As dawn broke the next day, Tang Sanzang and his disciples packed their belongings and continued their journey. After Zhen Yuanzi and Sun Wukong had sworn brotherhood, the Great Immortal found such delight in the Monkey King's company that he refused to let them leave, insisting on hosting them with fine wine and dishes. The master and his disciples lingered there for five or six days. Since eating the Ginseng Fruit, the elder had felt completely reborn—his spirit refreshed and his body robust. Yet his heart burned with a desperate longing to retrieve the scriptures; how could he bear any further delay? With no other choice, they finally set out.
After bidding farewell to Zhen Yuanzi, the travelers soon came upon a towering mountain. Sanzang said, "Disciples, the mountain ahead is steep and treacherous. I fear the horse will struggle to cross. We must all be cautious."
Pilgrim replied, "Master, rest assured—we will be vigilant."
What a magnificent Monkey King! He carried his golden-banded staff horizontally before the horse, clearing the mountain path as he scaled the high cliffs. The scene before them was an endless spectacle: Peaks and crags piled upon one another; deep ravines and winding streams intertwined. Tigers and wolves prowled in packs, while deer and antelope moved in herds. Countless roe deer gathered in thickets; foxes and rabbits swarmed across the hills. There were pythons a thousand feet long and serpents ten thousand feet in length. The great pythons breathed clouds of sorrowful mist; the long serpents exhaled gales of eerie wind. Thorny vines snaked along the roadside, while pines and nanmu trees stood lush and graceful on the ridges. Ivy and creeping plants filled the eyes; fragrant grasses stretched to the horizon. Shadows fell upon the dark northern seas; clouds parted to reveal the southern constellation of the Dipper . For ten thousand ages, the mountain had held the primordial essence ; a thousand peaks stood majestic under the cold light of the sun.
The elder sat on his horse, his heart trembling with unease. The Great Sage Sun unleashed his power, brandishing his iron staff with a mighty roar that sent wolves and serpents scattering in all directions, while tigers and leopards fled for their lives. As the master and disciples ventured deeper into the mountain and reached a particularly perilous stretch, Sanzang said, "Wukong, I haven't eaten all day, and my stomach is growling. Go and beg some alms for me."
Pilgrim replied with a wry smile, "Master, that's not very wise of you. We're halfway up a remote mountain, with no village ahead and no inn behind. Even if we had money, there's nowhere to buy food. Where am I supposed to beg for alms?"
Sanzang grew displeased and berated him, "You wretched monkey! Back when you were trapped under the Two Realms Mountain, crushed by the Buddha in a stone casket, you could speak but not move. I saved your life, shaved your head, gave you the precepts , and took you as my disciple. And now you refuse to exert yourself, always harboring a lazy heart!"
Pilgrim said, "Disciple has always been diligent. When have I ever been lazy?"
Sanzang retorted, "If you're so diligent, why don't you beg me some food? How can I travel on an empty stomach? Besides, this place is thick with mountain miasma and pestilence—how will we ever reach the Temple of Thunder ?"
Pilgrim said, "Master, don't be angry. Say no more. I know your temper is high; if I slack off even a little, you'll recite that Tight-Band Spell. Dismount and wait here while I search for a household to beg some food."
With a single bound, Pilgrim leaped into the clouds. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he peered in every direction. Unfortunately, the road to the West was desolate beyond compare—not a single village in sight, nothing but trees and sparse human traces. After gazing for a long while, he finally spotted in the south a high mountain, and on its sunlit slope, a patch of red.
Pilgrim descended from the clouds and said, "Master, I've found something to eat."
The elder asked what it was. Pilgrim replied, "There's no village here to beg from, but on that southern mountain, I see a patch of red—it must be ripe mountain peaches. I'll pick a few to satisfy your hunger."
Sanzang said happily, "For a monk, peaches are a fine meal! Go quickly."
Pilgrim took his alms bowl and mounted the auspicious clouds. Watch him—his somersaults so swift they brought gusts of cool wind—and soon he was speeding toward the southern mountain to pick peaches. We'll leave him there for now.
