Delirious with joy, Bajie and Sha Wujing continued their way back.
They soon saw Tripitaka lying on the ground, his face buried in the dust. There was no trace of the luggage. Bajie gave in to despair and, kicking the ground in rage, shouted:
“It must’ve been those bandits Wukong beat! They killed the master and stole our belongings while we were away!”
Carefully, Sha Wujing turned the body over, and placed his cheek next to the Tang Monk’s, crying out even more desperately than before:
“Poor Master! Poor Master!”
But then he realized that, although faintly, the Master was still breathing, and there was still a weak pulse in his chest.
“Bajie!” he exclaimed quickly, filled with hope.
“Come here right away! The Master isn’t dead!”
Tripitaka’s Accusation
Without delay, Bajie approached and gently helped the Master sit up. Slowly, Tripitaka began to regain consciousness, groaning and whimpering.
“Cursed monkey! You almost killed me!” the Master moaned weakly.
“What monkey are you talking about?” both Bajie and Sha Wujing asked at once, but the Master could do nothing but groan. Only after drinking some water did he manage to say:
“Shortly after you two left, Wukong returned. When I refused to take him back into our group, he became furious, hit me hard with his iron staff, and took our bags.”
Sha Wujing’s Mission
“Cursed monkey! How could he be so heartless? Sha Wujing, take care of the Master while I go demand he return our bags!” Bajie exclaimed, so angry his teeth were grinding.
Tang Sanzang replied:
“Wait! You’ve never gotten along well with Wukong, and your words can be very harsh. The slightest provocation might make him furious. Who can guarantee he won’t hit you with his staff? No, no—I think Wujing should go instead.”
“I completely agree with the Master,” said Sha Wujing immediately.
After traveling nonstop for three days and nights on a cloud, Sha Wujing finally spotted the Eastern Great Ocean. He landed on the highest peak and scanned the horizon, trying to find the path leading to the Water Curtain Cave.
The Impostor’s Deception
Sha Monk came closer and saw the Monkey King seated on a stone platform. In his hands, he held a piece of paper, which he read repeatedly to his subjects.
Once the document was finished, the Monkey King started reading it from the beginning again. Sha Wujing immediately realized it was the travel permit, and unable to contain his impatience any longer, he stepped out from hiding and asked:
“Why are you reading our Master’s travel document over and over?”
The false Monkey King lifted his head, but surprisingly didn’t recognize Sha Wujing. He glared:
“Seize him!”
The monkeys surrounded Sha Wujing and shoved and pushed him forward before the Monkey King, who shouted furiously:
“Who do you think you are, daring to intrude uninvited into an immortal’s dwelling?”
“You know who I am,” said the Sha Monk.
“No, I don’t,” replied the false Monkey King.
At this point, Sha Wujing realized how different this one was. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Sha Wujing respectfully bowed and said:
“Our Master has a rather impulsive character, which led him to blame you and recite that painful spell just to drive you away. I admit we didn’t do much to calm him either. He sent me here to visit you and ask—on behalf of the gratitude you owe him for granting you freedom—that you consider returning what belongs to him. Our Master is willing to accept you back into his group so that together we may reach the Western Paradise and share equally in the fruits of virtue. If, however, hatred prevents you from recognizing him again as your Master, we would at least appreciate it if you returned the two bags. That way, you can enjoy a long and peaceful life among these serene mountains and do us a great favor.”
Upon hearing this, the false Monkey King let out a proud, scornful laugh and said with disdain:
“I think you’ve misunderstood my intentions. If I lashed out at the Tang Monk and fled with his luggage, it wasn’t because I decided to retreat to these mountains and abandon my journey westward. Quite the contrary. The reason I’m memorizing this travel document now is that I intend to go alone to the West and request the sutras directly from Buddha himself. When I return with them to the Eastern Lands, everyone will recognize that the merit is mine alone, and the people of Jambudvipa will hail me as their patriarch and protector. This way, my fame will be assured for all eternity.”
Sha Wujing replied with a smile:
“It’s clear you haven’t thought carefully about what you just said. After Tathagata established the sutras, he entrusted Bodhisattva Guanyin with finding a seeker of sacred texts in the Eastern Lands. The Bodhisattva informed us that the chosen one for such a noble mission was none other than the personal disciple of Tathagata himself, widely known by the name Golden Cicada. If you refuse to accompany Master Tang, rest assured the Buddhist Patriarch will never entrust you with the sacred scriptures, and all your dreams of greatness will turn to dust.”
Revelation of the Clone
Replied the Monkey King:
“Your understanding is too superficial. As you just said, you have a Tang Monk who needs our support. Who says I don’t have another one by my side? In fact, I’ve just chosen a truly virtuous monk who will seek those scriptures with my full assistance at all times. What’s wrong with that? Starting tomorrow, we’ll set off together. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show him to you so you can see the truth yourself.”
He then turned toward his monkey troops and shouted:
“Bring out the Master Sanzang at once!”
The monkeys quickly appeared with a white horse, a Tripitaka Tang, a Bajie carrying the luggage, and a Sha Wujing holding the Master’s staff. The replicas of the pilgrims looked so identical to the real ones that the real Sha Wujing stood speechless with astonishment.
Finally, he exclaimed in fury:
“It’s impossible for there to be another Sha Wujing! How shameless that cursed monkey is! I must go immediately and inform the Bodhisattva of what has happened.”
The other monkeys tried to surround him, but he managed to break through and swiftly flew away on a cloud.
Leave a Reply