After the Eight Vajra Guardians sent Tang Seng back home, they didn't mention it again. Under the three-layered gate, the Five Directions Guardians, the Four Value Officials, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the Protecting Bodhisattva all gathered in front of Guanyin Bodhisattva and respectfully said, "We disciples have followed your instructions to secretly protect the Holy Monk. Today, the Holy Monk has finally completed his journey, and we ask you to hand over the Buddha's golden decree to us." The Bodhisattva was very pleased to hear this and quickly replied, "Of course, of course!" Then she asked, "How did Tang Seng and his four disciples perform along the way?"
The gods responded one after another, "Tang Seng is indeed sincere and resolute, and he could not escape the Bodhisattva's watchful eye. But the hardships he endured are truly endless! We have recorded all the disasters he faced in this disaster ledger." The Bodhisattva took the ledger and carefully examined it from beginning to end, noting all the various tribulations Tang Seng had faced.
"Oh dear, the Golden Cicada's demotion, near-death experiences at birth, being thrown into the river at a full moon... What a legendary tale of survival!" The Bodhisattva shook her head and sighed as she read, realizing how many trials Tang Seng had gone through, from being attacked by a tiger to losing his cassock, from rescuing Bajie to crossing the River of Flowing Sand—countless difficulties.
After finishing, the Bodhisattva suddenly realized, "Oh no! In Buddhism, we talk about returning to the truth through nine trials. Although Tang Seng has faced eighty hardships, he still needs one more! This won't do!" So, she immediately instructed the Guardian, "Go catch up with the Eight Vajra Guardians and have them add one more challenge for him!"
Receiving the order, the Guardian immediately flew up into the clouds and headed east. After a day and night of travel, he finally caught up with the Eight Vajra Guardians and quietly told them, "Listen, the Bodhisattva said that we cannot let Tang Seng miss this last trial, so you must comply!" As soon as the Eight Vajra Guardians heard this, they sprang into action, creating a gust of wind that sent Tang Seng and his disciples, along with their horse and scriptures, tumbling upside down!
As Tang Seng stepped back into the mortal realm, he felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. Bajie saw this and burst into laughter, "Great! This is just the rhythm of fast and slow!" Sha Seng chimed in, "Yeah! Since we're moving fast, let's just take a break here." The Monkey King interjected, "As the saying goes, if you sit at the beach for ten days, you can walk nine beaches in one day. We should rest a bit." Tang Seng shook his head, "Stop bickering and let's figure out where we are."
Sha Seng looked around excitedly and said, "It's here! Master, listen to the sound of the water." The Monkey King teased, "That water sounds like your ancestral home!" Bajie quickly added, "His ancestral home is the River of Flowing Sand!" But Sha Seng corrected him, "No, this is the River of the Sky!" Tang Seng said seriously, "Disciples, take a good look at the riverbank." The Monkey King leaped up, squinted, and after coming down said, "Master, we are on the west bank of the River of the Sky."
Tang Seng suddenly remembered, "I recall there's a Chen family village on the east bank. The last time we passed by, you saved their children, and they even built a boat to help us cross! But now, the west bank is deserted. What should we do?" Bajie complained, "Even the Vajra in front of the Buddha cheats! He clearly said he would send us back, but how come he dropped us halfway? Now we're really in a bind!"
Sha Seng comforted him, "Second brother, stop complaining. Master has achieved enlightenment and shed his mortal body at Lingyun Crossing. He definitely won't fall into the water this time. Let's think of a way to get him across." The Monkey King secretly laughed, "No way! No way!" He knew that Tang Seng's trials weren't over yet, and he would definitely face another challenge, which is why he was deliberately lingering there.
Just then, they suddenly heard someone calling, "Tang Sheng, Tang Sheng! Over here!" The four of them were startled and looked up, only to see a large white turtle poking its head out of the water, calling, "Master, I've waited for you for so many years. You've finally returned!" The Monkey King laughed, "Old Turtle, it's been a long time! It's good to see you again this year!"
Tang Seng, Bajie, and Sha Seng were all overjoyed. The Monkey King said to the old turtle, "If you can take us across, then hurry up and come ashore!" The old turtle immediately jumped onto the shore, and the Monkey King led the horse to the turtle's back, while Bajie squatted behind the horse's tail, Tang Seng stood by the horse's neck, and Sha Seng positioned himself on the other side. The Monkey King stepped onto the old turtle's head and then onto its back, laughing, "Old Turtle, hold steady!"
