Volume 3: A Long Journey – Chapter 265: The Sinful Phoenix

After getting ready, the three of them set off around the time of the morning court session and headed to the palace. Upon arriving at the palace gates, a yellow-robed official had been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing Tang Seng, he stepped forward with great respect to greet him. Tang Seng was overwhelmed with honor. Inside the palace, he found only the King of Wuji sitting there; the two national advisors were nowhere to be seen, though four chairs remained.
The king got up and went down the steps to greet him, saying, “Venerable monk, please take a seat.”
Tang Seng, having witnessed many grand occasions, was puzzled by the king’s sudden change in attitude but sat down calmly. Wukong sat beside Tang Seng.
The king said, “Venerable monk, yesterday I was deceived by the national advisors. After much thought, I realized that obtaining the scriptures is of utmost importance. That’s why I took out the imperial seal early, waiting only for your arrival.”
Hearing this, Tang Seng was overjoyed and exclaimed, “Amitabha!” He then handed over the pass document to the king, who sealed it with the imperial seal. The king added, “It seems not easy for you, Venerable monk. I’ve prepared a Buddhist hall in my kingdom; would it be alright if you stayed for a while?”
Tang Seng replied, “Your Majesty is too kind. I am truly humbled, but I must hurry westward to obtain the scriptures and cannot delay any longer.”
Despite the king’s repeated invitations, Tang Seng refused to stay. Wukong said, “Your Majesty, we will return someday after obtaining the scriptures. Then, if we have time, we’ll stay in your kingdom for a few days.”
Seeing Wukong speak, the king naturally stopped pressing him.
At that moment, someone came from behind the palace and stepped in front of the king, saying, “Father, you must not let him go!”
Tang Seng looked closely and recognized that it was the crown prince he had met on the road earlier.
The king was shocked and scolded, “How dare you make noise in the court? Go away!”
The crown prince was stunned. His father had always doted on him; he had never been scolded like this before. Seeing the king’s true anger, he reluctantly stepped back.
Wukong smiled and said, “When I was at Baolin Temple, I heard that the king of this country loves his people. But a king’s reign is not lasting. If you fail to guide the crown prince well, the kingdom may not remain stable.”
The king stood up respectfully and said, “I have learned from your words. From now on, I will discipline him strictly.”
Tang Seng took the pass document and, satisfied, bid farewell to the king. The king offered him some gold and silver, but Tang Seng firmly refused.
After leaving the Kingdom of Wuji, the three of them and their horse set off westward. After a day’s journey, they arrived at Kusong Gorge. Wukong remembered the Fire Cloud Cave and asked Wuhui. Wuhui transmitted a message: “That cave was indeed created by me. I often go there to play with Dahong and Xiaohong when I have time. It happens to be on my way today; I’ll go take a look and be back soon.”

Wuhui left for a short while before returning, looking slightly uneasy. He said, “There’s no one in the cave.” Wukong replied, “They both have feet and wings—how could they hide safely?” Unaware of this, the Fire Phoenix and Golden Crow had already gone to Qitian Ridge.

In the blink of an eye, they left the vast pine forest. The road ahead stretched endlessly, with a clear sky and bright land. Tang Seng became excited and spurred his horse to race ahead. Not far along, they saw a person standing in the distance on the road.

Tang Seng didn’t dare go alone and turned back to wait for Wukong and Wuhui. Wukong glanced up and said cheerfully, “The porter is here.” It turned out to be the old turtle who carried Guanyin’s bottles—Elder Wu.

Tang Seng didn’t understand his purpose, so Wukong explained, “Guanyin Bodhisattva came by yesterday. She said Wuneng had been demoted and that we lacked manpower, so she sent the old turtle from the South Sea to help.” Tang Seng said, “Amitabha! Truly a Bodhisattva’s heart. I am infinitely grateful.”

Elder Wu approached Tang Seng and kowtowed four times first. Wukong laughed and said, “If you’re taking him as a disciple, you should kowtow eight times!” Elder Wu replied, “I don’t have such fortune. I’ve come here only to help. Once the masters reach the Spirit Mountain, I’ll return to the South Sea.”

Tang Seng asked, “Don’t you desire the ultimate enlightenment and a golden body?”

Elder Wu said, “I only wish to be by the Bodhisattva’s side. I’ve never thought of anything else.”

Wukong asked, “What’s your name?”

Elder Wu said, “I’ve never had a name. The Bodhisattva just calls me Wu Ping. May the elders also call me that.”

Wukong pondered for a moment. Wu Ping, the turtle who carries bottles… it fit quite well.

Recalling Journey to the West, Guanyin used the pilgrimage to serve her own interests. Marshal Tianpeng and the Curtain-Rolling General weren’t the most suitable candidates to subdue demons. For them to join the pilgrimage team, there must have been some hidden deals. Later, she even used two hoops to control the Black Bear Demon and Red Boy, bringing them back to the South Sea.

This time, however, Guanyin not only gained nothing but also ended up with Wu Ping—something worth reflecting on. There must have been some major events behind Guanyin’s changes. Otherwise, how could she go from a mere peacemaker who only did surface-level work to a loyal supporter of the pilgrimage?