As the saying goes, "Where the mountain is high, there must be monsters; where the ridge is steep, spirits are bred." And indeed, on this mountain there was a demon. After the Great Sage Sun departed, this demon was stirred from his lair. Treading the yin wind upon the clouds, he saw the elder sitting on the ground and could not help rejoicing: "What luck! What luck! For years, everyone has been saying that the Tang monk from the East is going to fetch the 'Great Vehicle Sutras.' He is the reincarnation of Golden Cicada, the true body of ten lifetimes of cultivation . Just one bite of his flesh grants eternal life. And today, he has truly come!"
The demon moved forward to seize Tang Sanzang, but then he saw two mighty generals guarding the elder on either side and dared not approach. Who were these two generals? They were Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. Though Bajie and Wujing possessed no great powers, Bajie had once been the Marshal of Heavenly Reeds , and Wujing the Curtain-Lifting General . The aura of their former authority had not yet faded, so the demon dared not draw near. The demon thought to himself, "Let me first toy with them and see how things unfold."
What a clever demon! He halted the yin wind and, in a mountain hollow, transformed himself with a shake into a beautiful young woman. Truly, she had delicate brows and clear eyes, white teeth and rosy lips. In her left hand, she carried a green earthenware pot; in her right, a green porcelain bottle. She walked from west to east, heading straight for Tang Sanzang: The holy monk had reined in his horse upon the rocky cliff, when suddenly he saw a maiden drawing near. Her emerald sleeves swayed gently, revealing jade-like wrists; her crimson skirt trailed behind, showing her tiny golden lotus feet . Sweat beaded on her powdered face like flowers bearing dew; dust brushed her moth-like brows like willows veiled in mist. He stared intently as she approached, step by step, until she stood right before him.
Sanzang saw her and called out, "Bajie, Wujing, just a moment ago, Wukong said this place was a desolate wilderness with no people. Look—isn't that a person walking toward us?"
Bajie said, "Master, you and Wujing sit tight. Let Old Pig go and have a look."
The fool set down his rake, straightened his cassock, and swaggered forward, putting on an air of refinement. From afar, things were unclear, but up close, all became apparent. The woman was born with: Ice-white skin concealing jade-like bones; her collar revealed a creamy bosom. Her willow-leaf brows were touched with emerald hues; her apricot eyes sparkled like silver stars. Her face was as lovely as the crescent moon, her nature naturally pure and clear. Her body was like a swallow hiding among willows; her voice like an oriole singing in the forest. She was like a half-opened hibiscus greeting the morning sun, or a peony just blooming in the spring warmth.
Bajie, seeing how beautiful she was, felt his mortal desires stir. He could not help blurting out, "Lady Bodhisattva, where are you going? What are you carrying in those pots?"—Though she was clearly a demon, he failed to recognize her.
The woman answered in a sweet voice, "Elder, in this green pot I have fragrant rice, and in this green bottle, fried wheat glut en. I have come here for no other reason than to fulfill a vow and offer alms to monks."
Bajie was overjoyed. He turned and ran back as if drunk, reporting to Sanzang, "Master! 'A good man is blessed by heaven!' You were hungry and sent senior brother to beg alms, but that monkey went off to pick peaches and play. Eating too many peaches makes you sick and gives you diarrhea. But look—here comes someone to offer alms to monks!"
Tang Sanzang did not believe him. "You blockhead, don't talk nonsense! We've been traveling for so long without meeting a single good person. How could someone come to offer alms to monks?"
Bajie said, "Master, she's right here in front of us!"
Sanzang looked up and quickly jumped to his feet, pressing his palms together before his chest. "Lady Bodhisattva, where do you live? What kind of family are you from? What vow have you made that brings you here to offer alms to monks?" Though she was clearly a demon, the elder could not recognize her either.
