Meanwhile, Ao Tu was fishing and roasting a crab on the shore of Jade Wave Pool.
Wukong landed beside him. Seeing this, he asked, "Monk Buzheng, didn't you come to catch the demon? Where is he?"
Ao Tu replied, "Nine-Headed Bug went out. He isn't home. If I attacked now and word spread, people might say I took advantage of his absence to seize the women of his household, ruining my reputation. So I'm waiting here for Nine-Headed Bug to return."
Wukong said in distress, "Why did that demon have to go out? Old Sun has already given his word. How can I go back empty-handed now? Right, what about those two little demons?"
"I let them go," Ao Tu said.
"Why did you let them go?" Wukong asked.
"You monkey, you haven't a shred of compassion," Ao Tu said. "Those two little demons were only following orders. They weren't the ones who stole the treasure. Why make trouble for them?"
Wukong said angrily, "Now that you've let them go, we don't even have witnesses! That King will believe Old Sun even less! And you, a monk, talk about compassion while roasting a crab here to eat. Isn't that breaking your precepts?"
Ao Tu smiled. "I was hungry, so I caught a crab to eat. What's wrong with that? Besides, Buddha didn't see it. How can you call it breaking the precepts?"
As they spoke, Bajie followed from behind on a cloud. He lowered his cloud, saw the scene before him, and asked, "Elder brother, didn't you say we were fighting demons?"
"Don't mention it," Wukong said. "The demon isn't home, and our witnesses are gone too."
"Ah? What do we do now?" Bajie asked.
Wukong was troubled.
Ao Tu, however, was unconcerned.
Just then, the crab finished cooking, giving