Chapter 31 "Go back, I don't want you to do..."
Bao'e and the traveler rushed to the Buddhist hall, just as the swordsman arrived.
The three of them pretended to confront the group of demonic monks.
Unexpectedly, the Buddhist temple's protective formation was still intact, preventing them from getting close at all.
Bao'e said, "What should we do? What should we do! Senior brother, he's so engrossed in chanting the sutras, why not let him stay here and become a monk, thus fulfilling his wish?"
"Don't worry, don't worry!" the Monkey King laughed. "It was that ghost who set up the formation. I'll go to the Netherworld again and ask for directions."
He hurriedly turned to leave, but then heard a voice asking, "Zhu Bao'e, weren't you in Gaojiazhuang? How did you end up in this desolate mountain temple?"
The three of them looked in the direction of the sound.
But in the distance, in mid-air, a blue phoenix and a colorful dragon were seen circling and hovering.
Among them was a young Zen master, dressed in a black robe like raven feathers, with a fair complexion and red lips, and handsome features, looking at them with a smile.
The traveler asked, "Wumiao, he called you, do you perhaps recognize him?"
Zhu Bao'e squinted and stared for a while, then nodded: "I recognize him, I recognize him! Some time ago we passed by Mount Futu, and there was a Zen Master Wuchao in the mountain, that's him. He has some skills, and he always wanted me to go with him to cultivate. I originally thought he was a kind person, so I wanted to go. But I didn't dare to forget the Bodhisattva's instructions, so I refused him."
Just then, Zen Master Wuchao descended from the clouds and landed on the ground.
"Greetings, Zen Master," Bao'e said to him, and told him the reason for their stay.
Upon hearing this, Zen Master Wuchao laughed and said, "I wanted you to come with me and learn some skills, but you refused. Now you're protecting a young monk on his journey west. This monk is currently struggling with the demons in his heart, and even if you exhaust all your skills, you won't be able to help him. If he can't overcome his inner demons, won't you also be trapped here for a long time?"
“That makes sense, that makes sense,” Bao’e said to the traveler. “Brother, why don’t we just call it a day?”
The Great Sage nodded: "That's right, it's good that it's over."
Bao'e asked, "Senior brother, why did you agree today?"
"Although he was a monk who had been eating vegetarian food and chanting scriptures since childhood and had some piety towards Buddhism, he did not believe in me. At that time, I told him not to believe anyone. He did not listen and did not recognize the demons. He insisted on eating the food of the ghosts, so he suffered a calamity. I was inevitably disheartened."
Upon hearing this, Bao'e recalled that it was partly due to her that Sanzang had agreed to follow that young master Nie in observing a vegetarian diet.
She said, "Brother, I spoke carelessly just now. Let's find a way to save him and not let him be a lonely monk here."
"Good girl, you're right. We shouldn't let others laugh at us."
Zen Master Wuchao, who was listening nearby, suddenly asked, "Zhu Bao'e, you call this man your senior brother, but what kind of person is he?"
Bao'e: "He is my senior brother Sun Wukong, and we are going to go on the journey to retrieve the scriptures together."
"I apologize for the rudeness." The Zen master then looked at the swordsman. "And who is this?"
She said, "He is a wandering swordsman, and we happen to have some connection."
The swordsman bowed to him.
The Zen master smiled and replied, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
He added, “In that case, it is fate that we met in this desolate mountain temple. Why not pass on a copy of the Heart Sutra to your master, so that he can break through his demonic obstacles?”
As he spoke, he made a hand gesture and passed on a copy of the Heart Sutra to the Tang Monk.
The Tripitaka heard this sutra in the midst of chaos, recited it with all his heart, and indeed felt a slight improvement.
Bao'e and Wukong saw that the black aura around Sanzang was gradually fading and that the group of demon monks were also gradually turning into smoke and dust, so they hurried forward.
Just as the swordsman was about to follow, the person behind him suddenly called out, "Jinxue."
The swordsman paused, inexplicably recalling that when Bao'e mentioned him earlier, she had never given her name.
He turned around abruptly, and the Zen master smiled at him, saying, "The evil spirits have been eliminated, so it's time to leave. What are you still doing here?"
"Let's go." Zen Master Wuchao stepped onto the clouds. "This is not a place for you to stay for long."
The swordsman glanced sideways at Bao'e from afar before finally turning back.
Bao'e walked up to Sanzang, but when he didn't open his eyes, she remembered the swordsman.
She quickly turned around.
But there was no one behind him.
She looked up again and saw that Zen Master Wuchao had transformed into golden light and disappeared, surrounded by ten thousand lotus flowers and a thousand layers of auspicious mist, ethereal like a celestial being.
