Wukong folded his arms, looked him over carefully a few more times, and asked, "Then how did you end up here?"
"My master dropped me here and left," Six-Eared Macaque said.
Wukong laughed at that. "He really wasn't worried anything might happen, huh? Still, that does sound like something your master would do."
Then something else suddenly occurred to him.
"Oh, right, Little Stone. How did you notice me as soon as I landed in that tree?"
"I heard you."
Six-Eared Macaque answered lightly, then pointed back the way they had come.
"I heard you when Elder Bajie said he wanted rice dumplings."
Wukong's gaze settled on his six ears. "You knew we were coming?"
"Yes."
Six-Eared Macaque nodded, his ears twitching gently along with the motion. "My master said I'm skilled at listening, can discern principles, know what comes before and after, and understand all things."
Wukong raised an eyebrow.
"Well, well. That's quite a claim."
Smiling, he tipped his chin toward the bandits still crowded around the Golden Cudgel.
"Those six ears aren't just for show, then. Since you can hear and understand what's going on, you know these people are bandits, right?"
"I do."
"And you knew they wanted to sell you?"
"I did."
Six-Eared Macaque answered without the slightest hesitation.
Wukong looked at him, tapping his fingers against his arm twice. "Then why did you let them tie you up?"
Six-Eared Macaque looked embarrassed at once and rubbed his ears. "I... I'm not very good at saying no to people. And I couldn't beat them in a fight."
Wukong frowned. "That doesn't sound right, Little Six. You've been with Bodhisattva Manjushri so long, you must have learned a few skills, surely?"
Six-Eared Macaque shook his head. "My master hasn't taught me any divine abilities or magic