The four travelers arrived at a dense forest, its interwoven branches almost covering the sky. The setting sun’s glow filtered through the treetops, casting mysterious shadows. Rustling sounds in the woods seemed like whispers, as twilight descended and thin mist began to spread. There was no path ahead.
“Wukong, I’m hungry, find something to eat,” Tang Seng said, sitting boldly on a rock.
“I’m busy; can’t you find it yourself?… You do have legs,” Sun Wukong replied, leaning on his staff.
“Busy? Doing what?”
“Don’t you think this sunset is beautiful?” Sun Wukong remarked, still gazing at the horizon. “Only by watching this can I continue heading west every day.”
“You can look and find food at the same time, just don’t bump into a big tree.”
“When I watch the sunset, I do nothing else!”
“Sun Wukong, you can’t bully the bald-headed one like this. If he starves, we’ll never reach the Western Heaven, and our curse will never be lifted,” Zhu Bajie said.
“Bah! When did it become your turn to talk, pighead?”
“What did you say? Who are you calling a pig?!”
“Not a pig, a pighead! Hmph hmph hmph…” Sun Wukong sneered.
“Dare you say that again!” Zhu Bajie raised his rake, ready to charge.
“What’s all the noise about? I’m trying to sleep! If you’re going to fight, go further away!” Sha Wujing shouted.
The three glared at each other.
“Go ahead and fight. With each one that dies, there’s one less,” Tang Seng stood up. “Fine, I’ll find food for you. Maybe a monster will eat me, then you’ll cry.”
“Go on then, there’s a female monster waiting for you,” Sun Wukong called out.
“Hmph hmph hmph…” The three creatures laughed coldly.
“Don’t think I can’t manage without you!” Tang Seng waved his fist, dusted himself off, adjusted his robe, and headed into the forest. Just a step in, “rip,” his robe tore.
“Hahaha…” The trio laughed, forgetting their quarrel.
In the purple forest, strange plants grew amidst a perpetual blue mist. As Tang Seng ventured further, the ground grew damper, and the canopy darker until the foliage blocked the sky completely, leaving him lost.
“So much life, so many different forms of life!” Tang Seng exclaimed joyfully.
“Thank you!” answered a voice.
Tang Seng turned, seeing a talking tree with blinking eyes on its dark purple trunk. “How extraordinary, a magical creature! I love things that defy logic. Life truly is wonderful! Let me touch you, spirit of the earth.” He reached out, delightedly caressing the bark.
The trunk oozed purple sap, feeling slippery to the touch. The tree relished the attention, its countless drooping branches swaying happily. “Ah, it’s been millennia since anyone touched me. Thousands of years ago, perhaps, a group of monkeys played on me; then they vanished. Back then, I had no eyes and could only sense moving beings speaking and singing around me. Though I couldn’t see or move, I was happy. Now I finally have eyes, but they’ve disappeared.”
“They’re dead,” Tang Seng said.
“Dead? What is dead?”
“Death means seeing nothing, hearing nothing, feeling nothing, and thinking nothing—just like before you were born.”
“No, I don’t want to die! Nor do I want to live in loneliness.”
“You might live a long time. You don’t have hands or legs yet; they will grow later.”
“It took me 100,000 years just to grow eyes. I can no longer endure such a prolonged wait. I want to touch my kind around me, to touch you. Your scent is intoxicating.”
“I haven’t bathed in ages. By the way, you don’t have a mouth, how are you speaking?”
“I’m using this.” The strange tree shook one of its branches.
There was a human mouth on it.
“That’s not yours.”
“Indeed, it’s something I found. Three hundred years ago, someone was eaten here. This was left behind, and I soaked it in my life-giving sap to keep it from decaying. It took me decades to grow a branch to pick it up.”
“This isn’t right. You exploited a loophole. What isn’t yours should return to where it came from.”
“Aren’t you curious about why that person was eaten?”
“Was it because they saw you?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, Tang Sanzang realized his feet had been unknowingly entangled by vines.
A low growl sounded behind him, and he felt a fishy breath on his neck, but he couldn’t turn around.
“Leave his hands for me; I like those hands,” said the strange tree.
