Zhu Bajie's Pig

Original unfinished long-form writing. This novel began in December 2013, continued intermittently until it stopped updating in 2016. I hope to find time to finish it someday. For those interested, make do with what's here.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (1) Five Hundred Years Later, Pursuing Gao Cuilan Again

After returning from the Western Heaven, Zhu Bajie missed Gao Cuilan terribly, dreaming day and night of going back to Gao Village. But as an immortal, he was bound by precepts and couldn't act on it, leaving Bajie deeply restless.

One day, Bajie blocked Tathagata's Dharma carriage, grumbling that he no longer wanted to be an immortal and wished to go to Gao Village. Tathagata, holding a flower, said slowly, "Bajie, don't fuss. Cultivate for five hundred years, and you shall see her."

After returning, Bajie began his cultivation, counting the days on his fingers. Enduring loneliness and solitude for five hundred years—eighteen thousand two hundred and fifty days—he finally earned his trip to Gao Village.

Gao Village seemed unchanged; Gao Cuilan① was still as beautiful as ever. Bajie lurked and observed for a few days, finding no man in Cuilan's life and that she never left the house. On the fourth day, when Cuilan was alone in the pavilion playing the zither, Bajie suddenly appeared. Cuilan seemed startled at first, then slowly smiled at Bajie. Overjoyed, Bajie rushed up, saying, "Cuilan, I've missed you to death!" while reaching for her hand. Unexpectedly, Cuilan jerked her hand away, pointed her middle finger at Bajie, and shouted, "Scram! Get out!" Bajie's face flushed a liver-red as he stammered, explaining that he'd cultivated for five hundred years just to see her and that she'd just smiled at him. Before he could finish, Cuilan sneered, "I smiled? I smiled because after five hundred years, you're still a pig."

Zhu Bajie hung his head and slowly walked out of Gao Village, whether by cloud or on foot, muttering something about five hundred years and so on...

Note: ①Because Gao Cuilan married Bajie, she also ascended to the immortal realm and became ageless.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (2) Playing the Dragon Warrior

After returning from Gao Village, Zhu Bajie was utterly bored, spending his days in idleness, growing more listless by the day—unkempt beard, glazed eyes, wandering around Bajie Manor in his pajamas.

Zhu Bajie had a nephew① named Zhu San, a second-rate actor, who suggested Bajie try acting. After all, it was just a play, fake, a way to pass the time. Bajie agreed, and Zhu San easily landed him a lead role as the Dragon Warrior, thanks to Bajie's immense fame and impressive skills. But Bajie refused to change his face, so the director rewrote the script to have the Dragon Warrior wear a mask. Bajie figured that worked, though he wouldn't use his real name, adopting the stage name Zhu Wu. Zhu San guessed it was because Bajie felt everything had failed—this life felt empty, void.

The Zhu Wu version of the Dragon Warrior was a huge success, spawning sequels that grew increasingly popular. Now it was Dragon Warrior 4, and Zhu Wu's fame soared, yet no one knew what he looked like. He wore a mask both on and off screen. All anyone knew was that Zhu Wu was slightly stout, agile, capable of feats others couldn't match, spoke little, and seemed to carry many stories.

Zhu Wu had countless fans, many of them women, including Gao Cuilan from Gao Village. Zhu Wu often spotted her—still as beautiful as ever—following the crew to events, pushing to the front row at press conferences.

Thanks to Zhu Wu, Zhu San became a top agent, with luxury cars and a seaside villa. He also persuaded Zhu Wu to invest in Zhu Wu Manor, which was packed daily. Zhu San had become one of the biggest names in entertainment. All news about Zhu Wu came through Zhu San, so Cuilan frequently sought him out for updates. Zhu San dared not neglect his uncle's dream girl, and Cuilan became a VIP at Zhu Wu Manor, allowed into the inner courtyard. She often saw Zhu Wu, masked, standing at his bedroom window watching her. At such moments, Cuilan's face would flush, and she'd quickly look away; when she glanced back, Zhu Wu was gone from the window.

Through Zhu San, Cuilan tried countless times to arrange meetings with Zhu Wu, but he was always busy. Finally, Zhu San mentioned that Zhu Wu had a gap in his schedule and wanted to get away—he wouldn't mind visiting Gao Village. Excited, Cuilan rushed back to Gao Village, tidied and cleaned, eagerly awaiting Zhu Wu's arrival.

Zhu Wu arrived with Zhu San in a taxi. He stayed in a separate courtyard at Gao Village, right next to Cuilan's Orchid Courtyard. During this time, Cuilan radiated joy, her steps light, fluttering around Zhu Wu like a butterfly. They quickly became inseparable, chatting about everything, and the maids began treating Zhu Wu as the master of the house.

Happy times always pass too quickly. Zhu Wu was to leave the next day. That evening, Cuilan hosted a dinner in the pavilion. Zhu San tactfully made an excuse and slipped away, leaving just the two of them. Cuilan sent everyone else away. After several rounds of wine, Cuilan's face grew redder, seeming slightly tipsy as she leaned against Zhu Wu and softly repeated a request that had been refused countless times—to see him without the mask. Zhu Wu let out a long sigh and asked, "Cuilan, are you sure you want to see? No regrets?" Cuilan nodded firmly. Zhu Wu slowly removed the mask. Cuilan froze for a moment, then, within seconds, pointed her middle finger at him, crying, "Pig! Still you, you pig! Get out, get out..." Zhu Wu said, "Cuilan, I didn't mean to deceive you..." but was cut off: "Cuilan? Is that name for you to call? Get out!"...

Zhu Bajie walked out of Gao Village step by step, not calling for Zhu San, not even grabbing his mask. He didn't return to Zhu Wu Manor either, going straight to Bajie Manor to bury his head and sleep.

Note: ①Because Bajie never ages, looking only around forty, any younger person with the same surname counts as his nephew; similarly, Zhu San's uncle would be of the same generation as Bajie. The rest follows this logic.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (3) Leaving with Nothing

After returning from Gao Village, Zhu Bajie was devastated, unwilling to do anything. He either hid under the covers at Bajie Manor sleeping or sat alone in a daze. Zhu San urged him to go back to acting, but Bajie ignored him completely. Once, when Zhu San tugged at him, Bajie casually waved his hand, sending Zhu San flying with a bloody nose and three knocked-out teeth. After that, no one dared bother Bajie, and he stayed alone like that for over half a year.

One day, Zhu San saw Bajie sitting quietly in a chair and crept over, saying that Zhu Wu Manor was empty and dusty—why not rent it out? A school was interested, and it would be a good deed. Before he could finish, Bajie cut him off: "You handle it; just bring it to me to sign." A few days later, Zhu San arrived with a huge stack of contracts for Bajie to sign. Bajie had him flip to the signature pages and signed them all, even adding his fingerprint.

A few more days passed, and Zhu San came to Bajie Manor with several people. From a distance, Zhu San shouted loudly, "Uncle, you need to leave this place. I've found you somewhere to stay." Bajie said he wasn't going anywhere. Zhu San insisted it wouldn't work—this was his property now, and he needed to run it, so Bajie couldn't stay. Bajie grew angry: "How is this my place and I can't stay?" His voice rose too. After arguing for a while, Bajie roughly understood that the signatures from days earlier had transferred both Bajie Manor and Zhu Wu Manor to Zhu San. The people who'd come included property officials and the new owners, there to make Bajie move out. Furious, Bajie blinked to Zhu San's side, grabbed him, and raised his hands to slap him left and right. But before his arm went up, he felt a sting in his shoulder, and it went numb instantly.

When Bajie woke up, he found himself lying on a garbage heap, with an old man standing nearby. Bajie recognized him as Zhu San's uncle and Bajie's cousin, Zhu Xu. Seeing Bajie awake, Zhu Xu slowly explained that Zhu San had sent him. He told Bajie not to make a fuss—it was useless. Zhu San had legal paperwork, and fighting wouldn't help either, since Zhu San had hired the nephews of the Scorpion Spirit—Scorpion King One, Two, Three, and others—whom Bajie had killed with his rake during the Western Heaven journey. They were on 24-hour protection duty, and if Bajie provoked them, they'd avenge the Scorpion Spirit, and Bajie's pig life would be in danger. Bajie knew he couldn't beat them; back then, he'd only killed the Scorpion Spirit with help from the Rooster Star Officer. The thought was so embarrassing he couldn't bear to tell anyone, let alone ask for help. Zhu Xu kept talking, but Bajie interrupted: "Enough, I know. Tell Zhu San to take care of himself." With that, Bajie slowly got up, walked away from the garbage heap, and wandered off.

After who knows how long, Bajie realized he had no idea where he was, and nowhere to go. He patted himself down—not a single coin. Bajie gave a bitter laugh and kept walking. Soon, he spotted a dilapidated temple. Hungry and exhausted, he went in, found a clean spot, lay down fully clothed, and fell asleep. In his dreams, he vaguely saw Gao Cuilan, still pointing at him, cursing him as a pig and telling him to get out.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (4) Adding Insult to Injury

When Zhu Bajie woke up, it was nearly noon. Birds were squawking all over the broken temple, and Bajie found it maddening. Thirsty and starving, he rolled over and headed out. He couldn't tell where he was, hesitated briefly at the temple gate, then veered down the right path, his pace quickening. Hunger and thirst gnawed at him, but he met no one along the way—only the rustle of leaves and bird calls from the roadside.

After some time, Bajie suddenly stopped. This wouldn't do—he didn't know where he was or where to go, and even if he found a town, he couldn't bring himself to beg for food. He started patting his pockets, searching his clothes. Still no money, but he found the jade pendant that Gao Cuilan had given to Zhu Wu—and even after learning Zhu Wu was Zhu Bajie, she'd never asked for it back. Bajie always wore it against his chest. With no other option, he decided to pawn it.

Bajie finally ran into a hunter, asked for directions, and found a decent-sized town where he pawned the pendant for 2,000 yuan. He spent a few dozen on a hearty meal, picking his teeth afterward while pondering what to do next. After thinking it over, he decided to head to the film set to see if there was any acting work.

Before he even reached the set, Bajie heard a raucous commotion. Walking in, he saw another Dragon Warrior wearing the same mask, performing a fight scene with a group. Zhu San, sitting nearby sipping tea, spotted Bajie and whispered something to Zhu Xu, who stood by the table. Zhu Xu nodded immediately, hurried over to Bajie, pulled him aside to a corner, and told him to leave at once. He said the Dragon Warrior now was Scorpion King One—after Bajie had walked off, Zhu San had brought him in. With the mask on, King One's build was close enough to Bajie's that no one could tell the difference. Zhu San had just told Zhu Xu to warn Bajie to stay away from the set and the manor, to go do whatever he pleased, or the three Scorpion Kings would make things rough for him.

Bajie stood there listening, saying nothing. By the time he snapped out of it, Zhu Xu was already gone. Bajie let out a long breath and slowly walked away from the set. Soon, he spotted a tavern in the distance and decided to drink himself into a stupor. He ordered several plates of beef, peanuts, small fish, and a few other dishes, plus a huge jar of liquor. He barely touched the food but drained the entire jar, muttering to himself as he slumped over the table and fell asleep.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (5) Trapped in Yili Courtyard

Zhu Bajie was woken by the tavern keeper around ten at night. He paid, rubbed his head, muttered something about bringing more wine, and staggered out. Drifting into a grove of trees, he heard faint sounds of singing and dancing in the distance. Deeper into the woods, he saw neon lights illuminating a large compound, its entrance packed with luxury cars. Two rows of people stood at the gate—tall, burly men in dark uniforms interspersed with a dozen or so women in heavy makeup, each wearing colorful cheongsams slit up to the thigh.

As soon as Bajie reached the entrance, a perfectly synchronized chorus of "Welcome to Yili Courtyard!" nearly knocked him off balance. Amid the bows, a beauty in a green cheongsam quickly stepped forward to support him, guiding him inside while asking, "Sir, are you here alone?" Bajie replied instinctively, "Yes. Bring me wine." The cheongsam beauty led him to a lavishly decorated private room, where another woman in a blue uniform hurried over to help ease Bajie onto a sofa. The green-clad woman told the blue-uniformed one that the guest was drunk and had come alone. The blue-uniformed woman asked if they should wait until he sobered up a bit, but before she finished, Bajie waved his hand wildly in the air, shouting, "Bring me wine!" He repeated it several times. The blue-uniformed woman seemed resigned and said to the green-clad one, "Let's start with the minimum standard package." The green-clad one agreed. Soon, a case of beer, a large bottle of foreign liquor, and a bucket of ice arrived. Before the blue-uniformed woman could even pour a glass, Bajie snatched it and downed it in one gulp.