At its core, it was Guanyin’s attitude toward the Tathagata that changed. What tactics did the Tathagata use to make her obey him? The more Wukong thought about it, the more anxious he became. Clues might be found with the Nine-Headed Worm, but with Wu Ping here, how could he act freely?

Wu Ping took the load and slung it on his shoulder. His submissive demeanor clearly showed that Guanyin had given him instructions. Tang Seng was delighted to have Wu Ping. He mounted his horse again, determined to continue on his journey westward.

※　※　※

In Qitianling, Qilin and the others faced no obstacles as they brought the Nine-Headed Worm back to the cave. Qilin used his skills to seal the worm’s magical powers, leaving it motionless except for its open eyes, resembling a dead creature. Its ever-changing face now consisted of nine small heads—these heads were neither birds nor insects, extremely pale and ugly.

Zhu Rong went to take care of the Fire Phoenix and Golden Crow, while Qilin entered the cave and threw the Nine-Headed Worm on the ground, asking, “What is this thing?” Dayu replied, “At first, I thought it was related to Xiang Liu, but now that I see wings on its back, it must be a bird.”

Hou Yi said, “Its appearance reminds me of something.”

Dayu said, “It also seems familiar to me, but I can’t recall it.”

Hou Yi asked, “Do you remember the Nine Phoenixes of Nieyao?”

Dayu suddenly realized and said, “That strange bird from Nieyao Mountain? I remember now!”

Qilin laughed and said, “I know that silly bird too.”

Why did Qilin call the Nine Phoenixes of Nieyao silly birds? It was because the bird had nine heads. If one head got food, the other eight would fight over it, screeching and biting violently, spilling blood, yet still unable to swallow the food, leaving all nine heads injured.

Recalling this story, Dayu and Hou Yi also smiled. Dayu said, “The Nine Phoenixes weren’t wise back then, so such foolish behavior isn’t surprising.”

Hou Yi said, “Later, the Nine Phoenixes were enlightened by someone and gained spiritual power, but their fate is unknown. It is said that they still remembered their past humiliation and forced a tenth head to grow from their waist, using it to eat from then on.”

Dayu said, “How could I not know such a remarkable story?”

Hou Yi replied, “You were busy with trivial matters at that time, while I traveled across the four continents. How could we compare?”

“Then, is this Nine-Headed Worm the Nine Phoenixes of Nieyao?” Qilin asked.

Hou Yi said, “Just look at its waist. If it has a tenth head, it must be the Nine Phoenixes without a doubt!”

Dayu waved his hand, and the Nine-Headed Worm appeared naked before everyone. It couldn’t move, its eyes filled with rage. After all, it was of the Taiyi Golden Immortal level and used to stand above others—how could it endure such humiliation?

Qilin and the others saw that this monster was truly strange! Its wings were tucked tightly under its arms, its feathers scattered and dull, looking extremely ugly. It also had a layer of feathers on its back, and its lower legs were covered in hard scales, just like chicken feet.

It should be noted that even at the Taiyi Golden Immortal level, although one can transform into a human form, achieving perfection without any flaws requires great effort. Thus, most only change their faces and figures, ignoring other parts. For example, the Bull Demon King, though in human form, still has a bull head, and if his clothes are removed, there will be a thick layer of bull hair. The Monkey King in “Journey to the West” is highly skilled at transformation, yet he still has a tail and red bottom that make it hard for him to hide completely.

The Nine-Headed Worm was no exception. After taking off his clothes, its strange features became apparent—there was a head coiled around its waist!
Hou Yi said, “Sure enough, my guess was right!”
Dayu asked, “Do you know who enlightened the Nine-Headed Worm?” Hou Yi replied, “It’s just hearsay; I even forgot who said it. How could I ask in detail?”
Qilin said, “It’s simple. Just wake him up and ask.”
With a flick of his finger, Qilin produced a multicolored rope. Knowing this person was extremely important, he was extremely cautious. First, he tied the Nine-Headed Worm tightly, then removed the spells from its body before waking it up.
Dayu picked up some clothes from the ground and covered the Nine-Headed Worm with them. Having been captured without reason, it was naturally resentful, staring at the three of them with vicious eyes, saying nothing.
Hou Yi spoke first, “Evil One, I know you’ve been enlightened by someone and are deeply grateful to that person. You’d probably be willing to sacrifice your life for them without complaint. But if you don’t speak, you’ll just suffer needlessly. The logic is simple.”
Qilin laughed heartily. “Hou Yi, your method of forcing confessions is really ridiculous.” He slapped the Nine-Headed Worm, pressing one of its heads against the wall as easily as crushing a grape.
With a soft “crack,” despite its defenses, the Nine-Headed Worm couldn’t bear such intense pain. Its other eight heads trembled, and it cried out, “Stop… I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!”
Qilin ordered, “Speak!”
The Nine-Headed Worm stammered, “You… you haven’t asked anything yet. What am I supposed to say?”
Dayu and Hou Yi couldn’t help but laugh. What the Nine-Headed Worm said made sense—no one had asked, so how could it answer?
Qilin took a deep breath and asked, “Who is the one who enlightened you?”
The Nine-Headed Worm shook its head. “I don’t know!”