Wukong used his magic to open the door and invited Tang Sanzang out.
Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, we committed theft. If we leave like this, won't Buddha condemn us?"
Wukong said, "Master, that Daoist we saw during the day was a monster. Don't let him hoodwink you. Those fruits grew on a tree-even birds flying overhead should be entitled to a share. What great crime did we brothers commit by eating a few?"
Bajie said, "Master, let's hurry! If they catch us here, we'll get at least ten years of hard labor. Then we'll never fetch the scriptures!"
Only after hearing this did Tang Sanzang come out.
Tang Sanzang mounted the horse, Bajie shouldered the luggage, and Sha Wujing led the horse as they headed straight down the western road.
Wukong said, "Go on slowly. Let Old Sun cast another spell and put those two lads to sleep for a month."
Tang Sanzang said, "Disciple, you mustn't harm their lives. Otherwise, we'll add the crime of injuring others for their property to our sins. How could we ever reach the Western Heaven then?"
Wukong said, "I know, I know!"
Wukong went inside and cast a spell, sending the two lads into a deep sleep from which they could not hope to wake.
Suddenly, someone tapped Wukong on the shoulder, startling him into a leap.
Ao Tu said, "It's me."
Seeing that it was Ao Tu, Wukong relaxed and said, "You fiendish dragon! What new scheme have you cooked up to deceive my master?"
Ao Tu said, "What have I deceived him about? The road west is full of trials and tribulations, crawling with man-eating demons. By stopping him from going west, I'm saving him and giving him a few more peaceful days."
Wukong said, "You certainly have a glib tongue. But you've stirred up that old monk's doubts. I'm afraid he'll start chanting the spell again."
Ao Tu laughed. "I'm the King of Spirit Mountain, and I want to eat Tang Sanzang's Flesh. Driving a wedge between master and disciples is only natural. Now I've told you beforehand. If you've got the ability, foil my scheme. Otherwise, prepare to suffer!"
Wukong said, "You fiendish dragon! Once Old Sun catches you, I'll make you lead my horse and carry my luggage every day!"
Ao Tu said, "You little monkey! Once I capture you, I'll make you my Little Drill Wind, circling the ridges and patrolling the mountain!"
The two parted ways.
Wukong strode onto the clouds, caught up with Tang Sanzang, and hurried west along the main road.
As the saying went, a thief had a guilty conscience. Tang Sanzang and his disciples traveled without stopping all night, continuing until dawn.
Utterly exhausted, Tang Sanzang said, "This monkey will be the death of me! He's made me go a whole night without sleep!"
Wukong said, "Master, stop complaining. It's light now. Make do with a rest here, and recover your strength before we go on."
Tang Sanzang dismounted and sat leaning against a pine tree.
Sha Wujing put down the luggage and dozed. Bajie slept with a stone for his pillow.
Restless by nature and with nothing to do, Wukong tugged at branches for amusement.
Meanwhile, Great Immortal Zhenyuan left the gathering at the Palace of Primordial Beginning and led his disciples down from the jeweled heavens. Descending on auspicious clouds, they arrived at the gates of Longevity Mountain Wuzhuang Temple.
They found the temple gates wide open and the ground swept clean.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan said, "Qingfeng and Mingyue have proved quite useful. Usually, the sun is three poles high before those two even stretch their backs. Today, with us away, they've actually risen early to open the gates and sweep."
All the disciples were pleased. But when they reached the hall, there was neither burning incense nor any sign of anyone. Where were Mingyue and Qingfeng?
At the door to the two lads' room, they found them fast asleep inside, unresponsive even when called.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan knew someone had cast a spell, so he used his magic to break it.
Only then did Qingfeng and Mingyue wake. Learning that Tang Sanzang and his disciples had escaped, they knelt with tears streaming down their cheeks and told Great Immortal Zhenyuan everything that had happened.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan said, "Don't cry! Don't cry! Would you recognize those monks?"
Both said, "We'd recognize them all."
Great Immortal Zhenyuan said, "Since you would, come with me. The rest of you, prepare the instruments of punishment. I'll beat them when I return."
His disciples obeyed.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan took Qingfeng and Mingyue with him, rising in an auspicious radiance to pursue Tang Sanzang.
In an instant, they had traveled a thousand li.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan looked down from the clouds but saw no sign of Tang Sanzang. Glancing back, he said, "We've overshot by more than nine hundred li."
