Journey to the West: Black Six Ears

047. The Corpse Demon Teases Xuanzang

Sun Wukong picked a few peaches from the top of Nanshan Mountain, carried the alms bowl, and somersaulted back.

But then he saw a woman standing there, entangled with Pigsy.

He opened his fiery eyes and saw clearly that the woman was a demon. He put down his alms bowl, drew his iron cudgel, and struck her on the head.

The elder, startled, grabbed him and said, "Wukong! Who are you going to hit?"

Sun Wukong said, "Master, don't mistake this woman in front of you for a good person. She's a demon who's trying to deceive you."

Xuanzang was startled and turned to look at the woman.

The woman was covered in sweat, her face flushed with dew, her eyebrows fluttering like dust, and she looked nothing like a fairy.

Turning their attention to the others, they were suspicious, but they also failed to recognize the woman's true identity.

Seeing this, Xuanzang frowned and scolded:

"You monkey, you did have some discernment back then, how could you speak so recklessly today! This female bodhisattva had such a kind heart, offering us this food as a sacrifice, how can you say she's a demon?"

This monkey keeps talking about demons, but he can't produce any evidence. How can I believe him?

Xuanzang simply shook his head, ignoring the monkey.

But Sun Wukong wouldn't let it go:

"Master, how could you recognize that! When I was a demon in the Water Curtain Cave, if I wanted to eat human flesh, I would do it like this: I would transform into gold and silver, or a manor, or a drunkard, or a beautiful woman."

"There are those infatuated souls who fall in love with me, and I'll lure them into my cave, where I can do as I please, steaming or boiling them to my heart's content; if I can't finish them, I'll dry them in the sun to protect them from the rain! Master, if I had arrived late, you would have surely fallen into his trap and suffered his cruelty!"

Hearing him say this, Xuanzang was startled.

He pointed at Sun Wukong, trembling.

This monkey actually eats people!

Hearing him say that, Xuanzang was even less convinced.

Seeing that he had repeatedly obstructed him, Sun Wukong's expression changed, and he sneered:

"Master, I know you now. You must have been tempted by his looks."

If that's your intention, then have Pigsy cut down a few trees, and the servants gather some grass. I'll be the carpenter, and we'll build a shelter right here. You can consummate your marriage with him, and then we can all go our separate ways. Wouldn't that be a better outcome? Why bother with the arduous journey to fetch the scriptures?

Xuanzang was a kind and gentle man, and he couldn't stand those words. He was so ashamed that his bald head turned bright red.

Xuanzang was feeling ashamed when Sun Wukong, enraged, drew his iron cudgel and struck the demon in the face.

The monster was quite skilled; he used a corpse-dissolving technique. When he saw Sun Wukong's staff coming, he roused himself and left in advance, killing a fake corpse on the ground.

"what!"

With a scream, the woman collapsed to the ground, limp and lifeless.

Seeing her gruesome death, Xuanzang was terrified and muttered to himself, "This monkey is truly rude! He ignored my repeated admonitions and took a life without cause!"

Unlike him, Sun Wukong was prepared and immediately pointed to the jar and rattan box that had fallen to the ground, saying:

"Master, please don't be offended. Come and see what's in this jar."

Pigsy helped the elder closer, and when they looked at it, the jar on the ground was opened, revealing fried gluten that emitted a mouthwatering aroma. The rice scattered on the ground was also crystal clear.

That was truly a delicious vegetarian meal.

"This! Isn't this food?"

Xuanzang became even more furious upon seeing this.

At this moment, the doubts in my heart dissipated, and I only knew that the monkey had killed the believer.

"You monkey, you can't tell right from wrong, you beat an innocent person to death? You have no compassion or kindness whatsoever!"

"In the past, I was still in the mountains, undetected; but if I went to the city, and someone accidentally bumped into me, you might retaliate, grabbing a stick and indiscriminately beating and injuring people. How could I possibly escape unscathed?"

Seeing this, Sun Wukong was puzzled, but he could only argue:

"Master, if I don't kill her, she'll eat you."

Upon hearing this, Xuanzang's face hardened:

"My family would rather die than commit murder. Even if I die, I'll only be one person, but you killed someone without cause. How can this be justified? If this matter is taken to the authorities, even if your father is an official, it won't be fair."

"That's impossible!"

Sun Wukong was taken aback, and quickly grabbed his golden cudgel to smash open the rattan box.

But instead of frogs and toads, it contained spilled hot soup, which even smelled slightly oily.

One sniff and you know this farmhouse food is truly delicious.

