Chapter 122: The Handsome Monkey King, the Water Curtain Cave, and a Single Step to Immortality!

"Finally, I've arrived."

The salty sea breeze whistled beside him. Lu Wufei stood atop a mass of white cloud, gazing at the massive, beautiful island surrounded by layers of mist in the distance. He could not help but feel a surge of emotion.

He had left his master’s sect at Wuzhuang Temple and had been traveling eastward for nearly eight years. Over these eight years, he had set out from the Western Continent, crossed the Flowing Sand River, traversed the entire Southern Continent, and now, having successfully crossed the Eastern Sea, he stood before the Kingdom of Aolai, right in front of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit.

"Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, Water Curtain Cave."

"The stone monkey born of heaven, Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven."

"And the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses."

The mythical land he had watched in stories since childhood, the monkey he had grown up knowing—they were right there on the island before him. Yet, Lu Wufei no longer felt the initial rush of excitement. Had he arrived here at the very beginning of his journey, he surely would have been ecstatic; it was, after all, a piece of his childhood memory. But he had been in this world for nearly fifty years now. He had been cultivating for nearly fifty years. He had encountered too many people, immortals, demons, and events. To Lu Wufei, the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit was now just a faint, lingering anticipation. It was like finally buying the things you loved most in your youth after you had grown up, entered the workforce, and earned money—the heart’s original state could never be recaptured.

*Wishing to carry wine and osmanthus flowers, yet never again like the wanderings of youth.*

"Whoosh."

The wind whistled past his ears. Lu Wufei steered his white cloud toward the distant mountain.

"Squeak, squeak."

Suddenly, Little Bai poked its small head out from his collar, looking around. Lu Wufei reached out, patted the little creature’s head, and smiled. "Come, let me take you to see the childhood playground of your 'old man'."

Little Bai, whose intelligence was already no different from a human's, stared at Lu Wufei with wide, dark eyes, full of confusion. It did not understand what its master meant. Lu Wufei did not mind; he simply stroked its head again, smiled, and flew straight ahead.

Before long, he reached the outer coastline of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. As he approached, Lu Wufei immediately noticed that the spiritual energy here was far denser than anywhere else in the Kingdom of Aolai. Looking down, he saw golden beaches, fine soft sand, crystal-clear seawater, coconut trees heavy with fruit, large crabs resting on the shore, foxes cautiously foraging, and even two monkeys picking up seashells.

After circling the coast, Lu Wufei flew toward the island’s interior. It was early autumn, and the air was crisp and clear. Perhaps due to the rich spiritual energy, the island was covered in incredibly tall, lush trees, particularly fruit trees. With a casual glance, Lu Wufei could see countless fruit trees on various peaks, laden with fruits of red, yellow, green, and pink. It was the peak of the harvest season, and even from mid-air, he could smell the tempting fragrance of fruit wafting up from below.

After enjoying the view, Lu Wufei flew toward the highest peak in his line of sight. Although he calculated that the monkey had likely already emerged, he still wanted to visit the site of the immortal stone that had given birth to him.

He stood atop one high peak, but the terrain was jagged, without even a flat patch of ground. Realizing this could not be the birthplace, he left and continued searching. After checking four peaks, he moved deeper into the mountain.

When the sun reached its zenith at noon, Lu Wufei arrived at a high peak. The summit was a flat, massive, and incredibly large stone. Standing on this flat surface, he could clearly see the vast sea in front and the green hills and clear waters behind—a place where one could truly feel "the smallness of all other mountains." Lu Wufei realized that if the monkey had already emerged, this must have been the place where he absorbed the essence of heaven and earth.

He looked around, picked up a stone the size of a fist, and examined it. It was indeed different from ordinary rocks, but the energy within had long been exhausted; it was now no different from common stone.

"Hmph."

He crushed the stone into powder between his fingers and blew it away. Stepping back onto his cloud, he flew deeper into the mountain.

Time passed slowly. Lu Wufei and Little Bai passed over lush peaks, bubbling mountain streams, and herds of animals foraging in peace. A place with such abundant spiritual energy could not fail to produce powerful demons. He remembered that there were seventy-two demon kings on the mountain. To be cautious, he transformed himself into a white cloud and mingled with the ordinary clouds drifting by. Even if someone noticed, it would just look like a slightly faster cloud.

As he flew into the heart of the mountain, he began to hear a distant, rumbling sound. He accelerated, and soon, the sound became clear—it was the roar of water.

"Such a commotion..."

He rushed forward, crossing a mountain shrouded in thick mist. Before him lay a massive, spiritual valley and a colossal waterfall. The rumbling he had heard was the sound of the waterfall, over a thousand meters high, crashing into the pool below.

*A strand of white rainbow rises, a thousand fathoms of snowy waves fly.*
*The sea breeze cannot blow it away, the river moon reflects and lingers.*
*The cold mist divides the green cliffs, the lingering flow moistens the lush moss.*
*The hidden cascade is truly a hanging curtain of silk.*

Looking down into the valley, he saw lush pines, green grass, white flowers, red fruits, bubbling streams, and rising mist. Under the golden sunlight, a rainbow hung perpetually over the valley. It was truly a land of ethereal beauty.

A large group of monkeys was active in the valley—some picking peaches, others sleeping, playing in the water, catching fish, or grooming each other. Seeing them wearing grass skirts, using simple tools, and communicating, Lu Wufei knew he had found the Water Curtain Cave.

Seeing monkeys entering and exiting the massive waterfall, he realized the cave had already been discovered. Sun Wukong must have long since become their king.

