WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator: heavenlytls

Editor: heavenlytls

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Namgung Clan's Great Sage, Heaven's Equal

Chapter 13: Welcome to the Namgung Clan

List of Demons

Name: Sha Wujing

Category: Imugi Demon

Combat Ability: Four Heavenly Kings

Demonic Power:

Upper-Level Demon (on land)
Great Demon-Level (underwater)

Position:

Former: Guard Commander
Current: Golden Body Arhat

"That demon in the Weihe River is a perfect match for this Zhu Bajie. I pretended to be losing and managed to lure him to the riverside, but then you suddenly appeared, wielding the Ruyi Jingu Bang, and he fled into the water!"

Zhu Bajie let out an angry snort through his large nostrils as his massive frame trembled with rage.

Sun Wukong was dumbfounded.

"Weren't you the one who was crying out, saying you'd be beaten to death—begging me to save you? That's why I came rushing over in the first place!"

"Ahem… that was all part of my plan! I was luring that Imugi to the riverbank with my grand strategy! Brother, honestly, if you can't even understand that, how can we keep working together?"

Sun Wukong’s grip tightened around the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

Should I just kill this guy?

He desperately wanted to pummel this pig-headed bastard and boil him in a pot, but his hands trembled, barely resisting the impulse.

The demon known as Sha Wujing, roamed freely through the dense waters of the Weihe River.

He was no ordinary opponent.

"Ugh. If only he'd leave the water, I could shatter his skull with a single blow."

Unfortunately, Sun Wukong was not accustomed to underwater combat. Of course, even in the water, the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal remained formidable. The problem was that the demon from the Weihe River wasn't ordinary either.

Seeing Sun Wukong’s hands trembling as he clenched the Ruyi Jingu Bang, Zhu Bajie laughed.

"Brother, just watch. Who am I? Back in the Heavens, I was the Marshal, Tian Peng, the supreme commander of the Heavenly River's navy. I was completely different from you, who used to shovel horse shit as 'Bimawen.' Hahaha!"

True to his nature, Zhu Bajie had opened his mouth and dug his own grave.

"Bimawen?"

Ah, yes, Bimawen.

Sun Wukong's very first position in the Heavenly Realm.

A very low-ranking job—he was merely a stable boy tending to horses.

Bimawen, Sun Wukong, who once cleaned horse shit.

For Sun Wukong, it was a humiliating memory. Whenever someone in the Heavenly Realm ridiculed him with that title, Sun Wukong never let it slide.

The Ruyi Jingu Bang swirled through the air in a dazzling display.

"Arghh! B-brother, I'm going to die! Ouch! Please!"

Die. Just die.

Sun Wukong’s eyes rolled back in fury as he beat Zhu Bajie to a pulp.

Zhu Bajie, unable to even fight back, crouched and screamed in pain.

"Arghh! Master! Master Tang Sanzang! Please save me! This Zhu Bajie is going to die like this!”

There were only three beings within the Heavenly Realm, the Mortal Realm, or the Underworld who could stop Sun Wukong when he lost his temper.

Shakyamuni Buddha, Guanyin, and Tang Sanzang.

Tang Sanzang sighed deeply.

"Wukong, that's enough. Do you really want me to recite the Golden Headband Spell to tighten the Golden Headband?"

Sun Wukong scowled deeply, as he reluctantly withdrew the Ruyi Jingu Bang,.

Zhu Bajie groaned in agony, unable to move his body properly.

Tang Sanzang glanced at Zhu Bajie and sighed once more.

“What are you planning to do, leaving Zhu Bajie in that state? Didn’t you say that the demon known as Sha Wujing is invincible in water and that only Zhu Bajie, with his experience commanding the navy, could defeat him?”

Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes and swallowed his frustration.

The plan was simple enough— Zhu Bajie would fight Sha Wujing in the water and drag him out, and then Sun Wukong would smash him.

That was the gist of the plan.

But it wasn’t easy. Sha Wujing was far too clever to fall for such a trap—he would never step onto land. And in the water, even Zhu Bajie struggled immensely. Now, with Zhu Bajie incapacitated...

“Well, Master, there’s no other choice. I, your humble servant, Sun Wukong, will make my way to the South Sea.”

“The South Sea?”

“Yes, since the task Guanyin gave us is too difficult for us, she should be the one to handle it, right?”

“Hmph. Are you saying we have to ask Guanyin for help?”

At that, Zhu Bajie, still groaning, chimed in with a sarcastic tone.

“Wow… the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, can't handle a single Imugi and needs to seek Guanyin's help? Aren’t you supposed to be the mighty ruler of the heavens?”

