When Wukong revealed his true form, the villagers took fright at the sight and stumbled and scrambled, shouting, "A monster! A monster!"
A villager beside Chen Qing said, "Village head, that's him! There are two other monks even scarier than he is!"
Chen Qing was startled too, but he soon recovered.
He had seen Great King Pingyou in the river with his own eyes, and that king looked far more formidable than this scrawny monkey. Recalling what the monkey had just said, Chen Qing shouted:
"Don't be afraid, everyone! This monster monk is so skinny and weak. How much ability could he have? Let's drive him away together!"
As village head, Chen Qing usually commanded some respect. Hearing him, the villagers took another careful look at Wukong. Seeing that he was indeed scrawny and not particularly fierce, they lost much of their fear.
Some of the bolder ones grabbed hoes and shovels from nearby, pulled wooden stakes out of the fences, and picked up bricks and stones. Together, they surrounded Wukong and struck at him.
"Beat the monster! Beat the monster!"
Wukong grinned and laughed, neither dodging nor ducking.
Seeing this from inside the house, Tang Sanzang said, "Bajie, look! This is bad!"
Beside him, Chen Si said anxiously, "Oh dear! If this keeps up, won't they beat Elder Sun to death? I'd better hurry out and stop them!"
"No, benefactor," Tang Sanzang said. "I'm afraid they'll drive my disciple too far with their blows and make him lose his temper. He might forget his own strength and kill them with a mere movement of his hand!"
"Ah?" said Chen Si.
Bajie said, "Benefactor, you don't know my senior brother's supernatural abilities. He has the strength to shoulder mountains and fill seas, and the power to chase the moon and