Tiger Vanguard tossed the silk letter that Ao Tu had transformed into to Bajie. After reading it, Bajie turned pale with alarm. Forgetting the fight, he dragged his Rake back and cried:
"Master, terrible news! Eldest Brother has gone back to Flower-Fruit Mountain!"
Once he reached Tang Sanzang, Bajie hurriedly presented the silk letter.
Tang Sanzang read it, first stunned, then angry.
Holding his monk's staff, he paced back and forth through the room, muttering "ape" this and "monkey" that, resenting Sun Wukong for going home on his own without even telling him.
Bajie fanned the flames from beside him:
"Master, Eldest Brother must have found being a monk under you too hard, so he went home. Who knows when he'll return! Perhaps from now on, there'll only be a monk named Zhu, and no pilgrim named Sun."
Tang Sanzang said, "Didn't his letter say he would return in a little over a month?"
Bajie said, "Master, don't you understand? That's just Eldest Brother's ploy to buy time!"
Tang Sanzang said, "What?"
Bajie said, "Think about it. As a monk under you, he feeds on the wind and sleeps beside the water, eats when alms come his way and goes hungry when they don't. Now that he's back on Flower-Fruit Mountain, he has flowers and fruit to enjoy through all four seasons, and vegetables to cook for all eight seasonal festivals. In his leisure, he can drink with the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas; when the mood strikes him, he can call up monkeys great and small to roam the mountain. Why would he give up that immortal's life to toil away fetching scriptures with you?"
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang grew even angrier and said bitterly:
"If he dares not return, I'll recite that spell a few times, and he'll die!"
Seeing that Tang Sanzang was truly furious, Bajie dared say no more.
Sha Wujing tried to soothe him from the side. "Holy Monk, please don't be angry. As the saying goes, 'Though one leaves worldly affairs behind beyond the mortal dust, the heart still clings to kin in the old home.' Elder Sun has been away from his homeland for so long. It's only human nature to go back for a visit."
Only then did Tang Sanzang feel a little better.
Bajie asked, "Master, now that Eldest Brother has gone home, are we still continuing our journey?"
Tang Sanzang said, "Are we to stop seeking the scriptures just because that monkey is gone? Bajie, you too are Marshal Tianpeng descended to the mortal world, with the power to subdue dragons and tame tigers. Go rid us of that Evil Tiger and Poison Dragon, so the fisherman can ferry us across."
At this, Bajie drooped his ears, distinctly reluctant.
Tang Sanzang said, "What, you don't want to go?"
Bajie said, "Master, it's not that I won't go. It's just that I, Old Pig, have been away from home for many days now, and I miss it terribly. Could you grant me some leave, Master, and let me go back to Gao Village for a visit too?"
Tang Sanzang said angrily, "You blockhead! You've barely left, and already you're pining for home? I'll write you a letter of dismissal and send you back. Then don't ever return!"
Hearing this, Bajie hastily knelt and said:
"Master, I, Old Pig, spoke foolishly. I didn't mean a word of it. My belly was empty, and laziness crept over me-that's the only reason I said such things. I accepted the Bodhisattva's precepts and received your compassion. I'm willing to serve you on your journey to the Western Heaven, and I swear never to retreat or regret it."
Tang Sanzang said, "Then get up. Once you've eaten, go subdue the demon."
Only then did Bajie rise.
Leaving aside Sha Wujing's preparations for their vegetarian meal, the tale moved on.
At that time, Sun Wukong was still trapped inside the Red Sand Formation, entirely unaware of what was happening outside.
This was precisely Ao Tu's plan.
Ao Tu had actually had every opportunity to trap Tang Sanzang and both his disciples inside the formation.
For instance, when Tang Sanzang and his disciples had entered Sha Wujing's house earlier, Ao Tu could have placed the formation diagram inside beforehand, then activated the great formation as soon as they entered. None of the three would have escaped.
But Ao Tu had deliberately refrained. Capturing all three might have looked impressive, but the Six Ding and Six Jia and the Buddhist Guardian Garan secretly escorting them would surely have gone to Spirit Mountain for help and summoned the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas. How long could he have held out against them?
