Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 1 A Monkey Suppressed Under the Mountain

Liangjie Village.

As dawn broke, the light seeped into the branches of the old willow tree at the village entrance. The rooster's crow was not loud, only waking the thin mist on the mountainside.

At the far east end of the village, there is Jiang Yi's small courtyard.

The mud-brick walls are mottled, the wooden door is leaning crookedly, and wisps of smoke carrying the fragrance of wildflowers rise from the stove, curling up on the low roof ridge.

It wasn't big or spacious, but it was neatly tidied up.

The morning sun was shining brightly, and the family of four were all stretching their arms and raising their fists in the yard, their movements were neat and orderly.

Tiger, deer, bear, ape, bird...

Jiang Yi's moves were slow and deliberate, his movements unhurried and composed.

His wife, Liu Xiulian, was leading their two children, one five years old and the other three years old. They were not very tall, but they were very serious when they were playing.

The little fists were thrown with impressive skill, but the way it pounced on the bear looked more like it was trying to snatch a steamed bun, which made people chuckle.

Laughter and chatter suddenly came from outside the courtyard, and footsteps approached in the morning light.

Several men, carrying bows and knives, passed by the fence with great enthusiasm, seemingly heading up the mountain.

After spring plowing, it is the off-season for farmers.

The able-bodied men in the village often go into the mountains in groups of three or five to hunt wild game and find medicinal herbs to supplement their income and also to exercise.

Someone called out from afar into the courtyard, their voice carrying the cheerful spirit of the mountains and fields:
"Brother Jiang, spring planting is over, and the mountains are bustling with activity. Would you like to take a walk together?"

Jiang Yiquan had finished his boxing practice and stood in the morning light, a relaxed smile on his face, neither too strong nor too weak, reflecting the comfortable feeling he had just had after finishing his practice.

He shook his head and said, "No, I have some things to take care of at home."

The men didn't take it seriously. One grinned, while the other raised his knife and continued walking up the mountain path.

Jiang Yi stood there, watching their figures disappear into the woods, his eyes as calm as ever.

When I turned around, I saw my chubby little son still pouncing, but he was tumbling all over the place, making a lot of noise.

This made him raise the corners of his mouth, revealing a slight smile. He didn't speak, but his expression was exceptionally gentle.

After my morning exercise, I went back inside to rest.

The bowls and chopsticks were already set on the table, and steam was rising from the pot, making the whole room feel warm and cozy.

In front of each person, a fragrant egg lay golden yellow on the edge of the bowl, looking so tempting that it made one's mouth water.

In the village, having eggs at every meal is considered a luxury, and outsiders would inevitably say "wasteful" when they see it.

But Jiang Yi has always been willing to spend money on this.

These days, meat is a luxury only available during festivals, and milk is something we hear about more often than we see.

Only eggs, if raised diligently, can be seen every day, and are a rare and nutritious source of oil.

The family ate their meal at a leisurely pace, their chopsticks lightly touching each other with a soft clatter.

After the meal, Liu Xiulian cleared away the dishes and went to the kitchen. While picking vegetables and washing dishes, she clattered pots and pans together.

Jiang Yi then shouldered the old hoe and went out of the courtyard.

The morning light had not yet faded, the soil was freshly turned, and the ridges beneath my feet were still a little damp.

They walked at a leisurely pace, as if taking a stroll to relax, and casually carrying a hoe along the way.

On a few acres of barren land at the eastern corner of the village, the crops had just sprouted, while the wild grasses were lush and vibrant, swaying and vying for space.

Jiang Yi swung his hoe, turned over the soil a few times, and picked up the roots along with the damp soil.

The movements are slow, and the mind is not anxious.

This little bit of land isn't worth risking your life for; just tend to it diligently, and that's enough.

In just half a day, beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

He put down his hoe, strolled a few steps along the ridge of the field, found a shady spot under a tree, and sat down with his back against the ridge.

The moment his body touched the ground, he slumped down, like a cat lying under the eaves.

If you only look at the scene on the ridge of the field at this moment, even a passerby would probably sigh softly, "How leisurely!"

But to be honest, Jiang Yi isn't the kind of person who craves a life of leisure.