In no time, Bajie had finished every drop—his face as red as Guan Yu's. The two women had just raised their glasses to toast him when Bajie drained his again. They never got a single sip as Bajie alone polished off twelve bottles of beer and a bottle of foreign liquor. Amid their astonishment, Bajie kept shouting for more wine. When the blue-uniformed woman went out to order more, Bajie slumped over and fell asleep on the green-clad woman's lap. When the wine arrived, she gently patted his back, saying, "Sir, your wine's here," but Bajie didn't stir. The blue-uniformed woman joined in calling him, but they couldn't wake him. The two women had no choice but to stay with him. The green-clad woman didn't move, letting Bajie rest on her lap, occasionally catching him murmuring in his sleep, calling out the name Gao Cuilan.

Zhu Bajie didn't wake until the next morning. The blue-uniformed woman had already left. The green-clad woman, whom Bajie had been using as a pillow, was still asleep, slumped over the sofa back. Bajie nudged her shoulder, and she woke with a start, rubbing her eyes and exclaiming, "Sir, you're awake? I tried calling you all night and couldn't rouse you." A bit embarrassed, Bajie sat up and asked, "Where is this?" The green-clad woman replied, "Yili Courtyard," then stood and rubbed her legs for a while before picking up the bill from the table and handing it to Bajie. Bajie's head spun when he saw it—the total was 3,600 yuan. He rubbed his hands nervously and stammered, "I... I don't know. I was drunk. I don't have that much on me," placing the remaining 2,000-some yuan from his pocket on the table. The green-clad woman stared blankly for a moment, then walked out.

A short while later, several burly men with sleepy but menacing looks entered the room, the green-clad woman trailing behind, saying that this gentleman had been drunk when he arrived yesterday and hadn't brought enough money. The men surrounded Bajie, pressing him to go get the money. Bajie kept repeating that he truly had no money and had no idea how this happened, very apologetic—the same roundabout words. After a tense standoff, one of the men couldn't resist and slapped Bajie hard across the face. Bajie's brow twitched as if to flare up, but he quickly calmed down. Then another man made a phone call, and soon a plump woman calling herself Sister Hong arrived. Sister Hong asked Bajie how he wanted to resolve this. Bajie said anything was fine. Sister Hong looked him over and said, "Well, the money's not far off. Just work here for a month to pay it off."

So Bajie stayed on at Yilü Yuan. He learned that the beauty in the green qipao was named Wang Xuhou, and the one in the blue qipao was called Li Wanyue. He also found out both women were fellow Sichuan natives. Wang Xuhou had formerly been called Wang Xuhou—her father, after having her, dreamed day and night of a son, and after giving her that name, he indeed fathered a boy. He discovered they both sang beautifully, were classmates from an arts school, had nowhere else to go, and were temporarily singing accompaniment at Yilü Yuan—selling their voices, not their bodies—and had only been there a little over a month.

Sister Hong assigned Bajie to janitorial work, mainly helping Old Li and Old Wu tidy up the sixty-four private rooms. They started around ten at night and worked until the early hours of the next morning; everyone else had clocked off, but the three of them were still at it. It was exhausting, yet Bajie began to feel less adrift—more grounded inside, even a hint of happiness.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (6): You

Today was Bajie's twenty-fourth day working at Yilü Yuan. Seven more days and he could leave. Wang Xuhou and Li Wanyue had grown very close to him, sharing everything with Bajie. They both felt he was honest and dependable, with a simple, good-natured face. They guessed he might be someone who'd let himself go after an unhappy family life and turned to drinking, but they sensed he was fundamentally decent—hardworking, quiet, and the kind of good man one should be. In their hearts, they treated him like an older brother. Bajie, in turn, loved having them flit around him, loved the sound of their light footsteps and their carefree, innocent ways.

Bajie had once asked the Buddha Tathagata how he could make his appearance normal without shapeshifting. The Buddha replied with a cryptic verse: "The face follows the heart; circumstances shift with the mind. If the mind holds to all Buddhas, the beads can aid the path." Bajie hadn't understood and secretly cursed the Buddha for being deliberately obscure. Now, at last, he got it: one's appearance changes with one's inner state and surroundings. After centuries of cultivation and the trials of recent events, his practice had risen a notch, and his face had naturally taken human form—no transformation needed, no longer startling the world.

Bajie loved listening for their singing drifting out of the private rooms while he cleaned, especially their self-composed duets. He felt those voices surpassed even the finest music he'd heard in the Heavenly Court back when he was Marshal Tianpeng.

Around eleven at night, Bajie was, as usual, cleaning a room just vacated by a guest with Old Li and Old Wu. Old Li and Old Wu chatted idly about family trifles as they always did, while Bajie silently wiped tables, ears pricked for Wang Xuhou and Li Wanyue's voices. Just then, they launched into a duet—Bajie knew it was their freshly crafted "You're Too Ugly." The first time he'd heard them rehearse it, tears had blurred his eyes. The drifting melody came in snatches, but Bajie had memorized the whole song and hummed along inwardly.

You're Too Ugly

When I met you, I'd just turned twenty,
Your wit and charm left me dizzy,
Eloquent words and classic quotes made me swoon,
Your deep bass voice had me in a daze,
Your gentle grace and gentlemanly air intoxicated me,
But you're too ugly, and it broke my heart;

That year I'd just turned twenty,
Meeting too-ugly you shattered me,
You're too ugly,
It broke my heart.

The lyrics were simple, the song short with two loops, and their rustic singing style was plain too, but it won over many patrons and even the staff. "You're Too Ugly" could be heard hummed all over Yilü Yuan, and it became the finale act many guests insisted on hearing them perform live. Bajie loved it especially. The first time he heard it, he thought they'd recognized him and written it for him, but later he saw that wasn't the case, and he realized that there truly is always a song that makes you weep. The inspiration, supposedly, came from a senior classmate of theirs—a man of vast learning with a beautiful voice but a face that was simply too homely. The word "homely" stung Bajie again—he wasn't homely; he was shocking. This senior happened to adore their school's beauty queen, a girl who was both gorgeous and talented, already a minor starlet. It became the joke of the school. Whenever these backstories came up, Bajie showed nothing on his face and often praised their creativity, saying that if he had the means, he'd definitely promote them. They'd always laugh loudly and say, "Then we'll thank you in advance!"

As Bajie cleaned the room, lost in thought, the singing suddenly cut off. Immediately, loud shouting erupted, followed by a cacophony of quarreling voices.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (7): Getting Beaten

Bajie heard the fierce argument but didn't react much, continuing to tidy the table and set things straight. He just felt a bit resigned that he couldn't hear their singing anymore. Old Li and Old Wu, always fond of a spectacle, rushed out at the sound of shouting to see what was happening. A moment later, Old Li ran back in and shouted at Bajie: "Zhu Wu (Bajie was still using the alias Zhu Wu; folks here knew of the big star Zhu Wu, but none would ever guess Bajie was the real one), Zhu Wu, hurry—your sister Wang is being molested!" Bajie shot up, standing ramrod straight, a sharp glint flashing from his eyes—though Old Li didn't see it.

Old Li led the way at a run, and Bajie followed with quick steps, his back gradually losing its stiffness, his expression softening into something more like weary resignation. From a distance, Bajie saw a crowd gathered around a room's entrance, security guards included. As he pushed through, he heard Sister Hong speaking: "Young Master Niu, Miss Wang is someone we hired just to sing. Look how professional she is—her voice is truly good. She can accompany you singing, greet you at the door, and see you out, but she won't go out with you. How about—" Before she could finish, a sharp "smack" rang out. Bajie had just squeezed to the doorway and saw a man around thirty, hair slicked back glossy black, slap Sister Hong across the face. He snarled at her: "Who do you think you are? Today it's not up to her—she goes whether she likes it or not." He flopped heavily onto the sofa, and several lackeys scurried over, offering cigarettes and water, urging him to calm down. One older man stepped over to Sister Hong, who was clutching her cheek as tears streamed down but dared not speak, and tried to console her: "You know how Young Master Niu is—this is what you get for being tactless. Don't cry. Just sign some more tabs later and persuade Miss Wang to go out with our Young Master Niu." Without another glance at her, he walked back and leaned in to murmur something to Niu.

From the chatter around him, Bajie pieced it together: Niu was the son of a major local business owner—young and successful—and his father was a high official in the provincial government. Niu frequented Yilü Yuan to sing, spending lavishly, but he was also vicious. Several staff members had been slapped by his crew, and even the security guards were too scared to intervene. Sister Hong always endured it, forced smiles, and did her best to cater to Niu's whims. Niu often took the singing girls out, and any he fancied had to go whether they wanted to or not. Today, he'd set his sights on Wang Xuhou, who refused flat out. Niu had already smashed a glass and slapped her; Sister Hong had rushed in to mediate and caught one herself. Wang Xuhou stood facing the wall near the mounted TV, shoulders trembling as she cried, too frightened to sob aloud. Li Wanyue held her tightly, facing outward, glancing between Sister Hong and Niu.

Sister Hong stood frozen for a long moment, then wiped her face with her sleeve and went over to the two women, speaking softly to Wang Xuhou. Wang kept shaking her head. Bajie, standing at the door, couldn't hear clearly but knew she was adamantly refusing to go out with Niu. Sister Hong timidly approached Niu, standing several of his men away, poured a full glass of red wine, raised it to him, and said: "Young Master Niu, I'm sorry for spoiling your fun today. Miss Wang just graduated and won't go out. I'll drink three big glasses to make amends." She downed it in one gulp. Niu stared at her coldly, waiting until she finished before drawling: "Who asked you to make amends?" He gave a signal to three lean young men in dark suits beside him, then slowly rose, preparing to head out of the room. The men strode over to Wang Xuhou—one yanked Li Wanyue away, while the other two grabbed Wang and began dragging her out.

Bajie glanced around. The security guards clustered at the door, along with Old Li and the others, all scattered to the sides, seemingly clearing a path for Niu. No one intended to intervene. Sister Hong watched helplessly, not daring to make a sound. Only Wang Xuhou cried out loudly, legs kicking wildly in the air, but it was useless. As the group was about to exit the room, Bajie happened to be right at the doorway. He spread his arms to block the way and shouted: "How dare you abduct a woman in broad daylight! I've already called the police—don't you dare do anything rash!" Niu, now nearly face-to-face with Bajie, let out a surprised grunt and roared: "So there really is someone who isn't afraid of death. Beat him!" The three men released the women and swung their fists at Bajie. Bajie could tell from their stance they'd had training, but they couldn't hurt him. He didn't dodge, just stood there taking the blows without fighting back. One man, seeing punches were useless, grabbed a coat rack by the door and smashed it over Bajie's head. The rack snapped, but Bajie seemed unfazed. The three men looked to Niu, who spat out a harsh "Let's go." Bajie didn't stop them, stepping aside to let them leave.

Once they were out of sight, the crowd gathered around Bajie, chattering: "Wouldn't have guessed you had that kind of nerve," "You can really take a hit," "Be careful—they're not pushovers, they've got powerful backers." Bajie ignored it all, went over to Wang Xuhou, and said softly: "It's over. They're gone." Only then did she collapse against his shoulder and burst into loud sobs.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (8): A Calm Mind

Ever since Bajie stepped up to save Wang Xuhou, the two women had come to treat him as a true big brother. They fussed daily over whether he was eating well and asked him repeatedly where he'd go once his debt at Yilü Yuan was settled, and whether there was a chance the three of them could team up on something—they'd saved up about a hundred thousand yuan in capital.

Those days, they stuck close to Bajie. He lived in the staff dormitory at Yilü Yuan, and they'd spend all their time in the room he shared with Old Li and Old Wang. The moment they spotted his dirty clothes, they'd wash them. When Bajie grabbed his lunchbox to head to the cafeteria, one of them would snatch it away and bring it back filled moments later. Old Li and Old Wang were green with envy, praising Bajie for the good karma he must have built in a past life.

Li Wanyue loved tea, especially pu-erh, and Bajie drank plenty of it along with her. Often, no sooner had he returned to the dorm than her hot tea was already in his hands. Bajie had fallen for pu-erh at first sip—that raw pu-erh was soft on the tongue with a faint bitterness that quickly gave way to a full, sweet aftertaste, rich in character. Bajie seemed to have an affinity for tea. Within just a few days, he'd learned from Li Wanyue what pu-erh was all about—distinguishing raw from ripe, knowing ancient-tree teas and the famous tea mountains, recognizing what made a good tea, even able to guess which of her few prized stored teas she was brewing. Bajie reflected: back in the day at Wanshou Mountain, he'd gulped down a ginseng fruit in one bite with his two fellow disciples. Now he could sip tea slowly, savoring each mouthful and lingering on the flavor—it felt like being reborn. As they say, a calm mind reveals Buddha-nature. Perhaps now, with nothing he could seek and no right to ask, his mind was forced into stillness, and so much became clear to him.

