The Monkey King pulled the reins and led his master onto the main road. After several hours of travel, they came upon a mountain of extraordinary height.
Tang Monk and his three disciples had already begun to ascend the mountain when they lifted their heads and saw a group of tall buildings hidden among the greenery of bamboo and pine trees.
Monk Tang asked:
“What kind of place do you think that is, Wukong?”
“It should be a Taoist temple or a Buddhist monastery. Let’s go closer and find out more,” replied the Monkey King.
They soon arrived at the gate. As Tripitaka Tang dismounted his horse, he noticed on his left a large stone slab engraved with the following inscription: “Holy Land of the Mountain of Immortality(Mountain of Longevity) — Heavenly Cave of the Five Villas Temple.”
“So it’s a Taoist center!” exclaimed Tripitaka.
Meeting Clear Breeze and Bright Moon
They had not yet passed through the second gate when two young men, healthy in both body and spirit, came out to greet them. One was named Clear Breeze, and the other Bright Moon.
With unusual respect, they bowed deeply before the travelers and said:
“We apologize for not coming out sooner to welcome you. Please, sit down.”
The master followed the two youths into the main hall.
“Where is your master?” asked Monk Tang.
“He has been invited by the Supreme Being to attend a lecture on The Taoist Fruit of the Origin of Chaos at the Maitreya Palace in the Heaven of Purity.”
Tripitaka then ordered:
“Since your master is not here, let us not trouble these young ones further. Wukong, take the horse to graze; Sha Monk, take care of the luggage; and Bajie, go find some grain. We’ll prepare our own meal. All we need are a few pots and some firewood. Come, everyone to their tasks. I will rest here a while. We shall continue our journey once we’ve finished eating.”
The Ginseng Fruit Incident
Before leaving, their master had instructed the two apprentices that Monk Tang was a friend and should be warmly received.
When all of the monk’s disciples were away, the two young men fetched two ginseng fruits and offered them to Tripitaka, saying:
“The Five Villas Temple is located in a remote and inaccessible area. We have little to offer to celebrate your arrival, but if you wish to quench your thirst, there is nothing better than these fruits grown in our garden.”
“Good heavens!” cried the monk, recoiling in horror.
“How can you practice cannibalism in such a holy place? Are these two newborn infants really all you have to offer me to drink?”
Bright Moon stepped forward and explained:
“These are not children, Master — they are fruits known as ginseng.”
Monk Tang immediately cried out:
“What suffering their parents must have endured to bring these creatures into the world! How can you possibly convince me that they are just fruits!”
Realizing they could not persuade him, the two youths took the tray and returned to their quarters. They sat on their beds and began to enjoy the two ginseng fruits.
Wukong and Bajie’s Theft
Unfortunately, their room shared a thin wall with the kitchen, and everything they said could be clearly overheard.
Bajie was cooking rice in the kitchen when he couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between the two Taoists. The pig Bajie longed to taste the ginseng fruit, so he urged Wukong to steal some.
The Monkey King leaned against the tree and looked up. He saw a ginseng fruit hanging from one of the southern branches. It truly resembled a newborn child. The breeze swayed its limbs and head constantly, giving it an unmistakable appearance of life.
“What a marvelous thing! I’ve never seen anything like it,” murmured the Monkey King in astonishment.
With a single leap, he climbed to the top of the tree. He gathered his silk robe into a makeshift sack and struck the branch three times with his small golden mallet. Three fruits fell neatly into the cloth.
Overjoyed, he leapt back to the ground and ran toward the kitchen.
“Did you get them?” Bajie asked, smiling.
“Are these the fruits you were talking about? They were easier to get than I expected,” replied Wukong.
Each took one. Bajie had a huge appetite and an insatiable mouth. Without hesitation, he swallowed his whole.
“What exactly are you eating?” he asked, turning to his two brothers.
“Ginseng fruits,” replied the Sha Monk, surprised.
“What do they taste like?” Bajie asked again.
“Don’t listen to him, Wujing,” advised the Monkey King.
“He’s already eaten his. Why ask so many useless questions?”
“I’m afraid I ate mine too quickly,” confessed Bajie.
“I’m not as refined as you two who like to savor it slowly. Why don’t you go get me another one? I promise I’ll eat this one carefully.”
Wukong exclaimed:
“You’re hopeless! These fruits are not like rice or noodles — only about thirty have ripened in ten thousand years. You should thank heaven you got to taste any at all. So stop talking nonsense.”
Discovery and Confrontation
Soon after, the two young Taoists returned to their room and, to their surprise, overheard Bajie complaining that he wanted to eat another ginseng fruit.
The two young priests became very angry. They went to the main hall and accused Tripitaka of theft and being a friend of thieves.
“Thief! You consort with bandits! Your disciples stole our sacred fruits! This sacrilege demands justice!”
Using extremely disrespectful language, they continued to insult him for a long time. A violent confrontation seemed inevitable.
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