Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing, riding on clouds, arrived at the royal court. As soon as they landed, they saw the king and his ministers kneeling in gratitude for their great help. Sun Wukong recounted the entire story of how the Bodhisattva subdued the demon, and everyone listened with tears of gratitude, thanking them profusely.
While everyone was celebrating, a palace official suddenly reported, "Your Majesty, there are four more monks outside." This startled Zhu Bajie, who quickly said, "Brother, could this be another trick by the demon? They disguised themselves as the Bodhisattva to deceive us, and now they might have turned into monks to outsmart us." Sun Wukong laughed and said, "That doesn't make sense!" He then ordered the newcomers to be brought in. It turned out they were monks from Baolin Temple, holding the king's crown and robes. Sun Wukong was overjoyed and immediately had the king change into his royal attire to restore his identity.
However, the king hesitated to sit on the throne. Kneeling, he cried, "I have been dead for three years and was only revived thanks to the master. How dare I claim the throne again? Please, master, you be the king. My family and I are willing to live as ordinary citizens outside the city." Tang Sanzang, of course, declined, as his sole desire was to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. Sun Wukong also joked, "If I wanted to be an emperor, I would've ruled the world long ago. We're used to being monks; being an emperor involves too much worry, which isn't for me."
In the end, the king had no choice but to ascend the throne again. He announced a general amnesty and rewarded the monks of Baolin Temple. He then hosted a banquet for Tang Sanzang and his disciples and invited artists to paint their portraits to be enshrined in the royal hall.
After settling affairs in the kingdom, Tang Sanzang and his disciples were eager to continue westward. The king, queen, and crown prince offered treasures, gold, silver, and silk to thank the master, but Tang Sanzang refused all gifts, only requesting travel documents to proceed. The king, feeling indebted, personally escorted them out of the city, shedding tears of farewell.
The four disciples resumed their journey, focusing on reaching the Spirit Mountain. It was late autumn, early winter, and the scenery along the way was unique. After leaving the Kingdom of Wuji, they traveled for over half a month and suddenly encountered a towering mountain. Tang Sanzang felt a bit apprehensive and quickly reminded Sun Wukong to be wary of demons. Sun Wukong reassured him with a smile, "Master, don't worry. Just keep going; with me around, there's no need to fear demons."
The journey was challenging, with steep mountains and peculiar landscapes. Though the disciples felt some fear, they pressed on bravely. Suddenly, they saw a red cloud rising from a mountain hollow. Sun Wukong was alarmed and quickly halted the group, saying, "A demon is coming!" Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing immediately drew their weapons to protect Tang Sanzang, ready to fight.
This demon was no ordinary foe. It had long heard that Tang Sanzang from the Eastern Land was a highly cultivated monk, and eating his flesh could grant immortality. Thus, it had been waiting in the mountains for this day. Observing from above, the demon saw Tang Sanzang guarded by three disciples and thought, "This Tang Sanzang looks plump and delicious, truly a fine monk! But he's guarded by three ugly monks, each armed. They won't be easy to deal with."
After pondering for a while, the demon decided, "A direct confrontation won't work. I'll pretend to be a good person to deceive them and strike when they're off guard." So, it transformed into a seven-year-old child, hanging naked from a tree, crying out desperately, "Help! Help!"
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong looked up and saw the red cloud dissipate, with no sign of fire, and told Tang Sanzang, "Master, it's all clear now. We can proceed." Tang Sanzang was puzzled, "Didn't you say there was a demon? Why are we moving on?" Sun Wukong chuckled, "There was indeed a demon, but it seems to be just passing by and won't harm us."
Zhu Bajie chimed in, "Brother, you make it sound nice. Are there really passing demons?" Sun Wukong explained, "Some demons are on their way to banquets and can't be bothered with us; those are the passing ones." Tang Sanzang was half-convinced but continued riding forward.
As they walked along, they suddenly heard someone shouting "Help!" Tang Sanzang was startled and asked, "Disciples, why is there someone calling for help in this mountain?" Sun Wukong quickly replied, "Master, don't worry about it. Let's just keep moving."
Although Tang Sanzang felt uneasy, he continued on as instructed. Not long after, they heard the cries for help again. Tang Sanzang said, "Disciples, this doesn't sound like a demon. It seems like someone is in trouble. We should go help them." Sun Wukong advised, "Master, it's best not to show compassion today. This place is dangerous. I've heard that some demons can mimic human voices. If you respond to them, they might harm you."
