Chapter 931
Vegetarian Braised Pork
"Once you put it on, the golden headband will be embedded in your skull and can never be removed."
"Furthermore, this flowery hat comes with a tight headband. If anyone recites the incantation, you'll suffer excruciating headaches, a fate worse than death."
Sun Wukong's expression immediately changed.
"What?!" His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "You're saying there's a golden headband inside this hat? And some kind of tight headband?"
Chu Yang nodded: "That's right. This is something Guanyin Bodhisattva used to control you."
"Once you put on this flowery hat, you'll be at the mercy of others. If someone recites the incantation, even if you have extraordinary abilities, you'll have no choice but to obey."
Sun Wukong's face turned ashen.
He turned to look at the old woman, his eyes filled with anger.
"You...you want to use this thing to control me, Old Sun?"
The old woman's face also turned somewhat pale.
She never expected that this young man would know the secret of the headband!
No one should know about this except her and the Buddha!
"How do you know all this, benefactor?" she asked in a deep voice.
Chu Yang smiled slightly but did not answer.
He can't exactly say he saw it in Journey to the West, can he?
Sun Wukong, however, paid no heed to any of this. He slapped the flowered hat to the ground and roared, "I, Old Sun, am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! I fear neither heaven nor earth! You think you can control me with such underhanded methods? Dream on!"
He stepped on the flower hat, crushing it to pieces.
"I, Old Sun, said I would protect Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures, and I will definitely do it! You don't need to threaten me with something like this!"
The old woman's expression shifted between light and dark; she clearly hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
She gave Chu Yang a deep look, then transformed into a golden light and disappeared into the clouds.
On the platform, only Xuanzang, Sun Wukong, and Chu Yang remained.
Xuanzang stared blankly at everything, completely bewildered as to what was happening.
"What...what exactly is going on?" he asked, puzzled.
Sun Wukong snorted and said irritably, "It's nothing, it's just that someone tried to control me using underhanded methods, but Brother Chu Yang saw through it."
He turned to look at Chu Yang, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Brother Chu Yang, thank you for reminding me, otherwise I, Old Sun, would have fallen into your trap today!"
Chu Yang smiled slightly: "Brother Monkey, you're too kind. We're brothers; this is what I should do."
Sun Wukong laughed heartily and patted Chu Yang's shoulder heavily.
"Good brother! I, Old Sun, was right about you!"
"From now on, you're my best friend! With me around, nobody can bully you!"
Chu Yang's shoulder ached from the pat, but he still laughed along.
"Then I thank you very much, Brother Monkey."
……
Meanwhile, at Mount Putuo in the South China Sea, at Luojia Cave.
Guanyin Bodhisattva withdrew her Dharma body and sat solemnly on the lotus platform.
She never expected things to turn out this way.
That young man named Chu Yang actually knew the secret of the headband!
She never told anyone about this, not even Xuanzang.
How did he know?
"Amitabha……"
Guanyin frowned, lost in thought.
Just then, a golden light descended from the sky and landed in front of her.
The golden light faded, revealing an old man draped in a golden kasaya.
The old man had a kind face and was surrounded by a radiant aura of Buddha. He was none other than the Buddha Tathagata of the Western Paradise.
"Buddha." Guanyin quickly stood up and clasped her hands together in prayer.
The Buddha nodded slightly and sat down opposite Guanyin.
"This humble monk already knows about the Five Elements Mountain," he said slowly. "That young man named Chu Yang is indeed somewhat suspicious."
Guanyin said, "This disciple also finds it strange. I have never told anyone about the golden headband. How did he know?"
After a moment of contemplation, the Buddha said, "This humble monk just observed the young man's aura and discovered a strange power within him."
"That power seems to come from another world, not from this one."
Guanyin was stunned: "Another world? Does Buddha mean...?"
The Buddha nodded: "This humble monk suspects that this young man is not from this world. His soul may come from another world."
"And that world may know everything about this world, including the secret of the golden headband."
Guanyin's heart skipped a beat: "If that's true, wouldn't this person be in great danger? What if he reveals more secrets...?"
Buddha waved his hand, interrupting her.
“There’s no need to worry,” he said calmly. “This humble monk observes that this person is of pure heart and harbors no ill intentions.”
"He told Sun Wukong about the golden headband only out of friendship, not to sabotage the journey to the West."
Guanyin frowned and said, "But how can we control Sun Wukong without the headband? That monkey is naturally unruly; without the headband's restraint, he'll likely cause a great deal of trouble."
