12.2 The Peach Festival

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

9.2 Pork Buns

10. A Predator's Vacation

11.1 The Peach Festival

11.2 The Peach Festival

12.1 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;~ Sun Ritsu ~&#x3C;/em&#x3E;&#x3C;/strong&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;A bus?&#x201D; Ham Song snorted. &#x201C;This paper space is nothing more than the inside of an old bus cart?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Ritsu took in the foggy green lighting and the dated advertisements. There were two seats facing opposite each other. Despite his complaints, Ham Song had already helped himself to one of them. Ritsu took a seat on the other one in an upright position.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Ham Song took notice. &#x201C;Benign monkey, what are you doing?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;I&#x2019;m going to stay up and wait for Bodhi. I&#x2019;m guessing they don&#x27;t want to just sleep on the floor.&#x201D; He noticed the disapproval on Ham Song&#x2019;s face. &#x201C;Don&#x2019;t look at me like that. Without Bodhi&#x2019;s help, we would have nowhere to sleep, and you know it.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Suit yourself, monkey. In my opinion, you give that monk too much credit, but what do I know?&#x201D; Ham Song grunted and rolled until his back was facing Ritsu. &#x201C;I&#x2019;m nothing but an old pig.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Ritsu leaned back in the seat and preoccupied himself by staring out of the artificial window above Ham Song. He saw a sleepy cityscape forever frozen in twilight. Every now and then, the image would flicker, as if to remind Ritsu that his essence was at the mercy of whatever was happening on the outside of the little paper crane.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Ritsu waited to the point where he could no longer keep his eyes open. As he drifted off, he lost track of time until a noise other than Ham Song&#x2019;s snoring brought him back to attention. The monkey pulled himself out of his slouch to see a lump curled up on the floor of the cart.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Thanks to the peachy light coming in through the window, his eyes quickly adjusted. Ritsu realized that the lump was Bodhi, curled up tightly and trembling at random intervals.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Without thinking, Ritsu left the seat and stretched out alongside the monk. He looped his arms around their middle and pulled them against his navel. He suddenly registered the lavender bath oils clinging to Bodhi&#x2019;s skin. Taking a big inhale, he whispered, &#x201C;You smell nice.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Ape,&#x201D; Bodhi hissed through chattering teeth, &#x201C;w-what do you th-think you&#x2019;re d-doing?&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;Ritsu only held on tighter when Bodhi tried to squirm away. &#x201C;You looked cold. There&#x2019;s not enough room for both of us on the seat, so I thought I would just come to you and help you warm up.&#x201D;&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;A particularly violent shiver passed over Bodhi. &#x201C;These shakes have nothing to do with the temperature. I&#x2019;m going through withdrawal, you dumbass.&#x201D;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;By then, Ritsu was too deep in slumber to hear Bodhi&#x2019;s insult. Now unconscious, his glamour became untethered, covering Bodhi in a layer of warm, velvety fur. Their shaking became less and less frequent. They were close to drifting off to sleep themself when another presence plopped down next to them.&#x26;nbsp;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x201C;Don&#x2019;t mind me, monk. I&#x2019;m just trying to get warm.&#x201D; The pig grunted before he went back to snoring. Bodhi sighed. Whether it was out of frustration or satisfaction, no one might ever know.&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#x3C;/p&#x3E;&#x3C;p&#x3E;&#x3C;br&#x3E;&#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