Reluctantly, Tang Sanzang continued on his way. Sun Wukong pondered, "The demon is still calling. Let me use a spell to shift the mountains and distance us from it." With that, Sun Wukong cast a spell to transport the group over the mountain, leaving the demon behind.
The demon called out on the mountainside for a while, puzzled when no one came to rescue it. "I clearly saw Tang Sanzang nearby. Why haven't they arrived yet? Could they have taken another route?" It shook off its bonds and flew up into the sky to survey the area again.
Sun Wukong looked up and saw the demon returning. He quickly pushed Tang Sanzang off the horse, shouting, "Brothers, be careful! The demon is back!" Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing immediately shielded Tang Sanzang, ready to defend him.
The demon observed from above, admiring, "These monks are no simpletons! I'll have to deal with the perceptive one first, then capture Tang Sanzang. Otherwise, my efforts will be in vain." It transformed back into a child and hung from a tree, waiting. This time, it positioned itself even closer to Tang Sanzang and his disciples.
Sun Wukong glanced up and saw the red cloud disperse again, so he urged Tang Sanzang to continue on. Tang Sanzang was puzzled, "Didn't you just say the demon was back? Why are we moving on again?" Sun Wukong explained, "It's just a passing demon. It won't dare to provoke us." Tang Sanzang, slightly annoyed, retorted, "You mischievous monkey, always trying to scare me! You say there's no danger when there is, and claim there's a demon when there isn't. What if I got hurt when you pushed me off the horse?"
Sun Wukong quickly explained, "Master, please don't be angry. If you got hurt, we could heal you. But if a demon captured you, that would be a real problem." Tang Sanzang was so frustrated he almost recited the tightening spell, but Sha Wujing managed to calm him down, and they continued on their way.
As soon as Tang Sanzang settled back on the horse, he heard someone cry, "Master, help me!" Looking up, he saw a child hanging naked from a tree. He angrily turned to Sun Wukong, "You mischievous monkey, where's your compassion? I said it was a human voice, but you insisted it was a demon. Look, isn't that a person hanging from the tree?"
Seeing his master upset and fearing the tightening spell, Sun Wukong remained silent and let Tang Sanzang approach the tree. Tang Sanzang pointed with his whip and asked the child, "Whose child are you, and why are you hanging here? Tell me so I can help you."
The demon, seeing Tang Sanzang ask, feigned pitifulness, with tears in its eyes, and said, "Master, my family is from a village in Shanxi. My grandfather was a wealthy man named Hong Baiwan, with lots of gold and silver. But our family fortune declined, and he changed his name to Hong Shiwan. My father lent money to others but was cheated, unable to recover the debt."
The demon continued, "Those people became bandits, looted our home, killed my father, and took my mother away. My mother couldn't bear to leave me and begged them to spare me, so they hung me here to starve. Luckily, I've met you, Master. If you save me, I will surely repay your kindness."
Believing the story, Tang Sanzang instructed Zhu Bajie to untie the child. Zhu Bajie, unable to discern the truth, was about to act when Sun Wukong couldn't help but interject, "You demon, stop spouting nonsense! If your home was robbed, who will you return to? How will you repay us?"
The demon, sensing Sun Wukong's shrewdness, felt a bit afraid but replied, "Master, although my parents are gone, my family still has some land, and I have relatives. My grandfather is in the south of the mountain, my aunt is in the north of the ridge, and I have uncles and cousins as well."
Zhu Bajie, hearing this, tried to persuade Sun Wukong, "Brother, the child makes sense. Bandits only take money; the land remains. If we save him, his relatives will be grateful to us."
Zhu Bajie, thinking about food, didn't care whether it was true or false. He used his rake to cut the rope, letting the demon down. The demon kowtowed to Tang Sanzang, who, feeling compassionate, said, "Child, come up on the horse. I'll take you home."
The demon feigned helplessness, "Master, my limbs are numb. I can't ride a horse." Tang Sanzang asked Zhu Bajie to carry him, but the demon said, "This master has a long mouth and big ears. I'm scared." Tang Sanzang then asked Sha Wujing to carry him, but the demon said, "This master looks fierce. I'm scared too."
Finally, Tang Sanzang asked Sun Wukong to carry him. Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Alright, I'll carry you." The demon was pleased, but Sun Wukong pulled him aside and tested his weight, finding that the demon weighed just over three pounds.
