Portraits

影神图

This book is bound by:

Black Myth: Wukong is a game by Game Science, published in 2024. This is a collection of the in-game journal entries. This is a fan project and for personal use only; no profits are made from this typeset.

Journal entries provided by https://blackmythwukong.fandom.com/ Journal portraits taken from Black Myth: Wukong

Typeset by EggFriedPenguin in Berlin, Germany 2024

Lesser Yaoguai (From Chapter 1-2 of the game)

第一、二章节中出现的小妖

—— ——start of the text —— ——

Wolf Scout

狼斥候

Immaculate skills, the wolf's lone aim,

No price too high, his heart aflame.

Yet Wayward efforts brought no gain,

A futile vision-all in vain.

Among the wolf guais, there was a young one, ambitious and always seeking rapid progress on the path of Dao. However, his time spent practicing was short, and his skills remained shallow. He couldn't yet grasp the deeper techniques of his clan, leaving him impatient.

One day, during his routine patrol, he carried a cask of fine wine. As he passed the mountain gate, he encountered the gatekeeper, Bullguard, who had a weakness for liquor. Eager to learn, the young wolf shared the wine with Bullguard and seized the opportunity to inquire about secret techniques. Partaken in the wine, feeling compelled, Bullguard taught him a few tricks. Rejoicing, the young wolf hurried home to practice.

Two months passed, and having found little benefit in those teachings, he contemplated giving up. Recalling his previous success in bartering wine for knowledge, he retrieved a small golden statue and approached the Snake Patroller. Persuaded by gold, the greedy creature shared some techniques with him. Back at home, the young wolf practiced as instructed. Another month passed, yet his gains remained minimal. Undeterred, he repeated his tactics with other guais, exchanging valuables for teachings.

Over time, he visited everyone in the mountain, amassing a repertoire of techniques. Yet, despite practicing one today and another the next, he made no progress. Eventually, a compassionate elder wolf offered guidance. Yet, the young wolf conversely started lecturing the kind old wolf with his strange mastery, leaving him speechless. From that point on, no one in the clan was willing to teach him.

Wolf Swornsword

狼剑客

Meager of wit wrapped in white attire,

In sludge they crawl, yet yearn for higher.

Bent to power, king's favor they seek,

Where even lowly fowls may peak.

A white-robed wolf guai, patrolling the hills, seized a sword from a traveler. Jewels studded its scabbard, its blade sharp and bright. Coveting it, he strapped the sword to his side, reveling in its splendor. Yet, when it was time to give tribute, he hid it away. The other guais chided, "Without offering such treasures to the king, how will you earn his favor, or do you fancy patrolling forever?" The wolf guai scoffed, "Such treasures we cherish, the king barely notices. You offer scrap metal and dream of favor? You are fools."

They dismissed his words, seeing them as mere excuses to shrik his duty, while they toiled on. The wolf guai indulged in preaches and drank wherever he could lay hands on them ,keeping the very best for himself. The others knew his punishment would come, and waited.

One day, the Black Wind King held a lecture on Buddhism in the mountains, speaking of enlightenment and revival. His guardians spread paper talismans, and all were commanded to consume them before the chanting and prayers. Hours later, the king inquired about their enlightenment. A pause fell; then, the white robed wolf guai stood, and there emerged others, one by one.

The next day, a decree was issued to the guardians: the wolf guai was promoted to a minor captain. All the other guais, puzzled, whispered among themselves. How had the wolf guai not only escaped punishment but found himself rewarded?

Wolf Soldier

狼校卫

Sunswept hills they guard and tread,

From glint of steel, their daily bread.

Far-flung from their native land,

At nights, for home, their souls shall stand.

Ever since the black bear guai returned from Guanyin and crowned himself king, he boasted of the arts he had learned. Tales of his newfound method of practice and power of revival allured many a guai of Black Wind mountain. Seeking the king's favor, these minions toiled with abandon.

Among them, a wolf guai worked with tireless zeal. He rose before dawn, patrolled the mountains, and continued well into the night. All of the treasures he found were first laid at the king's feet. His life was one of labor, and yet, without a moment to make friends. Despite his dedication, his presence barely stirred a whisper among the others, and his name was seldom uttered.

His brother, seeing such unacknowledged dedication, spent his savings for a seat in the king's lecture. The wolf guai sat there, heavy with regret for the silver he had squandered, both on the journey here and the seat at the lecture, that could have been used to buy himself a shield or blade. "Had I a new blade", he mused, "glory could have been mine".

As he pondered this, golden-clad guardians scattered paper talismans before him. Commanded to consume them, they then chanted in meditation for hours until the king sought signs of enlightenment. The white-robed wolf guai stood first, claiming a fervor within and clarity of mind.

The diligent wolf guai thought to himself, "Sweating fervently in a crowd is no marvel... Achieving clarity after chanting is no miracle". Just as he was lost in thought, the blue ox guai rose next, followed by others. The diligent wolf guai stayed seated, unsure, until the king gestured for them all to sit down.

Later, treasures were doled out; the ox guai received a golden pill, the white robed wolf guai a title. But the diligent one kept his old shield and dull blade, patrolling the mountain still. Only from then on, he did it all under the white robed one's whims, ever obedient.