The old turtle kicked its four legs forcefully, walking on the water's surface as if it were solid ground, carrying the four disciples and the horse directly toward the east bank. It truly fulfilled the saying: "In the gate of no duality, the law is profound and mysterious; all demons retreat upon recognizing the heavenly beings!" After traveling for most of the day, just as they were nearing the east bank, the old turtle suddenly asked, "Master, I once asked the Buddha in the west how many years I have left to live. Did you ask for me?"
Tang Seng then realized that since arriving in the west, he had been so focused on worshiping the Buddha that he hadn't thought about these matters at all. He felt a pang of panic and pondered for a long time without answering. Seeing this, the old turtle knew he hadn’t asked and suddenly shook himself, tossing all four of them and the horse into the water. Fortunately, Tang Seng had already attained enlightenment and wouldn’t sink like before. The white horse was a dragon, and Bajie and Sha Seng could swim. The Monkey King used his divine powers to help Tang Seng up, and they successfully reached the east bank. However, their scripture bag, clothes, and saddle were all soaked, leaving them both exasperated and amused!
As soon as the disciples climbed ashore and tidied up their gear, a sudden gust of wind blew in, darkening the sky in an instant, with thunder rumbling and sand and stones swirling. The wind seemed to turn the world upside down; when the thunder roared, even the mountains shook violently. Suddenly, a blaze erupted, and a bright light shot out from the clouds, shrouding everything in mist, obscuring the trees from view. The wind whipped up dust and debris, causing tigers and leopards to hide in fear, while birds in the sky squawked in chaos.
This frightened Tang Seng greatly, and he quickly held onto the scripture bag; Sha Seng pressed down on the scripture pole, and Bajie held onto the white horse. Meanwhile, the Monkey King gripped his iron rod tightly, ready for anything. It turned out that the wind, mist, thunder, and blaze were all tricks of the evil spirits trying to snatch away their scriptures. They struggled through the night, and it wasn’t until dawn that the chaos subsided. Tang Seng, trembling, asked, "Wukong, what is going on?" The Monkey King replied angrily, "Master, you have no idea! We are braving the might of heaven and earth to protect you in your quest for scriptures. These scriptures are no ordinary items; even ghosts and gods fear them and want to steal them!"
The Monkey King continued to explain, "Because the scriptures got wet, and you are pressing down with your true form, the thunder cannot strike, and the mist cannot confuse us. Plus, I guarded it with my iron rod, so when the sun rises and the yang energy increases, they will have no power over us." After hearing this, Tang Seng, Bajie, and Sha Seng finally understood and expressed their gratitude.
Not long after, the sun shone brightly, and they moved the scriptures to a high cliff to dry. To this day, there are still traces of the scripture-drying stones there. The four of them hung their clothes on the cliff edge, enjoying themselves immensely. Just like the old saying goes: "Pure yang rejoices in the sun; the evil spirits dare not show their strength." At last, they could return to the immortal realm in peace.
While they were drying the scriptures, they suddenly saw a few fishermen approaching. One of them recognized them: "Master, you are the one who crossed the river to the west to fetch scriptures two years ago, right?" Bajie excitedly asked, "Yes! Where are you from? How did you recognize us?" The fisherman replied, "We are from Chen Family Village." Upon hearing this, Bajie immediately asked, "How far is Chen Family Village from here?" The fisherman said, "It's about twenty miles past Nan Chong."
Bajie proudly said to Tang Seng, "Master, let’s move the scriptures to Chen Family Village to dry! They have a place to stay and food to eat, and they can wash our clothes for us." Tang Seng thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "It’s better to dry them here before we leave." At that moment, the fishermen passed through Nan Chong and happened to run into Chen Cheng, who told him, "The master who came to your house to perform the memorial for your son has returned."
Upon hearing this, Chen Cheng immediately brought several tenants over, kneeling and saying, "The old master has returned from fetching scriptures, completing his mission. Why didn’t you come to my house but chose to dry the scriptures here?" The Monkey King replied, "We’ll go once they’re dry." Chen Cheng then asked, "How did the master’s scriptures and clothes get wet?" Tang Seng truthfully answered, "Last year, we relied on the white turtle to cross the river, and unexpectedly, it brought us back this year. Just as we were nearing the shore, it asked me whether I had inquired about my lifespan from the Buddha, which I hadn’t, and as a result, it drenched us." Tang Seng then recounted the entire incident in detail.