“You even want leftovers? If I were you, I’d rather bash my head and end it,” Tang Sanzang said.
“If I had a head, I’d consider it.”
Claws landed on Tang Sanzang’s shoulders.
The strange tree said, “Wait, I want to say one last thing to him. Since I’ve grown this mouth, he’s the first I can talk to. I’m quite interested in studying the psychological state of someone being eaten.”
“What’s with all the chatter? I’m not afraid to die early,” Tang Sanzang said. “Do you really want to hear my last words?”
The strange tree wiggled its branches.
“Alright.” Tang Sanzang took a deep breath and suddenly shouted, “Help——me——!”
“Master’s calling for help again,” Zhu Bajie said.
“Ignore him. He never gets tired of this game.” Sun Wukong finished watching the sunset and pulled out a leg to eat from his robe.
Zhu Bajie stared at him, “What are you eating?”
“Pig’s leg.”
“I——will——kill——you——!!” The pig charged forward, grabbing the monkey.
“Mm,” Sha Monk turned over in his sleep, “Chop… chop him down…” He fell back asleep.
“You’ve shouted seventeen times. I only allowed you to say one,” the strange tree stared at Tang Sanzang. “Why are you crying?”
“Tree Grandpa, I’m genuinely scared. I’m still young, only twenty-something years old.”
“You’ve lived twenty years and already have limbs and five senses. I’ve lived hundreds of thousands of years and only have eyes. Why?”
“Being human takes hundreds of reincarnations to achieve once. My waiting hasn’t been any shorter than yours. Let me live a few more hundred years.”
“If I let you go, you’ll leave me alone again. I can’t let that happen.”
“I won’t leave. I swear by my eldest disciple Sun Wukong’s name, I’ll stay here until you die… Can the one behind stop licking me? I’m really dirty.”
“Sun Wukong? That sounds familiar, but I can’t remember much. You have disciples?”
“Yes, my second disciple Zhu Bajie is quite fat.”
“Then scream a few more times.”
“Master has already called for help 134 times,” Zhu Bajie said. “Aren’t you going to shut his mouth?”
“Call me Grandpa first,” Sun Wukong replied.
“No way… Ouch! How about you take your foot off my back, and we fight fair?”
“You still won’t yield after this thrashing? I don’t believe I can’t handle you!”
Bam, boom, crash. @#%—*. !@%!
“Uh, can I have a sip of water before I keep shouting?” Tang Sanzang asked.
“Forget it, they might have already run away by now.”
“Wait, I think I hear the sound of pigs being butchered,” the monster behind him said.
“Ah, that must be my two disciples fighting again,” Tang Sanzang replied.
“Never mind, I’ll eat you first, then I’ll go find them!”
“No, no! How could you do this? It’d be so much better to sit down and discuss philosophy. Or perhaps I could give you a riddle. ‘What is a lotus before it is born?'”
“Ah!” Suddenly, both the strange tree and the monster screamed, turning into wisps of white smoke.
“Huh?” Tang Sanzang wondered aloud. “What happened to you two? Sorry if my riddle was a bit challenging.”
“A lotus before it is born is still a lotus,” suddenly came a girl’s voice.
Tang Sanzang turned around to see a young girl in green smiling at him. She had long, flowing hair and wore clothes woven from the finest silver grass, shimmering brightly.
“Oh, miss, you are very beautiful!” Tang Sanzang exclaimed.
“So you’re a lecherous monk.”
“No, no, it’s just that monks can’t lie.”
“If you weren’t bald, you’d certainly be quite popular with the ladies.”
“Does that mean I’m not handsome with a shaved head?”
“Slick talker, how will you ever achieve enlightenment?”
“My path to cultivation is different from others. They practice the Lesser Vehicle; I practice the Greater Vehicle. They seek emptiness; I seek fulfillment.”
“Greater Vehicle? Ha, never heard of it.”
“That’s because I haven’t fully figured it out yet.”
“I’ve only heard of someone named Jin Chanzi who questioned the Lesser Vehicle and tried to find his own understanding but ended up possessed, trapped in endless calamities.”
“He was foolish!”
The girl’s expression suddenly changed: “What gives you the right to say that?! With one finger, he could pierce the heavens, while you grovel like a dog in front of demons!”
