Chapter 54: Three Strikes Against The White Bone Spirit
Ao Tu changed into a brocade monk’s robe, held a nine-ringed monk’s staff, and wore a five-direction five-Buddha crown to cover his hair. He truly looked like a majestic, Buddha’s Child, holy monk.
Ao Tu said, “Ba Jie, lead the horse. Follow me to the city to beg for alms.”
Ba Jie didn’t react in time and instinctively replied, “Alright, Master!”
Tang Sanzang immediately looked over, and only then did Ba Jie realize he had misspoke. He quickly ran to lead the horse.
Ao Tu rode the white horse, with his two disciples, Tang Sanzang and Ba Jie, following by his side, heading towards the city.
After entering the city, Ao Tu looked up and saw some resentment lingering in a large household’s home. He walked over.
He told Tang Sanzang to knock on the door and Ba Jie to put away his expression.
Ba Jie said, “This expression is natural for me, how can I put it away?”
Ao Tu said, “If you don’t put it away, you won’t be allowed to sit at the table for the vegetarian meal later.”
Upon hearing this, Ba Jie indeed obediently put away his expression.
Tang Sanzang knocked on the door, and shortly after, a manservant came out and said,
“Who are you?”
Ao Tu said, “This humble monk comes from the Eastern Land Great Tang, on a journey to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek sutras. We are passing through this place and saw that your esteemed residence has resentment lingering, so we’ve come to help.”
The manservant heard this and, seeing Ao Tu’s extraordinary attire, quickly said,
“Holy monk, please wait a moment. I will go inform my Lord immediately.”
Not long after, the master of the house came out and respectfully invited Ao Tu and his disciples inside.
As it turned out, the household was indeed not peaceful.
A few days prior, the master’s wife had a miscarriage, and a fully formed stillborn infant emerged.
Since then, every night the household would hear an infant crying, causing great unease. Now that Ao Tu had arrived, he was exactly what they needed.
Ao Tu set up the ceremony, instructing the master to prepare an altar and light the lamps.
He sat at the head of the altar and chanted the sutras for rebirth. Buddhist sounds emanated, dispelling malevolent stars and restoring peace to the people.
Tang Sanzang and Ba Jie, as Ao Tu’s disciples, sat below and also chanted sutras.
Tang Sanzang chanted earnestly, but Ba Jie was a monk who had joined halfway and didn’t know how to chant sutras. He merely sat with his legs crossed, feigning piety, and mumbled:
“I, Old Pig: Imperial Edict Marshal, supervised the navy, at the Jade Pond’s Immortal Peach feast, drunk and lost my senses, rampaged east and west, burst into Guanghan Palace, the fairy of love, my mortal heart unquenched…”
Before long, the stillborn infant was transcended. However, Ao Tu did not stop; he chanted for a full three hours before finally getting up.
The master was indeed satisfied. He gifted two hundred taels of silver and prepared a full table of vegetarian fare for Ao Tu and his disciples to enjoy.
Ba Jie, having eaten his fill, couldn’t help but say, “Since leaving Gao Lao Village, I’ve never had such a good meal!”
Tang Sanzang said, “You idiot, you only know how to eat!”
Ba Jie pouted and didn’t reply.
Tang Sanzang asked Ao Tu, “Benefactor, for us monks to accept such a large sum of money, isn’t it improper?”
Ba Jie, holding a plate, said, “Master, you’re too pedantic. We performed a Buddhist mass for them, isn’t it only right and proper to accept some money?”
Tang Sanzang scolded, “You fool! Our six senses are pure as monks, how can we be greedy for wealth and enjoyment?”
Ao Tu said, “Monks indeed shouldn’t be like this, but I am not a monk.”
Tang Sanzang’s mouth opened, and he was speechless for a moment.
Ao Tu, with Buddhist Dharma always on his lips, had taught him much, making him almost forget that Ao Tu was a layperson who still had a wife and family.
After eating, taking the money, and hiring a physician, the group returned.
The physician took the pulse of Tiger Vanguard and examined his injuries, saying,
“The patient’s injuries are extremely severe, his skin is torn and rotten, his bones are shattered. Generally speaking, the leg can only be amputated.”
Tang Sanzang heard this and chanted Amitabha Buddha, feeling immensely guilty.
