29. Hearing the Tale of A Chinese Odyssey Again

"Hey, hey, hey, don't go!" Pigsy called out repeatedly, but the beautiful woman had already turned into the inner chamber and vanished from sight. He grew anxious, and his words became careless as he complained, "Master, you really don't know how to handle things. If you had spoken a little more smoothly just now, we could have coaxed her a bit and at least filled our bellies and had a good night's sleep! After enduring tonight, come morning, whether we stay or go would be entirely up to us, wouldn't it?"

"Fool! Do you really think that old Bodhisattva is so easily fooled? That your little tricks would work on her?" Monkey King snapped at Pigsy, emphasizing the word "Bodhisattva," hoping this pig would come to his senses before it was too late.

"Hmph! Monkey Brother, that's easy for you to say!" Pigsy turned away, sulking. "You were crushed under Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years; I'm sure you've long forgotten the pleasures of men and women! But I, Old Pig, have only been away from home for a few days—how could I forget the joys of love?"

Sandy looked over and asked, "Second Brother, you have a wife, then?"

Monkey King shot Pigsy a disgusted glare and said, disappointed, "This fool was originally the son-in-law of Elder Gao in Gao Village, Wusitang, but because he had a promise with Sister Guanyin, he abandoned his first wife, Cuilan, and followed us on the pilgrimage to the West! Now it seems, after so long apart from his wife, and just happening to run into an old Bodhisattva seeking a son-in-law, his heart is stirred again, and he's dreaming of becoming the groom!"

With every mention of "Guanyin" or "Bodhisattva," Monkey King raised his voice, warning Pigsy and anyone else with a wavering heart not to fall into the trap set by Lady Lishan.

"Monkey Brother, stop mocking me!" Pigsy retorted with a hint of anger. "You used to be worse than me in these matters, and I never bothered to bring it up!"

"Fool! Are you really that stupid, or are you just pretending? Can't you understand my warning? I'm telling you that old Bodd—"

"Esteemed Elder! My mother wishes to speak with you alone!" At that moment, the eldest daughter of the household, Zhenzhen, suddenly lifted the curtain and entered, calling Monkey King by name.

"Er, that's not necessary, is it? I haven't done anything..." Monkey King, seeing Guanyin herself appear, felt a wave of unease, fearing he might be tricked into a beating.

"Come here. I have something to say to you as well," Zhenzhen said coldly, her expression changing.

"Uh, alright..." Monkey King, dejected, followed Zhenzhen out of the house, through the dim corridors, and into the rear garden.

"Pah, that damn monkey. Kept saying he didn't want to, yet he’s the first to be chosen!" Pigsy grumbled bitterly.

Tang Sanzang frowned and said, "Pigsy, if you wish to stay, then stay. I won't stop you. But do not slander Wukong behind his back; remember, he is your eldest brother!"

"Master, master, I didn't mean it like that! I trust Monkey Brother, truly I do. I was just joking earlier!"

Pigsy suddenly realized how highly Monkey King was regarded in Tang Sanzang's eyes, and dared not stir up trouble any longer. He quickly found an excuse about "feeding the horse," and led the animal to the back gate.

Unexpectedly, the beautiful woman was there with her second and third daughters, Aiai and Lianlian, admiring the chrysanthemums outside the back gate. At the sight of Pigsy, the two girls hurriedly slipped away.

Seeing this, Pigsy's lust flared up, and he immediately abandoned the dragon horse, hurried over, bowed, and greeted, "Mother, I was letting the horse out, and happened to run into you here."

The beautiful woman smiled inwardly but kept a pleasant expression. "Your master is truly insensitive, insisting on traveling all the way to some distant Western Heaven, not even afraid of freezing on the road!"

Pigsy forced a laugh. "Mother, my master and the others are on the Emperor's orders to seek scriptures in the West, so they absolutely cannot stay or marry in. But I, being a latecomer, am not bound by so many rules! My only worry is that you would dislike my long snout and big ears!"

Still smiling sweetly, the woman replied, "Why would I mind? There isn't a single man in the house right now; it would be perfect to bring one in! But let me be clear: my youngest daughter, Lianlian, will never marry an ugly man. You must know your place!"