The demon, seeing Tang Sanzang ask about her origins, immediately spun a web of lies, using sweet words to deceive him. "Venerable Master, this mountain is called White Tiger Ridge. Even snakes and beasts fear it. My home is at the foot of the mountain to the west. My parents are still alive and love to chant sutras and do good deeds. They often host monks from all directions. Because they had no son, they prayed to the gods and buddhas, and eventually, I was born. They wanted to marry me off to a good family, but fearing they would have no one to rely on in old age, they took in a son-in-law to support them in their final years."
Sanzang said, "Lady Bodhisattva, that is not proper. The sacred sutras say, 'While one's parents are alive, one should not travel far; if one must travel, one should have a fixed destination.' Since your parents are still alive and you have taken a husband, if you have a vow to fulfill, you should let your husband come to offer alms to monks. How can you wander the mountain alone, without even a maidservant? This is not in accordance with womanly virtue."
The woman smiled sweetly and replied with honeyed words, "Master, my husband is in the northern mountain hollow, leading some hired laborers to till the fields. I cooked this lunch to bring to them. It is the fifth and sixth months of the year, the hottest time. There is no one at home to send, and my parents are too old, so I came myself. By chance, I met you three travelers from afar, and remembering my parents' love for good deeds, I thought to offer this food to you. If you do not disdain it, please accept this humble gift."
Sanzang said, "Goodness! Goodness! My disciple has gone to pick fruit and will return soon. I dare not eat. If I eat your food and your husband scolds you, I would be implicated!"
The woman, seeing that Tang Sanzang would not eat, put on a beaming smile and said, "Master, my parents' almsgiving is a small matter, but my husband is even more of a good man. He delights in building bridges and repairing roads, in caring for the aged and pitying the poor. If he hears that this food was given to you, Master, he will be even happier out of love for me."
Sanzang still refused. But Bajie beside him was growing frantic. He pouted and grumbled, "There are many monks in the world, but I've never seen one as weak-willed as my master! A ready meal delivered to his door, and he won't eat it! He insists on waiting for that monkey to come back so he can share it!"
Without another word, he knocked over the pot with his snout and opened his mouth to eat.
Just then, Pilgrim returned from the southern mountain peak with a few peaches in his alms bowl, having somersaulted back in an instant. He opened his fiery, golden eyes and saw at once that the woman was a demon. Setting down the bowl, he drew his iron staff and swung it straight at the demon's head.
The elder was so startled he reached out and grabbed him. "Wukong! Who are you striking?"
Pilgrim said, "Master, this woman before you—don't mistake her for a good person. She is a demon, here to deceive you!"
Sanzang said, "You monkey head! You used to have some discernment, but today you're talking nonsense! This lady Bodhisattva is so kind, offering us food, and you call her a demon?"
Pilgrim laughed. "Master, you don't understand! When Old Sun was a demon in the Water Curtain Cave, if I wanted to eat human flesh, I often used this trick: I would change into gold or silver, into a mansion, into a drunkard, or into a woman. If some infatuated fool took a liking to me, I would lure him into the cave and steam or boil him as I pleased. If I couldn't finish, I'd dry the leftovers for a rainy day! Master, if I had come a moment later, you would have fallen into her trap and been killed!"
Tang Sanzang refused to believe him, insisting the woman was a good person. Pilgrim said, "Master, I know what's on your mind. You see how beautiful she is, and your mortal heart is stirred. If that's truly the case, let Bajie cut some trees, let Wujing gather some grass, and I'll act as the carpenter. We'll build a thatched hut right here, and you can marry her and settle down. We'll all go our separate ways—wouldn't that be a fine thing? Why bother with the arduous journey to fetch the scriptures?"
The elder, who was a soft-hearted and kind man, could not bear such words. His shaved head blushed all the way to the roots of his ears.
As Sanzang stood there in shame, Pilgrim flew into a rage again. He drew his iron staff and struck the demon across the face. The demon was skilled in the "Corpse Release Technique." Seeing the staff coming, she quickly mustered her spirit and fled in advance, leaving only a false corpse on the ground, beaten to death.