Carrying the child, Sun Wukong felt annoyed and teased, "You little demon, today is your unlucky day, daring to play tricks in front of me! I've seen through you all along." The demon feigned innocence, "Master, I'm a child from a good family, just struck by misfortune. How could I be a demon?" Sun Wukong chuckled, "If you're a child from a good family, why are you so lightweight?" The demon quickly explained, "I have a small frame."
Sun Wukong continued questioning, "How old are you?" The demon replied, "I'm seven years old." Sun Wukong laughed, "One pound for each year, how come you're less than four pounds?" The demon said, "I didn't eat well when I was little." Sun Wukong, resigned, carried him and said, "Alright, if you need to relieve yourself, let me know."
Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing walked ahead while Sun Wukong followed behind with the child. Along the way, Sun Wukong thought to himself, "Tang Sanzang really doesn't know the weight of things. This treacherous mountain path is difficult to traverse empty-handed, let alone carrying someone. Even if this child isn't a demon, he has no parents. Where are we supposed to take him?"
At this moment, the demon used a spell to inhale deeply and blew onto Sun Wukong's back, making himself as heavy as a thousand pounds. Sun Wukong laughed, "Oh, little one, are you trying to crush me?"
The demon, fearing Sun Wukong might harm him, quickly used a corpse separation technique, letting his soul escape into the air. The weight on Sun Wukong's back increased, infuriating him. Sun Wukong tore the demon's body off his back and smashed it against a rock, turning it into a meat patty. To prevent further tricks, he ripped off the limbs and scattered them to pieces.
The demon, watching from the sky, was furious, "That monkey is too ruthless! I haven't even attacked Tang Sanzang yet, and he's already done this to me. Fortunately, I was quick-witted and let my soul escape. Otherwise, I'd be dead for nothing. I must seize Tang Sanzang now before he gets even cleverer."
So the demon whipped up a whirlwind in the air, sending sand and stones flying, obscuring the sky fiercely. The wind made it difficult for Tang Sanzang to stay on the horse, Zhu Bajie dared not lift his head, and Sha Wujing shielded his face. Sun Wukong knew it was the demon causing trouble and rushed forward, but the demon had already taken advantage of the wind to whisk Tang Sanzang away, leaving no trace.
When the wind stopped, the sun reappeared. Sun Wukong went to check and saw the White Dragon Horse neighing in panic, luggage scattered by the roadside, Zhu Bajie groaning at the cliff's edge, and Sha Wujing crouching on the slope, calling out. Sun Wukong shouted, "Zhu Bajie!" Hearing Sun Wukong's voice, Zhu Bajie looked up, saw the wind had stopped, quickly got up, grabbed Sun Wukong, and said, "Brother, that wind was really strong!"
Sha Wujing also came forward and said, "Brother, it was a whirlwind." Then he asked, "Where did Master go?" Zhu Bajie said, "The wind came so suddenly; we all hid from it, and Master was lying on the horse." Sun Wukong asked, "Then where is he now?" Sha Wujing said, "He might have been swept away by the wind."
Sun Wukong sighed, "Brothers, it seems we should part ways!" Zhu Bajie agreed, "Yes, let's part sooner and go our own ways. The journey to the Western Heaven is endless. Who knows when we'll get there!"
Sha Wujing was shocked, feeling numb all over, "Brother, how can you say such things? We are here because of sins in our past lives, enlightened by Bodhisattva Guanyin, and vowed to protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West for scriptures. Saying we should part ways now goes against the Bodhisattva's teachings, doesn't it?"
Sun Wukong said, "Brother, you're right, but Master doesn't listen to me. I have fiery eyes and golden pupils; that wind was stirred by the child hanging on the tree. I recognized him as a demon, but you didn't, and neither did he, yet he let me carry him. He used magic to weigh me down, so I smashed him. Then he used corpse separation to create a whirlwind and took Master away. I'm angry because Master didn't listen to me, so I said we should part ways. Since you're sincere, you're making it difficult for me. Zhu Bajie, what do you want to do?"
Zhu Bajie said, "I was just speaking nonsense earlier; we really shouldn't part ways. Brother, let's listen to Sha Wujing and go find the demon to rescue Master." Sun Wukong turned his anger into joy, "Brothers, let's work together, pack our belongings and the White Dragon Horse, and head up the mountain to find the demon and save Master."
