Chapter 834

A red apricot branch extending beyond the wall

When the second demon pressed Sun Wukong under a great mountain, also captured Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing, and came to the Lianhuadong cave in the Western Mountains to discuss how to eat Tang Sanzang

The second demon said, 'Eldest brother, rest assured, Sun Wukong has already been pressed down by me with three great mountains.'

But the great demon still wasn't at ease, saying that Sun Wukong had many tricks; even the Tathagata Buddha had used the Bagualu to refine him in the past and failed to kill him, so what could three mountains do? The second demon then thought of the mountain-shaking treasure, the purple-gold Red Gourd and the mutton-fat jade Jade Pure Bottle—these two items were originally treasures of the Tathagata Buddha of the Western Heaven, later stolen by the great and second demons to serve as the mountain-shaking treasure. No matter what object, as long as it is placed inside these two bottles, within a moment it will turn into pus; even gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin will turn into water, let alone a person.

The Great King said, 'How could I forget?' Then the great demon ordered a delicate demon and a clever ghost to go capture Sun Wukong and put him into the bottle.

The two little demons received the order and left. This matter will be set aside for now.

Yet Sun Wukong was summoned by the second demon using sorcery to bring three great mountains, which pressed him down at the base, leaving him unable to move. One might ask, given Sun Wukong's heavenly powers—able to ascend the heavens, dive into the earth, move mountains and fill seas—how could these three mountains hold him? This is the principle that one thing subdues another; beyond the mountains are more mountains, beyond the heavens are more heavens; no one lacks something they cannot do.

Sun Wukong is no exception.

The Sun Wukong beneath the mountain could not exert his strength, for the peak had been sealed with spells by the second demon. Sun Wukong was unable to move even a fraction, feeling anxious and helpless. He muttered to himself, 'Master, I am sorry to you.'

Recalling how, on that mountain that once pressed me, you uncovered the Tathagata Buddha's seal, freeing me from a thousand years of loneliness and pain, granting me freedom to laugh in the sunlight. From then on I vowed to follow you, master, to turn from evil to righteousness, to uphold the monastic precepts, and to become anew.

Later, the South Sea Guanyin again instructed me to protect you on the journey to the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures. Wherever there is a mountain, I open a road; wherever there is a river, I build a bridge. I truly hoped we would go together to the Western Heaven, sharing hardships and trials, practicing together, sharing fate and appearance, sharing vision and knowledge, not seeking to be born together but to die together. Who would have thought that, by now, we have come to this place and fallen victim to the demons' treachery?

Now I do not know where you, master, have ended up; nor do I know how Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie fare. Now I cannot sit at your right side, master, to serve you on the journey to the Western Heaven.

Thinking of this, Sun Wukong secretly wept, feeling ashamed and blameworthy.