Ten acres of paddy fields, the rice seedlings are growing in neat rows, and when the wind blows, they ripple like waves, layer upon layer, stretching all the way to the foot of the distant mountains.

Jiang Yi dug all of this out of the wasteland, one hoe at a time.

Years ago, there were more stones than mud in that field. When you shoveled into the ground, it would make your hand go numb with a loud "bang".

Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and kept quiet, working day after day, and little by little, greenery began to sprout.

Sitting under the shade of a tree, looking out at her own house in the distance, Liu Xiulian was rummaging through her vegetable basket with her sleeves rolled up.

The youngest son, however, had somehow learned to crow like a rooster. He ran around like crazy, making a huge mess of the chicken coop, creating a lively scene of chickens flying and dogs barking.

Looking at this scene, Jiang Yi's lips curled up slightly, but he didn't laugh out loud. His gaze softened, and his thoughts drifted away.

Counting the days, it has been more than ten years since I came to this place.

I couldn't help but feel a lump in my throat when I was rushing to finish a proposal overnight.

When he woke up the next moment, he found himself lying at the foot of a mountain in a foreign land, barely clothed, with no relatives or friends, and not even a bite of dry food.

At that time, I was also confused.

Fortunately, the villagers were kind-hearted; they shared a meal with one neighbor and a spoonful of porridge with another, which saved his life.

Jiang Yi remained silent for three days before finally accepting reality.

So he picked up a hoe and started working on this barren slope that even wild dogs wouldn't want to stay on.

They carried loads on their shoulders and dug with their hands, building walls and digging earth, enduring the scorching sun and wading through mud and water without uttering a sound.

In just a few years, they managed to carve out ten acres of fertile land and build three tiled houses.

While I wouldn't call myself rich, we were safe from the storms and had a pot and a stove.

Later, Liu Xiulian came along, along with those two wailing little brats.

That means I've truly settled down in this foreign land.

Jiang Yi's temperament also changed silently.

The able-bodied men in the village excitedly invited him to go up the mountain.

Jiang Yi just smiled without saying a word, his smile revealing a hint of perfunctoriness.

It's not that I'm afraid of hardship, it's that I'm afraid of making a mistake.

Perhaps having truly died once, one knows how cold and bitter the separation of life and death can be.

Inside the house, there was a warm stove, two innocent little faces, and everyone was filled with concern and worry.

The necessities of life are hard-earned, so we are even more reluctant to let them be tainted by any uncertainties. Working in the fields, we no longer have the same relentless drive we had in our youth.

The hoe was swung loosely, and the steps were slowed down, with the sole aim of maintaining stability.

Crops are planted every year, and the land is turned over every year, but we only have one set of bones and muscles, which must be well cared for.

Only by staying alive can we keep the light under the eaves, hear more of the children's cries at night and the sounds of chickens and dogs, and be worthy of the bowl of morning porridge and evening meal, and the peaceful days of the family of four gathered around the stove.

Fortunately, these two villages are remote and quiet, as if they have been forgotten by the world.

There were no officials urging people to pay taxes or collect grain, nor were there any merchants coming to take money to pay off debts. Only occasionally did a mountain breeze sweep through the corner of the house, carrying the scent of wild grass.

Jiang Yi then tended to these ten acres of barren land, sowing and harvesting according to the seasons.

A flock of chickens and ducks lays an egg every now and then, adding some color to the rice cooker.

Life went on at a steady, unhurried pace.

Just as I was lost in thought, a mountain breeze swept over me, carrying the warmth of the earth and the aroma of food.

Jiang Yi looked up and saw Liu Xiulian walking along the ridge of the field, carrying a large, rough porcelain bowl in her hand.

She walked steadily, her bright eyes filled with reproach, and a faint smile couldn't hide the heartache she felt for her family.

"What are you doing, sitting here meditating and becoming an immortal? Do you think these crops will suddenly sprout up and grow taller just because you stare at them a couple of times?"

She handed over the bowl, and with a flick of her wrist, her smile, along with the steam from the mung bean soup, spread across her face.

Jiang Yi took it; the soup was freshly made, clear and bright, and very refreshing.

He tilted his head back and took a big gulp, then couldn't help but let out a long sigh, as if he had released the summer heat from his stomach.

