The person from the south cursed, "You ignorant fool, the heavens are unfathomable, and who doesn't have their informants? Being cautious never did any harm."

 

The man from the west said, "Let's talk about the matter at hand. We've been working day and night, refining so much Fate, but it's uncertain whether this method will be of any use."

 

The man from the east, slightly angry, responded, "This method of refining Fate is unique in both heaven and earth, obtained from a single pill of the Elder Lord's elixir from the old man of the South Pole. How dare you doubt it?"

 

The man from the west explained, "It's not that I don't believe, but since Fate is invisible and intangible, it's natural to have some doubts."

 

The man from the east said, "Enough idle talk, let's quickly refine these hundreds of thousands of Fates so we can present them as gifts."

 

The four became silent, each exerting their magical power to sustain the whirlwind that collected these white silks.

 

Wukong secretly breathed a sigh of relief; had he arrived a moment later, he would have missed hearing these secrets. From their conversation, he learned that they were collecting these white silks to offer to a certain emperor, and these silks were actually Fate! For humans, extracting Fate meant sacrificing a life for each strand, a cost far too great.

 

What was peculiar was that these four set up such a grand arrangement yet couldn't see the Fate themselves. Why could he see these strands of white silk clearly?

 

Wukong thought, if this was indeed Fate, and since Fate is beneficial for cultivation, why not collect some? With just a thought, countless strands of white silk swarmed towards him, entering his body through every orifice, much faster than the whirlwind created by the four.

 

Wukong felt no discomfort, allowing the silk to enter. In a short time, he felt the circulation of his golden core and an abundance of true essence. His invisibility spell was about to expire, but after absorbing so much Fate, he could feel that he could maintain it for at least another hour.

 

In about half an hour, Wukong had absorbed all the Fate within the curtain. Unbeknownst to him, refining hundreds of thousands of Fate would take years for an ordinary cultivator.

 

Seeing the four still earnestly refining Fate into the furnace, Wukong found it amusing, reminiscent of "The Emperor's New Clothes" tale being replayed in the heavens.

 

After absorbing the Fate, Wukong's cultivation deepened. He initially wanted to confront these four merciless heavenly generals with his powerful staff, but then thought better of it. Fighting might not be advantageous, but by not fighting, he left a trap in place.

 

Having absorbed all the Fate, since these four couldn't see it, they wouldn't know the quantity in the furnace had changed. As the Fate was intended as a gift, they wouldn't dare to try and absorb it themselves.

 

When the unnamed emperor received the furnace and found the quantity of Fate significantly less than claimed, he would surely be furious. Listening to their tone, they seemed to fear the emperor greatly, which would surely lead to dire consequences. Wukong, realizing this, couldn't help but feel smug about his cunning plan.

 

But soon, his heart was filled with raging anger.

 

Seeking immortality through cultivation is not in itself blameworthy, but to rob innocent humans of even the slightest bit of Fate was despicable. The instigator turned out to be the old man of the South Pole. Who else could it be but the revered South Pole Elder? It was shocking that this so-called venerable deity had accumulated countless blood debts, his cultivation and Fate built upon numerous skeletons. This was a score that would have to be settled sooner or later.

 

As Wukong left, he gave the four one last hateful glance, memorizing their appearances and energies, vowing silently: "For now, I'll spare your lives, you four scoundrels. If you survive until our next meeting, it won't be too late to kill you then."

 

He returned the way he came, undisturbed by the nine heavenly thunders that roared above, which seemed to be a deterrent for ascending to heaven but felt rather weak.

 

Landing back in the mortal world, he found the site of the previous day's battlefield turned into a mass grave, the bodies transformed into skeletons, a stark transformation in just a few hours. Could it be that demons had taken the flesh and blood for some nefarious sorcery?

 

A falling leaf reminded him that what was spring during the battle had now turned to deep autumn. "A day in the heavens, a year on earth," he sighed, realizing the truth of the saying.

 

Recalling his promise to invite the Bull Demon King and Rakshasa woman to live in the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, and that half a year had passed, Wukong hurried back, fearing he had broken his word.