“Because I want to live. I can’t hide my true desires, just as I can’t pretend I wasn’t captivated by your beauty.”
“With mortal eyes, how could you understand the creation of all things? Appearance is but an illusion.”
“Even a pig has its own charm or lack thereof, so why be self-conscious?”
“You violate the precept against anger! Constantly speaking falsely, your mind is chaotic, yet you became a monk?”
“By heaven and earth’s conscience, who would have thought I’d be born into a monastery with such good fortune?”
“You’re unworthy to discuss Buddhism. I thought you had some insight when I heard you speak a verse earlier; that’s why I saved you, only to rescue a fool. Now leave quickly!”
“Ah, young lady, that’s where you’re wrong. If I were a high monk with great insight, wouldn’t Buddha protect me himself instead of needing your intervention?”
“Pah! Baldy! You’re infuriating!”
The girl suddenly spun around, her beautiful face transforming into something horrific and menacing: “Since you’re just an ordinary mortal, I might as well eat you!”
Tang Sanzang sighed deeply, “Why do monsters always have to talk so much before eating me?”
In the blink of an eye, a figure leapt through the air—it was, of course, Sun Wukong.
As soon as the woman’s hand was caught, she felt an overwhelming force surge through her body, an irresistible will that left her powerless. With a soft gasp, she surrendered and collapsed to the ground.
Sun Wukong glanced at this female demon: “Baldy, it seems you really have a unique appeal to female demons. Using you as bait was spot on… Why do the demons chasing you get uglier each time?”
“Buddha preserve us! Such a beautiful girl, and you call her ugly?” Tang Sanzang retorted.
“Beautiful… beautiful? You think that face is beautiful? It’s almost as ugly as mine. Is this your type?” Sun Wukong questioned.
“Sigh, endless transformations, a clear mirror in the heart. How can your monkey eyes see true beauty or ugliness?”
“Bah! Even though I have some glaucoma and astigmatism, tearing up against the wind and can’t stand the sun, it’s only because I’ve been underground too long that my vision’s deteriorated. How dare you mock my defect? If you provoke me, I’ll hit you so hard you’ll be hobbling on one leg! I’m going to finish off your little beauty right now!”
Sun Wukong raised his golden staff.
The woman suddenly awoke and saw Sun Wukong about to strike her with his staff.
“Sun Wukong… you’re Sun Wukong!”
She clung to his legs: “Is it really you? Am I dreaming?”
She looked at him with her ugly face full of deep affection, tears streaming down her eyes.
Sun Wukong felt a shiver through his body, as if his internal organs were jumping. He thought, this isn’t good; what sort of magic is this? He felt an immense weight on him, yet he couldn’t muster any strength.
The woman continued, “It’s so good that you came. Is this another dream? But I’m already content. I’ve lived here for so many years, hoping for the day you’d appear before me. Are you free? Have you finally become free? I knew this day would come. No one can hold you forever… it’s great… so wonderful…”
She had burst into tears.
Sun Wukong mustered his inner strength and shouted, “Rise,” sending the woman flying, crashing into a large tree, which snapped with a loud crack.
“Hah, take that, you indestructible demon! Did you think your tricks would work on me? Crying? Crying won’t help; I’ve never blinked while killing.”
The woman lay on the ground, blood trickling from her mouth, yet she still tried to look at Sun Wukong: “You… you don’t recognize me… Of course, you wouldn’t. I’ve changed so much after being cursed by the Jade Emperor, unable to return to my former self… I am…”
Suddenly, she let out a scream, spitting blood, writhing in agony.
Tang Sanzang sighed: “Could it be you’ve also been cursed, making it impossible to reveal who you are?”
Her hands clenched the dirt, clearly in excruciating pain.
“Baldy, don’t believe her. I’ve seen plenty of demons with all kinds of tricks. Step aside and let me finish her off,” Sun Wukong said.
“I’m not stopping you. Go ahead, why aren’t you hitting her?”
“I… do I have to hit just because you tell me to? I’ll wait a bit before I do.”
