Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 356 The Women's Kingdom of Western Liang, The True and False Sandalwood Merit Buddha

The story goes that Sun Wukong and Nezha, along with Zhu Bajie, traveled to the Women's Kingdom of Xiliang. They saw that the streets and alleys were filled with women, regardless of age.

Nezha was amazed and put away his Dharma form, adopting the form of a child.

Pigsy chuckled and said, "This place is no different from before; it's full of women."

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "How can you say there has been no change? Countless generations have passed here. It is said that ten years is a generation in the human world. We have completed our journey to the West. We do not know how many years have passed. This place is no longer the place of our time."

Pigsy said, "But she is still a woman."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "When we passed through this place, you knew that the Western Liang Women's Kingdom only had women. Since the beginning of time, through generations of emperors, there have been no men."

Nezha said, "I have never been here before. Now that I have come here, it has broadened my horizons."

As the three men talked, the women from the street corners gathered around them. Seeing the three men, they were overjoyed and shouted, "Human race! Human race!"

Pigsy was somewhat indignant and said, "Brother, we were like this when we arrived here in the past, but we are still like this now. There's nothing we can do about it."

Sun Wukong laughed and said, "Bajie, do you remember how we escaped from this situation back then?"

Pigsy said, "Of course I know. It was Brother Monkey who taught us to make those ugly faces to scare them away and make them clear the way."

Sun Wukong smiled slightly and said, "If this method could be used in the past, it can be used again now. Bajie, it's up to you now."

Pigsy shouted, "Brother, why are you telling me to go and scare them? Why don't you and the Third Prince go?"

Sun Wukong said, “But the Third Prince has the appearance of a spiritual child. I used to have the appearance of a demon, but now all of that has been removed, and I only have a spiritual appearance. If we show our ugly appearance, we won’t be able to scare them. It must be you who comes.”

Zhu Bajie composed himself, glanced at Sun Wukong, then at Nezha, and had no choice but to go himself. He revealed his true form, shook his fan-shaped ears twice, and let out a pig-like squeal, looking fierce and menacing. This frightened the women away, who made way for him.

Sun Wukong, Nezha, and the others then continued on their way.

As the group walked through the city, a female official led a group of people forward and stopped them.

The female official asked, "But we do not know where you have come from. If you wish to travel in the city, you must stay at the post station and register your names before you can travel."

Sun Wukong said, “But we are guests from the past, coming from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, and now we come from Lingtai Fangcun Mountain. It is only right that we register our names. Please lead the way.”

The lady-in-waiting was puzzled and asked, "A former guest? What do you mean? But if he really was a guest, there's no need for so many formalities."

A female attendant behind him said, "I have been here for nearly ten years, but I have never seen you. How could you be guests from the past?"

Pigsy patted his belly and laughed, "When we arrived, it was hundreds of years ago. Your ancestors might not have even been born yet, so how could they have seen us?"

The woman was very skeptical.

The female official looked at Sun Wukong, as if asking a question.

Sun Wukong patted Zhu Bajie, telling him to tone it down a bit, and said, “My brother’s words are rough but his reasoning is sound. Many years ago, we came here following a great monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East. He asked your king to add our Dharma names to the travel documents and instructed us to travel west to obtain the scriptures.”

Pigsy said, "That eminent monk from the Tang Dynasty is named Chen Xuanzang, and he is our teacher."

Upon hearing this, the female official was greatly surprised and said, "Could you be my king's disciples?"

Pigsy said, “You’re confused, you’re confused! How could we be your king’s disciples? Don’t talk nonsense.”

Even Sun Wukong was confused.

The female official said, "You claim to be disciples of Chen Xuanzang, but isn't that my king?"

Pigsy laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Chen Xuanzang is now a Buddha, how could he be your king?"

The female official said, "My king is indeed Chen Xuanzang, this is true."

Pigsy still didn't believe it.

Sun Wukong stepped forward and said, "But please tell me in detail why you say that Chen Xuanzang is your king. In the past, we followed Chen Xuanzang through the Western Liang Kingdom and never returned. In the past, the Queen of Western Liang intended to make Chen Xuanzang her husband, but Chen Xuanzang did not agree. How can you say that he is your king?"

The female official said, "I have heard of this matter before. I have heard from the ancients that my king, Chen Xuanzang, after going west to obtain the scriptures, did not want to leave the former king, so he returned to our country and married the king at that time. After the marriage, the former king became the queen, and Chen Xuanzang became the king. However, Chen Xuanzang obtained immortality during his journey to the west, so the kingdom has continued to this day and is still the queen of the Western Liang Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy laughed loudly and said, "I never imagined that Master would be so attached to the Western Liang Kingdom. After achieving Buddhahood, he actually turned back to his old ways, hiding from us, to marry the Queen of the Western Liang Kingdom and become a king. Brother, I told you back then that Master was a hypocrite. Do you really believe me now?"

