Chapter 24: Ten Thousand Longevity Mountain Immortal Keeps Old Friend Pilgrim from Five Elements Mountain Steals Ginseng

As the three of them went through the forest and deep inside, they saw the idiot bound to a tree, crying out in unbearable pain. Pilgrim stepped forward and laughed, "Good son-in-law! Why aren't you up yet to greet your in-laws and report the happy news to Master? You're still here putting on a show! Humph! Where's your mother? Where's your wife? What a sorry sight for a son-in-law, strung up and tortured!" The idiot, seeing him mockingly expose his shame, bit his teeth, endured the pain, and dared not cry out. Sandy felt great pity, put down his luggage, and stepped forward to untie the ropes and free him. The idiot merely kowtowed and prostrated himself before them, truly overwhelmed with shame.A verse from "Xijiangyue" attests to this:

Lust is a sword that wounds the soul;To crave it invites certain woe.Though a fair maiden's beauty may shine,Her true form's fiercer than a demon.

There's but one primal source,No profit can be gained anew.So guard your vital essence well,Lest wanton urges lead to rue.

Bajie gathered some earth, burned incense, and bowed towards the sky. Pilgrim said, "Do you recognize those Bodhisattvas?" Bajie replied, "I was unconscious and dazed, my vision blurred. How could I recognize anyone?" Pilgrim handed the slip of paper to Bajie. Bajie saw it was a verse and felt even more ashamed. Sandy laughed, "Second Brother has such good fortune, that he moved four Bodhisattvas to come and marry him!" Bajie said, "Brother, please don't mention it again, I've disgraced myself! From now on, I will never dare to act recklessly. Even if my bones break from exhaustion, I will diligently carry my load and follow Master to the Western Paradise." Tripitaka said, "That is how it should be."

Pilgrim then led Master onto the main road. Enduring the elements of travel, they journeyed for a long time until they suddenly saw a high mountain blocking their way. Tripitaka reined in his horse and stopped his whip, saying, "Disciples, the mountain ahead requires caution. I fear there might be demons causing mischief and harming our group." Pilgrim said, "With the three of us here, what demons are there to fear?" With this, the Elder proceeded with peace of mind. That mountain, indeed, was truly magnificent—

Towering peaks, grand and majestic,Their roots connected to the Kunlun range, their tops touched the sky.White cranes often roosted on cypress and pine, mystic apes frequently swung from vines.Sunlight illuminated clear forests, thousands of red mists layering;Wind arose in gloomy ravines, thousands of colorful clouds drifting.Solitary birds chirped amidst green bamboo, pheasants fought among wild flowers.There were Thousand-Year Peaks, Five-Blessing Peaks, Hibiscus Peaks, majestically gleaming;Ten-Thousand-Year Rocks, Tiger-Tooth Rocks, Three-Pointed Rocks, ruggedly radiant with auspicious energy.Grass was lush before cliffs, plum blossoms fragrant on ridges.Thorns were densely thick, orchids faintly fragrant.Eagles and phoenixes gathered in deep forests, qilin commanded myriad beasts in ancient caves.Stream waters flowed with feeling, winding and turning, full of lingering charm;Peaks stretched endlessly, layer upon layer, circling back upon themselves.Also seen were green acacias, mottled bamboos, dark green pines, elegantly blooming for a thousand years;White plums, red peaches, emerald willows, vying for beauty in three springs.Dragons roared, tigers howled, cranes danced, apes cried.Deer emerged from flowers, blue luan sang facing the sun.Truly a celestial mountain, a blessed land, comparable to the legendary Penglai or Langyuan.And saw flowers bloom and fade on mountaintops, clouds come and go on ridge peaks.

