#Friar Sand

[journeytothewestresearch]

PDFs of Foreign Language Journey to the West Translations

I’m happy to host a number of foreign language translations of the noted Chinese classic Journey to the West (Xiyouji, 西遊記, 1592 CE). This archive currently houses the following editions:

English

French

German

Hungarian

Italian

Romanian

Russian

Spanish

Thai

Vietnamese

As of this writing, I don’t yet have a modern Japanese translation. But you can read an original copy of the 1835 translation here.

I have also included translations of the unofficial sequel, A Supplement to the Journey to the West (Xiyoubu, 西遊補, 1640), in the following languages:

English

Hungarian

I will add more languages as they become available. Please let me know if you have access to other editions.

[gojospee]

The way Sanzang speaks to Wukong sometimes kills me lol. Yet even tho he insults Wukong he still ends up listening to his advice🥹

I think it’s cute how Wukong decided that instead of sleeping (after being awake all night💀) he amuses himself by hopping around the trees😂

Also can we take some time to appreciate Friar sand??? He’s so forgotten 🥲 he’s just a chill guy who usually keeps to himself

[what-yadoking-likes]

YES. JOURNEY TO THE WEST IS INCREDIBLE.

I got a 4-volume set one year for my partner’s birthday, and we read it together - by that I mean, we used to voice act it together. Publicly. We have so many in-jokes and references that come from Wu Cheng’en being genuinely so fucking funny.

“I’ve travelled every corner of this earth! There’s nothing I haven’t seen!” “Have you seen a Manfruit?” “No, I haven’t!!”

*Wukong killing the 6-eared macaque so hard he extincts the species* And that is why you never see any 6-eared macaques.

*Wukong erasing names of all macaques from the Book of Death in the underworld/afterlife*

There is a poem to prove it that goes...

WICKED APE

‘Protector of Horses’ lol

The several incidences with piss

The several incidences where Sanzang gets monknapped and must be rescued by his knight in shining armour, Wukong (dragging a reluctant Pig and Friar Sand along with him)

The Little Junior Devils

“As they say - why bother two hosts when you can only bother one?... As they say - why make two trips when one is sufficient? As they say... give me the cudgel”

*Wukong making the word ‘stone’ illegal*

*Whenever Taoists are involved you can bet £100 they’re that chapter’s bad guys and you’d be right 99% of the time*

I appreciate approximately none of that will make any sense if you haven’t read it but TRUST. It is legitimately awesome, and I still want a t-shirt that says ‘Protector of Horses’ in very fancy writing and calligraphy.

kills me that "every single classic out there is written by white people" is such a common take. are the literary traditions of other countries a fucking joke to you? come on. go read the journey to the west or something I beg

[sketching-shark]

If you were put in charge of making a JTTW movie/TV adaption from start to finish what direction would you have the show go?

*SHAKING AND FROTHING AT THE MOUTH FROM THE THOUGHT OF BEING IN CHARGE OF MY OWN ULTRAVIOLENT BODY HORROR-ESQUE JTTW ADAPTATION* Oh I am so normal about this prospect anon.

But in all seriousness I think I would DEFINITELY want it to be a lengthy animated tv adaptation because there's so much rich backstory and plot in the og classic that a movie length doesn't really let you delve into, AND because the wild transformations and different entities seem like they would be best conveyed in the limitless possibilities of animation! Like just imagine how terrifying a havoc in heaven would be where the Monkey King is shown taking FULL advantage of every single one of his abilities (as-you-will cudgel size transformation, tons of monkey clones, transformation from one creature to another, invulnerability, truth-seeing eyes, transformation into a three-headed six-armed towering monstrosity to fight an Erlang Shen who does the same, etc.). In addition, I also do think that the length of time it took for the pilgrims to warm up to each other and for Sun Wukong to go from a practical and ruthless yaoguai warlord to the Buddha Victorious in Strife is an important part of what makes Xiyouji the classic that it is, and this is all something that I think could be well captured in a lengthy animated series.

I know for sure that I'd want to spend a good amount of time on Sun Wukong's transformation from a relatively innocent stone monkey to the most viciously powerful of the yaoguai warlords to a sincere Buddhist, especially since the very understandable fear of death for himself and his loved ones seems to constantly be a driving force behind a lot of his actions. I think seeing the transformation of the monkey from loving and wanting to protect a relatively small group of people (47,000 monkeys & his friends) to extending that active love and compassion to individuals of all sorts, both human and yao, could be a really cool arc for the Monkey King too. This is especially so as it raises the interesting question as to whether compassion and love can end up being destructive if it's only offered to some but not others, and what atonement for past violence might be.

Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing also present a potentially fascinating case of dealing with disgraced deities who start off by considering their time on Earth and time on the journey a punishment before they eventually come to develop genuine compassion for the mortals they encounter. Stories about a fall from heaven leading to the fallen ones developing greater empathy for those who were once literally below them is my jam, and I think these other two pilgrims could offer a neat way to explore that! Also I want to note that I'm fully on team "Zhu Bajie is constantly complaining that he's hungry and tired first because of his own appetites and then as a way to get the other four self-destructive idiots to stop and take care of the basic necessities of life." For sure I'd also add in that potential hint noted by others that breaking a vase during a banquet had a precedent of being used as a signal to start a coup, thus explaining why Sha Wujing's punishment on Earth was much worse than Zhu Bajie's. And one simply can't do without the indication that it was everyone's favorite Friar Sand who had eaten eight of Tang Sanzang's reincarnations! He may be one of the pilgrim group's straight men, but he also spent centuries as a cannibal <3.

Also yeah hard agree with others that both Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing start off the pilgrimage pretty terrified of Sun Wukong because they saw him at his violently worst in heaven. As a treat :3

I think I'd also have Ao Lie spend more time outside of his horse not just so that he can be a dragon-ish guy as well as an actual dragon, but also so that we can get more insight into how his transformation from a destructive prince to a humble steed changed him. I think it also would be cool to spend a little more time on the dragon kings and how, for example, it does raise some uncomfortable questions about their whole deal if Ao Lie could commit arson & destroy a pearl and be punished pretty brutally while Ao Guang could run a weather-based protection racket for centuries and get a 12 year old to kill himself and yet they all seem to be cool with that :[

I'd also want to make my adaptation one that deals more with the aftereffects of the absolute bullshit the pilgrims go through. For example, it's pretty rare to find an adaptation out there that gives full weight to the stuff Tang Sanzang went through, and while it is understandable why and can be funny to characterize him as one of the "straight men" of the pilgrim group or as the weepy useless guy who falls off his dragon horse all the time, I've literally never encountered an adaptation that for example has him react at the age of 18 to his mother committing suicide after Xuanzang went through so much to try and help her, or him having to see both of the human companions he started the journey with get eaten alive by yaoguai. I'd want to make Tang Sanzang more of a dynamic character than he is even in Xiyouji itself, and I do think delving into this background--you knowing, showing why exactly he does in fact have good reason to be suspicious and even hateful of yaoguai and perhaps more secretly certain humans (his mother was after all brutalized for years by a bandit chief)--would be good to deal with in showing Tang Sanzang's journey to enlightenment. And for sure I'd want to make Tang Sanzang a little more like the historical Xuanzang in having him both be a master translator and a canny rule-breaker; I think that having the story follow history in that Xuanzang was in fact forbidden from going west in search of Buddhist scriptures but went anyway, for example, would be a good path to follow. Might give him an interesting point of relation and sympathy to SWK as well, in that both of them would be challenging authority to do what they think is right.

I do think that this all could also make for a really interesting point of tension and later comprehension between Tang Sanzang and SWK, where you would have the monk and the monkey on the same journey for very different but in some ways similar reasons (Tang Sanzang wants the scriptures because he sincerely believes that they will save countless souls, SWK wants to finish the journey so that he can go back home and protect his monkeys). Like Tang Sanzang would be starting the journey at age 28 and after going through some pretty intense trauma, but having lived in a monastery for most of his life wouldn't have much of a sense of what dangers the world contains as SWK, even though he is determined to complete the journey no matter the cost to himself. SWK, on the other hand, would be starting the journey after the bitter defeat in heaven and the anguish of 500 years in solitary confinement, and would likely be enraged about everything he lost but would still be operating under the terrible elation that came from his vast violent power. As someone else once put it, it could be a similar dynamic to a late middle-aged triads boss having to watch out for a beginning grad student lmao. So you'd have a lot of tension between SWK and Tang Sanzang's world views, with the former thinking that violence is a perfectly acceptable way to solve problems or get what you want, while the other abhors violence of all sorts, and they'd both have plentiful reasons to criticize the other.

While the film The Monkey King 2 is far from the best JTTW retelling out there (though it is one of my personal favorites lol), it also has this pretty great and rare scene for JTTW retellings that I feel I'd like my own retelling to somewhat emulate. Here, Sun Wukong saves Tang Sanzang and a bunch of little kids from the violent actions of a king, but he's only able to do this because the Monkey King is more powerful than the king and is able to legitimately threaten the king with death if he goes back to his vicious ways. Tang Sanzang does get Sun Wukong to spare the king, but the king then directly calls the monk out on the seeming hypocrisy of his mission. I forget the exact words, but the king's accusations were basically about how Tang Sanzang is a fraud and a liar because for all that he preaches peace and forgiveness he wouldn't be able to make it anywhere, he wouldn't be able to save anyone, he would have in fact been killed long ago if it wasn't for Sun Wukong's power and willingness to violence. And I do think in a lot of ways this is the crux of a lot of interesting questions that Xiyouji brings up even if it never provides one solid answer: that we all want to be relieved of suffering, and yet what do we do in a world where violence is something we both constantly suffer from as well as commonly inflict upon others?

I guess ultimately I'd want this to be a retelling that really focuses on the many forms and roles of violence in the shaping of a society, what the consequences of this violence often is, and what might be done to create a more just and peaceful life for all.

I'd know I'd want to spend a lot of time on SWK getting back home to Mt. Huaguoshan and finding it this burned-out ruin with the vast majority of his family dead or otherwise gone, only to realize that this was done by heaven in retaliation for the war and his havoc in heaven in a true case of mythological M.A.D. I feel like this, as with other scenes, would be a good way to bring up Xiyouji's frequent refrain that "for the strong there's always the stronger," and how the devastation that violence and warfare wrecks on a landscape, even if it seems awesome and justifiable at the time it's being waged, leads to horrific problems that don't go away even after generations and which could very easily be turned against you and your loved ones. I've said before that one of the things that I like about the Monkey King is that he almost always has a very clear reason for doing what he does, and I think this would be a great arc for it to really and painfully hit home that ultimately violence does not exist in a vacuum, and, especially when you care about so many, it ultimately serves to create a world where your own loved ones can easily become the next who will suffer. Yet even here the complexity of the situation doesn't stop, because while SWK is able to vastly improve the lives of his monkeys by doing everything he can to restore Mt. Huaguoshan back to its former fecundity, he also protects them by well killing 1000 human hunters who had been going after them for years. The violence may never stop, but neither do the efforts to make the world a more peaceful place. And as it is, no one can live by the sword alone.

Just some sketchy thoughts anon, but I hope you like what I'm laying out :)

[skymoral]

Friar Sand(a.k.a Sha Wujing/Sandy) @gojospee wanted me to do the other member of Wukong’s gang.

Sandy was something but still pleased with how he came out.

Now who should I do next Sandy or Tang?

[michael-massa-micon]

Turkey Vulture - March 2024 This is another image of the turkey vulture which hangs around the Mission Valley bike path. Normally I wouldn’t post a second image so soon of the same bird in the same area, but the second image was just too good to resist. Friar Road just ends after crossing the flood control channels and there is nothing past there but sand and desert plants. The Interstate and the mountains are in the distance as the turkey vulture watches over his domain. MWM

[upwiththewitness]

|Pestilence|

If Pestilence was a man,

the Nurses would scurry

out of His Waywhen they can,

hoping He drops a folder in the hallway

as a pretext

for some conversation.

If Pestilence was a man,

He would walk the line

in front of the Friars,

drawing fire when He can;

Speaking Sign Language to the Choirs,

if they were within His Wing Span.