Hearing this, Pigsy thought he might really have a chance to marry in, and grinned broadly. "Mother, you don't know! That Tang Monk may look dashing, but he's just for show! I may be ugly, but I'm gentle—and strong and sturdy, too. If there's four acres of good land, I could farm it all without faltering!"

The woman sneered inwardly but said aloud, "If you're so capable, then go discuss it with your master. If it's possible, I'll let you marry in!"

Pigsy hurriedly replied, "No discussion needed! That Tang Monk isn't my real father; come what may, the decision is mine alone, Mother!"

The beautiful woman, having tested Pigsy's intentions, lost interest in further entanglement. She found an excuse to "speak with her daughters" and returned to the inner hall.

Pigsy, feeling satisfied, cared little for the horse now. He simply led the dragon horse back to the front yard, tied it up, and went to join Tang Sanzang and the others in the hall—though still, there was no sign of Monkey King, and Pigsy couldn't help grumbling to himself.

Meanwhile, Monkey King had followed Zhenzhen into the rear garden, where chrysanthemums of red, yellow, and purple bloomed abundantly, filling the air with fragrance under the silvery moonlight—a scene of rare beauty.

"You little monkey, are you looking for a beating?" Zhenzhen stopped with her back to Monkey King, right hand playing with her hair, left hand picking a red flower to tuck behind her ear.

"Sister Guanyin, what makes you say that? I don't remember offending you," Monkey King replied, feigning innocence.

"Still trying to argue?" Zhenzhen turned, her luminous eyes fixed on him. "You know perfectly well that this is a test devised by me, Lady Lishan, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra to probe Tang Sanzang's true heart. Yet you keep meddling again and again—what is your intention?"

"I'm wronged, Sister Guanyin!" Monkey King hastily explained. "As the eldest brother on the pilgrimage, I can't just stand by and watch my master and brothers go astray, can I? Besides, I haven't revealed any secrets—I've only dropped a few subtle hints!"

"Subtle hints?" Zhenzhen's face darkened. "You kept saying 'Bodhisattva' this and 'Bodhisattva' that—short of pasting our names on our foreheads!"

"Heh heh, Sister Guanyin, I was only thinking of the pilgrimage team!" Monkey King scratched his head with an awkward grin.

"Enough, I won't argue with you. I have to go test the others." Zhenzhen turned to leave, but then paused and looked back at Monkey King, her gaze sharp. "And another thing—stop coming to my Mount Putuo!"

"Eh? Why is that?"

"I've spent great effort nurturing my cherished dragon girl—how could I let you steal her away so easily?"

"Sister Guanyin, that's a baseless accusation! I, Sun Wukong, swear by the moon, I would never do such a shameful thing!" Monkey King raised his right hand in earnest oath.

"Oh? Then tell me, why is there only one wick left in the Sun and Moon Divine Lamp before the Buddha's throne?"

"Only one wick left? Wh-what's that got to do with me?" For some reason, a dreadful suspicion crept into Monkey King's heart: This Journey to the West world was a continuation after "A Chinese Odyssey"—the pilgrimage had restarted! So all the gods and Buddhas in heaven knew of his philandering and notorious reputation, and guarded against him at every turn...

The main reason, of course, was that the Monkey King of five hundred years ago had been too wild and too seductive! Imagine—even dared to have an affair with Lady Iron Fan, his elder brother's wife; no wonder his sworn brothers kept their distance...

But if that's the case, then this Journey to the West world once had Zixia the fairy... only, she must truly be gone by now, Monkey King mused silently.

"You used to be troublesome, but at least you were honest about it. Now, you've become a complete coward—that's something I never expected." Zhenzhen glanced at the monkey with cold amusement, believing he'd not only failed to change his nature but had learned to deny everything after indulging himself. With a cold snort, she left him there.

"I... damn it! Brother Sun, just what have you done?!" A surge of rage filled Monkey King's heart, but he had nowhere to vent it. He could only raise his head to the moon and let out a silent howl—