Chapter 11: Exorcism In Gao Lao Village
As the saying goes: The person involved is confused, while the bystander sees clearly.
Sun Wukong listened to Ba Jie’s description and thought for a long time, but still couldn’t figure out who this person was.
Ba Jie, however, had guessed it.
The immortal in the Heavenly Court who manages agriculture and animal husbandry—this Marshal of the Heavenly Horses first managed the Heavenly Horses, then took charge of the Peach Garden; isn’t that exactly managing agriculture and animal husbandry?
This monkey also has the title of Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. Though he had no real power, his official rank was extremely high, even higher than his.
It matches up, it all matches up.
Ba Jie realized that his senior brother was this Marshal of the Heavenly Horses.
Sun Wukong couldn’t figure it out at the moment and thought Ba Jie was still deceiving him, so he kept tugging on Ba Jie’s ear.
Ba Jie cried out in pain: “Don’t tug, don’t tug! I, old pig, know who it is now!”
Sun Wukong said: “Oh? Tell me quickly, tell me quickly!”
Ba Jie was afraid that saying it would make the monkey angry, so he said:
“Let go first, and I’ll explain it to you in detail, old pig.”
Sun Wukong thought to himself that this idiot couldn’t run away anyway, so he let go of his hand.
“Tell me, who is your senior brother?”
Ba Jie said: “My senior brother is you!”
The monkey widened his eyes and said: “Nonsense, how could it be me? When did old Sun ever manage agriculture and animal husbandry in the Heavenly Court?”
Ba Jie said: “You’ve forgotten—you were tending horses for the Jade Emperor; isn’t that animal husbandry? You managed that Peach Garden…”
Before he finished, Sun Wukong flew into a rage, his golden eyes bulging and fangs bared.
“Idiot, you’re asking for a beating!”
He raised his staff and struck.
Ba Jie raised his Plum Blossom Pitchfork to parry.
The ground shook three times.
Ba Jie said: “Senior brother, this wasn’t me saying it; it was Master who said it!”
Sun Wukong said: “Who is your master?”
Ba Jie said: “My master is your master!”
Sun Wukong angrily said: “Still not being honest—old Sun doesn’t have a junior brother like you! Don’t hide here; come fly up to heaven with me so I can beat you three hundred times!”
Ba Jie said: “Senior brother, three hundred is too many; hit me fewer times!”
Sun Wukong said: “You idiot, now you’re bargaining! Fine, then I’ll beat you two hundred times!”
Ba Jie said: “Two hundred times I, old pig, can’t endure either! I’d better have Master plead for me!”
Sun Wukong said: “No one pleading will work!”
Ba Jie fought and retreated, retreating to the place where Ao Tu was staying, and shouted:
“Master, Master, come out quickly! Senior brother wants to beat me; please plead for me! I, old pig, can’t withstand his Golden Cudgel!”
No one answered.
Pushing open the door, inside were only an old woman and her young grandson, trembling in fear.
Ba Jie anxiously said: “Old benefactor, where is my master?”
The old woman said: “The holy monk disappeared at some unknown time.”
Sun Wukong grabbed Ba Jie’s collar and dragged him out, saying:
“You still dare to hide it from me? Tell me, who exactly taught you these words?”
Ba Jie said: “Everything I said is true!”
Sun Wukong said: “Then who is your master? What is his name?”
Ba Jie said: “My master is a high monk from the Eastern Land Great Tang, whose Buddhist name is Tang Sanzang; his lay family name is Chen, given name Xuanzang, and thus he is also called Xuanzang Mage.”
Hearing this, Sun Wukong said in surprise: “How do you know my master’s title?”
Ba Jie said: “Senior brother, we have the same master! Weren’t you and I both enlightened by Guanyin Bodhisattva to protect the pilgrim on his journey to fetch the sutras to the west?”
Hearing Guanyin Bodhisattva, Sun Wukong was stunned for a moment.
He thought to himself: Could it really be true?
“Tell me the whole story in detail.”
Ba Jie then said:
“After I, old pig, was demoted to the mortal world, I mistakenly entered a pig womb and was born in this form. I lived as a monster in the Cloud Stack Cave on Fuling Mountain, taking my appearance as my surname, hence surnamed Pig, with official name Zhu Ganglie.