Even after being beaten, he had the nerve to say that. Sun Wukong couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. No longer having the energy to punish Zhu Bajie, Sun Wukong spoke in resignation.

“Well, what can I do? As the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, there is nothing I fear under heaven or even above the heavens….”

“But?”

Sun Wukong pointed the Ruyi Jingu Bang towards the pitch-black water of the Weihe River.

From deep within, glowing eyes like flames stared directly at Sun Wukong.

“But in the water, it seems there is no one in this world who can rival Sha Wujing.”

The boat that the Blood-Iron Ghost had taken was just a small fishing boat.

With Sha Wujing, Semo-ya, the unconscious fisherman, and the two martial artists from the Namgung Clan on board, there was hardly any room to stand.

“Why don’t you get off?”

"Huh? Me?"

“You’re a good swimmer. You can swim the rest of the way.”

"Do you think I’m a fish?"

“Well, you’re pretty close to one.”

“Believe it or not, when I was a secular disciple at Shaolin, many women liked me. It got to the point where I nearly broke my vows.”

"They liked you?"

"Of course. Because I’m handsome.”

“You son of a bitch. Have you lost your mind from gulping all that water?”

Sha Wujing, looking exhausted from all the water he had swallowed, didn’t seem to be thinking about what he was saying anymore.

Namgung Jeok, who had been watching their bizarre banter, felt a bit bewildered.

‘What is this? Who are these people?’

It was hard to comprehend.

Just moments ago, the man named Sha Wujing had caused a surge of tension. The way he was ferociously attacking while them into the water made him look like a vengeful spirit. But now, seeing him on the boat...

‘Could he even be considered a first-rate expert?’

In the water, he displayed power comparable to that of an absolute master. During their brief battle, Namgung Jeok had feared he might not return to the Namgung Clan alive. Yet now, he seemed no different from a common thug one might find in the marketplace, relying on his large frame.

His gaze then shifted toward Sun Wukong beside him.

‘He said that there’s no one who can rival Sha Wujing in the water.’

So, does this mean his martial arts are specialized in underwater combat?

The martial world is truly vast. There are countless martial arts styles, some of which are beyond imagination.

‘If that's the case, it’s best to avoid fighting him in the water at all costs.’

Namgung Jeok hadn’t completely lowered his guard just yet. The Namgung Clan had made many enemies over the years— not just from the Unorthodox faction but even within the Orthodox Martial World itself. There were many people who bore grudges against the Namgung Clan.

‘I have to be especially cautious of that blonde foreigner.’

He didn’t really know anything about him.

Although his exotic appearance with blonde hair and golden eyes were fascinating, that wasn’t important. What mattered was that he had killed the Blood-Iron Ghost. There was no trace that suggested a battle even took place—it was a one-sided struggle. Upon briefly inspecting the body, they had seen that his death wasn’t caused by a weapon. The missing arm wasn’t severed—it seemed to have been torn off entirely. Finally, the mark on his neck revealed that he had been strangled to death.

‘This means he killed the Blood-Iron Ghost with his bare hands.’

Namgung Jeok’s eyelids twitched slightly.

There were grandmasters in the martial world who had achieved mastery in fist arts, but they are exceedingly rare. Achieving greatness with fists alone is extremely difficult. It requires extraordinary effort and a purer, more powerful internal energy.

‘But...’

Namgung Jeok gulped.

‘I can’t feel even a trace of his energy at all.’

There were two possibilities. Either he possessed no internal energy whatsoever, or he had reached such a supreme level that it was undetectable.

Having killed the Blood-Iron Ghost with such ease, there was no doubt about his strength. But the notion that he lacked internal energy was absurd.

‘He must be at such a high level that I cannot perceive it.’

Though Namgung Jeok wasn’t an elder of the Namgung Clan, he was still an absolute master. He had fought on the front lines and survived the Great War Between Good and Evil. Even if his internal energy wasn’t the strongest, his experience in battle was extensive. Such experience made him adept at assessing opponents.

‘But I can’t figure out anything. Not even a single piece of information.’

What kind of martial arts does he use? What level has he reached? Does he use his fists or his feet? What weapon does he mainly handle?

None of it was clear.

The more he tried to discern, the more it felt like walking through a foggy haze…

“...!”

At that moment, through the haze, he saw glowing red eyes. Eyes glowing bright red like lava, with brilliant golden pupils staring directly at him.

“How was it? Did you get a good look?”

“...!”

Namgung Jeok couldn’t open his mouth, frozen in place.

Was it just his imagination? The terrifying red eyes were gone. In their place were mischievous, childlike eyes filled with playfulness.

