Namgung Clan’s Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal

13. Welcome to the Namgung Clan.

Demon Index

Name: Sha Wujing

Type: Imugi Demon

Martial Strength: Four Heavenly Kings level

Demonic Power: High-grade Demon (on land), Great Demon (in water)

Position: Former Commander of the Imperial Guard

Current: Golden Arhat

*

“That demon from Yusaha is a perfect match for Bajie here. I pretended to lose and lured him to the riverbank, but then you just had to show up, swinging the Ruyi Jingu Bang around, and he bolted straight into the water, didn’t he?”

Zhu Bajie fumed, snorting through his huge nose as he vented his anger.

Sun Wukong was dumbfounded.

“Wasn’t it you who screamed for help, saying you were about to be beaten to death? That’s why I rushed over!”

“Ahem. That was all part of my plan. I was trying to lure that Imugi demon to the riverbank! Really, big brother. If you can’t even understand that, I don’t think I can work with you anymore.”

Sun Wukong gripped the Ruyi Jingu Bang tightly.

Should I kill him or not?

Honestly, he wanted to bash that pig’s head in and boil him in a pot, but he restrained himself, his hands trembling with the effort.

Sha Wujing, who swims freely in the heavy currents of Yusaha, is no ordinary demon.

“If only he’d come out of the water, I could smash his head in one blow.”

Unfortunately, Sun Wukong isn’t used to fighting underwater. Of course, even in water, the Great Sage is still the Great Sage. The problem is, the demons of the dense Yusaha aren’t ordinary either.

Watching Sun Wukong tremble with the Ruyi Jingu Bang in hand, Zhu Bajie smirked smugly.

“Just watch, big brother. Who am I? Back in Heaven, I was Marshal Tianpeng, commander of the Milky Way’s navy. I’m not like you, who used to shovel manure as the Stable Keeper. Ha ha ha!”

True to form, Bajie’s mouth always brought trouble.

“Stable Keeper?”

Stable Keeper.

Sun Wukong’s first position in the Heavenly Realm.

A mere stable hand—a lowly rank.

Sun Wukong, the manure-shoveling Stable Keeper.

It was his worst memory. If anyone in the Heavenly Realm mocked him as Stable Keeper, Sun Wukong never let it slide.

The Ruyi Jingu Bang danced wildly.

“Gah, b-big brother, I’m going to die! Please!”

Just die already.

Sun Wukong, eyes rolling with fury, gave Bajie a thorough beating.

Bajie couldn’t even resist, curling up and wailing.

“Master, Master Tripitaka! Please save me! Bajie’s going to die!”

There are only three beings across Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld who can stop Sun Wukong once he loses his temper.

Shakyamuni Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and Master Tripitaka.

Tripitaka let out a deep sigh.

“Wukong, that’s enough. Do you want me to recite the Restraining Spell and tighten the Golden Headband to make you stop?”

Sun Wukong scowled and finally lowered the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

Bajie groaned, unable to even hold himself upright.

Tripitaka sighed at the sight.

“What are you going to do if you leave Bajie like that? That Sha Wujing demon is the best at fighting in water. Only Bajie, who commands the navy and is strong in naval battles, can catch him.”

Sun Wukong frowned and swallowed his frustration.

The plan was for Bajie to fight Sha Wujing in the water, drag him out onto land, and then Sun Wukong would finish him off.

That was the gist of the plan.

But it wasn’t working. The demon was cunning and refused to come ashore. Even Bajie struggled in the water. And now, he was laid out like this.

“There’s no helping it, Master. I’ll go to the South Sea.”

“The South Sea?”

“Guanyin Bodhisattva sent us here, and now we’re stuck at Yusaha. She’ll have to help us out.”

“Hmm. So you’re saying we need to ask Guanyin Bodhisattva for help.”

At those words, Bajie, still groaning, pouted.

“Hmph. The so-called demon among demons can’t even handle one Imugi and has to go running to Guanyin Bodhisattva? Where’s the Great Sage Equal to Heaven now?”

