Volume 3: A Long Journey Chapter 224: Enlightenment through Fire

Sha Seng’s massive corpse lay on the ground, his eyes still wide open, his face expressing intense anger and hatred vividly.
Seeing this, Tang Seng closed his eyes and recited, “Amitabha.”
Wukong said, “Look at the nine skulls hanging around this demon’s neck. It must have eaten countless living beings; it truly deserves to die.”
Bajie, having done his part, said cheerfully, “What a formidable demon! Its skills are truly remarkable. It gave me quite a fight.”
Wukong glanced at Hong Haier, who winked at him, pretending not to recognize him.
Wukong said, “It’s thanks to this young man’s help that we were able to defeat it so easily.” Tang Seng also stepped forward to thank Hong Haier. Seeing him dressed in a crimson battle skirt, looking like a celestial child, Tang Seng was very pleased. He asked, “Which family do you come from? To possess such supernatural powers is truly rare.”
Hong Haier replied crisply, “Elder, I don’t belong to any particular family. I was born from fire; I’ve always been like this.”
Tang Seng asked further, “Amitabha. I’ve only heard of lotuses growing from fire; it’s the first time I’ve heard of people being born from fire. How did you happen to be here and help my disciple defeat this demon?”
Hong Haier had already prepared an explanation. He said, “I was wandering around aimlessly when I encountered this demon. It comes out every few days to hunt living beings. When it saw me that day, it tried to capture me to feed on me. Of course, I fought back. Since it couldn’t defeat me, it fled into the water. I was determined to get rid of it so that passersby wouldn’t suffer. It wasn’t until today that it reappeared. If not for this person…” Hong Haier glanced at Bajie, not knowing how to address him, “if not for his help, I doubt I could have defeated it.”
Tang Seng clapped his hands and said, “Well said! This is what mutual assistance and karma entail.”
After chatting for a while, they realized they still needed to head west. Looking at the vast river before them, Tang Seng faced another dilemma.
Wukong said, “Master, the river current is too strong. Any boat would surely capsize.”
Tang Seng asked, “What shall we do then?”
Wukong glanced at Hong Haier, seeing that he hadn’t moved from his spot. Understanding his intentions, Wukong said, “Since Guanyin sent us on this quest, when we encounter difficulties, we should naturally go to her for help.”
Tang Seng said, “If that’s the case, there’s no other way.”
Wukong said to Hong Haier, “Young man, I’ll go find someone to help. Since I see you’re highly skilled, could you guard the master for me for a while?”
Hong Haier replied, “I have nothing to do anyway. Go ahead, don’t worry.”
Wukong smiled and said, “Thank you!”
Wukong flew to the South Sea on his cloud. He thought to himself that Guanyin would eventually find out about this, so it would be better to inform her proactively, showing openness in his heart. He would then see how she would deal with Hong Haier.