Now, however, only Sun Wukong was trapped, while Tang Sanzang and Bajie remained unharmed, so their secret protectors would take no action. By slowly drawing things out with Zhu Bajie here, he could gain the greatest possible rewards.
Meanwhile, after eating his vegetarian meal, Bajie picked up his Rake, took leave of his master, and went out to subdue the demon again.
Carrying his Rake, Bajie reached the edge of the woods. Just as he was about to enter, he suddenly stopped.
Gazing into the deep woods, Bajie worried.
He had no idea how many Evil Tigers were in there. One would be manageable, but if there were tiger brothers, tiger sons, and tiger grandsons—seven dens and eight generations of them—all charging him together, he feared he would be no match without his elder brother's help and would be carried off in a tiger's jaws instead.
Then he remembered that the Evil Tiger had called himself the King of South Mountain. If he were alone, how would he dare call himself a king? He surely had a host of lesser demons, hence the title.
The more Bajie thought, the less he dared enter. He circled outside the woods a few times, then turned back when the sun sank in the west.
Tang Sanzang asked, "Bajie, did you subdue that Evil Tiger?"
Bajie said, "Master, that Evil Tiger knows how formidable I, Old Pig, am. When he saw me coming, he hid in his lair and didn't dare come out. I shouted insults for ages, but he still wouldn't emerge. Seeing that it was getting late, I came back to report to you. Tomorrow I'll challenge him again."
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang could only let Bajie try again the next day.
On the second day, when Bajie returned from subduing the demon, Tang Sanzang asked, "Did you subdue the Evil Tiger this time?"
Bajie stammered, "That Evil Tiger went visiting relatives. He wasn't home."
On the third day, Tang Sanzang once again urged Bajie to go out and subdue the demon.
Bajie lay in bed and refused to leave, claiming that his days of demon-subduing had given him a splitting headache.
Seeing that Bajie was afraid to fight, Tang Sanzang said angrily:
"If you won't make an effort, go back to Gao Village! I'll subdue the demon myself!"
Bajie hurriedly got up and said, "Don't be angry, Master. Old Pig will go."
Bajie picked up his Rake, went out, and entered the woods. Soon he encountered Tiger Vanguard and raised his Rake to fight.
One was an Evil Tiger of many years' standing; the other, a Pig Demon transformed from Marshal Tianpeng.
After ten exchanges, Tiger Vanguard's strength faltered, and he began to lose ground. Bajie pressed his advantage.
Tiger Vanguard suddenly drew the Long Spear from his back and swung it at Bajie's head, unleashing a blaze of golden light.
Caught off guard, Bajie took the blow, which sheared three inches off the bristles on his head. Terrified, he fled in panic.
Before long, Bajie fled back, so exhausted that drool and snot streamed down his face and white foam bubbled from his mouth. He stumbled in, panting, and called, "Master!"
Tang Sanzang said in alarm, "Bajie, you went to subdue a demon. How did you end up in such a sorry state?"
Bajie said, "Master, what misery! Your disciple went into those woods and fought the Evil Tiger for three hundred exchanges. Unable to match me, the demon turned into wind and fled.
"I gave chase, but who could have expected hundreds of lesser demons to leap out of the woods and surround me? Some tugged at my legs, others seized my feet. Then that demon brought out some treasure-I don't know what-and struck at my head. Luckily, I, Old Pig, dodged quickly, or he would have nearly killed me. Only then did I return to see you, Master."
Hearing this, Tang Sanzang was badly frightened and said:
"So many demons! Amitabha Buddha, what are we to do?"
Bajie said:
"Don't panic, Master. As your disciple, I'll follow you and escort you to fetch the scriptures, even if it costs me my life. There may be many demons in those woods, but I, Old Pig, can certainly be called brave and fierce. Let me rest for a few days and recover my strength, then I'll fight him to the death. I'll surely rid you of that demon!"
Tang Sanzang was delighted to hear this, though he worried for Bajie's safety.
Bajie, however, said that as long as he could eliminate the demon, he would gladly stake his life.
In truth, Bajie had already taken the measure of the demon's abilities. The demon was nowhere near his match; he merely possessed a treasure with a little power, which had caught Bajie off guard just now. Now that he was prepared, capturing the demon on his next attempt was as good as certain.
Before you continue