Chinese Lore Podcast
Episodes
Journey 037: Total Wipeout
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong faces off against the demon kings of Lotus Flower Cave and their extended family.
Journey 036: Cheap Imitations
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong keeps the demon lords off balance with forgeries of everything -- fake gourds, fake rope, fake minions, fake mother ....
Journey 035: Trade Deficit
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong offers his would-be captors a deal that's too good to be true.
Journey 034: Wukong's Burdens
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A demon in disguise finds the straw (or mountain) that breaks the monkey's back.
Journey 033: Looking for Trouble
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The pilgrims get a warning about the dangers that lie ahead, and one of the disciples begrudgingly goes on ahead to check it out.
Journey 032: Not His Best Side
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong comes to the rescue … by victim-shaming and murdering children.
Journey 031: Wait, You Can Talk?!
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a series of tabloid talk-show moments, San Zang's host meets a son-in-law he never knew he had and is informed that someone at his court is not who...
Journey 030: Return Visit
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The pilgrims press their luck against Yellow Robe not once, but twice.
Journey 029: Bloody Vengeance
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dismissed by San Zang for his killing spree, Sun Wukong decides to let out some steam with ... a killing spree.
Journey 028: Bones of Contention
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
San Zang and Sun Wukong have a disagreement over whether the latter is demon hunter extraordinaire or just a cold-blooded murder-happy fiend.
Journey 027: Clear Water Revival
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong overlooks the most obvious solution in his quest for a magical cure to bring the ginseng fruit tree back to life.
Journey 026: Cauldron of Trouble
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong and Master Zhenyuan trade wits, barbs, and magic.
Journey 025: Fruit Loot
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The perfect heist blows up in everybody's faces.
Journey 024: Choice Overload
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zhu Bajie discovers that more potential wives means more problems.
Journey 023: Wanted: Husbands
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The pilgrims ask for a night's stay and get offered something much more.
Journey 022: Sand and Skulls
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We find out that San Zang isn't the first scripture pilgrim. So what happened to his predecessors?
Journey 021: Wind Power
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong's rescue plan hits a snag when he discovers that his foe really blows.
Journey 020: Skin of Evil
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The pilgrims encounter a foe with a predilection for skinning himself.
Journey 019: Gone Party
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everybody is delighted at San Zang gaining a new traveling companion, especially his host.
Journey 018: Going Hog Wild
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The pilgrims spend the night with a family experiencing major buyer's remorse about their son-in-law.
Journey 017: Jagged Little Pill
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Black Bear Demon finds out that it doesn't feel so good to have a monkey swimming in your stomach.
Journey 016: Burn It All Down
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The wicked schemes of the monks at the Guanyin Monastery backfire calamitously.
Journey 015: Shady Monks
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The scripture pilgrims seek lodging at a monastery whose residents might need a refresher on the tenets preached by their patron deity.
Journey 014: Acts of ... Compassion?
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong returns to his master and finds a nasty little surprise waiting for him.
Journey 013: I Shalt Not Kill?
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong and his new master have a difference of opinion on when it's ok for a Buddhist monk to spill someone's brains and loot their clothes.
Journey Supplemental 003: Body Snatchers
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
All's well that ends well, except for the princess whose soul gets dragged out of her mortal coil and hustled off to hell.
Journey 012: Demons, Tigers, Monkeys, Oh My
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everybody kept telling me how dangerous the journey to the West was, but seriously how bad can it possibly ... oh my god what are those things and wha...
Journey Supplemental 002: To Hell and Back
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Somehow a trip to the underworld adds decades to the Tang emperor's life.
Journey 011: Divine Mission
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Guanyin crashes the emperor's Buddhist party and tells all the monks of the East what she really thinks of their scriptures.
Journey Supplemental 001: When It Rains
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We embark on a three-episode mini-arc to find out why the Tang emperor was convening a big gathering of monks.
Journey 010: Miracle Worker
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The blind regains sight, and the dead rises. Is it a miracle ... or a zombie apocalypse?
Journey 009: Origin Story
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Buddha shows how far he would go (or make someone else go) to avoid paying to ship some scriptures to the East.
Journey 008: Handover of Heaven
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong makes a high-stakes wager with heaven's latest mediator.
