Tang Sanzang and his disciples faced the bandits, unsure how to deal with them.
Had Wukong followed his original nature, he would naturally have wanted to cut out the weeds and pull up their roots.
But Buddhist teachings restrained him, making it difficult to strike.
Ao Tu's taunt left Tang Sanzang speechless for a time, unable to think of a suitable solution.
After a moment's silence, Wukong finally took a step back and said:
"Master, you have a compassionate heart, but if we simply let them go, wouldn't we be bringing harm to others? How about this? I'll report them to the authorities, and Bajie and Junior Brother Sha can tie them up until the officials come to deal with them."
Tang Sanzang said, "That will do."
The bandits panicked at this.
With the crimes they had committed over the years, they certainly would not survive if they fell into official hands. Especially now that the money they had amassed was gone, once they were locked up, they would have no chance of survival at all.
The bandits hurriedly pleaded, "Merciful masters, please don't hand us over to the authorities!"
Wukong cursed, "Handing you over is letting you off lightly! If Old Sun had his way, I'd give each of you a blow with my staff and send you to meet the King of Hell!"
Seeing that their pleas were useless, the bandits hastily turned to Ao Tu. "Great King, Great King, save us!"
Ao Tu laughed. "You villains murder and burn, committing every evil under the sun. You've entrenched yourselves here and opened a murderous inn to rob people of their wealth and lives. How dare you ask me to save you now?"
The bandits said, "Great King, how can you turn your face faster than turning a page?