Sun Wukong was taken aback.

Wait a minute, these days, do demons have to learn cooking skills before they can eat people?

Seeing that he didn't speak, Pigsy was indignant. The woman had been killed by the monkey, and the food had been overturned by the monkey. He hadn't gotten anything to eat or drink. He stood aside, spitting out eight-tenths of his mouth, and said:

"Master, speaking of this woman, she is a local farmer who met us on her way to deliver food to the fields. But how could we have mistaken her for a monster?"

The older brother's stick was heavy, so he came over and tried to hit him, but unexpectedly killed him.

"I'm afraid you'll chant some kind of mantra, so I'm deliberately making noise here to mislead you and make you stop chanting."

From that moment on, Xuanzang's bad luck began.

The corpses on the ground were gone, and the food was covered in mud. There was no trace of a demon.

At the instigation of that fool Sui Xin, who was making hand gestures and chanting incantations, Sun Wukong rolled over and cried out, "Headache! Headache! Stop chanting! Stop chanting! Just say what you have to say."

Seeing that he was in unbearable pain, Xuanzang loosened the headband.

But the tone was still harsh:

"I don't want you to be my apprentice."

Finally, an opportunity has been found.

This is probably Xuanzang's state of mind at this moment.

He had long wanted to teach this monkey a lesson, and he had long wanted to get rid of this unruly monkey.

Hearing Xuanzang say that, Sun Wukong also got anxious, and he sneered:

"If you don't want me to be your apprentice, I'm afraid you won't be able to make it to the Western Paradise."

Upon hearing this, Xuanzang felt as if his head had exploded.

Even now, the monkey still believes he is the core of the pilgrimage team and doesn't think Xuanzang is the real leader at all.

"My fate is in the hands of Heaven. If that demon is destined to steam and eat me, or even boil me, it won't change anything. Ultimately, can you save me from my doom? Go back now!"

Seeing that Xuanzang was truly annoyed this time, Sun Wukong quickly waved his hand and shook his head, softening his attitude.

If it weren't for the golden headband on my head, if it weren't for the time Guanyin Bodhisattva touched my head.

Given Sun Wukong's temperament, even if he didn't swing his staff, he would have flown away on the spot; he wouldn't be wasting his breath here.

However, it was precisely for this reason that Sun Wukong laughed and said:

"Master, it's alright if I go back, but I haven't been able to repay your kindness."

Xuanzang was taken aback, somewhat confused about what Sun Wukong meant, and simply asked:

"What kindness have I done for you?"

Seeing that he had taken the bait, Sun Wukong quickly kowtowed and bowed:

"Because of his great disturbance in the Heavenly Palace, I suffered physical harm and was imprisoned by Buddha under the Two Realms Mountain. Fortunately, Guanyin Bodhisattva gave me the precepts, and my master rescued me. If I had not gone to the Western Paradise with you, it would have made me appear ungrateful and ungentlemanly, and I would have been cursed for all eternity."

Xuanzang opened his mouth.

He really wanted to get rid of Sun Wukong right now.

But the monkey was clever; it directly brought up the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, whose importance to Xuanzang far exceeded that of most other things.

This includes the incident where a monkey killed someone.

Seeing Sun Wukong's pleading, he changed his mind and said:

"Since that's the case, I'll forgive you this time, but please don't be rude again. If you continue to do evil, recite this incantation twenty times, reversed!"

Sun Wukong's eyes darted around, and he quickly took out a peach from his pocket and handed it over.

He added:

"You can do it thirty times, but I won't hit anyone anymore."

Xuanzang took the food, mounted his horse with satisfaction, looked at the food on the ground, took a few bites of the peaches, and decided to eat them to stave off hunger.

Meanwhile, Lady White Bone, having shed her skin, was rising into the air.

Wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, she was startled by Sun Wukong's blow, even though it hadn't killed the demon.

She hid in the clouds, gritting her teeth and secretly cursing:

"For years I've only heard about his methods, and today it's proven true. I almost got hit by his staff again. If I let this monk go, it would be a wasted effort. I'll go down and play a trick on him."

She was truly furious, so Lady White Bone raised her hand and transformed herself.

Now, she transformed into an octogenarian woman leaning on a bent bamboo cane.

However, Lady White Bone did not rush to find the pilgrims, but instead flew to the depths of White Tiger Ridge.

He found a cave on a mountaintop, leaned down, and said into the cave:

"My lord, the pilgrim has arrived. As per your orders, I am currently engaging the pilgrim in three acts of teasing."