Journey 007: Crossover Clashes
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong proves to be such a handful that heaven has to go get a hero from another novel to take him on.
Journey 006: So Many Peaches ...
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Jade Emperor decides to take a different approach to try to keep Sun Wukong under control.
Journey 005: Horsing Around
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A trip to Hell nets Sun Wukong a visit to Heaven.
Journey 004: Loot Thy Neighbor
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sun Wukong goes looking for a weapon befitting his newfound powers.
Journey 003: Star Pupil
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Monkey King gets a name and some special treatment from his teacher.
Journey 002: Birth of a Legend
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An immaculate conception shakes heaven and earth, and an anarcho-syndicalist commune gives itself over to a king.
Journey to the West 001: Introduction
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A brief introduction to Journey to the West, the next novel we'll cover.
Gods 087: Wrap-up: Investiture of the Gods
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some listener questions and closing thoughts on Investiture of the Gods.
Gods Supplemental 004: Ji Chang and Ji Fa
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A look at the real historical figures of the Zhou Dynasty's father-and-son founding duo.
Gods 086: How Gods Are Made
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In one afternoon's work, Jiang Ziya expands the pantheon of Chinese folk religion, and he's not too particular about who makes the cut.
Gods Supplemental 003: Jiang Ziya
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A quick look at Jiang Ziya the historical figure vs. Jiang Ziya the fictional character.
Gods 085: Homeward Bound
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A new day dawns for the kingdom, which is good news to everyone except Jiang Ziya's ex-wife.
Gods 084: Fiery Finish
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With his back against the wall, King Zhou opts for a dramatic exit.
Gods 083: Litany of Crimes
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The rebel forces come face to face with their chief enemy, and Jiang Ziya's got receipts.
Gods 082: Desperate Measures
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the enemy closing in, King Zhou is reduced to putting out "Help Wanted" posters to find anyone willing to fight for him.
Gods 081: Monkey Madness
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yang Jian gets some divine assistance as he attempts to slay a slippery simian foe.
Gods 080: Dancing with Demons
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As one demon buddy after another show their true form, the Shang commander keeps telling his human comrades that, "I had no idea those guys were snake...
Gods 079: Eyes and Ears
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Zhou forces find themselves stymied by a pair of new enemy recruits who seem to be always a step ahead of them.
Gods Supplemental 002: Yang Jian
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A quick dive into the backstory of one of Jiang Ziya's top Daoist warriors.
Gods 078: Bad to the Bone
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
King Zhou takes an interest in human physiology, much to the chagrin of his people.
Gods 077: Bloodied Earth
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Casualties continue to mount on both sides as the siege of Mianchi County drags on, while King Zhou gets help from some shady characters.
Gods 076: Slain Tigers
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's a whirlwind of fortunes for the Zhou forces as they continue their march.
Gods 075: Flagging Fortunes
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Shang forces at Lintong Pass were holding their own thanks to a macabre banner, but then the worst possible thing happened -- their king sent rein...
Gods 074: Not So Hot for Teacher
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Daoist elder shows up and tells the sect leaders, "I don't care who started it (though Grandmaster of Heaven clearly started it)! Now swallow these ...
Gods 073: Angry and Assembled
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Members of the Chan Sect upgrade their transportation options at the expense of their Jie Sect rivals.
Gods 072: Playing with Pox
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The author recycles plot again as the Zhou forces encounter another pestilence-wielding sorcerer.
Gods 071: Fan Service
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jiang Ziya gets help from a guy with eye-popping powers.
Gods 070: Brother's Betrayal
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Politics turn blood relations into blood enemies.
Gods 069: Kill the Messenger
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
King Zhou gets literal and puts a figure of speech into practice, with predictably disastrous results.
Gods 068: Slap in the Face
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Chan and Jie Sects stop pretending they're frenemies and start acting like straight-up enemies.
Gods 067: Child's Play
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Shang commander learns the pros and cons of letting your kids talk to random beggar monks.
Gods 066: Sneaky Business
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gods 065: Mirror Image
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the Zhou's officers discovers that his powers aren't so unique after all.
Gods 064: School Rivalry
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A member of the Chan sect discovers that there's no such thing as friendly competition with those jerks from the cow college down the road.