Tripitaka, delighted on his horse, said, "Disciples, I have traveled west for so long, experiencing many mountains and waters, all of which were rugged and dangerous. None are like the beautiful scenery of this mountain, which is truly extraordinarily serene and delightful. If we are not far from the Thunderclap Temple, we should prepare ourselves to meet the World-Honored One with solemnity and dignity." Pilgrim laughed, "Far from it, far from it! We're nowhere near yet!" Sandy said, "Brother, how far are we from Thunderclap Temple?" Pilgrim said, "A hundred and eight thousand li, we haven't even traveled one-tenth of the way." Bajie said, "Brother, how many years will it take to get there?" Pilgrim said, "This distance, if it were you two brothers, you could reach it in about ten days; if I walked, I could do it fifty times in a day, still seeing daylight; if Master walked, don't even think about it!" Tang Monk said, "Wukong, when do you say we will arrive?" Pilgrim said, "Even if you walked from childhood to old age, and then turned young again, and repeated old and young a thousand times, it would still be difficult. If you achieve true understanding and sincerity, then every turning point of your thoughts is the Spirit Mountain itself." Sandy said, "Brother, although this is not Thunderclap Temple, judging by the scenery, there must be a virtuous person living here." Pilgrim said, "That's a good point. There will certainly be no evil here; it must be the home of a holy monk or immortal. Let's explore slowly."

This mountain was called Longevity Mountain, and in the mountain was a monastery called Five-Villages Monastery. In the monastery lived an immortal, whose Daoist title was Zhenyuanzi, and whose popular name was 'Co-equal with the World'. The monastery produced a rare treasure, which came into being when chaos first divided and the primordial void was first separated, before heaven and earth opened. This spiritual root was born. Among the four great continents, only Five-Villages Monastery in West Niuhe Continent produced this, called the 'Herb of Returning Life', also known as Ginseng Fruit. It blossoms once every three thousand years, bears fruit once every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to ripen, so it is ready to eat after a minimum of ten thousand years. In these ten thousand years, only thirty fruits are produced. The fruits look like newborn children less than three days old, with complete limbs and all five senses. If a person is destined, just smelling the fruit will grant them three hundred and sixty years of life; eating one will grant forty-seven thousand years of life.

On that day, Great Immortal Zhenyuan received an invitation from the Primeval Lord of Heaven, inviting him to the Palace of Miro in the Highest Purity Heaven to listen to a lecture on the Dao of Primordial Chaos. The number of loose immortals who studied under the Great Immortal was countless, and currently, he still had forty-eight disciples, all of whom were enlightened Daoist adepts. On that day, he took forty-six of them to the celestial realm to listen to the lecture, leaving two very young ones to look after the house: one named Pure Wind and the other Bright Moon. Pure Wind was only one thousand three hundred and twenty years old, and Bright Moon was just one thousand two hundred years old. Zhenyuanzi instructed the two boys: "I must not violate the Great Heavenly Venerable's invitation; I am going to the Palace of Miro to listen to the lecture. You two must be careful at home. In a few days, an old acquaintance will pass this way; do not neglect him. You may pick two of my Ginseng Fruits and give them to him to eat, as a token of our old friendship." The two boys asked, "Who is Master's old acquaintance? Please tell us, so we can receive him well." The Great Immortal said, "He is a holy monk from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, whose Buddhist name is Sanzang. He is the monk currently on his way to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha and seek scriptures." The two boys laughed, "As Confucius said, 'Those who follow different paths cannot plan together.' We are of the Profound Gate of the Great Unity, how can we be acquainted with that monk?" The Great Immortal said, "You don't know. That monk is the reincarnation of Golden Cicada, the second disciple of the Western Holy Elder, Tathagata Buddha. Five hundred years ago, I met him at the Ullambana Assembly, where he personally offered me tea. The Buddha's disciple showed me respect, and so he is an old acquaintance." The two immortal boys heard this and diligently followed their master's command. As the Great Immortal was leaving, he again earnestly instructed, "My fruits are limited; you are only permitted to give him two, no more waste." Pure Wind said, "When the garden was opened, everyone shared two, so there are still twenty-eight fruits on the tree; we wouldn't dare waste more." The Great Immortal said, "Although Tang Sanzang is an old acquaintance, you must guard against his attendants causing trouble; do not let them know." The two boys received the command, and the Great Immortal, borne by his disciples, ascended directly to the heavens.

