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

Night falls.

Inside the main hall of the Gao family compound, several copper oil lamps emitted a dim, yellowish light.

Grandpa Gao sat in his armchair, his hands gripping his cane tightly.

He glanced at the pitch-black sky outside the window, and finally could not suppress his anxiety any longer. He turned to Tang Sanzang, who was resting with his eyes closed.

"Holy monk, it's completely dark outside."

"Elder Sun set off to subdue the demon at noon, and we haven't seen a single person since."

"Could something have gone wrong?"

Grandpa Gao was filled with unease, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.

Elder Sun, with his hairy face and thunderous mouth, may look fierce, but that monster is no pushover either.

If Elder Sun makes a mistake and is killed by that pig demon...

Old Master Gao shivered.

But then he thought about it again and felt that something was not right.

In the past six months, I have spent a lot of money to hire countless monks and Taoist priests, but every one of them was beaten black and blue by that monster and thrown out the door.

Although the monster was ferocious, it never actually took a human life.

Even if Elder Sun was no match for him, he shouldn't have lost his life.

Tang Sanzang slowly opened his eyes, his expression calm and composed.

"Old benefactor, please don't let your mind wander. Just relax."

Grandpa Gao sighed and said with a bitter face.

"How can I be at ease? I have witnessed firsthand how ferocious that monster is."

Tang Sanzang shook his head slightly and spoke gently.

"My disciple possesses astonishing magical power, far surpassing ordinary martial arts practitioners. Subduing that monster is only a matter of time."

"If you don't believe me, old benefactor, think carefully: has that monster ever come around this time in the past?"

Grandpa Gao was taken aback.

"In the past... in the past, as soon as the sun went down, that fellow would definitely go into the backyard to see Cuilan."

"That's it." Tang Sanzang nodded.

"Tonight at this hour, the courtyard is calm and still, and the monster has yet to appear—isn't that the best proof of that?"

"Wukong must be in that monster's lair right now, fighting him and dragging him into the mountains."

"Old benefactor, there is no need to be anxious. Just wait patiently for news."

After hearing these words, Gao Taigong lowered his head and pondered for a moment, and the worry on his face gradually faded away.

Yes, usually the monster arrives as soon as it gets dark; even the door bolt can't stop him.

At this hour, there's still no movement in the backyard, clearly because Elder Sun is keeping them firmly occupied.

Thinking of this, Gao Taigong's tense nerves relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

"What the holy monk says is true. It was just that I was too concerned and overthinking things."

A smile returned to his face as he stood up.

"The holy monk must be exhausted after a long day of travel."

"The old man has already ordered his servants to prepare the main room; why don't you go and rest first, Holy Monk?"

"If there is any news from Elder Sun, or if he returns, I will send someone to invite you immediately."

Tang Sanzang nodded and stood up as well.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, esteemed benefactor."

……

The next morning.

Morning light pierced through the clouds and shone on the rocky forest outside the Yunzhan Cave in Fuling Mountain.

Inside the cave's stone chamber, several empty wine jars lay scattered haphazardly on the stone table.

Tianpeng rolled over, his belly making a loud gurgling sound, and rubbing his sleepy eyes, he climbed out of the stone bed.

He shook his enormous pig head, exhaling a strong smell of alcohol from his mouth.

Sun Wukong leaned back on another stone bench, stretched out a long yawn, and his joints made a slight cracking sound.

The two drank until late last night.

When old friends reunite after hundreds of years, the goal is simply to have a good time.

No one used their internal magical power to counteract the effects of the alcohol. They let the aftereffects of the celestial brew churn in their souls and slept soundly until they finally woke up completely.

Tianpeng wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and laughed loudly.

"happy!"

"Brother, ever since I, Old Pig, was banished to the mortal realm, I haven't felt this carefree in hundreds of years!"

Sun Wukong dusted himself off, stood up, and laughed.

"As long as you're at peace with yourself, that's all that matters."

"Once the journey to the West is over, we brothers will all be free and will have plenty of opportunities to sit together and drink the immortal wine."

"Of course, I, Old Pig, will definitely drag you out for three days and three nights of drinking."

Sun Wukong walked to the cave entrance and looked up at the rising sun on the horizon.

"Alright, I slept until dawn, it's time for me, Old Sun, to head back."

"If I don't show myself soon, those mortals and monks will probably think that I, Old Sun, have been swallowed alive by you, you pig."

Tianpeng jumped out of bed and grabbed the nine-toothed rake leaning against the corner of the wall.

"Come on, let's go back together, bro."

"I've had enough of this Cloud Stack Cave. I'll just go with you to meet those monks on their pilgrimage."

Without delay, the two leaped out of the cave and rode on auspicious clouds, flying side by side toward Gao Village.

Above the clouds, a fierce wind swept across our faces.

Sun Wukong glanced sideways at Tianpeng, who had a big belly, and chuckled, making a joke.

"Brother, this trip with that monk to the Western Paradise will take at least 108,000 li and more than a decade of hardship."

"You're just going to leave like that? Do you really care about that delicate young lady from Gao Village?"

Upon hearing this, Tianpeng didn't even lift his eyelids, and let out a loud snort from his nostrils.

"Brother, who are you trying to embarrass with that?"

"When I, Old Pig, commanded 80,000 naval troops in Heaven, what kind of beautiful celestial maidens and fairies hadn't I seen?"

"Mortal beauties are nothing but skeletons after a hundred years. What is there to be reluctant about?"

Tianpeng sighed, his tone turning serious.

"If it weren't for this Journey to the West, which forces me to endure this ordeal, why would I bother with that mortal woman?"

"I cleared wasteland and planted crops for them, and I carried water and did chores for them. I worked myself to the bone for three years, and in the end, I was called a monster."

"Brother, all I can think about right now is to finish this journey to the West as soon as possible, accumulate merit to ascend back to the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, and shed this ugly pig skin as soon as possible."

"As for that damn love, let whoever wants it have it, I, Old Pig, don't care."

Sun Wukong put away his teasing expression and nodded solemnly.

"It's wonderful that you think that way, brother."

"We cultivators defy the heavens and seize creation, seeking the path to immortality, and seeking to transcend cause and effect and transcend the world."

"If one's own heart is tainted by the fleeting emotions of a few years in the mortal world, then that would be utterly foolish."

Tianpeng laughed heartily.

"Of course, I've lived for so many years, how could I not understand something like this?"

As they spoke, the clouds beneath their feet descended and came to a steady stop on the bluestone ground in front of Gao Laozhuang.

The gate of the manor was wide open, and servants from the Gao family were sweeping the ground in front of the gate.

The servant looked up and saw Sun Wukong descending from the sky. He was overjoyed and was about to go up to greet him.

But when his gaze fell on the figure following closely behind Sun Wukong, his face turned deathly pale, and the broom clattered to the ground.

It had a black face, short hair, a long snout, and big ears, and carried a gleaming nine-toothed rake in its hand.

It was the pig demon that had tormented the Gao family for half a year.

The servant screamed and scrambled back to the courtyard, frantically banging on the gong as he ran.

"The monster is here! That pig demon has come knocking on our door!"

"Close the door! The pig demon has broken in!"