"Which one is he?"

He scanned the monkeys below. Recalling the description: *less than four feet tall, yellow hair, yellow eyes, a protruding forehead, a sunken face, a flat nose, a thunder-god mouth, prominent ears, full-faced fur, and protruding fangs...*

He spotted a thin, small monkey lying on a lush, fruit-laden tree. It matched the description perfectly. Seeing several other monkeys gathering and offering fruit to this thin, ugly-looking monkey, Lu Wufei knew: this was the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, who would one day study at Fangcun Mountain and wreak havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

"He really is much uglier than the monkey played by the Six-Year-Old Master," Lu Wufei chuckled to himself. He dispelled his transformation, cast a minor concealment spell, and flew down into the valley.

He walked through the noisy, playful crowd of monkeys and headed straight for the waterfall. With a single step, he passed through the curtain of water and onto a spacious iron bridge.

*Emerald moss piles like blue, white clouds float like jade, light dances in wisps of mist.*
*Empty windows and quiet rooms, smooth benches born of flowers.*
*Milk-white caves with dragon pearls hanging, twisting paths filled with exotic blooms.*

The scenery was decent, but to Lu Wufei, who had seen much more, it was nothing extraordinary. He was more interested in the cave itself. At the end of the bridge, he saw a stone tablet inscribed with the words: "Blessed Land of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, Cave Heaven of the Water Curtain."

He walked into the spacious, high-ceilinged interior. Aside from the monkeys, the stone furniture, and the peculiar layout, there was nothing truly remarkable. Because so many monkeys lived here, the place reeked of a sharp, pungent odor. He took one look and turned to leave. As he stepped back onto the iron bridge, two monkeys bumped into the invisible Lu Wufei, bounced off, and fell into the water. They stood up, looking at each other in utter confusion.

Stepping out of the cave, Lu Wufei breathed in the fresh, spirit-rich air. He had arrived at the mountain, seen the monkey, and checked off the Water Curtain Cave. No surprises, no disappointments—just a deep sense of satisfaction. Since the moment he realized he was in the world of *Journey to the West*, this had been a hidden desire. Now, it was fulfilled.

"The feeling of body and mind being at peace is truly wonderful."

Lu Wufei felt a genuine, joyful contentment. As he stepped into the air, his calm dantian began to ripple.

*Communion between heaven and man;*
*Mind and spirit enlightened;*
*Inner and outer worlds converging;*
*Phenomena manifesting naturally.*

Just then, celestial music echoed above the valley. Golden petals drifted from the sky, and immortal cranes began to dance. Several children with bell-like laughter appeared on a golden cloud, scattering flowers from baskets.

All the monkeys in the valley stared in shock. The monkey king on the tree jumped to the top, eyes wide, gazing at the divine spectacle. Four larger monkeys stood beside him, mouths agape.

A majestic, snow-white, winged horse appeared in the clouds, neighing loudly. Everything seemed to be welcoming someone.

Then, a slender figure in green robes appeared in the sky. As he appeared, golden flowers fell upon him, celestial children led the way, cranes danced around him, and the heavenly horse neighed in his honor.

Under the shocked, fearful, envious, and reverent gazes of the monkeys below, the figure in the green robe walked toward the horizon, surrounded by divine phenomena.

The monkey king could no longer contain himself and roared, "Immortal! An immortal!"

Seeing the immortal was about to disappear, the king jumped down from the tree and chased after him, shouting, "Wait, immortal! Immortal!"

But the green-robed figure never looked back and vanished into the horizon with his entourage of wonders. The monkey king stared at the sky for a long time until the four large monkeys approached him.

"Great King," one of them, a Gibbon, said. "The immortal has already left."

The monkey king turned and asked, "How did you know he was an immortal?"

The Gibbon countered, "How did you know, Great King?"

"I... I just saw the wonders in the sky, that figure in green walking on air, and the word 'immortal' just surfaced in my mind," the king replied. "Did I call out wrongly?"

The Gibbon smiled and shook his head. "The Great King’s Taoist heart has sprouted. This is a good thing."

"Taoist heart?" The king was curious. "Explain it to me."

"Don't be impatient, Great King. Let's return to the cave, and I will explain it all to you."

The monkey king hurried toward the cave, but feeling hungry, he ordered, "Get the little ones to fetch some food!"

As they walked, the king asked, "That person was an immortal, right? Why did he appear in our valley? And the cranes, the winged horse—what were they? You must explain it all clearly."

"I shall, Great King," the Gibbon promised.

High above the valley, Lu Wufei, his green robes fluttering without wind, watched the scene below silently before stepping away and vanishing.

Late that night, on a beach on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, a bonfire crackled. A large pot sat over the fire, and inside, a plate-sized green crab was steamed to a bright red. Lu Wufei tore off a giant pincer, cracked the iron-hard shell, and ate the tender meat.

This was a crab demon. After breaking through to the Immortal Realm that afternoon, Lu Wufei hadn't left the mountain immediately. He wanted to explore. He had encountered a shrimp demon and this crab demon earlier, grilling rabbits and deer. Since they had picked a fight with him, they were now the ones in the pot.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded from the forest behind him. Lu Wufei, who had long sensed the watcher, didn't look up, continuing to eat his crab.

A figure rushed out of the woods and knelt before him. "I beg the immortal to take me as a disciple!"

"Take me as your student!"

Lu Wufei froze, looking at the monkey king of the Water Curtain Cave kneeling before him.