Now, Tang Monk and his three disciples were enjoying the mountain scenery when they suddenly looked up and saw: Clusters of pines and bamboos, several layers of pavilions. Tang Monk said, "Wukong, what place is that?" Pilgrim looked and said, "That place is not a Daoist monastery, it must be a Buddhist temple. Let's walk a bit closer to find out for sure." In a short while, they arrived at the entrance and observed—

Pine slopes serene, bamboo paths quiet.White cranes flew by, carrying floating clouds; monkeys often offered fruits up and down.Before the gate, the pond was wide, tree shadows long; rocks were cracked, moss flowers bloomed.Palaces stood grandly, reaching the purple heavens; pavilions floated faintly, like falling red clouds.Truly a blessed land, a spiritual realm, like the cloud caves of Penglai.Clear and empty, with few worldly affairs; quietude fostered the Daoist heart.Blue birds often brought messages from the Queen Mother; purple luan frequently carried scriptures from Laozi.Couldn't take in enough of the majestic aura of virtue, truly a vast abode of immortals.

Tripitaka dismounted from his horse and saw a stone tablet on the left side of the mountain gate. On the tablet were ten large characters, which read: "Longevity Mountain: Blessed Land, Five-Villages Monastery: Grotto Heaven." The Elder said, "Disciples, it truly is a Daoist monastery." Sandy said, "Master, observing this vibrant scenery, there must be virtuous people living in this monastery. Let's go in and take a look. If we return to the East after our journey is complete, this place would also be a scenic spot." Pilgrim said, "Well said." So they all entered together, and at the second gate, they saw a pair of couplets: "Immortal Mansion of Eternal Youth, Daoist Home Co-equal with Heaven." Pilgrim laughed, "This Daoist talks big to scare people. Five hundred years ago, when I caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, I never saw such words at the gate of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord." Bajie said, "Never mind him, let's go in, let's go in. Perhaps this Daoist has some virtue, who knows."

Upon reaching inside the second gate, they saw two young boys rushing out. See how they were dressed—

Pure bones, clear spirit, beautiful faces,Short hair tied in twin knots, like spears.Daoist robes naturally enveloped in mist,Feathered sleeves gracefully floated in the wind.

Belts tightly bound with dragon-head knots,Straw sandals lightly wrapped with silkworm floss.Extraordinary demeanor, not of the common sort,These were Pure Wind and Bright Moon, the two immortal boys.

The boys bowed with humility, came out to greet them, and said, "Venerable Master, we failed to welcome you, please be seated." The Elder was delighted, and he and the two boys went up to the main hall to look around. It was originally a grand hall of five bays facing south, all with intricate carved screens, bright above and dark below. The immortal boys pushed open the screens and invited Tang Monk into the hall. In the middle of the wall hung two large characters "Heaven and Earth" made of colorful silk. A vermilion carved lacquered incense table was set, and on the table was a golden incense burner and vase, with conveniently arranged incense sticks beside the burner.

Tang Monk stepped forward, picked up an incense stick with his left hand, inserted it into the burner, and bowed three times. After bowing, he turned his head and said, "Immortal boys, your Five-Villages Monastery is truly an immortal realm of the West. Why do you not worship the Three Pure Ones, the Four Emperors, and the myriad heavenly lords, but only serve Heaven and Earth with incense?" The boy laughed, "To be honest, Master, the upper character, 'Heaven,' is indeed worthy of our reverence; but the lower character, 'Earth,' is not worthy of our incense. It is our master's flattery." Sanzang said, "What do you mean by flattery?" The boy said, "The Three Pure Ones are our master's friends, the Four Emperors are our master's old acquaintances, the Nine Luminaries are our master's juniors, and the Primeval Stars are our master's lesser guests." Pilgrim heard this and laughed so hard he nearly fell. Bajie said, "Brother, why are you laughing?" Pilgrim said, "I thought only I could play tricks, but it turns out these Daoist boys can spin tall tales!" Sanzang said, "Where is your master?" The boy said, "Our master has been invited by the Primeval Lord of Heaven to the Palace of Miro in the Highest Purity Heaven to listen to a lecture on the Dao of Primordial Chaos; he is not at home." Pilgrim heard this and couldn't help but shout, "You stinking Daoist boy! You don't recognize people, whom are you playing tricks on, making up such empty boasts! Who in the Palace of Miro is a Great Unity Heavenly Immortal? Why would they invite a wild beast like you to lecture!" Sanzang saw him get angry, fearing that the boys would retort and cause trouble, so he said, "Wukong, stop arguing. Since we've come in, let's just leave. It would seem we lack etiquette. As the saying goes, 'Herons don't eat heron meat.' Since their master is not here, why bother them? You go tie up the horse at the mountain gate, Sandy, you guard the luggage, and tell Bajie to untie the baggage, get some rice and grain, borrow their stove, make a meal, and when we leave, just give them some money for firewood. Each attend to your duties, and let me rest here for a bit. We'll leave after eating." The three indeed went about their respective duties.