Wolf Stalwart

狼力士

Neither sky cares, nor earth will hold,

By liquor's laugh, bold spirits unfold.

In drunken dreams, a cosmos wide,

Wake with worries cast aside.

Rare was the revelry for the minor guais who patrolled the mountain paths, their delights not granted but taken in human guise, thieving sustenance from unsuspecting townsfolk. The charade proved fleeting, for the villagers grew wise to their deceit, and the guais, oft caught mid-bite, were met with the town's rugged justice, deterring their mischief.

Among them was a wolf guai with a penchant for drink, who, on a day of indolence, lay beneath an ancient tree. Suddenly, an elder wolf, cloaked in feathers of a crane, appeared to him asking, "Why forsake your patrol for idleness?" The wolf guai sighed, "I long for drink, but the townsfolk see through me; I'm left to quench my thirst only in my dreams." The elder chuckled as he whispered a secret, "Seek the shrine. Conceal yourself behind the curtains, and the sacred spirits' liquor shall be yours to drink." Then, with a shift of form, he vanished.

Wavering in doubt, the wolf guai transformed and hurried to the town's shrine. There, veiled behind curtains, a sacred effigy stood, its origins unknown, the altar laden with delectable offerings and fine spirits. As advised,he nestled himself between the curtains, indulging in the liquor until his belches betrayed him to the gathering crowd in the shrine.

Trapped between the curtains, the wolf guai listened as a voice rang out, "The wine jar I offered is empty. Our tributes were received." A chorus of prayers erupted, beseeching favor from the Immortals.

From that day forth, folks from miles around flocked to the shrine, affording the demon endless drink. But as days passed, the once delightful treat turned bitter; and those prayers, be them piteous or greedy, weighed heavily upon him with helplessness.

One day, unable to endure the bitterness any longer, the wolf guai burst from behind the curtains, hoisting the jar and smashing it on the altar amidst the screams of onlookers. With a deafening crash, he suddenly awoke beneath the tree: no shrine, no incense, no crowd around. With a tired sigh, he took up his axe and set off to patrol the mountains once more.

Wolf Archer

狼弓手

A master archer, none can compare,

Timid when danger fills the air.

Never brave when faced with fear,

Escape his choice, he stays clear.

The Black Wind King hosted a banquet in the temple to celebrate his birthday, and all the yaoguais attended. During the feast, the King hung a lucky ornament on a tree branch, declaring that anyone who could shoot it would receive a rare fortifying golden pill as the reward. The yaoguais were eager to try, but the fierce wind hampered all their attempts.

Among the guests was an old wolf known for his remarkable archery skills. He was cautious, unassuming, and kept to himself in a corner, nursing his drink. A few eager yaoguais asked him to try, and though he declined, they persisted with their teasing until he reluctantly agreed.

Slowly, the wizened old wolf stood up and moved to the position. Some youngsters laughed at him, deeming him incapable. unperturbed, he calmly strung his bow, let loose an arrow, and struck the target dead center, causing a commotion among the crowd.

The old wolf received the reward, and admiration followed suit as others toasted him. among them was a youngster, who commented on the bolus intoxicated. "How generous our King is<' he remarked, "Far better than the Lingxuzi, who was good at making pills but never shared them with his underlings. What a tightwad!" The youngster's words cast a shadow across the old wolf's face, and he silently took his leave. "He had roamed the mountain with Lingxuzi long before our King's reign. Yet, you judged his deceased former master in front of him. Loyal as he is, you are in trouble now!" warned an elder guai. However, the young guai shrugged off his warning.

The next day, the old wolf returned the golden pill to he King, citing its value too high to possess by an archer. Hearing the news, the other yaoguais urged the young on to apologize and seek forgiveness, but he remained defiant. Within a few days, while venturing outside, the youngster was killed by several arrows, each piercing his heart. Many said that even the golden pill couldn't save the youngster from his fate.

Wolf Sentinel

狼侍卫

With his axe as both weapon and cane,

His brows bushy, his hair white as snow.

Who claims the twilight years are in vain?

For learning late can still make one grow.

Long ago, the Wolf Sentinels were the personal guards of old Lingxuzi. They were masters of the long-hafted axe, and their name was spoken in awe among the yaoguais.

When the Black Wind King returned from Guanyin and rebuilt the garrison in the mountain, he took in many wolf guais who had wandered here from Shituo Ridge. This angered the wolf guais native to Black Wind Mountain. To appease them, the Black bear Guai pledged to revive old Lingxuzi. The wolf guais then had no choice but to endure in silence. Yet mere days after the awakening, the old wolf vanished, and no one had seen him since. Upon learning of this, the black bear did not look into the matter but allowed a senior grey wolf guai from the Kingdom of Shituo to take old Lingxuzi's seat and even his name.

This roused the local wolf guais to fury and launched protest after protest. To their surprise, the Wolf Sentinels, at the Black Bear Guai's behest, seized the lesser guais who led the unrest. The new Lingxuzi flew into a rage at these guais, threatening to devour them whole. They were spared this fate only by the timely arrival of Guangzhi, the Fireblade Wolf. Thereafter, under the new Lingxuzi's command, the Wolf Sentinels led every patrol of lesser guais on the mountain. Never did anyone ever dare rise against Lingxuzi again.