The elder trembled all over and muttered, "This monkey is too insolent! I've warned you many times, but you won't listen. You kill a person for no reason!"
Pilgrim said, "Master, don't be angry. Come and see what's in this pot."
Sha Wujing helped the elder forward. When they looked, it was not fragrant rice at all, but a pot of maggots with tails squirming about. Nor was it fried wheat gluten, but a few frogs and toads hopping wildly on the ground.
The elder began to believe him a little. But Bajie, still dissatisfied, spoke up in the demon's defense. "Master, this woman was just a farmwife from nearby, bringing food to her family in the fields. She met us on the road. How can you call her a demon? Senior brother's staff is heavy. He came over, wanted to try his strength, and accidentally killed her. Now he's afraid you'll recite the Tight-Band Spell, so he's using a magic trick to change the food into this, fooling your eyes so you won't recite it."
Sanzang, hearing this, felt utterly disheartened. He believed the fool's slander, pinched his fingers, and began reciting the spell. Pilgrim immediately cried out, "My head! My head! Stop! Stop! If you have something to say, say it properly!"
Tang Sanzang said, "What is there to say! A monk must always be compassionate and kind. Sweeping the floor, you fear to harm the life of an ant; out of love for moths, you cover the lamp with gauze. How can you commit murder as you walk? Killing an innocent person—even if you fetch the scriptures, what use will they be? Go back!"
Pilgrim said, "Master, where do you want me to go?"
Tang Sanzang said, "I no longer want you as my disciple."
Pilgrim said, "If you don't want me as your disciple, I'm afraid you won't reach the Western Heaven."
Tang Sanzang said, "My life is decreed by heaven. If some demon wants to steam me or boil me, I'll accept my fate. Can you protect me forever? Go back quickly!"
Pilgrim said, "Master, going back is nothing, but I haven't repaid your kindness yet."
Tang Sanzang said, "What kindness have I shown you?"
The Great Sage, hearing this, quickly knelt and kowtowed. "Old Sun, because of the great uproar in Heaven, incurred a death sentence and was crushed under the Two Realms Mountain by the Buddha. Fortunately, Bodhisattva Guanyin gave me the precepts, and fortunately, Master, you rescued me. If I don't go with you to the Western Heaven, it would prove that 'failing to repay a kindness is not the act of a gentleman, and I would be cursed for ten thousand ages.'"
Now, this Tang Sanzang was a compassionate holy monk. Seeing Pilgrim's desperate pleas, his heart softened. "If that's the case, I'll spare you this once. But from now on, you must not be so insolent. If you commit such evil again, I'll recite the Tight-Band Spell backwards twenty times!"
Pilgrim said, "Even if you recite it thirty times, I'll obey. I just won't hit anyone anymore."
With that, he helped the master mount the horse and handed him the peaches he had picked. Tang Sanzang ate a few on the horse, temporarily satisfying his hunger.
Meanwhile, the demon had escaped and soared into the sky. That blow from Pilgrim had not killed her; she had used the "Spirit Projection" technique to flee. The demon gnashed her teeth in the clouds, nursing a deep grudge against Pilgrim. "For years, I've heard of his great powers, and today I see they are well-deserved! That Tang Sanzang had already stopped suspecting me—he was about to eat my food. If he had just lowered his head and smelled it, I could have grabbed him, and he would have been mine! But then that monkey came back and ruined everything, nearly striking me with his staff. If I let this monk off so easily, won't all my efforts have been in vain? I must go down and toy with them again!"
What a clever demon! She pressed down the yin wind and, at the foot of the mountain slope, transformed herself with a shake into an old woman of eighty. She leaned on a crooked bamboo staff, sobbing as she walked. Bajie saw her and cried out in alarm, "Master! This is bad! The old woman has come looking for someone!"
Tang Sanzang said, "Looking for whom?"
Bajie said, "The one senior brother killed must have been her daughter! This must be her mother coming to find her!"