The Flagellants Pacing behind the Monks,

all Dogmatic Revulsion and Holy War,

the Ascetic Gazes of the Dispossessed,

Eyes Hungry for a Rapturous Score:

Unphased if Euthanized by Their Doctor;

Frozen from their Avian Behavior,

Their Heads cocked to the side at the Foe,

who must now wonder if the Doctor,

His Score,

the Friars,

the Warrior Monks,

and the Cross,

are not a Fixture

They must endure.

If Pestilence was a man,

He would Operate with a steady Hand,

Stomping Franciscan through the Blades,

the Eyes of the Beak fogged with Sand,

ere the Nuns flip their Hourglasses,

and Slain men are pulled out of their Graves;

the Plague Doctor fluttering with His Scalpel,

the Flagellants Roaring a Thousand Names,

as the Friars Cross the Valley of Death,

to fight as Angels Chanting with Staves.

If Pestilence was a man,

He would Sing the Slain to fight anew,

As wounded Muslims in Spinal Submission,

from the backs of whom

their own Skeletons Grew.

Aya Sabu

Lin-Sanu

Allan Najma’a

Izamahu

"Does man

think We will not

Assemble

his bones?"

If Pestilence was a man,

the Nurses would always find an excuse…

to save a promising specimen,

even if it meant one less share be made,

to the Sisters at the Nunnery,

as often…

in war…

mistakes can be grave.

If Pestilence was a man,

and the Undead had lost their sense of Humour,

He might fight in all directions,

as if driven Feral by a rumor…

that His Messenger had been Bewitched,

or Treachery was afoot,

till the Fleshless start Cackling

the Foe grows overproud,

the Faithful feel Betrayed,

and Richelieu glares Foul.

When from beneath the Mask comes the Howling Scream of Muhammadan Physicians slashing Dreams, Counting seconds of Candle Flames and Grains of Sand that Recite the Names, between the Parapets of Reynald’s Holdfast ere Templar mail Bled Holy Land, Bishops Chopping Candelabras of Runic Axe that could only Cut as Deep as the True Lord can when He converted by the Blade

every Viking He could stand.

If Pestilence was a man,

He would skulk away from another defeat,

His Corpse Cart laden

with His specimens,

His Company…

the Bones He Bleeds;

His Beak hanging in Despair,

on to the next Hamlet in distress,

wondering why His Halo,

is a burden He loves to regret.

by Julian Collins

[cave-monkey]

So part of Yu's translation confused me, prompting me to go dig up my Jenner books because sometimes looking at multiple different versions helps clarify matters. It did not actually clarify anything, but I thought the wildly different ways each translator handled this section was interesting.

“...There’s only one thing left for us to settle, and that’s the Tight-Fillet Spell.” The Tang Monk said, “I won’t recite that again.” “That’s hard to say,” said Pilgrim. “For when the time comes for you to face those treacherous demons and bitter ordeals, and when you, because Eight Rules and Sha Monk cannot rescue you, think of me and cannot stop yourself from reciting it, I’ll have a headache even if I’m one hundred thousand miles away. I’ll have to come back to see you, so why don’t you let this matter drop now.” -Yu, Revised translation, Kindle

And:

"I won't recite it again," said Sanzang. "You shouldn't say that," replied Monkey. "If you're ever beset by evil monsters from whom you can't escape, and if Pig and Friar Sand can't save you, then think of me. If it's unbearable, say the spell. My head will ache even if I'm tens of thousands of miles away. But if I do come back to you, never say it again." -Jenner

It's like...*chin in hands* Huh.

[journeytothewestresearch]

Sizes of the JTTW Pilgrims

Someone posted the following picture to a Monkey King-related Facebook group that I belong to. The bottom part reads:

"The original novel describes Bajie's body as being one zhang tall. Three Chinese feet is 1 meter. One zhang is around 3.3 meters. Sha Monk is 1.2 zhang, which is close to 4 meters. The Tang monk is 1.8 meters. The Great Sage Lord is 4 Chinese feet, or approximately 1.3 meters."

Edit: I've written an article about the picture.

[gojospee]

Wukong being in a decapitation contest and being excited for it is crazy😭 he even said “it was fun”

I like whenever we see different sides of Wukong, such as being anxious whenever his severed head didn’t come back to his body, which caused him to grow another head lol.

Wukong then acting like he didn’t almost die and shows off to an astonished Bajie that he doesn’t even have a scar from the sword 😭💀

[axl-ul]

The Flight of the Western Crane: Chapter Thirteen

(A reupload/repost of my fic/dark retellingof Journey to the West which can be also found on AO3 under the same name)

(General info about this fic/wip/retelling is here)

****

An enormous fly sitting on Sha Seng’s flat nose woke him up. His Master as well as Pigsy were still deep within the realm of nightly peace. No wonder, the sun had been just beginning to rise after the lively night of preparations for the queen’s birthday.

Although there were grapes grinning at the pilgrim from the white and blue bowl across the bedroom, Sandy resisted the urge to bite down on them and positioned himself for the prayer. Clutching his beads in hand, he began to recite the mantra taught to him, yet this time, something was different. He twitched, he mispronounced, he unsuccessfully tried to maintain his eyes shut. A thought gnawed on his mind, unsettling him now more than before.

“Brother Sha Seng? Is everything fine?“ Bajie’s question startled Sha Wujing.

“Brother Bajie! Good morning to you, too!“ He sincerely grinned but seeing Pigsy put his finger on his mouth and motion to the Tang monk, the Friar Sand fell silent.

“What’s going on, Little Bro?“ Bajie whispered and continued munching on the green grapes. “Never seen you like this during prayers.“

“Brother,“ Sandy started carefully,“I’m not sure myself. Whenever my thoughts strand back to the awful idea, my head starts to spin, my legs, they become wobbly, my guts refuse to stop growling like a mad dog.“ He fell silent as well as ashamed by slowly coming out with the truth.

“Little Bro?“ Pigsy put away the grapes and knelt beside his junior disciple whose eyes darted around the whole room. At no cost he wanted to sound angry but the more he listened to Wujing’s dying voice, the more the pig demon grew desperate and impatient. “Sha Seng, are you going to finally tell me what’s all this about? Are you feeling sick? Should I call Big Bro or the witch for the medical check?“

“No, don’t. It’s just…“

They both turned to the monk’s bed, horrified expressions painted on their faces. The clothes rustled, the shifting Master didn’t force himself to wake up, not quite yet. The look he wore on his face, so sweet and innocent, contributed to the inkling he was still sound asleep.

Pigsy’s heavy palm cautiously shook the startled junior. The Friar Sand couldn’t read a single sign of malice or unhealthy curiosity in the pig’s face, rather a simple concern looked back at him. “It is a horrendous thought, indeed. Please, don’t judge me, Brother. But,“ Wujing had to rub his whole face before he found the courage to continue,“I think Shifu might be hiding something from us. Something must be written in his journal. Whenever somebody got too close, Shifu started acting strange. He was evasive, reluctant, afraid.“

Although the idea seemed to the pig demon too silly to be true he listened further. “You think it has something to do with us, the disciples?“

Ol’ Sha nodded. “Aye. I’ve been thinking about our journey and yet there’s not a single event that would affect us much. The only exceptions are the times we were recruited, each bound to do the journey after a condition given by Guanyin. Poor Wukong, he probably got the harshest one.“

Even Bajie arched over with a gloomy face. “Yeah, if he fails to protect Shifu, he’ll be turned back into a stone and buried again under the mountain, this time with zero hopes of escape.“

“What else, though? I think we’re missing something…“

“The clue might be hidden in the journal, then.“ A well-known spark glinted in Zhu Bajie’s little eyes. He didn’t dare to deny their Master, yet the mystery called him and he’d never been much prone to its charm. It took only a few heart beats when the uncomfortable atmosphere made Sha Seng stand up and start carefully to run through the young monk’s things hidden under the river demon’s bed. A moment later and among his webbed fingers, a small stack of scrolls appeared. Bajie trod closer until he was snuggling his junior enough to see for himself what their Master marked down.

Sandy shuddered again as he leafed through. “This is wrong, this is so wrong,“ he cried but continued to go through the records.

“Brother, wait!“ Pigsy abruptly halted him. The pig demon tapped on a page his junior nearly turned over,“Look!“

Both leaned closer till the musty scent of the paper hit their noses. Their lips moved with mute words on the tip of their tongues. The dismay paralysed them, the torment hollowed them inside out. Sandy was the first to come back to his senses,“This is bad, Brother. Even worse than what I imagined. How could he… Bodhisattva Guanyin said…“

“She found us, brought us together and requested us to fetch the sutras,“ Pigsy whispered to himself in an even lower voice,“to help the people. Shifu…he…failed to get permission from the Tang Emperor, though. So that’s the real reason why we can’t follow the normal routes. He dragged us across the lands he barely knew just to get around the soldiers and patrols… He was just using us as means to scare away the danger. Not to help us out…“

“He didn’t realise how much infested with yaoguais those lands were.“ Sandy violently shook his head. “No. No, Shifu would never. This was a long time ago. We changed. He changed. Now, everything’s different. He trusts us, he…he loves us, cares about us. I know it. Brother,“ Wujing turned to face Bajie,“we must keep this to ourselves. Buddha and Guanyin may judge us and so be it. We sinned, we deserve the punishment. Amitabha. But at no cost…“

“...we must let Shifu know that we now know. You’re right. Shifu is wise. He surely realised his mistake.“

“And not a word…“

“...in front of Big Brother. Amitabha, if he gets the word about this he’s going to fume with rage. He’s got enough trouble with the witch and her difficult attitude, let alone this…“ The light robes shifted again, only this time weak grunts of the waking Tripitaka accompanied the noise as well. Bajie panicked,“Little Bro. Quickly. Hide it back.“

Sandy pulled away from the hideaway at the last moment. He and his fellow disciple beamed at drowsy Sanzang. “Morning, Shifu! Did you sleep well? You looked like a baby in a cradle.“

Sanzang rubbed his face, corners of his lips twirled up when he saw the two demons,“I wish you a good morning, too. Yes, I can’t recollect when was the last time I had this much of a good sleep. Thank you. Hopefully, you had quite the same experience as me.“

“Yes, we did, Shifu,“ Bajie yelled out and took the monk by his hand to drag him out from his seat. “Let’s get prepared for the day, what do you say? Her Majesty expects you this evening. Sha Seng wrote down some interesting facts he’s found out about the city. He’ll read you his journal while I serve some tea.“

The clinking of cups resonated and the Tripitaka sat by his disciple, eager to hear what they had to tell him.

****

The ringing of the light steps descended down to reach the prison where the stench of sweat, musty coolness of the stone and dried blood and faeces reeked day and night. Yawen twisted her lips and covered her nose with the wide sleeve of her blue robes.

“You’re not supposed to be down here, Miss Yawen.“

Her frown soon changed into a crooked grin when she turned around. “Is that so, our most handsome Captain? After all, I am Her Majesty’s handmaiden, her right hand. Doesn’t that make me an exception?“

“Only if you have the letter of approval which I highly doubt of,“ Jun’s onyx eyes stabbed the small demoness through and through, not a single spark of trust appeared in them.