The three of them climbed vines and crossed ridges, traveling fifty to seventy miles without any news. There were no birds or beasts on the mountain, only ancient cypress and pine trees. Sun Wukong, anxious and burning with impatience, leaped to the mountain top, shouted "Change!" and transformed into his three-headed, six-armed form, reminiscent of when he wreaked havoc in Heaven. He wielded his golden cudgel, which split into three, striking in all directions.
Seeing this, Zhu Bajie worriedly said, "Sha Wujing, this isn't good. Our brother can't find Master and is so angry he's gone mad."
As Sun Wukong swung his golden cudgel, a group of raggedly dressed deities suddenly appeared, each with torn clothes and pants without crotches, kneeling before the mountain and crying out, "Great Sage, we are the mountain gods and earth spirits of this mountain, here to pay our respects to you." Sun Wukong was puzzled, "Why are there so many mountain gods and earth spirits?" They quickly explained, "Great Sage, this mountain is called the Six Hundred Mile Drilling Mountain. We are stationed every ten miles, totaling thirty mountain gods and thirty earth spirits. We heard yesterday that you were coming but couldn't greet you in time. Please forgive us."
Sun Wukong said, "Alright, I won't blame you. How many demons are on this mountain?" The gods lamented, "Grandfather, there's only one demon on this mountain. He's tormented us endlessly, leaving us without incense or offerings, barely clothed and always hungry. There's no other demon here!" Sun Wukong asked, "Where does this demon reside?"
The gods pointed to a ravine in the mountain, "There's a withered pine ravine, and beside it is the Fiery Cloud Cave where the demon king resides. He has great magical powers and often forces us to stoke his fires. At night, we have to ring bells and call out, and the little demons extort protection fees from us." Sun Wukong mocked, "You underworld immortals, where would you get money?" The gods replied helplessly, "Without money, we can only catch wild game to appease them. Otherwise, they demolish our temples and strip our clothes. We beg you, Great Sage, to rid us of this demon and save the creatures on this mountain."
Sun Wukong asked, "Since you're under his control, do you know what kind of demon he is and his name?" The gods said, "He is the son of the Bull Demon King and the Rakshasa, having cultivated for three hundred years in the Flame Mountain, mastering the Samadhi True Fire. The Bull Demon King sent him to guard this mountain. He's called Red Boy, titled the Holy Infant King."
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was overjoyed and quickly dismissed the earth spirits and mountain gods, returned to his original form, leaped down the peak, and told Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, "Don't worry, brothers, Master will be fine. This demon is related to me." Zhu Bajie laughed, "Brother, stop boasting. You're from the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory, and he's from the Western Continent of Cattle Gift. With so many mountains and rivers between, how could you be related?"
Sun Wukong explained, "The mountain gods and earth spirits just told me the demon is the Bull Demon King's son. Five hundred years ago, I swore brotherhood with the Bull Demon King; he is my elder brother. This demon is his son, making me his uncle. How dare he harm my Master? Let's go find him quickly."
Sha Wujing chuckled, "Brother, as the saying goes, 'Three years without visiting, even relatives become distant.' You haven't seen him in five or six hundred years, with no contact. How would he recognize you as a relative?"
Sun Wukong dismissed the concern, "Why are you so narrow-minded? As the saying goes, 'A single leaf returns to the sea, where in life do we not meet again?' Even if he doesn't acknowledge the kinship, he won't harm my Master. We don't expect him to host a banquet, but he'll at least return Tang Sanzang to me."
Thus, the three brothers, with the White Dragon Horse and their luggage, continued along the main road. After traveling over a hundred miles, they suddenly saw a pine forest. Within the forest was a winding stream, with water gently flowing beneath a stone bridge leading to a cave dwelling. Sun Wukong said, "Brothers, look over there at the jagged stone cliffs. It must be where the demon resides. Let's discuss who will guard the luggage and horse and who will go with me to subdue the demon."
Zhu Bajie immediately said, "Brother, I can't sit still. I'll go with you." Sun Wukong said, "Alright! Sha Wujing, hide the horse and luggage deep in the woods and guard them carefully. Zhu Bajie and I will go find Master." Sha Wujing agreed, and Zhu Bajie followed Sun Wukong, each wielding their weapons as they advanced. As the saying goes: "Before refining the infant's evil fire, the heart ape and wood mother support each other." How this endeavor will fare, let's find out in the next episode.
