Rat in Yellow Wind Ridge, rising from plundering entries - Chapter 28

Chapter 28 The West Sea Dragon Princess and Monkey Brother: “Old Sun Has Come to Borrow Weapons!”

While the Yellow Wind King was pondering, the little carp, full of innocence, spoke up, “Old Yellow, if you want to build a palace, why don’t you ask ‘Ghost Axe and Divine Chisel’ for help?”

“Ghost Axe and Divine Chisel? Can’t afford them.”

The Yellow Wind King rolled his eyes. Ghost Axe and Divine Chisel were two celestial deities in the Heavenly Court, leading a team of craftsmen responsible for constructing celestial palaces and temples. If the Jade Emperor issued a decree, the materials and costs would be covered by the treasury.

For example, when Sun Wukong was granted the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven, his mansion in the celestial realm was built by them. However, if a deity wanted to hire them privately, they would not only need to provide materials and cover the costs but also offer a substantial amount of merit and incense offerings.

What? You don’t want to pay?

Ever heard the saying, “It’s easy to invite a god, but hard to send one away?”

If you refuse to be reasonable, let me remind you—our craftsmen also know how to use hammers! Big hammers weigh eighty, small ones forty!

Moreover, the Ghost Axe and Divine Chisel division also forged weapons, armor, and military supplies for the celestial soldiers. They were the ultimate logistics overlords.

Even the mighty Thunder Division had to show them respect—offending the logistics team was never a wise move. If trouble arose, a single word from them could summon reinforcements from the Thunder Division, Fire Division, and others, ready to punish the disrespectful.

The little carp, unconcerned, said, “It’s just money, right? I have plenty!”

The Yellow Wind King was stunned.

“I’m not talking about ordinary gold and silver. I mean spiritual treasures, merit coins, and incense offerings.”

The bronze coin that Bai Huizi had given him before leaving was a merit coin—it could dispel disasters and even summon deities.

The little carp asked, “Do pearls and corals count? My family has lots of those!”

Pearls and corals probably don’t count, right?

Wait a moment!

The Yellow Wind King’s eyes shifted.

“Are you talking about your old home or your new one?”

“My old home, of course! The new one was just set up. I searched the lake, but there wasn’t anything valuable.”

“Where exactly is your old home?”

Just as the little carp was about to answer, its eyes flickered, and it crossed its fins over its waist.

“Ha! You’re trying to trick me into telling you! Not a chance!”

With a flick of its tail, it splashed water and swam away.

“It’s either the East Sea or the West Sea. Since Mount Fangcun is close to the West Sea, the latter seems more likely.”

The Yellow Wind King speculated. The one behind the Thunder Frog incident was most likely connected to the little carp. In reality, they weren’t investing in him—they were investing in the little carp. He was just along for the ride.

“Could she be the Dragon Princess of the West Sea?”

“A dragon palace overflowing with treasures—truly a rich family! I’ve latched onto a little tycoon!”

That being said, the Yellow Wind King had no intention of taking money from a dragon king. After all, dragon wealth came with strings attached, and karma was not something to take lightly.

Not that he feared karma—he simply had a different plan in mind. A connection with the Dragon King should be used wisely for maximum benefit.

“Besides, I can use this construction project to foster relations between humans and demons, laying the foundation for managing Yellow Wind Ridge.”

“Since ancient times, infrastructure projects have always spurred development. Whether for humans or demons, it’s the same principle.”

As he contemplated, the Yellow Wind King sensed something. Looking up, he saw a cloud descending from the sky. At about thirty zhang (100 feet) above the ground, a monkey flipped down from it.

“Monkey Brother!”

Sun Wukong grinned as he approached.

“Good brother, Old Sun has come to bother you!”

“Monkey Brother, what are you saying? We’re sworn brothers—there’s no such thing as bothering! But why are you calling yourself ‘Old Sun’ now?”

Sun Wukong chuckled.

