Now it was said that Ao Tu activated the Six-Syllable Mantra.
“Om Mani Padme Hum!”
Six enormous golden characters flew through the air, accompanied by waves of Buddhist chanting.
Wukong, tormented by the Tight-Fillet Incantation, had no time to resist. The six great characters struck his body and sent him flying.
Ao Tu said, “Tang Xuanzang, if you do not rid yourself of sinful karma, you will find it hard to reach Mount Lingshan. Take care of yourself.”
Having spoken, the Buddha manifestation dispersed in mid-air—in truth, returning to his false body. That Buddhist image also dissipated with the wind.
Wukong flew back, still wanting to strike Ao Tu.
Ao Tu shielded Qiao’er and the others behind him.
Tang Seng said angrily, “Impudent monkey! You repeatedly violate the precept against killing. Not even the Buddha can tolerate you. Do you still wish to commit violence?”
Wukong said, “Master, those I struck were all demons. This man is a transformation of that demon dragon. He abducted you several times before. Do you not remember?”
Tang Seng said, “Nonsense! If he is a demon, are all these people here demons as well?”
Wukong looked at the people behind Ao Tu.
A woman, an old man, and an old woman—all were mortals.
Wukong could only say, “Those three are mortals. Only this one is a demon!”
Qiao’er mustered her courage and said, “You are the demon! This is my husband!”
Qiao’er’s parents also said, “You hairy-faced, thunder-god-mouthed wretch! You killed someone, and that is not enough—you still falsely accuse our son-in-law of being a demon?”
Wukong truly had a mouth yet could not explain himself clear.
Tang Seng said, “Impudent monkey! What else do you have to say? For a monk, practicing good is like the grass in a spring garden—though you do not see it grow, it increases day by day. One who does evil is like a whetstone—though you do not see it wear away, it diminishes day by day.
You know not good from bad, repeatedly harming lives, dragging my merit to nothing and entangling me in karmic debt. How am I to obtain the true scriptures? Go back!”
Wukong said, “Master, with your mortal flesh and physical eyes, you cannot recognize demon transformations. I eliminated harm for you, yet you wrongly blame me instead. As the common saying goes, ‘Nothing exceeds three times.’ You have expelled me three times. If I do not leave, it would make me seem a shameless, base wretch. I shall go! I shall go! Only if I leave, I fear there will be no one capable beneath you.”
Tang Seng said in anger, “You impudent monkey! Are only you a person? Are Wuneng and Wujing not people?”
Wukong heard this and said, “Bitter! Bitter indeed! This journey westward is fraught with a thousand tribulations and ten thousand perils, incomparably fierce. To protect you, I passed through ancient caves, entered deep forests, captured demons and subdued monsters, recruited Bajie, and gained Wujing, eating through countless bitter hardships.
Back when I wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, I never suffered such hardship. Now it ends with ‘When the birds are gone, the bow is hidden; when the hares are dead, the hounds are boiled!’—Enough! Enough! Enough! Returning is fine too, only I fear that Tight-Fillet Incantation.”
Tang Seng said, “Go back. I shall never recite it again.”
Wukong said, “Hard to say. When you reach some place of poisonous demons and bitter suffering, unable to free yourself, and Bajie and Wujing cannot save you—at that time, when you think of me and cannot resist reciting it again, even from a hundred thousand li away, my head will still hurt.”
Tang Seng, hearing this, grew even more furious. He told Wujing to take out paper and brush from the luggage. He wrote a letter of expulsion and handed it to Wukong, saying:
“Impudent monkey! Keep this as proof! I no longer want you as my disciple! If things truly happen as you say, then may I fall into Avici Hell!”
Wukong hastily took the letter of expulsion, folded it, and hid it in his sleeve, saying:
“Master, no need to swear oaths. I shall leave. Only, having followed you this far, now I stop halfway and fail to cultivate a true fruition. Please sit and receive one bow from me, and then I will go.”
Tang Seng turned away and ignored him, saying:
“I am a good monk. I do not accept courtesy from a wicked man like you!”
Wukong saw this and used his body-externalization technique. He plucked three hairs from the back of his head, transformed them into three avatars, and together with his true body—four in total—surrounded Tang Seng on all sides and bowed.
Tang Seng could not dodge left or right, and thus received one bow.
