After Tang Sanzang and his disciples drove off the bandits, they continued west.
The four led the horse along the road, talking and laughing.
Bajie said, "Master, why aren't you urging the horse on anymore?"
Tang Sanzang sighed. "I'm afraid of running into bandits again!"
Wukong laughed. "Don't be afraid, Master. If we meet more bandits, just leave them to Old Sun. I haven't found any monsters these past few days, and my hands are itching!"
Tang Sanzang said, "Even so, if we meet some hot-tempered bandit who strikes me a few times without bothering to distinguish right from wrong, I'll suffer with no way to voice my grievances! Better to be cautious!"
Sha Wujing said, "Master is right. Better to play it safe."
The master and his three disciples kept walking. Before long, an inn appeared on the north side of the road ahead.
A sign banner stood high at its entrance, with an old man beneath it.
Bajie went closer to look. The inn was not particularly tall, with three stories in all. There were several horse stalls out front and a vegetable garden behind, dotted with a few old trees. Faint barks and rooster calls drifted over, and white smoke gathered into mist before dispersing, all fragrant with cooked dishes and rice.
Bajie exclaimed happily, "What luck! What luck! Who would have thought there'd be an inn on this desolate road? Master, let's hurry inside and ask for a room to spend the night."
Tang Sanzang said, "Wait, Bajie. There's no village ahead or lodging behind us. Why would there be an inn here? Wukong, does that inn look like a good place to you?"
Wukong laughed. "Master, as the saying goes, 'If it's a blessing, it's no calamity; if it's a calamity, there's no escaping it.'