Fortunately a few years ago, I received enlightenment from Guanyin Bodhisattva, kept the precepts, and waited here especially for the pilgrim to take him as my master and achieve positive fruition in the future. Three days ago, he arrived here and took me as his disciple…”
“Hm?” Sun Wukong angrily said: “Still not being honest—Master and I only arrived in this area today; how could you have met Master three days ago?”
Ba Jie said: “Master told me that because you are restless and not focused on the journey, he left you behind and came alone to Gao Lao Village first.”
Sun Wukong said: “Nonsense, nonsense! Master has always been with me; how could he have come here? Do you dare confront him in front of Master?”
Ba Jie said: “Master is gone; how to confront?”
Sun Wukong said: “Master is on the mountain; because you, this idiot, blocked the way, he doesn’t dare come down. Follow me!”
Ba Jie said: “Fine, let’s go!”
Sun Wukong carried Ba Jie and flew to Tang Sanzang.
Seeing this, Tang Sanzang said in great alarm:
“Wukong, you’ve caught this demon; why didn’t you kill him? Why bring him here?”
After hearing this, Ba Jie said:
“Master, you have such a cruel heart! If this disciple has done anything improper, just say it, and this disciple will correct it. Why ask senior brother to kill me?”
Tang Sanzang said: “Who are you? Who are you calling Master?”
Ba Jie said: “Master, don’t you recognize me? I’m Ba Jie! I was ordered by the Bodhisattva to protect you on your journey to fetch the sutras to the west!”
Tang Sanzang retreated in fright: “I don’t know you; don’t call me Master!”
Ba Jie said:
“Master, how can you pretend not to know me? We were still talking yesterday.
You said you have two treasures: one Brocade Monk’s Robe worth five thousand taels, one Nine-ringed Monk’s Staff worth two thousand taels. If you don’t become a monk in the future, you’ll give me one.
You asked me if I wanted the kassaya or the monk’s spade. I said, Master, you are righteous; this disciple is willing to take the lesser one and leave the kassaya for Master. Don’t you remember?”
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang angrily said:
“You damned demon, this kassaya and monk’s spade were given by Guanyin Bodhisattva; how could I give them to you? Wukong, quickly kill this demon!”
Hearing that the other wanted to kill him, Ba Jie flew into a rage:
“Fine, I understand now—you, this monk, must be a monster in disguise, deceiving me here. Eat one strike from old pig’s pitchfork!”
With that, he broke free from Sun Wukong’s grasp and raised his pitchfork to strike.
Sun Wukong hurriedly blocked Ba Jie with his Golden Cudgel and told Tang Sanzang to go first.
The two fought fiercely in the middle of the mountain.
Ba Jie swung his Plum Blossom Pitchfork, truly enraged, determined to kill the “demon” pretending to be his master.
Rays of light flashed, black winds blew, mountains toppled, and the earth overturned.
Sun Wukong held him off and said:
“Idiot, don’t you understand yet? Old Sun has seen it—you were indeed enlightened by the Bodhisattva, but the pilgrim you met is fake.”
Ba Jie said:
“Marshal of the Heavenly Horses, you’re full of crap! My master is an enlightened high monk who did so many good deeds in Gao Lao Village; how dare you say he’s fake? Eat one strike from old pig’s pitchfork!”
After several rounds of bitter fighting, Ba Jie saw he couldn’t take down Sun Wukong and flew into a rage, revealing his true form: eyes like silver rings, mane bristles like sharp halberds; fangs like steel sabers, long snout like a fire basin.
Ba Jie took Sun Wukong’s Golden Cudgel head-on and charged straight at Tang Sanzang, knocking down seven mountains in a row, determined to kill this monster pretending to be his master.
This frightened Tang Sanzang so much that two of his three souls were lost and five of his seven spirits scattered. Fortunately, the Six Ding and Six Jia secretly protected him, and the Guardian of the Dharma shielded him, so he was unharmed.
After Ba Jie was exhausted, Sun Wukong captured him.
Sun Wukong said: “You idiot, you can’t distinguish right from wrong. I’ll take you to the Bodhisattva to reason it out!”
