Once upon a time, the high monk Tang Seng had really put his life on the line to keep himself safe. He was grateful that the Monkey King and his friends had killed the Scorpion Demon and rescued the Pipa Cave. They traveled along the road in silence, enjoying the beautiful weather of the Zhu Ming season, with the fragrance of wild orchids filling the air and the coolness of the bamboo after the rain. The mountains were covered with mugwort, untouched by harvesters, and the cattails by the stream were blooming beautifully. The sea hibiscus flowers were vibrant, and bees buzzed happily around them. Under the shade of the willows by the stream, the yellow orioles chirped joyfully. Just as Tang Seng and his disciples were admiring the beautiful scenery of the Dragon Boat Festival, they suddenly encountered a high mountain blocking their path.
The elder halted his horse and turned to Wukong, saying, “Wukong, there’s a mountain ahead. I’m afraid there might be a monster; we need to be careful.” The others quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry, Master! We’ve already pledged our loyalty; what monster can scare us?” Hearing this, the elder felt relieved and urged his horse to speed up, letting go of the reins as they charged up the mountain. Before long, they climbed up the cliff and looked up to see a breathtaking view: the pines and cypresses touching the clouds, wild vines hanging from the rocky walls. The mountain was steep, with sheer cliffs that made one tremble at the sight.
After walking for quite a while, they finally crossed the mountain peak and arrived at a flat area. Pigsy, feeling a bit showy, started boasting and let Sha Seng carry the burden while he held the rake in both hands to drive the horse. But the horse didn’t seem to care about him at all and continued to plod along slowly. Seeing this, Wukong laughed and said, “Brother, why are you rushing the horse? Just let it walk at its own pace.” Pigsy, noticing the sun was setting and feeling hungry, replied, “We’ve been walking for so long; we need to find a place to eat some vegetarian food.” Wukong thought for a moment and decided to teach the horse to go faster. He waved his golden staff and shouted, and the horse immediately galloped off, charging ahead. It was clear that the horse wasn’t afraid of Pigsy but was most afraid of Wukong, especially since five hundred years ago, he was the Imperial Horse Keeper appointed by the Jade Emperor, and even horses had to listen to him.
Just as they were on their way, they suddenly heard the sound of gongs, and over thirty people sprang out from both sides of the road, each armed with knives, guns, and clubs, blocking their way. “Monks! Where are you going?” Tang Seng was so scared that he tumbled off his horse and crouched in the grass by the roadside, pleading, “Great King, spare my life! Great King, spare my life!” The two strongmen in front coldly replied, “We’re not going to harm you; we just want some money.” The elder then realized they were robbers. Looking up, he saw one with a green face and sharp teeth and the other with bulging eyes, resembling a fierce tiger from the Ba Mountain, truly a pair of fearsome villains.
Tang Seng’s heart tightened, and he quickly clasped his hands together, saying, “Great King, I am sent by the Tang Emperor from the East, specifically to fetch scriptures from the West. The journey has been long, and our money has run out. We monks rely on alms for our survival; we have no wealth!” But the two bandit leaders were not convinced and coldly said, “We’re here to intercept travelers for money. If you have none, then quickly take off your clothes, leave the white horse behind, and we’ll let you pass!” Upon hearing this, Tang Seng thought to himself, “I worked hard for these clothes; I can’t just let them take them off me!” He hurriedly replied, “Amitabha! This outfit was given to me by various donors, piece by piece. If you strip me, aren’t you taking my life?”
The robber, furious, raised his club to strike. Tang Seng thought, “Oh dear, I really don’t know how powerful my disciple’s staff is!” In a moment of desperation, he came up with an idea: “What if I say I have a little disciple behind me who still has some silver?” The robber, sensing that this monk was not simple, immediately ordered, “Tie him up!” The bandits all rushed forward, binding Tang Seng and hanging him from a tree—what a tragic fate!
