Chapter 59: Encountering Demons In Black Pine Forest
Yet the group returned.
Ao Tu and Ba Jie, Sha Seng said: “Just now I saw that old demon and recognized him. He is precisely the demon who abducted my elder sister Princess Bai Hua Xiu thirteen years ago.”
Sha Seng said upon hearing this: “Your Highness, since that’s the case, why not let us two rescue the princess?”
Ao Tu said: “We have come a long way and are starving. As the saying goes: ‘Even a hero fears an empty stomach.’ That demon is waiting at ease for the exhausted, and with little demons to assist, I’m afraid we cannot overpower him by force. I have been separated from my elder sister for thirteen years, and now that reunion is near, there’s no need to rush this moment. Wait until we regain the throne, then raise troops to attack without delay.”
Ba Jie listened and boasted: “Your Highness, after returning to the country, just prepare a table of sumptuous vegetarian meal for this old pig. Without expending your kingdom’s forces, this old pig alone can subdue that demon and rescue the princess!”
Ao Tu smiled and said: “In that case, we will have to rely greatly on Elder Pig.”
The group went hungry for a night, no more said.
The next day, Tang Sanzang sent Sha Seng to beg for food.
Sha Seng said: “Master, there are no households for dozens of miles around. It’s truly difficult to beg a vegetarian meal. Even if we find households, they may not be willing to give alms. You wait here, don’t worry. Disciple will slowly beg and return.”
Tang Sanzang sighed and said: “You go then.”
Ao Tu then ordered Tiger Vanguard: “You take another road to look for households. If you find any, buy some grain and bring back some water.”
Tiger Vanguard accepted the order and left.
Tang Sanzang had gone hungry for a day and could not walk, so he rested in place, exchanging sutras with Ao Tu.
Ba Jie sat to the side, bored, pulling up grass roots to chew.
Past noon, Sha Seng finally hurried back, having begged an alms bowl of vegetarian meal and a few steamed buns.
Ba Jie saw it and hurriedly crowded over.
Sha Seng pushed him away and said: “This is for Master!”
Sha Seng handed the vegetarian meal to Tang Sanzang and said:
“Master, disciple rode the clouds for two hundred miles, visited over a dozen households, but none were affluent. I scraped together this vegetarian meal from east and west. I hope you won’t disdain it.”
Tang Sanzang said: “Wu Jing, you’ve worked hard.”
Sha Seng bowed and said: “Master, no talk of hardship. Eat quickly.”
Tang Sanzang took the alms bowl upon hearing this, intending to divide the vegetarian meal among the group to eat.
Sha Seng shook his head and said: “Master, we two can go hungry for a few meals, no matter. You eat.”
Ba Jie looked at the steamed buns, wanting to eat in his heart, but held back and said:
“Master, these few steamed buns aren’t even enough to fill the gaps in this old pig’s teeth. You eat them!”
Tang Sanzang was somewhat moved at the sight and prepared to give half the meal to Ao Tu for them to eat together.
Ao Tu refused: “I sent my brother to buy grain; he should be back soon.”
Just then, Tiger Vanguard returned.
In his hands he carried two wild geese, at his waist a bundle of yams, and some wild vegetables. Tiger Vanguard said:
“Your Highness, this subordinate walked twenty or thirty miles, saw no households, but luckily wild geese flew overhead, so I shot two. These yams and wild vegetables were dug in the mountains!”
Ao Tu instructed:
“Give the yams and wild vegetables to the elders to eat. Take the wild geese afar to roast, and we’ll eat.”
Ba Jie said: “Your Highness, why take them afar to roast? Roast them here. This old pig can’t eat, but smelling the aroma is good too!”
Tang Sanzang scolded: “Ba Jie, don’t be rude!”
Ao Tu smiled: “I don’t mind, but I’m afraid the meaty smell would offend you.”
Tiger Vanguard lit a fire and roasted the two wild geese over it.
Ba Jie at the sight placed the yams on top of the wild geese.
Sha Seng said: “Second Senior Brother, what are you doing?”
Ba Jie said: “You don’t know, yams roasted this way taste meaty!”
Tang Sanzang angrily said upon hearing: “Ba Jie, quickly take down the yams.”
Ba Jie said: “Master, disciple hasn’t broken the precepts…”
Tang Sanzang said: “Idiot, as monks we have Buddha in our hearts. Your mouth hasn’t eaten, but your heart has broken the precept. Quickly take them down!”
Ba Jie upon hearing could only reluctantly take down the yams.
After eating, the group continued onward.
Three hundred miles remained to Bao Xiang Kingdom. The group walked and stopped along the way, progressing slowly. Without Wukong, daily vegetarian meals became a major problem.
Moreover, Ao Tu and Tiger Vanguard were ordinary people.
In the past, when the master and three disciples traveled, on flat roads White Dragon Horse could easily cover one or two hundred miles a day. Now, considering Ao Tu and Tiger Vanguard, they could not go fast.
Walking and stopping, after half a month they had only covered a little over two hundred miles.
By now they were near Bao Xiang Kingdom’s capital city, with households starting to appear nearby.
Passing a farmhouse, the group prepared to ask for lodging.
Tang Sanzang dismounted, faintly hearing a chime ring, his head splitting with pain, unsteady on his feet, and he collapsed to the ground.
Sha Seng and Ba Jie hurried forward.
Ba Jie said: “Master, what’s wrong?”
Tang Sanzang, shivering all over, clutching his head said: “Head hurts, hurts terribly!”
Ba Jie said: “Master, you’ve got epilepsy.”
Tang Sanzang was in too much head pain to speak.
Sha Seng observed carefully: “No, it’s a headache attack!”
From that household emerged an old woman, precisely the White Bone Spirit in disguise.
Just now in the house, she had aimed the Headache Gourd at Tang Sanzang and struck it, causing him to collapse with unbearable headache.
White Bone Spirit came out and said: “Elders, what are you doing at my door?”
Sha Seng bowed: “Old benefactor, we come from Eastern Land Great Tang, monks going to Western Heaven to worship Buddha and seek sutras. Passing this place, seeing it late, we wished to ask for lodging one night at your home. Unexpectedly my master, hurrying day after day, had a headache attack upon dismounting, now in great pain. Please make it convenient for us master and disciples to rest inside.”
White Bone Spirit said: “Then please come in quickly!”
Ba Jie thus carried Tang Sanzang inside and laid him on the bed.
White Bone Spirit brought hot water.
Tang Sanzang drank it, slightly relieved, but still head ached and he could not walk.
Only because the Headache Gourd was a magic treasure of the Plague Department; struck on the body, plague qi entered, and birth, old age, sickness, death were all heavenly fate, requiring long treatment to heal.
This was still without White Bone Spirit using magic power; if struck with magic power, even immortals would be afflicted by plague qi, head splitting, unable to endure.
Tang Sanzang’s headache prevented travel, so they could only stay here.
White Bone Spirit’s home had no one else, perfect to accommodate the group.
Sha Seng curiously asked:
“Old benefactor, how do you live here alone?”
White Bone Spirit teared up: “This old body originally had a son, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson; our family of four lived together here.”
Sha Seng said: “Then where are they?”
White Bone Spirit said sadly: “Two years ago, His Majesty the King saw some recipe somewhere, using human bones to brew wine: bones of adult men strengthen the body; bones of young women nourish beauty; bones of young children prolong life. Thus he took my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, and to this day no news, I’m afraid they’ve already…”
Sha Seng said: “Ah, using human bones to brew wine, that’s a monster!”
Ba Jie said: “Junior Brother Sha, you forgot, that king is a monster in disguise!”
