Chapter 65: Encountering Demons In Black Pine Forest
However, Ba Jie went to Flower Fruit Mountain to find Wukong, but was caught as a spy.
The Monkey Marshal circled around Ba Jie and asked:
“You say you’re here to find our Great King. What’s your name?”
Ba Jie didn’t dare say his name and rolled his eyes, saying: “Well, I… I’m good brothers with your Great King!”
The Monkey Marshal said: “You say you’re good brothers with our Great King? Then why haven’t I heard of it?”
Ba Jie said: “I’m newly acquainted brothers with your Great King, so you don’t know me.”
The Monkey Marshal said: “Newly acquainted brothers? I’ve only heard that our Great King is protecting Tang Sanzang on the journey for sutras to the Western Heaven. That Tang Sanzang has mortal eyes, can’t distinguish truth from falsehood, wrongly blamed our Great King. You’re not Tang Sanzang’s disciple, are you?”
Ba Jie didn’t dare admit it and quickly said: “No, no, I’ve always hated monks the most in my life.”
The Monkey Marshal nodded and said: “Hmm, looking at you, you don’t seem like a proper monk. Our Great King has gone out and isn’t home. If you want to find our Great King, just wait here a bit.”
Ba Jie said in surprise: “Gone out? Where to?”
The Monkey Marshal said proudly: “After the Apricot Appreciation Meeting, our Great King was invited by the True Warrior Emperor and went with Nezha the Third Prince to Wudang Mountain in Nanzhanbuzhou, to the Taihe Palace to discuss martial arts.”
Ba Jie, upon hearing this, anxiously said: “Ah, when will he return?”
The Monkey Marshal said: “I don’t know, I don’t know.”
Ba Jie was now troubled.
Waiting here, he didn’t know when that monkey would return.
If he went to find him, back when he was in Heaven, he was old acquaintances with that True Warrior Emperor, but in this appearance, it was really hard to meet an old acquaintance.
After hesitating for a long time, Ba Jie thought of Tang Sanzang and still said:
“Forget it, forget it. Anyway, it’s this face, count it as master and disciple with that old monk for a time, I should do my best.”
Ba Jie somersaulted on a cloud and headed south again.
This time without the help of wind, Ba Jie traveled for seven or eight days before arriving.
He landed from the clouds and saw Wudang Mountain.
Towering over the southeast, the divine mountain of the central heaven. Lotus peaks tower majestically, Purple Canopy Ridge looms grandly.
Shun patrolled and Yu prayed, jade slips and golden books. Pavilions with flying bluebirds, banners and canopies with red skirts.
There is the Supreme Void Treasure Cave, the Zhu Lu Spiritual Platform. Golden chimes ring in thirty-six palaces, millions of guests come to offer incense. White cranes accompany clouds nesting old junipers, blue luan and vermilion phoenix sing toward the sun. Jade Void ancestral master’s true immortal land, Golden Palace benevolent mercy’s gate to govern the world.
Ba Jie straightened his robe and appearance, passed through three heavenly gates, and arrived outside the Taihe Palace. He saw amid auspicious lights and propitious vapors, five hundred spiritual officials clustered, all holding their breath in concentration, standing solemnly.
Ba Jie quietly moved closer to watch, and saw the Emperor sitting there, with Wukong and the Third Prince demonstrating martial arts in the field.
This was not an ordinary fight, but demonstrating the profound mysteries of the martial way, manifesting supreme wondrous methods.
Wukong wielded the Golden Cudgel, first in the “Taiji Initial Division” form, then changing to the “Zhou Tian Xing Dou” stance, and finally using the “Hunyuan One Qi” move.
The Third Prince was no ordinary being either; the Demon Slaying Sword slashed out the principles of Taiyi, the Heaven and Earth Ring spun with transformations, the Hun Tian Ling displayed creation’s merits.
The spiritual officials watched entranced. Wukong laughed:
“Have you all looked carefully? This staff shadow and sword light originally isn’t about win or lose, but for you all to comprehend—”
As he was speaking, Wukong suddenly spotted Ba Jie in the crowd.
It was because Ba Jie was large in size and his appearance different from ordinary people, so Wukong spotted him at a glance.
