Wukong left the village dwellings, mounted his Somersault Cloud, and headed straight southwest.
Thirty li took him no more than a moment.
His cloud had barely crossed two mountain ridges when a lofty mountain blocked his way. Twin peaks rose side by side, and rocky cliffs jutting from their slopes thrust into the clouds, shutting off the route ahead.
Wukong checked his cloud, lowered its glow, and descended near the peaks.
Secluded flowers grew in swaths among the mountains, and wild grass spread across the ground. Water cascaded through cracks in the rocks, while wisps of stream-cloud lingered over the pine boughs, refusing to disperse.
Farther in, vines filled the ravines. Green cliffs rose tier upon tier, birds chirped in the woods, and startled mountain deer splashed across streams before vanishing into the undergrowth.
Wukong surveyed it from his cloud. It truly was a fine mountain!
"This ought to be Mount Jieyang."
He steered his cloud around to the back of the mountain.
On the shaded side stood a compound, its walls following the mountain's contours, several buildings nestled beneath towering pines.
A narrow bridge stretched before the gate. Beneath it, running water threaded through the rocks and flowed into a stony gully at the mountain's foot.
A few barks sounded from within the courtyard.
Wukong glanced down, then flipped off his cloud and landed before the bridge.
A stretch of green lawn lay outside the compound's gate.
An old Daoist sat cross-legged on the grass, his hair tied in a Daoist topknot. He wore gray-white robes, with a fly-whisk resting across his knees. Hearing movement, he opened his eyes and let his gaze linger on Wukong.
Wukong approached and raised one palm in greeting.
The old Daoist inclined his body in return and frowned. "A monk? Where have you