Red-Blood Buddha Wheel

Seeing that Shouhei had sincerely taken refuge in Buddhism, Xuanzang nodded slightly, his expression gratified.

He once again offered Shouhei the neatly folded Brocade Kasaya in his hands, saying gently:

"Since this has helped you see your own heart clearly, keep it as a warning, and as something to remember."

"Wait."

From midair, Guanyin Bodhisattva's solemn voice rang out again.

With a light touch of the Willow Branch in her hand, the Brocade Kasaya rose of its own accord, leaving Xuanzang's palms to hover in midair, radiating a gentle yet irresistible golden light.

Xuanzang looked up. "Bodhisattva?"

Guanyin lowered her cloud and landed before Xuanzang. Though compassionate, her expression held a measure of sternness:

"Xuanzang, you used an object to guide someone toward salvation and break the greed in his heart. I will not fault you for that."

"But this object carries blessings too great for an ordinary person to receive. Shouhei has only just entered the Buddhist fold, and his foundations are not yet firm."

Guanyin glanced at Shouhei kneeling on the ground and spoke earnestly:

"His demonic aura has yet to dissipate, and his foundations remain unsteady. As mortals say: an innocent man commits no crime, yet carrying a precious jade makes him guilty."

"Leaving such a treasure deep in the mountains would be no blessing, but the seed of disaster. It would surely draw demons from every direction to covet and fight over it. When the smoke of war rises again and killing begins anew, how could Black Wind Mountain find peace? Are you saving him, or harming him?"

"When his merits are complete and his heart is free of attachments, his own good fortune will come. For now, put it away."

Hearing this, Xuanzang fell silent for a moment.

Kneeling on the ground, Shouhei nodded repeatedly.

"Holy monk, I've taken your words to heart. This kasaya is a fine thing, but my heart isn't pure enough yet. It's too precious. If I wore it, I'm afraid I'd always be thinking about showing off, and that would only hinder my cultivation. Please take it back."

Xuanzang pressed his palms together. "This humble monk failed to consider the matter thoroughly."

Guanyin nodded slightly and flicked a finger. The kasaya drifted slowly down, returning to the luggage Ao Lie carried on his shoulder pole.

"Keep it safe. No more giving it away on a whim!"

Guanyin's gaze lingered on Xuanzang for a moment as she actually voiced a reproach, then said no more on the matter.

"Now that everything is settled, I shall return to the South Sea."

With that, auspicious clouds rose, and Guanyin departed in a streak of golden light.

Once Guanyin had left, peace returned to the cave dwelling.

Buzzz-!

A vast, majestic presence descended out of thin air, piercing the thick mountain rock. Ignoring Shouhei kneeling on the ground, it enveloped Xuanzang instead.

It was the Heavenly Dao's response.

[The Heavenly Dao acknowledges: the master of the trial persuaded through reason rather than killing through force; transformed a demon into a monk and a demon's lair into a Buddhist sanctuary, rewriting the karma of this land. This is a great act of spiritual guidance, a great merit.]

[Granted: Red-Blood Buddha Wheel.]

[Presides over averting calamity and delivering beings from suffering. Understands the speech of all things, perceives the lamentations within their blood, and comprehends the suffering of all living beings.]

Xuanzang looked at A-Hu beside his feet. What reached his ears was no longer a simple rumbling purr, but a clear, affectionate question:

"Master... when are we leaving?"

Before their departure, Shouhei led the hundred-odd lesser demons in the cave to kneel together at its entrance.

"Holy monk! I can never repay your great kindness!" Shouhei called in his deep, muffled voice. "Rest assured, no demon will ever eat people on Black Wind Mountain again. I'll make this place a pure and peaceful sanctuary!"

Xuanzang climbed onto A-Hu and glanced back at the honest, guileless dark-skinned fellow. Smiling, he nodded and pressed his palms together in return.

A-Hu gave a low growl and glided away with Xuanzang on his back.

With the Golden Cudgel over his shoulder, Sun Wukong turned and pulled a face at Shouhei. "Big black fellow, work hard! Cultivate properly! If you slack off, Old Sun will take your bones apart when he passes through!"

Little White Dragon walked past with the carrying pole on his shoulder, his head held up and his face expressionless.

Leaving Black Wind Mountain behind, master and disciples continued west.

Along the way, Xuanzang began doing some rather peculiar things.

Now that he had the Red-Blood Wheel, Xuanzang would occasionally activate this divine ability, using it to cultivate and deepen his understanding of Buddhist teachings.

