Chapter 946
Was it arranged by the Bodhisattva?
Sun Wukong's eyes slowly narrowed.
Chu Yang continued, "I guess—just a guess—that Guanyin Bodhisattva has been secretly observing us. Perhaps not in person, but at least her divine eye or an avatar is watching."
"Every time we encounter a hurdle we can't overcome, whenever the situation becomes truly critical and irreversible, she will somehow appear to offer help."
"But the prerequisite is—we must first put in the effort ourselves. She won't help if we can solve the problem ourselves. She'll only appear when we truly need her."
Sun Wukong fell silent.
Pigsy scratched his head, looking completely bewildered.
"Brother Chu Yang, I, Old Pig, don't quite understand what you're saying. What exactly are you trying to do?"
Chu Yang stood up and dusted off his backside.
"I want to conduct an experiment."
He looked at Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
"I want to see—if we don't rush to save our master, but instead go have a meal first, will Guanyin Bodhisattva be able to sit still?"
The air remained still for three breaths.
Then Pigsy was the first to react.
"Eat?" His pig nose twitched twice, and a complex light flashed in his small eyes—a light that contained shock, confusion, but more than anything, a vague, irrepressible expectation.
"You mean...we should go eat first?"
Chu Yang nodded.
Sun Wukong's expression changed several times.
First came disbelief, then a furrowed brow in thought, and then a complex expression that fell between agreement and helplessness.
"You little rascal..." He rubbed the hair on his chin, his voice low, "Are you trying to test Guanyin Bodhisattva?"
"It wasn't a test," Chu Yang said. "I just wanted to confirm if my guess was correct. If Guanyin Bodhisattva really has been secretly observing us all along, it means that no matter what dangers we encounter on our journey to the West, there's always a safety net in place. Knowing this will allow us to act more calmly in the future."
"If I'm wrong—if Guanyin Bodhisattva isn't paying attention at all—that's alright. We can finish our meal and then go rescue Master; it'll only take two or three hours. Given the speed at which the demons prepare their feast, Master won't be in any danger within those two or three hours."
Sun Wukong thought for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.
"I'm truly impressed by your brain, kid. When others encounter their master being arrested, their first reaction is to panic. But you, your first reaction is to use this as an experiment."
He paused, then scratched his head.
"However... what you said does make sense. I, Old Sun, have always felt that the Bodhisattva isn't the type to abandon her responsibilities. She came personally last time at Five Elements Mountain, and later she subdued the Black Bear Monster at White Bone Ridge. The frequency with which she intervenes is too high; it doesn't seem like she's just passing by, but rather like she's always been following behind."
"Okay." He slapped his thigh. "We'll do it your way. Let's eat!"
Pigsy's eyes immediately lit up like two lanterns.
"Brother Monkey, are you serious? Are we really going to eat first?"
Sun Wukong glared at him, annoyed. "What, you're not happy about it?"
"Yes, yes! I, Old Pig, am more than happy!" Pigsy rubbed his hands together, his expression even happier than during the New Year. "I knew it! Food is essential for life; you'll get hungry if you skip a meal. How can you fight monsters on an empty stomach compared to fighting when you're full?"
"But—" he suddenly hesitated, "Is Master really alright?"
Chu Yang said, "Don't worry, Bajie. The first thing the demons will do after capturing Master is tie him up and lock him in their cave. Then they'll report to their king, who will decide what to do with him. These procedures alone will take at least an hour or two."
"Moreover, monsters generally don't eat Tang Sanzang's flesh raw, as it's a delicacy. It needs to be washed, peeled, and cooked in a suitable pot and stove; some even marinate it with seasonings. All this work takes at least half a day."
Pigsy swallowed hard, unsure whether it was the thought of "eating" or the "process of cooking Tang Monk's flesh" that was so enticing.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Sun Wukong rolled his eyes: "You idiot, with Master captured, you're more eager to eat than anyone else."
Pigsy said in a serious tone, "Brother Monkey, this is called turning grief into appetite. When I, Old Pig, am sad, I have to eat. If I don't eat, I'll be even sadder."
Chu Yang smiled and shook his head, tidied up the scattered luggage, and the three of them led the white dragon horse south along the riverbed.
At the foot of the southern side of Huangfeng Ridge lies a small market town, which Chu Yang had glimpsed from afar on his way here. The town is small, with only a dozen or so households, but the presence of people indicates that there is wine and meat available.
After walking for about half an hour, the three of them left the area of Huangfeng Ridge.