When Bajie had followed his master west to fetch the scriptures, they'd traveled a hundred and eight thousand li over sixteen years. His master sat in meditation and chanted sutras every night, but Bajie never once practiced—he just drifted through each day, eating and sleeping. Back then, he'd thought his master was a fool, a hopeless pedant. Now Bajie could sit in meditation for half a day, even entering deep absorption until dawn, his mind as still as water each day. He was certain these five hundred years were his true "ordeal," and now he'd likely passed through it safely.

Bajie spent those days at Yilü Yuan lost in such thoughts, barely even recalling Gao Cuilan. The two women often saw him standing alone by the window when off duty, staring at something outside for long stretches. They sensed he must have many stories, but no matter how they asked, he never said a word.

And so, Bajie's final day at Yilü Yuan arrived. The two women had arranged early to take him out for a late-night snack after work, inviting Old Li and Old Wang along too. Bajie was still cleaning rooms with the two old men as usual, listening for the women's voices while he worked. Old Li and Old Wang took turns teasing him about the good life awaiting him outside, then sighing that Bajie could leave Yilü Yuan while they'd have to keep grinding there, not daring to go anywhere. Bajie worked quietly, not joining in. Finding it dull, they fell back into their usual idle chatter about goings-on at Yilü Yuan.

Around eleven, the three of them had finished six rooms. The hourly-rate rooms still had guests, so Bajie sat with Old Li and Old Wang in the lounge behind the bar to rest, waiting for the front desk to settle bills and call them to clean. The lounge faced Yilü Yuan's entrance directly. At night, dozens of hostesses were always waiting there, all heavily made-up, wearing qipaos so tight they could barely contain themselves—hemlines up to the tops of their thighs, necklines plunging to reveal most of their ample chests—with coats draped over when it was chilly. They chattered away; those not talking played on their phones or pulled out little mirrors to touch up their makeup. Bajie and the others hated being in the lounge but couldn't go back to the dorm or sit in empty rooms, so they often just stared blankly at the entrance.

From far off, Bajie spotted a large crowd ushering Niu into Yilü Yuan. Old Wang's face went pale at the sight, and he turned to warn Bajie, but saw he'd already noticed. Bajie's expression suddenly sagged with exhaustion, as if drained. He said quietly to Old Wang, "Go tell Wang Xuhou to hide." After Old Wang left, Bajie closed his eyes as if asleep.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (9): Immortal Arts Again

Old Wang finally found Wang Xuhou and hurriedly told her: Niu's here—Zhu Wu says find somewhere to hide and don't come to work. Wang Xuhou dashed back to the dorm, but fear still gnawed at her, so she slipped out through the side gate of Yilü Yuan, found a spot to crouch, and played on her phone while straining her ears toward the establishment's sounds.

Niu Shao and his group spotted Zhu Bajie from a distance. A large crowd was packed around the bar without moving further in. The hostess repeated several times, "This way, please," but Niu Shao paid her no attention. With both hands tucked into the pockets of his black cloak, he shouted at Bajie, "Hey, are you coming out yourself, or do we have to go in and drag you out?" Bajie opened his eyes, looked up at Niu Shao, who then shouted again, "Hey, I'm talking to you. You think you're so tough, so come out on your own." Bajie let out a sigh, his expression growing more despondent. He slowly rose and walked out, passing by Niu Shao and his group without stopping, heading straight out of Yilü Yuan and standing in the open space of the parking lot at the entrance.

Bajie remained silent the whole time, not even turning around, gazing into the woods deep in the parking lot with an increasingly lonely look. Niu Shao, seeing Bajie's dismissive and indifferent attitude, flew into a rage. He raised his right hand and pointed at Bajie, bellowing, "Turn around, now!" Bajie let out another soft sigh, slowly turned to face Niu Shao, his expression desolate but unangered, standing quietly with his right hand resting on his belt and his left hanging naturally at his side. The older man beside Niu Shao, the one who had earlier told Sister Hong things were boring, spoke up, "I heard your surname is Zhu. Are you working at Yilü Yuan because you couldn't pay your tab?" He didn't seem to expect an answer from Bajie and continued, "I'm Niu Shao's steward. My surname is Liu. Everyone calls me Uncle Liu. Our Niu Shao isn't unreasonable. You spoiled his fun last time. How about this—you have that Miss Wang come keep Niu Shao company, and today's matter is settled." After a pause, Bajie still said nothing. Uncle Liu went on, "Or you kowtow three times to Niu Shao—make them loud to show sincerity—and chop off one of your fingers. If you can't bear to do it yourself, we can help. Then this matter is over." Niu Shao gave an approving grunt and nodded to confirm that was the deal.

By now, the entrance of Yilü Yuan was packed with people—Sister Hong, security guards, other staff, and even customers had come out. Dozens of people clogged the doorway. Even Li Wanyue had come out. When she heard this, she tried to walk over but was firmly held back by Sister Hong. No one dared to approach or say a word. Bajie still stood quietly in the same posture. After nearly a full minute of silence, he finally spoke slowly, "Last time you tried to abduct a woman and beat me up. Now you come demanding my finger and a kowtow—isn't that a bit much? Uncle Liu, I'd advise you to talk some sense into Niu Shao. Keep defying the law like this, and retribution will come soon enough." Uncle Liu sneered, "Then there's nothing to discuss." He gave a slight nod to the side, and immediately a burly man stepped forward. Dressed in training clothes, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, he looked like the expert Niu Shao had mentioned. The man said nothing, slowly approached Bajie, bent his body slightly forward, and assumed a fighting stance, glaring at Bajie. Bajie remained in the same posture, even tucking his left hand into his pocket. The man grew furious. He lunged forward, grabbing Bajie's right inner elbow with his left hand and Bajie's left hand with his right, then spun around, crouched low, and roared, "Up!" Bajie let the man grab him and spin him, but when the man shouted and tried to throw him, Bajie stood perfectly still, hands still in his pockets. The man's face turned red as he roared again, "Up!" But Bajie remained rock steady. The man released Bajie, strode back to Niu Shao, clasped his fists in salute, and said, "Niu Shao, my apologies. I'm not capable." With that, he walked back to his original spot.

Niu Shao's face turned ugly. Uncle Liu coughed twice and said to Bajie, "Friend, where are you from? Even I, an Inner Mongolia wrestling champion, couldn't budge you." Bajie stood silently without a word. "I'll take him on," a voice rang out before the words even faded, and a lean, dark-skinned man was already standing in front of Bajie. No one else saw how he got there, but Bajie did—he had flown over, his feet barely skimming the ground so others would think he was just quick on his feet. There was a rule in the celestial realm: don't casually reveal immortal arts in the mortal world. For this man to use such arts in front of so many people, even discreetly, was reckless. It made Bajie suspect the celestial realm was in turmoil again—could demons and monsters be in charge once more? Bajie didn't dare take him lightly. He raised his right hand and pointed at the lean man, asking, "Who are you? How did you end up mixed up with them?" The man, sensing Bajie was no ordinary mortal and fearing he might offend someone connected and cause trouble later, answered honestly, "I'm Wang Hua. I happened to come by to settle accounts and joined them. Niu Shao is an important partner of our boss, Wang." Bajie's heart skipped a beat at the surname Wang. He pressed further, "And who is your boss Wang? Wang Ji?" The bystanders found the question baffling, but Wang Hua grew even more respectful and replied, "It's Uncle Wang Yi." Bajie understood everything now. After a moment's thought, he said, "You're no match for me. Go back and ask your uncle who I am." Wang Hua quickly clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Yes, I'll definitely ask my uncle about you when I return." Then he turned and stepped back.

Niu Shao watched as Wang Hua, whose martial prowess was unfathomable and who had never feared anyone, retreated—and seemed to be an old acquaintance of Bajie. Frustrated but helpless, his face flushed red then paled. Uncle Liu didn't even dare cough, only lightly tugging at Niu Shao's sleeve. Niu Shao took a deep breath, exhaled, and called out softly, "Retreat."

Zhu Bajie's Pig (10) The Earth God

Wang Xuhou didn't return until nearly midnight, looking thoroughly shaken. Zhu Bajie and Li Wanyue had been waiting for her. When Wang Xuhou saw them, she let out a wail and threw herself into Li Wanyue's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Li Wanyue cried along with her, trembling. No one mentioned the late-night snack. Bajie sighed, patted Wang Xuhou on the shoulder, and said, "Get some rest. Don't worry—I'll handle this." Wang Xuhou nodded and was helped back to the dormitory by Li Wanyue, whose eyes were still glistening with tears.

That night, Bajie couldn't sleep no matter how he tried. During the journey to the West, Bajie rarely felt such anxiety. Back then, he had the senior brother and the third brother—there was always someone to discuss things with, and most problems were solved by the senior brother anyway. At worst, various deities would lend a hand. But now, with so much happening, all he had in his eyes was Gao Cuilan. When he left Gao Village for the pilgrimage, he'd said he'd return to live a happy life there. Who knew Gao Cuilan wouldn't spare him a single thought? Of course, he had to admit his own past behavior had been somewhat excessive.

Bajie also thought of that nephew several generations removed who had tricked him into signing away both Bajie Manor and Zhu Wushan Manor, and had even conspired with the scorpion demon Wang Yi's brothers to sting him unconscious. Bajie had originally been indifferent to all this, but now the whole thing felt deeply wrong. No, he needed to figure something out. Maybe he should go find the senior brother?

Bajie tossed and turned, mulling things over for a long time before finally falling asleep.

The next day, Bajie got up early. He told Old Man Li he was going out on business, informed Sister Hong, Li Wanyue, and Wang Xuhou, and said he'd be back within two days at most. Bajie had idled away the past few months, but this past month at Yilü Yuan had felt like a rebirth. After leaving Yilü Yuan, he kicked his legs, twisted his torso, pushed his hands back against his lower back, and shook his head—suddenly feeling much more energetic. Bajie strolled into the small woods, walking deeper until he found a spot where the leaves were thick and the branches dense, hidden from outside view. He stomped his foot hard, making the whole grove shake, then called out in a deep voice, "Earth God, where are you?" Instantly, an old man appeared—big-headed with a small body. Seeing Bajie, he clasped his fists and bowed, saying, "Messenger, what are your orders?①" Bajie said, "Earth God, I have questions. Where is my senior brother Wukong now? What are the scorpion demons backing Niu Shao planning? Please look into this for me." The Earth God replied, "Messenger, please wait a moment," and vanished. Bajie sat cross-legged on the spot and waited quietly.

In less than two hours, before lunchtime, the Earth God returned and told Bajie that Sun Wukong was still at Flower Fruit Mountain doing nothing. Niu Shao had already flown to meet with Wang Yi and the others, and they planned to sting Bajie without anyone knowing, so Niu Shao could get Wang Xuhou and teach Bajie a lesson. The key point was to keep Wang Yi's economic empire running smoothly—they had grand designs. Bajie pressed for what those grand designs were, but the Earth God said he didn't know; time was limited, and that was all he could learn. Bajie asked the Earth God to keep watching them and report any new developments. The Earth God acknowledged and withdrew.

Bajie sat in meditation a while longer, made up his mind, transformed into a small bird, shot high into the sky, then resumed his form and rode the clouds straight toward Flower Fruit Mountain.

Note ①: After the pilgrimage to the West, Zhu Bajie was appointed the Altar Cleanser.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (11) Flower Fruit Mountain

These days, many places claim the name Flower Fruit Mountain—over a dozen across the country all vie for it, each citing evidence from Journey to the West to prove they're the authentic one. Bajie found it amusing. But there was no helping it—if even Ximen Qing's hometown had contenders, of course Flower Fruit Mountain would. Whoever wins gets to claim a famous figure's birthplace, never mind whether the figure is heroic or infamous. Once claimed, there's a story to tell, which means cultural depth, which means endless promotion and tourism. Local incomes rise, government revenue grows, and the officials in charge might get promoted. It's a win-win with minimal effort—just talk. Why not fight for it?

Riding on the clouds, Bajie shook his head and sighed, thinking how people fought over Flower Fruit Mountain without ever finding the real one. He recalled his own past—once Marshal Tianpeng commanding a hundred thousand heavenly river troops, until a drunken indiscretion got him cast into a pig's womb. Now he was being bullied by petty thugs and had to go find his senior brother. His glory days were long gone.

