Chapter 49: Thrice Beating The White Bone Spirit
Yet Wukong swung his staff at that White Bone Spirit.
The White Bone Spirit fled in her true form, leaving behind a real corpse.
Wukong said that woman was a monster, how could Tang Sanzang believe him?
Ba Jie chimed in from the side:
“Master, speaking of that woman, she was a local farmwoman who was delivering food to the fields and encountered us on the road. Out of kindness, she offered us a vegetarian meal. Senior Brother struck too hard and killed her, then framed her as a monster. Anyway, this is barren mountains and wild ridges; no one will know if we killed someone, no fear of a lawsuit. It’s just a pity to waste this good vegetarian meal?”
Saying this, Ba Jie picked up the basket and gathered the steamed buns that had fallen to the ground, blowing off the dust; he scooped the clean top layer of rice from the shattered earthenware pot into the alms bowl, saying:
“Master, that woman just brought this for you, but you wouldn’t eat it. Now she’s dead. If you’d eaten it earlier, maybe she’d still be alive.”
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang grew even angrier, pinching a mudra in his hand and chanting a spell from his mouth.
Wukong’s head ached, and he said: “Don’t chant! Don’t chant! Speak if you have something to say.”
Tang Sanzang said: “What is there to say! Monks are always mindful of a kind heart; they sweep the ground fearing to harm ants’ lives and shield moths from lamp flames with gauze. Why do you commit violence at every step! You’ve killed this innocent woman; what’s the use of journeying for sutras? Go back!”
Wukong said: “Master, where do you want me to go back to?”
Tang Sanzang said: “I don’t want you as my disciple anymore.”
Wukong said: “If you don’t want me as your disciple, I’m afraid you won’t make it on the road to the Western Heaven.”
Tang Sanzang said: “My fate is in the heavens; whether that monster steams or boils me, it’s none of your business!”
Wukong said: “Master, if I go back, that’s fine, but I haven’t repaid your great kindness yet.”
Tang Sanzang said: “What kindness have I shown you?”
Hearing this, Wukong knelt and kowtowed, saying:
“Old Sun caused the Great Havoc in Heaven and was pressed under Five Elements Mountain by the Buddha; luckily Guanyin Bodhisattva helped me receive the precepts, and Master saved me from my predicament. If I don’t go with you to the Western Heaven, wouldn’t that be failing to repay kindness?”
This Tang Sanzang was a man of compassion. Seeing Wukong sincerely plead and kneel in supplication, and remembering it was Guanyin Bodhisattva’s enlightenment, he relented and said:
“Since that’s the case, I’ll forgive you this once. If you harm anyone again, I’ll chant this spell twenty times!”
Wukong said: “Thirty times is up to you; I absolutely won’t hit anyone.”
Thus, he helped Tang Sanzang mount the horse and diligently offered the plucked peaches.
Tang Sanzang ate a few to stave off hunger for the time being.
The master and disciples continued on their way.
After walking some distance, a burly man emerged from the woods ahead, looking like a hunter, holding a woodcutter’s knife in his hand and carrying a hunting bow on his back. Seeing Tang Sanzang and the others, he called out:
“Masters, have you seen my younger sister?”
Seeing this, Ba Jie exclaimed in alarm: “Master, this is bad; someone’s come looking for her!”
Tang Sanzang said: “Looking for whom?”
Ba Jie said: “It must be that woman Senior Brother killed. Don’t admit it, or they’ll demand our lives!”
Wukong had fiery golden eyes; as soon as the man appeared, he recognized him as the Tiger Vanguard and said: “Master, don’t listen to that idiot’s nonsense; this is clearly a monster. Watch Old Sun give him a staff blow first!”
Tang Sanzang said: “Cease your violence; if you harm anyone again, I definitely won’t forgive you!”
Hearing this, Wukong had no choice but to hold back, feeling a vague sense of foreboding in his heart.
He knew this monster was with Ao Tu and thought to himself that trouble was coming again.
Ao Tu was set on stopping Tang Sanzang’s journey for sutras. Though he had some private ties with the other side, his heart to protect Tang Sanzang on the westward journey was sincere. Now seeing Tang Sanzang about to face disaster again, he couldn’t help feeling anxious.
The Tiger Vanguard came before Tang Sanzang and his three disciples, saluted, and asked:
“Masters, you’ve come from the mountains; have you seen my younger sister?”