Gods 063: Sweet Dreams
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What looked like an easy victory for the Zhou turns into a bit of a nightmare.
Gods 062: Beam Me Up
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Zhou army gets a timely visit from a helpful but uppity Buddhist friend in their fight against Kong Xuan.
Gods Supplemental 001: Boyi and Shuqi
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some quick background on two minor characters whose pacifist message fell on deaf ears.
Gods 061: Killer Bees
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Zhou army meets its first real resistance on its march East.
Announcement: 10 Years of Podcasting
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Marking a decade since I first started doing this.
Gods 060: Justifications, I Has Them
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ji Fa decides that while he couldn't live with attacking his tyrannical king, he CAN live with paying said king a visit with a large army in tow, just...
Gods 059: Plowed Under
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jiang Ziya is finally ready to head East to dethrone the Shang, but then his king goes, "Wait, can't we all just get along?"
Gods 058: Sealed Fate
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jiang Ziya and company learn that in order to defeat their prodigal disciple's MacGuffin, they must collect three other MacGuffins to add to the one a...
Gods 057: Lights Out
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Chan sect has its hands full with yet another prodigal disciple and his lieutenant of mysterious origins.
Gods 056: Flap and Flop
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Shang commander gets some help from a feathered friend, while the novel's author recycles his old material.
Gods 055: Ashes to Ashes
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Shang commander Su Hu tries to get his comrade to buy in to his definition of a hero and a man of honor.
Gods 054: Blood and Gore
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The latest Jie Sect Daoist strikes fear into his foes' heart ... by eating it.
Gods 053: Mirror Mirror
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A long-lost member of the Shang royal house checks back into the story, shortly before his good sense checks out.
Gods 052: Biological Warfare
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Under siege from an invisible foe, Western Qi seeks help from a guy who married his sister, a guy who had a transparent stomach, and a guy who invente...
Gods 051: Affliction
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Su Hu never thought it would be so hard to surrender.
Gods 050: Sh*tty Men
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh off their victory, Jiang Ziya and company decide to make the unwilling bride go through with the wedding that everybody knew was fake, and it on...
Gods 049: Marriage of Inconvenience
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Deng Jiugong gets too clever by half in trying to scheme his way out of a prior promise.
Gods 048: Earth Traveler
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Shang's diminutive weapon leaves Jiang Ziya and company all tied up in knots.
Gods 047: Losing Face
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Zhou officers deal with the ignominy of … GASP … losing to a girl.
Gods 046: Extinction Event
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grand Tutor Wen desperately tries to make it home before he runs out of bodies.
Gods 045: Daoist Flex
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just when things look dire for the Chan sect, a couple adults show up on the scene to lecture the kids about showing their elders some respect.
Gods 044: Mad Women
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Zhao Gongming's sisters show up on the battlefield demanding some answers.
Gods 043: Role Reversal
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Jie sect Daoists get a taste of their own medicine.
Gods 042: Clutching Pearls
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The body count is mounting, and so are Grand Tutor Wen's hurt feelings.
Gods 041: Rinse, Repeat
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Daoist Mafia War takes on a decidedly familiar and repetitive feel.
Gods 040: Soul Searching
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
To save Jiang Ziya, his fellow Daoists call on a senior consultant and borrow a sacred object dating from the time of creation to help them with a sma...
Gods 039: Dueling Daoists
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Daoist mafia war is in full swing as Grand Tutor Wen calls in a gaggle of his friends.
Gods 038: Clash of Titans
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Boosted by some new help, Wen Zhong finally faces off against Jiang Ziya.
Gods 037: Pins and Needles
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A missing umbrella and seemingly every slain foe's refusal to stay dead are proving to be a pain for the commanders of the Shang army.
Gods 036: Devils of A Time
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jiang Ziya gives his foes a taste of the future hell that is climate change, but soon finds himself besieged by even more powerful enemies.
Gods 035: Feeling the Heat
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The action and the weather get hot as the Zhou and Shang continue to clash.
Gods 034: Fantastic Beasts
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Riding into battle on a horse is so passé.
Gods 033: Head to Head
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jiang Ziya goes back to his master for help, and gets tasked with an errand instead.