A House in the Wild Mountains

After saying this, Zhu Bajie for a moment and then continued:

"Brother Monkey, look at the white horse Master rides, it's big and strong, carrying only Master. Entrusting Master with a few pieces of luggage is a sign of brotherly affection!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong said to Zhu Bajie:

"You mentioned the lead horse that Master rides. Although it is a horse, it is no ordinary horse. This horse was originally the Dragon King of the West Sea, and was renamed the Third Prince Dragon Horse because he set fire to the pearl in the palace."

"His father reported him to the Heavenly Court for violating the Heavenly Laws, but thanks to Bodhisattva Guanyin's help, he is now waiting anxiously for his master. If it weren't for Bodhisattva Guanyin, the Third Prince would have disappeared long ago."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Bajie patted the horse next to Tang Xuanzang and said:

Is Brother Monkey King really a dragon?

After seeing Zhu Bajie's actions, Sun Wukong smiled and said to Zhu Bajie:

"He's a dragon; he has the ability to overturn rivers and seas, and when he runs, the dust he kicks up makes his speed unpredictable."

After speaking, Sun Wukong raised his Ruyi Jingu Bang) and intended to strike the White Dragon Horse from behind. Upon seeing the cudgel, the White Dragon Horse immediately ran away, kicking up dust, and soon reached a hill on the opposite side.

When Tang Xuanzang saw his White Dragon Horse running so fast, he was so frightened that his legs went weak and he became breathless. He then asked Sun Wukong:

"Wukong, what's going on? Why is that horse running so fast?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong smiled and said to Tang Xuanzang:

"Master, don't panic. Don't worry about why this horse is running so fast. First, see where it has taken you!"

After Sun Wukong finished speaking, Xuanzang looked closely and found that the place was shaded by green trees and lush with grass, the lake surface was covered with algae and water plants, and the bamboo beside it was green and lush.

Before them stood a house, with wisps of smoke rising from its chimney. Just then, Sha Wujing suddenly spoke:

"Master, that horse was running so fast just now, you didn't fall off, did you?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang said to Sha Wujing:

"Don't worry about the items, I'm fine. At least I'm skilled enough, otherwise I really would have been thrown off by this horse."

Then Tang Xuanzang turned his gaze to Sun Wukong and said leisurely:

"Wukong, stop being naughty here. If you frighten the horse again, I won't be able to ride it."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong could only nod to Tang Xuanzang. Just then, Tang Xuanzang said to Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing:

"My disciples, look, there's a house up ahead. I see it's getting late, why don't we go in and rest for the night?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong glanced at Zhu Bajie, who was panting heavily from chasing the white horse, and said:

"That's a good idea, Master. Why don't we stay here for the night and set off again tomorrow?"

The reason Sun Wukong agreed so quickly was because Sun Wukong saw bursts of Buddhist light flashing on the house, and Sun Wukong knew that it must have been transformed by his ancestors.

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang immediately dismounted, looked around the courtyard, and said to Sun Wukong:

"It seems this place used to be a wealthy family's home."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong ignored Tang Xuanzang's words and continued to barge in. Seeing this, Tang Xuanzang quickly stopped Sun Wukong said:

"Wukong, don't be hasty. We are both monks, so we should avoid suspicion. Don't barge in without permission. And if we wait for someone to come out of their house, we can ask for lodging."

Sun Wukong could only nod upon hearing this.

After a short while, Sun Wukong, with his impatient nature, could no longer wait.

So Sun Wukong jumped up and went inside to take a look. He saw that in the main hall to the south, there were three statues, each with a curtain hanging on it, and on both sides were gilded Zhuzi.

While Sun Wukong was peeking, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him, and then the door opened, revealing an elderly woman who was nearly a hundred years old.

An old woman asked Sun Wukong:

"What do you want from me so late at night? My little shabby house has nothing of value. Please turn around and leave."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong realized that the old woman must have misunderstood something, so he explained to her:

"Grandma, you must have misunderstood. We just thought it was getting late, so we decided to stay here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow."

Then, the old woman Sun Wukong began to talk. Seeing that Sun Wukong hadn't returned for a while, Tang Xuanzang impatiently went over to the old woman and said:

"This humble monk has come from the Great Tang of the Eastern Lands to seek Buddhist Western Heaven. It is getting late today, and I am passing through here. I would like to stay here for the night."

Upon hearing this, the old woman smiled and said to Tang Xuanzang:

"In that case, come in quickly."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Bajie was overjoyed and immediately transformed into a learned, pale-faced scholar.

The old woman was overjoyed at the sight and quickly invited them into the hall, treating them with great courtesy.

After a while, a maid suddenly brought out a gold-inlaid plate and a jade cup, which emitted a strong fragrance. The fruit that was served was also incredibly fragrant.

Just then, Tang Xuanzang asked the old woman:

"What is your name, venerable elder? And what is the name of this auspicious place where you reside?"

Upon hearing this, the old woman smiled and said to Tang Xuanzang:

"This is West Ox Hezhou. My surname is Jia, and my husband's surname is Mo. Together, we have inherited our family business and possess vast wealth and thousands of acres of fertile land."

My husband and I don't have a son, but we have three daughters. Our eldest daughter tragically lost her husband at a young age.

The old woman shook her head and sighed after she finished speaking.

Then Tang Xuanzang continued to ask the old woman:

"Why don't I see your three daughters?"

Upon hearing this, the old woman smiled and said to Tang Xuanzang:

"My three daughters rarely receive guests, so they haven't married or had children. Now that I've met the three elders, I have an urge to marry them off to you. I wonder what your impressions are?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang pretended to be deaf and dumb, remaining silent on the matter. However, Zhu Bajie couldn't sit still any longer and immediately nudged Tang Xuanzang to his side, saying:

"Master, the situation is so good right now, why don't you agree? If you really don't want it, why not give this opportunity to me, Old Zhu?"

"You idiot, what are you thinking about? Our mission is to accompany Master on his journey to the Western Heaven to retrieve the scriptures, yet you're here talking about mundane matters."

Sun Wukong was so angry that he scratched his neck, looking like he was gritting his teeth, wishing he could grind Zhu Bajie to dust.

Upon hearing this, the old man smiled and said to Sun Wukong:

"Elder, please don't be angry. Your junior brother is considerate to my mother and me. I think he's a good person."