The Flower Fruit Mountain where the senior brother resided had become a tourist attraction, with over five million visitors a year. Of the vast mountain, less than ten square kilometers remained for the senior brother to call his own. He had to carefully maintain it so no one discovered it—otherwise even those ten square kilometers would be lost. Then the senior brother would probably have to build himself a manor like old Bajie, walking with small careful steps. Forget somersault clouds covering a hundred thousand miles—with the senior brother's stride, one big step and he'd be out of the manor, crashing into who knows what. Bajie chuckled at the thought of the senior brother tiptoeing around his own place.

Soon Bajie arrived at Flower Fruit Mountain—what people now called Mount Tai. Bajie again transformed into a small bird, flying slowly to the senior brother's dwelling, then changed back and walked toward Water Curtain Cave. From a distance, he heard the sound of water and saw a few sparse monkeys sitting at the cave entrance, basking in the sun, picking lice, and scratching themselves. When Bajie approached, he saw they were all old monkeys. They asked who he was looking for. Bajie said his senior brother, Sun Wukong. One monkey went in to report, while the others quickly stood up and respectfully kept Bajie company.

Soon, Bajie heard someone call out, "Second brother, you've come!" The words had barely landed when Bajie saw a middle-aged man—lean and wiry, with a small, thin face that vaguely resembled the senior brother. Bajie hesitated, and the man spoke again, "Second brother, it's me!" Bajie suddenly realized and exclaimed, "Senior brother, you've cultivated a human form too!" Sun Wukong teased, "That's right. I recognized you at a glance, you idiot—you don't even know your own senior brother." With that, the two embraced and laughed heartily.

That day, the two brothers talked for a long time. Bajie learned that the environment around Flower Fruit Mountain had deteriorated, with monkeys dying in large numbers and birth rates dropping. Aside from a few immortal monkeys who stayed with him, the others had all left Water Curtain Cave. The senior brother said it was quieter that way, but Bajie could see the loss in his eyes. Bajie recounted his recent troubles, including being rejected by Gao Cuilan multiple times. When he mentioned asking the senior brother for help, Wukong's eyes suddenly flashed with golden light as he eagerly said, "Great! I've been bored stiff lately—perfect chance to stretch my legs."

After settling that, the brothers talked for hours more. They ate little and talked much—even Bajie, who usually had a big appetite, barely touched his food. They reminisced about the pilgrimage to the West, about Gao Cuilan, about the master and the third brother. Both were filled with emotion. The memories were joyful, but when they spoke of the future, both felt lost. Wukong envied Bajie for having a goal—Gao Cuilan—while he himself had grown detached, with no interests left. Before sleeping, they agreed that since they had time, they'd visit the third brother tomorrow morning, then go see the master together.

That night, neither of them slept much.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (12) Flowing Sand River

The senior brother's Flower Fruit Mountain, though diminished, still had a settled place. But the third brother's eight-hundred-li Flowing Sand River was long gone. The western regions were all desert now, and the site of Flowing Sand River sat at the very heart of it—sand ravines, sand cliffs, and sand peaks everywhere, rolling yellow dunes under a thousand-year-old expanse. Those who praised its grandeur were mostly travelers passing through; those who cursed the desert were mostly locals. But curse as they might, when they headed southeast into the big cities, they felt uncomfortable—everywhere was people scheming against each other, nowhere near as pleasant as sand stinging their faces. As the saying goes, "Ten feet of worldly dust is worth less than a handful of yellow sand." Most of them would come back anyway, back to the place where they were born, where they grew up, and where they would die—the great desert.

After returning from the West, Sha Wujing had wandered the desert endlessly. Word had it he'd been volunteering, planting trees in the sand. The senior brother had to climb above the clouds and use his fiery golden eyes to search for him. By the time they found him, it was nearly noon.

Sha Wujing looked much the same, with little change—except his red hair was gone, and his bushy beard was cleanly shaved. The burly man had become a big-faced monk. Without Sun Wukong's fiery golden eyes, Bajie would never have recognized him.

Sha Wujing didn't recognize them either. They pulled him aside to a secluded spot and explained everything. Sha Wujing slapped his bald, hairless head with his thick hand and shouted in his still-resonant voice, "Senior brother! Second brother!" He pulled them into a bear hug before asking, "What brings you here?" Bajie recounted his recent situation and filled him in on the senior brother's circumstances. Sha Wujing was overjoyed and said, "Great, great! I've been bored out of my mind lately. I've been planting trees for years—other planters have come and gone for dozens of generations, but I've kept at it. Plant ten acres, lose eight to the desert, plant again, lose again. After centuries of that, I've finally got some green patches going. I've been sick of it for ages, but with nowhere else to go, I just stayed here. I've been wanting to come find you two. Today you've come to me—perfect. Come on, I don't need to pack my shabby belongings. Let's go find the master right now."

And so, without further ado, the three of them flew together toward the Qinling Mountains where the master was cultivating.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (13) Paying Respects to the Master

After Tang Sanzang was appointed the Buddha of Candana Merit following the pilgrimage to the West, he had thrown himself into many grand endeavors—lecturing widely, translating the scriptures brought back from the West, writing The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, and designing the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda within the Daci'en Temple. After twenty years of relentless activity, Xuanzang felt his worldly duties were complete. He came to the Qinling Mountains, found a spot on a mountainside, built a small temple for quiet cultivation, and kept only a few young novices around for company. He spent his days in vegetarian meals, chanting sutras, and meditating, with oil lamps and ancient Buddhas as his companions up to the present day.

When Bajie and his two fellow disciples saw their master, Xuanzang was in deep meditation. The three dared not make a sound. They first bowed before the statue of Tathagata Buddha, then knelt and paid respects to their master before sitting cross-legged on the cushions beside him, waiting for him to emerge from his meditative state. It was already past dinner time when Tang Seng finally awoke. The three brothers kowtowed and paid their respects anew. Tang Seng smiled and nodded slightly, seeming delighted to see them. Once the formalities were complete, he quickly instructed the young acolyte to serve tea and prepare a vegetarian meal.

The four master and disciples settled into their seats. Tang Seng looked at each of them for a long moment, then spoke first to Wukong: "Wukong, lately you have devoted yourself wholeheartedly to Buddhism—very good. Your cultivation of the mind has advanced greatly, and your master is deeply gratified." Then he turned to Bajie: "Bajie, you have exceeded your master's expectations. There is little recklessness left in you. You have endured many tribulations recently, so you must meditate and chant sutras more often, and be careful not to fall into the demonic path." Bajie broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead and knelt, pleading: "Please, Master, help me!" Tang Seng nodded faintly, then turned to Sha Seng: "Wujing, you are honest and steadfast. All these years you have guarded your original heart, busy and diligent, with little change. Your master wishes to keep you by my side to cultivate the Dharma together." Sha Seng quickly knelt and thanked his master.

Only then did Bajie dare to look directly at his master. Time seemed to have no effect on him—his appearance was unchanged, and his speech and temperament seemed the same as ever. Yet the words he had just spoken to the three brothers were so clear and precise. Clearly, the master's cultivation had advanced considerably. Wukong's cultivation had also progressed greatly, and Sha Junior seemed well fulfilled too. As for himself, his cultivation had made no progress—he had merely learned a bit of forbearance with age, and still faced the risk of falling into the demonic path. It was truly shameful.

Bajie was both startled and mortified when, just then, the master asked: "Disciples, what brings you to see me?" Bajie coughed once to steady himself, then recounted his recent ordeal in full—how he had gone to seek the help of his senior and junior brothers, and had now come to pay respects to the master and ask for his counsel. Tang Seng listened without commenting. Just then, the young acolyte came up to announce that the meal was ready. Tang Seng said they would eat first and discuss matters afterward.

The meal was simple—green vegetables, tofu, and pumpkin soup. Since they had not seen each other in a long time, even Bajie did not dare to eat and drink noisily or greedily. The master and disciples ate in quiet stillness and finished the meal shortly. Tang Seng had the acolyte change the tea for fresh leaves. Once the three disciples were seated, his expression grew grave, and he spoke words that startled the three brothers greatly—namely, the reality that the demonic forces were growing increasingly rampant while the righteous path was waning.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (14) Tang Seng's Arrangements

Tang Seng took a sip of tea, his expression growing even more solemn. The three brothers sat ramrod straight, not even touching their tea cups, staring fixedly at their master, waiting for him to speak.

Tang Seng coughed a few times before slowly beginning.

"Daoism spent eighteen thousand years opening the heavens, another eighteen thousand years splitting the earth, and yet another eighteen thousand years creating humanity. Heaven and earth intermingled to give birth to all things—these are things you may not know, since you prefer fighting and killing over study. Daoism opened heaven and earth, and Buddhism was born within that Daoist cosmos. Among all creatures, the mightiest beast is the Qilin, and the mightiest bird is the Phoenix. The Phoenix bore two children—a daughter named Peacock and a son named Roc. This Roc is the great Roc spirit of the Lion Camel Kingdom. What happened afterward, you all know. But the Peacock—that you do not know. In the beginning, the Peacock loved to devour humans, sucking in people from forty or fifty li away with a single breath. Even Tathagata Buddha, after cultivating his sixteen-foot golden body atop the Snow Mountain, was swallowed by her. The Buddha cut his way out of her belly. Out of consideration for his relationship with Daoism, he did not kill the Peacock but kept her at the Lingshan Assembly, conferring upon her the title of Buddha Mother, Great Bright King Bodhisattva, Peacock. Because of this connection, the Buddha respectfully calls the Roc his uncle—which is also why, in the Lion Camel Kingdom, the Tathagata did not deal too harshly with the Roc."

"Both the Roc and the Peacock were forced by the Tathagata to eat vegetarian and cultivate in stillness, unable to act on their whims. They have long harbored resentment toward the Buddha, but they feared his dharma power and the full strength of the Buddhist realm, so they dared not act out of line. But after all these years of cultivation, the Peacock and the Roc, confident in their greatly increased power and dharma, have begun secretly forming factions and building their forces. The Roc recruits soldiers and horses out front, while the Peacock sits at Lingshan to assist. The Buddha may well know of this, but the Buddhist realm has recently focused on cultivating the mind rather than subduing demons, so he has no good solution for now. On the surface, everyone is harmonious, but in private, each side is on guard against the other."

"I have recently made small progress in cultivation and can now sense and respond to all things in heaven and earth. These are things I have perceived myself. Other discerning members of the Buddhist realm are all diligently training, awaiting the day when their dharma power is sufficient to vanquish demons."

"The spider spirit Bajie encountered is a capable lieutenant of Bull Demon King, the master of the Golden Bull Hall—one of the Roc's three halls. That young Master Niu is the Bull Demon King's mortal nephew, the one in charge of making money and managing accounts for the Bull Demon King's organization."

Only then did Bajie realize that all these people were colluding together, their power reaching so far and wide as to be chilling. Fortunately, he had not been reckless and acted alone, but had come to seek help from his master and brothers.

Tang Seng then said to Wukong: "Wukong, go assist Bajie first. Sha Seng will stay by my side to cultivate. You brothers must act with caution, and also unite with the righteous forces of Buddhism and the mortal world, rallying any other usable strength—that is the best strategy. Your master has not left the mountain for a long time, and I wish to travel and make contact with other usable forces. You need not seek me out. When I feel the time is right or necessary, I will arrange for someone to contact you." Tang Seng thought for a moment, then said to Bajie: "The situation is urgent, Bajie. You and your brothers should set out now."

Bajie hastily kowtowed to his master, then departed with Wukong through the night, hurrying in the direction of Lüyi Court.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (15) Dust Tea

Let us now tell the other side of the story. While Bajie was seeking his brothers and master, Wang Xuhou slept until noon the next day. The night before had been full of fright and shock, and he had tossed and turned in bed, only falling asleep near dawn. When he woke, Li Wanyue was eating at the small table in the dormitory. Seeing Wang Xuhou awake, she told him to wash his face quickly—the food had already been fetched and was still warm. Wang Xuhou splashed some water on his face and picked at his food halfheartedly. He could not eat, so he sat on the bed in a daze.

Li Wanyue finished her meal, cleaned up the table, then sat down beside Wang Xuhou and leaned her head on his shoulder, saying: "Stop staring into space. Let's go out and play." She pulled Wang Xuhou up and led him out, saying as they walked: "Zhu Wu said he'd be gone a few days and would come back." Wang Xuhou gave an "oh" and said nothing, following Li Wanyue out.

Li Wanyue brought Wang Xuhou to the woods beside Yilü Court, found a secluded spot deep among the dense foliage, and sat down with him. Neither spoke—only the sound of wind and rustling leaves could be heard. After a while, Li Wanyue lay flat on her back, hands behind her head, and said how comfortable it was. Then she sat up again and said, "Let's sing a song," and softly began to sing "You're Too Ugly." Before long, Wang Xuhou joined in humming along.