Bright Moon and Pure Wind secretly praised endlessly, saying, "What a good monk! He truly is a holy being from the West descending to the mortal realm, whose true essence is undimmed. Master told us to receive Tang Monk and give him Ginseng Fruits to show our old friendship, and also to guard against his attendants causing trouble. Indeed, those three have fierce and unruly faces and rough temperaments. Luckily, we've separated them. If they were nearby, they wouldn't even let the Ginseng Fruit be seen by others." Pure Wind said, "Brother, we still don't know if that monk is Master's old acquaintance. Let's ask him to make sure we don't make a mistake." The two boys then stepped forward and asked, "May we ask if you are Tang Sanzang, the Tang Monk from the Great Tang who is going to the Western Heaven to seek scriptures?" The Elder returned the greeting and said, "This humble monk is he. Immortal boys, how do you know my humble name?" The boy said, "Our master, before leaving, instructed his disciples to welcome you from afar. Unexpectedly, your arrival was so swift, and we failed to welcome you properly. Master, please be seated, let this disciple prepare tea to offer." Sanzang said, "I dare not." Bright Moon quickly returned to their room, brought a cup of fragrant tea, and offered it to the Elder. After the tea, Pure Wind said, "Brother, we must not violate Master's command. Let's go get the fruits."

The two boys took leave of Sanzang and went to their room together. One took the golden mallet, the other took the immortal tray, and they placed many silk cloths at the bottom of the tray. They went directly into the Ginseng Fruit garden. Pure Wind climbed up the tree and used the golden mallet to knock down fruits. Bright Moon stood below the tree, waiting to catch them with the immortal tray. Soon, two fruits were knocked down and caught in the tray. They went directly to the front hall to offer them, saying, "Master Tang, our Five-Villages Monastery is a remote and wild mountain, with nothing much to offer. These two humble fruits from our land are simply to quench your thirst." When the Elder saw them, he trembled and instinctively stepped back three feet, saying, "Amitabha, Amitabha! This year's harvest seems abundant, but why is this monastery so desolate that it eats people? These are children less than three days old; how can they quench my thirst?" Pure Wind secretly thought, "This monk, having been in the world of endless gossip and oceans of right and wrong, has acquired mortal, worldly eyes and does not recognize our immortal treasure." Bright Moon stepped forward and said, "Master, this thing is called Ginseng Fruit. Eating one is harmless." Sanzang said, "Nonsense! Nonsense! Their parents must have suffered so much during pregnancy to give birth to them, and they are less than three days old, how can you take them as fruits?" Pure Wind said, "They truly grow on a tree." The Elder said, "Nonsense! Nonsense! How can people grow on a tree? Take them away, they are unfit for human consumption!" The two boys, seeing him utterly refuse to eat, had no choice but to take the tray back to their room. The fruits were also peculiar; they couldn't be kept for long, or they would stiffen and become inedible. The two of them went back to their room, each taking one, and sat on the bed, just eating them.

