Bandits

Just after Tang Xuanzang finished speaking, the group arrived at a flat area, where Zhu Bajie showed off his energy by helping Sha Wujing carry the load.

After carrying the load for a while, Zhu Bajie was panting heavily. He tried to urge the horse on, but the horse ignored him. Zhu Bajie just kept walking ahead, while the White Dragon Horse Zhu Bajie n't follow at all.

Seeing this, Sun Wukong laughed and said to Zhu Bajie, "Bajie, how are you driving the horse? Just let it walk slowly."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Bajie said earnestly, "I see that it's getting late, and we've been walking on the mountain all day. We're all hungry, so I'm thinking of having everyone walk faster and find a place to eat."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong slowly said, "Since that's the case, then I'll tell him to leave quickly."

After speaking, Sun Wukong took out his Ruyi Jingu Bang and spun it a few times in front of the White Dragon Horse, showing off his martial arts skills. Upon seeing this, the White Dragon Horse immediately galloped like a sword, running smoothly forward.

Why is it said that the White Dragon Horse is not afraid of Zhu Bajie, but afraid of Sun Wukong?

This is because Sun Wukong was appointed as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses by the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses Jade Emperor five hundred years ago, so this official position has remained to this day, meaning that all horses are afraid of Sun Wukong.

The group then continued their journey at a rapid pace. After walking for some time, they heard a loud commotion of gongs and drums outside. Suddenly, dozens of people jumped out from the roadside, each carrying knives, spears, and clubs.

One of them shouted menacingly from the roadside, "Where do you think you're going, you monk?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang felt a little flustered, but he quickly regained his composure.

Then, Tang Xuanzang's eyes darted around, and feigning fear, he quickly said to the people opposite him, "Your Majesty, spare my life! Please don't kill me! I still have some great uses for you."

The burly man at the head of the group smiled and said to Tang Xuanzang, "We won't kill anyone; we just want you to leave all your money behind."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang suddenly realized that those people were all bandits.

After a short while, Tang Xuanzang slowly raised his head and looked at those people. Their faces were ashen, their sharp teeth were showing, and their hair was as red as fire.

Only then did Tang Xuanzang realize that they were all demons, so he walked over and slowly said:

"I came from the Great Tang of the Eastern Lands to travel to the Western Heaven Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Since leaving Chang'an, I have spent all my money, and we monks live by begging."

"Therefore, we have no use for that money. Please, Your Majesty, grant us passage."

The demon was furious upon hearing this, grabbed Tang Xuanzang, and said to Tang Xuanzang:

"We're determined to keep you here today. Quickly take off all your clothes, and leave the white horse behind too, then we'll let you pass."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang a sudden sense of panic and tried to pass the time by chatting. He continued:

"Amitabha Buddha, the robes I wear were pieced together from various households. If you take these robes away, it's tantamount to killing me."

The thief was furious upon hearing this and immediately raised his weapon to strike Tang Xuanzang. Tang Xuanzang didn't say anything, but he thought to himself:

"The staff you're holding isn't even as powerful as my eldest disciple Sun Wukong's staff."

Without a word, the thief raised his stick and began to beat Tang Xuanzang mercilessly. Tang Xuanzang, who had never spoken a word in his life, was now in a difficult situation and could only helplessly say:

"If you're really in a hurry, why don't you wait here for a while? I still have some money on me, but my little apprentice is holding it. He'll be here in a bit, and I'll have him give you the money then."

The thieves laughed and said, "This monk is quite clever, but we can't let him go so easily. We should tie him up first."

Upon hearing this, his men quickly tied Tang Xuanzang up with a rope and hung him high on a tree.

At the same time, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing Zhu Bajie arrived. Zhu Bajie laughed loudly upon seeing them, saying, "Master left so quickly! I wonder where he's waiting for us?"

A short while later, they saw Tang Xuanzang hanging from the tree, and Zhu Bajie continued:

"Look, if Master were waiting for us, he would sit here obediently and wait for him. He just insists on climbing up the tree and swinging on it."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong quickly interrupted Zhu Bajie, grabbed Zhu Bajie's ear, and said to Zhu Bajie:

"You pig, don't talk nonsense! Look, Master is already hanging there. You two, come over here slowly, let me go check first."

After saying this, Sun Wukong transformed into a clean-cut little monk, dressed in a robe, looking about six or seven years old, with a blue bundle slung over his shoulder. He strode forward and called out loudly:

"Master, what's going on? Why are you tied up here, and who are those people in front of you?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang looked at Sun Wukong and slowly said, "Disciple, why didn't you hurry to save me when you saw me? Why are you asking so many questions?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong smiled and said to Tang Xuanzang, "But I don't even know who those people ahead are, how dare I rashly offer my help?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang sighed and said to Sun Wukong, "Those people are bandits. They stopped me and wanted my money, but I had no money, so they hung me here. I can only wait for you here."

After pausing for a moment, Tang Xuanzang continued, "When we were chatting, they were so wicked that I had no choice but to betray you and wait for you to come."

"Well, there are some things I need to discuss with you first. Otherwise, I'll just give him this horse first."

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

"Master, why did you give away the Dragon Horse that Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty gave you? You have loose skin and little flesh, so you really don't have anything else to give away."

After saying this, Sun Wukong seized upon a key point and carefully asked Tang Xuanzang, "So how did you tell them?"

After pondering this for a long time, Tang Xuanzang slowly said to Sun Wukong:

"I meant you still have some money on you, so please don't hit me. I only said this when I was trying to save my life, so please don't take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was overjoyed and said to Tang Xuanzang with a smile, "If you say it like that, you're overestimating me."