9.2 Pork Buns

Preface: Enter Sun Duza

1. Sun Ritsu

2. Anari

3. Bodhi

4. Ham Song

5. As Luck Would Have It

6.1 A Handsome Monkey King

6.2 A Handsome Monkey King

7. A Baneful Monkey

8.1 A Shy Spider

8.2 A Shy Spider

9.1 Pork Buns

10. A Predator's Vacation

11.1 The Peach Festival

11.2 The Peach Festival

12.1 The Peach Festival

12.2 The Peach Festival

13.1 The Peach Festival

13.2 The Peach Festival

14.1 The Peach Festival

14.2 The Peach Festival

14.3 The Peach Festival

15.1 The Jade Pool

15.2 The Jade Pool

16.1 The Jade Pool

16.2 The Jade Pool

17.1 The Garden of Immortal Peaches

17.2 The Garden of Immortal Peaches

18.1 Walking Crane, Barbecued Duck

18.2 Walking Crane, Barbecued Duck

19.1 Ripe Peach Mountain

19.2 Ripe Peach Mountain

19.3 Ripe Peach Mountain

20.1 Ripe Peach Mountain

20.2 Ripe Peach Mountain

21.1 The Heavenly River

21.2 The Heavenly River

22.1 The Heavenly River

22.2 The Heavenly River

23.1 The Heavenly River

23.2 The Heavenly River

24. Of Peach Soda Pop and Pilfering

25.1 Of Peach Soda Pop and Pilfering

25.2 Of Peach Soda Pop and Pilfering

26.1 Of Peach Soda Pop and Pilfering

26.2 Of Peach Soda Pop and Pilfering

27.1 Of Peach Soda Pop and Pilfering

27.2 Of Peach Soda Pop and Pilfering

28. The Hall of Perfect Light

29.1 The Hall of Perfect Light

29.2 The Hall of Perfect Light

30.1 The Golden-Hooped Rod of Compliance

30.2 The Golden-Hooped Rod of Compliance

31.1 The Golden-Hooped Rod of Compliance

31.2 The Golden-Hooped Rod of Compliance

32.1 Beef Pan-fried, Side of Lemon Lime

32.2 Beef-Pan Fried, Side of Lemon Lime

33.1 Like Scooping the Moon from the Water

33.2 Like Scooping the Moon from the Water

34.1 Like Scooping the Moon from the Water

34.2 Like Scooping the Moon from the Water

35.1 Like Scooping the Moon from the Water

35.2 Like Scooping the Moon from the Water

36.1 Like Scooping the Moon from the Water

36.2 Like Scooping the Moon from the Water

37.1 The Divine Cave of Three Stars

37.2 The Divine Cave of Three Stars

38.1 The Divine Cave of Three Stars

38.2 The Divine Cave of Three Stars

39.1 The Divine Cave of Three Stars

39.2 The Divine Cave of Three Stars

40.1 The Divine Cave of Three Stars

40.2 The Divine Cave of Three Stars

41.1 The Drums of Heaven

41.2 The Drums of Heaven

41.3 The Drums of Heaven

42. A Diamond Body

43. A Diamond Body

44.1 A Diamond Body

44.2 A Diamond Body

44.3 A Diamond Body

45.1 A Diamond Body

45.2 A Diamond Body

46.1 A Diamond Body

46.2 A Diamond Body

47.1 Wondrous and True

47.2 Wondrous and True

48.1 Wondrous and True

48.2 Wondrous and True

49.1 Wondrous and True

49.2 Wondrous and True

50. Wondrous and True

&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;strong&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;~ Bodhi ~&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/strong&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Bodhi became aware and pulled themself upright in &#x2013; they looked around &#x2013; a restaurant booth?&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;em&#x3E;So I never left the noodle house? Fantastic. Hold on . . .&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Their vision came into better focus. This wasn&#x2019;t the same noodle house. In fact, it looked more like the inside of a floating snack depot. The walls and furniture were painted orange and white with accents of green. Sitting across from them was the monkey and the pig from the noodle house.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;The pig blurted, &#x201C;Are you a boy or a girl? Sun Ritsu thinks you&#x2019;re a girl, but I disagree.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Bodhi looked around. There was a pork bun sealed in clear plastic on the table next to a styrofoam container of instant ramen.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;The monkey said, &#x201C;I didn&#x2019;t know which one you wanted. I know monks are vegetarian, so I got the noodles, but you also smelled like you had a lot to drink so I thought maybe you weren&#x2019;t a real monk and got you the pork bun too.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Bodhi cocked an eyebrow at the pig, who was also chowing down on a pork bun.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;The pig licked his single tusk. &#x201C;Don&#x2019;t ask.&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Warily, Bodhi went for the bun. &#x201C;I &#x3C;em&#x3E;am&#x3C;/em&#x3E; a real monk.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;The pig turned to the monkey. &#x201C;Now that the monk&#x2019;s awake, I agree with you, monkey. She does look more like a girl.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Bodhi went for the ramen after swallowing the pork bun. The monkey stammered, &#x201C;So that was actually supposed to be mine&#x2013; &#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;As if they hadn&#x2019;t heard him, Bodhi broke the seal on the chopsticks and barked, &#x201C;Waiter! Can we get some hot water over here?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;When it was clear that the monk had no intention of handing over the noodles, the sun clone got up and wandered down an aisle. The pig stretched his plastic wrapper out over the tabletop with his little hooves as he licked it clean.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;We found your sloppy ass down by the ditch behind Gong-jon&#x2019;s. You practically had one foot in the Lake of Ninefold Darkness.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Someone dropped off a kettle of boiling water. Bodhi poured some of it into their container.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;&#x3C;em&#x3E;And&#x3C;/em&#x3E;, pig?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Ham Song is my name,&#x201D; he said. &#x201C;And you could show a little gratitude to the monkey. He&#x2019;s gentler than the average spirit.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Bodhi drank the scalding broth first. &#x201C;So what you mean is, outside of his Immortal State, he&#x2019;s an idiot.&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Ritsu sat down. &#x201C;It&#x2019;s okay. I just got another one.&#x201D; He cheerfully opened the pork bun sealed in plastic. &#x201C;But that was the last of my money.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;~&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;What&#x2019;s wrong, Dear Traveler? Don&#x2019;t you want to know what happened to Anari?&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Don&#x2019;t worry, we&#x2019;ll return to this &#x3C;em&#x3E;riveting&#x3C;/em&#x3E; conversation over pork buns. Trust me, our lackluster hero has nowhere to be but right here in this snack depot until we get back.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;

&#x3C;p&#x3E;The Ninth Heaven is home to many absurdities, including unchecked greed, acts of injustice, and senseless overcompetition. On this vast spiritual plane, four spirits come together to recover something precious that was lost. Among them is Ham Song - a pig who occasionally vomits immortal peaches. Anari - a spidery assassin. Bodhi - a drunk, wayward monk.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;And lastly, there is Sun Ritsu. He&#x27;s a typical monkey spirit with genes identical to that of the legendary Great Sage, Sun Wukong. Sun clones like Ritsu are known for their cleverness, unpredictability, and relentless tenacity. Yet oddly enough, the three spirits in Ritsu&#x27;s company find that he doesn&#x27;t always fit this model. Outside of his Immortal State, Ritsu isn&#x27;t particularly clever or especially motivated to increase his rank. He is simply... kind.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;In a realm where greed and social competition shape the way of life, the notion of acting out of kindness is, quite frankly, absurd.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;

The Rising Sun Saga