 

Upon arrival, he found the mountain bustling with activity, unsure what had transpired. Seeing Hu Yu among the crowd, he inquired and learned that the Bull Demon King, along with the Rakshasa woman, had returned to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to wait for him, due to his prolonged absence. The Rakshasa woman's cave was not far from Hu Yu's residence, and the two had become frequent visitors to each other's homes.

 

Wukong asked, "Why is everyone making such a commotion here?"

 

Hu Yu said, "Yesterday, someone came who had heard of the fame of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits and came to visit. However, he got into a fight with Brother Niu after a few words. Sister-in-law was worried, so she went to watch."

 

Wukong was a bit surprised to hear them being referred to as Brother Niu and Sister-in-law. Hu Yu shyly explained, "Sister-in-law asked me to call them that."

 

Wukong smiled and said nothing, noting the Rakshasa woman's tactics and her ability to navigate social nuances.

 

He soared into the sky, wondering who possessed such great magical power to fight with the Bull Demon King for a day and a night.

 

After making a wide circle in the sky without finding them, Wukong spotted a woman of valiant appearance hovering in the sky. Approaching her, he bowed and said, "Little brother Sun Wukong here. May I ask if you are Sister-in-law?"

 

Hearing the term "Sister-in-law," the woman's face brightened with a smile, though she couldn't hide her anxiety. She said, "Uncle Sun, my husband and that man have disappeared. They were just here."

 

Wukong replied, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. With Brother's abilities, there's nowhere he can't go. Let me escort you back to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, and then I'll look for him."

"Thank you, Uncle," said the Rakshasa woman.

 

After escorting the Rakshasa woman back to the mountain, Wukong resumed his search for the Bull Demon King.

 

Eventually, he saw two figures shrouded in wind and thunder approaching rapidly. The one in front had a hawk nose and small ears, a tall body with short hair, and an aloof expression. The Bull Demon King was yelling from behind, "If you're a man, don't run!"

 

Wukong stood in their path, brandishing his golden cudgel, and shouted, "Stop right there!"

The man, seeing Wukong block his path, spun around and vanished without a trace.

 

Wukong was astounded by the man's incredible speed and ability to disappear so quickly after moving like lightning.

 

Soon, the Bull Demon King came rushing over, cursing, "What a beast, running so fast!"

 

Wukong eagerly asked where they had been all this time.

 

The Bull Demon King, filled with indignation, recounted the events. The visitor, also a demon, had heard of the auspicious land of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent and came to pay a visit.

 

In Wukong's absence, the Bull Demon King, as his sworn brother, played host. After exchanging a few words, the visitor remarked dismissively about the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits, prompting a fight with the Bull Demon King.

 

Despite the visitor's exceptional martial skills, he was no match for the Bull Demon King on land and was beaten into retreat.

 

The Bull Demon King thought that would be the end of it, but the visitor stubbornly engaged in a relentless pursuit. Whenever the Bull Demon King retreated, the visitor advanced; when the Bull Demon King chased, the visitor ran, leading them on a chase across all four continents without a clear victor.

 

Wukong laughed heartily, now understanding who the visitor was.

 

"He was born with a pair of Wind and Thunder Wings, capable of covering ninety thousand miles in a single movement. How could you possibly catch up to him?" Wukong said with a laugh.

 

Realization struck the Bull Demon King, "I should have known, he must be the Great Peng from the Western Continent of Cattle Gifting. I heard of him when I flattened the Lion Camel Kingdom. If I had known it was him, I wouldn't have bothered chasing."

 

Then, shaking his head, the Bull Demon King added, "But I wouldn't have chased him if he hadn't provoked and harassed me persistently. That's hardly the behavior of a master."

 

Annotations:

 

Fate (造化): In Chinese literature and philosophy, "Fate" encompasses the concept of one's destiny and the inherent natural order of the universe, reflecting both the opportunities and challenges that life presents.

 

Elder Lord's elixir: Refers to a mythical substance believed to grant immortality, often associated with Taoist legends and the pursuit of eternal life.