"There's no rush right now... Where are the kids? I just heard the younger one chasing chickens happily, and the older one has probably run off somewhere."

"Where else could they have gone? They've probably gone up the back mountain again."

As Liu Xiulian spoke, she took the hoe, bent down, and gently began to wield it, her words carrying a hint of unavoidable amusement:
"That child, he's been like an adversary to that mountain since he was little, stubborn as a mule, you can't pull him away no matter what."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's brows twitched slightly, and he was somewhat taken aback.

That hill behind...

Whenever the elderly in the village mention it, their eyes always light up.

Everyone says that there were no mountains in that area before.

One night, a muffled thunderclap struck down from the sky, three times in a row, and the ground trembled.

As soon as it was light, a mountain suddenly appeared on the once flat wasteland.

At first, the villagers didn't have any taboos. The bold and envious ones would carry knives and baskets and excitedly squeeze in.

But that mountain is very strange.

There is a road, but we can't go deep into it.

After going in for three or five miles, you wander around and eventually return to the foot of the mountain, as if the whole mountain is going in circles.

Over time, no one went inside anymore, and it only became a topic of conversation for village children to use when they cried at night.

Our ten acres of meager land are right next to the foot of that mountain behind us.

When Jiang Yi was young, he was impetuous and had his share of such thoughts.

Back then, my arms were strong, my back was straight, and I had no relatives or friends, so I was much bolder than I am now.

On two occasions, he mustered his energy, grabbed some dry rations, and headed into the mountains.

The result was pretty much exactly what the villagers had said.

Stepping inside felt like stepping into paste; the sky was gray, the trees were crooked, and there was no order to it.

After going around in circles, they finally found their way back to their own territory.

My legs were covered in mosquito bites, and a handful of grass seeds came out of my trouser leg. Forget about miraculous herbs, I didn't even see a single mushroom.

From then on, he gave up on the idea and only cultivated the land up to the foot of the mountain, never digging any further in.

Just as he finished speaking, the other end of the paddy field suddenly swayed.

A small shadow darted out of the grass, like a rabbit startled from its burrow, running and shouting as it went:

"Father! Mother!"

They arrived quickly, shouted loudly, and kicked up a cloud of dust.

It was Jiang Ming, the eldest son of the Jiang family, nicknamed Xiao Bao. He was only five years old, small in stature, but had a very loud voice.

His face was flushed red from the sun, and beads of sweat streamed down his forehead, but his eyes shone as brightly as newly polished copper bells.

"Father! Mother! I just saw... I just saw a very strange mountain in the back mountain!"

He was still catching his breath, and his throat was trembling slightly.

Liu Xiulian quickly went to greet him, grabbed him to wipe his sweat, and coaxed him with a smile:
"Strange mountain? Have you been running around in the sun too much and made your eyes blurry?"

"real!"

Xiao Bao was so anxious that he stomped his feet, clenched his fists tightly, and his face turned even redder.

"It's right at the very back of the mountain! That mountain, that mountain looks like a hand! Five fingers, standing straight up! And there's a big monkey lying under it!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiulian chuckled, ruffling his hair as she teased him:

"Suppressing a monkey? What, can that monkey do somersaults or chant scriptures?"

"It's huge!"

Xiao Bao became more and more anxious as he spoke, gesturing wildly with his hands outstretched:

"It had a hairy face and a thunder god's mouth, and it just lay there, motionless! Looking at me... like, like it was about to cry!"

"Alright, alright, go wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Liu Xiulian patted his head lightly, her tone relaxed, clearly not taking it too seriously.

They just assumed the child was having too much fun and made up some strange and unusual things to amuse him.

But Jiang Yi paused abruptly just as he was about to bring the bowl of mung bean soup to his lips.

My gaze fell down, landing on Xiao Bao's rosy little face.

There was clearly no trace of fabrication in those eyes.

They were truly met with strange looks, like a wildcat seeing heavenly fire for the first time, startled yet unwilling to hide.

A mountain like five fingers... pressing down on a monkey with a hairy face...

A thought flashed through Jiang Yi's mind, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

The name that was about to be uttered was ultimately swallowed back down without making a sound.

(End of this chapter)