Volume 3: A Long Journey – Chapter 273: Understanding the True Nature of Wukong
Thinking of the doubts and challenges ahead, Wukong felt overwhelmed. He thought that even if the Six-Eared Monkey was gone from the three realms, it should still be under the control of the Spirit Treasure Daoist. But this matter increasingly didn’t seem like the work of the Three Pure Ones. Last time, they sent the Golden Horned and Silver Horned demons just as a formality, not truly intending to stop the pilgrimage. The Old Lord had once told him that the pilgrimage was also a means for the Tathagata to eliminate rivals. If the Three Pure Ones could sit back and watch the fight, why wouldn’t they do so? Besides, they must have known this would cause him great trouble and wouldn’t act without considering his feelings.
Who else, besides the Three Pure Ones, could have such intent and capability? Sigh, it was truly confusing. After pondering for a long time with no answer, Wukong simply gave up thinking.
There was an urgent matter at hand—he needed to find a way to cross that endless ravine. The sea of suffering is boundless, but there’s always a shore to turn back to! Damn it, why did such a difficult problem appear out of nowhere? Just a deep ravine stood in the way, more troublesome than thousands of demons. He could cross it by stomping his feet, but Tang Seng was the problem.
Since Fangzhang Island wasn’t viable, Wukong changed his mind and headed to Penglai Fairy Island. It was far from Fangzhang Island. Wukong revealed his true form. Fuxing and Luxing, who had always been peaceful and non-confrontational, probably wouldn’t dare do anything to him.
When they saw Wukong on Penglai Fairy Island, Fuxing and Luxing were terrified. “Great, Great Sage, how dare you come here again?” Wukong asked, “Why?”
Fuxing replied, “The ten continents and three islands have issued strict orders: if they hear news of you, they must immediately report it to the Eastern Emperor for judgment!” Luxing added, “Great Sage, I don’t know how you angered him, but this is a huge trouble.”
Wukong smiled bitterly. “It’s a misunderstanding, nothing more.”
Fuxing said, “Great Sage, please leave quickly. I’ll just say you never came here.”
Wukong replied, “You know I’m protecting Tang Seng on his pilgrimage to the West. We encountered difficulties along the way, so I came to ask for your help. I’ll leave as soon as it’s done.” Fuxing said, “Great Sage, please speak quickly. If I can help, I’ll spare no effort.”
Wukong inwardly praised them for knowing how to behave. Then he explained the situation with the endless ravine and the thousand-foot jade.
After hearing this, Fuxing burst into laughter. “Great Sage, you’re confused. A single piece of thousand-foot jade weighs hundreds of thousands of pounds. Even if I were willing to cut it off, could you lift it?”
Wukong slapped his head. He thought he was all-powerful but had forgotten this detail. The thousand-foot jade wasn’t like the Ruyi Tianji Stick—it didn’t belong to any of the five elements, so his elemental powers couldn’t control it.
Luxing said, “Great Sage, I have an idea. Whether it works or not, we’ll have to try it first.”
Wukong asked, “Luxing, please share it.”
Lu Xing said, “The moment you mentioned the Boundless Gorge, I remembered someone who can help you. His treasure is far more useful than a thousand-zhang jade.”
Wukong stamped his foot and said, “You old immortal, stop making me anxious! Just tell me directly.”
Lu Xing replied, “Go find the God of Longevity. He has the Everlasting Vine, and crossing the Boundless Gorge will be as easy as flipping a hand.”
Wukong was overjoyed. He had forgotten about it if Lu Xing hadn’t mentioned it. The Southern Pole Immortal was known as the Great Emperor of Eternal Life, and his wood-related powers were extraordinary—Wukong had experienced them firsthand.
So Wukong thanked Lu Xing and headed to Changzhou. When he arrived in front of the Purple Palace in Changzhou, he wondered: Since this place was called the Purple Palace, and the Eastern Emperor’s realm was called Purple Isle, what connection could there be between them?
