Chapter 5: Ruyi Jingu Bang
Ruyi Jingu Bang
“I already know! It is said that the Monkey King of Huaguo Mountain is a demon, yet he does not disregard life and cherishes his subordinates.
In fact, isn’t he the disciple of the great Patriarch Subhuti ? Surely, he must have come here because something is amiss with the movements of the wicked demons, or perhaps to form an alliance with our Eastern Sea Dragon Palace for the future of Dongsheng Shenzhou. I will gladly accept it!”
Hearing the Dragon King’s confident words, I was momentarily speechless.
Despite my reputation as the strongest great demon in this region, I had always avoided unnecessary killing—and now, it had come back to me in an unexpected way.
Was it revealing the fact that I was Patriarch Subhuti’s disciple that made the biggest impact?
Well, even though I am a demon, my master is none other than one of Buddha’s Ten Great Disciples!
That being said, forming an alliance with the Dragon Palace is something that would also benefit Huaguo Mountain.
In the water, my powers are significantly weakened. And even though the monkeys of Huaguo Mountain have grown stronger, if a truly powerful demon were to emerge, it would still pose a great danger.
Besides, the spell my master cast over Huaguo Mountain is about to reach its expiration.
But in this situation… it feels a bit awkward to ask for the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
Tsk. Or maybe not? It’s an alliance—surely they wouldn’t refuse to part with a single staff?
Might as well just ask for it in the smoothest way possible.
Quickly finishing my thoughts, I forcibly held back my bewildered expression and mustered an awkward smile.
“Haha… Of course. Huaguo Mountain also welcomes an alliance with the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace.”
“Hahaha! Excellent! Truly excellent! If it were any other demon, I wouldn’t be so trusting, but with Monkey King, it’s a different story!”
The Dragon King, still seated in the banquet hall, raised his wine cup high and spoke.
“Come now, Monkey King! Drink with us! This is a joyous occasion, so I’ve brought out the finest delicacies from the deepest vaults of my palace!”
“I am honored by your hospitality. Now I understand why they say Changning De Wang has the greatest generosity among the Four Sea Dragon Kings.”
“Hahaha! Monkey King, you are showering me with praise!”
What followed was essentially a reenactment of the lively drinking parties I had seen in my past life.
It was especially chaotic—almost like a freshman orientation at university—with everyone offering me drinks nonstop.
“I have always respected the wisdom of Patriarch Subhuti. How did Monkey King manage to become his disciple?”
“Ahem. We met earlier, but let me properly introduce myself again. I am the captain of the Dragon Palace Patrol…”
“I heard that you’ve mastered Water-Avoidance Mantra. I, too, have some skill in controlling water…”
One after another, people claiming to be some kind of general or celestial officer from the Dragon Palace swarmed around me—until the Dragon King intervened.
“Ahem! I understand your desire to build a connection with Monkey King, but crowding around like this is quite improper, don’t you think?”
At King Zhangningde’s command, the others respectfully bowed their heads and stepped back.
Indeed, Eastern Sea Dragon King Ao Guang is truly considerate. He noticed I was feeling overwhelmed and stepped in to help.
“And Monkey King, as a commemoration of our alliance, I would like to offer you one of the weapons from my Dragon Palace Armory. Would you like to choose one?”
“...Of course, I would be honored!”
As expected of Ao Guang, the greatest among the Four Sea Dragon Kings and the most righteous hero of Dongsheng Shenzhou! He must have sensed that I needed a weapon like Ruyi Jingu Bang.
Indeed, whether it’s a human or a demon, having a silver tongue is always beneficial.
After a long night of feasting in the underwater palace, I followed the Dragon King to the armory.
As the massive doors swung open, an array of top-tier weapons came into view—any of them could easily be considered a national treasure.
“What do you think of that one? No one in the Dragon Palace has been able to wield the Fangtian Huaji weighing 7,200 jin except for me…”
Swish.
Casually, I picked up the Fangtian Huaji he was pointing at.
As I thought… it’s too light. I could twirl it around with just one hand.
Since 1 jin is about 0.6 kg, 7,200 jin would be around 4 tons, huh?
Mother, I may have changed species, but in this world, I’ve become an absolute powerhouse.
“Huh…! You wield it so effortlessly?”
“I heard the Dragon Palace has an item called Shenzhen Tie, which is used to measure the depth of the sea. Would it be possible for me to take that instead?”
“You mean the Heavenly River’s Foundation Iron? But that isn’t even a weapon… It weighs over 13,000 jin! Are you sure you can handle it?”
Following the Dragon King’s lead, I approached a black rod lying on the warehouse floor.
…Wait a second, is it just me, or is this thing glowing as I get closer?
Fwoooosh!
“What’s with this light?”
The black staff had golden rings wrapped around both ends, and in the center, the words Ruyi Jingu Bang were engraved.
Lifting it up, I found the weight to be just right. The moment I grasped the staff, the glow faded away—almost as if it had a will of its own.
