Chapter 106: Great Battle With Red Boy
Then Sun Wukong took the dirty clothes out of the room and bumped into Red Boy.
Red Boy said, “Uncle Sun, where are you going?”
Wukong said, “The clothes are dirty, I’m taking them to be washed.”
Red Boy said, “Why would a small matter like this require you to do it yourself, Uncle? Let your nephew help!”
With that, Red Boy, without further ado, snatched the clothes.
Wukong chuckled, “You little rascal!”
Red Boy smiled and left with the clothes.
Wukong returned to the room and watched Tang Sanzang chant sutras for a while. Finding it dull, he leaned on the bed, sat cross-legged, and pretended to meditate, cultivating his essence, qi, and spirit.
Tang Sanzang chanted for a while and felt a bit sleepy, so he returned to his bed to rest.
Seeing this, Wukong woke up, kicked Ba Jie, and pushed him aside to make room for Tang Sanzang.
It turned out the bed was a large stone bed, three zhang wide, covered with five layers of mats, three layers of cotton, and one layer of bedding. It was quite comfortable to sleep on.
Normally, five or six people could sleep lengthwise without feeling crowded, but this idiot Ba Jie had rolled across the bed horizontally, taking up all the space.
Wukong kicked him, and Ba Jie scratched his butt and moved aside.
Wukong then helped Tang Sanzang lie down comfortably.
Tang Sanzang said, “Wukong, you should rest too.”
Wukong said, “Master, you sleep, Old Sun will rest now.”
Tang Sanzang lay down in an Arhat’s pose and fell asleep.
Wukong remained nearby, still pretending to sleep.
On the other side, Red Boy handed the clothes to a little demon and told him to wash them carefully.
After some time, the little demon finished washing the clothes and brought them back.
Red Boy exhaled a breath of fire to dry the clothes, then carried them to the room of Tang Sanzang and his disciples, entering the door.
Wukong, seeing Red Boy enter in the middle of the night, suddenly opened his eyes, becoming alert.
Red Boy cautiously approached the luggage of Tang Sanzang and his disciples and squatted down.
Wukong got up and silently moved behind Red Boy, patting him and saying, “Nephew, what are you doing?”
Red Boy turned around, saw it was Wukong, and said:
“Uncle Sun, the clothes are washed. I saw you were all asleep, so I didn’t dare to disturb you. I wanted to put them here directly.”
Wukong looked and indeed saw a stack of dry clothes in Red Boy’s arms.
Wukong said, “So soon?”
Red Boy said, “I dried them with my fire.”
Wukong understood.
Red Boy put down the clothes and asked, “Uncle Sun, aren’t you resting yet?”
Wukong said, “Old Sun’s essence, qi, and spirit have long been perfected. I don’t usually need to rest.”
Red Boy exclaimed in surprise, “Uncle Sun, since you don’t need to rest, could you tell me about yourself?”
Wukong said, “Tell you about myself? What about it?”
Red Boy said, “My father told me that you caused great havoc in the Heavenly Palace and that even a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals couldn’t capture you. Is that true?”
Wukong chuckled, “That is indeed true.”
Red Boy said, “Uncle Sun, I want to hear the story of your battle with the hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals.”
Wukong said, “This… actually, there’s nothing much to tell. It’s all just old history.”
Red Boy said, “Uncle Sun, please tell me!”
Wukong said, “You are so young, why would you listen to this? Those events happened so many years ago, I’ve almost forgotten them.”
Red Boy took Wukong’s arm and pleaded, “Just tell a small part, okay?”
Wukong said, “Just a small part?”
Red Boy said, “A small part.”
Wukong said, “Alas, there’s really no choice. Then I’ll reluctantly tell a small part.”
Red Boy propped his chin on his hands and sat expectantly by the wooden table nearby.
Wukong also sat down and said, “We agreed, just a small part. I’m usually too lazy to talk about these things, so I can’t talk too much!”
Red Boy said, “Mmm hmm.”