As it happened, the three troublemakers were rushing over to join the excitement. Pigsy laughed heartily, “Master walks so fast; I wonder where he’s waiting for us.” When he looked up, he was surprised to see the elder hanging from a tree. Pigsy teased, “Look at Master! Not only is he waiting, but he’s also climbing the tree and swinging on the vines!” Wukong, seeing this, quickly said, “You fool, don’t say that! Master is hanging there; I’ll go take a look.” So, the Monkey King hurriedly climbed up the hill, and upon closer inspection, he discovered it was a group of robbers. He secretly rejoiced, “What good fortune! This is a chance to make some money!” He immediately transformed into a clean little monk, dressed in a dark robe and carrying a blue bundle, and walked forward.
“Master, what’s going on? Who are these people?” Wukong asked. Tang Seng, anxious, cried out, “Disciple, hurry and save me! These people are blocking the road and demanding money. I have nothing on me, so they’ve hung me here waiting for you!” Wukong couldn’t help but laugh, “Master, you’re so useless! Who told you to give the dragon horse to them?” Tang Seng replied urgently, “I had no choice but to say you had money!” Wukong frowned, “How could you expose me?” Tang Seng sighed, “I was just anxious and said you had silver.”
Hearing this, Wukong was overjoyed: “Great! If I can really get away with seventy or eighty pieces, I can make a fortune!”
At that moment, the robbers saw Wukong and Tang Seng talking and surrounded them. “Little monk, your master says you have money; hurry and hand it over, or you’re finished!” Wukong set down his bundle and smiled, “Everyone, don’t get excited. My money is in this bundle; it’s not much—only about twenty taels of horse hoof gold and thirty taels of silver powder. The loose change is gone. If you want it, take the whole bundle, but please let my master go!” The robbers were delighted to hear this: “This old monk is stingy, but this little monk is generous!” So, they decided to release Tang Seng.
Once the elder was freed, he jumped on his horse, disregarding Wukong, and whipped the horse to run away. Wukong was anxious, “You’re going the wrong way!” He grabbed his bundle and tried to chase after him, but the robbers stopped him: “Where do you think you’re going? Leave the money behind, or you’ll be punished!” Wukong laughed, “This money must be split three ways.” The bandit leader, furious, exclaimed, “This little monk is too cunning; he wants to keep some for himself! Fine, show us what you have; if there’s more, we’ll share some fruit with you.” Wukong shook his head, “I don’t have any money! You rob others of gold and silver; why would you share with me?”
The robbers were enraged and shouted, “This monk really doesn’t know when he’s in danger! If you don’t give it to us, you won’t leave today!” With that, they raised their clubs and struck Wukong’s bald head several times. Wukong, however, had a smile on his face: “Brothers, if you hit me like this, it won’t work until next spring.” The robbers were astonished: “This monk is really tough!” Wukong laughed, “I wouldn’t dare; I appreciate your kindness.” But the robbers didn’t listen; several of them came together to attack. Wukong had no choice but to say, “Wait until I get something out.” He touched his ear and pulled out a decorative needle: “Everyone, I truly don’t have any money; here’s a needle for you.”
The robbers were infuriated, cursing, “What bad luck! We let go of a rich monk and caught this poor bald donkey instead! Can you sew?” Wukong scoffed, “What do you need a needle for?” With a wave of his hand, the needle instantly transformed into a thick club. The robbers were terrified: “This little monk can actually perform magic!” Wukong planted the club in the ground: “If you can lift it, it’s yours.” Two robbers stepped forward to grab it, but it was like a dragonfly hitting a stone pillar—they couldn’t move it at all.
This club, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, weighed thirteen thousand five hundred pounds; how could the robbers know? Wukong easily lifted it as if tossing a snake and pointed at them: “You’re really lucky to run into me, old Sun!” The robbers swung at him a few more times, and Wukong laughed, saying, “You’re all tired from hitting; let me take a swing!” With that, he expanded the club and struck fiercely, knocking one down, his lips buried in the ground, never to speak again. Another robber shouted, “This bald donkey is truly disrespectful! No money, and he’s hurt me!” Wukong chuckled, “Don’t be anxious; let me take care of you one by one!” With another swing, the second robber fell, scaring the other robbers into dropping their weapons and fleeing in all directions.