Sun Wukong grinned faintly.

“Oh, I noticed how intensely you were observing me. So, did you figure out anything about me?”

“Well, t-that is…”

Namgung Jeok stuttered, never expecting Sun Wukong would know he was observing him.

Clearly, he had been having a meaningless conversation with Sha Wujing the entire time...

“I'll make one thing clear. I am not your enemy.”

“…I apologize. It’s embarrassing to admit, but the Namgung Clan has many enemies, so I was wary without realizing it.”

“I understand. I completely understand—yes, I’m very generous. You see, there’s nothing I wouldn’t understand.”

Sun Wukong chuckled.

“Even though my brother here attacked you due to a misunderstanding, it’s all water under the bridge now. I, Sun Wukong, have always admired the Namgung Clan. Now that we have this connection, could I perhaps visit your clan?”

Hearing these words, Sha Wujing, who had been lying there listlessly, stared at him in disbelief.

Admired the clan? Since when had Sun Wukong ever admired the Namgung Clan?

Namgung Jeok exchanged glances with Namgung Seon for a moment.

Allowing someone whose identity is unknown to enter...

Of course, technically, he was the benefactor who killed their enemy, the Blood-Iron Ghost.

Seeing Namgung Jeok’s hesitation, Sun Wukong suddenly interjected.

“Ah, are you hesitating because you’re unsure about my identity?”

His blunt remark struck directly.

Namgung Jeok hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“I apologize, but that’s correct. While I haven’t heard all the rumors circulating in the martial world, I still know a lot. But… I’ve never heard of anyone like you in any of them.”

Sun Wukong waved his hand dismissively as if it was nothing.

“Ahaha. I understand completely. Well then, I’ll have to introduce myself properly. Who am I, you ask? I’ll tell you.”

With an exaggerated shrug, Sun Wukong spread his arms wide, adopting a grandiose stance.

Sha Wujing, watching wearily, placed a hand on his forehead.

‘Ah…’

Surely not...

‘Not that bullshit again.’

Namgung Jeok’s attention was drawn to Sun Wukong’s sudden movement.

For some reason, it felt as if the scenery around them had changed.

The clouds parted, the wind and rain calmed, and sunlight seemed to shine only on Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong cleared his throat loudly and launched into a grand speech.

"Now, who am I, you ask? When lightning struck and shattered the great rock beneath Mount Huaguo, a handsome monkey with beautiful fur was born, roaring to the heavens and earth from all directions. The one crafted by heaven and sculpted by earth, called none other than the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, Sun Wukong..."

Sha Wujing could only lower his head while looking at the two bewildered martial artists from the Namgung Clan, who stood frozen, staring blankly at Sun Wukong.

“Look at that. Even the Namgung Clan opened their gates upon hearing my name.”

Is that really what you think?

Sha Wujing sighed as he overheard the conversation between Namgung Jeok and a well-built woman in front of the Namgung Clan’s grand entrance.

“He’s a master who killed the Blood-Iron Ghost. But his behavior… I think he might be a madman…”

“He claims to be the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, from Journey to the West, saying he descended to the Mortal Realm on a mission from Guanyin... he’s definitely an insane bastard.”

“He’s not just mildly insane—he might go berserk at any moment. We should monitor him closely for now...”

“For now, it’s probably best if the Clan Head personally confirms everything.”

There’s no way Sun Wukong’s hearing would miss the conversation they were having. But still…

“Even if I hadn’t taken down the Blood-Iron Ghost, just my name alone would have been enough to open these gates. That, my friend, is the power of the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal. Remember that, Sha Wujing.”

“…Yes, yes, I understand.”

Growing exhausted from talking with Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing simply nodded weakly in response.

Regardless of how things had turned out, Sun Wukong had arrived at the Namgung Clan.

The woman who had been speaking with Namgung Jeok approached slowly.

She was a healthy beauty, her firm muscles forming graceful curves beneath her clothes.

Her hands were rough with calluses, and her body lines were clearly defined with tightly knit muscles. Anyone could see she carried the appearance of a skilled martial artist.

Mu Hwa, the Chief Deputy, greeted them politely.

“Welcome to the Namgung Clan.”

Sun Wukong remained silent.

“...?”

He just stared at Mu Hwa intently.

A faint smile appeared on the corners of Sun Wukong’s mouth.

“Nice to meet you. Very nice to meet you.”

Just like the clear, blazing thread of fate that connected him to Sha Wujing, a bright and unmistakable thread linked him to her as well.

Guanyin had said that traces of Tang Sanzang could be found at the Namgung Clan.

Sun Wukong’s eyes gleamed.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried

Our series