The Monkey King's Quest: A Celestial Journey Through Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 4: Encountering Tang Seng at the Five Elements Mountain and Following Him to Fetch the True Scriptures

Five hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. The great Guanyin Bodhisattva, on the orders of the Great Buddha himself, set out from the West with her faithful companion Hui Wa. Their task is to find the chosen one, who is willing to brave the perilous journey to the West to retrieve the sacred scriptures. They soared through the sky with five magic weapons, including a dazzling Kasaya robe, heading towards the Tang Land in the east. Soon they were hovering over the capital Chang'an, in 639 AD, during the reign of Taizong Taizong

Now, as fate would have arranged, this day is particularly special. Emperor Taizong organized a grand event at the Zhuanjing Temple, where the eminent monk Chen Xuanzang would preach the teachings of the Buddha. But Xuanzang is not an ordinary monk. He is the reincarnation of the golden cicada and the second disciple of the Buddha himself. Guanyin secretly designated him as the person to learn the scriptures and decided to nudge him. Disguised as a wandering monk

Emperor Taizong, being a devout admirer of the Buddha's teachings, wasted no time in inviting the two monks into the palace. As soon as they were ushered in, he eyed the treasures greedily and asked, "How much do you want for these marvelous items?" Guanyin, with a sly smile, replied, "These treasures are not for sale. However, there is a way for you to obtain them. In the Western Heaven, the Buddha holds the Three Baskets of Scriptures. Send your monk, Chen Xuanzang, to retrieve them, and these treasures are yours." With that, she and Huian dropped their disguises, revealing their true forms, and flew away on their clouds, leaving the Emperor and his court slack-jawed and kowtowing to the heavens.

Overjoyed, Emperor Taizong declared Xuanzang his sworn brother, bestowed upon him the sacred treasures for protection, and gave him a new name—Tang Sanzang. A few days later, as Sanzang prepared to set off on his epic journey, the Emperor and his entire court accompanied him to the outskirts of Chang'an, bidding him a tearful farewell.

Thus began the journey of Tang Sanzang, formerly known as Tang Monk. With two loyal servants by his side, he trudged along for two days until they reached Famen Temple. The monks there welcomed them warmly, offering them shelter for the night. As they sat around discussing the perils of the road ahead, Sanzang, placing a hand on his heart, declared, "As long as my faith is unwavering, no danger can deter me!" The monks, impressed by his resolve, showered him with praise.

The next day, with tearful goodbyes, Sanzang and his servants mounted their horse and continued westward. After several more days of travel, they reached the border region of Hezhou, where the local commander and some monks and Taoists greeted them and led them to Fukuan Temple for rest.

Before dawn the following morning, Sanzang roused his servants. The trio, bathed in moonlight, began their ascent into the mountains. The path was treacherous—steep, uneven, and overgrown with thorny bushes. They pushed forward, hacking at the vegetation as they went, when suddenly, the ground beneath them gave way. Down they tumbled, horse and all, into a deep pit. As they lay dazed and confused, a gust of wind howled through the trees, and they heard menacing voices shouting, "Seize them! Seize them!"

No sooner had the echoes died away than a gang of hideous demons appeared, dragging Sanzang and his servants out of the pit. Sanzang, peeking through half-closed eyes, saw that they were brought before a ferocious-looking demon king. With a snap of his fingers, the demon king ordered his minions to bind their captives. Just then, a small demon scurried up, announcing, "Lord Bear Mountain and the Honorable Warden have arrived!"

The demon king, apparently named General Yin, hurried out to greet his guests, who addressed him with great respect. "General Yin," said Bear Mountain, "it looks like you’ve caught something special today." The demon king grinned wickedly. "Indeed! How about we feast on two of them tonight?" Bear Mountain nodded in agreement. The next moment, with a horrifying lack of ceremony, General Yin had Sanzang's two servants slaughtered and their hearts served up for dinner. Sanzang, overwhelmed with terror, nearly fainted.

As the night wore on, the demons slunk away to hide from the light of day. Sanzang, paralyzed by fear, drifted into a fitful sleep. In his dreams, an old man with a walking stick approached him, waving a hand. Magically, the ropes binding Sanzang fell away. The old man blew a gentle breath into Sanzang's face, waking him from his stupor. Startled, Sanzang quickly bowed to express his gratitude. The old man simply said, "This place is called Double-Forked Ridge. It’s dangerous, but you’ll be safe now."