Once upon a time, Tang Seng was riding east when he was suddenly stopped by Pigsy and Sha Seng. Pigsy, looking puzzled, asked, “Master, where are you going? This road is wrong!” Tang Seng sighed as he pulled on the horse, saying, “Disciple, hurry and tell your senior brother to go easy and not kill those robbers.” Pigsy immediately replied, “Master, wait here; I’ll go find him!” He then jogged ahead, calling out loudly, “Brother, Master said not to hit anyone!”
Wukong, hearing this, retorted, “Who’s hitting anyone?” Pigsy, anxious, asked, “Where did the robbers go?” Wukong shrugged, “They’ve all scattered; only the two leaders are here sleeping.” Pigsy couldn’t help but laugh, “You two are really out of luck! After staying up all night, why not find a comfortable place to sleep, but instead you end up here!” Upon closer inspection, Pigsy added, “These two are even drooling with their mouths open!” Wukong teased, “I knocked out tofu from their heads!” Pigsy was surprised, “You can have tofu on a person’s head?” Wukong mysteriously replied, “What I knocked out was their brains!”
Upon hearing this, Pigsy hurried back to Tang Seng and said, “They’ve scattered!” Tang Seng looked confused, “Scattered? Where did they go?” Pigsy shook his head anxiously, “They were hit so hard; how could they still walk?” Tang Seng asked, “How do you know they’ve scattered?” Pigsy replied, “If they were dead, how could they not scatter?” Tang Seng pressed, “What do you mean by ‘hit’?” Pigsy answered, “There are two big holes in their heads!” Tang Seng, alarmed, said, “Quick, untie the bundle and take some money to buy some plasters!”
Pigsy laughed so hard he nearly fell over, “Master, you’re really funny! Plasters are for living wounds; what good are they for dead people?” Tang Seng, irritated, muttered to himself and turned to Sha Seng and Pigsy, leading them to the bodies. Seeing the bloody scene, the elder felt very upset.
He told Pigsy, “Quick, get a spade and dig a hole to bury them. I’ll recite some scriptures for them.” Pigsy protested, “Master, are you asking me to do manual labor? Wukong killed them; how can I bury them?” At this moment, Wukong got angry and shouted at Pigsy, “You lazy bum! Hurry up and bury them! If you don’t, you’ll get a beating!” Hearing this, Pigsy panicked and quickly ran down the hillside to dig a hole.
He dug a three-foot-deep pit, but it was full of stones, making it impossible to dig properly. In the end, he could only use his mouth to push, and after much effort, he finally buried the bodies of the two robbers, forming a small mound. Tang Seng called out, “Wukong, quickly get some incense and candles; I want to pray!” Wukong scoffed, “This halfway up the mountain, there’s no village in front and no shop behind; where will you buy incense and candles?”
Tang Seng gritted his teeth in anger, “Monkey, stop talking nonsense; let me sprinkle some dirt and light some incense!” He stood in front of the grave and silently recited, “Brave men, listen to me: My disciple is from the East, sent on a mission to the West to seek scriptures. Just arrived here, I encountered so many of you, not knowing where you came from. I kindly advised you, but you wouldn’t listen and got angry, resulting in my disciple’s stick.”
He continued, “Now your bodies are exposed; I come to bury you. Using green bamboo as incense, though it lacks luster, my heart is sincere; using stones as offerings, though they have no flavor, my intentions are genuine.” At this moment, Pigsy interjected, “Master, don’t shift the blame; we had nothing to do with this beating!” Tang Seng continued to sprinkle dirt and pray, “Brave men, if you’re going to complain, complain about Wukong; it has nothing to do with us!”