Alas! So that's how it was! Their Daoist room was tightly adjacent to the kitchen. What was said quietly on one side was immediately heard on the other. Bajie was in the kitchen cooking. Earlier, when he heard them say they were taking the golden mallet and immortal tray, he had already noted it. Then he heard them say that Tang Monk didn't recognize the Ginseng Fruits and that they took them to their room to eat themselves. He couldn't help but drool, muttering, "How I wish I could taste one!" His body was too lazy to move, so he just waited for Pilgrim to come so he could scheme with him. He stood by the stove door, having no mind to stoke the fire, constantly craning his neck out to look. Soon, he saw Pilgrim leading the horse, tying it to a locust tree, and walking towards the back. The idiot waved his hands wildly, "Come here! Come here!" Pilgrim turned to the kitchen door and said, "Idiot, what are you shouting about? Is there not enough food? Let the old monk eat his fill first; we adults can beg for food elsewhere later." Bajie said, "Come in, it's not about lacking food. This monastery has a treasure, do you know?" Pilgrim said, "What treasure?" Bajie laughed, "If I tell you, you haven't seen it; if I show it to you, you won't recognize it." Pilgrim said, "This idiot is making fun of me. Five hundred years ago, when I sought immortal ways, I traveled to the ends of the earth; what haven't I seen?" Bajie said, "Brother, have you ever seen Ginseng Fruit?" Pilgrim was startled and said, "That I truly haven't seen. But I've often heard people say that Ginseng Fruit is the Herb of Returning Life, and eating it greatly extends life. Where are there any now?" Bajie said, "They have them here. The boys brought two for Master to eat, but the old monk didn't recognize them, saying they were children less than three days old, and dared not eat them. Those boys are terribly remiss. Since Master didn't eat them, they should have given them to us. Instead, they hid from us, and just ate them themselves, one each, in the next room, gobbling them down. It made my mouth water. How can I get one to taste? I think you're quite resourceful. Why don't you go to their garden and steal a few to try, how about it?" Pilgrim said, "That's easy. I'll get them in no time." He quickly turned to leave, but Bajie grabbed him, saying, "Brother, I heard them say in that room that they needed to use a 'golden mallet' to pick them. You must do it properly, don't let any wind leak out." Pilgrim said, "I know, I know."

The Great Sage used an invisibility spell, flashed into the Daoist room, and looked. The two Daoist boys, after eating the fruits, had gone to the hall to talk to Tang Monk and were not in the room. Pilgrim looked around, searching for a 'golden mallet', and only saw hanging on the window lattice a piece of pure gold, about two feet long and as thick as a finger; its bottom was a garlic-shaped knob; at the top, there was a hole, tied with a green velvet cord. He thought, "This must be what they call the golden mallet." He took it down, left the Daoist room, and went straight to the back. He pushed open two doors and looked up, "Ah!" It was a garden! One saw—

Vermilion railings and precious balustrades,Winding paths and rocky hills.Exotic flowers vied with the bright sun for beauty,Emerald bamboos challenged the blue sky in verdure.Outside the winding stream pavilion, a crescent of green willows seemed to drag smoke;Before the moon-gazing terrace, several clumps of tall pines were like spilled indigo.Red, rustling, brocade-nested pomegranates; green, swaying, embroidered stool grass.Lush green, blue sand orchids; gracefully swaying, beside the stream.Scarlet osmanthus reflected golden-well phoenix trees,Brocade locust trees neighbored vermilion railings and jade steps.There were red or white thousand-petaled peaches,Fragrant or yellow autumn chrysanthemums.Rose arbors, reflecting peony pavilions;Hibiscus terraces, connecting to peony gardens.Couldn't finish viewing the frost-defying noble bamboo,The snow-braving grandee pine.Moreover, there were crane manors and deer dwellings,Square ponds and round pools;Springs flowed like shattered jade,Earth petals piled like gold.North wind made white plum blossoms burst open,Spring painted the crabapples red.Truly the foremost immortal scenery in the human world, the premier flower garden of the West.And saw another gate. Pushing it open, it was a vegetable garden—

Sowing four-season vegetables,Spinach, celery, Swiss chard, ginger, moss.Bamboo shoots, gourd, water caltrop,Onion, garlic, coriander, chives.Lettuce, mugwort, purslane,Pumpkin, eggplant, must be planted.Turnips, radishes, burdock,Red amaranth, green cabbage, purple mustard.

Pilgrim laughed, "He's also a Daoist who grows his own food." He walked past the vegetable garden and saw another gate. Pushing it open, "Ah!" In the very center, there was a large tree, truly with fragrant green branches and lush, dark leaves. The leaves resembled banana leaves, and the tree reached over a thousand feet high, with a circumference of seventy to eighty feet at its base. Pilgrim leaned against the tree and looked up. On a branch facing south, a Ginseng Fruit was visible, truly resembling a child. Its tail end was a stem. He saw it hanging from the branch, its limbs moving wildly, nodding and shaking its head. When the wind blew, it seemed to make a sound. Pilgrim was overjoyed, secretly praising, "What a good thing! Truly rare, truly rare!" He leaned against the tree, and with a whoosh, sprang up.