Now that I think about it, I do recall reading somewhere that Ruyi Jingu Bang had its own consciousness…
Well, no matter.
This staff is mine now.
Whirrr!
“The Shenzhen Tie isn’t heavy at all for you? Truly, your strength is astonishing.”
“It fits perfectly in my hands. And the ability to adjust its size at will… This is an extraordinary weapon.”
Just as I expected, it works the same way I remember. When I tested shrinking it down, it became small enough to fit inside my ear—almost like a toothpick.
“Ahem. Now that I’ve received such a generous gift, I will take my leave.”
“Travel safely, Monkey King! Keep in touch!”
Thus, after receiving a warm send-off from Dragon King Ao Guang, I made my way back to Shuilian Cave in Huaguo Mountain.
It had been a long time since I last saw my fellow monkeys—I should tell them about the new alliance with the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace.
* * *
Ukikikiik! Ukikik!
“Your Majesty has returned!”
“Everyone, gather around! Monkey King is back!”
“Our king has returned!”
The familiar chaos. The chattering of monkeys.
This is definitely Shuilian Cave… right?
Wait a second—why do they all look so ridiculously muscular?
Even before I became Patriarch Subhuti’s disciple, they were already quite sturdy.
But they didn’t look like monkeys that had evolved into gorillas.
“Did something happen while I was away?”
Ukikikiki! Kikik!
“Nothing much! We just did what Your Majesty always does!”
“We helped any lost Wuguo humans we found!”
“And we beat up any invading demons!”
…Just repeating that somehow turned them into muscle-bound brutes?
It’s honestly a little unsettling.
After telling them about the alliance with the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace and the fact that I had become Patriarch Subhuti’s disciple, they all erupted into cheers.
“Indeed, Your Majesty is amazing!”
Being worshiped by monkeys like this feels… weird.
It’s like owning a pet that looks at a human drinking water and thinks it’s a miraculous feat.
“Also, Monkey King! While you were away with the Daoist master, we got a new youngest member!”
“Hey! Hurry up and greet our king!”
SMAACK!
One of the goril—no, one of the monkeys smacked someone on the head and pointed at them.
The individual in question, a hulking demon standing around nine meters tall, bowed deeply.
“G-Greetings, Your Majesty! You can just call me Hunshi!”
“Hunshi? That name sounds oddly familiar…”
Wait—isn’t this Hunshi Demon King?
In the original story, when Sun Wukong returned from training under Patriarch Subhuti, this massive demon had invaded Huaguo Mountain and was ruling over the monkeys.
So why does he look like… this?
Judging by the way the monkeys called him “youngest,” it seems he’s been beaten up quite a lot.
Covered in lumps, the black-furred demon couldn’t even meet my gaze as he lay flat on the ground.
The other monkeys watched nonchalantly, as if this was a regular sight.
“…Did he attack while I was gone and get captured?”
“T-That’s exactly it! I—I was foolish and didn’t recognize the true power of Huaguo Mountain’s heroes! I deeply regret my actions!”
Before I even asked, Hunshi Demon King started rattling off his own crimes.
The monkeys eagerly chimed in, confirming the story.
Apparently, he had invaded Huaguo Mountain, wearing armor and wielding a giant sword—only to have his armor shattered and his sword broken.
Despite being 30 chi tall, he had soft flesh, so the monkeys had all ganged up on him and beaten him into submission.
And ever since then, he had surrendered and lived as the “youngest” among the monkeys.
What was even more ridiculous was that, because of the protective spell Patriarch Subhuti had placed on Shuilian Cave, Hunshi Demon King couldn’t even find the actual entrance—so he kept lurking around the area, only to get beaten up repeatedly.
“H-Hiiik!”
I turned to look at Hunshi Demon King, who recoiled as if I were the plague itself.
What am I supposed to do with this guy?
Should I just let him stay?
But judging by how much he keeps getting smacked around, it doesn’t seem like he’s living a particularly pleasant life.
If this had happened before I became Patriarch Subhuti’s disciple, I wouldn’t have cared.
But now, I am a Buddhist disciple as well.
Though I was too busy learning Daoist magic to study much about Buddhist teachings, my master is still one of Buddha’s Ten Great Disciples.
If Patriarch Subhuti saw this, he probably wouldn’t be too pleased.
“…Hunshi Demon King.”
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!”
“If you wish to leave Huaguo Mountain and live freely, say the word. I can speak to Dragon King Ao Guang and have you assigned as a scout on land. Or, I could even recommend you as an attendant to a celestial being or a mountain god I know.”
“…N-No! I like it here!”
“…What?”
The so-called “youngest” clasped his hands together and pleaded with me desperately.
“T-The thing is… The situation in Dongsheng Shenzhou hasn’t been great lately. I was also forced out of my home by stronger demons… If the merciful Monkey King would allow me to stay, I would be forever grateful…”
…Did the other monkeys threaten him or something?
Why is he looking around so anxiously?