Wukong began, “Back then, I, Old Sun…”
Time passed, and it was the latter half of the night. Ba Jie stirred on the bed and got up to relieve himself.
Then he heard a voice from beside him saying:
“Old Sun, in the East Sea Dragon Palace, after I took this Ruyi Golden Cudgel, I went straight to the Underworld, overturned the Netherworld, knocked down the halls of judgment, and all ten kings of Hell knelt before me. The ghostly officials of the Netherworld showed me utmost respect.”
Red Boy exclaimed, “Wow!”
Wukong continued, “I said then, bring me the Book of Life and Death. The ten kings of Hell heard me, and none dared to disobey…”
Ba Jie shook his head, groggily walked outside, urinated like a pig, and returned, only to hear:
“After Old Sun left the Underworld, I subdued seventy-two demon kings, and had tens of thousands of little demons under my command. It was truly a time when all four seas and a thousand mountains bowed down, and all nine netherworlds and ten classes were wiped out. Later…”
Ba Jie opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but feeling sleepy, he said nothing and lay back down to sleep.
The sky brightened.
“Old Sun defeated that insignificant Juling Shen, and then another child appeared, who looked about your age. Do you know who he was?”
Red Boy asked, “About my age? Who was it?”
Wukong said, “He was the son of Li Tianwang, the Pagoda-Bearing King, the Third Prince Nezha. Back then, he cut his flesh to return to his mother and peeled his bones to return to his father. Having lost his physical body, he later had it reformed with lotus flowers, hence his appearance.”
Red Boy said, “So that’s how it was! Uncle Sun, what were his abilities? How did your battle with him go?”
Wukong said, “Speaking of his abilities, they were far inferior to mine, Old Sun’s…”
Sha Seng groggily woke up and heard Wukong speaking like this. He shook Ba Jie beside him and said, “Second Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, look, what’s gotten into Eldest Senior Brother?”
Ba Jie, woken up, felt resentful. He opened his eyes and listened for a while, then said:
“He’s explaining to our little nephew how he used to be the Marshal of the Heavenly Horses. It seems our little nephew is going to buy horses soon, so he’s asking for advice.”
Wukong heard this, his arm lengthened, and he grabbed Ba Jie’s ear.
Tang Sanzang quickly woke up as well.
Red Boy ordered his subordinates to prepare breakfast.
After the master and his three disciples finished breakfast, Tang Sanzang proposed to take his leave.
Red Boy invited them to stay for a few more days.
Tang Sanzang did not refuse and agreed to stay a few more days.
In the following days, Red Boy meticulously served them, fulfilling their every request. During his free time, he would pester Wukong, asking him to recount his heroic deeds.
Wukong also quite liked this young nephew, and he told stories from when he caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace to how he beat the demon dragon.
After six or seven days, Tang Sanzang again proposed to leave.
Red Boy sincerely asked them to stay again.
Ba Jie and Wukong also persuaded Tang Sanzang. Unable to resist their pleas, Tang Sanzang agreed to stay for a few more days.
Another six or seven days passed.
One day, Wukong was recounting his tale of eliminating a monster in the Black Pine Forest, how his Golden Cudgel had made the demon dragon and the Yellow Robe Monster beg for mercy.
Red Boy listened, utterly captivated.
After Wukong finished his story, Tang Sanzang once again proposed to depart.
Red Boy asked them to stay again.
Tang Sanzang was insistent on leaving.
Red Boy said, “Master Grand Master, have I not been attentive in my service? Why do you not stay a few more days?”
Tang Sanzang said, “It’s not because of your poor service, but because of King Tang’s decree. I am tasked with the Journey for Sutras and cannot afford further delay.”
Red Boy said, “I beg you, Master Grand Master, to stay a few more days.”
Tang Sanzang shook his head.
Ba Jie couldn’t help but say, “Master, this young nephew treats us so well, with plenty to eat and drink. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?”