The swordsman was also among them, seemingly watching her from afar.
Bao'e thought to herself: This Zen master is too cunning. He's just like her wandering immortal master. He didn't accept her as a disciple, but instead kidnapped her junior brother.
It's just a pity for her master; he finally managed to take on a disciple, but she ran away.
How pitiful, how truly pitiful!
Just then, the group of demonic monks were completely pulverized.
Sanzang also woke up.
He had endured several days of suffering without a moment's rest, and now he was so exhausted that his monk's robes were soaked through, and his face was sallow and his lips were pale.
The pilgrim stepped forward: "Master, how is it? Can you still get up?"
Sanzang couldn't help but shed tears, and said weakly, "Wukong, I almost died. Although I could meditate when I was young, and I have meditated for two or three years when I was on the verge of death, none of that was as painful as these two days. Those demon monks came from nowhere and chanted evil scriptures all around me, chanting so that my soul was about to be torn apart."
When he got to the most painful parts, he would burst into tears.
Bao'e stepped forward and said, "Master, don't cry, that monster has already been driven away."
Sanzang straightened his clothes and wiped away his tears, but shouted, "You wretched demon, go back now. I don't want you as my disciple anymore."
Bao'e said anxiously, "Master, why are you saying these things? I never suggested letting that monster eat you, nor did I join forces with those demonic monks to harm you. Why are you scolding me instead of them?"
The fool's eyes immediately reddened, and tears welled up but wouldn't fall.
Wukong said from the side, "Master, how can you blame her? If it weren't for Wumiao helping you out and plotting against that monster, you would have turned into a bloody cloud of mist and been eaten by that monster. Besides, it was because you didn't recognize that demon that you suffered this calamity. How can you blame her?"
Sanzang sat upright on the lotus platform, his eyes closed and his palms clasped, not looking at the two of them.
Seeing that Bao'e was sobbing and not saying a word, the traveler became a little anxious.
He comforted her, saying, "My dear sister, don't cry. Your master is just trying to comfort you; he would never really send you away."
Bao'e wiped away her tears and said fiercely, "You wicked monk, if he wants to expel me, I won't stay! There's just one thing I want to say to you, monk: I once had a master, and if I made a mistake, he would smile and explain it to me clearly, patiently advising me. Unlike you, who expels me as soon as I make a mistake. You're not taking me on as a disciple, you're just asking me to be your helper, and you haven't even paid me a penny!"
Upon hearing this, Sanzang was both shocked and furious. He suddenly opened his eyes and said, "How could you say such a thing? You are becoming increasingly rude. Since you have a good master, go find him. I will not keep you here."
"I'm about to leave, but don't rush me!" Bao'e wanted to cry again, and muttered, "You silly monk, you're really so confused! If I were someone who didn't make mistakes, why would I have to go through this ordeal? Fine, fine! You're not going to the Western Paradise to get Buddhist scriptures, you're going to take all those gods and Buddhas as your disciples, only those Bodhisattvas and Buddhas will suit your wishes."
Only then did Sanzang regain his composure and realize the truth in her words. Seeing the tears in her eyes, he couldn't help but feel regret.
"Wumiao, don't leave." He stood up. "If that's the case, I've wronged you. As your teacher and elder, I should be advising you to study hard. Expelling you like this won't serve any educational purpose."
Bao'e was about to leave when the Monkey King grabbed her and said repeatedly, "Don't cry, don't cry! Your master is apologizing to you."
"Nonsense, nonsense!" Bao'e clung to him, tugging at his clothes to wipe her tears. "Brother, if only we had dispersed then, we could have left that monk here to chant sutras. After chanting a few lines, the scriptures from the Western Paradise would have come to us on their own."
Hearing this, Sanzang blushed and was speechless.
Wukong then said to Sanzang, "Master, to tell you the truth, you fought with those demon monks and couldn't win. It was only after a Zen master taught you the Heart Sutra that you were able to escape. Zen Master Wuchao and Wumiao were old acquaintances, which is why he did this job. Don't say anything in anger. On this journey to the West, we must work together."
The monk Sanzang still remembered the Heart Sutra, and felt even more ashamed. He said to Bao'e, "Wumiao, I owe you a debt of gratitude."
He apologized to her again, and Bao'e gradually calmed down and stopped talking about leaving.
The three of them, along with their horses, rested briefly in the deserted temple before continuing their westward journey.
Along their journey, they vanquished demons and monsters, passing through Huangfeng Ridge and Liusha River.
At the Flowing Sand River, they encountered a ferocious-looking demon. Bao'e and the Monkey King devised a plan to subdue him, but failed repeatedly.