Pilgrim said, "Brother, don't talk nonsense! That woman was only eighteen; this old woman is eighty. How could a woman give birth at over sixty? It's clearly a fake! Let Old Sun go and have a look."
What a noble Pilgrim! He strode over and looked carefully. The monster's appearance was thus: She had transformed into an old woman, her temples white as snow and ice. She walked slowly, her steps weak and faltering. Her frail body was thin and gaunt, her face like a withered cabbage leaf. Her cheekbones jutted upward; her lips drooped downward. In old age, she was not as she was in youth—her face was covered in wrinkles like a folded purse.
Pilgrim recognized her as a demon at a glance. Without a word, he raised his staff and struck her on the head. The demon, seeing the staff coming, used her old trick again—she mustered her spirit and fled with her primordial spirit, leaving only a false corpse dead by the roadside.
Tang Sanzang was so frightened he fell from his horse. He sat by the roadside and, without a word, recited the Tight-Band Spell backwards a full twenty times. Poor Pilgrim's head was squeezed until it looked like a gourd shaped like a waist drum. The pain was unbearable. He rolled to Tang Sanzang's feet and begged, "Master, stop reciting! If you have something to say, let's talk it over!"
Tang Sanzang said, "What is there to say! A monk who heeds good words will not fall into hell. I've warned you so many times, yet you still commit murder! Killing one innocent person wasn't enough—you've killed another. Is that proper?"
Pilgrim said, "But they were demons!"
Tang Sanzang said, "You monkey, you're talking nonsense! How many demons can there be? You are simply someone who refuses to do good and deliberately does evil! Go!"
Pilgrim said, "Master, you want me to leave again? I'll go, but there's one thing that doesn't sit right."
Tang Sanzang said, "What doesn't sit right?"
Bajie chimed in, "Master, he wants to split the luggage! He's been a monk with you for all these years—he can't go back empty-handed, can he? Give him a couple of old robes and a worn-out hat from the bundle!"
Pilgrim was so angry he jumped up. "You stinking-mouthed blockhead! Ever since Old Sun became a monk under the master, I've never had a shred of jealousy or greed. Why would I want to split the luggage?"
Tang Sanzang said, "Since you're neither greedy nor jealous, why won't you leave?"
Pilgrim said, "To tell you the truth, Master. Five hundred years ago, when I was king in the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain, I subdued seventy-two cave demons and commanded forty-seven thousand little imps. Back then, I wore a purple-gold crown, a brown-yellow robe, a blue-field belt, cloud-treading boots, and carried the Mind-Complying Golden-Banded Staff. I was a man of renown. But after I was punished, reformed, and became a monk as your disciple, this golden band was clamped onto my head. If I go back now, I'd have no face to show my people in my homeland. If you truly don't want me, Master, recite the Loose-Band Spell. Take this band off and give it to someone else. Then I'll leave willingly. After all our time together, you owe me at least that much kindness."
Tang Sanzang was startled. "Wukong, I only received the Tight-Band Spell from the Bodhisattva. I have no such thing as a Loose-Band Spell!"
Pilgrim said, "Since you have no Loose-Band Spell, you might as well take me with you."
The elder had no choice. "Get up. I'll spare you one more time. But you must not commit murder again."
Pilgrim said, "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!" With that, he helped the master mount the horse and continued leading the way.
Now, that demon—Pilgrim's second blow had not killed her either. Hovering in midair, she could not help praising him. "What a Monkey King! He truly has sharp eyes. I transformed twice, and he recognized me both times. These monks are moving fast. If they cross this mountain and go another forty miles west, they'll be out of my territory. If some other demon catches them, I'll be laughed at, and all my efforts will be wasted. I must go down and toy with them one more time!"
What a clever demon! She pressed down the yin wind and, at the mountain slope, transformed herself with a shake into an old man. His appearance was utterly lifelike: His white hair rivaled that of Pengzu; his gray beard matched the Longevity Star. A jade chime seemed to ring in his ears; golden stars flickered in his eyes. He leaned on a dragon-headed staff and wore a light crane-feather cloak. Prayer beads were clasped in his hands as he recited the Nanwu sutra.
