After leaving Futuo Mountain, they traveled for several more days.
As they made their way along that day, evening drew near.
Xuanzang gently patted A-Hu beneath him, signaling it to stop.
Xuanzang looked up and saw the setting sun sinking behind the distant mountains.
"Wukong."
Xuanzang pointed toward a wisp of cooking smoke curling up from a hollow ahead and said:
"The sun has set. There is a household beside the road. Let us ask to stay the night and continue tomorrow."
Bajie trudged behind them with the Nine-Toothed Rake over his shoulder, panting three times with every step. His great ears drooped; he was plainly exhausted.
At the words "stay the night," the fool immediately perked up, and even his little eyes brightened:
"Quite right! Quite right! How wise you are, Master! The temple of the five viscera in Old Pig's belly has long since risen in rebellion-it's growling away! Let's beg some vegetarian food from that household. With full bellies, we'll have the strength to travel tomorrow."
The Pilgrim had been scouting ahead. Hearing this, he somersaulted back, landed beside Bajie, and grabbed one of his great ears, teasing him with a grin:
"You homesick wretch! We've only been away from Gao Village a few days, and you're already complaining! Are you missing your wife and wanting to go back to her piping-hot rice gruel?"
Bajie tilted his head under the painful tug, pursed his lips, and grumbled:
"Brother, I'm not like you, living on wind and smoke. You sprang out of a crack in a rock and know nothing of hunger or fullness. Old Pig is flesh and blood, with a mighty appetite. These past few days since I joined Master, I've been forever half-starved. Do you know that?"
Little White Dragon rolled his eyes extravagantly as he carried the luggage.
Xuanzang smiled and shook his head slightly.
They reached the gate of the roadside home.
It was a tidy courtyard house, with two great willows swaying their green shade before the gate.
Xuanzang dismounted from the tiger.
A-Hu obediently lay down on the ground.
Xuanzang straightened his robes and headdress and approached the gate.
An old man reclined on a bamboo couch beneath the gatehouse, fingering a string of prayer beads and murmuring the Buddha's name.
Xuanzang stepped forward and raised one palm in greeting, his voice gentle:
"Greetings, elder benefactor."
The old man sprang up, hastily straightened his clothes, and came out to return the greeting.
At the sight of Xuanzang's dignified features and bright cassock, he was initially delighted.
But then his gaze shifted, and he saw the hairy-faced monkey with a thunder god's mouth, the pig demon with a long snout and great ears, the handsome young man with horns on his head, and the fierce winged tiger lying on the ground behind Xuanzang. His legs went weak with fright, and he nearly collapsed.
"This... this..."
Xuanzang quickly reached out to steady him and said gently:
"Do not be afraid, elder benefactor. These are my disciples and attendants. Though their appearances are unusual, they have taken the precepts and will not harm good people."
The old man fearfully looked them over. Seeing that the fierce tiger merely yawned rather than springing up to attack, he regained a little composure and asked:
"Elder, forgive me for not welcoming you sooner. Where have you come from? What brings you to my humble door?"
Xuanzang said, "I am a monk from the Great Tang in the Eastern Land, bound for the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. Night fell just as we reached your Precious Place, so we hoped to seek a night's lodging at your charitable household. Please grant us this kindness."
Who could have expected that, upon hearing "Western Heaven," the old man's expression would abruptly change? His friendliness instantly turned to terror, and he repeatedly waved his hands and shook his head:
"You must not go! You must not go! It is hard to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. If you want scriptures, go to the Eastern Heaven instead."
Xuanzang's brows drew together slightly.
Ordinary dangers along the road would have been one thing, but the old man's eyes clearly held a profound dread of the very word "west," as though an asura hell lay in that direction.
Sun Wukong could never bear discouraging talk. He could not help stepping forward and calling out:
"Old man! We monks have come a long way to ask for lodging. If there's no room in your house, just say so. We can spend the night under a tree! Why say all this to trick us into turning back?"
Frightened by the monkey, the old man clutched Xuanzang and said:
"Master, before you've even spoken, why has that disciple of yours started insulting an old man like me?"
Xuanzang rebuked him sharply: "Wukong, do not be rash!"
The Pilgrim curled his lip, slung the Golden Cudgel over his shoulder, and stepped aside.
Only then did Xuanzang apologize to the old man. "Please do not take offense, elder benefactor. My disciple is impatient by nature, but he means no harm."
Seeing that Xuanzang was courteous and reasonable, the old man sighed, welcomed them into the courtyard, and instructed his family to prepare a vegetarian meal.
In the courtyard, the dim lamplight was no larger than a bean.
The meal was modest, but at least it was hot.
The old man belonged to a prosperous household that practiced charity, so he told them to eat their fill.
Bajie was delighted to hear this. He lifted his bowl and swept through the food like a gale scattering clouds, eating more than a dozen bowls in succession and still claiming he was only half full.
Had Wukong not kicked him, he would have asked for more rice.
Little White Dragon quickly finished eating and excused himself to rest, perhaps tired.
After the meal, they moved into the courtyard.
