In "Journey to the West", there is a metaphor that runs throughout the entire story. This metaphor is that morality is just a tool; its function is to constrain the weak and serve the strong. For example, before Wukong learned his skills, he was originally a polite monkey, speaking courteously to everyone. On his way to seek a master and learn, he saw a woodcutter and proactively greeted him, respectfully calling him 'Old Immortal'. When he met Bodhi Patriarch, without saying a word, he fell to the ground and bowed, continuously knocking his head. The Patriarch asked for his surname, and he replied, 'I have no surname. If someone scolds me, I won't be angry. If someone hits me, I won't be annoyed; I'll just apologize.' But this polite monkey, after learning skills and transforming into a strong being, completely changed his demeanor. The first thing Wukong did after returning from his studies was to chop the disruptive Demon King in half without any discussion, and then he ruthlessly exterminated his nine clans.
Since then, when Wukong saw the old man, he no longer called him 'Old Immortal' but instead shouted 'Old Man'. When he encountered real immortals, he would first assess their level; if this person was weaker than him, he would call him 'Old Official', and if this person was stronger, he would perform a respectful bow and call himself 'Disciple'.
In fact, it's not just Wukong; Tang Seng is the same. He pretends to be compassionate to outsiders but is truly malicious internally because he only knows one trick. The tight-fitting headband spell is ineffective against monsters and is only used to bully his own people. Isn't this the same in reality? A smile is given to outsiders, while harsh words are reserved for family. Out in the world, he acts submissive, but once home, he is the master, demanding and commanding.
The Jade Emperor can forgive a monkey that causes havoc in Heaven because it is strong, but he cannot show tolerance to tens of thousands of innocent people because they are weak. Setting aside the novel and reflecting on reality, the goodness of a sheep is often seen as weakness, while the goodness of a lion is considered virtue. Morality is indeed important, but you must first become strong for your morality to hold value.
Source / Internet