Forty, I am not your senior brother.

“Elders, did you come from the east? Have you seen my wife and daughter?” The old man, who was in fact Bai Jingjing in disguise, stood at the foot of the slope and looked up to ask.

“This old demon! Her acting grows more impressive by the day. If I don’t get rid of her today, she’ll certainly win a lifetime achievement award at the Monster World Oscars someday!” Sun Wukong sighed, and the thought of finally being free from the pilgrimage team made him reckless. He drew out his golden staff and held it in his hand.

Then he began to mutter incantations under his breath, clearly intending to summon the local mountain god and earth deity for help. But just as he was about to act, Tang Sanzang suddenly shouted, “Stop!”

“What’s wrong, Master?” Sun Wukong turned back, puzzled.

“Wukong, what did I just say?” Tang Sanzang’s demeanor was unusually calm. He pressed his palms together and looked at Sun Wukong.

“What?”

“I just said, ‘I’ll spare you one last time. Don’t commit violence again.’ We’ve barely crossed a single slope, and you’re at it again?” Disappointment weighed heavily in Tang Sanzang’s voice; he was already disillusioned with Sun Wukong.

“Master, I’ve told you, this demon knows the art of corpse-shedding. The corpses you saw are all good people she killed before!” Sun Wukong was determined; this was the day he would slay the White Bone Demon, and no one could stop him.

“Very well. If you lay a hand on that old man today, I will sever our bond as master and disciple! Go back to where you came from!” Tang Sanzang had made up his mind to use this incident to discipline the pilgrimage team.

“Elder, have you seen my wife and daughter?” The old man, seeing the group unresponsive, called out again, his voice raised.

“Enough of your wailing!” Sun Wukong shouted at the old man. “You sly little white-boned demon, you’ve tricked your Grandpa Sun time and again. Today, if I don’t smash your soul to pieces, you’ll think I’m easy to bully!”

“Ah?! Elder, I only asked about my poor wife and daughter—why are you so furious? Have you perhaps harmed my innocent family—?” The old man dropped his dragon-headed cane and clutched his head, sobbing bitterly. His cries echoed pitifully across the White Tiger Ridge, stirring sorrow in all who heard, making flowers wilt and birds wail.

“Old man, please—!” Tang Sanzang, moved by the scene, hurriedly dismounted and rushed over, lamenting, “It’s my fault for failing to discipline my disciple—”

“Demon, meet your end!” Seeing Tang Sanzang was about to reach the old man, Sun Wukong no longer hesitated. He summoned the mountain god and earth deity to pin the old man down, then reversed his staff and struck the old man’s forehead. Blood and brain matter burst forth…

Bai Jingjing used her old trick, escaping from the corpse with the art of corpse-shedding, her soul fleeing swiftly into the air.

But before she could get ten yards away, a streak of green light struck her heavily in the back—

“Ah!” Bai Jingjing’s soul was badly wounded by the invincible brick, and she fell from the sky. Sun Wukong stomped on her chest and sneered, “Heh, I didn’t even use much force and you’re down already!”

“Good, cough, good…” Bai Jingjing showed not the slightest panic; instead, she smiled and repeated the word “good,” for she had seen the fury and disgust burning in Tang Sanzang’s eyes.

She was still in soul form, and Sun Wukong’s invincible brick was especially lethal to spirits, so that blow had already severed most of her life force.

“What’s good about it? I warned you not to provoke me, but you wouldn’t listen! Now look—centuries of cultivation lost in an instant, and not even a chance at reincarnation!” Sun Wukong, after all, was not a wanton killer, and he shook his head and sighed.

“If this can free you from suffering, even if my soul is scattered, I have no regrets, Master… no regrets for you, Supreme… Treasure!” Bai Jingjing, blood trickling from her lips, spoke each word with difficulty.

“No, it can’t be… You… you’re Jingjing, Bai Jingjing?!” At the name “Supreme Treasure,” Sun Wukong’s mind reeled. He hurriedly cradled Bai Jingjing and asked anxiously.

