The expressions of monkeys are as rich and varied as those of humans. For instance, the monkey encircled by others on Mount Huaguo right now is wearing a wry smile: it had only pondered the possibility, yet it had truly turned into a monkey and arrived at Mount Huaguo. It seems that traversing worlds is indeed possible!

Was it the strength of its own thoughts that had brought it here? These days, it had constantly fantasized about playing the role of Sun Wukong, dreaming every night of embarking on the journey to retrieve the sacred texts. Unexpectedly, while the opportunity to play the role in reality was lost, it had ended up in the world of Journey to the West to perform as Wukong! It's like looking at flowers in the fog, unable to distinguish what's real and what's not.

The distance between reality and dreams, it turns out, is merely a single thought away.

Now, the Stone Monkey—no longer a human but should be called as such—listened to the surrounding monkeys chanting, "Stone Monkey, Stone Monkey," and saw their eager eyes. Nodding in agreement, it declared, "Yes, I am the Stone Monkey!"

Life on Mount Huaguo was carefree and colorful.

The Stone Monkey, self-taught, constantly sought what set it apart from other monkeys, to no avail. Despite being born from a mystical stone, it found itself no different in physical abilities—heartbeats, pulse, feeling cold or heat, pain or itch. Running, jumping, climbing, and peach-picking, it was no more skilled than the others.

Holding a large peach in its hands, the Stone Monkey pondered silently about its unique origin.

A monkey named Afei approached, pointing at the peach and demanded, "Don't eat it, give it to me."

The Stone Monkey handed over the peach, watching Afei devour it messily, juice splattering everywhere, feeling a pang of distress.

The Stone Monkey felt hunger, but believed peaches were not solely for consumption. If one must eat, it should be done respectfully. The remaining peach pit should be buried deep in the soil, as a seed, ensuring the peach's life continues in another form.

Disgusted by Afei's gluttony, the Stone Monkey turned away, heading down the mountain.

Not far off, Afei caught up, excitedly suggesting a bath in a creek below.

From a distance, Mount Huaguo resembled a giant peach, split into east and west halves by a stream. With the monkey tribes led by two gibbons in the east and two red-bottomed monkeys in the west, the Stone Monkey, newly born and solitary, had yet to align with any faction.

Reaching the creek, it saw hundreds of monkeys frolicking. Scanning the crowd, the Stone Monkey discerned the hierarchy. Four elderly monkeys sat in the center, their stature twice the size of ordinary monkeys, exuding an air of arrogance, engaged in a conversation unknown to others. Only a select few monkeys were allowed near them to assist in bathing, while the rest kept their distance, lacking even the privilege to serve.

Drinking from the creek, the Stone Monkey found the water sweet and refreshing, invigorating its spirit.

Suddenly, a gibbon shouted, "Who does that monkey belong to, showing no manners like this?"

Before the Stone Monkey could react, it was seized by smaller monkeys and brought before the gibbon.

As the surrounding monkeys gathered, curious about the commotion, the Stone Monkey realized that onlookers were not exclusive to humans.

Accused by the gibbon of drinking upstream, the Stone Monkey faced a situation reminiscent of the "wolf and the lamb" tale, contemplating its rightful place in Mount Huaguo. If it couldn't stand up to this challenge, what was its purpose here?

Breaking free from the small monkeys, it retorted, questioning the gibbon's authority.

The gibbon, shocked and angry at being challenged for the first time in decades, felt his authority threatened. Declaring his status as the king of the eastern mountain, he questioned the Stone Monkey's defiance.

Laughing off the gibbon's claim, the Stone Monkey announced its divine origin from the immortal stone of Mount Huaguo, destined to be the king of this mountain, challenging the established order.

The monkey crowd buzzed with whispers, quickly spreading the Stone Monkey's extraordinary claim. The gibbons and red-bottomed monkeys exchanged looks, uncertain how to respond. Believing the Stone Monkey could threaten their leadership, yet fearing the dissent of the tribe if they opposed it.