Despite riding without stopping all night, Tang Sanzang had only covered a hundred and twenty li-and even that was thanks to the dragon horse.
With a bound of his cloud, Great Immortal Zhenyuan retraced those nine hundred-odd li and found Tang Sanzang and his disciples. He lowered his cloud and transformed himself into an ordinary Daoist.
Waving a fly whisk and lightly tapping his Fishing Drum, he went straight to the tree and said to Tang Sanzang, "Elder, this humble Daoist bows to you."
Tang Sanzang hurriedly said, "Forgive me for not noticing you! Forgive me! This humble monk returns your greeting."
Great Immortal Zhenyuan asked, "Elder, where have you come from? Why are you sitting beside the road?"
Ashamed, Tang Sanzang dared not admit that he had fled here overnight after stealing something. Instead, he said, "This humble monk was sent by the Great Tang of the Eastern Land to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. Passing through here, I stopped for a brief rest."
Great Immortal Zhenyuan said, "Since you came from the east, did you happen to pass through my humble mountain?"
Tang Sanzang asked, "May I ask which blessed mountain you call home, Daoist?"
Great Immortal Zhenyuan said, "Longevity Mountain Wuzhuang Temple is where this humble Daoist resides."
Hearing this, Wukong hastily answered, "No! No! We came by another road."
Great Immortal Zhenyuan revealed his true form and said with a laugh:
"You impudent monkey! Who do you think you're fooling? You knocked down my Ginseng Fruit Tree and fled here overnight, yet you still won't confess! Restore my tree at once!"
At these words, Wukong drew his iron staff and struck.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan blocked the Golden Cudgel with his fly whisk. Standing among the clouds, he spread his robe sleeve into the wind and employed Universe in the Sleeve. With a swish, it swept forward and enveloped Tang Sanzang, his three disciples, and the horse.
Wukong, Bajie, and Sha Wujing thrashed and struck wildly inside the sleeve, but could not damage even the slightest bit of its cuff.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan turned his auspicious cloud and descended straight to Wuzhuang Temple. He ordered his disciples to fetch ropes and bind Tang Sanzang and each of his disciples to the pillars beneath the main hall's eaves. He said:
"Disciples, bring me my dragonhide seven-star whip. Give these monks a beating first, to vent my Ginseng Fruit Tree's anger!"
The disciples brought out the whip and asked, "Master, which one should we beat first?"
Great Immortal Zhenyuan said, "Tang Sanzang failed to conduct himself as a proper master. Beat him first."
Hearing this, Wukong thought, That old monk can't take a beating. If a whipping leaves him badly hurt, won't that be a sin of my making? So he said:
"Sir, you've got it wrong. I stole the fruit, I ate the fruit, and I pushed over the tree. Why aren't you beating me first? What are you beating him for?"
Great Immortal Zhenyuan laughed. "This impudent monkey dares to own up to his deeds. Beat him first!"
After thirty lashes, Great Immortal Zhenyuan gave another order. "Tang Sanzang still deserves a beating for failing to discipline his disciples and letting them commit violence."
Wukong said, "Sir, you've got it wrong again. My master knew nothing about us stealing the fruit. He was in the hall talking with your two lads. We were the ones who did it. Even if he's guilty of failing to discipline us, I should take his beating as his disciple. Beat me again."
Great Immortal Zhenyuan laughed. "Though you're a sly, treacherous, stubborn monkey, you do have some devotion to your master. Keep beating him!"
The beating went on for a long time, until evening approached.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan said, "We'll flog him again tomorrow."
The disciples put away the whipping implements and returned to their rooms.
Qingfeng and Mingyue, their heads muddled by Wukong's sleeping spell, had forgotten to tell their master about Ao Tu. Remembering now, they hurried to report it.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan said, "You two! With such an extraordinary person here, why didn't you tell me sooner? It's late today, and we shouldn't disturb our guest's rest. Invite him to meet me tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang hung bound to a pillar beneath the eaves, tears trailing from both eyes as he complained:
"What misery! You caused the trouble, yet dragged me into suffering here!"
Wukong said, "Master, I'm the one they beat. You haven't taken a single lash. What are you complaining about?"
Tang Sanzang said, "Even if I haven't been beaten, these ropes still hurt."
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