The Lion Among Men

"Goddamn demons."

A man with a hideous scar carved across one cheek yanked an arrow from a demon's eye without the slightest hesitation. The creature convulsed. Crimson blood spilled out, thick with a rancid stench, and the man wrinkled his nose. He drew a dagger from his belt and slashed the demon's artery clean through.

"Why the hell do these things keep swarming around here?"

He swept a quiet look across the mountain. His family had hunted these slopes for generations. Tigers, vipers, every kind of vicious beast had always lurked here — but demons among them had been truly rare, appearing maybe once in a great while. Lately, though, the air itself had changed. The demons were showing up every other day.

"What's drawing these things? What the hell is it?"

The man grumbled as he wandered the mountain at random. This damned mountain — something about it was thick with ill fortune, no doubt about it. After roaming the slopes for a long while, he finally collapsed, his face drawn with exhaustion.

"There's nothing here. Nothing at all."

What could possibly be in a place this remote? He couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen another person. The man let out a deep sigh and sat down carelessly on the ground.

"Urgh!"

That was when it happened. A groan from beneath him sent the man leaping to his feet in shock.

"What the—?!"

There had been nothing beneath him. Just thickly grown weeds. But he had definitely heard a sound. As he glared down with his spear raised, something faintly stirring caught his eye.

Then a bone-chilling cry rang out, like iron being scraped raw.

"You filthy human spawn... you dare sit on the head of the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven?"

"...A monkey?"

It was a monkey. How long had it been sitting there? Covered in dirt and dust, grass had even grown over it. The man rubbed his eyes. A sheer cliff — and a monkey buried at its base. A shiver ran through him.

"You're that hellion Bimawen who turned Heaven upside down!"

"Bimawen? Did you just say Bimawen? How dare you — how dare you, you filthy human spawn, address this Great Sage as—!"

"Hmph. I heard the Buddha caught you and you were serving your sentence. So this is Wuxing Mountain."

The man snorted and poked Sun Wukong's head with the tip of his foot. Sun Wukong's face went blank. This was a first. The man knew exactly who he was — and he was still doing this?

"You think I'll be trapped here forever?!"

"You might get out someday."

"And you dare look down on me?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"..."

Sun Wukong was speechless. He just stared blankly at the man — a hunter whose entire body was plastered with weapons. Daggers, a bow, a spear, a sword, an axe, rope. Every kind of weapon imaginable.

"...You're a demon hunter."

"Just a hunter. Demons get in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠way, so I kill them while I'm at it."

Sun Wukong closed his mouth. There wasn't a trace of fear on the man's face. Even looking into his eyes, there wasn't the slightest hint of terror.

A strong human.

Not strong on the outside — strong on the inside.

"You sinful monkey. Just sit there quietly, take your punishment, and repent."

The man turned away as if he couldn't care less. Sun Wukong called out to stop him.

"W-wait!"

"..."

The man turned his head with a look of complete disinterest. Sun Wukong bit his lip hard, then let out a heavy sigh.

"Water. Give me some water."

"..."

"Help... please help me."

It was a desperate plea. The man stared at him for a long time. The weary-faced monkey. Was this really the monkey demon who had eaten humans alive? He let out a deep sigh and carefully poured the water he was carrying. A tongue cracked like parched earth barely managed to lap at it.

A sudden curiosity arose.

"How do you get water and food?"

"I catch rainwater when it rains. For food, I snatch passing insects with my tongue like a frog."

"That's a wretched way to live."

The man sat down beside him, seeming to have grown interested.

"Let's hear it, then. The story of how you turned Heaven into a mess."

"..."

Sun Wukong was silent for a long while before slowly opening his mouth. As if he'd found a conversation partner at last, the man listened to every word of it, endlessly.

That was the day it started.