“Jun,“ she ran her petite hands up and down his armoured chest,“I know the treachery of my brother took you by surprise. Believe me, I was no exception.“ A tear slid down beside her beauty mark as the demoness placed her hand on her chest. “That’s why I need to see my gege’s henchman. To gather answers…“

“Denied.“

“Repeat that, dear.“

“Denied,“ Jun leaned closer, the hostility emitted from him even more than when he was around the insolent macaque,“Miss Yawen. Even if you tried your honeyed words, it wouldn’t work. The prisoner’s at the verge of his death and still refuses to open his mouth. Now, get back to Her Majesty and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. Or you’ll end up on my list of wanted, just next to your ‘gege’, as you like to say.“

Yawen inhaled deeply. An unimaginable range of emotions flew through her rosy face, each more sinister than the one before until she finally settled up on one. “You’ll regret your words. When you do, be sure I’ll spit my venom into your eyes. Miss Yawen here, Miss Yawen there. You don’t even look at me like you used to. Did you forget all those months we’ve been so close, so intimate? I used to be your Orchid, don’t you remember? You owe me for such a cold treatment. Especially, since it’d been proved I’d had no idea about my brother’s plans to usurp the crown. Now, let me in. Besides, I’m more experienced with negotiations and you’re well aware the captive might know where the Pilgrims are.“

“That’s not true and you know it. No existence of any proof doesn’t necessarily mean you’re innocent. You’re twins, I doubt you two would avoid each other with secrets. Plus, you’ve always been a treacherous woman. Your tricks won’t work with me anymore. The mighty and powerful have always remained your only source of interest. Because only they can offer you something you don’t have.“

The heavy door up the short staircase opened and a head in a dark helmet showed up,“Sir, another captured viper isn’t well. Our medic’s trying his best but it seems like he intentionally broke one of his fangs when the guard wasn’t looking.“ Jun responded with fumes and curses under his breath while he and the soldier quickly took off. Yawen heard no more than a surly command for her to stay at her place.

A command the young viper didn’t obey.

When the door slammed shut, she waited until she couldn’t hear any footsteps. Only then she finally set off to the cell behind the heavy door. Behind it, two guards were curled up in the corner, drunk and snoring. ‘If only your Captain knew what sort of reliable subordinates he has,’ Yawen thought to herself, though seeing how well the situation played into her cards, Yawen let them be. She looked around until she found her target. Facing them was bloodied Dong chained to the cold stone wall. The demon was a shell of his former self. A tall, bulky warrior with a sharp jaw and atrocious gaze had been replaced by a languished man with barely more than three of his fingers remaining. His single eye looked up when the visitor firmly planted her feet into the cracked floor. The woman’s curves unnaturally curled until her slim body slipped through the bars. Dong, too weak to let out any noise, simply watched in horror as she slowly made her way forward. “Dong, my dear Dong. I missed you, my sweet thing,“ she lightly pressed her lips against his temple,“I see the damned crane hasn’t been kind to my handsome hunk. Don’t worry, I read the message. Everything’s in the process of preparation. My gege and I will feast on the bodies of the monk and the queen. You don’t need to say a thing. But nod if I’m right. Is my gege still at his hideout?“

Dong shook his head.

“Is he somewhere in the forest?“

Despite the pain striking from his upper back and neck, he nodded, hoping his long lost lover would help him soon.

“My hawk should still be able to locate him if he has the silver ring. He has it, doesn’t he?“

Another slow nod, this time the captured viper demon shed a tear, his body began to shake.

“Shush, sweetie. It’ll be over soon.“ Her slim hands cupped his square face to bring his lips closer to hers. When Dong was close enough for their noses to touch, Yawen suddenly pulled away. “One last thing. During your interrogation, did you say anything to Jun? Did you rat on me and Jin?“

From the last gathered strength, Dong shook and rested his head against the curve of Yawen’s neck. He was getting weaker with each second passed, but his devotion to the viper twins never ceased to be.

“What about your men, though. I’ve heard that at least two of them had to pass away. Did they say anything?“

He replied in a trembling hoarse voice,“I don’t think so. I’m afraid that after hearing so many gut-wrenching sounds from the torture room I’m the last remaining of the scouts sent by…“

“Dong,“ Yawen pressed her finger against his mouth,“I said you could only nod.“

He obeyed and nodded.

Yawen smirked and petted the sticky skin of his sunken cheek. “Good boy.“ Only then she answered Dong’s yearning and planted a firm kiss on his dried mouth. For Dong, the reunion was sweet and rewarding at first. Soon enough between his soft moans, her tongue slipped inside and forced his lips to depart. He wanted the moment to last longer but in a matter of a second his eyes bulged in horror. His saliva mixed with blood from his bitten tongue and something bitter, ominous flooded his oral cavity and poured outside by its corners, down his chin and onto his ragged shirt and trousers. His whole body convulsed, yet Yawen made sure to press his weakened self against the wall. Her other hand went to cover his mouth from further noise. There was no sign of previous affection in her now hollowed gaze. She was like a porcelain doll - beautiful yet empty and icy-cold on the touch. That was the last sight Dong had ever seen.

When the spasmodic movement stopped, Yawen brought up the small iron claw from her hidden side purse and put it on her finger. The index then tapped on the precise spots on Dong’s venomous fangs until they both broke, their tips vanishing inside the viper’s throat once Yawen tilted his head.

Making sure the guards were still asleep and the crime scene didn’t point at her she quietly disappeared outside the prison. She didn’t need to fear for the captain to catch her soon. After all, the guard who previously called Jun was more than happy to be of service. He played his own part brilliantly.

Finally outside in the fresh air and in the hot embrace of the sun’s rays, she spat into the nearby bush. “He really thought he could be better than our handsome monkey stranger. Well, time for me to attend to more important matters and more important…,“ she dreamily sighed, the feeling of simian’s hands on her naked waist and the amazement from how easily he fought off the rogues enveloped her,“...powerful people.“

****

“Let’s go through it one more time - we three sneak around the palace, into the queen’s quarters and run through her personal belongings in hopes to find what exactly? Whether her snot is pure gold?!“ Bajie’s angered uttering hit Wukong like a heatwave. The middle brother sure liked to stick his nose into people’s business. For an unknown reason, he was now appalled by the thought of spying on someone and he would not back off, not even now when the sultry evening got under his garments and onto his nerves, too. The three of them decided to head out for an investigation by taking the sneaky way above the heads of the guards while the Tripitaka, the Princess and the Friar Sand went to fill up their stomachs with a nice dinner. As if to make things worse, long way down, under the watchful gaze of the proud royal palace, the marketplace livened up with another performance. Tonight, the contest for the best cook in the city was held. If only Bajie were persuasive enough…

“Idiot!“ Wukong slapped the sweaty top of the head so hard that Pigsy’s double chin began to move like two meaty bells. “Whether she has a hint about us. Do I really need to explain that we’re still in danger? Plus, the more you know about your foe, the better options will turn out in the future.“

Their bickering reflected on the witch’s mood - her nose and forehead which warped with slight wrinkles. Márgerdra turned around like a deadly whirlwind, a sudden blast of a cold authority not one of the disciples expected. Her look transformed Wukong and Bajie into living stones which perfectly fitted on the long roof of the palace.“Shut up you two. I’m fed up with your behaviour. Both of you are beyond being spoiled little brats. Shut up and go on like two mature, well-behaved gentlemen for at least five damned minutes!“ Her attitude seemed to have worked on the disciples since they both planted their gaze right next to their feet. The nervous fidgeting of their limbs or Wukong’s tail, neither the silent chewing into nothing worked right with Márgerdra. “Say sorry and hug each other. Or I’m kicking you both out of this cursed slippery roof.“ In an eerily low tone the woman added,“Am I clear?“

The mere hint of an embrace was all Márgerdra needed because when the two demonic disciples parted away, instead of an elegant woman they saw how a dark dot lithely jumped from one roof to another, from one building to the next one, climbed from a lower level of the palace to the quarters carved into the hard rock high above them.

Márgerdra was holding on the outside of the alcove balcony when Wukong and Bajie caught up to her. The witch’s infamous whip dangled on her belt loop in the rhythm of a breeze blowing around them, which caught Bajie’s eye. His interest lingered that low too much, though. The witch didn’t offer him a single look when she muttered,“Stop staring at my ass, Bajie. You’ve seen more than enough at the bathhouse.“

The startled pig began to climb in through the railing to fudge the upcoming scold,“I-I’m not staring, Miss! Don’t you-Don’t you know me?!“

After Márgerdra and Wukong heard the loud bang coming from the demon queen’s bedroom, they shot out their arms and forced their comrade to back down. He barely managed to grab the blue-painted supporting bracket. After Pigsy shot Wukong a questioning look, the senior gestured him to keep silent.

It didn’t take long for the two oddly familiar voices to be heard. “Yawen, put it down there and help me change quickly. If I want to improve the lives of our citizens I need to be on time. This place’s been reeking with decay far too long. Besides, I can’t let my future husband keep waiting.“

“Naturally, Shufen. It’s been quite a while since somebody capable showed up. Except for myself, of course. Now, hands up.“

“You’re right. You and that one other servant have a mesmerising approach in the bedroom. Though this time, finally somebody worthy came. It won’t take too much time to make him fall hard. When the right time comes, at our wedding, we can feast on Golden Cicada’s reincarnation.“ The queen’s sharp giggle drowned out the rustling of fine damask.

“That’s what I’d love to see - a happy eternal couple. You and your gorgeous scholar with interest in poems. Please, tell me, you’re going to make him recite tonight!“

“Hands off of Shui, sweet Yawen. He’s mine. But…I can lend him to you from time to time. Or you could just join us. We can explore his divine form from head to toe together. But the finish - you let that ecstasy be mine and mine only.“

Wukong’s jaw clenched, his black claws dug into the wooden construction and the rock next to him. Small splinters flew past him while the dirt crumbled under his left arm. His eyes started to give a weak reddish glint. The tail he kept around his thin waist unwrapped and lashed around. Never before his ears had heard such insolence. Fury was slowly consuming him inside out and his guts began to twist.

“What an offer!“ Yawen yelled out. “I’d love to, Your Majesty. I bet the handsome Master is just as delicious as he’s good-looking. Although, I doubt he can ever compare to someone else.“

The monkey’s inner curses stopped for a moment. His thoughts raced inside his skull. All he wished for now was to burst in and beat both demonesses to death with his powerpole.

By Wukong’s right, Pigsy silently grunted. Despite the fact that he was right next to the monkey, Sun Wukong didn’t register the noise. Neither did he register Márgerdra who was carefully approaching him by climbing around Bajie.

But within a second, everything changed.

Five fingers hugged his forearm and the consoling tenderness they gave him was enough to make the Monkey King feel somewhat lighter.

Without further hesitation, Wukong cast a side eye. Although the decision was risky, Márgerdra couldn’t bear to watch and climbed a bit closer. After she confirmed the monkey was truly backing down from whichever dangerous idea struck him, her palm left his burning skin so the late evening’s breeze could at last cool it down. At the sound of a distant hoot, Márgerdra put her finger on her lips. Her proximity as well as Bajie’s pleading gaze were more than enough. On the third exhale, Wukong’s tail wrapped around his bright sash. His grip was solid enough just to keep his body from falling down, not to destroy their only handle.

“Yawen, quickly. Bring me the comb.“

Miss Yawen came over to the wall with the built alcove balcony, the very one where the disciples and the witch had been hiding. For a moment, Márgerdra’s heart pounded so hard she easily heard the wild rhythm in her ears. However, the years of hard training didn’t allow her to succumb to her emotions. One inhale later and her heart moved at a much slower rate, almost as if she were barely alive. The sweat on her temples became nothing more than a reminder of the merciless weather. 

“Do you want to wear the flower buyao crown? Or rather something more exquisite?“

“You know which one. But,“ the demon queen returned to their topic,“I better be careful with him. I don’t want to exhaust him.“

“Oh, please. You’re not going to feed on his energy. Just a little fun,“ the snake demoness laughed it off, but a strange thrill resonated in her voice. A thrill which this time didn’t irk Wukong or Márgerdra. Rather, it caught their attention what showed in the two companions exchanging inquiring looks. It seemed like the handmaiden wasn’t comfortable with the direction of the conversation.

Unlike the Sage or the Wolf Witch, the crane demoness didn’t recognise the slight change in the tone. “Yawen, going by your experience, you know best that every such encounter leads to somebody losing a bit of themselves while the other party gains it. Any sort of intimacy should be held with a precaution as my good old Daoist friends would say.“

“Do you think those old farts are still looking?“

“No.“ The three heard how one of the women vigorously stood up and something metallic shook as she approached the opposite side of the large room. “I don’t think their search’s still up. I know it.“

As soon as the door closed behind the queen and her handmaiden, the three demons, who were still hanging over the steep rock formation, at last sighed. Finally reaching their destination, they at once climbed in.

