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Mysterious characters periodically appearing through several phases of a game have always been intriguing. InBlack Myth: Wukong, a common NPC you’ll find throughout your journey is Yuan Shoucheng,the central point of the Old Man questand the last Journal entry in case you’re hunting for trophies.
With only a few interactions and dialogue segments, you might be intrigued to learn who he is. Although Yuan isn’t a major boss or vendor, there’s definitely some lore significance surrounding him, even concerning a few optional bosses. The game takes a few liberties to develop his story beyond the original Journey to the West novel, and understanding those additions can help bring a new outlook to a handful of other characters.
This article contains spoilers for the Loong questline, including the bosses you fight as part of it.
Who Is Yuan Shoucheng?
In summary,Yuan Shoucheng was a fortune-teller who lived in Chang’an, the capital city, during the Tang Dynasty in Journey to the West.
His role in the story wasprimarily tied to the Dragon King(or Loong King) and, by extension, to the four loongs you find in Black Myth: Wukong.
In both the novel and the game,he’s portrayed as a Daoist masterknown for his divination skills, like seeing futures and predicting destinies, but the latter rarely expands on this aspect.
His fortune-telling abilities, though,play a massive part in the Loong storyline, showcasing his authority as well as the Jade Emperor’s wrath.
Yuan’s Gourd
One of the key highlights of Yuan’s appearance is the giant gourd wrapped behind him. There isn’t much of an explanation of what it does aside from Yuan saying,“Your gourd serves little purpose, and mine only to me,“in Chapter One.
However, the most accepted theory isit’s used to capture Yaoguai spirits. The evidence for this claim ishow Yuan grants your gourd the guidance to absorb lingering spirits, possibly reflecting what his own gourd can do.
Yuan Shoucheng In Journey To The West
To understand Yuan’s character and backstory, it’s important to learn about the Loong King, the father of the four loongs found in Black Myth: Wukong.
The Loong Kingwas the firm protector of the Jing River, a crucial body of water that provided life to several lands of the Tang Dynasty.
In Chinese Mythology, the Loong King is also referred to as theRiver King.
The Dilemma Between Yuan And The Loong King
One day, the King heard rumors about a mysterious fortune-teller in Chang’anwho could pinpoint exactly where to find a large sum of fish in the Jing River.
To stop the masses from snatching marine life out of the river,the Loong King confronted the fortune-teller, Yuan Shoucheng, with the intention ofkicking him out of the city.
Upon meeting Yuan, they both decided to make a bet:Yuan would predict the exact time, duration, and amount of the next rainfall in the region, and, if he was wrong, he would cease his practices.
The Loong King, of course,could control water to a certain extent, allowing him to alter the rainfall against Yuan’s prediction. Still, even with this knowledge beforehand, the fortune-teller made the bet.
However, the King later received an edict from the Jade Emperor,prohibiting him from manipulating the results in his favor. Regardless, he still went ahead with his deceitful plan, altering the next rainfall such that it would defy Yuan’s fortune.
On the next day, the Loong King visited the fortune-teller to proclaim victory, but Yuanexposed his trick and announced the King’s death penaltyfor defying a Celestial command.
Afraid of imminent doom, the Kingtried various tactics to delay his punishment, even going so far as to seek help from the Tang Emperor, Li Shimin.
Unfortunately, his efforts would fail, andthe Loong King would soon be executed by Wei Zheng, the executioner sent by the Celestial Court.
Yuan’s Fateful Interaction With The Four Loongs
After the death of the Loong King, his four eldest sons, each a guardian of the Great Rivers,feared the Jade Emperor’s vengeance and believed they, too, would be executedfor what their father did.
Theyabandoned their duties as guardians and visited Yuan Shoucheng, who gained a massive reputation at this point, to find their destiny and, perhaps, prevent it.
Yuan advised them totake shelter, stay hidden, and be patient, as this would be their best attempt to escape impending ire. The four loongs then sought refuge in different areas of China, trying their hardest to heed the fortune-teller’s warning.
Of the four loongs, Yellow Loong would quietly stay hidden as a pattern on Yuan’s garb, which is why we see him possessing his body in the boss fight.
Yuan Shoucheng In Black Myth: Wukong
Unlike in the novel, Yuan’s overall impact on the narrative is extremely subtle, mainlypertaining to vague dialogue and the conclusion of the Loong storyline. For the most part, he’s a simple traveler appearing randomlyin the first five chapters, guiding the Destined One and his companions unconditionally, likely because he sees them as a force for good.
You can even pick up a few lines from Yuan in different chapters that hint at his tie-ins with destiny and fortune-telling:
His final lore-significant appearance comesnear the end of Chapter Four when you fight Yellow Loong, who’scurrently inhibiting Yuan Shoucheng’s body. The boss gives further insight into how exactly Yuan predicted their destiny, including the following dialogue:
After defeating Yellow Loong,he dissipates from Yuan’s body, seeking aid and guidance one last time. Since this is the last loong you fight, Yuan tells the anxious dragon how his brothers have been claimed, andencourages him to reunite with them by helping the Destined One. Yellow Loong, as a result, fuses with his weapon.
Yuan’s Impact On The Gameplay
Despite having a total screen time of less than 15 minutes, Yuan Shoucheng gifts several core resources to the Destined One. He gives youthe spirit-absorbing ability in Chapter Oneas well asthe Ring of Fire spell in Chapter Three. Later on, you can find him in Chapter Five and transform your starting gourd into the Supreme Gourd if you’ve already upgraded it to +9.
For completionists, Yuan is certainly a noteworthy figure, sinceyou acquire his Journal Entry only after obtaining all the others. This undoubtedly makes his portrait the hardest to get, which is fascinating to see since he rarely intertwines with the Destined One or Sun Wukong’s tales.