Tang Sanzang returned the salute and asked: “Benefactor, where are you from? Why have you come here looking for someone?”
The Tiger Vanguard said: “Master, I was originally a hunter. Due to a family misfortune, I came to White Tiger Ridge to join my righteous brother. My brother’s home is on the western slope of the hill ahead. This morning, my brother and sister-in-law went to till the fields, and at noon my younger sister went to deliver food, but she hasn’t returned. So I came out to look for her. I wonder if you masters saw her when passing by earlier?”
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang found it hard to speak and stammered without words.
Ba Jie said: “We didn’t see her, didn’t see her. We’ve passed through here; it’s all barren mountains and wild ridges, not a single soul in sight!”
Hearing this, the Tiger Vanguard looked at Ba Jie and saw the basket in his arms. He cried out in shock:
“Isn’t this the basket my younger sister used to deliver food! And you say you didn’t see her! Could it be that you’ve harmed her!”
Seeing this, Tang Sanzang sighed: “Amitabha, benefactor, restrain your grief. It’s all this poor monk’s fault for not disciplining my wicked disciple properly, letting him take your family member’s life.”
The Tiger Vanguard angrily said: “You band of wild monks, pretending to be monks when you’re really road-blocking robbers! My poor younger sister, so young, cruelly victimized by your poison hands!”
Tang Sanzang had no way to argue and could only keep reciting sutras.
Wukong said: “Monster, others may not recognize you, but I do. What trickery are you using to deceive my master? You deserve a beating!”
With that, he brandished his staff and struck. The Tiger Vanguard dodged aside, stuck out his leg, and took the blow hard. Instantly, flesh split open, revealing white bone stubble.
Tang Sanzang was so scared he dared not open his eyes.
The Tiger Vanguard endured the pain, dragged his leg, and fled backward, shouting:
“Save life! Save life! The monk is killing to silence me!”
Wukong was about to give chase.
Without a word, Tang Sanzang directly chanted the Golden Fillet Spell, fully twenty times.
Poor Wukong’s head was constricted like a gourd; even with his adamantine body, he couldn’t bear the pain. He leaped up and smashed a great mountain to the south, but it brought no relief at all. Rolling back, he pleaded:
“Master, stop chanting! Say whatever you have to say!”
Tang Sanzang said: “What more is there to say! Monks listen to good words and avoid falling into hell. I’ve advised you like this, yet you still commit violence? You’ve killed one person and now want to kill another to silence him?”
Wukong said: “He’s a monster.”
Tang Sanzang said: “Nonsense! How could there be so many monsters! You’re clearly doing evil on purpose, intent on murder! Go back! I won’t tolerate you as my disciple here!”
Wukong said: “Master wants me to go back again? I’ll go if I must, but there’s one thing Master must agree to, or I can’t go.”
Tang Sanzang said: “What thing?”
Ba Jie said: “Master, he wants to divide the luggage with you. After being your monk for so long, he can’t go back empty-handed. Give him a couple of the old clothes and broken hat from that bundle.”
Hearing this, Wukong angrily said: “You long-mouthed oaf! Old Sun has always upheld the teachings of the sangha, without the slightest greedy heart. When have I ever wanted to divide luggage? I think you deserve a beating!”
Ba Jie hurriedly begged for mercy: “Senior Brother, don’t hit me; Old Pig was just joking!”
Tang Sanzang said: “If you have no greedy heart, why won’t you go?”
Wukong said: “To tell the truth to Master, five hundred years ago Old Sun lived in Flower Fruit Mountain’s Water Curtain Cave, calling himself the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, wearing a purple gold crown and ochre yellow robe. Now going back with this golden fillet, it’d be hard to face old acquaintances.
If Master really wants me to go back, please chant the Loose Hoop Spell for me and remove this hoop; consider it payment for my time with you.”
Tang Sanzang said in great alarm: “Wukong, at the time I secretly received a scroll of the Golden Fillet Spell from the Bodhisattva; what Loose Hoop Spell do I have?”
Wukong said: “If there’s no Loose Hoop Spell, then let me continue with you to the Western Heaven.”
With no other choice, Tang Sanzang said: “Fine, I’ll forgive you this one more time.”
At that time, Ao Tu had the Tiger Vanguard lie in bed, instructing him to pretend to be crippled later, not moving a bit, to blackmail Tang Sanzang.