Even after a beating, he still talked back. Sun Wukong couldn’t even be angry anymore—he just let out a hollow laugh. Too tired to scold Bajie further, he spoke with resignation.

“What can I do? I, the Great Sage, fear nothing under Heaven or above it, not even in the heavens themselves, but…”

“But?”

Sun Wukong pointed at Yusaha with the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

The river, blacker than pitch.

From its depths, eyes glowed like fire, staring straight at Sun Wukong.

“In the water, there’s no one in this world who can match Sha Wujing.”

*

The boat Blood-Iron Fiend boarded was a small fishing vessel.

With Sha Wujing, Narrow-Eyed, the unconscious fisherman, and two Namgung Clan warriors aboard, it was cramped and crowded.

“Why don’t you get off?”

“Huh? Me?”

“You’re a good swimmer. Swim back.”

“Do I look like a fish to you?”

“You’re close enough.”

“For your information, when I was a secular disciple at Shaolin, I almost broke my vows because so many women liked me.”

“They liked you?”

“Because I’m handsome.”

This guy. Must’ve swallowed too much water and lost his mind.

Maybe it was all the water he’d swallowed, but Sha Wujing just spoke wearily.

Namgung Jeok, watching this strange banter, felt a bit confused.

‘What’s with these people?’

They were hard to understand.

The man called Sha Wujing, who had just dragged people underwater like a water ghost, had been terrifying only moments ago, but now that he was on the boat…

‘He barely seems first-rate.’

But in the water, he’d shown power on par with a top Martial Master.

During that brief fight, Namgung Jeok had seriously wondered if he’d ever make it back to the Namgung Clan.

But now, he just looked like some street tough relying on his size.

His gaze shifted to Sun Wukong beside him.

‘He said no one could match that guy in the water.’

So he must have mastered martial arts specialized for aquatic combat.

The martial world is vast.

There are all kinds of martial arts, some truly bizarre.

‘If that’s the case, I should definitely avoid fighting him in the water.’

He hadn’t let his guard down yet.

The Namgung Clan has many enemies—not just the Evil Faction, but even among the righteous, and sometimes even from the orthodox side.

There are plenty who bear grudges against the Namgung Clan.

‘Especially that blond foreigner.’

He couldn’t figure him out.

A foreigner with golden hair and eyes among Central Plains folk was unusual, but not important.

The one who killed Blood-Iron Fiend.

No sign, no sound—just killed him in an instant. Even a quick look at the corpse showed it wasn’t done with a blade. The missing arm wasn’t cut off—it looked torn off.

And the neck had been strangled.

‘That means he killed Blood-Iron Fiend with his bare hands.’

Namgung Jeok’s eyes twitched.

There have been grandmasters in the martial world who made their name with their fists.

But they’re rare.

Becoming a great master with just your fists is extremely difficult.

It takes even more effort and much purer, stronger Internal Qi.

‘But…’

Namgung Jeok swallowed hard.

‘I can’t sense a thing.’

There are two reasons for that.

Either he has no internal energy, or his level is so high it can’t be detected.

He’d already proven his skill by killing Blood-Iron Fiend.

No internal energy? Impossible.

‘His level is so high I can’t even glimpse it.’

Namgung Jeok wasn’t an elder of the Namgung Clan, but he was a top-tier martial artist.

He’d fought on the front lines and survived the Great War of Righteousness and Evil.

Even if his internal energy wasn’t the highest, his real combat experience was unmatched. That meant he was good at reading opponents.

‘But I can’t tell a thing. Not a single thing.’

What martial art does he use? How skilled is he? Does he use fists or feet? What weapon does he favor?

He couldn’t see any of it.

The more he looked, the more it felt like trying to pierce a thick fog…

“…!”

Suddenly, in the mist, he saw red eyes.

Eyes blazing like molten lava, with golden pupils shining brilliantly, staring straight at him.

“Well, did you get a good look?”

“…!”

Namgung Jeok froze, unable to speak. Was it his imagination? The terrifying red eyes were gone. Now, all he saw were Sun Wukong’s mischievous, childlike eyes.