Tang Sanzang heard this, glared at Ba Jie, and said, “Idiot, if you want to stay, stay by yourself!”
Ba Jie dared not speak.
Wukong chuckled, “Little nephew, don’t keep us any longer. Old Sun will come find you again after he completes the Journey for Sutras.”
Seeing this, Red Boy knew it was about time.
He had made a good impression on them over these past few days, and now it was time to get the cultivation method.
Red Boy bowed and said:
“Uncle Sun, actually, I insisted on you staying because I have something to ask of you.”
Wukong chuckled, “I figured as much. Little nephew, what is it you wish to ask of me?”
Red Boy said, “My father ordered me to guard this mountain range, but I am young and my skills are weak, and I cannot defeat the monsters here. I beg you, Uncle Sun, to teach me a trick or two!”
Red Boy then looked at Tang Sanzang and said:
“I beg you, Master Grand Master, to stay a few more days so that Uncle Sun can teach me some skills for self-defense.”
Tang Sanzang frowned, “This…”
Wukong said, “Little nephew, your father is very powerful. Why are you seeking help from afar?”
Red Boy began to cry:
“Uncle Sun, you don’t know. From birth, I was naturally timid and loved to be kind to others. I dared not bully little demons or scold my subordinates.
Therefore, my father disliked me, and my mother didn’t love me. They sent me away from our Cave Mansion long ago to guard this mountain range.
Pitifully, I lived alone in the mountains as a child, with no relatives to rely on, no friends to accompany me, and I could not bear the loneliness!”
Tang Sanzang was moved by this.
Red Boy looked at Tang Sanzang again and cried:
“Master Grand Master, please stay a few more days! If you leave, I will be alone again!”
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang couldn’t help but recall his own childhood.
He was similar to this child when he was young, with his parents absent. However, he was fortunate to have the company of his master and fellow monks. But this child, if they left, would only have a group of monsters for company…
Ba Jie chimed in, “Master, look how pitiful this little nephew is, all alone. Please agree to stay a few more days!”
Sha Seng also said, “Second Senior Brother is right!”
Red Boy quickly seized the opportunity:
“Master Grand Master, it is now the beginning of winter. This Six Hundred Li Drill Mountain is full of rugged mountains and steep ridges. It’s impossible to get out in just a day or two.
If we rush to leave and some days later, heavy snow falls in the mountains, burying the pits and ravines, a single misstep could be fatal! The great undertaking of the Journey for Sutras would be impossible.
As the saying goes, sharpening the knife does not delay the chopping of wood. It would be better to stay in the Cave Mansion and leave when spring arrives!”
Wukong said, “Master, what the little nephew says is reasonable. Bears have thick fur and hibernate in winter; why shouldn’t humans also take shelter in winter?”
Tang Sanzang sighed, “Very well, we shall stay for a few more days.”
Everyone was delighted.
Wukong agreed to Red Boy’s request and began teaching him some skills.
Wukong’s own Seventy-two Transformations and Somersault Cloud were learned from Patriarch Bodhi, and without the Patriarch’s permission, Wukong dared not teach them to others.
Fortunately, Wukong had obtained a cultivation method in Wuji Kingdom, which he could teach to Red Boy.
Upon receiving the cultivation method from Wukong, Red Boy was astonished. This method was truly profound and mysterious. Even a fragment contained the Great Dao. No wonder the old demon had tried every means to obtain it.
Wukong said, “Little nephew, what weapon did the opponent you encountered use?”
Red Boy said with some embarrassment, “He didn’t use any weapon.”
Wukong was shocked, “He defeated you without using a weapon? This… perhaps Old Sun should just help you defeat him directly!”
With Sun Wukong’s help, Red Boy was naturally willing.
However, Red Boy still wanted to obtain the complete cultivation method.
Therefore, he said, “Uncle Sun, if you, a senior, interfere in the disputes of us juniors, it might harm your reputation. Please teach me a few moves first, and let me fight him again.”
Wukong said, “That makes sense.”