And so Sun Wukong often witnessed scenes like this-

During their rests, Xuanzang neither meditated nor recited sutras. Instead, he crouched beside the grass and gazed at a grasshopper with a broken leg for a full hour.

Sometimes, he would even smile gently and compassionately at a wildflower beside the road, as though it were an old friend he had not seen in years.

"Master... are you all right?"

That day, Sun Wukong finally could not hold back any longer. He jumped down from a tree, crouched beside Xuanzang, and asked with a strange look on his face:

"What's so interesting about this grasshopper? You've been smiling at it forever. If you want meat, I'll have Little White Dragon catch a couple of pheasants for you. You're getting a little creepy, Master."

Xuanzang withdrew his gaze, and a phantom Red-Blood Wheel flashed briefly behind his head before vanishing.

"Wukong, can you hear it?"

"Hear what?" Sun Wukong scratched his monkey face and pricked up his ears. "There aren't any demons. Just that cicada screeching away. It's enough to drive someone mad."

Xuanzang rose, brushed the dust off his monk's robes, and said calmly:

"The cicada says it spent many years buried underground and has only just crawled out. It is very excited. This grasshopper says that although its broken leg hurts, it escaped a bird's beak just now, and it feels very fortunate."

"All things possess spirit, and thus all things suffer. If you quiet your heart, you will understand that everywhere in this world offers opportunities to guide beings toward salvation."

Sun Wukong rolled his eyes, slung the Golden Cudgel over his shoulder, and muttered, "All right, all right, Master, your spiritual realm is lofty. Old Sun is a rough fellow. He can't stomach all this flowery talk."

Xuanzang gave a knowing smile.

They traveled until dusk.

In the distance, they saw a sizeable village nestled against the mountains beside a river. Dense bamboo fences surrounded clusters of thatched cottages, and the faint sounds of chickens and dogs drifted over-a lovely pastoral scene.

"Master, there are houses ahead!"

Sun Wukong shaded his eyes with one hand and peered ahead. "Looks like a big village. We've got somewhere to stay tonight, and we can beg a meal while we're at it."

Xuanzang nodded. "Since there are people living there, let us ask for lodging."

The party reached the village entrance.

There they encountered a young servant hurrying out with an oil-paper umbrella on his back and a document in his hand. Looking thoroughly disgruntled, he muttered to himself:

"What rotten luck! And the old master keeps hiring one ritual master after another, only for them to get their legs broken or be scared out of their wits. That demon is far too powerful. How could a mortal subdue it? Now he wants me to find some expert again. Where am I supposed to find an expert within a hundred miles of here...?"

A mischievous impulse seized Sun Wukong. His figure blurred, and with a whoosh, he sprang in front of the servant and grabbed him by the collar.

"Hey! Where are you going? What's that document in your hand? Let Old Sun have a look!"

Already upset and distracted, the servant suddenly found a thunder-god face thrust before his eyes, its mouth full of fangs. He screamed, "Mother!" His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground, half his trousers soaked.

"A demon! Another demon! Help!"

"Wukong, do not be rude."

Xuanzang rode slowly over on A-Hu, followed by a speechless Little White Dragon.

The servant looked up and sank into even greater despair. First came a hairy-faced monster with a thunder god's jutting mouth, then a monk riding a fierce tiger! Behind them was a handsome horned man carrying a shoulder pole. It was too bizarre. How could these be people? They were plainly all demons!

The servant's eyes rolled back as he teetered on the verge of fainting.

Xuanzang dismounted, and A-Hu obediently lay down like an enormous cat.

Xuanzang approached the servant and said gently:

"Do not be afraid, young benefactor. This humble monk is an imperial envoy from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, undertaking the Journey to the West to obtain the scriptures. This monkey is my disciple and also a follower of Buddhism. He does not harm people. The horned gentleman can be considered my attendant. This tiger has also accepted the precepts and does not harm people either."

The servant's name was Gao Cai. Hearing these words and seeing Xuanzang's dignified appearance and upright bearing, he finally caught his breath and shakily climbed to his feet:

"Elder... you nearly frightened this humble servant to death. I thought you were relatives summoned by the demon in our household."

"A demon?"

Sun Wukong's ears perked up, and he leaned closer with a grin.

"There's a demon in your village? Heh-heh, perfect! Catching demons is what Old Sun does best! Tell me, what sort of monster is it?"