Journey to the West: Black Six Ears

012. Jinchi Relieves Difficulties

"what!"

Xuanzang cried out in surprise and woke up from his dream.

Xuanzang, who felt as if it were all a dream, did not believe that what had just happened was simply a dream.

He quickly lit the dim lamp and called out to Wukong, "Disciple, disciple!"

Wukong jumped up: "Why are you calling your disciple instead of sleeping this early?"

Xuanzang was also disturbed by his two followers, and he nervously recounted what he had heard and seen.

"My disciple, I just dozed off at my desk and had a strange dream."

The two men looked at each other, both of them bold, yet they were also somewhat intimidated.

Wukong, upon hearing this, simply laughed heartily:

"Master, dreams come from thoughts. Before you even went up the mountain, you were afraid of monsters, worried about the long journey, and longed for Chang'an, not knowing when you would return. That's why you have so many dreams."

These days, Xuanzang had grown accustomed to the monkey's strange and unpredictable manner, and because of the golden headband, he felt slightly uneasy, which is why he endured it.

Now that the monkey was being so ungrateful, Xuanzang immediately became angry:

"Disciple, my dream is not about homesickness, but about the old abbot of Guanyin Temple saying that a monk in a cassock has taken his body. He is afraid that the monster is from Black Wind Mountain, twenty miles to the south."

In this way, he recounted the conversation from the dream to Wukong.

After listening, Wukong laughed and said, "No need to say more. He came to you in your dream to help me with a business deal. There must be a demon usurping the throne. Let me find out the truth from him."

"Isn't there some kind of treasure-viewing ceremony at this Guanyin Temple? Just lure him with your robe, and you can expose the monster there."

Upon hearing this, the two attendants quickly followed.

Hearing what the two said, Wukong nodded in agreement.

That monster who harms people is always wearing a cassock; he's probably a vain person.

The Buddhist treasure wrapped in Xuanzang's bundle came in handy at that moment.

"But how do we break through that barrier?"

Xuanzang pressed for an answer.

Although the old ghost spoke seven or eight points, it was quite chaotic, and not much useful information could be extracted from it.

Most importantly, there is a Black Wind Mountain twenty miles south of Guanyin Temple, where monsters live.

Apart from that, there is no other information.

"This matter should be reported to the authorities."

The follower thought for a moment and then spoke seriously.

In the eyes of these attendants from the Tang Dynasty, seeking help from the government was the best solution.

However, Sun Wukong thought it was a joke.

"What evidence are you talking about? Just lure him to your side, and I'll give him a good beating, and he'll surrender without a fight."

Anyway, he has a pair of discerning eyes and can tell at a glance who has a demonic aura.

Without wasting a word, Sun Wukong turned around and soared into the clouds.

His eyes turned fiery red as he gazed at Black Wind Mountain.

Sure enough, the wind howled in the dark mountains, a place inhabited by wild monsters.

"Master, what that old ghost said is true; there are indeed monsters in Black Wind Mountain."

As they descended from the clouds and landed inside the house, Sun Wukong said with a smile.

Now that the existence of the monster has been confirmed, things become simple; we can just kill it with a single blow tomorrow.

"No, no, the old abbot's body has been possessed. If you hit him with that stick, he'll probably be smashed into a pulp, skin and bones alike."

Xuanzang quickly stopped him, not wanting to be arrested at the treasure viewing party because of the monkey's misbehavior.

The monkey glared at Xuanzang with displeasure. How could the old monk possibly stop him from doing what he was about to do?

This place is Guanyin Bodhisattva's territory, and the Bodhisattva has dug a pit for him. How could Wukong not make a big fuss?

"Killed him, so be it. I have my own ways to bring him back to life."

Wukong snorted coldly.

Upon hearing this, Xuanzang immediately clapped his hands and nodded:

"It's good that you have your own ideas; I'll leave this matter to you. Once it's done, I can get a good horse to help me ascend Mount Ling to obtain the true scriptures and return to the Tang Dynasty as soon as possible."

How could I have made it this far, relying solely on my two fleshy legs?

Although two servants carried it on their backs, it was not a long-term solution.

He still needed a horse. After spending a day in the temple, Xuanzang knew that there was no shortage of horses in the area, so he could exchange his horse for a good one.

Knock knock knock!

Just as the four of them finalized their plan, someone knocked on the door.

"Master, I've come to invite you to the treasure viewing party."