The rolling-screen general did not reveal his origins. Honghai helped the pilgrimage team defeat him, which was an act of eliminating demons and evil forces—fully justified. How could Guanyin dare to take Honghai away in front of everyone?
Wukong used his cloud somersault to reach the South Sea in no time, where he saw Mount Luojia. The peaks soared so high they seemed to pierce the sky, with rows of rare flowers and plants creating a breathtaking sight. The wind swayed precious trees, the sun shone on golden lotuses, the tiles of Guanyin’s temple glowed with colorful luster, and parrots and peacocks chirped, presenting a truly celestial atmosphere.
Twenty-four deities guarded Mount Luojia. Upon seeing Wukong, they stepped forward and said, “The Bodhisattva once said the Great Sage would turn to goodness. Now that he is protecting Tang Seng, how did he find time to come here?”
Wukong replied, “There were matters along the way, so I came to ask the Bodhisattva for guidance. Please convey my message.”
The Bodhisattva then summoned him in. Wukong went to the base of the five-colored precious lotus platform and bowed. When he looked up at the Bodhisattva, his heart stirred—Guanyin appeared very different from before.
Although her face still wore a gentle smile, there was a hint of worry in the corners of her eyes, making the smile seem forced.
Guanyin said, “Since Wukong has come, there must be difficulties on his journey to the West.”
Wukong replied, “As the Bodhisattva sees, I have been protecting my master to the Flowing Sands River. The river is wide and fast—I don’t know how we can cross it.”
Guanyin said, “It must be that demons are causing trouble, making it difficult to cross.”
Wukong said, “There is indeed a demon, but he’s quite ordinary and has already been killed by Zhu Bajie.”
Guanyin wasn’t surprised by this and said calmly, “It’s good that he’s dead. I didn’t expect that Zhu Bajie could be so useful.”
Seeing the Bodhisattva’s deep cunning, Wukong added, “It wasn’t just Zhu Bajie’s effort. A little boy who claimed to have been born from fire helped us eliminate the demon.”
Hearing the words “born from fire,” the Bodhisattva was slightly surprised and said, “Fire is formless—how can it give birth to a person? I’ll go and take a look.”
Without descending from the lotus platform, the Bodhisattva silently rose into the air. Wukong’s companion, Muzha, followed closely on his left. Wukong noticed Muzha’s expression was dull and sad, likely because he had heard of Li Jing’s death.
Wukong followed the two. Just as he took off, he felt a pair of eyes staring at him from behind. Turning around, he saw a woman beside the Bodhisattva’s platform. She was exquisitely beautiful, with skin as white as jade porcelain, and her plain white clothes made her even more graceful and refined. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Wukong’s back, showing signs of excitement. When their eyes met, Wukong’s heart trembled—there was a sense of familiarity in those eyes, yet he couldn’t recall who she was.

The Bodhisattva had already taken a few steps forward. Wukong didn’t dare to linger and hurried after her, yet doubts arose in his mind. That woman was no one else but the Dragon Girl by the Bodhisattva’s side. Her gaze seemed to recognize him—this was truly strange. He had never been to Luojia Mountain before, nor had he met the Dragon Girl before. Why did she act as if she knew an old friend, with an indescribable emotion in her eyes?

Without further thought, Wukong soon reached the banks of the Flowing Sands River. When Tang Seng and Zhu Bajie saw Guanyin approaching, they immediately knelt down from afar. Guanyin moved her lotus platform closer and told them to get up. Glancing at the corpse of the Curtain-Rolling General, she said, “Wuneng has made significant contributions this time.”

Hearing Guanyin praise him, Zhu Bajie was so flattered he didn’t know what to say. “It’s all for obtaining the scriptures, all for obtaining the scriptures…”

Guanyin then turned her gaze to Honghui and examined him carefully before asking, “Is it you, the one who claims to have been born from fire?”

Honghui blinked, unafraid of Guanyin at all, and retorted, “Who are you?”

The Bodhisattva smiled and said, “Don’t worry about who I am. Let me ask you instead—how can someone born from fire possess demonic aura?” It turned out that Honghui carried the bloodline of the Bull Demon King and the Rakshasi, so naturally he had demonic aura. Though he had been tempered in the Fire Cloud Palace and aided by Laozi’s immortal pills, this inherent nature couldn’t be removed.

Honghui said, “I think you also have demonic aura.”

Mu Zha stepped forward, glaring angrily. The Bodhisattva said, “It doesn’t matter. Though you have some demonic aura, your nature is pure. Do you wish to go to the West to achieve enlightenment?”

Honghui’s big eyes showed confusion as he asked, “Is enlightenment tasty?”

Seeing how well Honghui pretended, Wukong couldn’t help but laugh. He quickly explained, “Enlightenment means success in cultivation. For those who practice immortality, it’s the greatest thing.”

Honghui said, “Okay. Are there any restrictions?”

Guanyin replied, “Just keep a kind heart, respect Tang Seng as your master, and protect him on his journey to the West.”

Honghui asked again, “Since I have nothing to do anyway, will I get enlightenment once I reach the West? You must keep your word!”

Guanyin slowly recited a few verses: “A lotus born from fire is truly rare; practicing meditation amidst desires is equally rare. I don’t care about your background. Today, I see that you have a deep connection to Buddhism. But if you refuse to follow discipline, I’ll come and take you in myself!”

Honghui giggled and said, “Don’t scare people.” With his charming appearance and innocent face, he might have won over many people in later generations. But Guanyin didn’t even glance at him and said, “Since you claim to have been born from fire, consider fire your parents. I’ll give you a name—your surname will be Fire, and your Dharma name will be Wuhui. From now on, don’t rely on your cleverness. If you faithfully protect Tang Seng on his journey to the West, you’ll surely have a good fate.”