That monkey was originally most skilled at climbing trees and stealing fruits. He tapped it once with the golden mallet, and the fruit plopped down. He also jumped down to follow and search, but it was nowhere to be seen. He searched in the grass all around, but there was no trace. Pilgrim said, "Strange, strange! Perhaps it has feet and can walk, but even if it walks, it can't jump over the wall. I know! Perhaps the garden's Earth God didn't allow me to steal his fruit, so he took it." He then pinched a magical seal, recited an "Om" mantra, and summoned the Earth God of the garden, who bowed to Pilgrim and said, "Great Sage, why have you summoned this humble deity? What are your commands?" Pilgrim said, "You don't know that I am the most notorious thief in the world. Back then, I stole peaches, snatched imperial wine, pilfered elixirs, and no one dared to share them with me. How is it that today I steal one fruit, and you take my share away! This fruit grows on a tree; even birds passing by in the air should have a share. What's the great harm if I eat one? How is it that as soon as I knocked it down, you snatched it away?" The Earth God said, "Great Sage, you've misunderstood this humble deity. This treasure is a possession of an Earth Immortal. This humble deity is a Ghost Immortal; how would I dare take it? I wouldn't even have the fortune to smell it." Pilgrim said, "Since you didn't take it, how did it disappear as soon as it fell?" The Earth God said, "Great Sage only knows that this treasure extends life, but you don't know its origin." Pilgrim said, "What origin?" The Earth God said, "This treasure blossoms once every three thousand years, bears fruit once every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to ripen. In a minimum of ten thousand years, only thirty are produced. If one is destined, just smelling it will grant three hundred and sixty years of life; eating one will grant forty-seven thousand years of life. However, it fears the Five Elements." Pilgrim said, "How does it fear the Five Elements?" The Earth God said, "This fruit falls when it meets metal, withers when it meets wood, dissolves when it meets water, chars when it meets fire, and burrows into the earth when it meets earth. When knocking it down, you must use a metal tool to get it to fall. After knocking it down, the tray must be padded with silk. If it touches any wooden object, it will wither, and even if eaten, it won't extend life. To eat it, you must use porcelain and dissolve it in clear water before consuming. If it encounters fire, it will char and become useless. As for burrowing into the earth, Great Sage, when you just knocked it onto the ground, it immediately drilled into the earth. This earth has existed for forty-seven thousand years; even a steel drill cannot penetrate it in the slightest. It's three or four parts harder than raw iron. That's why people who eat it live long. If Great Sage doesn't believe it, you can strike the ground here and see." Pilgrim immediately drew his Golden-Banded Cudgel and struck it once. With a clang, the cudgel bounced back, and there was no mark on the ground. Pilgrim said, "Indeed, indeed! My cudgel smashes stones to dust, and leaves marks on raw iron, how is it that this strike didn't damage it at all? In that case, I've indeed misunderstood you. You may return." The Earth God immediately returned to his temple.

The Great Sage then had a plan. He climbed up the tree, using one hand to wield the mallet and with the other pulling up the front of his brocade cassock to make a pouch to catch them. He then moved through branches and parted leaves, knocked down three fruits, caught them in his cassock, jumped off the tree, and went straight to the kitchen. Bajie laughed, "Brother, did you get any?" Pilgrim said, "Here they are! Easy pickings for me. Don't hide this fruit from Sandy; call him over." Bajie immediately waved and called, "Wujing, come here!" Sandy dropped his luggage and ran into the kitchen, saying, "Brother, why did you call me?" Pilgrim opened his robe-pouch and said, "Brother, look what this is?" Sandy saw it and said, "It's a Ginseng Fruit." Pilgrim said, "Good! You recognize it. Where did you eat it before?" Sandy said, "Although I haven't eaten it, when I was the Curtain-Lifting General, I often assisted the imperial carriage at the Peach Banquet and saw various immortals from overseas offer this fruit to the Queen Mother as a birthday gift. I've seen it, but never eaten it. Brother, can you give me some to taste?" Pilgrim said, "No need to ask, brothers, one each for us." The three of them each enjoyed their fruit. Bajie, with his big appetite and big mouth, first of all, had heard the boys eating and felt his craving stir. When he saw the fruit, he grabbed it, opened his mouth, and gulped it down whole with a gulping sound. Then he feigned ignorance with wide eyes, asking Pilgrim and Sandy, "What did you two eat?" Sandy said, "Ginseng Fruit." Bajie said, "What did it taste like?" Pilgrim said, "Wujing, don't pay attention to him! You ate yours first, and now you're asking who?" Bajie said, "Brother, I ate too fast, unlike you, who chew and swallow slowly, tasting the flavor. I don't even know if it had a pit or not, I just swallowed it. Brother, if you're going to do something, do it thoroughly. You've already whet my appetite. Get another one, so I can eat it slowly." Pilgrim said, "Brother, you don't know when to stop. This thing is not like rice or noodles, where you can eat until you're full. In ten thousand years, only thirty are produced. For us to eat one is a great fortune, not a small matter. Enough, enough, enough! That's enough!" He stood up, and through the window, he stealthily tossed the golden mallet back into their Daoist room, ignoring him completely.