However, at this moment, the physician’s tone shifted and he said,
“But this patient’s pulse is steady, and his qi and blood are strong, unlike an ordinary person!”
Ao Tu said, “My brother here is a master from the palace of Bao Xiang Kingdom, which is why he knows some techniques for moving qi and blood.”
The physician nodded and said, “If that’s the case, then it is possible to treat him.”
Tang Sanzang was overjoyed and said, “Then please, Mister, write the prescription quickly!”
The physician listened and wrote two prescriptions, one for internal medicine and one for external application. He stated that although the patient’s qi and blood were strong, the injury was too severe, and it would take four to five months before he could barely walk.
Thus, for the following period, Tang Sanzang took care of Tiger Vanguard daily.
Sha Seng built another wooden house nearby. Since they couldn’t eat grain for free, both of them also went up the mountain to chop firewood and down to the fields to plow.
Tang Sanzang brewed medicine and changed bandages for Tiger Vanguard daily, and followed Ao Tu up the mountain to collect herbs. When they were short on money, he and Ao Tu would go into the city to perform Buddhist masses and rituals for hungry ghosts to earn money.
Over time, he turned into a capable monk.
The Six Ding and Six Jia, Five Directions Jiedi, Four Divisions Gong Cao, and eighteen guardian monks on their heads took turns on duty. Seeing this situation, they knew something was wrong but were helpless.
Tang Sanzang had not been captured by monsters, nor was he in danger, nor had he forgotten his mission to seek sutras. His disciples Ba Jie and Sha Seng also stayed by his side daily. According to their duties, they should not interfere.
However, this situation was clearly not right.
They wanted to report upwards, but it was not yet time for their rotation, so they dared not leave their posts and could only wait slowly.
These deities rotated once daily, taking turns on guard. This translated to an annual rotation in the mortal realm.
There were still more than half a year until the next annual rotation, so they could only wait slowly.
At that time, on Flower Fruit Mountain, in the Water Curtain Cave.
When Wukong first returned home, he was a little uneasy.
Every day he looked towards the West and touched the fillet on his head, not knowing when he would be summoned back. Even though the monkeys offered him fruits and fine wine, he couldn’t enjoy himself.
However, as time slowly passed.
Half a month, one month, two months, three months…
The Great Sage, wearing his purple-gold crown and yellow robe, commanded the group of monsters, radiating majesty. He ascended to the heavens to socialize with the immortals and went to the sea to have fun with the Dragon King, living a carefree life.
Looking back, although the pain of the Golden Fillet Spell was immense, it was worth it!
One day, the Virtuous Immortal of Fude on Zhongnan Mountain held an “Apricot Appreciation Meeting,” inviting various immortals to gather. Wukong happened to be visiting the Barefoot Immortal and heard about this. Wanting to build connections, he insisted on going along.
On Zhongnan Mountain, Jade Pillar Cave.
A group of immortals gathered, including: the Five Dipper Star Lords, Yellow Horn Great Immortal, True Warrior Emperor, Three Holy Maidens, Clear Void Moral Heavenly Venerable, Old Mother Li Shan, and others.
When Wukong and the Barefoot Immortal arrived, they heard Old Mother Li Shan talking to the other immortals about sons-in-law. Seeing familiar faces, Wukong quickly went to greet them.
Old Mother Li Shan smiled in response and introduced Wukong to the other immortals.
These great deities had heard of Wukong’s rebellion in the Heavenly Palace, but they hadn’t paid much attention. Today, they were finally getting acquainted.
As they were talking, Mu Cha arrived, respectfully bowing to the immortals and saying to Virtuous Immortal of Fude:
“My Bodhisattva has been contemplating cultivation recently and is unable to attend the gathering. I have been sent by my disciple to apologize, and I hope the Virtuous Immortal will not be offended.”
Virtuous Immortal of Fude smiled and said it was alright.
Seeing Mu Cha arrive, Wukong hid himself in advance.
However, in this immortal’s abode, it was difficult to hide, and despite his efforts, Mu Cha saw half of his figure.
Mu Cha saw him and felt he was familiar, but because his seniority was too low, he couldn’t pursue the matter. He decided to put it aside and, after returning from Zhongnan Mountain, he did not go to the South Sea but headed directly to investigate the westward journey route.