****

The dining hall was, in fact, a cavernous narrow masterfully enlarged to meet the requirements for its function. The cold but drenched walls weren’t only grey. Dazzling turquoise, shining violet, mysterious purple, joyous carmine or orange, all the colours that a person can ever think of were present due to the rich deposits of ores within the mountain range. Miniature but numerous ceramic and bronze oil lamps with ivory handles as well as hanging red lanterns with black characters shone down on the guests. Their light reflected on wooden sculptures of seven dancers in real size, the stage where they were supposed to perform was made of rocks whose golden and silver veins flowed through the dull surface. In the corner, a large oval porcelain tablet was displayed with blue and black strokes which presented a highly detailed map.

When Mei stepped in, she was gasping whenever she found a new detail because the place was even more marvellous than her own palace. The ornaments in her bun swayed like a boat on waves and their clanging filled the empty space. “This is all so pretty! If only the rest was here to witness this…“ The princess was so amazed she didn’t notice the monk in the light attire approaching her from behind.

Sanzang had to take a deep breath before he leaned over. The princess was dressed in a pink half-sleeved waistcoat with a depicted plum blossom and yellow blouse with gold embroidered skirt and he couldn’t deny how much it neatly complemented her innocent face. He slowly noticed the princess’ fascination and also the sadness waking up behind her eyes. He whispered over in a happy voice while shallow dimples appeared on his cheeks, “You’re also very pretty tonight, Your Highness.“

Surprised, she turned around to face him. After a short while, she beamed in her usual joyous manner. “Thank you! You’re always so nice…Shui. No wonder Tao here,“ she mischievously winked at Ol’ Sha,“is also such a gentleman.“ Despite her small stature, the princess stretched out her arms and took both Sanzang and Wujing by their upper arms. Meanwhile appointing herself to lead the further way by positioning herself in between the two men, the princess curiously observed their elegant attire made of hemp and silk. The tailor surely struggled to deliver the best clothes for the two unusually tall men but the outcome was certainly worth it as both were now standing in light embellished cross-collar shirts with cuffed sleeves and with blue trousers and skirts. The only piece in which they differed was a loose thin coat worn by Sanzang. “By the way, you two are waaay too handsome tonight, as well! Glad to be alive and see this, boys.“

The Tigre Princess’ blunt comment astonished the monk and his disciple. To hide their reddening cheeks the both looked sideways as they scratched the back of their heads and nervously chuckled.

The princess, the monk and their current bodyguard descended the short staircase down to the centre of the room where a large round table was already waiting for them with prepared bowls, cups and chopsticks. Only food and the host herself were missing.

“Do you think we came too early?“ Mei whispered into Sanzang’s ear but quickly retracted as the large door opened and in them, several guards and servants entered. All of them positioned themselves in two rows to make a corridor and when the Queen Shufen entered as well in the retinue of Miss Yawen and few other handmaidens, the soldiers raised their swords in order to welcome their ruler.

The head of the Azure Crane Dynasty shone in her pure beauty and wonder - her long and light robes flowed around her and so it looked as if the queen’s slim figure was bathing in the gold, turquoise and red colours. Above the curled up shoes with flower and butterfly motifs the gold hoops were once again ringing around her ankles, the same gold jewellery also shone on her forearms and upper arms. A set of long earrings hung by the sides of her slim face painted with a neat layer of make-up. Similarly to Mei, an ornament in the shape of a bird marked her forehead under the gold crown with pearls and carved designs of dragon, phoenix and a crane. Dangling tassels, pendants and gemstones of the crown covered the majority of her thick hair.

“Welcome, Your Majesty,“ everyone greeted the queen and bowed deeply, the three guests were no exception.

Miss Yawen took a good look at the guests. Her shiny eyes became gloomier the more she observed. Eventually she murmured something into the queen’s ear. “I see that only half of you accepted my invitation. Something terrible happened?“

“Nothing serious, Your Majesty,“ Sanzang politely responded but he never gathered the courage to look at the demoness,“only my…brother…he twisted his ankle and my eldest brother with my sister-in-law decided to take care of him. I’d like to apologise on their behalf…“

“No need, young Master. I see your family ties are strong. Same as mine. If anything happened to my beloved nephew, believe me, I’d tear down even the throne of the Jade Emperor.“ Shufen gestured for the guests to face her, only then she ordered her servants to finally serve the meal. “Please, take a seat. But I must admit I’d love for you, Huang Shui, to sit by my side.“

The moment they sat various bowls and long plates with meals of every kind began to flood in - fish, soups, sweet dishes with fruits, sour ones with hot sauce, everyone found their own taste within the wide offer of delicacies. Similarly to Mei and Shufen’s discussion at the bathhouse, the queen started to question her guests with a great interest about their knowledge and advice on city repair. Sanzang tried his best whenever Shufen gazed upon him. Yet his conscience couldn’t ever possibly allow him to lie further and so he only tripped over his words as his thoughts raced around to find another topic for them to discuss. Wujing’s attempt to praise the royal cook didn’t help either and whenever Mei interrupted Sanzang’s spluttering, Shufen  dismissed her with an annoyed grimace.

“I see you’re still quite shy. Don’t worry, I know many like this. What’s more, I also know how uncomfortable it must be for you, Master Huang, to be spoon fed words by the others,“ Shufen scorched the young princess and the river demon with her sharp eyes. Soon, her hand stretched out to touch Sanzang’s pale wrist. “Master Huang, I’ve just remembered you and I share an interest in poems. Would you care and recite a few verses for me? It doesn’t need to be anything special. Only if you’d really love to…“

“I’m afraid I cannot, Your Majesty.“

“Why so? And why do you refuse to look me in the eyes?“ Shufen didn’t shy away from feasting on the nervous young man by taking the full sight of him. Just like during their initial meeting, she was carefully sliding him down from the head with short spiky black hair and thick eyebrows, to his smooth chin, then his wide but thin shoulders and his slim chest heaving under the shirt. What was more, his smell was intoxicating. Too intoxicating. This confused her for a while. He smelt like a burnt sandalwood, like the most wonderful flower in the world. But for a moment all too short, he also smelt like a nice piece of meat waiting to be roasted and devoured by wolves.

****

The room was, as expected, larger than their three combined and not a single piece of space was left alone. A wide screen set inlaid with ivory and a wide armchair guarded the western wall. Opposite to them a writing table was set inside the alcove balcony, the smoke from a copper incense burner lazily drifted outside after licking the nearby table screen.

“Her Majesty must revel in the stunning view everytime she writes,“ Márgerdra commented while she entered the room as the last one.

“Blondie,“ Wukong cleared his throat once he saw his companion picking up the incense burner and sniffing it,“we’re here for another reason.“

“That doesn’t mean I can’t rate the place,“ she easily shrugged him off. “We’re going through her stuff one way or another anyway.“

Bajie snorted,“Yeah! My words right there, Lady Márgerdra. This room’s huge. Which leaves us one option.“

Márgerdra and Wukong exchanged annoyed looks and simultaneously asked, although they’d already known the answer,“That is?“

“Splitting up the room in three, of course!“ Pigsy’s wide smile showed his tusks when he stepped out to the pair of massive chests with the queen’s clothes, which were located exactly by the screen set. “I’m reserving this part! Do whatever you want with the rest.“

Both his friends rolled their eyes and muttered under their noses. “Perv.“ “Idiot.“ On the other hand, the pig was not completely wrong. Too many shelves with books and scrolls, a large rosewood canopy bed with suspicious recesses, the chests, the table itself, not to mention there could be a hideaway in the floor or the ceiling.

Seeing how invested Márgerdra was in the files and notes, Wukong focused on the bed in the centre of the room. Upon his closer inspection, the recesses were truly nothing more but an art. To make sure nothing escaped his attention, the Sage even stood up on the bed to inspect the canopy itself. Yet apart from a thin layer of dust he found nothing.

He was prepared to call on his mates and sneak out when all of a sudden Márgerdra was the one to call him,“Wukong? I guess I found something. Could you lend me a hand, though?“

“Sure thing.“ Wukong approached the black table. The incense hit his nose so hard it made him cringe.

“Look at these scribbles. I managed to make some sense from it,“ Márgerdra cut herself off. She eyed Bajie for a moment before she lowered her voice,“But I wasn’ able to understand a few characters. Would you mind…reading them for me?“

Although he pouted, Wukong’s bright eyes gave his true feelings away to the witch. He arched over the scroll and for several seconds the room fell into an eerie silence. At last, Wukong raised his head. “It says something about a vast mountain lake with a spring. That they dug a way for it to course somewhere down. For the city to be supplied but also for some other purpose.“

“Wait, what?“ Márgerdra peeked over his shoulder. Then she unrolled another scroll just above the one Wukong was reading. “This makes so much more sense now.“

On Márgerdra’s scroll, the written word was retreating from long strings of numbers and incomplete formulas. Though the witch seemed to be excited over the calculations, confused Wukong wrinkled his brow. “What do you mean?“

“All these calculations served Shufen for the construction of a tunnel for the said lake. Here, at the corner, an estimated volume of water for the people and that ‘something’ is written. That was her result and her goal. But she needed a way to properly distribute the whole mass. To achieve something like that, pipelines had to be built to distribute water. Yet, this project hasn’t even begun. She just scrapped it and decided to use the river even though it’s slightly more difficult to pump it here into the palace since it’s much higher than the houses. But who knows. The paper doesn’t look old and neither does the used ink. She’ll probably return to it.“ 

Until now, Wukong’d kept himself utterly quiet, however, the last segment of Márgerdra’s discovery changed it. “How can you be so sure? Everything’s scratched out.“

“The project looks too important. It’ll gnaw on her mind and when she takes a second, better, look her brain’s going to burst. I bet my head on that.“ The witch noticed the puzzled demon and realised she didn’t exactly answer his question. Her right hand rose to her temple as the blonde nibbled her lower lip. “She forgot to add this result here,“ again, her index finger lightly tapped the paper, the material waved like the flame of the lit candle by their left,“which would then change this figure from fifteen thousand nine hundred forty to twenty one thousand seventy six hu. The next calculations are much easier and make more sense since the latter has the digit sum of sixteen. That means the retaining reservoir with such volume can equally supply the four destinations - the two halves of the city, palace and our secret place. All the while the former one has the digit sum of nineteen which is a prime number and you can’t do much about it since you can only divide it with one or-“

Wukong folded his arms. The amazement never left him, although the long monologue annoyed him real quick,“Cut it, blondie. I get it - she made a small but crucial mistake and we should find the secret place if we want to have the advantage for our escape.“ The Great Sage wanted to approach Bajie, who was still arching over the fine garments not minding any sound coming from either the room or the outside corridor, and ask for the pig’s potential discovery when a tiny spark lit inside his skull. “Riddle me this, though. You got problems with reading yet you know exactly how to calculate all these big numbers. How?“

Márgerdra shifted, put down the scrolls she was squinting her eyes over and coyly shrugged. It took her a while to collect her thoughts. “I’m not quite sure myself. It’s like a shapeless puzzle where rules repeat but you have full control of which way you can approach it. The letters seem to have their rules too, it’s just…I can’t comprehend it much.“ Streams of fresh air flowed around the room and brought delightful singing of a woman somewhere in the lower levels of the palace complex. The witch eyed the monkey demon warily before her lips parted so her much audacious voice could reach him.“But don’t think I’m letting myself stagnate at such a minor inconvenience. I will find a way. Don’t even doubt that.“

Wukong leaned against the table’s round edge with his back and let the grin play on his face. His darting eyes followed the quick motions of her gesturing hand. All the sheepiness he witnessed the previous night was gone as if the hidden demon of doubt, which gnawed on her all those years, finally vanished after the Wolf Witch allowed herself to spit out her trouble.“As fiery as always. I like that.“

“Ahem,“ the sound of Bajie’s deep voice interrupted them, a noise so sudden it made the two demons jump up,“sorry to bother but I guess I got something…“

When Wukong locked eyes with Pigsy, the smug glint behind them was undeniable.

****

As Yawen bowed, an applause resounded throughout the hall. “A splendid song by a splendid singer, Miss Yawen. Heavens truly gifted you with a voice of a nightingale,“ Wujing complimented the snake demoness who was slowly getting off of the stage with the wooden dancers. Her smug grin seemed to only widen by the praise.

