The human scholars, Taoist monks, and Buddhist monks, upon seeing Sun Wukong revert to his original form, had been deeply unsettled, and now, confronted with such an abundance of demons, they were trembling all over.
Not to mention, in the tributes that these Demon Kings presented to the Monkey King, there were actually humans.
Could it be that they were going to be eaten too!
Our lives are over!
"Fear not, we do not eat humans."
Sun Wukong reassured them and then addressed the leaders of the seventy-two caves who had come to submit and pay tribute, "You come to offer tribute to me with sincere devotion—why bring humans with you?"
One Demon King with a leopard's head showed surprise, "Great King, you do not eat human flesh?"
"Hmph!"
Sun Wukong snorted coldly, his authority reaching the heavens, "Since you acknowledge me as your overlord, then you must follow my commands. Humans may be the spirit of all things, but consuming them fills you with impurities, benefiting your cultivation none."
A wolf demon said, "But we, the likes of wolves and leopards, live solely on meat…"
"Nonsense!"
Before the wolf demon could finish, Sun Wukong interrupted him, "You may eat creatures without intelligence, which is acceptable, but if you consume those with intelligence, what differentiates you from the beasts?"
The wolf demon felt somewhat aggrieved, "But we are beasts."
Sun Wukong laughed in exasperation and scolded, "If you're beasts, then why cultivate a human form? Would it not be better to revert to your animal form, hunt in the forests, and live out your days in blissful ignorance?"
The wolf demon had no response.
Sun Wukong continued, "If you wish to cultivate a human form, then you must also learn human rites, understand human script, and practice human virtues. Only then can you transcend your beastly nature and become a sentient being."
Upon hearing this, the leaders of the seventy-two caves reacted differently—with scorn, contemplation, or disdain. They were a multitude of expressions.
Demon life was as varied as human life.
Seeing this, Sun Wukong didn't waste any more words and directly displayed his Great Divine Power—
The Law of Heaven and Earth!
"Grow!"
At the command to grow, Sun Wukong's body stretched to ten thousand zhang.
His head touched the thirty-sixth layer of heaven, and his feet trod on the eighteenth layer of hell.
His inhalation was like the exchange of winter and summer, and his exhalation marked the succession of spring and fall.
The hairs on his body were like ancient trees thousands of feet tall.
The hair on his head was akin to countless red stars.
A mere huff from him dispersed clouds and fog in all directions.
His voice rumbled like ten thousand peals of thunder.
The leaders of the seventy-two caves all knelt in submission, their bodies quivering.
Such divine power pierced through heaven and earth!
No demon could compare!
In an instant, Sun Wukong returned to his original form, and that overwhelming presence vanished as quickly as it had arrived.
"I understand that you follow nature, where the weak are prey to the strong, but here in Huaguo Mountain, my word is law. Those who refuse to obey my orders must leave Huaguo Mountain; otherwise, I, Old Sun, will eliminate you first."
His words were cold, his demeanor imperious, but not a single Demon King dared to speak out.
After a long silence, finally, a wolf demon spoke up, "Will you truly let us go?"
Sun Wukong replied, "Old Sun never lies."
As his voice fell, the wolf demon king was the first to leave, carried by a gust of wind, heading out of Huaguo Mountain.
Seeing the wolf demon truly take his leave, Sun Wukong did not stop him, and the remaining seventy-one cave leaders, including those of the tiger and leopard kind, also took to the winds to leave, leaving behind those who were vegetarian by nature or omnivorous.
They felt it was better to bow their heads in fealty than to leave.
What's the big deal with not eating humans?
After all, eating humans was merely an act of venting their fury or avenging the grievances of their youth. Moreover, humans were full of impurities that could not enhance their cultivation, so why bother consuming them?
"Great King!"
"Great King!"
"You forgot about us!"
Among those departing Demon Kings, their minions, unable to ride the clouds or command the mist, chased after their departing kings, calling out in the hopes that they would take them along as they left.
However, those Demon Kings who could ride the wind could only bring themselves, at most one or two little demons. How could they bring so many of them?
Fortunately, they didn't have to.
After all, one could always gather a new group when the time came.
