Journey to the West: The gods and Buddhas panicked when the monkey was trapped inside him.

Hearing this, Tang Sanzang stopped pressuring him.

After eating wild fruits and drinking the water in his bowl, Tang Sanzang leaned against a tree trunk and closed his eyes to rest for a while.

Half an hour later, the master and his apprentice resumed their journey.

We traveled along the way, stopping frequently and sleeping outdoors, but it was all quite peaceful.

......

A few days later, the terrain ahead gradually opened up.

In the distance, you can see vast farmlands and several bustling villages.

Just then, a man dressed in coarse cloth and shorts came running hurriedly from the official road ahead.

The man was sweating profusely as he ran, glancing around as he went.

They happened to run into Sun Wukong, who was leading his horse.

The man looked up and saw Sun Wukong's thunderous mouth and crooked face.

He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he sat down on the ground with a thud.

"A monster! There's a monster!"

Sun Wukong rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay him any attention.

Tang Sanzang rode up on his horse, quickly dismounted, and went over to help the young man up.

"Don't be afraid, benefactor."

"He is not a monster, but my disciple. We are monks from the Tang Dynasty in the East, on our way to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures."

Seeing that Tang Sanzang had a handsome face and a gentle demeanor, the young man calmed himself down a bit.

He was panting heavily, glancing at Sun Wukong with lingering fear.

"Oh, it's a high-ranking monk from the Tang Dynasty! I was terrified."

Tang Sanzang put his palms together and asked a question.

"You seem to be in a hurry; have you encountered any difficulties?"

The young man sighed and complained repeatedly.

"Venerable monk, you may not know this, but I am a servant of the Gao family in Gao Village below, named Gao Cai."

"A powerful monster has appeared in our village."

"That monster has taken over our great-grandfather's youngest daughter, locked her in the backyard, and won't let anyone see her."

"Grandpa was so anxious that he went everywhere to ask sorcerers to exorcise the demon."

"But the monks and Taoists we invited were all useless fools. They were either driven away by the monsters or too scared to enter the door."

Gao Cai wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"My grandfather scolded me, gave me some travel money, and ordered me to go to the famous mountain in the distance to find some really capable sorcerers to subdue the demons."

"I was just about to go on a long trip when I bumped into you."

When Sun Wukong heard the words "Gao Village," his eyes lit up immediately.

We've finally arrived at Gao Lao Zhuang. Brother Tianpeng must be here.

Sun Wukong stroked his chin and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Back then, I, Old Sun, reminded him both openly and secretly in Heaven that he must keep his eyes wide open when reincarnating, lest he be reincarnated into the wrong body."

"These days, people in this village are still hiring sorcerers to exorcise demons..."

"It seems that Brother Tianpeng ultimately could not avoid this fate, or perhaps something went wrong along the way, or he was reborn into the wrong pig's womb."

Sun Wukong stepped forward, patted Gao Cai on the shoulder, and grinned.

"Young man, you're lucky. You don't have to go far today."

"For things like exorcising demons and monsters, you can't go wrong with Old Sun."

"Come on, take me, Old Sun, to your great-grandfather's mansion!"

Gao Cai was startled by Sun Wukong's sudden slap and hadn't recovered from the shock when he heard the hairy-faced monk boast that he would subdue the demon for his family.

He stared blankly at Sun Wukong, then at the gentle-looking Tang Sanzang beside him, unsure of how to react.

Seeing that he was still hesitating, Tang Sanzang spoke up.

"Benefactor, although my disciple has a rather unusual appearance, he possesses great supernatural powers and is adept at subduing demons and monsters."

"If you trust us, master and disciple, then take us to your residence. Perhaps we can truly help your grandfather."

Gao Cai listened to Tang Seng's earnest words and saw that he had an extraordinary demeanor and did not seem like a charlatan, so he believed him to some extent.

Besides, my great-grandfather had already consulted all the local Taoist priests, but none of them were effective.

Now that we've finally encountered a high-ranking monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East, we might as well give it a try, even if we're desperate.

"Then... then I'll have to trouble the Holy Monk and this elder."