With that, the old man handed Sanzang his bundle, helped him lead his horse out of the pit, and guided him back to the main road. As Sanzang turned to thank him again, he saw the old man rise into the sky on a red-crowned white crane. A slip of paper fluttered down from the heavens. Catching it, Sanzang read it and realized that his savior was none other than the immortal Taibai Jinxing. Overcome with awe, he bowed repeatedly to the empty sky.

Sanzang mounted his horse and resumed his journey along the mountain path. He traveled for half a day without encountering a single soul, growing ever more parched and hungry. Suddenly, he spotted a pair of fierce tigers prowling ahead, their jaws wide open and ready to devour him. As he looked around for an escape, he noticed poisonous snakes slithering behind him, venomous insects swarming to his left, and wild beasts he couldn’t even name closing in on his right. Trapped and desperate, he prepared to meet his end.

But just as the tigers lunged, something miraculous happened—the beasts all turned tail and fled. Sanzang, bewildered, saw a burly man striding down the hillside, holding a steel fork and sporting a bow and arrows at his waist. Falling to his knees, Sanzang clasped his hands and cried out, "Great King, spare my life!" The man burst into laughter and said, "I’m no king! Just a humble hunter named Liu Boqin."

Liu Boqin invited Sanzang to his home as a guest, and Sanzang, grateful for the reprieve, accepted. The next day, when Sanzang was ready to continue his journey, Liu Boqin’s mother insisted that her son accompany the monk to the edge of the Tang Empire, to ensure his safety. Liu Boqin, obedient to his mother, gathered a small group of hunters, and they set off with their tools, escorting Sanzang toward the mountains.

They traveled for half a day until they reached a towering mountain range. At the foot of the mountain, Liu Boqin stopped and said, "Master, this is the Two-Boundary Mountain. The eastern side belongs to Tang, but beyond the ridge, you're entering Tartar territory. We cannot go any further. From here on, you must tread carefully!" With that, they bade Sanzang farewell. But as they turned to leave, a voice boomed from the base of the mountain, "Master! Over here, Master!"

Sanzang’s heart skipped a beat. Liu Boqin reassured him, "Don’t be afraid, Master. Legend has it that when Wang Mang rebelled, the gods dropped this mountain from the sky. They say a divine monkey is trapped beneath it, immortal and indestructible. That must be the one calling you. Why not go see?"

Sure enough, it was the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who had been imprisoned under the mountain by Buddha himself. As soon as he spotted Sanzang, he cried out, "Master, please rescue me! I’ll be your disciple and protect you on your journey to the West. Just a few days ago, Bodhisattva Guanyin came by and persuaded me to join you."

Overjoyed, yet troubled by the question of how to free him, Sanzang furrowed his brow. Wukong quickly explained, "All you need to do is remove the golden seal that Buddha placed on top of the mountain."

Following Wukong's instructions, Sanzang removed the golden seal and then, at Wukong’s suggestion, retreated with Liu Boqin and his men to a safe distance. Suddenly, with a thunderous crash, the mountain split in two, sending rocks and dust flying everywhere. When the air finally cleared, Sanzang saw Wukong kneeling before him, his hands clasped in gratitude. But Wukong was stark naked! Sanzang rummaged through his pack and handed Wukong a pair of shoes and trousers.

Liu Boqin, seeing that Sanzang had gained a powerful disciple, departed happily, leaving the master and disciple to continue their journey together. Not long after, they crossed the border of the Tang Empire.

Not long after crossing the Tang borders, a ferocious tiger leaped out from the underbrush, aiming straight for them. Wukong, ever the quick-thinker, swiftly set down their luggage and, with a flourish, pulled out his Golden Cudgel from his ear. "It's been over five centuries since I last used this gem! Time to whip up some fashion!" he exclaimed gleefully. Swinging his cudgel with theatrical flair, he delivered a mighty blow to the tiger, who dropped dead on the spot.

Tang Sanzang, utterly astonished and momentarily at a loss for words, watched as Wukong took a strand of his fur, transformed it into a sharp knife, skinned the tiger, and fashioned a makeshift loincloth to wear around his waist. With the utmost respect, Wukong then helped Tang Sanzang mount the horse, and together they continued their journey.

Suddenly, a loud whistle pierced the air, and six bandits emerged, brandishing weapons and eyeing their horses and luggage hungrily. Wukong, never one to back down from a challenge, laid down the luggage with a grin and declared, "Back in my day as a mountain king, I'd say you lot take half of my gold, silver, and jewels!"

