Volume 3: A Long Journey Chapter 227: Wu Xiaomei Wukong could only sneer from the side. Although Zhu Bajie was greedy for drink and women, reckless, and lacking in strategy, this old man had an unknown background. Building a residence in these remote mountains—what kind of ordinary person could that be? Clearly, he had a plan in mind, setting a trap to lure others in. But since there was no trace of any supernatural aura around the estate, it was most likely some deity setting a challenge. It was best to wait and see what would happen. Tang Seng stood up and said, “This wretch is truly audacious! Let me… let me…” After struggling for a while, he couldn’t think of any way to punish Zhu Bajie, so he resolved, “I’ll write a letter to expel him from the sect!” Hearing Tang Seng’s determination, Zhu Bajie was terrified and burst into tears. This time, his grief was genuine—he had secretly intended to cause trouble in the pilgrimage group. If expelled by Tang Seng, he would be left destitute, with nowhere to go, not even in the heavenly realms or the Western Paradise. The old man, seeing Zhu Bajie’s pitiful state, felt pity and said, “Elder, why be so harsh? Although Pig Elder is a bit rough, he’s still an honest person. Let’s drop this matter.” Tang Seng replied, “Sir, it’s not that I’m heartless. In just one night, this fool has violated the three Buddhist precepts—false speech, drunkenness, and lustful thoughts. If such a person remains in our Buddhist community, won’t it bring shame to all Buddhist disciples?” The old man laughed and said, “Buddha once said: There is no one under heaven whom I do not love; no one whom I do not believe in; no one whom I do not forgive. These are the three ‘no’s’ of Buddhism. Considering it’s his first offense, let’s spare him this time.” At that moment, Wukong thought, If we drive away this fool, who will carry the luggage? So he said, “Master, let’s spare Zhu Bajie this time. If he dares to violate the precepts again, I’ll break his legs!” Hearing everyone’s advice and remembering that Zhu Bajie was a disciple taught by Guanyin to practice kindness, Tang Seng said, “Sigh, since that’s the case, I’ll spare you this time. I’ve lost all face today. If you dare to offend again, don’t blame me for not recognizing you!” Hearing there was hope, Zhu Bajie repeatedly pleaded, “Master, be merciful! Master, be merciful!” Wukong kicked him and said, “Hurry up and thank this elder.” Zhu Bajie said, “Senior brother, untie me so I can pay my respects! I’ll bow deeply!” Seeing that he was tightly tied, Wukong didn’t bother untying him. He simply blew gently, and the oxhide ropes broke apart. Zhu Bajie moved his limbs and knelt down, saying, “It’s my fault! I’ve lost my mind. I deserve death!”

The elder helped Bajie up and said, “It is most virtuous to return from the wrong path; isn’t this a cause for great joy?” Then he laughed heartily.
Tang Seng replied, “Thanks to your kindness, venerable sir. Amitabha.”
Wukong reminded him earlier, “Master, it’s still early; we should set off now.”
The old man said, “Ah! How can we leave so soon? I see that this elder possesses profound magical powers. Perhaps we should stay for a day to seek his advice.” After much refusal, Tang Seng agreed to stay overnight.
Wukong knew this was inevitable. The old man was unfathomable; he couldn’t even gauge his cultivation level, so he surely wouldn’t let Tang Seng leave easily. Bajie’s capture was just a pretext; more troubles likely lay ahead.
The elder asked each of them for their names and introduced himself. It turned out his surname was Wu; he originally lived in the country of Wusang, but after falling into conflict with someone there, he fled with his family. Finding the place beautiful and sparsely populated, he decided to settle here for peace and built a residence. Now, only the old man Wu and his daughter lived there, along with a few servants they brought along.
Wukong just smiled without saying anything. Not to mention that Wusang was thousands of miles away, even the Flowing Sands River was not easy to cross for ordinary people. The old man Wu must surely be lying.
After the conversation, the old man Wu ordered his family to prepare a vegetarian meal to entertain Tang Seng and his companions. After breakfast, he left Wukong and the others in the hall drinking tea while he took Tang Seng into the inner room to study scriptures.
With nothing to do, Wukong teased Bajie, “Fool, what does the old man Wu’s daughter look like?”
Bajie, frustrated and having eaten little at breakfast, knew Wukong was teasing him but dared not refuse. He casually replied, “She’s just so-so.”
Wukong found this interesting and asked, “What does ‘so-so’ mean?”
Bajie said, “Don’t ask a kid about such things.”
Wukong laughed, “Surely she’s beautiful, otherwise how could she drive Bajie crazy?”
Bajie replied, “It’s not my fault. Miss Wu signaled her interest to me, but when I entered the room, she suddenly turned hostile!”
Wukong laughed heartily. This fool was truly endearably stupid. Even Marshal Tian Peng, with his great skills, could capture him in just a few moves, yet he still hadn’t realized it and was living in delusions.
Tang Seng followed the old man Wu to the backyard, through corridors and pillars, to the study. The room was filled with books on classics, history, philosophy, and literature, most of which were Buddhist scriptures.
Tang Seng loved reading scriptures and became engrossed, picking up a book and losing himself in it, unaware that the old man Wu had quietly left.

After a while, a delicate fragrance wafted over, and a cup in a white jade holder was placed before Tang Seng. Naturally, he thought it was Old Wu. When he raised his eyes to see the fair hands and slender wrists holding the tea, he immediately became alert, quickly put down his scriptures, and looked up.

