As the saying goes: those caught in the matter are confused, while onlookers see clearly.
After hearing Bajie’s description, Sun Wukong thought for a long while, yet still could not figure out who this person was.
But Bajie had guessed something.
An immortal in charge of farming and herding in the Heavenly Court—this Bimawen had first tended the heavenly horses, then managed the Peach Garden. Was that not precisely overseeing farming and herding?
This monkey also bore the title Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Though he had no real authority, his official rank was as high as could be—even higher than his own.
It matched. Everything matched.
Bajie understood: his senior brother was this Bimawen.
Sun Wukong, unable to think of it at the moment, assumed Bajie was still deceiving him, and once again seized Bajie’s ear, refusing to let go.
Bajie cried out in pain, “Stop pulling, stop pulling! This old pig knows who it is now!”
Sun Wukong said, “Oh? Speak, quickly!”
Afraid that the monkey would fly into a rage once he said it, Bajie said,
“Let go first, and this old pig will explain it to you in detail.”
Hearing this, Sun Wukong thought that this fool could not run away anyway, so he released his hand.
“Speak. Who is your senior brother?”
Bajie said, “My senior brother is you!”
The monkey’s eyes widened. “Nonsense! How could it be me? When did Old Sun ever oversee farming and herding in the Heavenly Court?”
Bajie said, “Have you forgotten? When you tended horses for the Jade Emperor, wasn’t that herding? And when you managed that Peach Garden…”
Before he could finish, Sun Wukong flew into a great rage, so angry that his golden eyes bulged and his fangs bared.
“Fool, you’re asking for a beating!”
He raised his staff and struck.
Bajie lifted his rake to meet him.
The ground trembled three times.
Bajie said, “Senior Brother, this isn’t something I said—it was Master who said it!”
Sun Wukong said, “Who is your master?”
Bajie said, “My master is your master!”
Sun Wukong snapped, “Still not telling the truth! Old Sun has no junior brother like you. Don’t hide here—fly up to the sky with me at once and let me beat you three hundred times!”
Bajie said, “Senior Brother, three hundred blows is too many. Hit me a little less!”
Sun Wukong said, “You fool, now you’re haggling over the price! Fine, then I’ll beat you two hundred times!”
Bajie said, “This old pig can’t endure two hundred blows either. I’d better ask Master to plead for me!”
Sun Wukong said, “No one’s pleading will be of any use!”
Bajie fought as he retreated, retreating all the way to the place where Ao Tu was lodging, and shouted,
“Master, Master, hurry and come out! Senior Brother wants to beat me! Please plead for me! This old pig can’t withstand his Golden-Hooped Staff!”
No one answered.
He pushed open the door. Inside were only the old woman and her little grandson, trembling in terror.
Bajie said anxiously, “Old benefactor, where is my master?”
The old woman said, “The holy monk disappeared at some unknown time.”
Sun Wukong clenched Bajie by the collar, dragged him out, and said,
“You still dare hide things from me? Speak—who exactly taught you to say all this?”
Bajie said, “Everything I said is true!”
Sun Wukong said, “Then who is your master? What is his name?”
Bajie said, “My master is an eminent monk from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land. His Buddhist name is Tang Sanzang; his secular surname is Chen, given name Xuanzang, so he is also called Dharma Master Xuanzang.”
Sun Wukong was shocked when he heard this. “How do you know my master’s name?”
Bajie said, “Senior Brother, we share the same master! Aren’t you and I both enlightened by Bodhisattva Guanyin and charged with protecting the scripture pilgrim on his journey west to obtain the scriptures?”
Sun Wukong was stunned when he heard the name Bodhisattva Guanyin.
He thought: Could it be true?
“Tell me the whole matter from beginning to end, in detail.”
So Bajie said,
“After this old pig was banished to the mortal realm, I was mistakenly reborn in a pig’s womb and came into being in this form. I lived as a demon in Cloudy Plank Cave on Fuling Mountain. Taking my appearance as my surname, I was surnamed Zhu, and my official name was Zhu Ganglie.
