India Captures the Jade Rabbit (XIV)

Meanwhile, Ao Tu devised a plan and fooled Wukong again.

Ao Tu said, "So you are the Imperial Son-in-Law's apprentice. The Imperial Son-in-Law and my Princess are already betrothed, so why do you insist on pursuing me? My Princess is pregnant, and on this joyous occasion, you come to cause trouble. How rude! How rude! Could it be that you think your travel expenses are too low, and you're taking advantage of the happy occasion to demand more?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all four apprentices were astonished.

Bajie said, "Master is very capable; in just a few days, he's gotten the Princess pregnant!"

Sha Wujing asked, "Master is quite old, yet you still possess this skill?"

Bajie said, "Don't you know that having a child in old age is a blessing? Besides, Master has eaten the Ginseng Fruit, so he has plenty of energy!"

Wukong was still skeptical, but he used his Golden Eyes to carefully examine the Princess. He indeed saw a surge of vital energy Creation in her lower abdomen. From that moment on, he lost all interest in the Journey to the West and exclaimed, "Let's go! Let's go!"

The Little White Dragon said, "Senior brother, we haven't seen Master yet!"

Wukong said, "What's the point of seeing a master? The little monk will be born in a few months!"

After saying this, he blew a breath of Immortal Breath, restoring the broken banquet tables and chairs to their original state. He then apologized to Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the Little White Dragon before returning home.

The Jade Rabbit Spirit exclaimed joyfully, "Father, that Bimawen is gone!"

Ao Tu said, "Let's see where those four are going."

Ao Tu went out and stood in the Heaven to watch.

The Jade Rabbit Spirit flew up and hugged Ao Tu.

Next, Wukong and his companions returned to the Courier Station and divided their luggage among themselves.

Sha Wujing said, "Elder Brother, we're only a short distance from Spirit Mountain. Shouldn't we retrieve the True Scriptures for Master before we leave?"

Wukong said, "Old Sun, can travel 108,000 li in a single Somersault Cloud. If I wanted to Journey to the West the scriptures, I would have done so when I first came out of the Two Realms Mountain. Why would I have waited until today? It's only because my master is the reincarnation of Buddha's Disciple, a disciple of Shakyamuni. Unless he goes, no one else can obtain the Scripture."

Bajie said, "If you ask me, since Master is already staying to get married, what's the point of fetching the Scripture? Let's just go our separate ways!"

Wukong said, "Wait a minute. Master is staying behind to get married, but the Tang Dynasty is still waiting in Chang'an. As his disciples, we should do him a favor and inform him so he won't have to wait in vain in Chang'an."

Sha Wujing said, "Going to Chang'an is easy, but what about when we meet His Majesty the King Tang? How will we explain ourselves?"

Bajie said, "How can we explain this? We're almost at Spirit Mountain, and Master has suddenly remembered his wedding. You all go and explain to the King Tang, but I, Old Pig, don't know how to explain this!"

Wukong thought for a moment and said, "How about this, let's take some other Scripture with us, tell His Majesty the King Tang the truth, and leave the Scripture behind as a token of our agreement!"

The Little White Dragon asked, "Senior brother, didn't you just say you couldn't retrieve the Scripture? Where are we going to get Scripture?"

Wukong said, "Regarding Buddhist scriptures, besides Shakyamuni, that Demon Dragon is also quite knowledgeable. I'll go to the Blood Sea, retrieve some scriptures, and take them to the Tang Dynasty."

Bajie said, "Good! Good! I, Old Pig, was just about to go and seek refuge there! They have many beautiful Asura women. I'll offer them my Kasaya and marry into one of them. I'll be happy from then on, much better than being a monk on Spirit Mountain!"

Wukong said, "Fool, didn't you want to keep the Kasaya as Family Heirloom?"

Bajie laughed, "Now that I've married into the family, I'll be part of the family, so naturally it will be Family Heirloom!"

Wukong couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, patting Bajie's belly and saying, "Brother, you really are the one with the best ideas!"

The Little White Dragon said, "Perfect timing! Perfect timing! I can't go home, so I'm going to seek refuge here, hoping to find a job and a safe haven!"

Bajie exclaimed happily, "Good! Good! We may not be able to retrieve the scriptures, but we're still family, and we haven't broken up!"

Wukong said, "Junior Brother Sha, why don't you come with us too? Or after we get the Scripture, you can come with Old Sun to Flower-Fruit Mountain. Let's not go back to the Flowing Sand River to eat people!"

