Lifespan Exhausted

Flower Fruit Mountain, Water Curtain Cave.

Ever since Sun Wukong had brought back that great sea-stabilizing divine needle from the East Sea Dragon Palace, his days had been sweet as could be.

By day, he took the iron pillar he had named the "Ruyi Golden Cudgel" and swung it before and behind the mountain, stirring up winds like a roaring tiger.

By night, he held grand feasts with his monkey children and monkey grandchildren, drinking until they could drink no more.

The Jade Nectar he had conveniently taken from the East Sea flowed without limit, and fruits and mountain delicacies were piled up like hills.

"Children! Drink!"

Sun Wukong leaped onto a stone table, raising a sea bowl bigger than his head, the wine inside sloshing.

"To our Flower Fruit Mountain! To our freedom and ease!"

"To the Great King!"

"Long live the Great King!"

Below, the troop of monkeys cheered like thunder, banging basins and bowls, their drunken eyes hazy.

Sun Wukong drained it in one gulp and felt utterly delighted.

What was cultivating immortality for?

Wasn't it just for eternal life, for roaming free and happy?

He was now a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, living as long as heaven and earth, the same age as the sun and moon, with a body of abilities that pierced heaven and burrowed through earth.

He would not trade these days even for that old Jade Emperor's throne!

That day, he was dead drunk again.

Sun Wukong lay sprawled on the largest stone chair in Water Curtain Cave, sleeping soundly, drool nearly running down his neck.

In his dream, he was arm-wrestling the Dragon King of the East Sea and beating that old dragon king until he wailed for his father and cried for his mother, promising to give him another ten