The gibbon, attempting to divert the topic, inquired about the source of the water, baffling the monkeys with the sudden shift from debating the Stone Monkey's identity to questioning their knowledge of the creek.

The Stone Monkey, amused by the gibbon's cunning attempt to change the subject, smiled inwardly at the cleverness of its adversary.

The gibbon spoke again, "Today, with the sky clear and the clouds bright, let us together search for the source of this stream. Whoever finds it first shall be the ruler of Mount Huaguo. What do you say?" The monkeys, eager for excitement, loudly agreed.

The gibbon glanced sideways at the Stone Monkey, challenging, "Do you have the courage?"

Though small in stature, the Stone Monkey replied with neither humility nor arrogance, "Even if it means reaching the heavens or diving into the earth, I fear nothing."

The monkeys began their climb along the stream, which flowed down from a high place, bordered by rugged, difficult-to-scale rocks.

Leading the way were the four tall, long-armed elder monkeys, quickly distancing themselves from the smaller ones. The Stone Monkey, unhurried, followed at the back of the pack.

Afei, jumping out from the group, anxiously said, "Hurry up, or you'll lose."

The Stone Monkey smiled, "Don't worry, I won't lose." If this was indeed Mount Huaguo, then who besides itself would know of the Water Curtain Cave hidden behind the waterfall?

As the Stone Monkey climbed along the brook towards the mountain peak, it saw a cliff jutting out like a dragon's head, directly opposite a waterfall from the other mountain. This natural scene resembled a dragon drinking water, where the four elder monkeys were now gesturing and discussing.

Seeing the Stone Monkey arrive, the gibbon showed a disdainful expression, and the other monkeys, like followers, mostly sided with him.

The Stone Monkey, calm and collected, stepped forward to inquire, "Have you found the source of the stream?"

The gibbon declared, "The stream below comes from this waterfall, which then gathers into a stream. I was the first to discover this."

Looking up at the waterfall, the Stone Monkey saw the clear, crystal water cascading down. The sound from the valley below suggested a deep pool formed by years of erosion. Occasionally, water splashed onto the cliff, creating a myriad of spray patterns, reminiscent of the descriptions in "Journey to the West": A white rainbow emerges, with a thousand feet of snow waves flying...

The Stone Monkey then asked the monkeys, "Do you know where the water of this waterfall comes from?"

The monkeys looked confused.

The gibbon retorted, "Don't play with words. The water of the waterfall obviously comes from the sky. Are you trying to deny that?"

The Stone Monkey glanced at the gibbon and calmly said, "To know where the waterfall's water comes from, one must look inside the waterfall."

What? Enter the waterfall? This suggestion stunned the monkeys.

Though the cliff was only about ten feet from the waterfall, and a monkey's agile body could make the leap, the opposite cliff washed by the waterfall was smooth as a mirror, offering no foothold. A fall would likely be fatal.

Seeing the monkeys shocked by his "bold idea," the Stone Monkey seized the moment, "If I enter and find the source, will you acknowledge me as king?"

Monkeys, being fickle and curious by nature, quickly voiced their agreement.

With most monkeys in support, the Stone Monkey ignored the elder ones, thinking that as long as it gained the majority's support, any dissenters would be irrelevant to the overall situation.

Approaching the cliff's edge, the Stone Monkey looked down into a deep, bottomless gorge. Doubts crept in, pondering, "Journey to the West, do not fail me now."

Just as it prepared to jump, a sudden cry of alarm from behind caused a momentary distraction. Losing its footing, the Stone Monkey slipped and fell.

In that moment of despair, believing it had failed to achieve dominance or enter the Water Curtain Cave, and likening its adventure to a fatal game start in a role-playing game, the Stone Monkey felt a mix of frustration, hatred, confusion, and regret. However, as these emotions surged, it unexpectedly found itself not falling but rising, as if a force within the waterfall was pulling it in!

Annotations:

Sun Wukong (孙悟空): A central character in "Journey to the West", known in English as the Monkey King. He possesses incredible strength, speed, and the power to transform into various animals and objects. He is born from a stone and acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices.