Journey to the West: Black Six Ears

After losing his white horse, Xuanzang could only travel westward with the three people beside him.

How could there be three people, yet they only did so because they rescued a monkey from under the Five Elements Mountain?

This monkey's surname is Sun, his Buddhist name is Wukong, and his nickname is Xingzhe (Pilgrim).

"When will we reach the sacred mountain after traversing these treacherous mountains and treacherous waters?"

Xuanzang wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Even though it was early winter and rain and snow were falling.

This journey over mountains and valleys truly left the monk exhausted.

Even after crossing Liangjie Mountain, the road is not flat, and walking is extremely difficult.

The monkey was wearing a tiger skin and carrying an iron rod as thick as a bowl on its shoulder, looking quite content.

"Master, you're traveling west, why aren't you riding a horse?"

Sun Wukong was an impatient man. Seeing that Xuanzang was taking three steps and then stopping every ten, he stepped forward and asked him.

Upon hearing this, Xuanzang had no choice but to recount the events of the past few days.

"No problem, no problem. With me here, I, Old Sun, will definitely not let Master be humiliated by demons again."

Having said that, the delighted traveler pulled a needle from his ear, waved it in the wind, and it transformed into an iron rod as thick as a bowl.

He held it in his hand, pointed to the end of the forest, and chuckled:

"This treasure has not been used for over five hundred years. Today, I'll take it out and earn a piece of clothing to wear."

Having said that, the monkey raised his iron rod and struck the tiger, which suddenly pounced, on the head, smashing its brains and spitting out its teeth.

The two attendants were terrified, and Xuanzang retreated repeatedly.

During their journey through the mountains these past few days, they encountered tigers and leopards, but were able to get through safely thanks to the protection of two strong men.

But compared to the monkey's leisurely stroll at this moment, their struggle was extremely difficult, and they even faced life-threatening situations on several occasions.

So, does this monkey's self-proclaimed title of "Great Sage Equal to Heaven" actually exist?

"Master, there is a house ahead. Let's hurry and find lodging there."

He spoke to Xuanzang from the manor not far away, accompanied by a large number of followers.

Xuanzang touched his clothes; they were icy cold. He nodded quickly.

The four of them left their luggage behind, approached the manor, and knocked on the gate.

A young man with a sharp blade at his waist stepped forward. He stared at the four men and said sternly:

"Monk, where are you going?"

Seeing his fierce and menacing appearance, the two attendants quickly drew their swords and stood guard beside Xuanzang, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Only the pilgrim, possessing great courage, stepped forward without further ado and bowed to the person, saying:

"Who are you, and why are you blocking my way?"

The man said:

"That's good. We are the kings of highway robbery, the benevolent mountain lords. Our fame has spread far and wide, you probably don't know it. We left you something early so we could let you pass. If you utter even the slightest dissent, we'll have you crushed to pieces!"

"No."

The traveler laughed and joked.

The man was instantly enraged, gritting his teeth:

"Oh dear! What an ungrateful monk! Brothers, let's go out and meet him!"

After he finished speaking, several burly men jumped out of the room.

As these people danced, someone called out their name.

"My brothers are called Eyes that See Joy, Ears that Hear Anger, Nose that Smells Love, Tongue that Tastes Thought, and Mind that Desires. You may call me Body that Is Sorrowful."

Wukong laughed:

"Turns out they were six suicidal thieves."

The six thieves swung their guns and clubs and charged at the four men.

Two men surrounded the traveler and began hacking at his head, while the remaining four rushed towards Xuanzang and his two companions.

Fortunately, the two men beside Xuanzang were both skilled soldiers. They protected him and their blades moved so tightly that they managed to hold off the four men.

As for Wukong's side, it was even simpler.

The two played ping-pong for about seventy or eighty times, but Wukong simply stood still, unmoved.

"Good monk! He's got a really stubborn head!"

The pilgrim laughed and said, "It's passable. You're all tired from fighting, so it's time for me to take out a needle and play with it."

Having said that, the embroidery needle transformed into an iron rod, which she held in her hand and struck each of the two men on the head.

In a single blow, the two men died on the spot.

The four men were also caught up with by the traveler and killed.

The pilgrim stripped them of their clothes, stole their travel money, and walked forward with a smile:

"Master, you can go in and rest now. Old Sun has already wiped out that thief."

This scene certainly gave Xuanzang a fright.

As a native of the Tang Dynasty, Xuanzang had never seen such a brutal killing scene before, especially since the person who did it was his eldest disciple whom he had only recently taken in. He cursed and scolded him repeatedly.

The monkey, being easily angered, couldn't contain its rage after Xuanzang's nagging.

"Since that's your attitude, saying I'm unfit to be a monk and unfit to go to the Western Paradise, there's no need to be so hostile towards me. I'll just go back!"

Having said that, without waiting for Xuanzang to speak, he suddenly turned east and disappeared.

The three of them were left staring at each other in bewilderment.

"There were three people who came, and now there are only three who left."

Xuanzang shook his head, packed his bags, and left.

