Journey to the West: Please Call Me the White Bone Demon

last night.

Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing were tied up and locked in the pigsty in the backyard of Old Man Li's house.

The pigsty was rudimentary, with straw on the ground and the air filled with the stench of pig manure.

Several fat pigs rooted around, occasionally grunting, and when they reached their feet, they lazily walked away.

"Go away, don't bother your pig ancestor!" Pigsy teased the fat pig.

Tang Sanzang sat cross-legged on a pile of dry grass, his eyes slightly closed, and he softly recited the Heart Sutra.

His monk's robe was marked with red welts from the ropes, yet he remained motionless, letting the ropes dig into his flesh.

Before today, he always prided himself on being compassionate and saving the world, believing that this was his duty. He went to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures, seeking sincerity and saving all living beings.

Yet it is all so ironic.

He allowed his followers to commit atrocities, condoned the killings, and even in broad daylight, he repeatedly justified himself in his heart: How can we travel west if we don't eliminate the monsters?

Now, this excuse, like a thin sheet of paper, has been completely torn apart by Ah Niu's cries and that cold corpse.

"My sins... my sins..."

He muttered to himself, his voice so low that only he could hear it.

Pigsy huddled in the corner, his snout pouting high, his eyes darting around.

The ropes binding him were loosely tied—with his supernatural powers, they could break with the slightest struggle, but since his master did not resist, he dared not move rashly.

As dawn broke, the villagers came to arrest them.

Old Man Li, along with other strong men from the village, armed with ropes and sticks, dragged the three men out of the pigsty.

Ah Niu walked at the front, his eyes bloodshot, clearly having not slept all night.

He was carrying the short knife from last night; the blade was gleaming, as if it had just been sharpened.

"Walk!"

Old Man Li coughed twice: "Let's go to White Tiger City! Let the officials there give us a fair judgment!"

The villagers surrounded them, and they walked out of the village in a large procession.

Along the way, the rising sun cast its golden rays.

The mountain road winds its way through lush forests on both sides, with birdsong filling the air.

What should have been a poetic morning scene was, in Tang Sanzang's eyes, nothing but a desolate grayness.

He walked forward step by step with his head down, letting the villagers behind him push and shove him without resisting.

Pigsy, who was over three zhang tall, was now being supported by the crowd with pitchforks on his buttocks, making him stagger and unsteady as he walked.

He couldn't help but turn his head and whisper to Tang Sanzang:

"Master...we can't really go and get sued, can we? We still have to go to the Western Paradise to retrieve the scriptures! These mortals are too audacious! No, let's just scare them a little, reveal our true forms, and scare them all away. Let's hurry up and go!"

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing nodded slightly, looking at Tang Sanzang and waiting for his reply.

Tang Sanzang did not stop walking, but slowly raised his head and glanced at Zhu Bajie.

His eyes were as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Bajie, what they did, wasn't it wrong?"

Pigsy was taken aback. He opened his mouth as if to try to persuade Tang Sanzang again, but Tang Sanzang's next words shut him up.

"I...was wrong from the very beginning."

Tang Sanzang's voice lacked its usual vibrancy and sounded somewhat tired.

"Tolerating Wukong's violence and condoning his killing of innocent people... I have long lost the true heart of a monk."

He paused, his gaze falling on the winding mountain road ahead, as if looking at an endless road of suffering.

"If you still think about running away now, what about all the scriptures I've recited over the years? What about all the compassion I've talked about? What about the grand vows I made when I set out from Chang'an?"

"When we go to Mount Ling, will we truly obtain the sacred scriptures? Will we truly be able to live up to our conscience?"

After a brief silence, he continued.

"Whatever we face... it's the consequence of my lax teaching."

"I will go without regrets!"

Pigsy was stunned.

He had never seen his master like this before—the old monk, who was usually indecisive and reckless, seemed like a completely different person at this moment.

Resolute and decisive!

In a daze, he seemed to see the shadow of a monkey in his master.

Sha Wujing also lowered his head and remained silent.

Pigsy opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't utter a word.

In his heart, he actually felt a bit disdainful.

Hmph, you're so high and mighty, but when the monkey killed people, you didn't stop him! You repeatedly recited the Tightening-Headband Mantra to punish him, yet you repeatedly allowed him to continue protecting his master... Now that the monkey is gone, you're acting like a saint?

What do you call this? Hindsight is 20/20?

But he never dared to say these words.

After all, the other party was his master.

The person personally selected by the Buddha to undertake the pilgrimage.

Since his master insisted on this, he had no choice but to follow along, no matter how unwilling or helpless he was.

However, I couldn't help but feel a little envious.

I envy Sun Wukong.

That monkey... left at just the right time.

They just left, so carefree! Unlike us, they didn't have to be pushed and shoved by these ordinary villagers, suffering humiliation and abuse!

If I had known, I would have made a scene back then and gotten kicked out...

Pigsy muttered to himself, but on his face he forced a helpless expression.

Sha Wujing remained silent, only bowing his head repeatedly.

The villagers escorted them all the way to White Tiger City.

The mountain road gradually widened, and the outline of a city could be faintly seen ahead.

With its renowned reputation, the population of White Tiger City has long since exceeded 400,000 over the years.

There were already quite a few pedestrians on the official road at this moment.

Some of them have the appearance of pure humans, while many others are humans with monster-like features.

Fox ears, monkey tail, cat paws, dog head...

What might seem eerie to outsiders appears perfectly harmonious on White Tiger Ridge.

The pedestrians ignored it, as if they were already used to it.

He even took the initiative to greet the monsters, his attitude was friendly and his tone was enthusiastic, just like old friends catching up.

Tang Sanzang saw it all.

I remembered what the villagers had said.

"In our White Tiger City, humans and demons have always coexisted. What's wrong with that?"

At the time, he didn't realize what those words actually meant.

Now he understands.

Tang Sanzang never imagined that the ferocious monsters he remembered would display such a scene.

At this moment, they are no longer demons, but simply people with demonic characteristics!

He was wrong from the very beginning!

The term "common people" doesn't only refer to humans.

All living beings, plants, birds, and beasts.

Why are humans considered superior?

Since such a paradise exists in the world, where humans and demons can coexist, then the primary culprit for the woman Wukong killed at the beginning, whether she was a demon or a human, was his lax teaching.

Humans have good and evil, and so do demons. Should they all be condemned outright?

As for evil demons like the Yellow Wind Monster, there's naturally nothing to say about them.

But those benevolent demons he just saw also deserve to die.

Tang Sanzang's worldview changed, and at this moment, a crack appeared in his Buddhist heart, almost imperceptibly.

"Hey, isn't this Old Li from the east of the city? What brings you here?"

A familiar demon saw Old Man Li and his group, as well as the bound Tang Monk and his disciples, and asked them questions.

After Old Man Li briefly recounted what had happened, these demons and humans were immediately filled with righteous indignation.

"Such a thing exists? What wicked monks! Let's go together and ask the Master to uphold justice!"