Tang Sanzang saw him from his horse and rejoiced. "Amitabha! The Western lands are truly a blessed realm! This old man can barely walk, yet he's still chanting sutras."
Bajie said, "Master, don't praise him. He's the root of disaster!"
Tang Sanzang said, "How is he the root of disaster?"
Bajie said, "Pilgrim killed his daughter, then killed his wife. This must be the old man himself, coming to find us! If he catches us, Master, you'll have to pay with your life—a death sentence. I'm an accomplice—I'll be exiled. Sha Wujing is an accessory—he'll be banished. Only Pilgrim can escape with his magic. In the end, the three of us will suffer!"
Pilgrim heard this and said, "You fool, stop talking nonsense and scaring the master! Let Old Sun go and have another look." He hid his staff on his person and walked up to the monster. "Old sir, where are you going? Why are you chanting sutras as you walk?"
The demon did not take the Great Sage Sun seriously, thinking he was just an ordinary monk. He replied, "Elder, I have lived in this place for generations. All my life, I have loved doing good deeds, offering alms to monks, reading sutras, and chanting Buddha's name. Fate did not give me a son—I had only one daughter, and I took in a son-in-law. This morning, my daughter went to bring food to the fields. She must have encountered a tiger. My old wife went looking for her but hasn't returned. I don't know what has become of them. I've come to search for them. If they have truly been killed by a tiger, I'll have to gather their bones and bury them."
Pilgrim laughed. "I am the ancestor of tigers! How dare you pretend to be a ghost and fool me in front of my face? You might deceive others, but not me! I recognized you as a demon long ago!"
The demon was struck speechless with fear. Pilgrim drew his staff and thought to himself, "If I don't strike him, he'll surely play more tricks. If I do strike him, I'm afraid the master will recite the spell. But if I don't kill him, he might seize the chance to capture the master, and then I'll have to go through all the trouble of rescuing him again—better to strike! Even if the master recites the spell, I can talk my way out of it with my silver tongue."
What a noble Great Sage! He recited a spell and summoned the local spirit and mountain god of the area. "This demon has toyed with my master three times. I'm going to kill him now. Stand witness in midair and don't let him escape!" The gods received his command—who dared disobey? They all stood guard in the clouds. The Great Sage brought his staff down, and the demon breathed his last on the spot.
Tang Sanzang, on his horse, trembled all over and could not speak. Bajie laughed again. "What a Pilgrim! He's gone mad! In just half a day, he's killed three people!"
Tang Sanzang was about to recite the spell when Pilgrim rushed to the horse and cried, "Master, don't recite! Don't recite! Come and look at his form!"
They all went forward to look. On the ground was not an old man at all, but a pile of white bones. Tang Sanzang was astonished. "Wukong, this man just died. How did he turn into a pile of bones?"
Pilgrim said, "He was a zombie harboring a spirit, here to confuse and harm people. Now that I've killed him, he's returned to his true form. Look—on his spine, there's a line of writing: 'Lady White Bone.'"
Tang Sanzang heard this and was about to believe him. But Bajie spoke up again. "Master, his hand is heavy and his staff fierce. He killed the man and, afraid you'd recite the spell, deliberately changed the corpse into bones to fool you!"
Tang Sanzang had always been weak-eared. He believed Bajie's words again and immediately began reciting the spell. The pain was unbearable for Pilgrim. He knelt by the roadside and cried, "Stop reciting! Stop reciting! Say what you have to say quickly!"
Tang Sanzang said, "You monkey head, what more is there to say! A monk who does good is like the grass in a spring garden—it doesn't seem to grow, but it increases every day. An evil-doer is like a whetstone—it doesn't seem to wear down, but it diminishes every day. In this desolate wilderness, you've killed three people in a row. Luckily, no one saw and no one is investigating. But if we reach a city where there are many eyes, and you, with that funeral staff of yours, lose your head and start beating people, causing a great disaster—how will I escape? Go!"