As soon as you step out of the mountains, the world opens up before you.
On the western horizon, the setting sun, like a boiled egg yolk, half-submerged behind the distant mountain ridges, painting the entire sky in vast swaths of crimson and dark gold. The glow of the sunset spilled across the fields, gilding the withered grass and scattered trees with a warm orange hue.
The fishy smell in the air had completely disappeared, replaced by the aroma of earth, wild grass, and cooking smoke. It was the smell of humanity, a comforting scent.
In the distance, wisps of smoke were already rising from the town. From the rooftops of a few mud-brick houses, gray-white plumes of smoke rose crookedly, then dispersed into wisps of pale blue mist in the evening breeze, merging with the sunset on the horizon.
I don't know the name of the town. There is neither a stone tablet nor an archway at the entrance of the town. There is only a huge old elm tree leaning by the roadside, its canopy spreading out like a crooked umbrella.
Two donkeys were tied under the tree, their heads down chewing dry grass and their tails swishing back and forth to swat away flies.
There was only one main street in the town, lined with a few low shops on both sides. There was a blacksmith shop, the fire in the furnace had gone out; a general store, the door was only half closed; and there was one—the only one—a tavern.
The tavern was a two-story mud-brick building with a wine flag hanging at the entrance, fluttering in the evening breeze. The flag bore a large "wine" character written in ink, but the ink had been blurred by the wind and rain, leaving only a crooked outline.
There were two benches and a low table by the door. On the table were several dishes of peanuts and a pot of wine. Two men in short jackets were sitting opposite each other, chatting in a dialect that was not very clear.
When they saw Sun Wukong, the two men nearly dropped their wine bowls. Their jaws dropped as they stared wide-eyed at the furry, golden monkey swaggering towards them.
Needless to say, Pigsy's pig face alone is enough to give anyone who doesn't know him a strong psychological shock.
Fortunately, this remote little town had seen many strange things – Huangfeng Ridge was nearby, and monsters were often seen there – the two men were startled, but they quickly calmed down, hugged their wine jugs, and huddled in the corner, not daring to say a word.
The three of them pushed open the door and entered the tavern.
The tavern wasn't large; seven or eight square tables were crammed together, and a yellowed New Year's picture and a few strings of dried chilies hung on the wall. Behind the counter stood a short, stout manager, wiping wine bowls with a dirty rag.
Upon seeing the three enter, the shopkeeper paused for a moment, his expression a complex mix of emotions—first fear, then bewilderment, and finally a professional smile forced upon him by business.
"Three...three distinguished guests, please come in."
Chu Yang nodded and chose a table by the window to sit down.
"Shopkeeper, what kind of food and drinks do you have here?" The shopkeeper swallowed hard and said cautiously, "Our shop is simple and can't compare to the big restaurants in the city. We have sorghum wine and rice wine, and as for the dishes... we have braised mutton, stewed pig's trotters, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a pot of old hen soup that we made this morning."
Pigsy's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
"Take it all! Bring it all!"
The shopkeeper was startled by his loud voice and nodded repeatedly.
"Okay, okay, I'll be right there."
He retreated behind the counter, shouted to the kitchen, and got to work, making a racket.
Sun Wukong leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, his fiery eyes fixed on the view outside the window. Outside lay the direction of Huangfeng Ridge, where the brownish-yellow mountain in the twilight resembled a crouching, silent, and somber beast.
“Master is inside that mountain.” His tone was calm, but the tapping of his fingers on the table betrayed his inner turmoil.
Chu Yang said, "Don't worry, Brother Monkey, Master will be fine."
Sun Wukong snorted, "Of course I know Master will be alright. Those monsters in the Yellow Wind Cave, I'll take them down one by one with my staff, like crushing ants. I'm just not used to it—knowing Master is imprisoned there, yet I'm sitting here drinking."
Chu Yang smiled slightly: "It's precisely because Brother Monkey has this confidence that we can sit here and drink. If Brother Monkey wasn't confident in rescuing Master, I would never have brought up this idea."
Sun Wukong snorted and said nothing more.
Before long, the innkeeper brought out the wine and dishes.
Braised mutton—a large bowl, the meat chunks stewed until tender, drizzled with a thick sauce, sprinkled with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, steaming hot and fragrant.
Braised pig's trotters – served in a black earthenware pot, the trotters were stewed until tender and falling off the bone, the dark brown broth was so thick it could be pulled into strands.