Wukong leaped up, retrieved his hairs, and instructed Wujing:
“Good brother, you are a good man. If any demon seizes Master, just say that Old Sun is his eldest disciple. Once they hear of my methods, they will not dare harm Master.”
Tang Seng said, “I am a good monk. I will not speak the name of a wicked man like you. Are you not going back yet?”
Wukong heard these words, mounted his Somersault Cloud, and in an instant vanished without a trace.
After Wukong left, Tang Seng sincerely apologized to Ao Tu.
Ao Tu said, “My younger sister was beaten to death by your disciple; my brother was beaten until his body is crippled. You think you can repay the guilt upon you with just a slight bow and a bend of the knee?”
Tang Seng said, “This poor monk failed to discipline and teach properly. All the wrongs committed this time are this poor monk’s fault. So long as it can offset the sinful karma this poor monk has incurred, this poor monk will do anything.”
Ao Tu said, “You monk still have the appearance of one who admits fault. Since that is the case, first transport my younger sister’s corpse back here so she may be buried and laid to rest.”
Hearing this, Tang Seng immediately ordered Bajie to carry the corpse on his back.
Bajie said, “The person was killed by our senior brother. Why make me carry her? That person was beaten into a lump of meat. I won’t carry her!”
Tang Seng ordered Wujing to carry it.
Wujing packed the luggage, pretending to be deaf.
Bajie slapped him and said, “Junior Brother Sha, Master is calling you!”
Wujing said, “Ah! Master, what did you call me for?”
Tang Seng said, “You carry back the corpse of that pitiable woman killed by Wukong, so that she may be buried properly.”
Wujing said, “What woman?”
Tang Seng said, “The one we encountered on the road who was delivering food!”
Wujing said, “What happened to the woman delivering food?”
Tang Seng took a breath and said, “This master is telling you to carry her corpse back!”
Wujing said, “Carry her corpse back?”
Tang Seng said, “Yes, go quickly.”
Wujing said, “Master, when walking today, this disciple carried the load behind the white horse. I do not remember the road we came by.”
Tang Seng, hearing this, was infuriated yet helpless, and said, “If you won’t go, I will carry her myself!”
Bajie saw this and hastily pulled Wujing, saying:
“Master, with your disciples here, how dare we trouble Master to move? If word spread, would it not make the two of us unfilial? Please rest here. This disciple and Junior Brother Sha will go find the corpse.”
Tang Seng saw this, and his anger subsided somewhat. He watched Bajie and Wujing leave, and said to Ao Tu, “Benefactor, my two disciples have already gone.”
Ao Tu thought to himself that this monk certainly knew how to order people about. Thus he said:
“My brother was also injured by your disciple. Now his body is crippled and ruined, unable to move. Should you not go and attend to him?”
Tang Seng said, “What the benefactor says is true. This poor monk shall go recite sutras and pray for him.”
Speaking thus, Tang Seng went inside to recite sutras for Tiger Vanguard.
Ao Tu saw this and gave Tiger Vanguard a meaningful glance.
Tiger Vanguard said, “Water. I want water.”
Tang Seng heard this, got up, and fetched water for Tiger Vanguard.
Tiger Vanguard drank the water. Tang Seng sat down and recited two lines of scripture.
Tiger Vanguard said, “Hungry. I want to eat.”
Tang Seng then got up and brought food for Tiger Vanguard.
Tiger Vanguard ate the food. Tang Seng sat down and recited two lines of scripture.
Tiger Vanguard said, “It hurts. My leg hurts!”
Tang Seng said, “Benefactor, for your leg pain, this poor monk has no solution either. When my two disciples return, they have the ability to ride clouds and soar through mist. I will have them go down the mountain to find a physician for you.”
Tiger Vanguard said, “My leg isn’t right. It hurts terribly. Move it for me.”
Tang Seng had no choice but to move Tiger Vanguard’s leg for him.
That tiger leg of Tiger Vanguard was immensely heavy, leaving this fair-faced monk Tang Seng drenched in sweat as he barely managed to move it a little.
Tiger Vanguard said, “Pain, it hurts even more. Move it to the right—now to the left...”
At that time, Bajie and Wujing arrived in the forest.
Wujing said, “Second Brother, do you really plan to carry a dead person?”
Bajie said, “Carry what? In this desolate mountain wilderness, let’s just rest here for a while. When we go back, we’ll just tell that old monk that the corpse couldn’t be found. Wouldn’t that do?”