Chen Cheng sincerely invited them to his home, and Tang Seng reluctantly began to pack the scriptures. However, he didn’t expect that a few volumes of scriptures had gotten stuck on the stone, causing the end of the scriptures to tear. Therefore, to this day, that set of scriptures remains incomplete, and the scripture-drying stone still bears inscriptions, becoming a small legend.
Tang Seng felt very regretful, realizing that he and his disciples had been too careless about the situation. He sighed and said, "We really neglected this and didn't take proper care of it!" At that moment, Sun Wukong interrupted him with a smile: "Don't worry! The scriptures were originally complete; they just got a bit damaged, which actually adds to their meaning. This is beyond our control!"
So, the master and disciples finished tidying up and followed Chen Cheng to the village. Upon hearing the news, the villagers were all excited, rushing to come and watch. Chen Qing quickly set up an incense altar at the entrance to welcome them, preparing drums and music, creating a lively atmosphere. Soon, Chen Qing brought his whole family out, gratefully bowing to Tang Seng, thanking him for saving their daughter, and inviting them for tea and a meal.
Although Tang Seng had been rewarded with celestial delicacies by the Buddha and had long since detached from mortal food, the elders earnestly urged him to partake, and he had no choice but to oblige. Sun Wukong, who generally didn’t eat such things, shook his head and said, "I’m full." Sha Seng wasn’t very hungry either, but only Bajie felt his appetite was off and put down his bowl. The Monkey King teased, "Why aren’t you eating?" Bajie helplessly replied, "I don’t know; I just suddenly lost my appetite."
Thus, they cleared away the offerings and began discussing their journey for the scriptures. Tang Seng recounted their previous experiences, mentioning bathing at Yuzhen Temple, being reborn at Lingyun Crossing, and meeting the Tathagata at Thunder Sound Temple, finally detailing how he obtained the scripture without words. Just as he was preparing to take his leave, the Chen family insisted on keeping them, gratefully saying, "We have built a Lifesaving Temple specifically to offer incense in your honor!"
The Chen family also invited the children who had previously participated in their memorial rituals, bowing in gratitude. Tang Seng placed the scriptures in front of their hall and read a volume of the "Precious Constant Sutra" together with them. Afterward, they went to the temple, where the Chen family had prepared a lavish feast. Before they could sit down, waves of people came to invite them, creating a bustling scene.
Tang Seng looked at the newly built temple, feeling a surge of emotions. The temple was beautifully adorned, with tall towers and fragrant incense wafting through the air; it truly was a wonderful place. Bajie, seeing the statues in the temple, couldn’t help but pull Wukong and say, "The figure really looks like you!" Sha Seng chimed in, "Second Brother, yours looks quite similar too, but Master’s is a bit too handsome!" Tang Seng laughed and said, "That’s great, truly great!"
At that moment, Wukong asked, "What about the king’s temple? How is it now?" The others replied, "That temple was torn down long ago. Ever since you came, this temple has had bountiful harvests; it’s truly your blessing." Wukong smiled and said, "That’s a gift from heaven and has nothing to do with us. But we will bless you, wishing your descendants prosper and your livestock thrive!"
Everyone was grateful, bowing deeply, and many offered fruits and vegetarian meals. Bajie laughed and said, "When I used to eat, no one invited me; now that I can’t eat much, everyone comes to invite me!" Despite not having a great appetite, he still devoured quite a bit until he was full, and only then did Tang Seng say, "I’m very grateful; let’s pause for tonight and come back tomorrow!"
As night fell, Tang Seng kept watch over the true scriptures, not daring to leave, sitting quietly downstairs. Near the third watch, he softly called out, "Wukong, everyone here knows we’ve completed our task. As the ancients said, 'A true person does not reveal their appearance; revealing appearance is not a true person.' I’m afraid staying here too long might affect important matters." Wukong nodded, "Master is right; while it’s quiet at night, let’s leave quickly."
Bajie and Sha Seng also understood tacitly, and even the white horse seemed to agree. So, they quietly got up, loaded their luggage, and stealthily walked out through the corridor. When they reached the mountain gate, they found it locked. Wukong used a unlocking spell to open the door and led the way east. Just then, they heard the call of the Eight Great Vajra: "Those escaping, follow me!" Tang Seng sensed the fragrant wind and felt a jolt in his heart. This was indeed: "The elixir completes the original face; the body is strong and bows to the master." As for how they met Tang Wang, that will be explained next time.