Sun Wukong smiled faintly.

“You were staring so intently, I noticed. So, did you figure anything out about me?”

“W-well…”

Namgung Jeok hadn’t expected Sun Wukong to notice his scrutiny.

He’d been bantering meaninglessly with Sha Wujing the whole time…

“I’ll say it clearly. I’m not your enemy.”

“…I apologize. It’s embarrassing, but the Namgung Clan has many enemies, so I was on guard without realizing it.”

“I understand. I really do. I’m a very generous person, you know. There’s nothing I can’t understand.”

Sun Wukong chuckled.

“Even though my little brother here attacked you by mistake, it was all a misunderstanding. Let’s put it behind us. I, Master Sun, have always admired the Namgung Clan. Now that we’ve formed this connection, may I visit your clan?”

Sha Wujing, slumped beside him, looked at Sun Wukong in disbelief.

Since when did you admire them?

Namgung Jeok exchanged a glance with Namgung Seon at Sun Wukong’s words.

Letting a stranger in just like that…

Of course, technically, he was their benefactor for killing Blood-Iron Fiend.

As Namgung Jeok hesitated, Sun Wukong suddenly spoke up.

“Oh, are you hesitating because you’re suspicious of who I am?”

A direct question.

Namgung Jeok hesitated, then nodded.

“I’m sorry, but yes. I haven’t heard of anyone like you, even among all the rumors of the martial world…”

Sun Wukong waved it off as if it were nothing.

“Ha ha! I understand. Then let me introduce myself.”

He shrugged and spread his arms wide.

Sha Wujing, watching helplessly, put a hand to his forehead.

‘Oh no.’

Not again.

‘He’s doing it again.’

Namgung Jeok’s gaze was drawn to Sun Wukong’s sudden movement.

Somehow, the atmosphere changed. The clouds parted, the wind and rain eased, and sunlight seemed to shine only on Sun Wukong…

Sun Wukong cleared his throat and launched into a grand speech.

“Now, who is Master Sun? When lightning struck beneath Huaguo Mountain and split a great stone, a beautiful, handsome monkey with glorious fur was born, roaring to the four corners of the world. Heaven made him, Earth shaped him, and his name is Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven…”

Sha Wujing could only lower his head as the two Namgung Clan warriors stared blankly at Sun Wukong.

*

“See? Even the Namgung Clan opens their gates when they hear my name.”

Is that really true?

Sha Wujing sighed as he listened to Namgung Jeok’s conversation with a healthy-looking woman at the Namgung Clan’s main gate.

“He’s the Martial Master who killed Blood-Iron Fiend. But his behavior is no different from a madman…”

“He claims to be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven from Journey to the West, says he came to the Mortal World at Guanyin Bodhisattva’s request… He’s not just crazy—he’s dangerously crazy. We should keep an eye on him, just in case…”

“I think the clan head should meet him in person.”

Sun Wukong could probably hear every word.

“If I’d just used my name instead of killing Blood-Iron Fiend, they’d have let me in anyway. That’s the reputation of the Great Sage. Got it, Wujing?”

“Yes, yes.”

Exhausted from talking to Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing just nodded weakly.

Whatever the reason, Sun Wukong had arrived at the Namgung Clan.

The woman who’d been speaking with Namgung Jeok approached slowly.

She was a striking beauty, her strong muscles forming graceful curves beneath her clothes.

Her calloused hands and well-defined muscles marked her as a true martial artist. Muhwa, the head of the Law Enforcement Hall, greeted them politely.

“Welcome to the Namgung Clan.”

Sun Wukong didn’t answer.

“…?”

He just stared at Muhwa.

A faint smile appeared on Sun Wukong’s lips.

“It’s a pleasure. Truly a pleasure.”

As clearly as the string of karma that tied him to Sha Wujing, he saw a brilliant, white-hot string connecting him to her.

Guanyin Bodhisattva had said there would be traces of Tripitaka at the Namgung Clan.

Sun Wukong’s eyes gleamed.