Following the prologue, we have gained some understanding of the characters, setting, and plot within the game. To enhance your experience and immersion, we will continue to introduce some cultural knowledge about “”Black Myth: Wukong””.
“Chapter One: The Grey Wolf Forest”
In this chapter, The Destined One encounters numerous lesser Yaoguai, specifically Wolf Guai, which are wolves that have cultivated themselves through mystical practices to transform into Yaoguai. In Chinese mythology, it is believed that animals can cultivate themselves to achieve immortality and transform into human forms to interact with humans.
There is a distinction between Western werewolves and Eastern Wolf Guai. Western werewolves are a common feature in fantasy works; however, in Chinese culture, while Wolf Guai do exist, they are not as prominently featured. Like fox Guai and rat Guai, Wolf Guai are the result of animals cultivating their essence to become spirits. In essence, the main difference between Western werewolves, who are fundamentally humans that undergo a genetic mutation or infection to become wolves, and Eastern Wolf Guai, who are inherently wolves that obtain human-like cognition through cultivation or other mystical means and can transform into human form and possess magical powers, is their origin.
Along the way, the Destined One comes across a Tudigong temple and meets a minor deity known as the Tudigong of Black Wind Mountain.
Tudigong temples, also known as Merit temples or Bogong temples, are places of worship dedicated to Tudigong, the Earth God, in Chinese folk religion. These temples are generally spontaneously established small buildings widely distributed across the rural areas of China. Due to the deity’s lower status, Tudigong temples are often simple in design, with some constructed merely from three stones. Some of these temples, due to flourishing incense offerings, have gradually developed into medium to large structures.
Tudigong is a local community deity whose worship became widespread after the Qin and Han dynasties. In traditional Chinese culture, worshiping Tudigong is equivalent to worshiping the earth. In modern times, this practice is commonly associated with praying for blessings, wealth, safety, and agricultural yields. Although Tudigong holds a lower position among the Immortals in Taoism, he has a close relationship with the people and serves as a local protector deity, responsible for peace and tranquility in the region.
The origin of Tudigong temples and the Earth God stems from ancient peoples’ reverence for the land. According to Chinese folk customs, farmers traditionally offer sacrifices to Tudigong during the planting and harvesting seasons, praying for a bountiful harvest. The ancients believed that the earth was the source of all things, making the Earth God widely revered. Since ancient times, Tudigong has been one of the important deities in the sacrificial system. As focal points for the concentrated worship of Tudigong, these temples naturally flourished. In many Han Chinese areas, each person is born with a “temple king Tudigong,” akin to one’s place of origin. After a person dies, rites of passage are also performed to honor the Tudigong temple to which they belong.
The first minor boss that the Destined One encountered was Gyu Huyuan, the gatekeeper of Black Wind Mountain and a bovine demon. Gyu Huyuan had guarded the gate for a hundred years without promotion, but he was content because of his admiration for the king and the elixirs often bestowed upon him by the king. He kept these elixirs in a golden lacquered pearwood box and would always wash his hands and rinse his mouth, then Burn high incense to pay respect to heaven and earth before taking them. Some lesser Guai in the mountain suspected something special about Gyu Huyuan’s elixirs and switched them, but they felt no effect, while Gyu Huyuan remained as vigorous as ever. People said he had “a fool’s luck,” but it was likely his devout worship that gave him strength.
The immobilization spell used by the Destined One in battle is a form of Supernatural powers that renders living beings unable to move. It includes Qi Gong pressure point techniques, Magic spells (immobilization spells), and modern technology. This type of Magic spell is depicted in various legends and classics about Immortals.
In the game, Guangzhi is a character from the Chinese literary classic “Journey to the West,” a disciple of the elder monk at the Guanyin Zen Temple. In “Journey to the West,” when Tang Seng and Wukong arrive at the Guanyin Zen Temple, they are warmly received by the elder monk. Wukong boasts about his Kasaya, sparking greed in the elder monk who then borrows it to admire in his room. In an attempt to claim the Kasaya, Monk Guangzhi suggests killing Tang Seng with a knife, but after failing, he follows his junior brother Guangmou’s advice to set the temple on fire, intending to kill Tang Seng and his disciples. Wukong rushes to the Southern Heavenly Gate to borrow a Fire-protecting cover from Virūpākṣa to save his master. He then conjures a divine wind that reduces the Guanyin Zen Temple to rubble. Overwhelmed by shame and fear, the elder monk could not face anyone and eventually died by running into a wall.
When Guangzhi was young, he was not a monk, but a young wolf Guai who desperately wanted to become human. He often transformed himself to play in the town, but he was always recognized and chased by the people. He asked other young Guai why this was, and they said, “Although you look human, you lack the essence of humanity, so of course you’ll be recognized. If you want to learn to be human, you should stay among them, interact with them, and learn their etiquette and customs.” He took this advice to heart and asked his king for help. His king, the old Lingxuzi, was friends with the Black Bear Spirit in the mountains, who transformed him into a young monk and recommended him to elder Jinchi as a disciple.
At first, the monks in the temple did not like him and often played tricks on him. He was always gullible and easily deceived. The old monk then named him Guangzhi, hoping he would become clever and sharp-witted, no longer easily fooled. Under the old monk’s guidance, Guangzhi learned to read and write, gradually integrating into the monk community.
One day, Tang Seng and his disciple came to the temple, bringing with them a brocade Kasaya. The old monk became greedy upon seeing it. Guangzhi, in an effort to repay his gratitude, carefully plotted but did not anticipate that a moment’s error would lead to a red wave of fire that engulfed the entire Zen monastery. The old monk took his own life, Lingxuzi died under the Golden Hoop, and the Black Bear Spirit was subdued. Guangzhi, feeling deeply responsible for involving many others, decided he had failed at being human, abandoned his monkhood, and returned to the mountains to repent and reflect on the Dharma as taught by the old monk.
While cultivating in the mountains, he created a new weapon modeled after the fire wave that night, named “Red Tide.”
In the game, Lingxuzi is a grey wolf Guai, originally a refugee from the Lion Camel Kingdom. After the city fell, the pack of wolves followed him and eventually settled under the protection of the Black Wind Monster.
Ling Xu Zi, unlike the old Ling Xu Zi who enjoyed seeking immortality and enlightenment, scorned the empty promises of eternal life and focused solely on cultivating his physical strength. With a grip as strong as iron claws, he could skin and debone with a single hook. Supported by the Black Bear Spirit, the Grey Wolf Spirit was crowned the new Guai King and renamed Ling Xu Zi, tasked with guarding the Guanyin Zen Monastery. The Wolf Demon from the Lion Camel Kingdom, who arrived with him, also rose in power, enjoying a lifestyle far surpassing the former members of the Black Wind Mountain. The original Wolf Demons, dissatisfied with Ling Xu Zi’s approach to cultivation, felt sidelined and grew resentful, secretly plotting to denounce him.
Under the guise of a roll call, Ling Xu Zi summoned the local minor Guai to the monastery and ordered his followers to capture the dissenting Guai. Chaos ensued in the monastery, and he leapt from the rooftop, diving into the crowd of Guai, intending to devour them all.
Guang Zhi, hearing the commotion, rushed over and confronted Ling Xu Zi, saving the lives of the minor Guai. When the Black Wind King learned of this, he initially wanted to punish the Guai, but fortunately, the intervention of the Snake Spirit faction helped both parties reach a peaceful resolution. From then on, the local old Wolf Demons no longer dared approach the Guanyin Zen Monastery, which explains why there are no other Wolf Demons in the game.
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