Hong Haier simply stared at Guanyin, waiting for her to finish speaking before saying, “I haven’t agreed to you yet. This old man has no magic powers at all—how could he be my master?”
Guanyin replied, “Though he is an ordinary man in this life, he was once a great Buddhist monk in a past life, with virtues and wisdom rarely seen in the world. Becoming his disciple won’t be a loss for you.”
Hong Haier tilted his head and glanced at Tang Seng, saying, “You do seem quite handsome and pleasant to look at. If you can answer one of my questions, I’ll acknowledge you as my master.”
Tang Seng replied calmly, “If you have a heart turned toward Buddhism, no one can stop you. If not, no one can persuade you. So why ask any questions?”
Hong Haier said, “Alright, then I’ll consider asking you for advice. That pretty sister said you had a past life. So tell me, do you still remember the grudges from that past life in this life?”
Upon hearing this, Tang Seng’s eyes showed a puzzled expression, as if distracted. He simply recited what he knew, saying, “As for matters of past karmic bonds, I, the Buddha, possess great supernatural powers to understand them. Since you’re asking me now, whom else could I turn to?”
Slightly disappointed, Hong Haier still said, “Never mind. I’ll follow you to the Western Heaven to ask the Buddha.” He knelt on the ground and respectfully kowtowed to Tang Seng four times, saying, “Master, accept this humble disciple’s bow!”
Guanyin smiled slightly and said, “It’s good to respect your teacher. May you subdue your wild nature, focus your mind, and devote yourself wholeheartedly to Buddhism.”
Now that Hong Haier had recognized Tang Seng as his master, he could no longer speak casually to Guanyin. He said solemnly, “I’ve learned my lesson.”
Guanyin said, “The 800-li Flowing Sands River is so deep that not even a goose feather can float on it. I’ll build a flat boat to take you across.”
She glanced at the corpse of the Curtain-Rolling General on the ground and ordered Mu Zha to go down and retrieve the nine skulls, arranging them according to the nine directions of the compass. Then she took out a red gourd from her sleeve and threw it down. The red gourd grew as it touched the wind and settled on top of the nine skulls, forming a magical boat.
Guanyin said to Tang Seng, “This demon is none other than the former Curtain-Rolling General of the Heavenly Court. He accidentally dropped a Buddhist treasure at the Peach Banquet and was punished by the Jade Emperor to suffer in the Flowing Sands River. I met him once when I was searching for someone to retrieve the scriptures. He claimed to be starving and fed on passersby. Those nine skulls around his neck are the heads of those people he ate; they float on the water’s surface and never sink.”
“These skulls don’t sink in the waters because these people had considerable spiritual attainments but still hadn’t gone far. So remember, the task of retrieving the scriptures is extremely difficult, but it has nothing to do with others—it depends solely on one’s heart. The journey ahead is long; be cautious.”
Tang Seng accepted her advice. Guanyin asked Mu Zha to take Tang Seng across the river, while she returned to the South Sea.

Tang Seng boarded the magic boat and sat on the gourd, which was indeed as stable as a light boat. With Zhu Bajie supporting him on the left and Hong Haier accompanying him on the right, Wukong led the dragon horse behind them as they traveled through the clouds and mist, with Mu Zha steering from above. Even though it was the 800-li Flowing Sands River, they crossed it swiftly and steadily, as if flying. Once Tang Seng reached the other shore and set foot on solid ground, Mu Zha pressed down the auspicious clouds and retracted the gourd. The nine skeletons turned into nine gusts of wind and disappeared without a trace. Mu Zha said, “The Bodhisattva told me to leave a message: only when these nine skeletons turn into wind can it be proven that Elder Tang is truly the one on a pilgrimage to obtain the scriptures. You must know that even spirits have thoughts. Today, seeing that the great mission of obtaining the scriptures seems likely to succeed, these nine spirits left without any lingering concerns and returned to reincarnation.” Tang Seng was overjoyed upon hearing this. He thanked Mu Zha and then bowed again to Guanyin before mounting his horse and setting off westward.