Soon the two became more and more absorbed, and from deep in the woods, a song could be heard from afar.

You're Too Ugly

When I met you, I had just turned twenty,
Your wit and humor left me enchanted,
Your eloquent words and citations made me swoon,
Your deep baritone voice made me drunk with delight,
Your gentle grace and gentlemanly manner intoxicated me,
But you're too ugly, and it breaks my heart;

That year I had just turned twenty,
Meeting you, too ugly, broke my heart,
You're too ugly,
It breaks my heart.

They sang it through several times, then stopped and fell silent. Li Wanyue lay down again, gazing at the sky, while Wang Xuhou sat with his arms wrapped around his knees, chin resting on them. Only the wind and the rustling leaves could be heard.

After a long while, Wang Xuhou spoke: "How about we write a song? Same rules as before—I write the lyrics, you compose the melody." Li Wanyue sat up abruptly, her voice rising: "Alright, let's get to work."

Dust Tea

Deep in old forests and wild mountains,
Enduring a hundred years of vicissitudes;
Wind blows and rain beats,
Frozen by ice and scorched by fire;
Standing among ten thousand trees,
Watching trees live and trees die.

At last human footsteps arrive,
And leaves at last become tea;
If no one comes to pluck,
They wither yellow and drift away alone;
From being mere grass and wood,
To entering the human world;
Through frying, kneading, sun-drying,
Only then gaining fragrance, smoothness, and richness.

I am of the same body,
Yet humans make distinctions;
Six major tea categories,
Each region vies for fame;
The mortal world is full of turmoil,
A cup of tea clears the heart.

In no time, Wang Xuhou recited the lyrics of "Dust Tea" to Li Wanyue. Li Wanyue was stunned for a long moment, then muttered: "Truly, grief and outrage make a poet. Give me time to compose the melody slowly."

Zhu Bajie's Pig (16) Captured

Wishing everyone a happy Spring Festival and family bliss!

Neither Wang Xuhou nor Li Wanyue went to work that day. Wang Xuhou brewed tea while Li Wanyue composed the melody. From the pleasure quarters of Yilü Court, their harmonized voices could be heard intermittently, singing the song "Dust Tea."

It was nearly three o'clock when "Dust Tea" was finally set to music. They were both extremely satisfied, hugging each other and singing and dancing. Wang Xuhou suddenly said: "If only Zhu Wu were here—I'd bring him to listen." Li Wanyue hummed in agreement and said he'd be back in a day or two, and they could sing it for him then. For now, time to sleep.

The next day, they woke around the same time, already past the lunch hour. They grabbed a quick bite outside and then returned to the depths of the woods. Wang Xuhou said he didn't want to keep working at Yilü Court, and Li Wanyue said she'd been thinking the same for a while. The two began planning what they might do together. Li Wanyue suggested opening a tea shop—the investment was small, and they had some savings. Wang Xuhou proposed going to a big city to see if there were opportunities to sing, or at least find a larger stage or bar. As the two were lost in their dreams, they suddenly heard someone chuckle nearby.

Startled by the unexpected sound, they looked over and recognized the man who claimed to be the Inner Mongolian wrestling champion, one of Young Master Niu's men. Then several more figures emerged from behind the trees and stood beside the champion. Their eyes held a mix of pity and cruelty as they fixed on the two women. The champion spoke: "I am Yang Jing—Yang of Yang Guo, Jing of Guo Jing." Before he could finish, Li Wanyue suddenly burst out laughing. The champion glared at her fiercely and continued: "Young Master Niu particularly wishes to invite Miss Wang Xuhou to his home as a guest. Miss Li, you may go freely." With that, he waved his hand, and three men stepped forward—one grabbing Li Wanyue while the other two flanked Wang Xuhou and marched her out of the woods. Wang Xuhou struggled desperately to no avail; the men seemed experienced at abductions, keeping her from injury while preventing her from scratching or kicking them. The two women began screaming for help at the top of their lungs. Yang Jing roared: "Go ahead and scream! See if anyone hears you or dares to interfere!" Li Wanyue clawed with all ten fingers at the face of the man holding her and kicked at him furiously, drawing blood from his face. Yang Jing grew angry and barked viciously: "Take her too!" The man wrapped his massive arms around Li Wanyue in a bear hug, pinning both her arms and body, then hoisted her up and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her out of the woods.

A commercial van was parked beside the woods. They shoved and dragged Wang Xuhou and Li Wanyue into the vehicle, then climbed in after them. Yang Jing, barely seated, shouted to drive fast. The van kicked up a cloud of dust and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

After the van had gone, the Earth God whom Bajie had consulted last time appeared at the edge of the woods. Gazing in the direction the van had departed, he muttered to himself that he must quickly notify the Pure Altar Messenger.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (17) Scouting the Enemy

Near midnight, as Bajie and his senior brother Wukong had just landed in the deep woods beside Yilü Court, the Earth God appeared. He first paid respects to the Great Sage, then to Bajie, saying as he bowed: "Messenger, it's bad—your two lady friends were taken this afternoon during the hour of shen by Young Master Niu's men." Bajie was greatly alarmed: "Do you know where they were taken?" The Earth God said he knew they had been brought to Young Master Niu's villa, and told Bajie its general location and appearance.

Sun Wukong's monkey temper flared at once, and he shouted at Bajie: "Idiot, lead the way—we'll charge over and snatch them back!" Bajie looked anxious but kept his composure, quickly waving his hands: "Brother Monkey, don't rush. We need to scout the situation first and come up with a sound plan." Wukong fell silent. Bajie pondered for a moment, then said: "It's not far—let's walk over and talk on the way."

Bajie and Wukong did not use their flying arts, but their pace was far faster than ordinary men. As they walked, Bajie said to Wukong that upon arrival they should not act rashly—first scout to see where the women were held and who was present. There must be capable people there, for otherwise, knowing the women were friends of Bajie, they would not have dared to seize them so openly. Wukong nodded in agreement.

It was not far—about the time it takes to smoke a pipe—before they saw a large house. It was Western in style, occupying a vast area, with high walls topped by barbed wire, and infrared alarm devices mounted above the wire. Zhu Wu's manor had similar walls with infrared systems, but the walls were not as high and had no barbed wire. Bajie had scolded Zhu San back then for being flashy and wasteful. They reached the front of the compound's main gate, where a large open area was parked with all sorts of vehicles. Bajie recognized several of them as worth tens of millions. Beside the open area was more woods. Bajie and Wukong stood at the edge of the trees and looked over—the entire compound occupied perhaps a hundred mu. There were over a dozen security personnel at the gate alone, and watchtowers surrounded the villa. With their immortal eyesight—especially Wukong's fiery golden eyes—they could see clearly that each tower had men patrolling on all sides, with walkie-talkies clipped to their shoulders beeping away. Directly facing the main gate stood a large two-story building with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the whole place brightly lit. In front of the building was a large swimming pool, also brightly lit, with many people lounging on deck chairs, chatting, eating, and drinking. The fair-skinned, well-figured women made Bajie's eyes go a bit blurry. Several people were swimming in the pool, others were barbecuing nearby, and service staff wove through the crowd replenishing supplies. Wukong tugged at Bajie: "Stop staring. I'll go take a look first?" Bajie nodded. With a whoosh, Wukong transformed into a fly and flew into the villa.

Wukong made a circuit of the first floor—people everywhere: security personnel, and guests chatting about how much money they were making and what opportunities were available. Wukong went up to the second floor. There were fewer people there—just a few sitting in a cluster by the floor-to-ceiling windows drinking tea. He heard one man speaking loudly: "Young Master Niu, don't worry. Now that I, Wang Yi, and my brothers have come and had the beauties brought back for you, never mind some Zhu Bajie—even if that monkey comes, the three of us brothers aren't afraid. And besides, we have our ancestor Ruyi Zhenxian presiding over things." Seated at the head of the table beside the speaker was an old man who nodded slightly with great self-satisfaction. Wukong looked—he wore a star crown of dazzling colors and a red robe of golden thread, with the air of an immortal. It was none other than Ruyi Zhenxian, the Bull Demon King's younger brother. Wukong found this somewhat troublesome, but he was not afraid. First, he needed to see where the girls were being held.

It was easy to find—a room on the west side of the villa. From a distance, he could hear intermittent kicking at the door, punctuated by shouts: "Let me out!" Wukong flew into the room and saw only a young, pretty girl, dressed in jeans and a sporty jacket, her long hair tied back and swaying side to side as she kicked the door. Every few seconds, she'd kick once and shout again, stubbornly refusing to stop. Then footsteps approached from outside the door, paused at the entrance, and a voice yelled through it: "Miss Wang, stop shouting—it's useless. Better get some rest. Young Master Niu will come when he's done." Wukong knew this girl must be Wang Xuhou. Hearing that, she grew even more frantic, kicking the door without pause, the thuds echoing loudly. The person outside ignored her, and the footsteps gradually faded away.

Wukong searched every room on the second floor but found no sign of the other Miss Li. He flew down to the first floor and checked each room one by one, yet still couldn't find any girl locked up. Just as he was at a loss, two people walked toward him, chatting: "Is the girl upstairs still making a fuss?" "Yeah, she won't quit. What about the other one?" "Yang Jing took her to the west building—probably getting busy about now." "Heh heh, that Yang Jing's got quite the luck with women." "Right? You wish you were him too." Wukong's heart raced at this. He shot out of the villa and spotted a gray two-story house a few hundred meters to the west. In the blink of an eye, he was there—if anyone had seen him, they'd have thought that fly was fired from a gun, moving so fast. As soon as he arrived, he heard crying and the sounds of a struggle from a room on the second floor. Wukong followed the noise into the room and saw a burly man tearing at a girl's clothes while she backed away, dodging and clutching desperately at her outfit. The man yanked and slapped her across the face, snarling viciously: "Let you scream, let you yell! Young Master Niu giving you to me is your blessing—once I become immortal, I wouldn't even want you." Wukong immediately pointed a finger, and the man's hand froze mid-air, his whole body locked in place. On the journey west, Wukong used to have to shout "Freeze!"—now his power had grown so that his intent alone could command it. The girl stared, stunned, not understanding what had happened. She tentatively poked the man, found he still wouldn't move, then grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it into him. The man stood rigid, his face bloodied from the blows, until the girl finally stopped, clutching her chest and gasping for breath.

Wukong knew this girl must be Li Wanyue—she looked terrified. Fearing her agitation might draw others, he quickly pointed a finger and froze her too. Both people in the room now stood staring at each other, motionless. Wukong flew back first to discuss things with Bajie.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (18) Rescuing People

Wukong filled Bajie in on the situation. Bajie rubbed his hands vigorously and asked what they should do. Wukong was blunt: "Charge in—you rescue them, I'll hold everyone off." Bajie thought that was unwise. After a moment, he said, "Here's the plan: we rescue Li Wanyue first, then figure out how to get Wang Xuhou out." The two turned into flies, flew to the west building, and entered the room where Li Wanyue was held. They resumed their human forms, and Wukong released the freezing spell on her. Seeing Bajie, Li Wanyue rushed over and hugged him, sobbing: "You're here! Thank goodness! Wang Xuhou was captured by them—I don't know where they've locked her up." Bajie gently patted her back and said softly, "Don't cry, no need to be afraid. I'm here." He then gestured to Wukong and said, "This is my senior brother, Mr. Sun." Wukong gave Li Wanyue a slight nod. Noticing there was a stranger present, she felt a bit embarrassed, released Bajie, and stifled her tears, choking out to Wukong, "Hello, Mr. Sun."

Bajie asked Li Wanyue if there was any secret shared between her and Wang Xuhou. Without hesitation, she said it was the song "YeCha." She hummed a bit of it. Bajie pointed at the frozen Yang Jing and said to Wukong, "Got it. Let's step outside to talk—you turn Li Wanyue into his likeness." Wukong pulled out a handful of his hairs and tossed them over Li Wanyue. Instantly, a beard and Adam's apple grew on her, and before long, she had transformed into another Yang Jing. Bajie told Li Wanyue, "Don't be nervous. My senior brother is an incredibly skilled magician. Look in the mirror and you'll see—you can walk right out bold as you please. If anyone asks, just say in a hoarse voice you're going for a stroll. We'll find our own way out and wait for you in the woods outside."

