong grew impatient.

If anyone else mentioned "Stable Attendant," Sun Wukong would rage.

Only because the speaker was a senior disciple under Ancestor Bodhi, did Sun Wukong hold his temper.

"No, Wukong, how could your senior disciple make fun of you? I just find it odd. Given your skills, you were at the mid-stage of Taiyi True Immortal's cultivation back then. If you were willing to serve the Heavenly Court, no matter how myopic the Jade Emperor was, he wouldn't assign you a menial role like Stable Attendant. That's peculiarly!" Wumiao explained.

Before Sun Wukong could argue, Wumiao continued, "The Jade Emperor, a Quasi-Saint overseeing the Heavenly Court, it's impossible he couldn't discern your abilities! Why would he assign you such a trivial role if he recognized your potential?"

Back then, Sun Wukong was young, fearless, and lacking in experience, holding no concerns about such things.

Today, hearing Wumiao's analysis, Sun Wukong found some reason in his words.

Nodding, Sun Wukong asked, "Senior disciple, what do you think is the reason?"

"Two possibilities! First, the Jade Emperor saw your wild nature upon entering the Heavenly Court and intended to temper or reprimand you with a minor role!" Wumiao explained.

Pausing briefly, Wumiao continued: "Second, he deliberately assigned you the minor role to provoke your rebellion!"

"Provoke my rebellion!?" Sun Wukong's expression darkened.

"Indeed, and I think the second possibility is most probable!" Wumiao nodded and continued.

"Think about it, due to the Stable Attendant matter, you rebelled, showing you're impulsive!"

"Then upon the second enlistment, despite promising the title Great Sage Equal to Heaven, what job did they give you? Guarding the Peach Garden!"

"A monkey guarding peaches? Especially a lawless monkey? Anyone with common sense wouldn't assign such a task!"

"Thus, Wukong, although your actions were your choices, the Jade Emperor secretly plotted to incite them! Your every act was within his calculations!"

Sun Wukong: "..."