“Fortunately, several years ago, I received enlightenment from Bodhisattva Guanyin. I observed fasting and abstinence, and waited here especially for the scripture pilgrim, to become his disciple so that I might attain true fruition in the future. Three days ago, he came here and accepted me as his disciple…”
“Hmm?” Sun Wukong said angrily. “You’re still not being honest. Master and I only arrived in this region today. How could you have met Master three days ago?”
Bajie said, “Master told me that because you are restless by nature and do not focus on traveling, he left you behind and came ahead alone to Gao Village.”
Sun Wukong said, “Nonsense, nonsense! Master has been with me all along. How could he have come here? Do you dare come with me and confront him face to face?”
Bajie said, “Master has disappeared. Where are we supposed to confront him?”
Sun Wukong said, “Master is on the mountain. Because you, fool, were blocking the way, he didn’t dare come down. Come with me!”
Bajie said, “Then I’ll come!”
Sun Wukong carried Bajie and flew before Tang Seng.
When Tang Seng saw them, he was greatly alarmed and said,
“Wukong, since you captured this demon, why did you not destroy him? Why bring him here?”
After Bajie heard this, he said,
“Master, how cruel your heart is! If your disciple has done anything improper, just say the word and your disciple will change. Why would you have Senior Brother destroy me?”
Tang Seng said, “Who are you? Whom are you calling Master?”
Bajie said, “Master, don’t you recognize me? I’m Bajie! I was ordered by the Bodhisattva to protect you on your journey west to obtain the scriptures!”
Tang Seng retreated in fright. “I don’t know you. Don’t call me Master!”
Bajie said,
“Master, how can you pretend not to know me? We were still talking yesterday.
“You said you had two treasures: one brocade kasaya worth five thousand taels, and one nine-ringed monk’s staff worth two thousand taels. If one day you could no longer be a monk, you would give me one of them.
“You even asked me whether I wanted the kasaya or the monk’s staff. I said, Master, you are a man of feeling and righteousness, so your disciple would willingly take the lesser one and leave the kasaya for Master. Master, do you not remember any of that?”
When Tang Seng heard this, he said angrily,
“You damned demon! This kasaya and monk’s staff of mine were bestowed by Bodhisattva Guanyin. How could I give them to you? Wukong, quickly destroy this demon!”
When Bajie heard that the other wanted him destroyed, he flew into a great rage.
“Fine, I understand now. You monk must be a demon in disguise, actually daring to deceive me here. Take a rake from this old pig!”
With that, he broke free from Sun Wukong’s hand, raised his rake, and struck.
Sun Wukong hurriedly used the Golden-Hooped Staff to block Bajie, letting Tang Seng leave first.
The two of them battled fiercely on the mountainside.
That Bajie wielded his rake and, truly enraged, was determined to beat to death the “demon” impersonating his master.
Radiance burst forth, black winds blew; mountains collapsed beneath the rake, and the earth was overturned beneath its sweep.
As Sun Wukong held him off, he said,
“Fool, don’t you understand yet? Old Sun can see it now. It is true that you were enlightened by the Bodhisattva, but the scripture pilgrim you met was a fake.”
Bajie said,
“Bimawen, you’re farting! My master is an enlightened eminent monk who did countless good deeds in Gao Village. You dare say he is fake? Take a rake from this old pig!”
After bitterly fighting for several rounds, Bajie saw that he could not take down Sun Wukong. In his fury, he revealed his true form: ringed eyes like silver hoops, bristles like sharp halberds; fangs rivaling steel blades, and a long snout like a fire basin.
Bajie forcefully endured Sun Wukong’s Golden-Hooped Staff and charged straight toward Tang Seng, butting down seven mountains in succession, determined to destroy this demon impersonating his master.
Tang Seng was so terrified that of his three hun souls, two were lost, and of his seven po souls, five were scattered. Fortunately, the Six Ding and Six Jia secretly supported him, and the Jialan guardians protected him, so no great harm came to him.
After Bajie exhausted his strength, he was captured by Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong said, “You fool, unable to distinguish right from wrong—I’ll take you to the Bodhisattva and have her judge this!”