“Precisely!“ Mei whole-heartedly added. “Your speaking voice can be a bit unpleasant but you’re a marvellous singer and performer!“ Although Mei blurted out the words as a flattery, the meaning and an honest adoration fell flat on Yawen. She scorched the girl and soon her forked tongue flickered in the air. “You surely are your sister’s relative, darling. Why don’t you sing for us, too? Because every time you or your equally impudent sister open your mouth all I can hear are two honking geese. Please, go on and convince me otherwise, dear Miss Ah Xiuying.“

Mei’s mouth hung open. However, she remembered the good manners and quickly shut it while she shook her head in disbelief. She indeed felt regretful about her poor decision. “Miss Yawen, I apologise. I did not at all mean it in an offensive way. Simply, I was too taken by surprise by your amazing set of skills, your singing and dancing and also by your instrument solo-“

“No, dear, I only accept the apology I deem enough. And this was not enough. Get up,“ Yawen slowly returned to her seat. While her full lips twisted into a crooked grin, her look burnt with venomous flames, a manner which Queen Shufen adopted as well, though the crane demoness was displeased by both women’s behaviour. Her plan was falling apart and it was only a matter of a few fleeing moments that the queen should silence them.

“Miss Yawen, please, calm yourself down. I can assure you she didn’t want to come across as hurtful,“ Sanzang rose from his seat but his plea was hardly heard by the snake demoness. It, however, didn’t discourage him from a second attempt,“Your song truly did spark some inspiration for my poem as Her Majesty hoped for. Yet there’s no need to be hateful towards this young lady. It was merely a slip of her tongue. If you desire for me or her to perform, please, we’ll be glad to carry out your wish under the condition of you putting your strife aside.“

“A slip of her tongue, you say? Maybe you’re right. I’ll give up strife if she puts away her tongue by cutting it out…“

“Yawen!“ Shufen’s furious shout resonated within the walls as the Queen of the Jade Valley stood up. “That’s enough! I’ve been tolerating your temper far too long. If you continue it’ll be you and no-one else to lose their tongue. Understand?“ The queen’s iron will and the sharp dagger being pulled out a bit from the guard’s sheath had its effect. Yawen sat down and didn’t utter a word more.

Shufen massaged her temples, then she turned to the Tripitaka and the young princess,“Please, accept my sincere apologies. This should not have happened under any circumstances. Hopefully, today’s marvellous evening shall not be ruined since the night is still rather young. Would you care to accompany me on a walk through the royal gardens? Take it as both a token of my gratitude that you offered all of your best suggestions to help our homeland as well as a way to compensate you for this distasteful and unnecessary dispute.“ Shufen offered Yawen one last disappointed look before she turned back to her guests.

Sanzang was so taken back he didn’t even notice when he found himself agreeing on her offer. “Thank you, Your Majesty. We’re grateful and gladly go with you.“

“Promise me one thing, though, young Master Huang,“ Shufen smiled as she approached him,“you will recite for me, won’t you?“

“Yes, Your Majesty,“ he sheepishly bowed,“I will.“

“Good.“ Sanzang felt Shufen’s hot finger as it directed his head upwards to face her. “Miss Yawen, bring me my cloak from my chambers, please. And if you find Captain Jun, tell him to send me the full report about the…unfortunate discovery in the cells he mentioned earlier but couldn’t discuss it further with me. And tell him about the promotion, too.“

****

Wukong cautiously observed the tiny bottle in Bajie’s hand with a sign ‘Immortality Pills’. “The shape of the bottle…I remember seeing one back in Heaven at Laozi’s place.“

“Seriously?“ Amused Bajie snorted,“Only ‘seeing’?“

“Fine, maybe I had one or two back in the day,“ Wukong rolled his eyes and took the white object. He shook it next to his ear, then opened it and turned it upside down, waiting. “Empty. What now?“

“I could do some miracles with our evidence,“ Márgerdra slyly reminded herself to the two disciples lost in their thoughts. Bajie didn’t comprehend at first but once he saw his senior to throw a scolding look at her, the pig understood perfectly.

The monkey growled,“Are you insane?! Did you forget what happened the last time?“

“You two will be there with me. If anything happens-“

“Nothing will happen. Because we’re not going through this mad plan.“

“Wukong, we need this,“ she grabbed the flask from him,“you never know whether it can save us some time or even us.“ Márgerdra didn’t refrain from the provocative smirk and wink. “Am I right, darling sir?“

Even though she directed her attention to Bajie to gain further support, he didn’t share her enthusiasm. After all, the pig marshal was much closer to snarling Wukong whose pointy tips of ears reddened beyond belief. Pigsy used it when Márgerdra turned once again to Wukong with a smug face and triumphantly took back the treasure he found at the bottom of a chest. “I think it’ll be better if this stayed with me and you, Lady Márgerdra, rethought your decision. We have much more options than such a reckless scenario, don’t you think, dear? Plus we don’t have much time left, I’m afraid.“

Márgerdra and Wukong offered him a puzzled look,“How so?“

“You probably didn’t notice because of your quarrel. But somebody’s coming our way,“ he pointed his thumb at the door behind,“I can hear the footsteps from the hallway.“

Indeed. Two sets of footsteps, one heavy, the other one much lighter and quicker, were heading towards the queen’s bedroom. Bajie thoughtlessly ran towards the alcove balcony. “Come on! Quickly!“ He was the first to climb out of the room, Márgerdra followed him soon.

The witch’s desperate gaze reached the monkey disciple but in no way he was able to make it in time. The door opened and Miss Yawen and Captain Jun both entered.

The demoness’ unmistakable voice pounded in Wukong’s ears,“So catch them, bring his head on a silver plate, find the Pilgrims and you’ll become a general, handsome Capt-!“

The Captain of the Royal Guard narrowed his eyes. His chest stuck out, yet his chin lowered down all the while his long neck curled. In combination with his long and slightly crooked nose and a few ruffled feathers, which sprouted on his forehead the moment he laid his eyes on the simian, there was no doubt the captain was the descendant of the Azure Crane Dynasty. “You?! What are you doing here? Guards!“

“No need for that, Captain,“ Yawen smiled sweetly as her eyes never left the frozen figure of Sun Wukong,“I called for him personally. Though, it seems our guest here confused the directions of my quarters, I believe.“

“Precisely, Miss Yawen,“ the monkey smirked and continued in his play on a poor stranded man. “I was here to discuss your offer. Even better that I got to meet my future opponent. I wish you all the best of luck for our rematch. You surely are going to need it.“

The crane demon’s haughty nature showed even more. He snorted with a growing smirk on his face,“I’d accept it if I didn’t know who shall become the winner, Huang.“

****

Márgerdra, who was silently grasping the outside wooden construction for her dear life, rested her hot forehead on her stretched arm and quietly sighed. “Cocky morons. Bajie, please, take care of Wukong. Follow him and that harlot wherever they go. Leave the captain to me.“

She readied herself for a risky jump - the rock crumbled under her feet and a few tiny pebbles slid down the steep hillside down to the ravine. “One last thing. Save the bottle as my back-up.“

“But, Lady Márgerdra, your whip’s visible!“ Bajie stretched out his arm to stop the woman. Alas, too late as she was already swiftly climbing and jumping towards the window leading into the hallway. “Not even a peck for good luck?“ he whimpered to pity himself.

****

A light cloak in Yawen’s hand kicked up a small cloud of dust when she clung to Wukong’s side. “Dear Captain, I’ve already informed you about everything. Now, please, move aside and let us through. Master Huang and I have an important topic ahead of us.“

“I’m afraid I can’t let that happen,“ the tall crane demon blocked the entrance of the room. “Although you said you called him here, I hardly believe it. A lie as simple as that can easily cost your tongue, Miss Yawen. Huang Wei, what is the real reason that you’re up here, in Her Majesty’s personal quarters, when instead you should treat your injured brother?“

A few weak words lingered on the tip of Wukong’s tongue when his saviour peeked her head from behind the soldier. His eyes popped out as the elegant she-wolf with swaying hips came forward. “Husband! I’ve found you after all. I just wanted to tell you your brother’s recovering fast but he needs you by his side. His big protective brother.“ She motioned with her eyes towards the balcony to alert Wukong. “Oh my, what an ensemble there is! Captain Jun, Miss Yawen, forgive me for interrupting you. Did anything serious happen?“

After witnessing the acting improvisation from the witch, the Monkey King forced himself to swallow the disgusting knob in his throat and theatrically opened his arms. “Eternal light of my life, there you are! I was about to talk to Miss Yawen.“

“Truly?“

“Indeed, my,“ the word stuck in between his gritted teeth but, somehow, it managed to escape the bone prison,“love.“

“In that case, I shall leave you to the business. You will find me at our quarters, resting. Captain Jun, would you mind accompanying this pitiful soul?“ Unlike Yawen, Márgerdra only lightly turned her head towards Jun. Her eyelids were heavy, blinking only sparely. Like in trance, Jun stepped closer. He regained his posture and offered a hand as a support for the strange woman. Wordlessly, they left the room together.

The privacy made Yawen conjure a grin. Once again, she snuggled to Wukong’s side,“As I told you, I know a wonderful spot in the upper gardens. Nobody will interrupt us there.“

Wukong motioned with his hand forward,“Lead the way, then, Miss Yawen.“

When the monkey closed the door behind them he slapped his forehead,“Apologies, Miss Yawen. I’m afraid I forgot something. Wait for me here, I’ll be right back.“

“Naturally, Master Huang. I’m able to wait for you the whole night, but, please, be so kind and don’t let that happen,“ the snake demoness’ lashes fluttered like wings of a caged bird, yet her expression reminded a hungry beast.

Once inside, Wukong slammed the door behind to call out his fellow disciple. He met the pig right as he was one leg in. The Sage didn’t hide his hurry. “Follow the witch, not me. I don’t care what she told you, do as I say and don’t let her see you.“

“Why? She just diverted his attention,“ Bajie whispered back, completely confused.

“She did not.“ The glint, that tiny little spark buried deep within her blue eyes Wukong came to know so well emerged from the simian’s memory. “She’s on to something. Go and be careful. We’ll talk later, Middle Bro. Good luck.“

Pigsy nodded,“Good luck to you, too, Big Bro.“

****

The fluffy clouds, whose colours continually ranged from bloody red to orange and soft pink to cobalt blue, swam above the pair’s heads as they progressed through the narrow stairway into the open area with a willow grove in the far back corner. The limp treetops swept the wet floor underneath, thousands of leaves caressed the grass beneath as if to say hello to their dearest neighbour. Brightly coloured nightingales chirped in the rich green crowns, though the time for their sweet sleep was approaching quickly, their nests were patiently waiting for them among the nearby bamboo, pines and plums.

Yawen guided Wukong by the narrow path until they passed through a moon bridge. Lily pads floated in the pond, the only obstacle of an otherwise perfect mirror that was the crystal clear surface.

“How do you like the garden so far, Master Huang?“ the snake demoness said with a smug face.

Wukong avoided the reply the best he could, though. His arm was as if on fire the longer he was standing beside the petite woman. “I see nobody’s here. Not even guards although you claimed this to be Her Majesty’s biggest pride.“

“Please, spare me your neverending detective wisdom, Master. I’ve explained when we set out for these gardens. I’m one of the few alongside the captain who are free to go in and out whenever they like. When it comes to you, don’t be concerned. A friend of mine is also a friend of Her Majesty.“ She led him further, deeper until they came across a white wall with a brown gabled roof. Above the set bright circular door was engraved a sign like a matte crown of the moongate. The characters on it read ‘The Blessed Spot between Heaven and Earth Where the Western Crane Flew’.

Without ever letting go of him, the demoness pressed her glowing right palm against the hardwood and opened the passageway to the most wonderful of places Wukong had ever seen in his long life.

