349 The Great Harmony That Cannot Be Realized

Sun Wukong returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, but the pent-up gloom in his chest refused to go down no matter what.

He gathered the Seventy-Two Cave Demon Kings, drilled the Monkey Soldiers, and ran Flower Fruit Mountain like an iron barrel. Calling himself the "Great Sage Equaling Heaven," he openly raised the banner of rebellion.

But this was not for the sake of attacking the Heavenly Court.

More often, he rode the Somersault Cloud and patrolled the Four Great Continents.

Wherever there was injustice, golden light would descend, and one iron staff would take charge of all unfairness in the mortal world.

When powerful local tyrants annexed land and oppressed tenant farmers, he seized every land deed and every field, then divided them equally by headcount.

When corrupt officials extorted taxes and levies, he stormed the yamen, emptied the treasury silver, and scattered it through the streets and markets.

When strong nations bullied weak ones, he thrust his staff in sideways, ordered them to withdraw troops and pay compensation, and even forcibly drew borders.

He acted entirely on a chestful of hot blood and a justice he believed in himself.

At first, disaster-stricken commoners and oppressed civilians were all deeply grateful to him, burning incense and praying to him, regarding him as a savior god.

The fame of Flower Fruit Mountain's "Great Sage Equaling Heaven" spread among the lower classes like wildfire sweeping across a plain.

However, chaos soon came.

A melon twisted off by force was not sweet, and lasted even less long.

The powerful families whose land had been evenly divided turned right around and colluded with officials, exploiting people by more hidden means, even venting their anger on the tenant farmers who had received the land.

They drove many families to ruin and death, until those people