The Buddha smiled slightly: "Bodhisattva, you are overthinking it."
"While the golden headband could control Sun Wukong's body, it could not control his mind."
"If Sun Wukong protects Tang Sanzang unwillingly, even with the headband's restraint, there's no guarantee he won't fail at a crucial moment."
"On the contrary, if Sun Wukong were willing to protect Tang Sanzang, he would do his best even without the golden headband."
Guanyin nodded thoughtfully.
“Buddha is right. I’m just worried that the monkey is too wild; what if…”
The Buddha said, "It's alright. Since that young man named Chu Yang was able to become friends with Sun Wukong, it means he has a way to influence Sun Wukong."
"Letting him travel west with the pilgrimage team might actually be a good thing."
"If Sun Wukong does anything rash, he can offer advice and reassurance."
Guanyin thought about it and felt that it made sense.
"How should this disciple handle this matter?"
The Buddha said, “Continue to observe. Let the pilgrimage team continue westward as planned, and see what changes that young man will bring.”
"If he can help Sun Wukong reform his ways, that would be a great achievement. But if he harbors any ill intentions..."
A glint of light flashed in Tathagata's eyes.
"This humble monk will handle it himself."
Guanyin nodded, clasped her hands together, and said, "Disciple understands."
The Buddha stood up, and his body slowly rose.
"This humble monk will return to Mount Ling first. The Bodhisattva will continue to oversee the journey to the West; please report any changes immediately."
"Yes, Buddha."
The Buddha transformed into a golden ray of light and disappeared into the clouds.
Inside the Luojia Cave, only Guanyin remained.
She gazed in the direction where the Buddha had disappeared, a complex mix of emotions welling up within her.
"Chu Yang..."
She murmured to herself, her eyes filled with contemplation.
"Who exactly are you? And what changes will your appearance bring to this journey to the West?"
……
At the foot of Wuxing Mountain.
Chu Yang, Sun Wukong, and Xuanzang were packing their belongings, preparing to set off on their journey west. After the incident, Xuanzang's impression of Chu Yang had improved considerably.
Although he didn't quite understand what the headband was all about, he could tell that Chu Yang genuinely cared for Sun Wukong.
“Amitabha, Benefactor Chu, do you really want to come with us to the Western Paradise?” Xuanzang asked.
Chu Yang nodded: "Yes, Venerable Master. I wish to broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge. The Western Paradise is a sacred Buddhist land, and I yearn for it."
Xuanzang smiled slightly: "Since that's the case, then let's travel together. With you by my side, we can look after each other."
Sun Wukong chuckled from the side, "Master, don't worry, with me and Brother Chu Yang here, I guarantee you'll reach the Western Paradise safely!"
Xuanzang nodded and mounted his horse.
"Then let's set off."
Chu Yang and Sun Wukong followed behind him, the three of them and one horse heading west along the official road.
Chu Yang, Sun Wukong, and Xuanzang traveled westward, traversing towering mountains and deep valleys.
The late spring sunshine bathed me in warmth, and the wildflowers along the roadside were in full bloom, with butterflies fluttering among them, making it far from boring.
Sun Wukong walked at the front, sometimes jumping up to the treetops to look around, sometimes darting into the grass to catch insects to play with, just like a wild monkey that had just been released from its cage.
Five hundred years of repression were released in one day, and he exuded a joyful energy.
Xuanzang rode on a white horse, holding a tin staff, chanting incantations, looking every bit the virtuous and eminent monk.
Chu Yang walked at the very back, pondering his next plan as he went.
He promised Guanyin Bodhisattva that he would not interfere with the pilgrims' tribulations.
This means that whenever Tang Sanzang encounters danger, he cannot step in to save him on his own; he can only watch as Sun Wukong and the others resolve the situation.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t do anything.
Guanyin said that one should not interfere with "calamities," but she did not say that one should not interfere with other matters.
For example... Tang Sanzang's stubborn thinking.
In the original novel, Tang Sanzang is a typical pedantic scholar.
He was kind-hearted, but couldn't distinguish between good and evil; he was compassionate, but often did more harm than good.
What's most baffling is his attitude towards Sun Wukong.
Sun Wukong was clearly protecting him, but he always doubted Sun Wukong, punished him by reciting the Tightening-Headband Mantra at the drop of a hat, and even drove him away many times.
If it weren't for Sun Wukong's unwavering loyalty, he probably would have quit long ago.