“Ha… five hundred years… Supreme Treasure, you still… cough, cough… remember me… how wonderful…” Bai Jingjing smiled, stretched out her right hand, and pressed a verdant jade pendant shaped like a dragon fish into Sun Wukong’s palm. Her head slumped to one side, and her life was gone.

“Heavens! What have I done?!” Sun Wukong stared at the jade pendant in his hand, his inner voice screaming:

I killed Bai Jingjing! I actually killed Bai Jingjing! Damn it—damn you, Heaven, have you been toying with me all along?!

A chill wind blew, and Bai Jingjing’s body dissolved into a pile of human-shaped bones in Sun Wukong’s arms, her spine engraved with the words “Lady White Bone.”

“Good pilgrim, you’ve barely traveled half a day and already killed three people!” Zhu Bajie found it all very amusing, snickering as he finished.

“Wukong, go!” Tang Sanzang didn’t even look at Sun Wukong, turning away in cold disdain.

“Very well!” Sun Wukong, unusually, did not protest, still kneeling on the ground, clutching a pile of bones, dazed and lost, as if his soul had fled.

“Wujing, bring paper and brush. Yude, grind the ink.” Tang Sanzang found a smooth stone, sat cross-legged, and began to recite scripture in a low voice.

“Master, what are you doing?!” Zhu Bajie’s smile froze as he clung to Tang Sanzang’s arm.

“I’m writing a letter of dismissal—hereafter, I have no more to do with that monkey. The sun and moon bear witness!” Tang Sanzang replied coldly.

“Master, master, everything Brother Monkey said was true! I was just mouthing off for fun. Those three just now were all monsters, all monsters! If you don’t believe me, look at what’s in Brother Monkey’s arms!” Zhu Bajie pleaded, refusing to let go.

“Stand aside, or I’ll dismiss you too!” Tang Sanzang, clearly resolved, coldly rebuffed him and picked up the brush to write the letter.

Then he walked behind Sun Wukong, tossed the letter in front of him, and declared, “Monkey, take this as proof. You are no longer my disciple. If we meet again, I’ll fall into Avici Hell!”

“Fine, as you wish!” Sun Wukong folded the letter and tucked it away. Rising, he looked at Tang Sanzang’s back and said, “Master, after all, we were once master and disciple. Please, sit and receive my final bow!”

“Great Sage, spare me—I am but a humble monk, unworthy of your respect!” Tang Sanzang replied, sweeping his sleeves and leaving without waiting for Zhu Bajie and the others, heading west on his own.

Sun Wukong shook his head with a bitter smile. He plucked three hairs from behind his head, snapped his fingers, and called, “Change!”

Three more Wukongs appeared, and together with the original, knelt in four directions before Tang Sanzang, repaying the debt for his past help.

“I’m off!” Sun Wukong leapt to his feet, gathered up the hairs, performed the “Universe in the Sleeve” spell, stowed away Bai Jingjing’s bones, and with a somersault, returned to the Water Curtain Cave on Flower-Fruit Mountain.

“Hey, Monkey, Monkey—” Zhu Bajie called after him, but got no reply. In frustration, he flung his rake to the ground and slapped his own long snout, cursing, “It’s all my damn mouth’s fault!”

“Second Brother, Second Brother!” Sha Wujing quickly grabbed Zhu Bajie’s arm and tried to console him. “Eldest Brother is gone. We should focus on protecting Master.”

“Bah, he gets to say his harsh piece and walk away, but poor Monkey has to leave in disgrace!” Zhu Bajie grumbled, sitting down and sulking.

At length, Sha Wujing and Bear Gohan managed to calm Zhu Bajie. Rake in hand, he hurried after Tang Sanzang, who was already far ahead.

Bear Gohan picked up the luggage, Sha Wujing led the White Dragon Horse, and the group soon vanished into the vastness of White Tiger Ridge…