The monkeys' feast was a lively affair, and although it was springtime, the dishes served were dazzling:

The tender elm seeds are bright green, mixed with flour and steamed with sugar, resulting in an incredibly sweet flavor; the locust flowers, with their stems removed and sugar added, are made into vegetarian buns, each bite filled with the delicate fragrance of locust blossoms; the yams are roasted in the fire, and after peeling off the skin, the soft, powdery flesh inside is revealed, cooked until golden and tender, and served with a unique, refreshing aroma.

Fresh poria cocos and tender peach blossoms were also served. Plump straw mushrooms were made into a soup with wild vegetables. The jujubes, about the size of a chicken heart, were exceptionally sweet. Dried loquats and dried longans were brewed into tea with thin skin and sweet flesh. Pine cones, hazelnuts, and chestnuts picked from the forest were small in size, but tasted very good.

Xu Milu also tasted the legendary "monkey wine" that only monkeys could brew. The clear and transparent liquid had a slight bluish tint and was so viscous that it could cling to the sides of the glass. When you tasted it carefully, it was not as intoxicating as ordinary wine. Instead, it was full of fruity fragrance and had a sweet aftertaste. The whole person's breath was filled with the fragrance of fruit.

The Monkey King hosted a banquet, which, though a family feast, was still quite grand. Monkeys dressed in clothes acted out stories from storybooks, while monkeys and their offspring carried banners and spears. There was even a skillful monkey who sat in front of Xu Milu and peeled her shell.

What a decadent life!

Xu Milu sighed and said that she was not envious of her master's peaceful life at all.

Since they were Sun Wukong's monkey offspring, Xu Milu was not stingy at all. She unloaded several hundred pounds of ping-pong grapes alone, and also gave them more than a dozen giant delicious radishes and giant delicious mushrooms. The monkeys were overjoyed and tumbled in front of her one after another.

The monkeys happily squeaked and went outside the cave, leaving only a few small monkeys climbing up and down inside.

“I have some seeds here. Tell them to take them and plant them too. Although they won’t grow into spiritual vegetables, they can at least fill their stomachs and make the monkey troop less distressed.”

Xu Milu took out several small bags of seeds. Meanwhile, Sun Wukong took a sip from his wine gourd, then paused slightly, as if remembering something, before saying:

“I wanted to tell you a few things earlier: you can eat those spiritual vegetables yourself or sell them to others, but you must never let the seeds fall into the hands of others.”

Xu Milu was slightly taken aback. Sun Wukong had never asked about the source of the spiritual vegetables in her hands before, so she pretended not to know and didn't mention it. Why did her master suddenly remember it today?

She shook her head:

“Master, these seeds don’t have much spiritual energy and can’t grow spiritual vegetables. It’s just that the place where I grow vegetables has abundant spiritual energy, so those vegetables are rich in spiritual energy. Even if someone else gets the seeds, the vegetables they grow will be different.”

Sun Wukong smacked his lips and said casually:

"That's good—I noticed you looked tired just now, is there something you want to ask?"

Xu Milu hesitated for a moment, but still honestly asked the question that was on her mind:

“Master, I just saw that there were only a handful of monkeys in this cave that could transform into human form, and only a few that could speak human language. But Huaguo Mountain is rich in spiritual energy, so monkeys shouldn’t have such a difficult time cultivating.”

Sun Wukong seemed to have anticipated her question. He pulled the little monkey that had been crawling all over him off, and with his fiery eyes gazing into the distance, he said quietly:

"The way of Heaven is fair, and all things rise and fall. A thousand years ago, I did not understand the reason behind this. When I made a great disturbance in the underworld, I crossed out half of the Book of Life and Death of monkeys. I thought that this would allow the monkey descendants of Flower Fruit Mountain to live forever, but I did not expect to break the cycle of Heaven. Since then, the monkey offspring of Flower Fruit Mountain have had a much harder time. Even transforming into a spirit is difficult."

The white-haired baboon you just saw has lived for a thousand years, but it is unable to transform into human form. Presumably, once its body disintegrates, it will be able to reincarnate. In a few hundred years, Flower Fruit Mountain will be safe and sound.”

Xu Milu did a quick calculation and concluded that it was equivalent to her master breaking the ecological balance of Huaguo Mountain back then, making all the monkeys immortal. It was as if the ecosystem would automatically repair itself, and consequently, the birth rate of monkeys on Huaguo Mountain became low.

After all, those monkeys have already achieved immortality. If they were to cultivate immortality as well, the world would be filled with a bunch of bugs.

Looking at the description in "Journey to the West", after Sun Wukong made havoc in the Heavenly Palace, the Heavenly Court sent down heavenly fire to burn Flower Fruit Mountain, and then human demons hunted the monkeys in the mountain. It is hard not to believe that there was no Heavenly Way driving this.

No wonder Sun Wukong told her not to let the seeds out; he was afraid that another Flower Fruit Mountain would emerge.

"I understand, Master. From now on, I will think twice before acting and never do anything that I will regret."

Xu Milu nodded solemnly, only to receive three more taps on the head.

"You idiot, you blockhead! How could that be what I, Old Sun, meant?"

Sun Wukong shook his head in anger:

"I'm telling you that once you embark on the path of cultivation, there's no turning back. The path of cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you'll fall behind. In the years to come, even I can't always be by your side. Even if you regret it, there's nothing you can do. Do you understand?"

Faces flashed through Xu Milu's mind, but she still nodded firmly:

"Your disciple has no regrets."

"good!"

Sun Wukong sat up cross-legged, a rare serious expression on his furry face:

"Then today I will teach you the Seventy-Two Transformations of Earthly Fiends: Communication with the Netherworld, Exorcising Spirits, Carrying Mountains, Forbidding Water, Borrowing Wind, Spreading Fog, Praying for Sunshine, Praying for Rain, Sitting on Fire, Entering Water, Obscuring the Sun, Riding the Wind, Boiling Stone, Spitting Flames, Swallowing Knives, Pouring into a Celestial Pot, Divine Speed, Walking on Water, Staff Disintegration, Splitting the Body, Invisibility, Head Regeneration, Body Immobilization, Slaying Demons, Inviting Immortals, Chasing Souls, Capturing Spirits, Summoning Clouds, Taking the Moon, Transporting, Marrying Dreams, Dismemberment, Entrusting a Staff, Cutting Off Flow, Averting Disasters, Resolving Calamities, Alchemy, Swordsmanship, Guessing, Earth Element, Astrology, Formation, Disguise, Spraying Transformation, Finger Transformation, Corpse Disintegration, Shifting Scenery, Summoning, Going Near, Gathering Beasts, Taming Birds, Qi Forbidding, Great Strength, Penetrating Stone, Generating Light, Obscuring Clothing, Guiding Qi, Taking Ingredients, Opening Walls, Leaping Over Rocks, Sprouting Heads, Climbing and Copying, Drinking Water, Lying in Snow, Exposing to the Sun, Playing with Pills, Talisman Water, Medicine, Knowing the Time, Knowing the Place, Abstaining from Grains, Nightmare Prayer—"

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