In this world, there was no shortage of mountain spirits and wild monsters.
"The Great King has abandoned us."
"What should we do?"
"Should we become vegetarians?"
These little demons discussed, pondering the possibility of vegetarianism.
In fact, although these little demons had animal heads and their bodies were covered with fur, they had mostly acquired human forms and could digest a wider variety of food. They were not strictly carnivorous.
However, having obtained human forms without education, and due to their natural instincts, they could only follow their innate urges.
In the end, these little demons were subdued by Sun Wukong.
"Great King, we..."
A Taoist approached, somewhat cautious.
"Ease your minds. As long as you teach the monkeys and demons of Huaguo Mountain, the benefits I promised you will not be lacking," Sun Wukong assured. "I, Old Sun, am an honest gentleman!"
"Within Shuilian Cave, there are books of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, literature of the Hundred Schools of Thought, as well as thousands of miscellaneous texts, everything you could need. You may browse them at will while you are teaching."
"If you wish to copy a set to take back to your homeland in the future, that is also possible."
The scholars, Taoists, and monks were overjoyed and praised in unison, "The Great King is benevolent!"
In the blink of an eye, three years passed quickly.
Outside the Shuilian Cave, atop the waterfall's mouth, a grand and magnificent pavilion had been constructed, three stories tall, resplendent in gold and brilliant colors, exuding grandeur and vitality.
In the center was a huge portal, thirty feet high, and a white jade bridge spanning the river beneath the waterfall, extending to the riverside.
The river meandered, and buildings were also erected along its banks.
Every five steps there was a pavilion, every ten steps a tower. Galleries wound around, and eaves jutted high. Each building exploited the terrain, competing for attention. Round and round, like beehive whirlpools, it was not known how many thousands of dwellings there were.
Sun Wukong stood atop the gatehouse of Shuilian Cave, flanked by rows of erect monkeys, each holding a long spear, full of vigor and brightness in their eyes.
Within three years, Sun Wukong commanded the monkey troop to build large ships, establishing trade with Ao Lai.
At this time, Huaguo Mountain was a mixed habitat for humans and demons, friends called to each other, and joy was abundant.
Indeed, it brought much prosperity to the place.
However, over these three years, although the monkeys and demons of Huaguo Mountain had learned many skills from humans, they were ultimately not as dexterous as humans. They had to import various goods from Ao Lai as they could not produce them themselves.
But Sun Wukong understood that such things could not be rushed and that the demons needed to progress gradually.
At the very least, the demons of Huaguo Mountain, if placed in other continents, were now cultured creatures that did not indulge in raw flesh and blood.
Returning to Shuilian Cave.
Beyond the iron bridge, various structures had been established within the cave, pavilions, towers, artificial mountains, stones, cultivated bamboo, and strange plants.
Sun Wukong couldn't contain his joy.
Walking slowly, he reached the great hall, built in the style of a human palace, where the stone chair was transformed into a true imperial throne, inlaid with gold and jade, simple and grand.
During court sessions, Sun Wukong would sit on this imperial throne, flanked by the four monkeys, while the Demon Kings of Huaguo Mountain reported the results of their duties.
In this way, the entire Huaguo Mountain resembled a dynasty.
However, as Huaguo Mountain flourished, there were more affairs to deal with, and he, alone, was growing weary of them.
Being a king was truly exhausting!
Sun Wukong sat on the imperial throne with closed eyes, meditating, contemplating his next move.
His life was nearing its end.
His method for attaining immortality involved seizing the essence of heaven and earth and encroaching upon the mysteries of the sun and the moon.
He had not become an immortal through meritorious deeds and was not graced with celestial fortune from the heavens. In other words, he was still a nameless being not recognized by the existing order of the Three Realms.
Therefore, he faced the Three Disasters, unlike ordinary virtuous immortals, and his name was still listed in the Book of Life and Death, needing to be crossed out.
A journey through the Underworld?
Sun Wukong shook his head silently. The beings of the netherworld also worked by the rules and had no relation with him. He wasn't the kind to bully the weak. Even the simulated version of himself felt aggrieved, gave in to his nature, and committed acts of folly.
Then, there was only one other way...