Li Wanyue walked out of the courtyard, extremely tense. The guards at the gate didn't dare question her—who would challenge one of Young Master Niu's top enforcers? She spotted Bajie and his senior brother waiting at the edge of the woods from a distance. Silently, she marveled at how formidable Zhu Wu was—unafraid of a beating and seemingly full of stories—and how quickly they'd gotten out. His senior brother had transformed her into a man identical to someone else in seconds. It was all so mysterious. Before she could dwell on it, she'd already reached Bajie. Bajie hummed the "YeCha" song, and Li Wanyue corrected a few off notes. Bajie nodded, understanding. He pulled his senior brother aside, out of Li Wanyue's hearing, and said to Wukong, "Now it's simple. We go in together—you turn into Yang Jing and walk in, I'll turn into a fly, find a guard, knock him out, and take his form. We'll meet at the stairway leading to the second floor of the main villa, then head to the room where Wang Xuhou is held. I'll tell her Li Wanyue sent us to rescue her—once I sing that song, she'll believe it. If anyone asks on the way, we'll say Young Master Niu sent us to question Wang Xuhou. Then you turn her into Yang Jing's likeness and let her walk out on her own."

The two split up. Bajie turned into a fly, found a secluded spot, and flew into the villa. He spotted a security guard patrolling lazily, knocked him out, dragged him into an empty room, and took his form. Then he swaggered over to the stairway to wait for Wukong. Before long, Wukong, disguised as Yang Jing, arrived. Wukong led the way with Bajie following, and they headed to the second floor. Passing through the hall, Wukong saw Niu Shao, Ruyi Zhenxian, and the others still chatting. They didn't linger there and went straight to the room holding Wang Xuhou.

Just outside the door, Bajie began humming the "YeCha" song. He pushed the door open. Wang Xuhou, lying fully clothed on the bed, was alert and immediately sat up. Seeing not Niu Shao but an unfamiliar guard humming the song she'd just written—known only to her and Li Wanyue—she hesitated, eyes darting at the guard. The guard spoke: "Miss Wang, don't shout. Li Wanyue sent me to rescue you. Time is short—follow our instructions." Wukong used the same trick, transforming Wang Xuhou into Yang Jing. Bajie explained again that Wukong was the world's top magician. Once Wang Xuhou was transformed, Wukong said to Bajie, "You go out with her—don't wait for me. Head straight to the woods outside Lüyi Courtyard." Then he told Wang Xuhou, "Don't be afraid. No one will recognize you. Just walk out boldly." Bajie led Wang Xuhou out of the room calmly, down the stairs, and out of the villa. As soon as they left, Wukong shook himself and transformed into Wang Xuhou's likeness, lounging on the bed.

About ten minutes later, Wukong figured Bajie and the others had gotten to safety. He plucked a hair, turned it into a replica of Wang Xuhou lying on the bed, and turned himself into a fly, flying straight out the window and away from the villa.

When Wukong caught up with Bajie, only Bajie was there. Bajie told the two girls to hurry back to Lüyi Courtyard, pack some essentials, and find a safe place to hide before Niu Shao discovered they'd been rescued.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (19) Hiding in Plain Sight

Soon, Wang Xuhou and Li Wanyue each returned to the meeting spot in the woods with a small backpack. Wukong asked where they wanted to go—it could double as a chance to travel and clear their heads. Wang Xuhou said, "Hide in plain sight—let's go to Lijiang. I've wanted to go for ages but never had the time or money. Now that we're forced to travel, it's the perfect chance to see it." Li Wanyue agreed, nodding. Bajie reminded them, "Better rent a car—no flying. And in Lijiang, don't use credit cards or your own IDs to check into hotels." Wukong said that was easy—he'd be back in a flash.

Wukong returned to the outskirts of Niu Shao's villa and spotted an SUV he liked. Disguised as Yang Jing, he strolled up to the car, pointed a finger, and the door opened. He got in, pointed at the ignition, and the engine started. Wukong thought for a moment, left the engine running, turned into a fly, and flew back into the villa. On the second floor, he found a large safe. He pointed at it, and it swung open—half-filled with cash, stacks of hundred-yuan notes, plus plenty of US dollars. Wukong conjured a big bag, scooped up a random handful of yuan and dollars, estimating it came to around a million, then returned to the car. He drove it out of sight of the villa, scanned the area with his fiery golden eyes to confirm no one was around, and the car's white paint shifted to jet black, the plates changed, the scrape on the front bumper vanished, and a few new scratches appeared on the rear and sides. He drove the car back to the meeting spot in the woods. Bajie and the others got in, and Wukong tossed the bag to Bajie, saying he'd handle the money and pay for everything along the way.

The car didn't stop—they reached Ürümqi by the next afternoon. Wukong drove the whole way. The two girls found it amazing: Mr. Sun wasn't just a magician but had incredible stamina, driving for nearly twenty hours without a hint of fatigue. Before entering the city, Wukong pulled over and told Bajie and the others to find another car into town—he had business to attend to and sped off into the city, vanishing. After Wukong left, Bajie pulled hats and sunglasses out of his backpack like a magic trick. The three of them, wearing sunglasses and hats, finally flagged down a taxi into Ürümqi. Bajie had the driver stop at an outdoor gear shop, where they bought tents, sleeping bags, outdoor lanterns, and a stove, plus a pile of food, some meat and vegetables, and a car fridge to store it all. They grabbed a quick bite, and Wukong finally showed up to rejoin them. The car had been repainted and given new plates again—Wukong said he'd swapped it with a friend. Wukong drove again, pushing on nonstop southeast toward Lijiang.

By around ten at night, Bajie could see the two girls were utterly exhausted. He told Wukong to find a flat spot to camp. Wukong found a level high ground, and Bajie quickly set up two tents—one for him and Wukong, one for the girls. The whole trip, they avoided hotels and long stops, favoring national roads over highways, and after seven days, they finally reached Lijiang.

Wang Xuhou and Li Wanyue perked up instantly, dragging Wukong through the old town of Lijiang all day. Bajie said he needed to visit a friend. The two girls went into no fewer than a hundred shops—tea sellers, trinket stalls, quirky guesthouses, music bars—asking prices for all sorts of things, sampling over a dozen teas, and buying nothing. Wukong shook his head watching them, but couldn't help smiling.

That evening, Bajie arranged for them to camp on a large grassy spot along the road to the snow mountain. The girls cooked a great meal, everyone ate, and they cleaned up the dishes. Then Bajie gathered everyone in the tent for a meeting. He said, "Mr. Sun and I need to head back. The car's yours. Here's a few tens of thousands in cash and a card with over a million on it. You two can start a small business here—just don't use your own identities. The card's already set up under a friend's name, and this is his ID. You can use his info to sign contracts, rent a place, and buy things." He also handed Li Wanyue a hotel key card, saying a month's stay was already prepaid—they could stay there for now. Hearing they were leaving, Wang Xuhou and Li Wanyue's eyes reddened instantly, and they looked ready to cry. Bajie quickly reassured them: "Don't cry. You're about to start the life you've dreamed of—be happy. We'll come back once we've sorted things out."

That night, none of the four slept much. They talked endlessly, covering everything. The girls laughed and cried, sang song after song, and danced. Every time the melody of "You're Too Ugly" came up, Wukong noticed Bajie's glasses seemed to glisten with tears.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (20) Young Master Niu Brews Tea

The night Bajie and Wukong rescued the two girls, when Niu Shao finished chatting with his guests and returned to the room, he found Wang Xuhou lying quietly on the bed. His heart leaped with joy—those old codgers had wasted my whole evening. My beauty, here I come. He pounced onto the bed like a tiger and hugged Wang Xuhou. Wait—why did he embrace empty air? The Wang Xuhou formed from Wukong's hair reverted to a single strand. Overjoyed then crushed, Niu Shao roared, "Guards! Guards!" The first security guards to arrive saw the person was gone and stood silent, heads drooping, waiting for the grim-faced Niu Shao to speak. Soon more guards came, even Ruyi Zhenxian and the Wang brothers. Ruyi Zhenxian's eyes gleamed as he scanned the room, picked up a strand of hair from the bed, and said to Niu Shao, "So it was that rogue monkey, Sun Wukong." Niu Shao was startled. Wang Yi boomed, "Niu Shao, don't worry! Bajie was taken down by my third brother in one move. When that rogue monkey dares to return, I'll handle him." Ruyi Zhenxian chimed in, "No need to fear. On the journey west, I, Ruyi Zhenxian, fought that rogue monkey for hundreds of rounds. Now, after decades of hard cultivation, I fear him even less." Even as he said "no fear," Ruyi Zhenxian tilted his head and swept his eyes around the room.

Niu Shao waited a long time but Yang Jing never showed. He ordered a guard, "Go, fetch Yang Jing." A moment later, Yang Jing was carried in by several guards, motionless, propped upright in the room. Furious, Niu Shao kicked him. Yang Jing toppled but was caught by Ruyi Zhenxian before hitting the ground and set upright again. As he steadied him, Ruyi Zhenxian told Niu Shao, "Niu Shao, calm down—he's been frozen." He gave Yang Jing a light pat on the shoulder, and Yang Jing snapped awake, shouting, "This is infuriating!" Seeing Niu Shao, he clasped his hands in a salute, face flushed, and stepped back to the side. Niu Shao felt utterly deflated. He said to Ruyi Zhenxian and the Wang brothers, "The night is long and sleep won't come—let me brew some tea for you gentlemen." Then he ordered the others to stay alert and dismissed them.

A few people took their seats according to rank. Niu Shao brewed tea, steeping aged Pu-erh ripe tea. Everyone stayed quiet, watching Niu Shao boil water and rinse the leaves. When the tea liquor, as clear and clinging to the cup as red wine, was poured into each tasting cup, they all drank it in one go. After three rounds of tea, Niu Shao finally spoke slowly: "In your immortal's view, how do we prevent that wild monkey and that old pig from causing trouble?" Ruyi Immortal said slowly: "Hard to guard against—before the gods, everyone is transparent. But there are some methods. For instance, the wild monkey's immobilization spell is useless on us. When the wild monkey transforms into a fly or mosquito, he has no attack power. No need to fear him unless he reverts to his true form, and if he does, with all of us here, we need not fear him either. The main task now isn't that girl—it's what your uncle, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven①, has arranged that matters. It's about how to bring various gods and capable beings under our command, and how to amass more wealth for the Golden Bull Hall, in preparation for the great undertaking." Ruyi Immortal took a sip of tea and continued: "Of course, the girl Niu Shao has found is also our top priority now. Young people, a love of beauty is understandable—no need to hide it. Now that the wild monkey dares to cause trouble right under our noses, it's everyone's business. Finding that girl is just as important as what we need to do—it's the urgent matter at hand." Niu Shao beamed: "Thank you, Uncle Immortal. With your help, I'm not afraid of anything."

Next, they discussed the specific execution plan. Niu Shao would coordinate mortal resources, continue public relations efforts, tap into all surveillance systems to see if they could find any trace, spread word to various gang forces to assist in the investigation, notify all Golden Bull Hall branch offices to monitor as best they could, and exhaust every means to figure out where they were hiding. Wang Er and Wang San brothers would first return to handle matters at Zhu Wu Villa. Wang Yi would go recruit nearby demons and spirits. Ruyi Immortal would go discuss with the Bull Demon King about coordinated defense and request additional manpower.

Late that night, everyone went their separate ways to get to work. Niu Shao had Yang Jing bring a new beauty from Yi Lü Courtyard. He figured he might as well treat her as Wang Xu Hou—that's what Niu Shao thought when he saw her.

①Note: The Bull Demon King calls himself the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (21) Forest of Wine, Pool of Flesh

Niu Shao spent a long time trying every possible method but could find no trace of Wang Xu Hou whatsoever. He only knew they'd driven off in an off-road vehicle, but after searching everywhere, there was no word of the car. All nearby gang forces and Golden Bull Hall outposts had been notified, yet no valuable information surfaced. Niu Shao was in a foul mood, and everyone around him caught hell from his scolding.

Wang Yi, however, was highly efficient. In about ten days, he'd rounded up dozens of strange-looking individuals. Introductions revealed they all had impressive backgrounds—some were several thousand years old, all vicious and ruthless types, each one notorious throughout the demon realm. On the first day of the big gathering, Niu Shao hosted a welcome banquet. He pulled himself together and personally arranged everything: mountains of delicacies, local specialties and exotic imports—nothing was lacking. Wines and drinks were arrayed in dazzling variety, with over a dozen types of red wine alone, all personally imported from France by Niu Shao's trusted men. The weather being fine, tables were also set up around the swimming pool. A large banner hung at the main entrance of the villa reading: "Warm Welcome to Friends from All Walks Attending the Golden Bull Hall Villa Banquet!" Based on Wang Yi's introductions, Niu Shao and Wang Yi personally determined the seating arrangement. Niu Shao also invited hostesses from Yi Lü Courtyard and several nearby nightclubs—each table had five or six beauties in qipaos, while those of slightly lesser looks handled serving dishes, water, and wine. Every light in the villa was switched on, resplendent and magnificent. Fine food, fine wine, beautiful women—everything was ready, just waiting for the banquet to begin.

