Reconciled as Before
After hearing what Sun Wukong said, Zhu Bajie immediately began to explain to Sun Wukong. Zhu Bajie explained to Sun Wukong:
"How can this be? She is, after all, the Empress. How can I touch the Empress?"
Sun Wukong sneered upon hearing this and said to Zhu Bajie, "I've been listening to you brag all this time, but I bet you don't dare to touch it."
After hearing what Sun Wukong said, Zhu Bajie snorted coldly and said to Sun Wukong:
"What do you know about this? The Empress is the wife of the King of the Nation. How could I possibly touch her?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong grabbed Zhu Bajie's ear and said, "Now you know you can't touch her, but what happened when you flirted with Chang'e in the sky?"
Zhu Bajie ignored Sun Wukong's words, but Sun Wukong persisted. After a while, Zhu Bajie finally lost his temper and roared at Sun Wukong:
"What's wrong with you? Didn't we agree that this matter shouldn't be brought up again?"
Sun Wukong smiled at Zhu Bajie, ignoring what Zhu Bajie had just said.
After a short while, Sun Wukong continued:
"The Empress has developed some poisonous thorns on her body, and also on her hands. Since the Empress arrived at Qilin Mountain, she has shared a bed with that monster for three years. That monster has never touched the Empress, because the Empress's clothes would cause her pain if the monster touched them."
Upon hearing Sun Wukong's words, the officials looked at Sun Wukong with puzzlement and said, "What should we do now? If this continues, the king won't be able to touch the queen."
Just then, as the officials finished speaking, a voice suddenly came from mid-air. The person said, "Great Sage, don't be anxious. I've arrived. Leave this matter to me."
Upon hearing the man's words, Sun Wukong immediately knew who had arrived. Sun Wukong then asked, "What brings Zhang Ziyang here today?"
After hearing what Sun Wukong said, Zhang Ziyang quickly went to Sun Wukong's side and said:
"Great Sage, three years ago I went to sit with Buddha for a short while, and suddenly I heard the king here worrying. I was afraid that the monster had become involved with the queen and violated human ethics, and that it would be difficult for her to reconcile with the king in the future."
"I transformed a garment into a new, multicolored one, and when the Empress wore it, it sprouted poisonous thorns all over her body. Today, I heard that you, Great Sage, successfully rescued the Empress, so I have come specifically to reclaim that garment."
Upon hearing Zhang Ziyang's words, Sun Wukong was overjoyed and immediately said to Zhang Ziyang:
"Then you'd better get rid of this dress quickly, otherwise even the king can't touch the queen now."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ziyang immediately stepped forward and said to the lady, "Your Majesty, you've been wearing my clothes for so long, please return them to me now."
The Empress nodded upon hearing this. Then, Zhang Ziyang pointed, and the robe on the Empress's body immediately revealed its true form. Zhang Ziyang shook the robe, draped it over himself, and said to Sun Wukong:
"Great Sage, please don't blame me. I'll be leaving now."
Just as Zhang Ziyang finished speaking, Zhang Ziyang Sun Wukong immediately stopped Zhang Ziyang and said, "Wait a moment. Leave after the king has seen you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ziyang said to Sun Wukong, "There's no need for that. I'm leaving now because my time is of the essence."
Zhang Ziyang then ascended into the sky. Upon seeing this, the emperor and empress were immediately alarmed and knelt down. After a short while, they gave orders to prepare food and drink to receive the four disciples.
At the same time, just as the king and queen had reconciled and were enjoying their meal, Sun Wukong suddenly said to Tang Xuanzang:
"Master, please take out that challenge letter now."
After hearing what Sun Wukong said, Tang Xuanzang took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong then gave the letter to the king and said:
"This letter was originally delivered by that little demon, but I've now killed that Xiao Yao, and then I went back to report to the Demon King..."
"When I was almost about to kill the monster, Bodhisattva Guanyin appeared and took it away."
Sun Wukong recounted what had happened to the king, and the king and his ministers all praised Sun Wukong after hearing it.
Tang Xuanzang said to the king:
"Firstly, it's your good fortune; secondly, it's thanks to my disciple. Today, this banquet has repaid all our debts at once, so let's take our leave now and not delay my journey to the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures."
Tang Xuanzang insisted on leaving, and the king could not persuade him to stay. So he switched the travel documents and then sent Tang Xuanzang off to the Western Heaven Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures with a luxurious carriage and the most sumptuous meal.
After bidding farewell to the King of Kingdom of Zhuzi, the four travelers continued westward, traversing countless mountains and rivers and experiencing countless springs, summers, autumns, and winters. While they were enjoying the scenery, they suddenly came across a cave in front of them.
Upon seeing this, Tang Xuanzang immediately dismounted and stood on the road. Sun Wukong, seeing Tang Xuanzang 'Tang Xuanzang actions, looked at him with a puzzled expression and said:
"Master, this road is flat and there are no monsters at all. Why don't you keep going?"
After hearing what Sun Wukong said, Zhu Bajie smiled at Sun Wukong and said:
"Brother Monkey, you really don't respect your master. He's probably tired of riding, so you're letting him get off and walk around."
Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang immediately explained, "I wasn't sleepy on horseback; I just saw a family there and wanted to get some food from them."
After hearing what Tang Xuanzang said, Sun Wukong slapped his forehead and said to Tang Xuanzang:
"Master, what are you saying? If you want vegetables, I can just go find them for you. Why do you insist on getting off the horse yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang immediately began to explain:
"Actually, you don't need to worry about it. Usually, that area is just an endless expanse, and you travel thousands of miles to find food for me. Now that the house is so close to us, it's manageable. I can go by myself."
Upon hearing what Tang Xuanzang said, Zhu Bajie immediately began to explain:
"Master, you're being a bit indecisive. As the saying goes, among three people traveling together, the youngest suffers the most. You're the eldest, after all. We're all your disciples, so let us handle anything that needs to be done."
Upon hearing this, Tang Xuanzang immediately began to explain: