Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

The pages of memory were turned over by the hands of thoughts, rapidly retreating, and finally stopped at a certain page.

That was the day Yin Wenjiao abandoned Xuanzang. The sun was dim and the woman's face was covered with tears. She bit off one of the baby's delicate toes as a token of recognition in the future. As the baby cried, her lips were stained red with blood.

Buddha's blood enlightenment, it turns out this is what "Buddha's blood enlightenment" is.

Wen Jiao rubbed her face, which was a little stiff from the wind, smiled bitterly, and said to herself: "No matter how thin a mosquito's legs are, they are still meat. According to this theory, are you the only person in Journey to the West who successfully ate Tang Monk's flesh and drank his blood?"

How can Tang Monk's meat be so delicious? Now that you have eaten it, it is inevitable that God will bestow a great mission on you.

After realizing that the intention of the Demon-Subduing Heavenly Venerable in preaching was not pure, Wen Jiao no longer had any rebellious thoughts of "making the whole world my enemy and overthrowing the sky". In life, there is no such thing as pure altruism. If someone is willing to use you, it means that they respect you. If someone is willing to use you, it is also your ability and value. There is nothing to resent.

But how should she go on this path?

I don't know which philosopher said it well: "A person's fate depends on both personal struggle and the course of history." In other words, under the general trend of history, it is particularly easy for individuals to take off, commonly known as pigs on the wind. Wen Jiao's mother-son relationship with Xuanzang, one of the core figures of the Journey to the West plan, makes it particularly easy for her to take off with this favorable wind.

Well, she didn't mean to say that she was a pig. She just thought that she should make the most efficient use of the wind and fly smarter.

After careful consideration, Wen Jiao set her own route. In the future, she needs to seize the 14-year strategic opportunity period when the journey to the West is not completed, take the promotion of Taoist spiritual civilization as the starting point, take root at the grassroots level, and do practical things for the people; build a solid superstructure to establish a solid backing for the development of Taoism; through the bond of Xuanzang, vigorously develop good diplomatic relations with Buddhism, do not interfere in each other's internal affairs, work together, and achieve win-win cooperation.

In short, one center and three basic points.

Therefore, in recent days, internally, she has ordered to strengthen the construction of the Taoist sect, strictly enforce the work, rectify the atmosphere, and stipulate that there are two days a month when the fees for performing rituals are free, and to have a warm service consciousness like spring breeze to the common people. Externally, she took advantage of her status and the friendly relationship she had established with the Li Tang court, and was active in large and small festivals and palace banquets, constantly brushing her presence. Externally, she took extra care of Xuanzang, committed to enhancing the relationship between mother and son, and played the role of a caring aunt, which was very effective.

At nightfall, Xuanzang's routine report sounded on time: "Mother, today there are six bandits blocking the road and robbing. Their names are quite interesting. They are Eyes See Joy, Ears Hear Wrath, Nose Sniff Love, Tongue Tastes Thoughts, Opinions Desire, and Body Worry."

Wen Jiao remembered clearly that these six thieves were the source of the first conflict between Tang Seng and Sun Wukong. Because Sun Wukong killed them decisively, Tang Seng nagged him for a few words, and Wukong left in anger. Although he was later persuaded to come back by the Dragon King, Tang Seng was also taught the spell of the Tightening Hoop by Guanyin Bodhisattva during this period, and he was coaxed into wearing the hoop. From then on, his heart was at peace.

When she heard that it was these six thieves, her heart couldn't help but flutter, and she asked, "So, these six bandits are now..."

Xuanzang's tone was relaxed and even a little happy: "I sent them away."

Wen Jiao was startled: "Send away? How did you send him away?"

Xuanzang said, "Wukong said that the six thieves added together were no match for a big beast, and that I could handle them, so I told the boy to practice fighting with them without worry, and he would guard the battle nearby. Then I took off my cassock, took the staff and started beating them, making them kneel down and beg for mercy. I felt sorry for them, so I told them to give up evil and do good, and not to cause trouble again, and then I let them go. Wukong said that it just so happened that we hadn't gotten any vegetarian food yet, and they came to our doorstep to satisfy our hunger. So Wukong took a look and found their lair, found the rice, flour, and vegetables inside, cooked vegetarian food, and baked a few pancakes as dry food."

Not only did he not ask Wukong to take action, he defeated the six thieves by himself and even used fighting to support fighting. This was truly an unexpected outcome.

Wen Jiao was very pleased: "I will tell your uncle right away. He has spent a lot of effort in cultivating you over the past twelve years. Now that you can rely on this skill to fight six bandits alone, he must be very happy."

Yin Yuan was really happy, and he kept saying "My nephew has finished his apprenticeship", and took the opportunity to ask his wife, Mrs. Chen, for two more jars of wine to celebrate on top of the three cups of wine he usually had. Mrs. Chen laughed and only added one more jar of wine, and he still drank happily holding the jar. This silly look made Wen Jiao laugh secretly, and she returned to her Wanhua Tower, leaning on the railing to look at the moon, and she felt that the bright moon was like ice, and the moonlight piled up like snow, dripping on her skin, calming her restlessness in recent days.

Even Xuanzang could repel the six bandits, so why can't I do more?

She closed her eyes slightly, feeling the quiet and cold night of early winter. Suddenly, her sleeves felt warm, and it was the Thousand Miles Sound Transmission Note that moved. She frowned, took out the spell, and Xuanzang's distressed voice immediately burst out, like a dull rain cloud in summer.

"Mother, those six bandits are here again."

After Xuanzang let the six thieves go, he thought they would turn over a new leaf, but they were only forced to bow their heads temporarily because they could not defeat Xuanzang. They agreed sincerely, but secretly hated him. When they saw the master and the apprentice leave, they followed them from a distance, waited until the moon was high in the sky, and saw that the master and the apprentice fell asleep, then they quietly came to their side, took the sharpened sword and put it on Xuanzang's neck, ready to chop him off.

"If Wukong hadn't been alert and knocked down the six of them, my life would have been in danger!" Xuanzang's voice was filled with lingering fear.

Wen Jiao was startled and said decisively: "If we let these evil people go, they will still not change their bad habits. It is obvious that there is no need to educate them. We should kill them, otherwise they will return to the mountains and continue to do evil!"

Xuanzang seemed surprised and said in disbelief, "How can you say that, mother? Life is so precious in this world, how can you call for fighting and killing so easily? Wukong also said to fight and kill, and I scolded him. You know, a good monk should always be kind, sweep the floor without hurting the lives of ants, and cherish the moths in the lamp. How can you keep the word 'killing' on your lips?"

Wen Jiao calmed down. After a moment, she suppressed her anger and asked, "So how did you deal with the six thieves?"

Xuanzang said as a matter of course: "Of course I gave them a good exhortation. I talked to them about Buddhism for half the night, and they were all moved. They promised to devote themselves to worshipping Buddha, eating vegetarian food, and being good and peaceful lay people in the future."

"So you let them go again?" Wen Jiao suddenly felt her fist was a little hard.

"That's right." Xuanzang was obviously very satisfied with his handling of the matter.

Wen Jiao pinched out the sound transmission note, looked up at the sky and laughed, saying unhappily: "I really wishful thinking."