Sun Wukong said, "That's impossible. I once spoke with the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, who said that he was wholeheartedly devoted to traveling to Jambudvipa to save all living beings. How could he possibly be the king of a country here?"

Pigsy said, "As the saying goes, 'You can know a person's face but not their heart.' I don't think Master was trying to save face, so he spoke to you like that, Brother Monkey. In reality, he doesn't want to save all living beings, but only wants to become the king of this country."

Nezha stepped forward, shook his head, and said, "The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit is not such a person; there must be some misunderstanding."

Sun Wukong asked, "Are you sure that it was Chen Xuanzang?"

The female official said, "He is the Queen of my Western Liang Women's Kingdom, how could I not recognize him?"

Sun Wukong bowed and said, "If she is indeed the Queen of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom, we were her disciples in the past, and we must go to pay her a visit. We hope that you, Lady, can take us there so that we may meet her."

The female official said, "Since you are disciples of our king, you are entitled to meet him. Please come with me, and I will take you there."

Say it.

The female official led the way, allowing Sun Wukong and the others to follow him.

Sun Wukong and the others followed closely behind.

Nezha said in a low voice, "This matter is very strange. The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit is not such a person who is attached to the mortal world. He was like this before he became a Buddha. Now that he has become a Buddha, it is even more impossible for him to be like this. Furthermore, I saw black aura here. The Women's Kingdom of Xiliang will definitely not be peaceful. Great Sage, you must be careful."

Sun Wukong said, "Don't worry, no matter what kind of evil spirit it is, it can't escape my fiery eyes. Besides, this is Xiniu Hezhou. If there is any problem, we can ask the immortal to come."

Nezha said, "Hearing the Great Sage say this, I feel at ease."

The three followed the female official.

Before long, they arrived at the royal palace.

The female official instructed Sun Wukong and the others to wait here, as they were to first go to the palace to inform the king.

Sun Wukong stopped the female official and said, "We are his disciples. We traveled west together in the past. Why do we need to announce our arrival? If we do, it would seem like we are strangers. You can come in with us."

The female official was about to refuse, but Sun Wukong grabbed her and they walked together into the hall. Inside, they saw a man enjoying seasonal fruits and being served by beautiful women.

Sun Wukong took a closer look and was startled to see the man's appearance. The man was indeed Tang Sanzang, and his appearance was exactly the same. Even when he used his magic eye, there was no difference.

This person is Tang Sanzang.

Sun Wukong looked towards Nezha.

Nezha was also very surprised, seemingly not understanding why Tang Sanzang was there.

Seeing the two men, Pigsy squeezed forward to take a look, but when he saw Tang Sanzang, he exclaimed in surprise, "Master, how come you are really here? Could it be that you have become a king instead of a Buddha?"

Tang Sanzang, who was above, suddenly heard Zhu Bajie speak, looked up and saw everyone. He was shocked and said, "The Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, Zhu Bajie?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong was certain that this was not Tang Sanzang. If it were Tang Sanzang, he would never have called him '弼马温' (Bima Wen). But hearing the address, he became three parts angry and shouted, "What kind of demon are you! How dare you impersonate the Sandalwood Merit Buddha!"

Tang Sanzang steadied himself, put his hands together in prayer, and said, "Wukong, how can you talk such nonsense!"

How could Sun Wukong believe that this Tang Sanzang was real? He drew his golden cudgel and struck the demon's face with it, intending to kill him.

Tang Sanzang was terrified and turned to run away. How could he dare to fight against Sun Wukong?

But Sun Wukong's staff missed its target and landed on the throne, instantly shattering it into pieces.

Seeing Sun Wukong acting so fiercely, the female official trembled with fear and repeatedly cried for protection. Immediately, many men armed with knives and weapons came forward.

Ignoring everything else, Sun Wukong swung his golden cudgel and struck at the fleeing Tang Sanzang.

Before he could strike down the enemy with his staff, the armored soldiers stepped forward to stop Sun Wukong, and some even risked their lives to protect Tang Sanzang.

Fearing that he might hurt others, Sun Wukong had no choice but to put away his staff.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang was filled with fear and immediately ordered his armored soldiers to step forward and drive away Sun Wukong.

Upon receiving the order, the female official shouted, "Guards! Seize all these assassins at once!"

The armored soldiers formed a battle formation, drew their swords, and prepared to capture Sun Wukong and his companions.

Sun Wukong felt helpless and had no choice but to leave with Nezha and the others. The three of them rode the wind and left the hall in a short while.

……

The three of them rode the fierce winds all the way to a mountain outside the Western Liang Women's Kingdom, where they finally stopped to rest.

Sun Wukong was furious and said, "That fellow must be a demon, definitely not a Buddha of merit."

