Journey to the West: Starting with the Hunting of the Three Demons of Twin Fork Ridge

Chapter 83, 5th Zhuangguan: Zhenyuan Captures the Sutra Monk Again

The next day at dawn, the immortal got up and immediately ordered everyone to beat Tang Sanzang again.

Unexpectedly, he and his disciple had transformed into willow tree roots. The immortal sneered, leaped up in auspicious light, and indeed caught up. He lowered his cloud and shouted, "Sun Wukong, where are you going? Give me back my tree!"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy exclaimed, "That's it! The enemy is here again!"

So Sha Wujing drew his magic staff, Zhu Bajie raised his rake, and the Great Sage wielded his iron cudgel. They all rushed forward and surrounded the Great Immortal in the air, striking and beating him haphazardly.

Zhen Yuanzi parried left and right, fighting three against one, and in just half an hour, he rolled up his sleeves and captured the four masters and disciples again.

Returning to the clouds, we arrived at the temple again.

Then they took out a long cloth and tied up the master and his disciple, and ordered the little fairies to bring out a pot of boiling oil.

The immortal said, "Fry Sun Wukong in oil to avenge my ginseng tree!"

Sun Wukong was indestructible, so how could he be afraid of being deep-fried? He was just worried that the immortal might tamper with the oil, so he looked around and saw a stone lion to the west.

He then leaped to the west, transformed the stone lion into his own likeness, and released his primordial spirit, rising into the clouds and looking down at the Taoist priest.

So the immortal's disciples came to carry Wukong. It took twenty lesser immortals to lift him up and throw him into the pot. With a loud bang, they smashed the pot open.

The immortal was furious and said, "This impudent monkey is so rude! You left, fine, but why did you mess with my stove again? This impudent monkey is impossible to catch; even if you could catch him, it would be like chasing shadows and catching the wind."

"Enough! Enough! Enough! Let him go. Take Tang Sanzang off, put him in a new pot, fry him up, and avenge the ginseng tree."

Wukong, who was in mid-air, understood what was happening. He thought, "My master is no good. If he gets into the oil cauldron, he'll die after one boil, burn after two, and by the third or fifth boil, he'll be a mangled monk! I'll go and save him."

The Great Sage descended from the clouds and said, "Don't damage the cloth and paint, I'm going to be boiled in oil."

The immortal exclaimed in alarm, "You monkey! How dare you use such tricks to sabotage my stove?"

Wukong laughed and said, "You should be the one to cook when you meet me, what does it have to do with me? I was just about to enjoy some of your cooking, but I was in a hurry to relieve myself. If I left the pot open, it might contaminate your cooking oil. Now that I've finished, it's ready to cook. Don't try to fry my master, you're going to fry me instead."

Upon hearing this, the immortal chuckled coldly, stepped out of the hall, grabbed him, and said, "I know your abilities, and I've heard of your reputation, but this time you've gone too far and deceived me. Even if you have the power to escape, you can't get out of my grasp."

"I'll tell you all the way to the Western Paradise, and when I see your Buddha, he'll have to return my ginseng fruit tree!"

Wukong said, "You're so petty, sir. What's so difficult about a living tree?"

"I, Old Sun, have roamed the Three Realms; is there anyone I cannot heal your tree?"

Upon hearing this, the immortal thought to himself, "Since this mischievous monkey has filial piety, I might as well let him go and ask Ji Huazi for help, so I don't have to ask him myself."

So he said, "It exists in the temple, but you used your supernatural powers to make people fall asleep. Whether you can help them or not is another matter."

Wukong asked, "Are you talking about that old Taoist priest, Jihua Zi? He can actually heal trees?"

The sage said, "He says he can cure it."

Wukong said, "If you can heal, why not teach him how to heal?"

The sage said, "If I ask him to treat me, wouldn't that be putting my personal favor on him? You were the one who knocked down that fruit tree, so I cannot ask him."