The private garden hidden at the very top of the complex, of the whole mountain, protected by a magical seal was truly the most mesmerising wonder of the world. A rivulet danced around the limestones of the most peculiar shapes, the shiny scales of goldfish threw magnificent images of gold, orange and occasionally silver, white and black as the playful creatures progressed towards the circular pond with lotuses. A heron with feathers of flaming red was taking a sip by the small ornamented bridge when it was startled by the visitors. The bird took off into the wide sky, its wings brushed against the treetops of two great trees planted in the garden, the true gemstones of the palace’s crown. One of them Wukong recognised immediately. The white flowers blossomed in sweetly citrus-like fragrance on the thickly branched enormous tree that resembled a tree planted in the Heavenly Gardens, an exquisite Laozi’s gift for the Jade Emperor. Yet, the second plant was quite the mystery to the Monkey King. It was somewhat smaller, its leaves were more fragile-looking. There were twenty fig-like delightfully smelling fruits in total carried by the twigs and branches, something that Sun Wukong had never seen before. With each inhale he felt lighter, stronger. His iron body began to bloom with euphoria inside out. He was so caught up in that fleeting moment he didn’t even notice how or when Yawen made him sit on a red bench in the round pavilion under the two trees. “It’s nice here, isn’t it?“

Again, he avoided the posed question and her infinite look. “I see Her Majesty planted a magnolia tree here. What a magnificent plant that is,“ he murmured with widened eyes and let his memories drift to the Wolf Witch. Her smell wasn’t much different from the one consuming him. “Miss Yawen, say, isn’t it forbidden for anyone beside emperors to own the noble tree?“

Yawen rolled her eyes but chuckled brightly nonetheless. “Oh, my, you surely are persistent with your questions. It sure is. But you witnessed how ambitious Her Majesty is. It won’t be long and the title of ‘Emperor’ shall be hers. Hush now, dear. May I offer you a cup of yulan tea? It may help you to put aside your restless mind.“ She raised a set for tea preparation which was stored inside a carved cabinet.

At first, the monkey demon was prepared to decline but realising the unpleasant drought in his throat, he, at last, nodded. Once again, he caught himself thinking of the witch. Although they’d become significantly close, her choice still irked him. The advisor refused to let Wukong take the risk and now she’s promenading with someone who’s clearly a bigger threat if confronted directly. But…she’d never done anything that wouldn’t benefit her. Wukong scolded himself for not counting with this outcome. Even the tiniest of the details were crucial with her deceitful nature. The Lady Wolf Witch was truly a person of great ambitions and self-confidence. Something Wukong himself hardly lacked. Something that once again landed them in unnecessary trouble.

And yet Wukong wished to bring her there and show her the two trees. No doubt Márgerdra had never witnessed the source of her perfume and he was willing to bet his own head the woman would be equally astounded as he was, if not more.

“Here you are, Master Huang.“ The gold-coloured liquid rippled in the porcelain cup in front of him. Yawen patiently waited for Wukong to accept and when he did she sat down as close to him as possible, yet she set her own cup on the low table in front of them. “Before we start with the business subject, I have one more additional yet no less important offer for you.“

Dimples accompanied her broad grin plastered across her face, the black beauty mark on her cheekbone shone but the man paid it no attention. All he let out was a bored groan,“Apart from brewing tea, making strange proposals must be your top hobby.“

“You’re such a jokester. Not something I’d expect from a tough fighter like you. I like that.“ She bit on her long painted nail. “You see, titles are used between two people who barely know each other. This no longer applies for the two of us. Let’s put all those formalities aside.“

“I’m not sure whether such a thing would be suitable, Miss Yawen…“

“Please, call me only Yawen from now on. And you shall be Wei for me. Are we settled, dear?“

The way she put up her legs next to her body on the bench and leaned closer to him reminded Wukong of the witch even more. She used to choose this pose whenever they set up a camp and she wanted Bajie to share more food either for her or the princess. Márgerdra would tempt the woodcutter’s son or the merchants at the inn just like Yawen was doing right now. She too had that cold, stabbing, unnervingly deep gaze, piercing anyone through and through. Even Bajie started to see beneath Márgerdra’s charade, otherwise the pig would adamantly obey her demand, not Wukong’s. The two women were so similar, so mendacious. However he’d started this game long ago. There was no escape.

“Very well…Yawen.“

“Excellent!“ She clapped her hands. “Back to the main topic of this evening, shall we? You see, Her Majesty’s going to celebrate her birthday soon. She loves martial arts tournaments and so does her nephew. The only difference is that she’s an observer while he enjoys being much more active. Captain Jun started a few years ago but since his debut we haven’t seen other champion than him.“

Wukong cocked his eyebrow. “Is that the case? Sure, he’s rather good. His technique’s on a high level, I wouldn’t dare to deny the fact. But there’s just as many imperfections he doesn’t seem to care to reduce.“

“That’s why I want you to participate. He needs a little nudge, the queen needs a celebration, you need a rematch and I need entertainment. By the way, did I mention the winner is also compensated with a reward? Simply put, everybody wins. Besides, I can help you, too.“

Wukong’s curiosity and distrust was piqued,“How?“

“I shall provide you with a safe place for your training, a hall at first used for soldiers to train but now it’s abandoned due to moving them to another location. I’ve already arranged the place, knowing well you’re not going to decline. It’s right above the bathhouse. As a bonus I’ll train with you. We don’t have much time left, not more than two weeks. I know the captain’s weaknesses. How he dodges, where he likes to kick, what’s his most used attack.“

The monkey began choking on his tea, though it didn’t last long. He pulled himself together quicker than expected, brushing away the concerned snake woman,“I have no doubt you can fight. But you’re too small for me. Your stamina, strength, there’s no way you’d be able to keep up with me. Plus, I've been training with Yaling much longer. I’m too used to her to let go and find another partner. Thank you but I can only agree on the training place. Nothing more. What’s more, when it comes to the captain, I’d like to save the thrill and not know more about his fighting skills beforehand. It’d ruin the experience.“

Yawen had a lot of problems keeping her tongue behind her teeth. At first the girl, now the handsome stranger is mocking her, too. She reminded herself, though, not to overdo her effort and simply do what she was best at - keep waiting. “As you wish. However, if you change your mind in the future, let me know. My door’s always open for you.“

For a while they were only sitting side by side and sipping on the warm liquid. None of them spoke as if they had their tongues cut out. Only the buzzing of insects echoed in their ears. However, Yawen didn’t let herself be chased off. And Wukong knew all too well. She pretended not to care. He saw beneath. She finally broke the silence. He didn’t like it. Both her speaking and the topic she chose. “I wonder how close the Pilgrims are. With the mighty protector in the charge, they must proceed fast.“

“If you think then so be it.“

“Wei, my lovely, sweet Wei,“ Yawen put her palm on his chest. The silk rustled but the pounding in his chest didn’t join. There, under his ribs, deep within the now flesh, his heart always remained a lifeless stone. “Of course ‘so be it’. Are you truly that careless about the probable presence of the Tang monk?“

“Probable doesn’t mean possible.“

“Oh my, how cold you can be!“ Yawen playfully pulled away and pretended to be offended. “Be honest now-“

“I always am. You don’t need to worry about that.“ Wukong used his chance of the slight distance between him and his unfavourable companion and stretched out to pour another cup. The last drops seemed to have been waiting solely for him and he couldn’t be more grateful.

“Would you taste the monk’s flesh once he gets here?“

“No.“

“Why? Just imagine it. Eternal life, wisdom, the forever beauty of never-fading youth. Is this your true answer, Wei?“

“Indeed it is. The monk’s sent to retrieve sutras. He was chosen by the Bodhisattva Guanyin, he’s the reincarnation of Golden Cicada. This quest of his, it’s far more important, far more valuable than what we can imagine. The selfless act to face the dangers and fears. All of that…just to save the souls who would in return spit onto his face due to the ragged clothing and dirty face. Yet, he still proceeds further. Not because of mercy or whatever other fancy word. It’s just…the right thing to do. And that, Yawen, is the sole reason I’d never feast on his flesh. I’d be tearing away the hope for the better tomorrow. I don’t want that.“

The pause which came after the last word was appalling. The Great Sage wished he’d kept his mouth shut, although the nudge inside he listened to told him otherwise. At last, the lecherous woman barked out,“What an honest man you are! A speech of a man who’s a monk at heart, that’s what you delivered. Though rather short, you went straight to the point. I envy you, sweet Wei. If I didn’t know you, I’d think you’re a member of that party. After all, your youngest brother is easily just as dashing as the monk, or so do they say. However, I admit, he’s rather shy and tattered for the chosen one of Bodhisattva Guanyin, someone who’s an emperor’s brother. Not to mention the black mane. Monks can’t grow out their hair. Am I correct?“

“Yes, you are.“

“Wei!“ She laughed and bumped into his shoulder,“You’re so offhand! Come on, cheer up a bit. With this attitude, you could easily pass for the first disciple. I’ve heard he’s got a huge…“ Yawen paused, wearing a bright expression on her face. She teasingly bit on her lower lip as she looked the monkey up and down before she settled on a single word. “...ego. What’s the name of that brutish ape?“

Wukong recognised the dance she was trying to pull him into. This time, he suppressed his urge to lash out on her. He brought his knee under his chin and calmly responded as he scratched beneath the sharp chin,“Not exactly sure. There’s too many hairy bastards these days. But if you mean it in connection to the Tang monk it’s probably, hm, Sun Wukong?“

“Yes! That’s his name. Sun Wukong. The strongest of all demon kings. The Monkey King himself. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven. The Heavenly Rebel,“ just as she was about to open her mouth for the last title, her grin grew from playful to wicked and at last it twisted into an ominous grimace,“The Kinbutcher.“

The cold and honest truth hid behind the wicked name. It froze Wukong from head to toe. Rage and regret, it all mixed and flushed through his veins, it consumed him bit by bit, although he couldn’t deny it. Truly, Sun Wukong had become the hunter of his own. Though he did have a reason to do so it could not change the fact he was a murderer. Only the circumstances changed yet the blood on his hands never vanished. The Kinbutcher. The word pounded on his tongue, on his guts, on his mind.

He withstood the temptation to pull out his powerpole. He knew better. Instead, he buried the bitterness underneath the laughing mask. “So many titles! I better start working hard on my own career if I want to become this famous.“

The sudden easy-going approach of the simian threw Yawen off balance which forced her to join in on the little joke. “Planning on taking the imperial exams?“

“Absolutely! I bet I could easily answer all my questions. Though, there’s one subject I’m not particularly excellent at.“ He forced himself to wear a broad smile even when Yawen put her legs over his lap, the thin green fabric slid down her pale skin, revealing a good portion of it. The decorations in her hair dangled. She wanted to ask what he was aiming at but Wukong was ahead of her. He pointed his clawed finger over the low railing of the pavilion. It was directed at one target - the unknown tree bearing twenty mauve figs. “What is this tree over there? I’ve never seen it before nor have I heard about a similar plant in my life.“

“Sweet Wei, that is an alchemical experiment of Her Majesty. I should not talk much about it. However, with you, I’m willing to make an exception,“ the back of her hand slid down Wukong’s cheek, but she had to quickly retract it when the monkey clicked his sharp teeth, nearly biting the snake’s fingers off. Nevertheless, she laughed it off as a trivial matter, something a restless innocent child would do, not an adult demon with a diabolical gaze. She moved her hips and arched her back till she was breathing on the side of his face and only then she softly spoke to the man in black and gold,“Her Majesty, Queen Shufen, once obtained special seeds and decided to grow them here, in the safety of the mountain. Do you see those fig-like fruits? I’m sure you’ve already noticed their splendid smell. That alone gives you the strength of a hundred men. Nonetheless, if you come completely close and smell them right there, they shall grant you five hundred years of life. If you taste them, though, you gain immortality and eternal youth. That is the reason why this garden is sealed by such a complicated spell. You see, Her Majesty’s still waiting for the right time to harvest the figs and taste their unusual peach-like flavour.“

Wukong’s stomach growled. Still, he didn’t tear away from the astonishing view ahead of him,“Why exactly?“

“Silly, silly Wei,“ her unpleasant chuckle bounced against Wukong’s eardrums but at least she put her legs down,“she needs them to ripen! That shall take the next two weeks. At least that’s the estimated date for this alchemical miracle. If she ought to take the figs now they’d all crumble into dust immediately. Hence why she’s saving it for the best opportunity. Because once they’re fully mature, they should last long enough to be consumed. Or at least so does our court alchemist estimate. Although, he’s not even sure himself.“

“The immortal fruit,“ Wukong snorted,“something so valuable and Her Majesty still wants to devour the Tang monk?“

“Devouring him is a matter of both - gaining immortality but also his gathered wisdom. The latter is what tempts our beloved Queen.“

“If the tree is so important that nearly nobody ought to know about it,“ this time it was Wukong who leaned uncomfortably close,“why are you telling me all of this, then, Yawen? How can you be so sure I’m not going to rat on you?“

Perhaps for the first time since the demons had met, Yawen’s eyes glistened with a hint of uncertainty. Her head turned right and left, the long strands of her coal black hair fell down to her worried face and created a silky curtain in front of her forehead and narrow cheeks. Her voice became a fragile whisper,“I told you this because I need someone to have my back if things go south. I fear for my safety. The captain, well, he’s not the most pleasant type to work with. The man can be extremely, overly, suspicious even if he means it in a good way. He’s been on about some sort of coup in the palace. In case he’d start accusing me I want you, an honourable man with a healthy judgement, to be aware of my side of the story - I would never harm Shufen. Not even in a dream. I don’t care about the figs as you can see that I talk about them without a single notion of ulterior motives. Although not many will trust you. Still, it’s better than nothing…“ Yawen slowly backed off and made herself once again comfortable in her pompous seat. In a blink of an eye, she lost all of the innocence drawn across her face.