Pilgrim said, "Master, you wrong me! This thing was clearly a demon. He truly intended to harm you. I killed him to remove a threat. But you can't tell good from evil. You believe the slander of that fool and keep driving me away. As the saying goes, 'A thing should not be done three times.' If I don't leave now, I'll be a shameless wretch. I'll go! I'll go! But if I go, there will be no one to protect you."
Tang Sanzang grew angry. "You insolent ape! According to you, you're the only capable one, and Wuneng and Wujing are not human?"
The Great Sage, hearing Tang Sanzang say that Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing were also people, could not help feeling heartbroken. He said to Tang Sanzang, "How bitter! When you first left Chang'an, Liu Boqin escorted you on your way. When you reached the Two Realms Mountain, you rescued me, and I became your disciple. Since then, I've crossed mountains and entered deep forests, captured demons and monsters for you, taken in Bajie, and acquired Wujing—how much hardship have I endured! Now you pretend to be ignorant and insist on driving me away. This is truly 'when the birds are gone, the bow is put away; when the rabbits are dead, the hounds are cooked.' Enough! Enough! Enough! It's just this Tight-Band Spell on my head that tortures me."
Tang Sanzang said, "I will never recite it again."
Pilgrim said, "That's hard to say. If you encounter a powerful demon and can't escape, and Bajie and Wujing can't save you, you'll think of me and can't help reciting it again. Even if I'm a hundred thousand miles away, my head will hurt. It's better to leave for good now than to meet again later."
Tang Sanzang, seeing him grow even more insolent, grew angrier. He dismounted and told Sha Wujing to take out paper and brush from the bundle. He fetched water from a mountain stream, ground ink on a stone, and wrote a letter of dismissal. He handed it to Pilgrim. "Monkey head! Take this as proof! I no longer want you as my disciple! If I ever see you again, may I fall into the Avici Hell!"
Pilgrim quickly took the letter. "Master, don't swear. Old Sun will go." He folded the letter and put it in his sleeve. Then, in a soft voice, he said to Tang Sanzang, "Master, I have accompanied you for some time, and I was guided by the Bodhisattva. Now I'm giving up halfway and won't achieve the true fruit. Please sit down and let me bow to you once, so I can leave in peace."
Tang Sanzang turned away from him and muttered, "I am a good monk. I will not accept the bow of a wicked man like you!"
The Great Sage, seeing that he would not accept the gesture, used his body-doubling technique. He plucked three hairs from the back of his head, blew on them with an immortal breath, and cried, "Change!" Instantly, three more Pilgrims appeared. Together with himself, four Pilgrims surrounded the master and bowed. The elder could not dodge them and had no choice but to accept the bow.
The Great Sage leaped up, shook himself, and retrieved the hairs. Then he instructed Sha Wujing, "Worthy brother, you are a good man. Just be careful of Bajie's words, and be even more vigilant on the road. If a demon captures the master, just say that Old Sun is his senior disciple—the demons of the West, hearing of my powers, will not dare to harm the master."
Tang Sanzang said, "I am a good monk. I will not mention the name of a wicked man like you. Go!"
The Great Sage, seeing that the elder repeatedly refused to change his mind, had no choice but to leave. Watch him: With tears in his eyes, he kowtowed and bid farewell to the master; with sorrow in his heart, he earnestly instructed Sha Wujing. With one step, he crushed the grass on the slope; with two kicks, he overturned the vines on the ground. He could ascend to heaven and descend to earth as easily as turning a wheel; crossing seas and flying over mountains was his greatest skill. In an instant, he vanished from sight; in a flash, he returned to his old path.
The Great Sage swallowed his anger, bid farewell to his master, mounted his somersault cloud, and headed straight back to the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain. He was alone, his heart filled with desolation. Suddenly, he heard the sound of surging water. Looking down from midair, he saw it was the tide of the Eastern Sea. At the sight, he thought of Tang Sanzang again, and tears rolled down his cheeks. He halted