The idiot continued to grumble and mumble. Unbeknownst to them, the two Daoist boys returned to their room to prepare and serve tea. They overheard Bajie still muttering, "The Ginseng Fruit wasn't satisfying; it would be good to have another one." Pure Wind heard this and became suspicious, saying, "Bright Moon, listen to that long-mouthed monk, he's still talking about wanting another Ginseng Fruit. When Master left, he specifically warned us to guard against his attendants causing trouble. Could it be that he stole our treasures?" Bright Moon turned back and said, "Brother, this is bad! This is bad! How did the golden mallet fall to the ground? Let's go check the garden!" The two of them rushed out and saw that the garden gate was open. Pure Wind said, "I closed this gate, how did it open?" They quickly turned through the garden and saw that the vegetable garden gate was also open. They hurried into the Ginseng Fruit garden, leaned against the tree, and counted upwards; checking repeatedly, they only found twenty-two. Bright Moon said, "Can you count?" Pure Wind said, "I can. Tell me." Bright Moon said, "There were originally thirty fruits. When Master opened the garden, we shared two, leaving twenty-eight. Just now we picked two for Tang Monk to eat, leaving twenty-six. Now there are only twenty-two left, so four are missing? No need to explain, no need to explain, those scoundrels definitely stole them. Let's go curse Tang Monk."

The two came out of the garden gate and went straight to the main hall, pointing at Tang Monk, calling him "bald one" front and back, incessantly cursing with foul and abusive language; calling him thieving and cunning, reeking of ill repute, shouting angrily without good reason. Tang Monk couldn't bear to listen and said, "Immortal boys, what is all this commotion about? Calm down a bit; it's fine to speak slowly if you have something to say, but don't babble nonsense." Pure Wind said, "Are you deaf? Is my talk incomprehensible to you? You stole and ate our Ginseng Fruits, how can you not let me speak?" Tang Monk said, "What do Ginseng Fruits look like?" Bright Moon said, "Didn't we just bring them for you to eat, and you said they looked like children?" Tang Monk said, "Amitabha! The moment I saw that thing, my heart pounded with fear, how would I dare steal and eat it! Even if I were dying of hunger, I wouldn't dare commit such a thieving act. Don't wrongly accuse people." Pure Wind said, "Even if you didn't eat them, your attendants would have stolen and eaten them!" Sanzang said, "That makes sense too. Don't shout, let me ask them. If it turns out they stole them, I'll make them compensate you." Bright Moon said, "Compensate? Where can we buy them, even with money?" Sanzang said, "Even if there's money, there's nowhere to buy them. As the saying goes, 'Benevolence and righteousness are worth a thousand pieces of gold.' Just let them make amends with an apology, and that will be enough. We still don't know if it was them or not." Bright Moon said, "How could it not be them? They're still arguing over not getting a fair share!" Sanzang called out, "Disciples, come here." Sandy heard it and said, "Oh no, the secret's out! Master is calling us, and the little Daoist boys are cursing wildly. If it's not the old matter that leaked, what else could it be?" Pilgrim said, "It's mortifying. This is just a matter of food. If it gets out, it'll look like we were being greedy. Just deny it." Bajie said, "Exactly, exactly, let's deny it." The three of them had no choice but to leave the kitchen and go up to the hall. But how they would manage to deny it remained to be seen. You will learn in the next chapter.