Gao Cai bowed to Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, and then led the way.

"Holy Monk, Elder, this way please. Our Gao Village is not far ahead."

The master and his apprentice followed Gao Cai for about half an hour, and then a large cluster of houses appeared before them.

In the very center of the village, a magnificent mansion stands, with vermilion gates, high walls and a large courtyard, and two stone lions crouching at the entrance, clearly belonging to a wealthy family.

Gao Cai pointed to the mansion.

"Holy Monk, Elder, that is the residence of our Grandfather Gao."

Gao Cai pushed open the gate and shouted into the courtyard.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! I've found the Dharma Master! He's a holy monk from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an old man wearing a brocade robe and leaning on a cane strode out of the main hall.

The old man had a full head of white hair and a face full of wrinkles; he was none other than Gao Taigong, the head of Gao Village.

Grandpa Gao, beaming, strode forward to greet him.

"A venerable monk from the Great Tang Dynasty? Invite him here immediately!"

Grandpa Gao's gaze passed over Gao Cai and landed on Tang Seng, who was walking ahead. Seeing that Tang Seng had a handsome face and an otherworldly temperament, he nodded repeatedly.

But when his gaze fell on Sun Wukong beside Tang Sanzang, the smile on his face instantly froze.

Grandpa Gao was so frightened that his legs went weak, his cane fell to the ground with a thud, and he stumbled backward, falling directly onto the bluestone slab in the courtyard.

"Monster! A monster has entered!" Grandpa Gao pointed at Sun Wukong, his voice trembling.

Upon seeing this, the servants in the courtyard quickly grabbed brooms and sticks, but hesitated to step forward.

Tang Sanzang quickly stepped forward and reached out to support the swaying old man.

"Old benefactor, please do not be alarmed."

"This humble monk is a monk from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East who traveled to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures."

"This is my disciple. Although he looks fierce, he possesses supernatural powers to subdue demons and monsters. He is by no means a wicked person who would harm others."

Grandpa Gao patted his chest, looking at Sun Wukong with lingering fear.

"So you are a holy monk from the Tang Dynasty. Forgive my poor eyesight and rudeness."

Old Master Gao bowed repeatedly and invited Tang Sanzang and his disciples into the front hall to sit down.

The group arrived at the main hall and took their seats, where servants served tea.

Tang Sanzang picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put the teacup down.

"Old benefactor, this humble monk heard from Gao Cai that there is a demon haunting your household and has taken your daughter as his own."

"I wonder what the monster's origins are, and what evil deeds it has committed? Could you please tell me in detail, sir?"

Grandpa Gao sighed, his tone full of regret.

"Elder, you may not know this, but it's my fault. This monster was originally my son-in-law whom I brought in."

"When that man first arrived, he was quite a diligent and honest person."

"Plowing and harrowing the fields requires no oxen or horses; carrying water and chopping wood requires immense strength."

"Most of the fertile fields and property I have acquired on this estate were earned by him through his own hard work over the past three years."

"I saw that he was hardworking and reliable, so I betrothed my daughter Cuilan to him."

When Gao Taigong got to this point, he seemed filled with regret.

"It was supposed to be a wonderful occasion, but who knew... on the wedding day, that scoundrel got drunk and revealed his true colors!"

"It had a black face, a short-haired pig's snout, a pair of large, fan-shaped ears, and a tuft of stiff bristles on the back of its head—it was a veritable pig demon!"

"If word gets out that this is how the Gao family is behaving, won't it ruin their reputation?"

"When I wanted to break off the engagement, he became extremely unreasonable and locked my daughter in the backyard and back building, forbidding us from seeing her for six months."

"I've consulted countless monks and Taoist priests, but none of them can do anything about him!"

"Since the holy monk comes from the Tang Dynasty, he must have real skills."

"I beg the holy monk to have mercy and save my daughter's life, and drive away that monster. This old man is willing to offer a thousand taels of silver as a reward!"

Tang Sanzang listened quietly but did not immediately agree.

He pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Grandpa, according to you, this monster has been in your house for three years, earning you a fortune, but has never harmed a single person."