“Amitabha, never-ending hatred. After enduring countless sins, one’s heart becomes unyielding.” Tang Sanzang adjusted his tattered robes and strolled towards the forest’s edge, “You two chat away. I won’t disturb you. I’m off for a walk in the beautiful woods, hoping to encounter a fairy as lovely as a starflower…”
He paused to look at the remains of the ancient tree and sighed deeply, “To not die and not live in solitude—is that what hundreds of thousands of years were for?”
Tang Sanzang left, and Sun Wukong leapt onto a tree, swinging casually as if preparing for a nap rather than a battle. The woman writhed in anguish below but gradually calmed.
Sun Wukong said, “I’m not sparing you out of pity; I just don’t kill those who can’t fight back. Are you ready now? Show me what you’ve got.”
He lounged on the vine like it was a hammock, seemingly unconcerned about the impending fight.
Although still pale, the woman looked at Sun Wukong with a glimmer of light in her eyes and a faint smile despite the blood on her lips.
“You haven’t changed. Remember when we first met? You were lying in a tree just like this—it was a peach tree…”
“Ridiculous! Today I’ve encountered a crazy demon. Lady, I’ve never met you, nor have I seen what a peach tree looks like. Just show me your moves, and then let me finish you off to save us both time.”
“Do you still not remember who I am? Have you forgotten everything from before?”
“Old lady, stop bringing up the past. You’ve got the wrong person. I was released from the Five Elements Mountain five years ago, eager to slay a few more demons to earn merit points and hopefully have Heaven pardon my previous crimes—perhaps even make me a mountain god. I’ve never met you.”
“What are you talking about? Five Elements Mountain? You mean Five-Element Mountain! Erasing previous sins? You remember what you did; how could killing a few demons persuade Heaven to forgive you?”
“What are you talking about? I’m just a demon monkey from Mount Huaguo, punished by the Heavenly Emperor for defiance and imprisoned under the mountains for five hundred years. Later, the Jade Emperor showed mercy, saying if I completed three tasks, my past sins would be absolved. I remember everything clearly—what nonsense are you talking about…”
The woman showed a look of surprise and doubt, “How could it be… Are you saying… they want you to do three things? What are those three things?”
“You’re really annoying. Fine, I’ll let you die knowing. The first thing is to escort that bald guy to the Western Heaven. The second thing is to kill four demon kings…”
“Four demon kings?!”
“That’s right, namely the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven, Bull Demon King from the Western Continent of Cattle-Gift, the Great Sage Who Confounds Heaven, Roc Demon King from the Northern Continent of Kuru, the Great Sage Who Connects Heaven, Monkey King from the Southern Continent of Jambu, and one more, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Handsome Monkey King from the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory!”
“Ha… Handsome… Handsome Monkey King?!”
“What, do you know him? The third thing, once these two tasks are done, heaven will tell me. Why are you crying again?”
The woman lowered her head and murmured, “Yes, he no longer remembers anything, nor does he remember you…” Tears fell onto the ground.
“Alas,” Sun Wukong jumped down from the tree, “seeing your pain, I’ll do a good deed and help you find release. In your next life, become a flower on the shore, swaying with the wind. Isn’t that better than being a long-lived demon with chaotic memories?”
The woman painfully raised her head, “I haven’t remembered wrongly. I remember everything and will always remember… I didn’t expect that after waiting for 500 years, I would end up dying by your hand. We ultimately cannot escape his grasp.”
Sun Wukong raised his staff…
“Before I die, I want to ask you something,” the person under the staff said, raising her head, “Is forgetting everything really the same as having no pain?”
Sun Wukong held his staff in the air.
“Cough!” He suddenly swung his stick towards the trees beside him, sweeping out a fan-shaped area with a radius of several dozens of meters in the forest…
“A mentally deranged demon, killing it would not be interesting,” he muttered to himself and then walked away without looking back. He didn’t see the woman’s hand reaching towards him, her eyes filled with silent sorrow from the pain.
As he walked, he vaguely heard the sound of waves. He looked up but saw only endless woods.
“Five hundred years ago…” he pondered, “where was I?”
As he thought about it, his head started aching. He shook his head forcefully. His mind went blank, and he felt relieved, “Strange, why do I suddenly lack the desire to kill?”