Naturally, the story was never enough for the old demon. The Sage scratched his nose and put one leg over another while simultaneously leaning back to rest his tired back against the red-painted railing. “You hardly know me and still you’re putting all your trust into me. Don’t start with the ‘I’m so alone in this cursed palace’ nonsense. Just answer me - why should I keep my lips sealed in front of the captain of the queen, Yawen?“

“The answer’s easy. I’m sure you’ve already taken the hint, sweetie. I showed you this secret, yes. But, tell me, what exactly were you searching for in the queen’s bedroom? Hm? I’ve never once mentioned to you my quarters’ location. Plus, I doubt you wanted to find a pretty trinket for your wretched cold-hearted hag of a ‘wife’. I think you were there for another reason. Maybe to know more about Her Majesty? Why did she, the Azure Crane, go the long way here from the western parts of Mount Kunlun? There are many reasons you should not interfere with her privacy. Unless you’re afraid for your group's safety, monkey. Almost as if you wanted to run away as quickly as possible. It would make sense to scavenge her private chambers to find drafts of secret tunnels and such. What do you think? What would Her Majesty or the Royal Guard Captain do if I told them the truth? I may trust you but they certainly won’t if my tongue accidentally slipped.“

For a while, they both fell into an uncomfortable silence. Inside, Wukong was screeching, howling, spitting blood, sulphur and fire. It reflected in his eyes as they caught on the slightly amber hue. A single look at them and one could easily think a wild fire was raging behind them which was not far from the truth.

On the other hand, Yawen airily played with her hair as if nothing serious occurred. “Let’s keep it our little secret. I mean this whole evening. Are we clear, sweetie?“ Yawen winked at him.

Seeing how fed up he was she decided to elaborate for the first time and put up no protest when he politely but hurriedly excused himself. “Miss Yawen…“

“Only Yawen, please, Wei.“

“Yawen, thank you for your company. As we settled down on the tournament proposition and also went through various interesting topics, I dare to say this evening was more than delightful. Yet, I have to return to my wife and younger brother. I sincerely wish you a goodnight.“

“Sweetest dreams to you, too, darling.“

The door behind Wukong slammed hard. The monkey demon clearly didn’t care anymore whether a dismissed guard could have heard him or not. He simply wished to get as away from the place as he could. When he was a good distance away, he slyly smirked to himself. At last, they may have a lead.

On the other hand, Yawen was of the opposite opinion. She put her empty cup on the table and lightly sneaked towards the fig tree. The lowest hanging fruit was exactly the size of her palm. She gently grabbed it but didn’t yank. She only kept the light touch on it while the snake lady imagined how the sweet flavour flooded her mouth. The demoness licked her lips before she pulled away. She needs to wait a little longer.

Yawen yanked the cloak and went searching for Queen Shufen.

****

“Your Majesty, didn’t you ask for your cloak? Shouldn’t we wait for Miss Yawen?“ Sanzang swallowed the gulp in his throat. His body shivered from head to toe whenever Queen Shufen snuggled closer to him. The thought that the demoness was already clinging to his arm was making him nervous, which showed on his sweat-drenched shirt and red cheeks.

“She’ll catch on us. You needn’t to worry, young Master Huang. Besides, the weather is still relatively fine. I expected for the wind to pick up any time soon.“ The queen stopped and so did the escort with Mei and Ol’ Sha behind her. With a single wave of her hand she dismissed her party so only the two of them remained, in spite of Wujing and Mei’s initial protests. All they could do at the moment was solely let the servants accompany them to their own quarters.

Crickets chirred among the tall peonies and orchids in the back of the wide space. The sun no longer reigned in the sky yet the moon was still nowhere in sight, however, it was no obstacle for the breeze to chafe the decorative limestone wall with a grotto by their left. It swished and whistled, it ran and flew up and down, right and left until it reached the couple. Goldfish swam in the narrow pond beside them, the tiny waves created by their nimble tails licked the white platform.

Sanzang began to dart his eyes in every direction while the tremor seized him as if the land beneath manifested the earthquake. He knew he had nowhere to back away.

His hands fell down, the sleeves brushed the sides of his robes. His eyes were downcast. The monk’s dejected voice spreaded through the shivering air. The despair was so strong it even shut the croaking in the pond.

“The land is sour with the sun shining on it,

yet at night, when the moon rises from the cloudy bed,

the eyes of Budd- the eyes of,“ Sanzang’s voice cracked as he faltered,“of the merciful one,

they shall guide me through both, the white day and black night,

till I can find salvation…“ He was about to finish when he remembered one of Bajie’s many poems. The young monk gladly grasped the memory and the idea it gave him. “Till I can find salvation in her lily-like eyes!“

Shufen’s smile widened, the two onyx gems of her porcelain face danced with unmistakable joy. Her slender palms rested on Sanzang’s quivering shoulders. Her ruthlessness was gone in a mere second. It didn’t take long for the monk to come to believe the queen’s soothing words. “Dear, this was the most wonderful poem one has ever told, heard and witnessed. You have a talent many can envy. That is why I decided to ask you something. Would you be comfortable to recite for me at my celebration? After we hold a tournament it would be the finest present for the Queen of the Jade Valley.“

With each bit she drew nearer to the delightful young man, the more his inner urge to scream and run built up. The Tripitaka began to tilt his head back. Anything just to avoid the unbearable proximity. He almost stopped believing for a miracle to happen.

But it did.

From a distance, a deep husky call reached them, making the queen break her intense gaze. “Shui, brother! Almost thought I would never find you in these vast but unearthly beautiful gardens. Your Majesty! My apologies. In that hurry, my simple and poor self failed to notice your radiance as it was somehow covered by the cloak of the approaching night.“ Wukong bowed deeply. The gesture and tone of his voice made Shufen stutter but she ultimately only gently waved her hand. “No need to worry about such a detail, Master Huang. Did something bad happen? You rushed in like there's lightning coming to strike you any second.“

“No, Your Majesty. I was simply wondering where my little brother went. I was a bit worried.“ Wukong was prepared to take Sanzang with himself the moment he saw his master’s reddened face. At the last moment, he backed off on the immediate rescue of the monk. The mischief in the monkey’s expression couldn’t be denied while his stern posture remained unchanged. “But I see that little Shui is in good hands. Shall I leave you two be by yourselves? Perhaps I could return in an hour or so…“

While Shufen was about to politely accept the Great Sage’s offer, the Tripitaka quickly interrupted her,“That won’t be needed…big brother… It’s getting late and Her Majesty surely has had plenty of difficult matters to attend to. She must be terribly tired from the trouble that’s been happening lately. Am I correct? Anyway, I wish you goodnight, Your Majesty. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.“

“Young Master,“ Shufen’s steel command stopped the two men once they turned their backs to her, but her next words carried a significantly softer, warmer tone, like the sun that had just hid behind the horizon,“do you promise me, please, to recite? I’ll understand if you decline. Yet, I’d be very much pleased if you accept, Master Huang.“

Something within her voice convinced Sanzang’s gentle heart. Truly, he was afraid but at the same time he didn’t wish to sadden the woman, although she was no human at all. He turned around for the last time with a sincere look, his elegant light robes quietly whispered as he bowed deeper than ever before,“Yes, Your Majesty. I’d never dare to take away the happiness from you. Everyone deserves it. You included. Goodnight.“

Delighted Shufen soon marched away in an opposite direction. While the disciple and his Master slowly closed the distance between them and the staircase, the Sage uttered a sneaky remark,“Are you gonna recite for me, too, Shui? Or you’re saving the best for the queen?“

“Argh, shut it, Wukong. Now, get us out of here. I really thought my pants were so wet for some…reason. Thankfully, it’s just the sweat.“

Wukong smacked his thigh as he laughed hard. His contagious laughter soon jumped onto Sanzang, as well, and the two descended into an illuminated corridor.

“Hey, Wukong.“

“All ears, Shifu.“

“You and Márgerdra are going to stay for a while in our room, right? We got a story to tell you from dinner.“

Wukong hesitated but eventually gave into the unusual idea and even more unusual enthusiasm of his young Master. “Sure. Why not, Shifu.“

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Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be added): @vanessaroades-author @rubywrite @aohendo @rbbess110 @jgmartin @outpost51

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List of chapters:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Epilogue

[mizumech]

My thoughts on Traffic-Life Grian and the Watchers (Part 1 I guess I’m pretty sure the Watchers are here to stay)

So.

Xelqua seems to be an alternate way to say ‘Xelhua’, a giant (haha) from a Dominican friar’s retelling of Aztec mythology who escaped the flood by…

Climbing a mountain?!?!?!?

Xelhua is surnamed as ‘the Architect’, which might be why cc!Grian chose this name at first.

Interestingly, the retelling says that he attempted to build a tower that would reach the sky and that the Gods were angered, attempting to strike him down by fire, killing many of the men working on the tower.

Sound a tiny bit familiar?

Somehow, this is still applies in later seasons.

Even worse (or better), this tower is later dedicated to Quetzacoatl. Quetzacoatl is the feathered serpent, God of Light.

Light. Scott. Light.

No fricking way.

Quetzacoatl is sometimes attributed to justice, which I’ll come back to later.

~ Grian’s well known for killing his allies. Scar, Bigb, Jimmy, Joel, the list goes on.

He’s hungry for victory and desperate for survival, as opposed to Scott, who’s just too nice to kill and has more than one brain cell at any one time.

Even though he never does this on purpose, to my knowledge (mizumech is not a Grian main), he’s only been conscious of this while in the action of doing so once. That time was the time he won.

Every time after that, he’s no longer at the average. He starts LLSMP on 2 lives and is paired with Scar on DLSMP. These may be considered ‘disadvantages’, as perceived by himself.

If anything, the Watchers are cautioning him. This is the storm before the fire. They’re warning him that life is precious, that he is not invulnerable. They are in control. Their will be done.

In LimL, he is in control. He allots time and takes time based on kills. Time and victory is just out of reach. He is always reaching, for the sun, for wins, for time.

He has never been able to allot himself boogey time. He was only meant to watch.

And yet, we must consider, that in this server’s final hours, death is permanent until the next game.

He is in control, and the people around him are all vulnerable and close to death. His fingers must press the button. He has eyes but he cannot stop.

It is his instinct. He must. He is Xelqua.

He is Grian.

~

Outside the border of LimL is a desert. A village, too.

Grian apparently escapes this border from Etho’s PoV, of which I have not yet confirmed accuracy (Maybe I was just hallucinating, I have dreamed of Life episodes before. Weirdest stuff ever.)

And the Watchers are letting him. They’re showing him that he will never escape the desert.

The desert sands shift like his foggy memory, but it still comprises a dune.

And through the border, some of that hunger for knowledge is sated. But he as a watcher knows deep down that it will never do the real thing justice.