Every morning, the man came to see Sun Wukong, bringing water and food. Sun Wukong's expression grew peculiar. A hunter who killed demons. The guts not to fear him. That was why he'd asked for water in the first place. No one else had ever approached him. He was being punished by the Buddha — who would speak to him, who would help him? The eyes of the venerable Buddha were in the heavens. And yet the man came every day as if he couldn't care less about any of that. As if he were simply keeping him company.

Curious, he asked.

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Of what? You? You're just Sun Wukong in the Buddha's palm, no matter how you look at it."

"Not me. Aren't you afraid of the Buddha?"

"Why would I fear the Buddha?"

"I'm in this body because I was punished. You think he'll look kindly on you for taking care of someone like me?"

The man chuckled.

"What kind of Buddha would refuse even the mercy of pitying a wretched soul and offering a sip of water, a handful of fruit?"

"..."

"I simply took it to mean that the Buddha, seeing you here and me standing in this place, intended for me to show you mercy."

Sun Wukong fell silent. His voice, always so full of wariness, softened a degree.

"I've told you a lot about myself, but come to think of it, I never even heard your name. What do they call you?"

The man answered without hesitation. If anything, a faint joy seemed to settle over him at finally being asked his name.

The strange relationship continued. Yu Baekheum always came to see Sun Wukong, and Sun Wukong, if the man failed to appear, found himself strangely disappointed — waiting, in spite of himself. Yu Baekheum, who had lived alone guarding the mountain. Sun Wukong, who had been imprisoned alone on Wuxing Mountain, serving his sentence. The two of them understood each other in a way that defied explanation. They became each other's teachers, too. Sun Wukong taught Yu Baekheum the traits and weaknesses of demons. Yu Baekheum told him how to live as a human, and shared the stories of his own experience. That was the kind of relationship they had.

Sometimes Yu Baekheum brought liquor and got roaring drunk. For the first time in his life, Sun Wukong found himself laughing and talking with a human being.

Then one day, Yu Baekheum came staggering toward him, his entire body soaked in blood. His steps were so precarious he looked ready to collapse at any moment. Blood dripped from his fingertips. Wounds covered him from head to toe. Sun Wukong lost his words.

"What happened. What happened to you?"

"Don't make a fuss. I'm fine. A few dozen demons came at me in a pack, that's all. I'm just worn out."

"A few dozen?"

"There was a tiger demon among them, too. Ugh. Fought the thing all day."

"What kind of creatures would give even you that much trouble...?"

"What do you think? It's because of that monk."

Yu Baekheum turned his gaze with a weary smile.

"He's crossing this brutal country on two legs, all alone — and his Buddhist power is so profound that every demon in the region is throwing itself at him, trying to devour him. I'm a man who lives by the Buddha's mercy myself. How could I just leave a poor high monk like that to fend for himself?"

Pinned face-down as he was, Sun Wukong couldn't see that far. Then came the sound of footsteps, spreading quietly, unhurriedly. Sun Wukong clenched his teeth and forced his head up. Just who was this person — why had this man been hurt so badly for his sake?!

And yet Yu Baekheum smiled as if it were nothing, bold as ever.

"This was it. The reason I've lived here hunting all this time. The reason I sat here laughing and talking with you, Brother Sun. It was all so I could bring that monk to you."

Sun Wukong's eyes flew wide.

A brilliant sun was rising. Beneath it, a face stood in shadow. The shade made the features hard to see — but the smile within it, white and calm, shone through with perfect clarity.

"So you are Wukong."

A low, pleasant voice, beautiful to the ear. Sun Wukong did not answer. The monk spoke.

"I have come to meet you — so that we might go to India together."

He gently stroked Sun Wukong's head.

Sanzang smiled in warm greeting.

"So who was I in my past life?"

Namgung Jinbaek's question pulled Sun Wukong from his brief reverie. A faint, distant smile rose to his face.

Yu Baekheum. The one who had driven his loneliness far away, who had laughed and talked with him — and who had led Sanzang to him.

"You were my friend. The first friend I ever made."

"Hahahaha. A friend, you say. That's a fine ring to it."