Meanwhile, Wukong, having parted ways with his master, somersaulted across the Eastern Ocean.

Holding down the cloud, it was about to dive into the East China Sea.

But the Dragon King was already in front of him:

"I recently heard that the Great Sage is in trouble, I am sorry to disappoint you! I suppose he has rebuilt the immortal mountain and returned to the ancient cave."

Wukong was agitated and ignored him, simply waving his hand:

"I also have this nature, but I've become a monk."

The Dragon King asked, "Why be a monk?"

The pilgrim said, "I was fortunate to be persuaded to do good by the Bodhisattva of the South Sea, who taught me to attain enlightenment. I followed the Tang Monk from the East to the West to worship Buddha, took refuge in the Buddhist order, and was then called the pilgrim."

The Dragon King laughed and said, "This is truly something to celebrate. If that's the case, why not head west instead of returning east?"

The traveler shook his head: "That's because Tang Sanzang didn't understand human nature. A few petty thieves were robbing the road, and I killed one of them. Tang Sanzang kept nagging, so I left him behind and wanted to return to my home mountain. That's why I came to see you first and asked for a cup of tea."

With a wave of his hand, the Dragon King conjured a tea table and tea set on it in the air.

The old Dragon King reached out and poured a pot of fragrant tea into a cup.

After doing all this, the old Dragon King said, "Now that the Great Sage is at ease, there is still one problem."

Wukong picked up the teacup, swallowed the tea whole, and wiped the tea stains from the corner of his mouth: "What is the problem? Tell me about it."

The old Dragon King pondered for a moment and said softly:

"Great Sage, you can't even save Tang Sanzang with his mortal body, but can you escape the palm of Buddha and Bodhisattva?"

I once heard that Buddha had three golden hoops in his hands. Once worn on the head, a single incantation was enough to make someone wish they were dead.

"Great Sage, have you forgotten the five hundred years you spent under the Five Elements Mountain?"

Upon hearing this, Wukong remained silent for a long time.

How could he forget those five hundred years, when he was imprisoned under the Five Elements Mountain and had no freedom?

But it is precisely because they have escaped suffering that they understand the preciousness of freedom.

The old Dragon King's eyes flashed: "Great Sage, you should decide for yourself. You cannot seek freedom and be bound by the golden headband, thus becoming subject to others."

Seeing that he had spoken to the heart of the matter, the pilgrim hurriedly interrupted, "Don't say any more, I'll go and protect him now."

Wukong rode on a cloud and bid farewell to the Dragon King.

Only the old Dragon King stood in place, slowly transforming back into his original form.

This person was exactly like Sun Wukong; he was none other than the Six-Eared Macaque.

"This kind of deception is somewhat effective, isn't it?"

Sun Qiong wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

By appearing before Sun Wukong in the guise of the Dragon King of the East Sea, he was essentially taking a gamble.

If Sun Wukong hadn't been so anxious, he could have easily seen through him with his fiery eyes.

At that time, Sun Qiong will have to fight Sun Wukong in advance.

However, the reason he risked so much to come here and wait for Wukong was because he had already anticipated that Wukong and Tang Sanzang would not get along.

A conflict is bound to break out sooner or later.

From Sun Qiong's perspective, it would be best if Sun Wukong left the pilgrimage team.

Without Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang would not be able to pass the later stages at all. If the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas did not intervene, the journey to the West would end there.

But the truth is, the Bodhisattva would never sit idly by.

Then Sun Wukong would have to rejoin the pilgrimage team.

Sun Qiong knew very well that the Monkey King was the eldest disciple prepared by Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva for Tang Sanzang.

Even if you persuade him to leave now, he will be caught by Guanyin Bodhisattva another day. At that time, with the Bodhisattva's methods, the monkey will definitely be put in the golden headband and taken away.

After witnessing the power of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Wukong had no choice but to behave himself, even if he was unwilling.

But what if the monkey, who knew about the golden headband in advance, rejoined the team?

A Sun Wukong who is unwilling to wear the golden headband, and a Tang Sanzang who has doubts about the journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

The fact that these two are together might cause some unexpected changes to this journey to the West.

"As for that little white dragon, it has already been trained."

At this point, Sun Qiong looked westward.

At this moment, deep within Eagle's Sorrow Gorge.

The little white dragon hid deep in a corner of the water palace, his body covered in wounds.

But what saddened and angered him the most was being deceived by Tang Sanzang, whom he had always trusted. The monkey and his followers were clearly henchmen he had arranged.

The purpose was to pack up and take away all the gold, silver and jewels, including tea sets, stored in the Water Palace.

He, Little White Dragon, is a complete sucker.

But then he thought of the monkey who almost killed him with a single blow, and those two mortals who, like monsters, were staring at the dragon tendons.

The little white dragon shuddered, lay sprawled on the ground, its eyes vacant.

"I'm not going, I'm not going! The road to the West is so rugged; even protecting this mortal monk would be difficult enough to heal my back muscles. How could I possibly achieve any merit?"

The dragon maiden standing before him frowned upon seeing his dejected state.

"This matter must be reported to the Bodhisattva immediately."