Wukong thought to himself: “How did he come? It must be that Master is in trouble, so he came to fetch me.”
Thus he said: “The next form needs another person to practice with.”
Wukong raised his hand and pointed at Ba Jie in the crowd.
“You!”
Ba Jie couldn’t dodge and was pushed forward by the crowd.
Wukong said: “You stand steady, watch me try three strikes to demonstrate the supreme martial way.”
Ba Jie said: “Your staff is heavy, if hit three times, won’t it smash me?”
Wukong said: “It won’t break, my staff is spiritual, when it meets a good person, it becomes light and won’t break them.”
Nezha, seeing this, put away the Demon Slaying Sword, crossed his arms, and watched this scene with interest.
Ba Jie felt it was embarrassing and covered his face, saying:
“Brother, don’t joke, you don’t recognize me anymore?”
Wukong said: “Lift your face, let me see.”
Ba Jie stuck out his mouth and said: “Look, do you recognize me?”
Wukong laughed: “So it’s Ba Jie! Virtuous younger brother, you’re not going with Tang Sanzang on the journey for sutras, what are you doing here? Did you offend Master, and Master dismissed you back? What’s the letter of dismissal, show it to me.”
Ba Jie said: “I didn’t offend him. He has no letter of dismissal, and didn’t drive me away.”
Wukong said: “If there’s no letter of dismissal and he didn’t drive you away, why are you here at my place?”
Ba Jie said: “Master is in trouble, specially sent me to fetch you.”
Wukong said: “How is he in trouble?”
Ba Jie said: “Ever since Master dismissed you, he was deceived by that demon. That demon falsely claimed to be some prince and coaxed Master to help him seize the throne.
He sent us two away, Sha Seng was captured by another demon, I couldn’t fight it; Master was turned into a Tiger Demon by that demon and locked in the palace.
The White Dragon Horse fought that demon but was injured instead; thus Master regrets it and sent me to fetch you.”
Wukong said: “That day he swore to Heaven, personally wrote the letter of dismissal, never to meet again, how would he send you to fetch me? You’re not lying, are you? Tell me exactly what Master said!”
Ba Jie, hearing this, thought even if it’s a lie, it’s the White Dragon Horse’s lie, not his, and said:
“It’s really what Master said. He said he wrongly blamed you, regrets not listening to your advice back then, now turned into a demon. He also said you’re supernaturally powerful, only you can subdue that demon, so he specially sent me to fetch you.”
Wukong, hearing this, wouldn’t believe it, grabbed Ba Jie’s ear and said:
“Fine, you idiot! Still daring to deceive me! Master’s temperament, Old Sun knows it well? Even if he really regrets, he wouldn’t admit half a wrong word, and you’re still making up lies here!”
Ba Jie hurriedly said: “I dare not, I dare not, it really is what Master said. Senior brother, you don’t know, Master has changed his nature now, not like before.”
Wukong said: “Is what you say true?”
Ba Jie said: “I dare not have half a lie. Brother, Master has admitted his mistake like this, just go back. No matter what, he’s your Master, even if eaten by a monster, you should wear mourning for a few days!”
Wukong, hearing this, pondered:
“Fine, I’ll go back with you to see. If I find out you’re lying to deceive me, I’ll hit you twenty staff strikes first, then go hit that demon!”
Ba Jie said: “I dare not, I dare not, absolutely no false words.”
Wukong then bid farewell to the True Warrior Emperor.
The True Warrior Emperor laughed: “Great Sage returns to the righteous path, congratulations. If there are hardships in the future, come to my mountain anytime for aid.”
Nezha, with arms crossed beside, said: “Emperor, this monkey won’t stand on ceremony with you, maybe he’ll leave now and come back in a bit!”
Wukong laughed: “Third Prince, what are you saying. Emperor, Old Sun bids farewell! Right, lend me some of your spiritual tea.”
Ba Jie said: “Brother, why drink tea now?”
Wukong said: “Brother, you don’t know, Old Sun has been away long, traveled all over the nine provinces and four seas, made friends, my body aura is mixed, Master is a mortal, afraid it’d offend him. So borrow the Emperor’s spiritual tea.”
From then on, Ba Jie admired Wukong even more in his heart.