Namgung Jinbaek laughed as if the whole thing delighted him. He laughed for quite some time. Then, still wearing that thoroughly entertained expression, he rose from his seat in one cheerful motion.

"Good. If we were friends in a past life, then we're friends now, aren't we?"

"...That's right."

"In that case, let's become sworn brothers. Teacher Sun — how old are you?"

"My age?"

"You look young, and yet there's a depth to you. Given your level of cultivation, it's impossible to guess. But your face is far younger than mine. Wouldn't you say so, little brother?"

Sun Wukong's eyebrows shot up.

"Did I not tell you?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm a monkey who's been alive for hundreds — thousands — of years."

"Ah, that. A fine joke, that one..."

"Call ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me big brother. Little brother."

"..."

Namgung Jinbaek lost his words. He was the patriarch of the great Namgung Clan. One of the Ten Great Masters. No — after that duel, he had achieved enlightenment. He might well have reached even beyond that, touching the realm of the Three Venerables. And a man like that was supposed to... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to that young face...?

He composed himself and spoke with a laugh.

"Hahaha, Teacher Sun, looking at it purely by age, I would be the older—"

The rest of the sentence trailed off. Sun Wukong was idly running his fingers along the iron staff he'd set beside him. The corner of Namgung Jinbaek's eye gave a faint twitch. Sun Wukong wore a wicked little smile.

"This staff of mine... it's got a nice, heavy feel in the hand."

"..."

Namgung Jinbaek wrestled with himself. But not for long. Becoming patriarch of the Namgung Clan had deepened his thinking, true enough — yet at his core he was still Namgung blood. A thoroughly practical man who disliked anything unnecessarily complicated.

"If you're stronger than me, you're the older brother. That's just how it is. I'll honor you as such, Teacher Sun."

"And I'll respect you in turn. Little brother."

Sun Wukong smiled faintly. He looked quietly at Namgung Jinbaek.

Brother Yu...

The first friend he had ever made. The only human he had truly regarded as a friend. A being who was human, and yet strong — outwardly strong enough to cut down great demons, and inwardly a man of iron nerve who feared nothing at all.

Once, after Wukong had ascended to Heaven, Guanyin had spoken of him.

A man born strong from the very start, she had said. Like Shakyamuni Buddha himself — a man whose very nature was strength.

A lion among men, she called him.

A being like a lion, the strongest among all humans. That had been Yu Baekheum. And that was Namgung Jinbaek now.

But the story of Yu Baekheum had not ended there.

Namgung Jinbaek cleared his throat and spoke carefully.

"Well then, big brother. Now that you've accepted this little brother of yours — would you consider granting him one request?"

"A request."

"What I mentioned earlier. Become the master of those two children — Muyoung and Seowol."

"..."

Sun Wukong's eyes grew still and calm. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Guanyin's voice seemed to drift faintly through his mind.

That had been Yu Baekheum's role. A precious grace that connected Sun Wukong to Sanzang. The starting point of the journey to the West. It had only been possible because Yu Baekheum was there.

Sun Wukong looked quietly at Namgung Jinbaek's face.

"Muyoung and Seowol are gifted children. But they still have much to learn. As a father, as an uncle, I have taught them a great deal — but there were limits."

His expression was utterly serious.

"Walk with those two children, big brother."

Yu Baekheum, who had brought Sanzang to him. If that had been his fate and his role — then what was the fate and role of Namgung Jinbaek, his reincarnation?

He was entrusting Namgung Muyoung and Seowol to him.

So that's it. Once again.

A faint smile touched Sun Wukong's lips.

Sanzang is among the two of them.

This was the thread of fate that did not unravel, no matter how many times the wheel of reincarnation turned. Destiny, plain and unmistakable. Sun Wukong laughed, as if he found it genuinely amusing.

If the you of the past led Sanzang to me — and if you are doing so even now...

Then I'll leave myself to the current of that fate.