Pigsy said, “Brother Monkey is right. If it were Master, how could he call Brother Monkey ‘弼马温’ (Bima Wen)? Master knows that Brother Monkey can’t stand such words. If he did, he would surely be furious and strike.”

Sun Wukong retorted angrily, "Fool, what are you saying?"

Pigsy kept a low voice, fearing that Monkey King would hit him.

Nezha said, “Great Sage, the Clean Altar Messenger, but what I saw was definitely not the Sandalwood Merit Buddha, but a demon. However, I don’t know why I couldn’t see through it or understand the truth. This makes me feel very guilty. But I have subdued countless demons and monsters, and there are very few that I couldn’t understand the truth.”

Sun Wukong said, "I don't know where this monster comes from. Even my fiery eyes can't figure out where it comes from."

Pigsy said, “Brother, why don’t you use your reputation to send that underworld ghost here? Ask him carefully and find out what’s going on. If he’s an underworld ghost, he’ll definitely know the secrets.”

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong looked at Zhu Bajie for a long time and, following his instructions, summoned the local earth gods and mountain spirits.

But the local land and mountain gods, having received Sun Wukong's order, hurriedly came to meet them. Upon seeing Sun Wukong and Nezha, they bowed deeply and said, "We pay our respects to the Great Sage and the Third Prince."

Sun Wukong made all the local earth gods and mountain gods rise, and he asked, "But I saw that there is a demon causing trouble in the Kingdom of Xiliang, and that is its king. His king has the appearance of the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit. We don't know why, but we can't figure out the reason. So I sent you here to ask you about it."

The local earth gods and mountain gods looked at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, they bowed and said, "Great Sage, we did not know that there were demons causing trouble in the Western Liang Women's Kingdom. In our opinion, the king is the Sandalwood Merit Buddha, not a demon."

Sun Wukong said, "As you see it, that is the Sandalwood Merit Buddha, and not a demon?"

The local earth gods and mountain gods all responded, saying that this was indeed the case.

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong stopped listening and waved his hand, telling the local earth god and mountain god to leave.

When the local earth gods and mountain gods saw them, they bowed to Sun Wukong and the others, and then left.

Sun Wukong said, "These local gods and mountain spirits do not know his origins, nor can they fathom his source. If that is the case, it will be very difficult for us to know where that fellow comes from."

Pigsy exclaimed, “Brother, when we traveled west in the past, we rarely encountered people that even the underworld ghosts did not know. This Western Liang Kingdom is very difficult to deal with. Why don’t we go and invite the master here?”

Sun Wukong shook his head and said, "There's no need to ask my senior brother to come. Since that fellow is so convincingly impersonating the Sandalwood Merit Buddha that even the local earth gods and mountain spirits can't see through him, then I'll go and invite the real Sandalwood Merit Buddha to make him reveal his true form!"

Upon hearing this, Pigsy asked, "Brother Monkey, are you going to invite Master here? Do you know where he is?"

Sun Wukong said, "We know he is in the Southern Continent. If we go there, we can find the local land gods and mountain gods. It will not be difficult to find him."

Nezha said, "In that case, let's hurry up and go. We can't delay, or things might change."

Sun Wukong responded. He was about to leave, but glanced back at the Western Liang Women's Kingdom, grabbed Zhu Bajie, and said, "Bajie, now go with the Third Prince to find the Sandalwood Merit Buddha, but you stay here and keep watch. If the demons of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom try to escape, use your magic to send them back. Don't let them get away. If they escape, my eldest brother will blame you, and I will hold you responsible."

Upon hearing this, Pigsy got down, picked up his nine-toothed rake, and said, "Brother, you can leave this place to me with peace of mind. I will definitely not let that demon escape."

Sun Wukong was relieved to see that Zhu Bajie had solemnly agreed, and he and Nezha rode on a cloud together to the Southern Continent.

Pigsy watched the two leave, found a rock, plopped down, and stared intently at the Western Liang Women's Kingdom.

But after staring at it for only half a day, Pigsy felt tired and sleepy, and kept dozing off.

Pigsy had a thought in his mind, but the demons of the Western Liang Women's Kingdom were so frightened by Monkey King that they wouldn't go out. He was overthinking it and didn't need to keep such a close watch. He could rest for a while.

As Zhu Bajie pondered this, his vigilance grew increasingly lax. Suddenly, he remembered what Sun Wukong had said before he left: if he escaped, his master would blame him, and he could not bear that responsibility.

The master has been kind to him and hopes he will cultivate himself; he must not let him down.

Thinking of the real person, his eyes became much clearer. He stood up and no longer sat down. Instead, he swung his nine-toothed rake and stared intently at the Western Liang Women's Kingdom, in case anything happened in that city.

(End of this chapter)