“You don’t know this, brother. I returned to Flower Fruit Mountain and defeated a demon that was bullying my little ones. My children call themselves ‘Big Grandson,’ ‘Second Grandson,’ and so on. Since they’re my descendants, I figured calling myself ‘Old Sun’ makes me seem more respectable.”

Perhaps due to his short stature, Sun Wukong was particularly obsessed with the idea of being ‘big’.

The Yellow Wind King could tell that Sun Wukong wasn’t one to hide his thoughts. He smiled and asked, “Monkey Brother, you must have a reason for coming here?”

Sun Wukong grinned.

“I’ve been training my children on Flower Fruit Mountain, using bamboo spears and wooden swords. We’re starting to look like an army.”

“But I’m worried that the human kings or the lords of the birds and beasts might misunderstand, thinking we’re raising an army against them. If they gather troops to attack us…”

“Right now, we’re only armed with bamboo and wood—how can we fight them? We need sharp swords and real weapons! I remembered that you can forge weapons, so I came to ask for some.”

In the original story, Sun Wukong did indeed seek weapons twice. The first time, he went to the Kingdom of Ao Lai. Originally, the old monkeys suggested buying or forging weapons, but instead, Sun Wukong summoned a gust of wind and looted the kingdom’s armory.

Since the Ao Lai Kingdom was a nation of mortals, they had no way to seek help from the heavens or the underworld. They could only cry in frustration.

(Ao Lai Kingdom’s King: “Damn that Flower Fruit Mountain monkey!”)

The second time, Sun Wukong visited the East Sea Dragon Palace. There, he took the Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden-Hooped Staff) and even demanded the Dragon Kings provide him with armor. He didn’t just borrow—he took everything!

The Four Sea Dragon Kings were furious. Unlike mortal kings, they had access to the Heavenly Court. As soon as Sun Wukong left, they filed an official complaint to the Jade Emperor, demanding action.

Coupled with the fact that Sun Wukong had earlier stormed the underworld to erase his name from the Book of Life and Death, the matter finally caught the attention of the Heavenly Court.

During a celestial court session, the Jade Emperor surprisingly agreed with Taibai Jinxing’s suggestion—not only did he not send troops, but he also decided to recruit Sun Wukong into the Heavenly Court.

Later, many gods and demons criticized this decision, and Sun Wukong himself despised his resulting title—Bimawen (Keeper of the Heavenly Horses).

The Yellow Wind King had a thought. Instead of asking the Four Monkeys of Chaos or raiding the Ao Lai Kingdom, Sun Wukong had come directly to him?

He smiled and asked, “How many weapons does Monkey Brother need?”

Sun Wukong replied, “About ten thousand ordinary weapons.”

Then he grinned.

“If you have any extra enchanted weapons or spiritual arms, throw in a few—I still don’t have a suitable weapon for myself.”

Uh-oh!

The monkey was making a bold request!

The Yellow Wind King’s eyes flickered.

“Monkey Brother, ordinary weapons are easy to forge, but enchanted weapons and spiritual arms are rare.”

“Besides, I have two conditions.”

“First, you have to help me forge the weapons.”

“Second, I need to visit Flower Fruit Mountain to pick out something valuable to offset the cost of the weapons.”

“We’re sworn brothers, but we should settle accounts clearly to avoid future disputes.”

Sun Wukong had lived with the Yellow Wind King for ten years and knew his personality well. Laughing, he said, “Alright, alright! I agree!”

The Yellow Wind King chuckled.

“Monkey Brother, it’s not that I’m stingy.”

“The iron ore for forging weapons comes from the mines in Thousand Cavern Mountain, controlled by my subordinate, the Great Mouse General. It doesn’t belong to me alone.”

“I need to compensate him and the mining demons properly—we can’t have them working for free, can we?”

Sun Wukong nodded.

“That makes sense. People and demons alike are driven by profit. If you offer them something in return, they’ll work harder.”