Stir-fried seasonal vegetables—a plate of bright green green beans, stir-fried over high heat and drizzled with garlic sauce, crisp and refreshing.
Old hen soup—served in a large, coarse porcelain bowl, the broth is golden and clear, with a thin layer of oil floating on the surface, and a few goji berries and red dates floating in it.
A jar of sorghum liquor, sealed with red clay. Once the clay seal is broken, a spicy and mellow aroma wafts out.
When Pigsy saw the dishes on the table, he twitched his nose twice, and his eyes almost welled up with tears.
“This is what life should be like.” His voice trembled, and his hand shaking as he picked up the chopsticks.
Chu Yang poured a bowl of wine for each of the three.
The sorghum liquor had a slightly yellowish hue, swirling in the coarse porcelain bowl and reflecting a dull luster.
"Monkey King, Pigsy, come on, have a bowl first."
Sun Wukong picked up the bowl, hesitated for a moment, and then tilted his head back and took a swig.
The liquor was spicy, burning from my throat all the way to my stomach, like swallowing a ball of fire.
"Phew—" He exhaled, his brow relaxing. "This liquor is quite strong."
Pigsy had already started eating heartily. He held a pig's trotter in one hand and used chopsticks to pick up mutton with the other, chewing loudly with his mouth, his cheeks bulging out like two meat balls.
"Delicious—the braised pig's trotters are so flavorful—the mutton is good too—shopkeeper, another bowl of chicken soup, please!"
Chu Yang picked up a piece of mutton and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly.
The meat was stewed until it was so tender that it practically melted in your mouth with just a little chewing. The savory sauce, coated with the meat juices, melted on your tongue, creating a rich and mellow flavor.
He took another sip of chicken soup. The soup was well-cooked, and the aroma of the chicken oil was balanced by the sweetness of the goji berries and red dates. It tasted fresh but not greasy, and a bowl of it warmed him up from head to toe.
After eating a few bites of food, he picked up the bowl of sorghum liquor and slowly sipped it.
The twilight outside the window grew deeper. The last rays of sunset faded, leaving only a few scattered stars hanging against the deep blue sky.
Oil lamps were lit in the tavern, casting flickering shadows on the three men's faces in their dim light.
"Brother Monkey," Chu Yang put down his wine bowl, "how many times do you think Guanyin Bodhisattva has secretly intervened since we set off?"
Sun Wukong took a sip of wine and thought for a moment.
"She came to Five Elements Mountain in person that time, that was openly. Later, during the White Bone Demon incident, she subdued the Black Bear Monster, which was also somewhat covertly."
"Besides these two times?"
Sun Wukong frowned.
"You mean... there's something else?"
Chu Yang said, "Brother Monkey, recall, how did those little demons know that Tang Sanzang was going to pass through Yellow Wind Ridge?"
Sun Wukong was taken aback.
Chu Yang continued, "When Tiger Vanguard ambushed us, it said, 'The Tang Monk the King spoke of.' This means that King Yellow Wind knew in advance that Tang Monk was coming. However, our whereabouts were not public, and no one along the way knew our specific route."
"How did the Yellow Wind King know in advance?"
Sun Wukong's expression changed.
"You mean—someone deliberately revealed Master's whereabouts to King Yellow Wind?"
Chu Yang did not answer directly, but simply picked up the wine bowl and took another sip.
"Eighty-one tribulations in total, not one more, not one less. Brother Monkey, don't you think this is too much of a coincidence? Every time we pass through a place, there just happens to be a monster waiting for us. And each monster's strength is just within our control—not too strong to defeat, not too weak to pose a challenge."
"It's like someone has paved a road in front of us, with checkpoints set up along the way; we just need to get past them one by one."
Sun Wukong's fingers tapped faster and faster on the table.
"You mean... these monsters were all arranged by the Bodhisattva?"
“It’s not necessarily planned,” Chu Yang shook his head. “Perhaps the demons were already there. But the Bodhisattva might have done something in secret—like leaking our whereabouts, or guiding the demons to intercept us—to ensure these 'calamities' occurred as scheduled.”
"This is also the meaning of what she told me back then—'Ninety-one tribulations, none can be missing.'"
Sun Wukong remained silent for a long while.
Pigsy had already eaten his third bowl of chicken soup, his mouth still open, but his ears were perked up.
"Brother Chu Yang, so you're saying... the Bodhisattva is the one posing the questions? And we're the ones answering them?" (End of Chapter)