Chapter 9: The Beginning of the Wise Monkey
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Sun Wukong subdued the 72 Cave Masters, then sounded the copper gong and set up a banquet with a hundred delicacies in the Shuilian Cave, filling cups with coconut and grape wine, celebrating joyously for several days.
Tigers, leopards, wolves, and insects, the Demon Kings of the seventy-two caves, brought their mountain creatures to bow and worship, paying tribute with gold, silver, jewels, weapons, and armor, making the Shuilian Cave bustling and lively every day.
That day, the Ox Demon King brought gifts to pay respects.
"Great King, we captured some people from the Kingdom of Aolai to celebrate with you!"
The moment the Demon King spoke, Sun Wukong lost all appetite.
He raised his eyes and indeed saw a group of little demons escorting several dozen bloodless humans into the cave.
Sun Wukong waved his hand, "Release them!"
"Great King," the Ox Demon King was somewhat surprised, having never heard of releasing humans: "Do you not like human meat?"
"Enough nonsense, I said release them."
Sun Wukong said coldly, "From now on, the demons of Huaguo Mountain are not allowed to eat humans. Any that I find doing so will be executed!"
The demons were greatly shocked.
However, the Monkey King's order was not something the Demon Kings of the seventy-two caves dared to defy—the decree to ban eating humans quickly spread to the little demons.
The little demons were in an uproar, yet Sun Wukong offered no explanation. *How was he to explain? Should he spread future wisdom to them, tell them all beings are equal?*
That was impossible. The Grandmaster once said, 'Difficult, difficult, difficult! Without the transmission of the true master, mere words exhaust the mouth and dry up the tongue!'
*This connotation could also be used for future wisdom, as the dissemination of thoughts requires a social foundation, differing times making it impossible for the demons of Huaguo Mountain to comprehend future philosophy.*
The 72 Cave Masters, having submitted not long ago, brought the little demons daily to brandish weapons, practicing martial arts, showing off their strength in front of Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong observed for a few days, watching until he was drowsy.
"You all stop it," he prevented them, "wasting your efforts."
He had figured it out; no matter how many demons there were, they were just mortal soldiers, no match for a True Immortal, and likely useless for his future commotion in the Heavenly Palace.
The Immortals in the Heavenly Palace cultivated for countless years, vastly numerous, defeating by numbers was impossible.
"All of you together aren't even worth a single of me."
Sun Wukong said to the 72 Cave Masters. He could, in a single night, sweep away the hundreds of thousands of little demons on Huaguo Mountain. The saying that more is stronger did not exist in this world.
If he wanted to defeat the Tathāgata, it was something he had to rely on his strength for, not on others.
"Put your swords and spears away, practicing once a week is enough."
Sun Wukong said.
These demons were his subordinates. He had no intention of letting them oppose the Heavenly Palace, but against the mortal world armies, they were more than sufficient, with no need for daily training.
"But Great King..."
The 72 Cave Masters couldn't help but ask, "If we do not practice martial arts, what should we do?"
The lives of demons were extremely dull. Apart from practicing martial arts and killing to eat meat, they really didn't know what else to do.
Sun Wukong shook his head, "I once heard that some of you Demon Kings often transform into human form to enter and leave the Kingdom of Aolai, why is that?"
"Great King, unbeknownst to you," the Goat Demon King immediately replied, "Those humans are skilled in creation, with prosperous markets, and we often go there to take what we lack."
Sun Wukong glanced at him, "Are we inferior to them?"
The Goat Demon King hurriedly shook his head.
Sun Wukong then smiled, "Then why can't we create those things?"
The Demon Kings were suddenly enlightened, faintly understanding what the Great King intended to do.
"Does the Great King wish to make Huaguo Mountain like the human world?"
"But Great King, we are totally ignorant of human skills."
The reaction of the Demon Kings was exactly what Sun Wukong had anticipated.
"That is simple,"
He replied, "We can foster good relations with the Kingdom of Aolai, go there to find some talents, invite them over to teach us skills, and develop productivity."
"Productivity?"
The 72 Cave Masters were bewildered.
They did not understand what productivity was, but they were a bit surprised by Sun Wukong's plan.
"Great King, if you need talents, why not just capture them, why bother fostering good relations with humans?"
"Exactly, exactly!"
The Demon Kings felt Sun Wukong was too considerate of humans.
Sun Wukong shook his head, there was no need, he didn't want to be a villain—besides, kidnapping wasn't simpler than letting humans deliver talents themselves.
"I am a Demon Immortal, fostering good relations with the Kingdom of Aolai, they would probably wish for nothing more."
Sun Wukong said.
As long as he showed a bit of sincerity, how could the King of the Kingdom of Aolai refuse his goodwill, perhaps even joyfully sending over talents.
The 72 Cave Masters thought it over and found it made sense.
"Great King, you are wise!"
Although the Monkey King seemed strange, he was, after all, different from this group of boorish fellows, with thorough plans already in mind.
So, the Demon Kings each returned to their caves, ordered to select clever little demons.
Once the Demon Kings left, the Stone Lion placed in the Shuilian Cave couldn't help itself.
"Great King, is what you mentioned in the Three Star Cave as a great matter, this?"
The Stone Lion asked.
Sun Wukong smiled at it, "This is a small matter."
What he intended to do was a great matter of changing the world. However, before doing great things, he must conduct an experiment—Huaguo Mountain played this role.
There was a phrase in the Heavenly Book: "Material conditions determine consciousness, and productivity determines production relations."
Sun Wukong pondered for twenty years, realizing that the root of all problems in this world was too low productivity—clearly, there were Immortal Techniques and Daoist Skills, why use them for fighting instead of enhancing productivity.
He wanted to try to see what he could make of Huaguo Mountain.
If the experiment at Huaguo Mountain could succeed, changing the world in the future would be much simpler for his endeavors.
The following day, Sun Wukong stepped on the Five-Colored Auspicious Cloud to visit the King of the Kingdom of Aolai.
He saw that the king was old and frail, so he recited a spell and blew some immortal energy into the king.
The old king was initially a bit fearful, but with immortal energy entering his body, all his chronic ailments vanished, and his spirit became vigorous, as though ten years younger.
The old king was overjoyed, and after hearing Sun Wukong's purpose, he promptly agreed with eager delight.
He immediately convened a court meeting to announce the establishment of eternal friendship with Huaguo Mountain.
Sun Wukong also promised to restrain the demons, ensuring that as long as the Kingdom of Aolai did not send troops to offend Huaguo Mountain, Huaguo Mountain would not offend the Kingdom of Aolai.
After establishing friendship, the Kingdom of Aolai was elated nationwide, and the king selected excellent talents from various fields for Sun Wukong to take back to Huaguo Mountain.
A year later, Sun Wukong sent the people back to the Kingdom of Aolai.
These talents were not only unharmed but many appeared a few years younger, having gained some of the Monkey King's immortal energy.
The people of the Kingdom of Aolai had no further doubts since then, and some sages and hermits even went to Huaguo Mountain voluntarily to teach skills, hoping for some rewards from the Monkey King.
Henceforth, Sun Wukong attained the title of 'Wise Monkey' in the Kingdom of Aolai.
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