Wukong laughed and said, "You're quite the schemer, sir. You're beating around the bush with me. I'm not afraid of owing favors. Let me ask him for help. Where is he?"

The sage said, "It's not somewhere else, it's right behind us."

Wukong was delighted upon hearing this and exclaimed, "Old Sun is off!" He then went to the backyard to find Li Fa.

Sun Wukong turned through the corridor, passed through the back hall, and arrived at the front of the side room in the back courtyard.

The door was ajar, and faint voices could be heard inside.

Wukong didn't stand on ceremony and pushed him away.

The door creaked open.

Inside, Li Fa was sitting cross-legged on the couch, with Baili Bo standing beside him.

When Li Fa saw Wukong enter, he didn't get up, but just smiled slightly and said, "So it's the Monkey King. Please sit down."

Wukong jumped in, looked around, and laughed, "Old Taoist, you know how to find peace and quiet. There's chaos up front, but you're all set here."

Li Fa said, "Great Sage, you jest. Let the commotion ahead continue. Even if the sky collapses and the earth caves in, that's Zhenyuan Daxian's business. What does it have to do with me, a mere recluse?"

Wukong was stumped by his words and felt a little embarrassed. He scratched his head and said, "Old Taoist, old immortal, old god, now that things have come to this, please stop trying to shut me up with your words."

"I, Old Sun, have already admitted defeat in this terrible mess. But I beg you, for the sake of our past friendship, to help me save that ginseng fruit tree, okay?"

Li Fa laughed and said, "It's all because you tricked me into being knocked unconscious, otherwise I would have healed the tree for him long ago."

Now you're asking me for help, but I have a condition.

Wukong asked: "What conditions?"

Li Fa said, "Let's not talk about that yet. Let's go into the main hall together and then we can talk."

So the three of them went up to the hall. Wukong said to Zhen Yuanzi, "Sir, I have brought the old Taoist priest. He said he can heal the tree, but he has some conditions."

Upon hearing this, the immortal said, "I wonder what conditions you require? This humble Taoist will have this monkey agree to them all."

Li Fa laughed and said, "Since the Great Sage Sun is so powerful, I don't really have any requests of him."

I think it would be better if the three brothers, having eaten the immortal's ginseng fruit, gained an extra 47,000 years of lifespan. Let them serve the immortal as his long-term laborers in the temple for 47,000 years, while Tang Sanzang goes on his pilgrimage alone.

Upon hearing this, the immortal exclaimed with delight, "Excellent! I was just worried about who would fetch water and manure for my vegetable garden. These three are just in time!"

Upon hearing this, Wukong immediately exclaimed, "Old Daoist! What are you saying? A laborer for 47,000 years? I, Old Sun, have been a king and saint on Flower Fruit Mountain, and I have never worked as a laborer for anyone! You're trying to kill me!"

Li Fa laughed and said, "Great Sage, don't be hasty. Let me explain. You knocked down the immortal tree and damaged its foundation that had stood for ten thousand years. Shouldn't you compensate me?"

You ate someone else's fruit and gained an extra 47,000 years of lifespan for no reason. Shouldn't you repay it? An eye for an eye, that's just how things are.

Wukong exclaimed anxiously, "Compensation is due, but how can it be done like this? Forty-seven thousand years, I, Old Sun, am unharmed, but I'm afraid my master will never reach Mount Ling!"

Hearing this from the side, Pigsy panicked and said, "Old Taoist, don't drag me into this! I did eat some fruit, but it was Monkey King who stole it. I just wanted a taste, why should I be made a long-term laborer?"

Sha Wujing also said, "Master, I have been taught by the Bodhisattva and now wholeheartedly turn to Buddhism. If I linger in the temple for 47,000 years, how can I protect my master on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures?"

Tang Sanzang was even more terrified, and clasped his hands together, saying, "Venerable Master, this is absolutely unacceptable! Although my disciples are unruly, they were guided by the Bodhisattva and are here to protect me on my journey to the West. If they remain here, how will I reach the Western Paradise alone?"