The bandits, infuriated by this audacious claim, rushed at Wukong with knives and spears drawn. They swung and hacked with all their might—seventy, eighty times over—but not a single hair on Wukong's head was harmed.

Seeing his foes grow weary and panting from their fruitless assault, Wukong couldn't resist the temptation. "Time for Old Sun to have some fun!" he bellowed. Brandishing his Golden Cudgel once more, he dispatched each bandit with swift, exaggerated strikes, turning them into nothing more than meat floss.

Tang Sanzang, however, frowned upon this excessive brutality. "Though they are bandits, there's no need to kill them all," he admonished. "How can you be so cruel, Wukong? We are on a righteous quest to obtain the scriptures!"

Wukong, unable to tolerate his master's reprimand, felt a surge of anger bubble within him. "Since you say so, Master, I refuse to continue this pilgrimage to the West! I'm heading back to Flower-Fruit Mountain!" With that, he leapt onto his somersault cloud and sped eastward, disappearing from sight.

Left alone, Tang Sanzang had no choice but to place their luggage on the horse, grip his alms bowl staff, and continue westward at a leisurely pace. Before long, an elderly woman approached them from the opposite direction, clutching a garment and a flowery hat. Recognizing the courteous gesture, Tang Sanzang quickly steered the horse aside and bowed respectfully, allowing her to pass.

The elderly woman reached Tang Sanzang and inquired, "Where are you coming from, traveling alone through these mountains?" Tang Sanzang recounted Wukong's misbehavior to her, prompting a gentle smile from the woman. "Here, take this garment and hat for your disobedient disciple to wear," she offered.

Tang Sanzang chuckled wryly. "Ah, but my disciple has already left! What good are these now?" The elderly woman, undeterred, responded, "Don't worry; I'll help you retrieve him. Also, I have a spell called the 'Tight-Headband Spell.' Remember it well: if your disciple misbehaves again, have him wear this garment and hat, and then chant the spell. He won't dare disobey afterward!"

Grateful, Tang Sanzang learned the Tight-Headband Spell and bowed in thanks to the woman, who had now transformed into a shimmering beam of golden light and ascended eastward. Realizing it was none other than Bodhisattva Guanyin herself, Tang Sanzang quickly knelt in reverence, tucked the garment and hat into his bundle, and sat by the roadside, diligently memorizing the spell until it was ingrained in his mind.

Not long after, Guanyin, riding atop her auspicious cloud, encountered Sun Wukong returning from the East. It turned out that after leaving Tang Sanzang, Wukong had dined with the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. Persuaded by the Dragon King's earnest counsel, Wukong had a change of heart. Urged by Guanyin to return to his master's side, Wukong bid her farewell without hesitation and dashed back to catch up with Tang Sanzang.

Upon reuniting, Wukong recounted his meal with the Dragon King and then inquired, "Master, are you hungry? Shall I prepare some vegetarian food?"

Tang Sanzang shook his head. "No need; there are some dry provisions in the bundle. Please bring them to me." Wukong opened the bundle and noticed the beautiful garment and hat provided by Guanyin. Eagerly, he asked Tang Sanzang for them.

Tang Sanzang nodded in agreement. Overjoyed, Wukong scratched his head and quickly donned the clothing and hat.

Curious to test the efficacy of the Tight-Headband Spell, Tang Sanzang quietly began chanting the spell. Almost immediately, Wukong writhed on the ground in agony, desperately trying to pull off the hat. But the hat seemed fused to his skin, impossible to remove or tear apart.

Realizing the source of his pain, Wukong shouted, "Master, stop chanting! Stop it already!"

Once again, Wukong sneaked a glance around and drew his Golden Cudgel, intending to deliver a swift blow to Tang Sanzang. However, as Tang Sanzang continued the chant with increasing speed, Wukong's headache intensified until he had no choice but to kneel and beg, "Master, I was wrong! I understand my mistake. Please, stop chanting!"

Seeing that his disciple had recognized his wrongdoing, Tang Sanzang ceased the chanting. Instantly, Wukong's headache dissipated. However, Wukong's rebellious streak flared up once more. "This spell must have been taught by Guanyin herself," he thought. Determined to confront her, he began whining about seeking her out in the South Sea to hold her accountable.

Tang Sanzang, ever the wise and patient monk, responded, "Since Guanyin could teach me the Tight-Headband Spell, she surely knows how to chant it!" Hearing this, Wukong took a deep breath, quelled his rebellious impulses, and solemnly vowed to obey his master from now on, dedicating himself to protecting Tang Sanzang on their sacred journey to the West.