Only then did Xuanzang notice that it was already dawn outside the window.

He had absolutely no recollection of ever taking a nap.

"Let's go."

Xuanzang rubbed his eyes and stood up.

Guided by the monks in the temple, the four of them soon arrived at their destination.

Inside the main hall of the Guanyin Temple, a large number of guests have gathered at this moment.

They were all impeccably dressed, and Master Li was among them.

Upon seeing Xuanzang approach, he was led to a seat by a monk, and everyone cast curious glances their way.

Guangmou, noticing everyone's curiosity, said with a hint of smugness:

"This gentleman is from the Tang Dynasty in the East. He says he has a treasure."

"I see."

Everyone nodded.

For the Tatar Kingdom, the Tang Dynasty to the east was a powerful force that should not be provoked.

Those who come from that side are all distinguished guests.

Only Master Li couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:

"Are you also a monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East?"

and also?

This single word immediately caught the monkey's attention.

His eyes flickered, and he leaned forward, pressing himself close to Master Li, and asked:

"Judging from what this old benefactor is saying, have you met a monk from the East?"

Master Li paused for a moment, shook his head repeatedly, and turned his head away.

But Wukong wouldn't give up; he simply stepped forward and grabbed Master Li's shoulder.

"Why won't you say, old benefactor? Could it be that you have some kind of relationship with that monk?"

Master Li was shocked and tried to shake him off, but he couldn't escape Wukong at all.

He could only let out a soft "Ouch!" and say to the group:

"Some time ago, a monk passed by my house. After inquiring, I learned that he came from the Tang Dynasty in the East."

Upon hearing this, Xuanzang and his party exchanged bewildered glances.

The monk from the Tang Dynasty had never heard of such a thing from Emperor Taizong.

"Ha, what a charlatan!"

That monk was most likely a demon in disguise. On the surface, he was attacking the old abbot, but his real target was Tang Sanzang.

Wukong sneered and pointed at Guangmou beside him, saying:

"We've all arrived, so when does this treasure viewing event begin?"

Guangmou stepped forward, smiled slightly, and pointed to the end of the corridor, saying:

"Gentlemen, please come inside."

The four members of the pilgrimage group fell to the back. Xuanzang grabbed Wukong, his face showing panic.

"Wukong, what should we do?"

This monster replaced the old abbot and created this pretext to harm him, the pilgrim.

Upon hearing this, Wukong sneered repeatedly:

"Once I get in, I'll beat them all to death with a single blow, and that'll be the end of it."

Xuanzang remained silent, only bowing his head and chanting scriptures.

When the four entered the room, the first thing they saw was not a monster ready to fight, but a blinding Buddhist light.

The monk stepped forward, drawing everyone's attention, and slowly lifted the curtain.

Clothes racks were set up on both sides, and ropes were strung around the perimeter.

The next moment, everyone realized that it was actually a walk-in closet.

The Buddha's light emanated from each of the robes.

"Indeed, the hall was filled with exquisite embroidery, and the walls were covered with silk and satin."

Xuanzang couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

A rough count reveals at least a hundred robes here.

Seeing everyone's astonishment, Guangmou smiled smugly:

"Why are you all alarmed? This is only a small part of my father-in-law's collection. The better ones are inside."

As he spoke, Guangmou pushed open the door and walked in first, followed by a group of people who rushed in after him.

The dazzling array of robes hanging on the wall made the whole room seem to be illuminated by golden light, soft yet not dazzling.

Even Xuanzang felt relaxed under the light of the Buddha's light that filled the hall.

Only Wukong, who believed he had seen all sorts of fine things, ignored the splendor of the hall and charged ahead towards the spreading demonic aura.

Soon, the group arrived at the depths of the room.

Just as everyone was marveling at the luxurious surroundings, Guangmou suddenly said:

"My master is in poor health and is probably unable to come out to receive guests today. I will have to lead you all to view the treasures."

"It's alright."

Everyone was concerned about the old abbot's health, but the four on their pilgrimage were anxious.

Their original plan was to meet the old abbot at the treasure viewing party, use his robe to get close, and then kill him in one fell swoop.

The other party didn't show up at all, which is a problem.

"Wukong, what should we do?"

Xuanzang was greatly alarmed. Although he did not wear this robe, he could not be without it.

However, Wukong waved his hand dismissively:

"Don't worry, I have a way."