Hearing this, Wukong couldn’t help but laugh, “Master, you really have no loyalty! For your sake, I’ve gone through so much effort; now that I’ve killed these two thieves, you want me to take the blame? Although I did it, it was also for you! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have come here at all, let alone kill anyone! How about I bless them instead?” With that, he tightened his grip on his iron rod and struck the grave three times, shouting loudly, “You cursed robbers, listen! I took seven or eight hits from you, and in a fit of rage, I ended up killing you; I’m not afraid of where you go to complain!”
“The Jade Emperor knows me, and the Heavenly Kings fear me; the twenty-eight constellations dread me, and the nine planetary officials fear me; the city gods and local deities must kneel before me; even the Eastern Peak God is afraid of me. No matter the three realms or five divisions, all the rulers know me well; go ahead and complain!” Tang Seng was startled by these words: “Disciple, I’m praying for the good people; why are you speaking so seriously?” Wukong looked innocent, “Master, this isn’t a joke; we should find a place to rest quickly.” Tang Seng had no choice but to reluctantly get back on his horse.
At this moment, Sun Wukong felt a bit displeased, and Pigsy and Sha Seng harbored jealousy, creating a subtle tension among the master and disciples. As they walked west along the main road, they suddenly spotted a farmhouse to the north. Tang Seng pointed with his whip and said, “Let’s stay there for the night.” Pigsy immediately agreed, “Perfect!” So they dismounted and approached the farmhouse.
The place looked nice, with wildflowers everywhere and trees shading the entrance. In the distance, a stream flowed gently, and fields were planted with wheat and sunflowers. Birds perched on the willows, village dogs barked, chickens clucked, and the cows and sheep were full, with the shepherds already home. Smoke curled up, and the millet was ripe; it was just the right time for nightfall in the mountains. As Tang Seng walked forward, he suddenly saw an old man coming out of the farmhouse and quickly greeted him.
The old man asked, “Where are you coming from?” Tang Seng replied, “I am a special envoy from the Eastern Tang Dynasty, here to seek scriptures in the West. It’s getting late, and I would like to stay at your home for the night.” The old man smiled and said, “You’ve come from so far; how did you cross rivers and climb mountains to get here alone?” Tang Seng responded, “I have three disciples with me.” The old man asked, “Where are they?” Tang Seng pointed, “Right by the main road.”
Upon seeing them, the old man was startled and hurried back inside. Tang Seng quickly grabbed him, saying, “Old benefactor, don’t be afraid; I ask you to let us stay for the night!” The old man trembled and shook his head, saying, “No, no, no! They don’t look like humans; they’re clearly monsters!” Tang Seng hurried to explain, “Benefactor, don’t be afraid; they may look ugly, but they are not monsters!” The old man insisted, “Goodness! One is a yaksha, one is a horse-faced spirit, and another is a thunder god!”
At this moment, Wukong shouted, “The thunder god is my grandson, the yaksha is my great-grandson, and the horse-faced spirit is my great-great-grandson!”
Hearing this, the old man was terrified, his face pale, and he tried to flee into the house. Tang Seng quickly supported him, comforting him, “Old benefactor, don’t be afraid; they are just rough and won’t harm anyone.” Just then, an old woman came out, holding a five or six-year-old child. The old woman asked, “Grandpa, why are you so frightened?” The old man hurriedly called, “Mother, quickly bring some tea!”
The old woman went inside and brought out two cups of tea. After drinking the tea, Tang Seng turned to the old woman and said, “I am a special envoy from the Eastern Tang Dynasty sent to the West to seek scriptures. I just arrived at your home and would like to stay for the night, as my three disciples frightened you with their looks.” The old woman laughed and said, “If you’re frightened by the ugly, what would you do if you saw a tiger or a wolf?” The old man added, “Mother, although they are ugly, they are frightening as soon as they open their mouths. I said they looked like yakshas, horse-faced spirits, and thunder gods, and then he himself said the thunder god is his grandson!”