The God of Longevity, upon hearing Wukong’s arrival, hurried out to greet him, his expression strained as he forced a smile and asked, “What brings the Great Sage here?” Wukong laughed and said, “Old God of Longevity, do you also plan to capture me to claim credit?”
The Southern Pole Immortal replied, “The Great Sage is joking. I don’t have such power.”
Wukong said, “God of Longevity, I have a request for you today. Please don’t refuse. After I finish this task, if you still want to capture me, I’ll accept it.”
The Southern Pole Immortal smiled and said, “Don’t be silly. The Emperor has given orders—whomever sees Sun Wukong must capture him or report him. If I don’t report you, that’s fine, but how can I go with you? If others find out, how can I stay in the Ten Continents and Three Islands?”
Wukong realized the Southern Pole Immortal’s words made sense, so he nodded and said, “Alright, since that’s the case, I won’t trouble you further. I’ll take my leave and find another way!”
The Southern Pole Immortal called after Wukong, “The Great Sage, be careful on your journey!” But Wukong didn’t even turn around and had already disappeared.
Changzhou was very close to Mount Luojia on Putuo Island. Naturally, Wukong decided to go see Guanyin Bodhisattva to explain the matter of someone impersonating him. Initially, when Wukong heard Lu Xing mention the Everlasting Vine of the Southern Pole Immortal, he thought of the Everlasting Tree of the Wood God Jumang. But how could he ask him for help? Even with the Everlasting Vine, Wukong felt uneasy, as it was a magical creation. It was unclear whether it would count as Tang Seng walking there on his own. If Guanyin said it didn’t count, all his efforts would be in vain.
※ ※ ※
The South Sea was vast, with Mount Luojia in it, shrouded in mist and clouds, where the traces of immortals lingered.
When Wukong arrived at Mount Luojia, twenty-four deities came to greet him and escorted him to Guanyin’s Hall.
The twenty-four heavenly beings stepped back. In front of the hall, there stood a woman silently watching the fish—it was the Dragon Maiden beside Guanyin. Upon seeing her, Wukong remembered that mysterious exchange of glances from before, and he quietly entered the hall. At that moment, the Dragon Maiden turned around and said, “You’ve come.”
Wukong was slightly surprised. When he looked up, she was already facing him, her beautiful eyes fixed on him. Thinking to himself that she was just a monkey, what was there to admire, he replied, “I came here specifically to pay my respects to the Bodhisattva.”
“The inside,” she said, her voice clear yet devoid of any emotion, sounding rather strange, as if speaking to an acquaintance.
Wukong followed her into the hall. When Guanyin saw him, she smiled and said, “You monkey, you’ve caused trouble again!”
Seeing that Guanyin was in excellent health, Wukong replied, “Bodhisattva, it wasn’t me who caused the trouble. This time, trouble came to me.”
Guanyin said, “Still trying to argue? Donghua the Emperor has already spread word throughout the southeast seas—if they see Sun Wukong, they’re to capture him if possible, or report back otherwise. How exactly did you anger him?”
“Everything is really strange. I beg the Bodhisattva to intervene,” Wukong said. He recounted in detail how he had protected Tang Sanzang to the Edgeless Gorge, how Wu Ping suggested that the Thousand-Foot Jade could help them overcome this difficulty, and how he came here to find it. By chance, he encountered the fake Wukong chasing Zhu Bajie. That fake Wukong showed no respect for Donghua the Emperor and even angered him in the name of Buddhism. He explained everything clearly.
After hearing this, Guanyin’s expression grew increasingly serious. “How can such a strange thing happen? Were you sure that fake Wukong looked exactly like you?”
Wukong nodded. “He looked exactly the same. Even I couldn’t tell the difference!”
After thinking for a while, Guanyin said, “There must be someone behind this scheme to drive people to desperation. With his abilities, he can not only disguise himself as you but also possess skills roughly on par with yours. If he really wanted to kill Zhu Bajie, he could have done so at any time. There’s no need for chasing and fleeing—clearly, he wants to corner Zhu Bajie.”
