So don't be fooled by Pigsy's lustful nature and apparent flaws; he's actually a perfectly good monster.
"Zhu Bajie was originally the reincarnation of Marshal Tianpeng of the Heavenly Court. He represented the Heavenly Court and was also an important pawn in the cooperation between the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist sect in the Western Paradise."
After the journey to the West was completed, even the White Dragon Horse was made a Bodhisattva. Zhu Bajie's merits should have been greater than the White Dragon Horse's, but in the end, she was only made a Clean Altar Messenger. Why?
It's because Pigsy is a person from the Heavenly Court; he's just a figurehead in Buddhism!
Chapter 270 Wuzhuang Temple
The head of Gaojiazhuang gave Wang Xuan and his group a tearful account, describing his family's plight as extremely miserable and portraying Zhu Bajie as a heinous criminal.
Sun Wukong immediately offered to help the Gao family subdue the pig demon.
However, Sun Wukong was very clever. He didn't completely believe what the head of Gao Family Village said, so he held back when dealing with Zhu Bajie and didn't kill him directly.
Wang Xuan watched Sun Wukong leave, heading to the Gao family's backyard to set up a trap to capture Zhu Bajie. According to the plot Wang Xuan had seen in his previous life, it seemed that Sun Wukong transformed into Miss Gao and then had Zhu Bajie carry him a long distance.
So much so that in Wang Xuan's previous life, there was a story about "Pigsy carrying his wife on his back".
Wang Xuan silently chanted scriptures, appearing to be a proper and good monk. In reality, he was projecting his divine sense outwards, constantly keeping an eye on Sun Wukong's movements.
After the sun set, a strange cloud flew over from the horizon, and Pigsy finally came to see his wife.
Everything was just as Wang Xuan had seen in his previous life. After Sun Wukong, disguised as Gao Cuilan, had been intimate with Zhu Bajie for a while, he finally tricked Zhu Bajie into carrying him on his back and flying out of Gao Village, heading towards the distant mountains.
Poor Pigsy, he thought he had finally won the heart of the beauty, but little did he know that he was carrying back a monkey. He must have been devastated.
An hour later, Sun Wukong finally returned to Gao Village, with Zhu Bajie by his side.
When the head of Gao Family Village saw Pigsy, he was startled and shouted, "A monster!"
Although Old Master Gao didn't say it explicitly, the expression on his face clearly questioned Sun Wukong about why he hadn't killed the monster Zhu Bajie.
Sun Wukong paid no attention to Old Master Gao. He pretended not to understand the other man's expression, pulled Zhu Bajie to Wang Xuan, and introduced Zhu Bajie to Wang Xuan.
“Master, this pig demon was originally the reincarnation of Marshal Tianpeng in heaven. It was only because it was mistakenly reborn as a pig that it ended up in this state today. Don’t be fooled by its ugly appearance, it is quite capable. It was sent by Guanyin Bodhisattva to protect you.”
Wang Xuan nodded. Zhu Bajie's abilities were indeed not weak; he had already reached the mid-stage of the seventh rank. Although he was two minor realms higher than Sun Wukong, they were both Golden Immortals in the end.
A golden immortal came to his door. Although he was a bit ugly and a bit lecherous, Wang Xuan still accepted him as a disciple without hesitation and named him Zhu Bajie, also known as Zhu Wuneng.
"Actually, calling him 'Incompetent Pig' would be better," Wang Xuan muttered to himself, but didn't say it aloud.
After spending a day in Gao Lao Zhuang, they bid farewell and set off on their westward journey once again.
Before leaving, Pigsy shouted to Old Master Gao, "Father-in-law! Take good care of my wife. If I fail to obtain the scriptures, I will have to return to secular life. Don't give my wife to anyone else!"
When Old Master Gao heard Pigsy's words, he was furious and wished he could tear Pigsy to pieces. But he was just an ordinary man after all, and fearing that he would anger Pigsy, he had no choice but to meekly agree.
After leaving Gao Village, Wang Xuan, along with his two disciples Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, swaggered off towards the Western Paradise.
Along their journey, they killed several more foolish monsters. When they passed the Flowing Sand River, Sha Wujing joined them, and the four members of the pilgrimage group were finally complete.
After traveling thousands of miles, they arrived at a beautiful and spiritually rich mountain peak, where a Taoist temple stood.
This mountain is called Longevity Mountain, and the Taoist temple is called Wuzhuang Temple. It is the Taoist temple of Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of earth immortals.
Zhen Yuanzi was a prominent figure in Taoism of the same generation as the Three Pure Ones, so his Taoist temple was naturally extraordinary, with spiritual energy many times richer than other places outside.
Zhen Yuanzi was not at home at the time, so two young Taoist boys received them.
Sun Wukong hadn't been around for long; he had only returned from his studies at Lingtai Fangcun Mountain a few years prior. He was then imprisoned under the Five Fingers Mountain for causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace, and he didn't know much about the powerful beings in the world.
So when he saw a couplet inside the Wuzhuang Temple: "A land of immortals who live forever, a home of people who live as long as heaven," he thought the temple owner was incredibly arrogant, his boasting was practically bursting the sky.