Tang Seng quickly explained, “No, the thunder god is my eldest disciple Wukong, the horse-faced spirit is my second disciple Zhu Wuneng, and the yaksha is my third disciple Sha Wujing. Although they are ugly, they abide by the rules and are not demons!” The old couple finally felt a bit more at ease and hurriedly invited them inside. Tang Seng called for his disciples and reminded them, “The old man had a bad impression of you just now; when you go in, don’t be rude; show some respect.”
Pigsy, full of confidence, said, “I’m handsome; I’m cultured, not like my senior brother who throws tantrums.” Wukong laughed, “You have a big mouth, large ears, and an ugly face, but you’re still a good man.” Sha Seng said, “Stop arguing; this isn’t a place for romantic rivalry; let’s hurry inside!”
So they placed their luggage and horses in the thatched cottage and all sat down after bowing. The old woman was very capable, taking the child to cook and preparing a vegetarian meal for them. After eating, as night gradually fell, the old woman lit a lamp, and everyone chatted in the cottage. Tang Seng asked, “What is your surname, benefactor?” The old man replied, “My surname is Yang.” When asked about his age, the old man said, “I’m seventy-four years old.” Tang Seng then asked, “How many sons do you have?” The old man sighed, “Only one; the child the mother is holding is my grandson.”
Tang Seng inquired with concern, “May I meet your son?” The old man shook his head, “That boy isn’t worth meeting. He makes me sad; I can’t support him, and he’s not home right now.” Tang Seng asked, “Where is he?” The old man sighed, “It’s pitiful! He specializes in doing bad things, robbing and killing! He associates with a group of ruffians; he went out five days ago and hasn’t returned yet.” Tang Seng’s heart tightened upon hearing this, secretly thinking, “Could it be that Wukong was the one who beat him?”
Feeling uneasy, Tang Seng bowed and said, “Goodness, goodness! How could such parents give birth to such a rebellious son!” Wukong stepped forward, saying, “Old man, such an unfilial son only brings trouble to his parents; why keep him around? I’ll go find him and kill him for you!” The old man replied, “I want to get rid of him too, but I have no other family left; even if he’s useless, I must keep him to bury me.”
Sha Seng and Pigsy laughed, saying, “Senior brother, don’t meddle in other people’s business; we’re not the authorities. Their unfilial son has nothing to do with us! Please, benefactor, give us a bundle of grass; we’ll sleep over there and leave at dawn.” The old man immediately got up and took Sha Seng to the backyard to fetch two bundles of straw, allowing them to rest in the straw pile. Wukong led the horse, Pigsy carried the luggage, and they all settled down in the straw pile without mentioning anything else.
Now, within that gang of thieves, there was indeed Old Yang's son. Ever since two of their leaders had been killed by Wukong, they had scattered. By the time it was around four in the morning, Old Yang's son gathered a group of people and came to knock on the door. The old man heard the noise and quickly put on his clothes, saying, “Mother, they’ve come!”
The old woman replied, “Since they’re here, go open the door and let them in.” As soon as the old man opened the door, the gang of thieves shouted, “We’re hungry! We’re hungry!” Old Yang's son rushed inside, waking his wife and urging her to prepare rice for cooking. However, there was no firewood in the kitchen, so he went to the backyard to get some. He asked his wife, “Whose white horse is in the back garden?” His wife replied, “It belongs to the monk from the East who stayed at our house last night. He had a vegetarian meal and is now sleeping in the straw pile.”
Upon hearing this, Old Yang's son excitedly walked out of the cottage, clapping his hands and laughing, “Brothers, what luck! Our enemy is right in our house!” The thieves, curious, asked, “Which enemy?” He proudly announced, “It’s the monk who killed our leader; he’s sleeping in the straw pile!” The thieves were thrilled, exclaiming, “Great! Let’s catch these bald donkeys and chop them into meat paste! Not only can we take revenge, but we can also grab that bag and the white horse!” He added, “Don’t rush; let’s sharpen our knives first. After I finish cooking, we’ll eat and then strike together.”
