Another spring and summer passed. Ye Chen and Tang Sanzang and his three disciples braved every danger, crossing one mountain after another, wading through river after river, and traversing stretches of grassland. They slept under the open sky and hurried along day and night.
Finally, one day just before sunset, they arrived at Tuoluo Village. They had been traveling for days, and everyone was exhausted, so Tang Sanzang suggested they find somewhere to rest, ask for a vegetarian meal, and borrow a place to stay for the night.
Tang Sanzang went to knock on the door of a household. An old man opened it, and Tang Sanzang explained why they had come. Seeing that he was a monk, the old man sighed, his expression inscrutable.
Tang Sanzang didn't understand. He quickly asked the old man why he had sighed.
The old man said, "You, monk, shouldn't even think about going to Western Heaven. You won't even make it past the Seven Absolutes Mountain right in front of you."
Tang Sanzang was puzzled and asked, "May I ask why you say that?"
The old man continued, "You don't know about the Seven Absolutes Mountain? For eight hundred li, the mountain is covered in a vast expanse of mud made from rotten persimmons. Anyone who goes in will be swallowed up. It's a place that eats people. You won't get through, so you'd better turn back while you can."
Tang Sanzang felt a little worried, but Sun Wukong couldn't help stepping forward to challenge the old man. "You expect us to take your word for it? That's hardly convincing."
"Besides, we'll see for ourselves what kind of place the Seven Absolutes Mountain is. We don't need you misleading us."
Only then did the old man notice the three burly men and one