It wasn't until Moksha arrived to help them on the Bodhisattva's orders that they realized this demon was also an accomplice in escorting Sanzang to the west, and his Dharma name was "Sha Wujing".
After hearing Mucha's explanation, Sha Wujing apologized and helped Sanzang cross the river.
The four of them, master and disciples, then set off together.
Time flies like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, it's early spring again.
On this day, the master and his disciples were on their way when they suddenly encountered a steep and dangerous mountain.
Upon seeing the auspicious mist rising and the wondrous sight of jade-like herbs and flowers, the elder couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "This place truly resembles a fairyland!"
The traveler laughed and said, "With such celestial clouds swirling around and no demonic aura, this is a blessed land."
Upon hearing this, Bao'e also looked up.
She stared intently for a while, and suddenly a thought struck her: there was a delicious fruit in "Journey to the West" that seemed to be right here.
The traveler was already leading the way from there.
Bao'e followed behind the white dragon horse, her head buried in thought.
She walked slower and slower. When Sha Wujing saw this, he stopped and asked her, "Second Sister, are you tired?"
Bao'e looked up at him.
The monk Sha was tall and had a head of fluffy red hair, making him quite eye-catching.
He was a rugged and handsome man, but she didn't have any romantic feelings for him. She said truthfully, "Junior brother, I'm a little hungry. What kind of fruit would you like to eat?"
Sha Wujing said, "Most wild fruits are unripe and unpalatable at this time of year. Let's find someone to borrow a stove and cook a meal."
"No, no! There are fruits." Bao'e slowly moved forward.
The traveler laughed and said, "This fool! Did you pick some fruit in your dream and forget it as soon as you woke up?"
Bao'e muttered, "You're talking nonsense, I'm not going to talk to you."
The master and his disciples then began to explore this sacred mountain. Suddenly, a temple appeared ahead, with the words "Wanshou Mountain, a blessed land; Wuzhuang Temple, a grotto heaven" inscribed on a stone tablet at the mountain gate.
It's ginseng fruit!
Meanwhile, the other three were saying they wanted to go in and take a look when this fool had already overcome his laziness, picked up his rake, and excitedly walked inside.
Sanzang, sitting on his horse, said, "Wumiao must be hungry. She has suffered a lot on this journey, eating only wind and dew."
Sha Wujing nodded: "Instead of eating vegetarian food, you want to eat fruit. I'm really starving."
Wukong, carrying his iron cudgel, followed closely behind, but laughed: "Master is too biased. Ever since Sha Wujing came, he has carried all the luggage and managed the horses. Whenever demons cause trouble, I am the one who takes action first, but Master never complains about how Sha Wujing and I suffer."
"What are you saying, you monkey!" Sanzang said. "They are all my disciples, how could I not worry about them? It's just that she has a slightly larger appetite and can't stand being hungry. How could she endure such hunger? Enough said, Wukong, go and take a look. Don't leave Wumiao alone to be the vanguard in this battle."
Wukong was just joking with him and didn't take it to heart. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Alright, alright! Sha Wujing, you stay and watch over Master. I'm off."
Bao'e rushed into Wuzhuang Temple and saw two handsome Taoist priests who looked alike.
They all had delicate eyebrows and phoenix eyes, lips like vermilion, and a small red mole on their foreheads.
The one on the left said worriedly, "Mingyue, what should we do? What should we do? We've searched everywhere but can't find her. Not only has our honored guest not arrived, but when Master returns, how will we explain this to him?"
The Taoist priest on the right said, "Brother, don't rush, we must first catch that troublesome demon!"
Now that Zhen Yuanzi and the other disciples have gone to Shangqing Tianmi Luo Palace, only the two of them are left behind on orders.
Unexpectedly, when the two of them got up this morning, the entire ginseng fruit tree had disappeared.
They happened to find traces of a demon in the temple and concluded that it was the demon's doing.
That cunning demon is hateful; they haven't even seen it yet, let alone caught it.
Just as the two were frowning in worry, Bao'e rushed forward excitedly.
She at least tried to appear refined, and greeted them with a proper bow, saying, "Greetings, gentlemen."
Her sudden appearance startled Mingyue so much that she almost fell over.
Fortunately, Qingfeng caught him in time.
Mingyue looked her up and down, then exclaimed in alarm, whispering to Qingfeng, "Brother, she barged in like this, yet she still has some demonic aura about her. Could it be..."
Qingfeng's eyes flickered slightly, and he said decisively, "Don't panic, or you'll wrongly accuse someone. Let me test her first."
"What if it were her?"
"No rush, no rush." Qingfeng pondered for a moment. "Mingyue, sneak around and lock the door. Even if she is there, she won't have anywhere to run."
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