The young Taoist priest immediately objected, retorting, "My master and the Three Pure Ones are of the same generation!"
Sun Wukong knew he had to give his master some face, so he pretended to be amazed, but in reality he didn't think much of it.
After all, when Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, he stole Laozi's Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, overturned Laozi's alchemy furnace, and even chased after Laozi with his golden cudgel.
In the monkey's mind, Laozi was nothing special, and the other two of the Three Pure Ones were probably no better. The owner of this Taoist temple was of the same generation as Laozi, so he must be just as easy to bully as Laozi.
It was precisely because of this preconceived notion that Sun Wukong became so lawless, not only stealing Zhen Yuanzi's ginseng fruit to eat, but also overturning the entire ginseng fruit tree.
If it were the Buddha's sacred site, how dare Sun Wukong be so presumptuous?
Ultimately, Sun Wukong thought that Zhen Yuanzi was just like Laozi, someone he could bully at will!
Laozi's Tao emphasizes non-action and he wouldn't bother with Sun Wukong. Zhen Yuanzi, however, is different. He considers the ginseng fruit tree his lifeblood, and Sun Wukong's uprooting of the tree is undoubtedly a direct attack on his most sensitive spot!
Wang Xuan witnessed everything but made no attempt to stop him. He watched helplessly as Sun Wukong stole the ginseng fruit, was caught red-handed by the young Taoist priest, and refused to admit it. The young priest called him a thief, so he uprooted the ginseng fruit tree – truly lawless!
Sun Wukong, feeling guilty for his misdeeds, dared not linger at Wuzhuang Temple. He immediately summoned his two junior brothers to escort Wang Xuan away from Wuzhuang Temple that very night.
Wang Xuan rode leisurely on his white dragon horse, traveling through the night. It would be strange if they could escape. It should be noted that Wang Xuan, as Tang Sanzang, was bound by the rules of the pilgrimage and traveled step by step, never using magic to travel.
Zhen Yuanzi, however, was not subject to this restriction. He could fly directly on the wind and cover tens of millions of miles in an instant!
As he expected, when Zhen Yuanzi returned to Wuzhuang Temple early the next morning, he immediately discovered the terrible state of his ginseng fruit tree and was instantly enraged.
Wang Xuan and his group fled for a whole night, but Zhen Yuanzi caught up in just a few moments and captured them all using his hidden power.
Chapter 271 Zhen Yuanzi (Revised)
The "Universe in the Sleeve" technique is Zhen Yuanzi's signature move. Once unleashed, it instantly covers the sky and the earth, and an extremely terrifying suction force emanates from it.
Even though Sun Wukong's cultivation had reached the seventh level of perfection, he had no power to resist Zhen Yuanzi's Qiankun Divine Power and was directly captured.
Wang Xuan, disguised as Tang Sanzang, was naturally captured by Zhen Yuanzi. He pretended to be panicked, but in reality, he was secretly observing Zhen Yuanzi.
"The dignified ancestor of earth immortals, Zhen Yuanzi, has a cultivation level of only the early stage of the eighth rank, barely reaching the realm of a Great Luo Golden Immortal. Isn't that a bit too low?" Wang Xuan frowned. He knew that in the prehistoric world, Zhen Yuanzi's setting was comparable to the six sages of the prehistoric world before he attained enlightenment!
However, the world of Journey to the West is not the prehistoric world; there are significant differences between them.
Just like the two great Western saints in the prehistoric world—Jieyin and Zhunti—they don't exist in the Journey to the West world at all.
Even though there are legends of the Three Pure Ones in the Journey to the West world, apart from Laozi, the Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Upper Pure Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable only exist in legends and have never actually appeared.
“Zhen Yuanzi went to listen to Yuanshi Tianzun preach. This is one of the few places in Journey to the West where Yuanshi Tianzun is mentioned. Although Yuanshi Tianzun never actually appeared, Zhen Yuanzi must have been very familiar with him.”
Thinking about this, Wang Xuan hesitated. Should he just take Zhen Yuanzi down and ask about the situation of Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu in this world?
When Wang Xuan first transmigrated to this world, he sensed three incredibly powerful divine senses probing him. He was able to discern the identities of these individuals from their divine senses: Laozi, Nuwa, and Buddha. All three were confirmed to be Heavenly Saints.
If the Primordial Celestial Venerable and the Tongtian Sect Master of this world are also Heavenly Saints, then the difficulty for Wanxin to conquer this world will undoubtedly increase further.
“My current identity is Tang Sanzang, and I am always protected by the Heavenly Court’s Six Ding and Six Jia and the Buddhist Dharma Protectors Jia Lan. This also serves as a form of surveillance.” Wang Xuan thought for a moment and ultimately gave up on this tempting plan. Now was not the time for him to expose himself.
Zhen Yuanzi had no idea that he had almost been ambushed. Under Wang Xuan's perception, Zhen Wuzi deliberately let Sun Wukong escape so that he could ask the countless immortals and Buddhas for help.