Sha Wujing said, "This is bad! This is bad! I still have Under Punishment, a flying sword pierced my side, and I don't have much of a relationship with that Demon Dragon, so I'm afraid he won't protect me. You all go to the Blood Sea, I'll go to the Southern Sea to ask Guanyin Bodhisattva for a job."

Wukong said, "We're brothers, how can I bear to let you go alone? Since we're going the same way anyway, why don't we go to the Southern Sea together first and ask the Bodhisattva for a favor, to see if he can pardon Sha Wujing's sins?"

Everyone agreed.

Sha Wujing said, "Little White Dragon, you too are a sinner. Why don't you join me in praying to the Bodhisattva?"

The Little White Dragon said, "Since I'm asking for help either way, I'll go ask my cousin, who's a close relative. If he intercedes on my behalf, I'll naturally be pardoned."

Sha Wujing fell silent.

The four packed their belongings, bid farewell to the Courier Station Official, and rode together on a cloud to the Southern Sea.

Upon seeing this, Ao Tu realized that everyone was heading to the Southern Sea. He went back and instructed the palace servants to keep a close watch on Tang Sanzang, and then rushed to the Southern Sea ahead of Wukong and the other three.

The Guardian Heavenly Deities of the Mount Putuo in the South Sea, the Mountain-Guarding Deity, Hui'an the Wanderer all recognized Ao Tu and dared not act rashly.

Mucha bowed and said, "I'll go inform them."

Ao Tu then waited outside.

After waiting for a while, seeing that the Jade Rabbit Spirit was still following beside him, he immediately felt uneasy.

Just then, the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat Spirit and the Pearl-Holding Dragon Maiden arrived, Ao Tu threw the Jade Rabbit Spirit down and told her to go play with the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat Spirit.

On the other side, Guanyin Bodhisattva heard Mucha's report and learned that Ao Tu had come, so she returned to Chaoyin Cave and changed her clothes.

She wore a light-colored plain blue robe, adorned with dangling Jewel Garlands, Ice Silkworm Silk Brocade Skirt, and Flame Jade. She was barefoot, walking out of the Cave Abode with each step like a lotus blossom.

Just as he was about to go outside to greet Ao Tu, he entered the Purple Bamboo Forest and heard the sounds of conversation and arguing coming from inside.

Guanyin Bodhisattva went closer to take a look.

It turned out that the Jade Rabbit Spirit, with her belly exposed, was boasting to the Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat Spirit about receiving the "Father's" blessing and bearing a dragon fetus.

The Golden-Nosed White-Haired Rat Spirit, unsure of the truth, simply said she didn't believe it, and cursed the Jade Rabbit Spirit as a wicked Yaoguai, questioning how her brother could bestow a dragon fetus upon her.

The two then began to argue.

The Dragon Girl watched from the sidelines, utterly astonished.

Guanyin Bodhisattva did not believe it at first, but when she used her Dharma Eye to observe, she indeed saw the embryonic energy on the Jade Rabbit Spirit, which startled her.

Could it be true?

Guanyin Bodhisattva pondered in her heart that in order to save Ao Tu, she had disguised herself as his wife and gone through countless tribulations Reincarnation, having intercourse with him countless times, but she had not conceived a child with her Essence Blood.

It wasn't that she intentionally avoided it.

Whether one has a son or a daughter is Great Dao of the Heaven and Earth, and there is nothing shameful about it.

She is a Bodhisattva who saves Bodhisattva from suffering, a saint of great compassion. It's nothing for her to have several children with the Demon Dragon in order to save him.

This matter is no small thing. Long ago, the Jade Emperor's sister descended to the mortal Lower Realm and gave birth to Erlang Shen. His Divine Bloodline is no ordinary thing.

That's why she discussed it with the Demon Dragon and did not conceive.

now...

If this is true, the birth of the fetus will be of great importance.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, with compassion on her face, pondered the sentient beings of the Three Realms as she walked through the Purple Bamboo Forest and headed outwards.

Ao Tu was waiting for Guanyin Bodhisattva, wondering why Guanyin Bodhisattva was taking so long to arrive today. Looking back, he saw that Wukong and the others were almost there, riding on their clouds.

If we were to collide with it, the outcome would be uncertain.

Ao Tu opened his mouth and spat out a Divine Wind, blowing Wukong and his companions, who were halfway there, into the sea.

Turning around, and waiting a while longer, I saw Guanyin Bodhisattva walking barefoot towards me.

Ao Tu smiled and said, "Teacher."

Guanyin Bodhisattva glanced at Ao Tu with a reproachful look in her eyes, then took Ao Tu Ao Tu's wrist and led him to a secluded spot, saying:

"I'll raise that child."