So, the thieves sharpened their knives and guns. The old man, hearing their plan, quietly went to the backyard and woke Tang Seng and the others, saying, “Those rascals have come; they know you’re here and want to harm you. I can’t bear to see you hurt, so quickly pack your things, and I’ll help you escape through the back door!” Tang Seng was startled by this and quickly bowed in gratitude to the old man, calling for Pigsy to lead the horse, Sha Seng to carry the luggage, and Wukong to take his nine-ringed staff.
The old man opened the back door, allowing them to sneak away while he returned to pretend to sleep. Before long, the gang of thieves had sharpened their weapons, had their fill of food, and as dawn approached, they ran to the garden to check, only to find that Tang Seng and the others had already disappeared. The thieves hurriedly lit torches and searched everywhere, eventually noticing the back door was open, and they shouted, “They left through the back door! Quick, chase them!” Thus, they dashed eastward like flying arrows to pursue.
Tang Seng heard the shouts behind him, turned around, and saw twenty or thirty thieves charging at them with knives and guns. He quickly called out, “Disciples, the thieves are chasing us! What should we do?” Wukong, however, was unconcerned, patting his chest and saying, “Don’t worry; I’ll handle them!” Tang Seng reined in his horse and said, “Wukong, don’t hurt anyone; just scare them off!” But Wukong wouldn’t listen, quickly drawing his golden staff and charging forward, asking, “Where are you going?”
The thieves cursed, “Bald donkey, how dare you! Return our king’s life!” Hearing this, Wukong was furious and immediately swung his staff to fight back. The thieves formed a circle, waving their knives wildly, but Wukong swung his staff and sent them scattering in all directions. The thieves were beaten so badly that they fell apart, some dead, some injured, and the quick ones escaped while the foolish ones met their end.
Tang Seng, seeing so many of them defeated, urged his horse to run west, with Pigsy and Sha Seng closely following. Wukong asked an injured thief, “Who is Old Yang’s son?” The thief groaned, “Grandpa, the one in the yellow clothes is him!” Wukong immediately charged forward, snatched the knife, and cut off the head of the one in yellow, holding it triumphantly as he ran back to Tang Seng, saying, “Master, this is the rebellious son of Old Yang; I’ve brought you his head!”
Tang Seng was terrified upon seeing it, quickly falling off his horse and scolding, “This mischievous monkey scared me to death! Quickly put that head away!” Pigsy stepped forward and kicked the head to the side of the road, covering it with some dirt. Sha Seng then set down his burden and helped Tang Seng up, saying, “Master, please get up.” Tang Seng collected himself on the ground, silently reciting the Tightening Sutra, which caused Wukong to feel his head tightening, turning red with pain as he rolled on the ground, urgently calling, “Stop reciting! Stop reciting!”
Tang Seng recited it more than ten times, and Wukong was in so much pain that he pleaded, “Master, forgive me! Just say what you want; don’t recite anymore!” Only then did Tang Seng stop, saying, “There’s nothing to say; I don’t want you to follow me anymore; you can go back!” Wukong endured the pain and bowed, pleading, “Master, why do you want to send me away?” Tang Seng angrily replied, “You mischievous monkey, you’re too vicious; you’re not fit to seek scriptures! Yesterday, you killed two thieves on the hillside, and I’ve already blamed you for your cruelty. Now, while staying at the old man’s house, you killed his son, ruining lives and disturbing the peace of heaven and earth! I’ve repeatedly advised you, but you show no goodwill. Just go! Lest I recite the incantation again!”
Wukong, hearing this, felt frightened and could only plead, “Don’t recite, don’t recite! I’ll leave right away!” With that, he jumped onto the cloud and instantly disappeared without a trace. Ah, this is indeed: “With a heart of fury, the elixir remains unripe; with a spirit without direction, the path is hard to complete.” As for where the Great Sage went, we’ll talk about that next time!