The banquet was set to start at 6 PM. Niu Shao and Wang Yi stood at the villa gate as early as 4:30 PM to receive guests. Niu Shao gave Wang Yi a thumbs-up and praised: "Today is the liveliest and most important day for our villa. What my uncle assigned me is finally showing progress—all thanks to Brother Wang's efforts." Wang Yi quickly pressed his palms together in a modest gesture: "We're all under Master Niu's command. These people admire Master Niu; I merely went with the flow. Please continue to support me in the future, Young Master Niu." Niu Shao laughed heartily: "We're brothers—of course, of course."

Soon, guests arrived wave after wave. Wang Yi introduced each one, and a chorus of pleasantries rang out again and again: "I've heard so much about you," "Young and promising," "So it was you," "Better to see once than hear a hundred times." Before the banquet even began, the accompanying beauties let out frequent gasps. Niu Shao and the others turned to look and found a guest showing off his skills. A bald, fat man walked slowly into the swimming pool without any visible exertion, as if walking on flat ground. Reaching the far side, he didn't even turn around—he simply floated weightlessly back to the near shore without touching the water, not a single drop on his shoes. Wang Yi whispered to Niu Shao: "Nanhai Long Yi—a true dragon prince, fond of women." Next came a tall, handsome young man with a scholarly air. He made graceful bows in all directions, drawing blown kisses from the beauties. After finishing his bows, he took a deep breath facing the pool and opened his mouth wide—the pool water surged into his mouth like a reservoir gate opening. In moments, not a drop remained in the pool, and the scholar's belly didn't even appear swollen. He then strolled gracefully across the empty pool, turned at the far side, opened his mouth, and water gushed back in, filling the pool to its previous level. After returning the water, he again made elegant bows all around, and thunderous applause and whistles erupted. Wang Yi introduced him: "Long Liu, Long Yi's younger brother, the South Sea Dragon King's most favored son. Extremely capable—known as the New South Sea Dragon King." One after another, the various gods and demons displayed their extraordinary powers. It was Niu Shao's first glimpse of such a world—he hadn't realized such formidable people existed. Filled with ambition, he thought that with helpers this powerful, how could his great undertaking fail?

Wang Yi hosted the evening banquet. No sooner had Niu Shao finished his speech and declared the feast open than some tables had their dishes devoured and some beauties were stripped bare. Niu Shao was glad he'd given everyone 50,000 yuan in advance—otherwise someone would surely have refused, and that would have ruined his big plans. The kitchen was thoroughly prepared: the moment a plate was emptied, the same dish was served again; the moment wine ran out, more was brought immediately. Everyone was delighted, and the banquet seemed a great success—until a sudden burst of laughter from outside the courtyard ruined the mood. Everyone stopped and looked to see who was so bold.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (22) Ruckus at Niu Manor 1

Everyone wanted to see who was so audacious as to make a scene at the Golden Bull Villa. Several demons, confident in their skills, left their tables and stationed themselves at the courtyard gate, cracking their knuckles, ready to teach the newcomer a lesson.

Soon two people walked in. Niu Shao stepped forward, cupped his fists: "I didn't know it was Mr. Zhu those previous times—my apologies. Niu offers his respects here." Then, pointing to the other man, he asked: "Would Mr. Zhu be so kind as to introduce this gentleman?" Bajie said softly: "My senior brother, the Great Sage." His voice was low, but all the demons recoiled in fear—the name of Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, carried immense weight. He had killed countless demons, great and small. Even though some demons itched to test themselves against Sun Wukong, hoping to make a name for themselves and bring glory to their families, seeing the real Sun Wukong standing before them still made them involuntarily step back. Realizing they'd retreated in fear, their faces flushed red and they strode forward again, shouting: "Hey! You're that wild monkey!"—a rather imposing display.

The two who entered were indeed Bajie and Wukong. After parting ways with Wang Xu Hou, they'd returned to keep watch on Niu Shao's activities. Bajie went back daily to check on the two girls' safety—a ten-day journey by car was just a few minutes of cloud travel for him, quite convenient. Wang Xu Hou and Li Wanyue didn't dare seek employment, afraid of identity verification. After wandering around Lijiang for over a week, they leased a small tea shop under the guise of being Bajie's friends and slowly learned the trade. Things seemed to be going smoothly. Bajie discovered that Lijiang also had a Golden Bull Hall branch, so he left a note telling the girls to dye their hair and ideally keep sunglasses on at all times. With so many young women of similar age in Lijiang, the Golden Bull Hall people wouldn't easily recognize them. Later, Wukong noticed Niu Shao and Wang Yi recruiting forces, with today set as the welcome banquet. The two discussed it and decided: crash the banquet and raise hell.

Niu Shao remained composed, cupping his fists in greeting: "May I ask what business Mr. Sun and Mr. Zhu have at my humble estate today?" Wukong was blunt: "Aren't you all gathered here plotting against us? We figured we'd just deliver ourselves to your door." Wang Yi, standing beside Niu Shao, bellowed: "Wild monkey, don't get cocky! Let me, Wang Yi, test you!" He'd barely taken a step when a man in white blocked him, bowing with clasped hands: "Hold on, big brother—let me, Wang San, have a go at him first." The one blocking Wang Yi was indeed Wang San. Wang Yi nodded and cautioned: "Be extremely careful, third brother. This wild monkey is formidable—don't underestimate him."

Wang San walked up to Wukong, feigning nonchalance. He drew his treasured sword, pointed it at the ground with one hand in an inviting gesture. Wukong stepped forward and barked: "You worthless spider spirit—show me what you've got!" Wang San said nothing, flourished his sword, and unleashed 108 thrusts in rapid succession. Wukong didn't seem to dodge—his body just twisted slightly, evading each one with ease. Wukong laughed: "That's all you've got? Barely enough to warm me up." Wang San, enraged, spun around, conjuring countless sword blossoms and unleashing countless sets of 108 thrusts. White robes flashed as he pressed attack after attack around Wukong—a beautiful sight. The assembled demons cheered in unison. Wukong didn't appear to dodge at all, his body merely swaying left and right—the sword light never even touched his clothes. Then Wukong stepped forward, raised his index finger, and tapped lightly on Wang San's head. The speed wasn't fast, but the timing seemed perfect—as if Wang San had delivered his head right under Wukong's finger. With that gentle tap, the sword light and white figure vanished. Wang San slowly crumpled to the ground, then transformed into a huge spider—motionless, dead.

Wang Yi and Wang Er charged out simultaneously, both swords thrusting at Wukong, shouting: "Pay with your life for our third brother!" Wukong drifted lightly out of the sword's range, and Bajie stepped forward with a roar: "Worthless wretches—let old pig teach you a lesson!"

Furious and humiliated, Wang Yi and Wang Er said nothing, their sword light slashing in unison at Bajie.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (23) Ruckus at Niu Manor 2

Bajie knew Wang Yi alone might not be his match, but Wang Er he could handle quickly. When the senior brother had killed Wang San with a finger tap, it was because he'd cultivated his heart-staff—no need for the Golden Cudgel to deliver "take old Sun's staff!" Bajie had never understood such things before, finding them mysterious and likely beyond his reach for life. But with all the recent experiences and mortal-world trials, he'd found he could deliver a rake blow to opponents at any time. He'd tested it on a patch of forest—the power was no less than using his real Nine-Toothed Rake. Trees fell in a swath, and even Bajie was stunned at himself.

So Bajie resolved to spar with Wang Yi and Wang Er first, waiting for an opening to rake Wang Er—that should finish him. Wang Yi and Wang Er circled Bajie viciously, slashing left and right, desperate to punch holes through him. Bajie didn't linger in combat—he touched and retreated. Wang Yi and Wang Er supplemented their attacks with spider silk, trying to entangle Bajie. Bajie feigned panic, even rolling on the ground to escape. Wang Yi and Wang Er grew faster and more ferocious, and the demons cheered again. After just a few dozen exchanges, Bajie spotted his chance—he raised his right hand and slapped Wang Er across the face. Wang Er's head lolled to one side, a mark on his cheek that looked less like a palm print and more like a rake mark. Like Wang San, Wang Er collapsed to the ground, transformed into a giant spider, and died.

The demons' cheers, just reaching their peak, cut off abruptly. A few half-demons, caught up in the excitement, instinctively praised: "Great slap! Perfect timing!"—then realized the other demons were staring at them coldly. Embarrassed, they covered their mouths and looked down at their feet. Wang Yi was growing afraid. He shouted: "Everyone attack together! Kill them to avenge my second and third brothers!" The demons surged forward in a mass, all manner of weapons—spears, swords, halberds, eighteen kinds of arms—striking at Bajie and Wukong together. Wukong bellowed: "Bajie, go first!" Then he pulled out his Golden Cudgel and swung it in all directions. In an instant, golden light and staff shadows filled the air. The demons were blocked by Wukong and couldn't break through at all. Only Long Yi and Long Liu charged into the staff's range, each wielding a three-edged mace, attacking Sun Wukong from left and right. They seemed not to be using full strength—neither fast nor slow, their forms quite elegant. Wukong let out a curious "Eh?" and asked: "What relation are you to Old Dragon King of the South Sea?" The two didn't answer, but their attacks slowed further. Wukong's eyes flashed with golden light, and he chuckled: "Not bad. But old Sun's done playing—old Sun is off!"

Bajie departed calmly on his cloud. Once Bajie was far away, Wukong tossed his staff into the air—the Golden Cudgel whirled and hummed on its own, striking at the demons from midair. Long Yi and Long Liu simply sheathed their maces and withdrew from the fight. Wukong stepped onto his cloud, reached out his hand, and the Golden Cudgel whistled back to him. He slung it across his shoulder and followed after Bajie. The demons stared at each other, none daring to give chase.

Niu Shao's face was ashen. The demons felt deflated and dispersed hastily. Wang Yi, grieving and humiliated, started to call out "Young Master Niu—" but Niu Shao raised a hand to stop him. Niu Shao steadied Wang Yi and consoled him: "Mourn with restraint. We must find a way to take revenge."

The beauties scattered like birds. Among them, one woman clutched her chest as if afraid something might fall out, and slipped away with the crowd.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (24) A Lifetime of Regret

Wang Yi had thought this Golden Bull Villa gathering would be the most glorious moment of his demon life. Every demon there had been invited and contacted by him personally. Though Niu Shao, the Golden Bull Hall's rising star, was mortal, he was already the organization's representative in the human world—above ten thousand, second only to one. Wang Yi had worked diligently under Niu Shao for years, driven off Zhu Bajie, and used Zhu Wu Villa to develop considerable local influence. Back then, he'd driven Bajie away without breaking a sweat. Who knew that dead pig had kept his strength in reserve? It seemed no one here was his match. Those two dragons might have potential, but they probably wouldn't fight to the death for him. How had his luck turned so bad? Not only had tonight failed to elevate his standing—it had cost his two younger brothers their lives.

Wang Yi had been trained harshly since birth. He and his two brothers studied martial arts and sorcery under various experts of their clan, training through the bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of summer, never taking a single day off even when sick or unwell. After a hundred years of relentless practice, the clan elders now said that the three brothers were the most accomplished experts their family had produced in nearly a millennium, far surpassing even their ancestor who had once battled Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie in that great fight. From childhood, Wang Yi and his brothers had been taught that Zhu Bajie was the spider clan's mortal enemy—their ancestor had been killed by Zhu Bajie's rake. Ever since, the entire clan had kept a low profile, terrified of stirring up trouble, strictly forbidding members from venturing outside. Only the older, more seasoned elders were sent out to purchase necessities. The whole clan had holed up in a cave in the mountains for a full fifteen hundred years, with not a single spider demon setting foot in the demon world. The three brothers were the first disciples dispatched in over a millennium.

When the three brothers finally ventured into the demon world, they moved with extreme caution, treading as if on thin ice. The family's fortunes rested on their shoulders, and the pressure was immense. After spending over a year learning that the Golden Bull Hall was currently the most powerful force in the demon world, the three brothers went to pay their respects at its headquarters, putting on a display of their skills before the chief demon. They managed to secure the position of branch manager in the mortal realm. They worked diligently, and when they seized Zhu Bajie's estate, they had hoped to kill him in the chaos. But with so many people and demons around and too many eyes and ears, they had to suppress their urge, planning to quietly finish him off later. Yet the right opportunity never presented itself, and eventually, they couldn't find Zhu Bajie at all.