His ginseng fruit tree is a spiritual root of heaven and earth, so naturally it is not so fragile or so easy to die.
Even if no one treats it, the ginseng fruit tree will automatically recover and will never die. However, it will inevitably suffer a great loss of vitality and it will take tens of thousands of years to recover.
The best way to cure the ginseng fruit tree is to find the Three Lights Divine Water, which can naturally nourish the ginseng fruit tree and restore its vitality.
Even in the prehistoric world, the Three Lights Divine Water is considered a treasure. In the Journey to the West world, where the power level is even lower, it is an even rarer treasure, possessed by only a few immortals and gods.
If Zhen Yuanzi were to shamelessly ask for it, he could certainly get some of the Three Lights Divine Water, but that would leave him indebted to others, and the price he would have to pay to repay that favor in the future would be considerable.
According to Zhen Yuanzi's current plan, he will deliberately release Sun Wukong to seek help from other gods. In the end, Sun Wukong will be the one indebted to others, and it will have nothing to do with Zhen Yuanzi.
Sun Wukong had no idea about all that. He only knew that he had caused a huge disaster, resulting in his master and junior brother being captured, so he was in a hurry to search the world for help.
He searched for almost every powerful deity he knew, and finally found Guanyin Bodhisattva. The water in Guanyin Bodhisattva's willow branch and jade bottle was the Three Lights Divine Water, which could just save Zhen Yuanzi's ginseng fruit tree.
So, Sun Wukong happily dragged Guanyin Bodhisattva to Wuzhuang Temple and "revived" Zhen Yuanzi's ginseng fruit tree, which was actually just restoring its vitality.
Overjoyed, Zhen Yuanzi swore brotherhood with Sun Wukong.
Having suffered greatly at Zhen Yuanzi's hands and knowing his power, Sun Wukong showed no resistance to having such a powerful older brother; instead, he beamed with joy.
Wang Xuan glanced at Sun Wukong expressionlessly, but sighed inwardly.
On his journey to the West, Sun Wukong went to the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist sect to ask for help, but little did he know that these saviors were not so easy to ask for!
Every time Sun Wukong asked for a favor, he would incur a debt of gratitude. But having accumulated so many favors from Buddhist masters, he naturally became deeply entangled in karma with Buddhism, a bond he could never escape.
"The Buddhist sect's scheming is truly terrifying. They completely outmaneuvered Sun Wukong, a protagonist with immense destiny, binding him to their chariot without him even realizing it..."
Wang Xuan withdrew his gaze. After spending another night at Wuzhuang Temple, they finally set off again.
After walking for some time, they arrived at a place called White Tiger Ridge. This place was full of strangely shaped rocks, and there wasn't a single house in sight.
Wang Xuan is currently playing the role of an ordinary person, and ordinary people naturally need to eat. He just casually mentioned it, and Sun Wukong obediently went to find food.
Not long after Sun Wukong left, a young and beautiful village girl came over, carrying a bamboo basket filled with food. She said she had invited them to eat as a way of fulfilling a vow.
Pigsy was not only lustful but also gluttonous. He took the basket and prepared to eat, while also inviting Wang Xuan to eat with him.
Wang Xuan's lips twitched slightly. He really didn't have a good appetite, and he simply couldn't eat the things the village girl had brought!
Because the village girl in front of him was clearly a transformed White Bone Demon. That would have been bad enough, but the food that the White Bone Demon brought was clearly transformed from maggots, centipedes, and toads—it was as disgusting as it could be.
Wang Xuan didn't want to eat these disgusting creatures, but he remained calm, knowing that Sun Wukong would arrive in time.
Just as he expected, Sun Wukong had already rushed over without anyone noticing. When he saw that a demon girl was trying to harm his master, he raised his stick without saying a word and hit the village girl on the head.
The White Bone Demon is a village girl, but the village girl is not the White Bone Demon. In the end, it is just that the White Bone Demon's spirit possessed the village girl's body.
Sun Wukong's blow did not harm the White Bone Demon's spirit in the slightest, but instead killed the village girl who was possessed by the White Bone Demon. In the original story, Tang Sanzang punished Sun Wukong for this, which may not be unreasonable.
Chapter 272 Showdown with Tathagata
Wang Xuan rode his white dragon horse, striding briskly westward.
Sun Wukong was in charge of clearing the way for him. If any foolish monsters came, they would have to get past Sun Wukong first to ensure the safety of Wang Xuan, this "Tang Monk".
Pigsy followed closely behind Wang Xuan, protecting him just like Monkey King. However, while Monkey King protected the front, Pigsy protected the rear, and together they provided comprehensive protection.
As for Sha Wujing, he was merely a porter of luggage; he didn't need to lift a finger until they encountered a troublesome monster.
Sitting on his horse, Wang Xuan couldn't help but drift into a slight reverie. Back when he encountered the White Bone Demon, Wang Xuan had put on a masterful performance, just like in the original story, using a pretext to temporarily drive Sun Wukong away.
Originally, his intention was to prevent Sun Wukong from getting involved in this mess and to get away as soon as possible.