~

Speaking of justice, we come back to Quetzacoatl.

Feathered Serpent.

Scott never received the justice the Watchers served Grian. He just fell out of the world.

Funny tidbit, Quetzacoatl brought back the human race by going to the underworld and injuring himself!

He also has a twin brother who is the ‘evil’ version of him called Xolotl. (Xornoth, anybody?)

But I digress.

He’s associated with new and improvement, the same way Xelqua is a name of old and Grian is a new one.

Grian. Sun?

That’s the reason why Scott’s the stars and Grian’s the sun, after all.

And so he is reborn. Every life. He is Xelqua, enemy of the light. He is Grian, the light. He is Watcher. He is Player.

He is of the desert. And he has never left.

[journeytothewestresearch]

The Monkey King's religious given name may have been borrowed from the historical Tuoba monk Wukong (悟空, born 車奉朝, 731-812). And to my knowledge, the full name “Sun Wukong” (孫悟空) appeared as early as the early-Ming JTTW zaju play.

Zhu and Sha also appear in this play, but the former is never called "Wuneng" (悟能), and the latter is never called "Wujing" (悟净). Instead, they are called "Zhu Bajie" (豬八戒) and "Sha heshang" (沙和尚), respectively.

This suggests that the names Wuneng and Wujing were later additions to the story cycle. My educated guess as to why they all have Wu (悟) in their names is that it was done for the sake of symmetry.

There are other examples of symmetry in the novel. For example, the demon kings of the 72 caves match the 72 heavenly commanders. Also, the Bull Demon King's arc is quite similar to that of Monkey. [1]

It's also important to note that Wu (悟) is “one of the common Chinese translations for the Sanskrit term bodhi (awakening)” (Buswell & Lopez, 2014, p. 998). This foreshadows the disciples' eventual enlightenment at the end of novel.

Edit:

The Shaolin Temple uses a poem to name the various disciple cohorts. All disciples in the same cohort have the same generational dharma name (similar to Master Subodhi's students). [2] Lu (2019) explains:

I'm not sure how prevalent this is in other Buddhist institutions, though.

But perhaps the novel is a mix of what Monkey Ruler and I have suggested. As I show above, "Wukong" predates the 1592 JTTW. Guanyin borrowing Wu to name the religious brothers' disciple cohort would not only be symmetrical but follow historical naming conventions.

Note:

He’s an iron staff-wielding demon king nicknamed the “Great Sage,” who knows 72 changes, can adopt a titanic form, takes part in a battle of transformations with an enemy, is trapped by a joint effort from heaven and incapacitated by a circular object, and finally faces the Buddha.

Subodhi's school has 12 generational names used to name students:

1) Guang (廣) 2) Da (大) 3) Zhi (智) 4) Hui (慧) 5) Zhen (真) 6) Ru (如) 7) Xing (性) 8) Hai (海) 9) Ying (穎) 10) Wu (悟) 11) Yuan (圓) 12) Jue (覺) (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 115).

Source:

Buswell, R. E., & Lopez, D. S. (2014). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Lu, Z. (2019). A History of Shaolin: Buddhism, Kung Fu and Identity. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.

Is there a tradition that explains why all 3 disciples have religious names that start with Wù?

I'm actually not too sure myself in details but what I can tell you that when it comes to religious names whether that be for Taoism or Buddhism it was a practice to get a name for while you are a disciple or even continue with the faith. Usually you keep your surname and have a new given name with the first character being the generation of disciples you are training with, showing that you are all of the same “class” so to speak. These are what are considered your ‘sisters’ or ‘brothers’ in cultivation. And the second character is that of another given character to make each name unique. I can’t say for sure how this process goes as from most of my religious studies this tradition is rarely touched on and I could be missing information about this practice due to that.

Religious names are more to represent the sect that one has entered. Wukong got his religious name when he entered Putis school and he was given his name from the listings of characters provided. This would make it so that there are many other dispels alongside Wukong that have the 悟 character as well in their name. But he has also listed the other sect names that each generation in his school has gone through as well.

My best guess is that GuanYin actually had it that Bajie and Wujing would share their names with Wukong. She always planned to have it that Wukong would join the journey but made sure that Wujing and Bajie would be considered Wukongs fellow disciples because of their shared name. Which I find it very sweet that she could have thought about having Bajie and Wujing follow Wukong's lead in order to show they are a team untie together.

[siquijorbestof]

Discovering the Mystical Charm: A Day Tour of Siquijor

Siquijor, an island shrouded in both mystery and beauty, offers the perfect destination for those looking to explore nature, culture, and a bit of magic. Known for its lush landscapes, pristine beaches, and mystical folklore, a day tour of Siquijor is a journey unlike any other. In just a day, you can explore waterfalls, caves, and old churches, while soaking in the island’s serene atmosphere. Let’s dive into what makes this island a must-visit on your travel list.

A Mystical Start: Enchanting Balete Tree and Fish Spa

The first stop on your day tour of Siquijor should be the famous 400-year-old Balete Tree. This ancient tree stands tall and majestic, surrounded by an eerie but captivating aura. According to local lore, the tree is enchanted, and some even believe it’s home to supernatural beings. But fear not, the place is far from sinister—it’s a fascinating start to your adventure.

At the base of the tree lies a natural fish spa, where you can dip your feet and let small fish nibble away at the dead skin. It’s both relaxing and a little ticklish, offering a unique way to interact with nature. This peaceful activity, combined with the mystical vibe of the tree, sets the perfect tone for your Siquijor adventure.

Chasing Waterfalls: The Enchanting Cambugahay Falls

No day tour of Siquijor would be complete without a visit to the stunning Cambugahay Falls. Nestled in the heart of the island, these multi-tiered waterfalls cascade into turquoise pools of crystal-clear water, inviting visitors to take a refreshing dip. The falls are surrounded by lush greenery, creating a tranquil, almost ethereal atmosphere.

For the more adventurous, there’s an opportunity to swing into the water using a vine—channeling your inner Tarzan! The hike down to the falls is relatively easy, making it accessible for all ages. Whether you’re looking to swim, take pictures, or simply enjoy the peaceful surroundings, Cambugahay Falls is a must-see on your Siquijor itinerary.

Historic Wonders: Visiting Lazi Church and Convent

Next on your day tour of Siquijor is a visit to the centuries-old Lazi Church and Convent. Built in 1884, this church is a fine example of Spanish colonial architecture, with its coral stone facade and wooden interiors. It’s a place where history whispers through the walls, reminding visitors of Siquijor’s rich cultural heritage.

Right across the street from the church lies the Lazi Convent, one of the oldest and largest convents in the Philippines. With its massive wooden structure, it once served as a sanctuary for friars. Walking through its hallways, you can almost feel the weight of time and history. The quiet charm of this place makes it more than just a tourist stop—it’s a step back in time.

Beach Bliss: Salagdoong Beach for a Splash of Adventure

After immersing yourself in history, it’s time to unwind by the beach. Salagdoong Beach, located on the northeastern part of the island, is a popular stop for both relaxation and adventure. Its powdery white sand and vibrant blue waters make it an idyllic spot for sunbathing or taking a leisurely swim.

For thrill-seekers, Salagdoong Beach is famous for its cliff diving platforms, where you can take a plunge into the clear waters below. Whether you choose to relax on the shore or dive off the cliffs, Salagdoong Beach promises an unforgettable part of your day tour of Siquijor.

Cave of Wonders: Exploring Cantabon Cave

For the grand finale of your day tour of Siquijor, explore the depths of Cantabon Cave. This hidden gem offers a glimpse into the island’s geological wonders. The trek inside the cave takes about an hour and leads you through impressive stalactites and stalagmites formations, narrow passageways, and underground pools.

The adventure inside the cave feels like discovering a secret world beneath the surface of the island. While the cave can be challenging to navigate due to its tight spaces, the experience is rewarding for those with a sense of adventure. It’s a fantastic way to end your day tour, with the cave's cool atmosphere offering a perfect contrast to the island's sunny exterior.

Conclusion

Siquijor is more than just an island; it’s an experience that blends natural beauty, history, and a hint of magic. A day tour of Siquijor allows you to see its most iconic spots, from mystical trees and refreshing waterfalls to historic landmarks and adventurous beaches. In just one day, you’ll leave the island with memories of its serene landscapes, fascinating culture, and perhaps even a belief in its mystical charm.

[the-monkey-ruler]

The Lost Empire (2001) 齐天大圣

Director: Peter McDonald

Screenwriter: David Henry Hwang

Starring: Thomas Gibson / Bai Ling / Wang Shengde / Rick Young / Caber Bady / Eddie Marsan, Randall Duke King / Guo Bute / Yu Beng Lim / Inde Ba / Li Yanhui / Henry Au / Lin Jixiu / James Faulkner / Weng Shijie / Kwong Locke / Jiang Jinrong / Liang Rongrong / Tang Hanping / Picasso Tan / Lin Bisheng / Jacqueline Chen / Terrence Beasley / Sun Jia / Gregory Teo / Ian Zong / Annette Brandt / Olga Sosnovska / Ng Yiu Han / Jeremy Chang / Stephen Leung

Genre: Romance / Fantasy

Country/Region of Manufacture: USA / Germany / Czech Republic

Language: English

Premiere: 2001-03-11 (USA)

Episodes: 2

Single episode length: 82 minutes

Also known as: 失落的帝国 / 猴王 / The Monkey King

IMDb: tt0198779

Type: Crossover

Summary:

American journalist Nick Orton is caught up in the world of Chinese gods and monsters while on a search for the long lost manuscript to 'Hsi Yu Chi' (The Journey to the West) by Wu Ch'eng En. He is accompanied on his journey by a humanoid ape with incredible strength and magical powers, a humanoid pig-man, and his brother-in-arms, an ex-cannibal. Based on one of the greatest stories in Chinese history.

Nicholas Orton (played by Thomas Gibson) is an American businessman who has lived in China for several years. He has a chance encounter with a beautiful Chinese lady (played by Bai Ling) who says that he is the only one who can save the world from reverting five-hundred years. He is unswayed by this until many modern buildings begin disappearing before his eyes. This mystical lady (revealed later as Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion) transports him to a portal which offers entrance, through the teachings of Confucius (played by Ric Young), to the ancient Chinese underworld.

When Orton (soon to be named The Scholar From Above) reaches the other side of the portal, he finds that his studies of Confucius will come in handy for the path that lies ahead. Orton's first action is to rescue Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, from the mountain in which he has been imprisoned for centuries. Wukong travels with Orton in his quest to save the original manuscript of Journey to the West from retroactive destruction; if the story itself is erased from history, all of the people who were ever inspired by the lessons it teaches will be worse off, and history will permanently change for the poorer. They are later joined by Zhu Bajie (Pigsy) and Sha Wujing (Friar Sand) to help them on their way.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkey_King_(miniseries)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k55HWVYbRE&ab_channel=%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%93%D7%9F

[sketching-shark]

WHAT ABOUT SHA WUJING???

Fish man needs love

HELL YEAH HE DOES!!!

Honestly while I know Sha Wujing's much more "passive" in the story than Sun Wukong or Zhu Bajie, the more I learn about his story & role the more I like him. Besides him toting the luggage, his often-given role of peacemaker among the pilgrims is an important one, and tbh his history pre-journey of being another military deity with the rank of general before being exiled to Earth and stabbed like a bazillion times for breaking a vase (which apparently has some really fascinating implication on account of that having the historical precedent of being the signal to start a coup), NOT TO MENTION LIKELY BEING THE YAOGUAI WHO ATE ALL NINE OF GOLDEN CICADA'S INCARNATIONS UNTIL TANG SANZANG, does suggest a pretty violent and really interesting contrast to his usual place during the journey itself. I genuinely think there's a lot that could be done in retellings with everyone's favorite Friar Sand, and he's definitely a figure that deserves love and attention in jttw-based works.

Also personal headcanon but I like to think he's even more of a double triple quadruple immortal than Sun Wukong on account of all the holy monks he devoured. If but one piece of Tang Sanzang's flesh could grant someone immortality, then imagine what eating an entire nine of him could do <3.