The Interwoven Worlds of Chinese Mythological Fiction

China’s two most celebrated mythological novels, Journey to the West and Investiture of the Gods (also known as The Creation of the Gods), share intricate connections that have fascinated readers for centuries. Both works belong to the Ming Dynasty’s flourishing tradition of shenmo (神魔) fiction—fantastical tales blending deities, demons, and mortal heroes. Curiously, while the earlier Journey to the West features the fiery deity Nezha battling the Monkey King Sun Wukong, the later Investiture of the Gods includes Nezha but omits Sun Wukong entirely. This conspicuous absence stems from fascinating historical, mythological, and authorial decisions that reveal much about China’s narrative traditions.

Chronological Constraints: A Monkey Out of Time

The Investiture of the Gods narrative unfolds against the historical backdrop of King Zhou of Shang’s tyranny and the subsequent rise of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE). Beginning with King Zhou’s sacrilegious poem insulting the goddess Nüwa and the fox spirit Daji’s corruption of the Shang court, the epic chronicles the cosmic conflict between the Shang and Zhou, featuring immortal sects battling through magical warfare. The story concludes with Jiang Ziya (姜子牙) conferring divine titles upon fallen heroes.

Sun Wukong’s temporal origins make his participation impossible. Journey to the West (Chapter 14) establishes that the Monkey King was imprisoned under Five Elements Mountain during Wang Mang’s usurpation of the Han throne (8 CE). The underworld’s records reveal Sun Wukong’s lifespan as 342 years, placing his birth circa 334 BCE—the Warring States period (475-221 BCE), long after the Shang-Zhou transition. This chronological barrier prevents any overlap between Sun Wukong’s adventures and the events of Investiture of the Gods.

Nezha’s Dual Existence Across Mythologies

Nezha’s presence in both epics reflects his complex mythological evolution. In Investiture of the Gods, he originates as the sacred pearl Lingzhuzi (灵珠子), incarnated as the third son of General Li Jing to assist Jiang Ziya’s campaign. After refusing an official post, he achieves apotheosis through “fleshly sanctification” (肉身成圣)—a rare spiritual elevation bypassing death.

Contrastingly, Journey to the West depicts Nezha as the Three Altars Sea Assembly God (三坛海会大神), leading celestial armies alongside his father, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing. This reflects Nezha’s Buddhist origins as a guardian deity from the Vimalakirti Sutra, where he appears as Nalakuvara (那咤), wielding cosmic weapons and exhibiting his signature three-heads-six-arms form. His seamless integration into both Taoist and Buddhist pantheons enabled his cross-cultural literary migration.

Cosmological Differences: The Sectarian Divide

The Investiture of the Gods universe operates within strict cosmological parameters. The Taoist sage Hongjun Laozu (鸿钧老祖) oversees three disciples representing competing factions:
– The Humanistic Tao (人道教) of Laozi
– The Orthodox Enlightenment (阐教) of Yuanshi Tianzun (元始天尊)
– The Inclusive Enlightenment (截教) of Tongtian Jiaozhu (通天教主)

This sectarian conflict drives the narrative, as Yuanshi Tianzun compiles the eponymous roster of 365 deities to staff the celestial bureaucracy for the Jade Emperor (昊天大帝). The recruitment focuses primarily on morally exceptional mortals—explaining why supernatural beings like Sun Wukong, born from primordial stone rather than human lineage, fall outside this divine recruitment drive.

Authorial Strategies: Respecting Literary Precedents

Ming Dynasty authors faced unique intertextual challenges. Xu Zhonglin (许仲琳, c.1560-1630), compiling Investiture of the Gods after Wu Cheng’en’s (吴承恩, c.1504-1582) Journey to the West had gained popularity, needed to maintain narrative consistency. Introducing Sun Wukong would create irreconcilable contradictions with established lore about the Monkey King’s later celestial appointments (e.g., the infamous “Protector of Horses” episode).

Moreover, Nezha’s well-established mythological persona—with centuries of development across Buddhist texts and folk traditions—provided Xu with a flexible character requiring minimal exposition. Sun Wukong’s absence reflects prudent authorial restraint rather than oversight.

Thematic Parallels: Rebel Heroes Across Eras

Both Nezha and Sun Wukong embody the archetypal “divine rebel”—figures challenging celestial hierarchies through:
– Defiant acts (Nezha’s oceanic rampages; Sun Wukong’s underworld vandalism)
– Radical self-determination (Nezha’s fleshly renunciation; Sun Wukong’s immortality quests)
– Eventual co-option into orthodox power structures

This shared narrative DNA likely influenced Xu Zhonglin’s decision against redundancy. Having one transcendent trickster sufficed for Investiture of the Gods’ thematic purposes.

Enduring Legacy: Why the Distinction Matters

The selective inclusion of these deities reflects deeper cultural processes:
1. Mythological Stratification: Layering of folk beliefs across dynasties
2. Religious Syncretism: Harmonization of Taoist and Buddhist elements
3. Literary Evolution: Gradual formalization of shenmo genre conventions

Modern adaptations—from Havoc in Heaven animations to Ne Zha (2019) films—continue reinterpreting these relationships, proving the enduring vitality of China’s mythological storytelling traditions. The absent-presence of Sun Wukong in Investiture of the Gods stands as a testament to the sophisticated narrative ecology of Chinese fantasy literature.