There stood before him a beautiful woman with graceful eyebrows and a rosy complexion, exuding charm. She was adorned with pearls and jewels, and her whole being emitted a sweet fragrance, as if she were a celestial maiden descended from heaven—graceful and breathtakingly beautiful.

They were less than a foot apart. Tang Seng, filled with the scent, felt uneasy. Having grown up in a monastery and never interacted with women before, let alone encountered someone so extraordinary, he didn’t know where to put his hands. He didn’t know whether to take the cup or not. He said, “Lady… donor, thank you very much.”

The woman was quite generous and asked right away, “Are you the eminent monk from the Tang Dynasty who is going west to obtain scriptures?” Tang Seng stepped back and replied, “That’s right.”

The woman said, “My father just mentioned that you are the master of that Pig Monk.”

Hearing her bring up this matter again, Tang Seng’s face turned slightly red. Realizing she was the woman whom Zhu Bajie had disturbed the previous night, he said, “It’s all because I failed to discipline him properly. Please accept my apologies, lady donor.”

The woman covered her mouth and laughed, saying, “There’s no need for that. You needn’t blame yourself, elder.”

Tang Seng said, “Your generosity makes me feel ashamed.”

The woman replied, “It’s just ‘donor’ and ‘recipient’—it sounds so awkward. My name is Wu Xiaomei. You can just call me Xiaomei.” With that, Wu Xiaomei turned and left the study. At the door, she turned back and smiled sweetly, saying, “Go on reading. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

Seeing that she was intelligent, generous, and not nagging, Tang Seng felt a slight fondness for her and bid farewell to her.

Not long after Wu Xiaomei left, Old Wu entered again, striding in with steady steps. Disturbed by Wu Xiaomei, Tang Seng no longer had much interest in his book. He picked up the white jade cup and couldn’t help but think of those delicate, jade-like wrists again. Hearing Old Wu enter, Tang Seng silently thought, “What a sin.”

Old Wu, with a beaming smile, began chatting casually with Tang Seng, “My ancestors have been in business for generations, amassing vast wealth that would take dozens of lifetimes to spend. I own thousands of acres of farmland and countless forests and fruit trees. Though this estate seems unimposing, there are still a hundred or so people working for me.”

Not understanding Old Wu’s intentions, Tang Seng concurred, “What great fortune indeed.”

The old man with black hair said again, “These are trivial matters. We live in Xiniuhuo Continent, where there are no national laws or rulers. Within a thousand miles, there are few villages. It truly is a paradise. To spend the rest of my life here, reciting scriptures and praying to Buddha every day, welcoming travelers from all directions and doing good deeds—nothing more do I desire.”
Tang Seng replied, “How wonderful!”
At this point, the old man sighed and said, “As the old saying goes, every family has its own difficult scriptures to read. I have nothing lacking and ask for nothing, yet I still have a worry.”
Tang Seng asked, “What worry do you have, sir?”
The old man replied, “I am now nearly fifty years old, and eventually, I will pass away. By then, I will leave behind my land and property with no relatives to inherit them. What should I do?”
Tang Seng smiled and said, “It is said that sons inherit from their fathers. Since you have no sons, naturally, your daughter should take care of it.”
The old man said, “Exactly. If a daughter takes over the family wealth, she will eventually marry someone else, and the family’s assets will eventually belong to another’s family.”
Tang Seng said, “There’s no need to worry about that. Life in the mortal world is ultimately empty—everyone is the same.”
The old man said, “Venerable monk, you don’t understand. My daughter has received guidance from immortals and has practiced some arts of longevity. Though she cannot become immortal, she can live for three to five hundred years. With such powers, who could accompany her throughout her life? She can’t keep marrying; it would also harm her reputation.”
Tang Seng was shocked and asked, “Is your daughter an immortal?”
The old man replied, “Alas, she is even less than an ordinary person. If she marries an ordinary man, she will be alone again after a hundred years, and there may even be disputes over the family property… My daughter is not only as beautiful as a fairy but also intelligent and skilled in all kinds of crafts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Ordinary men wouldn’t even consider her.”
Tang Seng said, “Don’t worry, sir. When the right match comes, a suitable husband will surely appear.”
The old man said, “Venerable monk, you don’t know. My daughter is proud and high-minded. Ordinary men would never catch her eye. Her immortal master once predicted for her that among the men from the eastern mountains named Chen Wu Mountain, only a man surnamed Chen from the east could surpass her surname and accompany her until old age.”
Hearing this, Tang Seng was slightly surprised. His own surname was indeed Chen. But thinking of his own identity, he felt at ease. Why should a Buddhist disciple worry about such worldly matters?
So Tang Seng said, “I… I’m a bit confused. Could it be that all men surnamed Chen from the east can live for three to five hundred years?”
The old man replied, “That immortal left behind a pill. He said that if she meets a man surnamed Chen from the east, she should give it to him, and then they will live as long as each other.”

Hearing that such extraordinary magic existed in the world, Tang Seng forced a smile and said, “Indeed, the powers of immortals are truly formidable—hard to imagine.”
The old man Wu replied, “Ever since that immortal left, whenever guests come from the east, I must treat them with care and carefully inquire about their names, for fear of missing one.”
Tang Seng laughed and said, “That must be quite troublesome for you.”
The old man Wu said, “There’s nothing I can do about it. Fortunately, with the guidance of the immortal, I have some clues. Um… may I ask what your surname is, holy monk?”