Wang Yi hated Zhu Bajie with such gnashing fury that he extended that hatred to the dragon itself. He felt that the role of the Divine Dragon Hero was Zhu Bajie's, and he was determined to destroy it. During the filming of Divine Dragon Hero 5, he threw such diva tantrums that he nearly drove the director to a breakdown. Then, leveraging the vast wealth and resources of Zhu Wu Villa, he strong-armed the entire crew into rewriting the plot: the Divine Dragon Hero would die, killed by the dark arts of a charlatan named Zhu Bajie. Before dying, the Divine Dragon Hero would be saved by the Divine Ox Hero, entrusting him with the mission of upholding justice and vanquishing evil in the martial world. The Divine Dragon Hero would personally place the ring of the Martial Alliance leader—the Jianghu Command—onto the Divine Ox Hero's finger. The Divine Ox Hero would exhaust every effort, using the Jianghu Command to summon dozens of renowned physicians and healing masters to treat the Divine Dragon Hero, but human effort could not overcome fate. By the second night, the Divine Dragon Hero passed away, leaving the world he had fought for his entire life. The entire martial community seethed with hatred for Zhu Bajie, wishing they could gnaw his flesh and drink his blood, while they revered the Divine Ox Hero with the deepest admiration—first, because of the Divine Dragon Hero's dying wish, and second, because the Divine Ox Hero had actually driven back Zhu Bajie and saved the Divine Dragon Hero, even if the latter ultimately died. The Divine Ox Hero's martial prowess was clearly extraordinary. In no time, he became the great savior of the martial world. Wherever martial artists gathered—in streets, taverns, remote forests, or on ships at sea—all spoke of the Divine Ox Hero and honored him as their leader. Divine Ox Hero 1 premiered against this backdrop. The original crew refused to continue, but that didn't matter—Zhu Wu Villa, flush with money, assembled an even stronger team and shot at astonishing speed. Three months later, Divine Ox Hero 1 hit theaters and was a massive success, drawing twice the audience of Divine Dragon Hero 5. Wang Yi, raking in profits hand over fist, was publicly commended by the Golden Bull Hall and earned an invitation to the following year's Golden Bull Feast. Held once every four years, the Golden Bull Feast was when the Golden Bull Hall rewarded its high-ranking members for their contributions. Every demon invited was ecstatic, for it was said that the next feast would feature the Longevity Fruit, granting immortality and freedom from the cycle of demonic reincarnation.

Divine Ox Hero 2 followed with even greater success and bigger profits. Wang Yi's standing in the Golden Bull Hall rose further, and he was frequently invited to various banquets. Several senior executives praised him highly, and his future looked brilliantly bright. In the demon world, everyone knew Wang Yi now. On a casual outing this time, dozens of demons of all ranks had expressed interest in joining the Golden Bull Hall—more than this branch had recruited in its entire history combined. But it all came to naught. His brothers had overreached with insufficient power, and he lost both of them. Now his prospects were likely severely damaged. With a heavy sigh, the dejected Wang Yi sat in his room at the Golden Bull Villa, sighing endlessly.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (25): Playing the Divine Dragon Hero Again

Bajie and Wukong had thoroughly enjoyed their rampage through the Golden Bull Villa, especially Bajie, who had been grinning the whole way. Up in the clouds, he and Wukong started horsing around. Wukong was quick-handed, and Bajie came off worse, constantly being tickled until he could barely stand it, crying out that he was done. Wukong kept laughing and tickling without mercy. After a long while of play, Wukong teased Bajie, asking if he wanted to go see Gao Cuilan. Bajie answered without a second thought—sure, but first, let's check on Wang Xuhou and Li Wanyue.

Zhu Bajie and Sun Wukong stood on Lion Mountain, about a kilometer from the tea shop, and could see everything clearly. The two young women had no idea Bajie was watching them, busy brewing tea for customers inside. The shop had grown more elaborate—calligraphy scrolls hung on the walls, and porcelain and lacquerware trinkets were displayed. It looked like a proper tea house now, though the sign out front remained unchanged. Wang Xuhou was performing the gongfu tea ceremony while Li Wanyue played the guqin. Too far away to hear, but judging by Li Wanyue's unhurried movements, the women seemed to be in a peaceful state of mind. Bajie and Wukong scanned the surroundings and found nothing unusual—safe. They then flew off toward Gao Village.

It was already ten at night. Gao Cuilan was still in the pavilion, alone, drinking tea—quietly brewing and savoring it by herself. Bajie watched, utterly entranced. Wukong had to tug at him several times before he snapped out of it. Wukong pointed to a tree outside the pavilion, and Bajie looked closely to see two demons perched there, keeping watch over Gao Cuilan. Wukong said to Bajie, "No need to interrupt your gazing at your lady—I'll be right back." In an instant, both demons were knocked out and dragged away by Wukong, presumably for questioning. Bajie didn't care; he just kept watching Gao Cuilan in silence.

Soon Wukong returned and told Bajie those two demons were spies for the Golden Bull Hall. Unable to find Bajie, they figured he'd come back for Gao Cuilan and were lying in wait. If not for Wukong, Bajie would never have noticed, and it could have ruined everything. Bajie cursed himself for losing all composure the moment he saw Gao Cuilan. Wukong said nothing, just chuckled and rubbed his cheek in mockery at Bajie.

Bajie didn't dare meet Gao Cuilan face to face. He couldn't stop staring, and it was Wukong who finally dragged him away. After they'd gone a good distance, Wukong asked Bajie what the plan was next. Bajie said softly, "Divine Dragon Hero 6." Wukong replied, "Good. You go shoot the film. I'll scout around and stay close by, so we can watch each other's backs." Bajie knew his senior brother was protecting him, and clasped his hands in gratitude: "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Bajie found the original crew of Divine Dragon Hero. Without preamble, he said he planned to invest in filming Divine Dragon Hero 6. The director, a Sichuan native, shook his head hastily: "Shoot what? The Divine Dragon Hero is dead, didn't you hear?" Bajie said it was simple—here's the plot: "The Divine Dragon Hero discovers that the Divine Ox Hero is treacherous at heart, but has no proof. The Divine Ox Hero has been recruiting martial masters and now commands considerable power. To prevent the martial world from descending into bloody chaos and utter ruin, the Divine Dragon Hero fakes his own death. He tells only a few trusted lieutenants in the Martial Alliance, cedes the leadership to the Divine Ox Hero, and secretly watches from the shadows. If his judgment proves wrong, then so be it—letting the Divine Ox Hero remain leader would be a blessing for the martial world, and he could retire in peace. But if the man is truly evil, once evidence is gathered, he would announce it to the world and rally the entire martial community to uproot his forces—turning crisis into opportunity. And indeed, the Divine Ox Hero turns out to be a villain of the highest order, committing countless atrocities, amassing vast wealth, and dreaming of dominating the martial world—until the Divine Dragon Hero leads the righteous forces to annihilate him." The director slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant—let's do it!" After praising for a while, he pressed further: "Who plays the Divine Dragon Hero? The original actor went off to play the Divine Ox Hero." Bajie took out his mask, put it on, spun around, and asked, "What do you think? I'm not about to throw my money away." The director stared at Bajie for a long time, had him perform a few moves, then declared, "You're the one! Perfect—even more like the Divine Dragon Hero than the original." Bajie smirked inwardly—wasn't he the very Divine Dragon Hero himself? What followed was routine business: investment amount, profit split, signing the cooperation agreement. Simple enough—it was all settled that same day, with filming set to begin tomorrow.

Zhu Bajie's Pig (26): Real Demons, Real Acting

On the very night Bajie signed the agreement for Divine Dragon Hero 6, at around 2 a.m., his phone suddenly rang—Wang Xuhou calling. The urgent ring startled Bajie, and he feared something had happened to her. He was puzzled, since just three hours earlier he'd been in Lijiang checking on her; the two women had been huddled over a computer, probably shopping for clothes or watching videos. Why call now?

Wang Xuhou was fine—she just hemmed and hawed, asking if Bajie was asleep and whether he'd been online lately. Bajie had never used the internet and had no interest in it, so he casually replied he'd never been online and asked what was wrong. Wang Xuhou stammered for a while before getting to the point: something had appeared online—a video featuring Bajie, his senior brother, Young Master Niu, and a whole crowd of others. The uploader claimed these weren't humans but demons, that the footage was real, secretly shot on site. The video had gone viral, practically everyone online had seen it. Wang Xuhou then delicately asked whether the people Bajie had fought were demons. Bajie understood—she wasn't directly asking if he was a demon, out of consideration for his dignity. Naturally, he answered no, saying he had no idea what it was about, and that he'd look into the video and call her back tomorrow.

After hanging up, Bajie didn't go find his senior brother—it was the dead of night, and he couldn't very well ask anyone how to use the internet. So he went to the Xinhua Bookstore. The vast store was empty, which suited him perfectly. Bajie transformed into a fly, first disabled the security cameras, then, once certain he wasn't being watched, browsed the reference books at his leisure. Bajie simply didn't like reading, but with his abilities, reading was lightning fast. His eyes locked onto a book, and the pages flipped on their own—a nearly thousand-page computer primer was finished in under a minute. Immortals have their arts; us mortals can only look on in awe. His vision and memory were superhuman—he absorbed every word without missing a single one and retained it all. The first couple of books he didn't fully understand, so he just memorized them by rote. By the time he'd gone through a dozen or so, Bajie finally grasped how the internet worked. So this was the wondrous world that existed in the mortal realm. In about three hours, Bajie read every book on computers and the internet in the entire store—including programming languages like C, C++, C#, Objective-C, PHP, .NET, Java, JavaScript, Python, all sorts of scripting languages and frameworks, even Android and iOS systems. He knew it all inside out, though he'd never actually tried coding (and at this point, the author is green with envy). Bajie checked the time—5 a.m. The shops wouldn't be open yet, and his phone was a primitive model that couldn't access the internet. But in America, it would be around 10 a.m., and you could buy anything there.

Without a second thought, Bajie teleported to the United States. He still had a wad of US dollars Wukong had given him last time, untouched. He found a computer store and bought the latest MacBook and an iPhone—the models he'd just learned about—for a little over two thousand dollars total. He also took the opportunity to leech off America's free Wi-Fi. It didn't take much effort to find the video on Weibo—it was indeed the footage of him and his senior brother wrecking the Golden Bull Villa. The quality was poor, some shots crooked and incomplete—clearly filmed secretly by that princess on the scene and uploaded.

Immortals have their rules: they must not reveal their powers before mortals. The rampage at the Golden Bull Villa had been unavoidable, but now the impact was this widespread—how to contain it? Bajie thought for a moment, then had an idea. With a plan in mind, he immediately returned to China and found his senior brother, and they discussed the matter at length. By the time they finished, it was just past 7 a.m. Bajie went straight to the director's door and showed him the video, explaining it was a test shoot he'd done with another director who later backed out, costing him a fortune. This was just one scene with minor actors. The crew could capitalize on people's curiosity—register a verified account on Weibo to explain it, claiming it was leaked footage from Divine Dragon Hero 6. What incredible free publicity! As long as Divine Dragon Hero 6 included this scene, it would be perfect. The extras were all his friends, and he could bring them in to reprise their roles.

The director was instantly thrilled. Already a major influencer himself, he immediately registered an official account for Divine Dragon Hero 6, then used his own big account to post that a major announcement was coming. Within just a few days, the new account was verified and had posted a single message—and its followers had already surpassed three million, with over a hundred thousand reposts.

The Weibo post read:

"Divine Dragon Hero 6 is now in production—the Divine Dragon Hero makes his triumphant return! Follow us for updates!" Attached was a still from the scene of the masked Divine Dragon Hero battling a host of foes.

The still was a high-definition version of the Golden Bull Villa battle. Bajie had Wukong transform into every demon present that day, and the two of them performed their roles flawlessly—since it was something they'd actually done, they nailed it in one take. The director praised them as geniuses, the two greatest actors of the century. Wukong had no interest in acting again, though, and after that one scene, he claimed he felt unwell and bowed out. The director had no choice but to adapt the script accordingly.

Online, a massive debate erupted. Some still insisted they were demons, but far more people hurled abuse at them—every imaginable insult and slur came crashing down. The most popular comments numbered in the millions, all of them vitriolic. They couldn't delete them fast enough and eventually had to disable comments altogether. But more and more people were following Divine Dragon Hero 6. It was like the 2016 Spring Festival Gala controversy—that director with the same surname as mine, Lü XX, was a disgrace; hundreds of thousands of followers and over a million comments, most of them cursing him.

Filming for Divine Dragon Hero 6 went smoothly and wrapped in a month. The crew held a grand press conference, with Bajie attending in his mask as usual. Divine Dragon Hero 6 dominated headlines across print and online media for days, and WeChat Moments exploded with shares. Within three days of release, box office revenue surpassed one billion.

...

To be continued, but no more~~