The threat of the golden headband has now been removed, but Tang Sanzang's stubborn mindset still remains.
If we don't find a way to change him, Sun Wukong will probably still suffer a lot of injustice in the future.
"How can we change Tang Sanzang?"
Chu Yang walked along, lost in thought.
Tang Sanzang's biggest problem was that he was too pedantic and insisted on following the precepts in everything.
What about not killing, not eating meat, not having sex with women...?
These precepts are not inherently problematic, but if one rigidly adheres to them without flexibility, they become a form of constraint.
"Perhaps... we can start with the issue of eating meat."
A glint of light flashed in Chu Yang's eyes.
Tang Sanzang was a monk and could not eat meat.
This is a Buddhist precept, and one of the things that Tang Sanzang valued most.
If Tang Sanzang could taste meat and realize that eating meat isn't such a big deal, perhaps his stubborn mindset could be shaken.
Of course, it wouldn't be appropriate to feed Tang Sanzang meat directly.
Given Tang Sanzang's personality, he would definitely refuse.
We must use a more subtle approach...
"Got it!"
Chu Yang's heart stirred, and he came up with a brilliant idea.
He could start by making a kind of "vegetarian meat"—a mock meat dish made from vegetables and soy products.
This dish looks like meat and tastes like meat, but it is actually vegetarian.
After Tang Sanzang got used to eating this "vegetarian meat," he secretly mixed real meat in.
If Tang Sanzang eats real meat without realizing it, by the time he realizes it, the precepts will have been broken, and it will be too late for regrets.
Thinking of this, Chu Yang's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Tang Sanzang, oh Tang Sanzang, please don't blame me. This is all for your own good."
……
As evening fell, the three set up camp in a grove of trees.
Sun Wukong went to find some firewood nearby, while Chu Yang began to busy himself preparing dinner.
Xuanzang sat in meditation and chanted scriptures to the side, his expression serene.
"Master, I'll cook for everyone tonight," Chu Yang said.
Xuanzang opened his eyes and smiled slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, Benefactor Chu."
Chu Yang took out various ingredients from his storage bag and began to get busy.
He first made a "vegetarian braised pork" using tofu, gluten, and various seasonings.
He had learned how to make this dish from Chu Yang's memories in other dimensions; it was a very classic imitation meat dish.
Once cooked, the bright red "meat chunks" lay on the plate, their color enticing and their aroma irresistible, looking almost exactly like real braised pork.
"It smells so good!" Sun Wukong leaned closer and sniffed hard. "Brother Chu Yang, what is this? It looks like braised pork!"
Chu Yang smiled slightly: "This is vegetarian braised pork, made with tofu and gluten. It looks like meat and tastes like meat, but it's actually vegetarian."
Sun Wukong's eyes lit up: "There's such a thing? I, Old Sun, must try it!"
He picked up a piece of "meat," put it in his mouth, chewed it, and his eyes lit up.
"Delicious! So delicious!" he exclaimed repeatedly. "Even though I, Old Sun, know this is vegetarian, it tastes just like meat!"
Chu Yang then prepared several other dishes, laid them out on the ground, and invited Xuanzang to come and eat.
"Master, please use it."
Xuanzang walked over and saw the plate of "vegetarian braised pork," and his brows furrowed slightly.
"This...this is meat?" he asked somewhat warily.
Chu Yang quickly explained, "Master, you misunderstand. This is vegetarian braised pork, made with tofu and gluten, not real meat."
Xuanzang picked up a piece with some skepticism, examined it carefully, and then smelled it.
“It certainly looks like meat, and it smells like meat…” he muttered to himself.
"Master, rest assured, this is truly vegetarian," Chu Yang said. "I would never dare to deceive you."
Xuanzang hesitated for a moment before finally putting the "meat" into his mouth.
He chewed it, and his eyes widened immediately.
"This...this..."
He looked at Chu Yang with disbelief.
"Is this really vegetarian? It tastes just like meat!"
Chu Yang smiled slightly: "This is a special cooking technique that can make vegetarian dishes taste like meat dishes."
"If Master likes it, I will make it for you every day from now on."
Xuanzang picked up another piece and put it in his mouth to savor it slowly.
"Delicious..." he murmured to himself, a look of enjoyment on his face. "Really delicious..."
"This humble monk has been a monk for many years and has never tasted such delicious vegetarian food."
He looked at Chu Yang, his eyes filled with admiration. (End of Chapter)