The Bodhisattva’s words enlightened Wukong. “So, you mean that person knows Bajie’s weaknesses and knows he has nowhere to escape, and that’s why he wants to seek out Donghua the Emperor?”
“That’s right! Not only does he know that Donghua the Emperor was the one who transformed Tian Peng into an immortal, but he also knows Donghua’s unwavering loyalty to Taoism. With the fake Wukong being so arrogant, how could Donghua swallow this insult? Wukong, you’re in real trouble now!”
“Who exactly is harming me?” Wukong asked.
“If I could see that fake Wukong, I might be able to figure something out. But right now… I have no clue.”
Wukong knew that this unseen instigator must be someone extraordinary. Even if Guanyin knew, she wouldn’t tell him.
Wukong said, “Since I don’t know, I don’t want to either. I’ll just deal with things as they come. But the barrier of the Boundless Gorge is the real challenge. I beg the Bodhisattva for guidance.”
Guanyin replied, “Searching for a thousand-foot jade or an immortal vine is just a futile attempt to satisfy hunger—it’s useless.”
Wukong asked again, “Does building a bridge across it not count?”
Guanyin said, “If it allows you to cross, then it counts!”
Wukong rejoiced, “If so, there’s a way then. Thank you, Bodhisattva.”
The Bodhisattva smiled and said, “Then go.”
Noticing the Bodhisattva’s strange smile, Wukong asked, “Bodhisattva, could it be that this method won’t work?”
The Bodhisattva replied, “Whether it works or not can only be known by trying. If you can’t cross the Boundless Gorge, you’ll be trapped in an endless sea of suffering.”
Half-believing and half-doubting, Wukong set off. At the door, he turned back and said, “Bodhisattva, please also explain things on my behalf to the Eastern Emperor.”
The Bodhisattva said, “Even if I did, he wouldn’t believe me. The pure will remain pure. Go now.”
After leaving, Wukong encountered the Dragon Maiden head-on.
“He’s gone,” she said indifferently.
“Mm, he’s gone,” Wukong replied, puzzled.
The Dragon Maiden watched Wukong’s figure disappear before returning to the hall.
Seeing her melancholic expression, Guanyin asked, “Have you seen clearly? Is it really him?”
The Dragon Maiden nodded. “It is him.”
Guanyin sighed, “Wukong, Wukong… it’s really him.”
The Dragon Maiden nodded again, remaining silent.
Guanyin said, “You possess great Buddhist qualities, but with just a trace of worldly attachments remaining, the him of this life is no longer him. Why bother?”
The Dragon Maiden replied, “Bodhisattva, he is still the one who entered the Dragon Palace to retrieve the treasures. He has never been anyone else.”
Guanyin said, “A Bodhisattva like Nagarjuna, unmatched in understanding the nature of ‘Wukong,’ and a reincarnation of Jinchanzi, who attained enlightenment through reason—when the Journey to the West reaches its end, it marks the beginning of the prosperity of our Buddhist teachings. Dragon Maiden, don’t you long for that day to come?”
The Dragon Maiden said, “What the Bodhisattva says is my wish.”
Guanyin sighed again. “You needn’t feign understanding. If you can’t grasp the essence of Wukong’s nature, how can you understand all the paths to wisdom in the world? If he can achieve Wukong, why can’t you?”
The Dragon Maiden raised her head and asked, “Neither born nor destroyed… Can it be called karma? Bodhisattva, do you think… he has truly awakened?”
The Bodhisattva was stunned for a moment before declaring firmly, “He will awaken sooner or later!”
The Dragon Maiden said, “I also consider myself awakened. It is because I’ve awakened that I understand the true nature of all phenomena as arising from conditions…”
The Bodhisattva sighed once more and said, “The lamp illuminates the path ahead—just move forward and don’t look back.”
The Dragon Maiden silently lowered her eyelids, her long lashes concealing eyes deeper than the South Sea…