In the Eastern Victory Divine Continent, within the distant fairyland of the East, on the border of the Proud Sky Nation, Mount Huaguo, enveloped in legend, stands amidst the clouds and mist. This is a realm where mythology and reality intertwine, where every inch of land, every leaf, is filled with incredible magic.

One day, a peach blossom petal gently floated down from the sky, twirling in the breeze before delicately landing in the palm of a small monkey. This monkey, with its clumsy yet curious little hands, carefully observed the petal, as if seeking the story behind it.

As time passed, the petal gradually lost its vitality, a change that sparked reflection in the monkey. It looked around, everything between heaven and earth seemed so vivid, yet a longing for belonging welled up in its heart.

The monkey decided to leave; it leapt off the cliff and ran towards the unknown world. That petal, quietly carried away by the stream, seemed to whisper a story that was about to unfold.

Above was the sky, below was the earth, here were trees, jungles, streams, fresh fruits, green grass, thorns, rocks... And those playing and frolicking, who looked just like me, could there be many mes?

A monkey looked at a group of monkeys, slowing its steps; a group of monkeys looked at a monkey, pointing and making strange squeaks.

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"Come here!" a larger monkey called out.

"Why should I go there?" the monkey asked.

"We're all monkeys; we should be together!"

"So, I am a monkey... But what does it mean to be 'together'?"

"Being together... means... not being apart," the large monkey explained.

"Like being as close as you all are?" the monkey inquired.

"Exactly," the larger monkey said, tossing a peach. "I'm Afei. This peach is for you."

The monkey caught the peach, puzzled.

"It's tasty," Afei called out.

Taking a bite, the monkey's front became dotted with droplets from the juicy, vibrant splash. "Does it enjoy being eaten by us?" the monkey wondered.

Afei grinned, "I only know I enjoy eating it. Why worry if it likes being eaten?"

Looking at the peach with a fresh bite mark, the monkey felt a sudden dislike for itself. Why bite into it? Yet, the taste was indeed... delicious.

"What's your name?" Afei asked.

The monkey, peach in mouth, paused: "I don't have a name."

"We all have names. I'm Afei, that's Abao, there's Xiaotian..." Afei introduced them one by one.

A strange, uncomfortable emotion spread in the monkey's heart. Was this... sadness? As if a voice inside was defining sadness for it.

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No one responded.

"Birds of a feather flock together," the monkeys gathered around, one young monkey saying, "You popped out of a stone, I saw it." The monkey scratched its head, unsure of its origins.

Afei, trying to appear solemn (which came off as comical), declared, "You'll be called Stone Monkey."

The monkey bit into the peach, "Stone Monkey... Is that a name?"

"If you agree, then it's a name," an old monkey stated.

"Alright, Stone Monkey it is." A peculiar feeling rose in the monkey's heart, the name strangely familiar.

"That's settled then," Afei beamed, proud to have named another for the first time, a privilege usually reserved for the elders.

"Stone Monkey!" Afei shouted.

The monkey seemed lost in thought, unhearing.

"Stone Monkey! Stone Monkey!" Afei called louder, but still, the monkey did not respond.

A young monkey whispered, "What's wrong with him?"

Frustrated and embarrassed, Afei said, "This monkey's a bit hard of hearing. Let's all shout."

Together, the monkeys cried out, "Stone Monkey! Stone Monkey! Stone Monkey..."

A thunderous noise echoed in the monkey's head. Closing his eyes, his thoughts traversed seas and mountains, through countless lifetimes, back to a life once lived as a human...

ShiHou was his name in that life(In Chinese, ShiHou is homophonic with Stone Monkey). That life was not a happy one; as a child, he was often bullied for his slender physique. Later, to strengthen his body, he practiced martial arts, wielding a staff and fantasizing countless times that he was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, capable of punishing the evil and promoting the good, defeating all demons and ghosts.

Fantasies, after all, are just fantasies.Between dreams and reality, there always lies a chasm difficult to cross. After graduation, he faced an economic downturn, encountered numerous rejections in job hunting, and, thanks to his martial arts background from childhood, became a stunt double.

Under the spotlight, the big stars, with every move attracting countless gazes, and ShiHou, a name probably unheard by many. Each time, acting as their double in fight scenes, those seemingly light-hearted fight scenes were in reality heavy as a thousand jun. Their blows were much harsher than what was shown on the screen, each move causing him deep pain.

After work, he would always bear the physical pain and mental torment alone, enduring the indescribable discomfort as he staggered home. At night, only books accompanied his loneliness.

"Journey to the West," a book ShiHou had flipped through countless times since childhood, he knew every character, big or small. Seeing various idol dramas based on "Journey to the West" on his phone, he felt a surge of indignation.

Respecting the original work is the basic integrity any film or television production should have, ShiHou always believed. But "Journey to the West," perhaps not many truly understand it. He had also watched the 1986 version of "Journey to the West." In terms of quality, it was merely passable at best, but the only commendable aspect was that the production team put their heart into it, which, from this point of view, was beyond reproach and a form of respect for everyone's hard work.

As for the countless explicit and implicit meanings, prophecies, power struggles, and strategies in "Journey to the West," perhaps they are difficult to express through other art forms.

Wu Cheng'en, if "Journey to the West" was indeed accomplished by his sole effort, calling him a deity would not be an exaggeration. As ShiHou pondered, he picked up "Journey to the West" again and soon became engrossed.

The poem says:

Before chaos was tamed, heaven and earth were a blur, a vast expanse unseen by any.

Since Pangu broke the primeval chaos, clarity and murkiness were distinguished.

Covering all beings with supreme benevolence, revealing all things to be inherently good.

To know the creation and the ultimate skill, one must read the tale of the Great Sage of "Journey to the West"...

What? The tale of the Great Sage?

The last two lines should be "To know the creation and the ultimate skill, one must read the tale of the disaster-relieving 'Journey to the West'." "Relieving disasters" originally means to resolve tribulations, so how did this book in my hand turn into "Great Sage"?

ShiHou, with great curiosity, continued to flip through, and after skimming a few pages, a sincere smile appeared on his lips, murmuring to himself: "This is my 'Journey to the West'..."

Before he could finish, ShiHou's form turned into a beam of white light, diving into the thick "Journey to the West"...

"No, I haven't finished reading—" ShiHou's voice abruptly ceased in the room.