Xuanzang once again asked about the doubts on his mind.
"Elder Wang."
Xuanzang set down his teacup and looked intently at the old man:
"Why did you advise me not to go west earlier? Is the road ahead impassable?"
Old Wang sighed, his eyes revealing deep fear and helplessness.
"You do not know, Elder. Thirty li west of here lies Yellow Wind Ridge, which stretches for eight hundred li. Many demons dwell in those mountains, blocking the road and committing violence."
"And even if you escape them by good fortune, the Sihali Kingdom beyond the ridge is a greater obstacle still."
Bajie munched on fruit and muttered, "Listen to that. What kingdom could be worse than demons?"
Old Wang's expression grew grave as he spoke slowly:
"That kingdom was originally called the Flowing Sand Kingdom. Gold lay everywhere, and it was an exceedingly prosperous land."
"Legend says it is the place where the sun sets. When the sun's true fire falls into the western sea, it is like fire being quenched in water. The sound shakes heaven and earth, like boiling oil."
"Every day, during the late afternoon and evening hours, that sound could kill the children in the city."
Sun Wukong found this interesting and interjected:
"How strange. Old Sun has never heard of a sunset killing anyone."
Old Wang shook his head and continued:
"Later, word had it that the Buddha took pity on them and bestowed a 'Sunset Drum.'"
"Whenever the sun sank in the west, the king sent someone up onto the city wall to beat the drum. Its booming mingled with the sound of the boiling sea, and only then were the lives of all the city's people saved."
Xuanzang nodded slightly. "If the Buddha bestowed a drum upon them, they must be a kingdom that reveres him. Surely it should be a fitting place for monks like us to visit. Why would passage be difficult?"
Old Wang gave a bitter laugh and slapped his thigh:
"That very reverence for the Buddha was where everything went wrong."
"The people were grateful for the Buddha's kindness. Every family worshipped him; every household recited scriptures. As time passed, they knew only the Buddha and no longer knew their king."
"The king grew jealous and resentful, believing that the Buddhist faith had stolen his authority and the hearts of his people."
Old Wang's voice trembled:
"So the king issued a decree, renamed the kingdom 'Sihali,' and ordered-the eradication of Buddhism!"
"Temples were torn down, Buddha statues destroyed, and monks expelled. Anyone with a shaved head was seized for forced labor, or even beheaded!"
Wukong laughed. "Eradicate Buddhism? That king certainly had some nerve!"
Hearing this, Old Wang loudly objected, "What do you mean, nerve? It was all his own wickedness!"
It seemed Old Wang's tongue had been loosened, and he continued:
"After the king eradicated Buddhism, retribution came!"
"An enormous monstrous insect emerged in the desert from who knows where!"
"A monstrous insect?"
Sun Wukong and Bajie exchanged a glance, both intrigued.
"Whenever the drum sounded atop the city wall, that great insect would burrow out of the sand, attacking the border villages and devouring people and livestock."
"The king sent a great army to destroy it, but its body was hard as iron, impervious to blades and spears. The army suffered terrible casualties and could do nothing against it."
At this point, Old Wang changed his tack:
"Just as the kingdom was on the verge of ceasing to be a kingdom at all, word came that a 'Great Sage Yellow Wind' with vast supernatural powers had arrived on Yellow Wind Ridge."
"This great sage gallantly lent his aid, helping the army slay the monstrous insect and saving the people of the entire kingdom! Overjoyed, the king appointed him 'State Preceptor.'"
"Presumably because the State Preceptor's true form had some connection to mousekind, the king issued a 'Mouse Reverence Decree' to repay his kindness."
"Throughout the kingdom, killing mice was forbidden."
"Later, I heard that mouse demons had overrun the Sihali Kingdom, turning it into a demon kingdom."
Old Wang sighed. "And Yellow Wind Ridge, being the site of that great sage's cave dwelling, is no place for outsiders."
"By now, there are probably no living humans left in that kingdom."
"Elder, heed this old man's advice. You truly must not go west! For monks like you, it would be like sheep walking into a tiger's jaws!"
"Thank you for your kind warning, elder benefactor."
Having heard him out, Xuanzang slowly rose and pressed his palms together in a bow, smiling as he said, "After hearing your account, I am all the more eager to investigate. Indeed, I have no choice but to go."
Wukong smiled. "Master is right. If demons are doing evil, I'll simply destroy them."
Dawn came the next day.
Unable to dissuade them despite his earnest pleas, Old Wang could only ask his wife to prepare some pastries and broth for them before seeing them out.
The old man said, "If anything untoward happens along the way, be sure to return to my humble cottage."
Xuanzang bowed and took his leave.
Beside him, Wukong planted his hands on his hips and said, "Don't worry, old man!"
"You don't know what I can do! When that monster meets me, it'll be a false great sage meeting a true great sage. Who'll be the unlucky one then? We'll see!"
Bajie patted his belly and laughed. "Exactly, exactly! Brother Monkey is right!"
Little White Dragon carried the luggage without a word.
Then master and disciples bid Old Wang farewell and continued westward.
Before you continue