The sun rose slowly, its rays streaming through breaks in the clouds and spilling across the land, painting the endless mountains in golden patches—like holy light descending from the heavens to nourish all things.
Seen from afar, the scene felt dreamlike, almost unreal.
On the winding mountain path, Monkey walked in front with the Golden Staff, always keeping two or three zhang’s distance from Tripitaka. Aiden Ao led the horse at the rear.
Though the westward journey was full of hardship and wind and frost, it was also lined with beautiful scenery that made one want to stop and linger.
Monkey had already walked this path once, eight hundred years ago.
He vaguely remembered that young monkey crouched in a tree, clutching a barely ripened wild orange he’d managed to find, eyes wide with terror as he scanned the surroundings—every hair standing on end—until, in the end, he swallowed it peel and all.
The look in his eyes at that moment—what was it, exactly? Even Monkey himself couldn’t say. Perhaps it was no different from a starving wolf in the wilderness.
Back then, his heart held only obsession, only the wish to survive, only endless fear of the world—no room for anything else. Even years later, looking back, all he could remember was endless hunger, endless panic, and boundless cold.
A thin, small monkey, yet stubbornly determined to walk barefoot for 108,000 li, crossing hell alone in pursuit of an unreachable dream... To live was to fear, to freeze, to hunger, to endure.
In that moment, life to him had withered down to nothing but the urge to move forward, nothing but an obsession burned into his soul. That feeling, even after a hundred years, could not be let go.
That was why he could rather die than yield, why he had unrivaled courage—because in his heart, behind him lay nothing but desolation.
If there was nothing to lose, why fear loss? Gritting his teeth, he could face any hardship head-on.
Starting the quest for immortality so early brought endless trials, but those trials forged a heart of steel, letting him defeat one opponent after another and survive each ordeal along the way.
When he finally saw the red gate of Enlightenment Peak, the bitterness in his heart was beyond words.
After walking such a road, what in this world could possibly defeat him?
He used to think so—until the moment he faced the Buddha.
It turned out the most terrifying thing in this world wasn’t having nothing, but gaining and then losing it all—powerless before the moment of loss.
That was the first time he bowed his head, bowed to the enemy he hated most. For the first time, he was truly willing to become a dog, just to protect the little he had left.
Yet his opponent didn’t even give him that chance—instead, he was cast straight into the abyss of regret.
In that battle 650 years ago, he truly lost—utterly defeated, beaten by himself and by the fragile heart he’d always ignored.
After all that desperate struggle, all he gained was another hundred and fifty years of imprisonment. Such was the depth of his despair—even his rage burned out for lack of fuel.
Six hundred and fifty years passed. When he finally stepped out from under Five Elements Mountain, he still didn’t know how to face the world anew. All he could do was run to the Eastern Sea to find Tina Ao, because he knew this wise woman would never dare provoke him.
Standing halfway up the slope, Monkey leaned on the Golden Staff, gazing blankly down at the rolling mountains and the shifting clouds at the horizon.
Tripitaka brushed past him, stopped, and quietly asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Monkey lowered his head, smiled faintly, and said, "Just remembering some old things. It’s nothing."
"But there’s suffering in your heart, isn’t there?"
Monkey opened his mouth slightly, but after a long pause, it only became a sigh. Softly, he said, "If I can’t defeat the Buddha, this pain may never be resolved. Let’s go. No matter what, I will get you to Spirit Mountain’s Great Thunderclap Temple. If a Buddha blocks the way, I’ll kill him."
With that, he strode forward with the Golden Staff, leaving Tripitaka standing alone, silently watching.
Aiden Ao, trailing behind, led the white horse slowly after them.
Glancing lightly at Aiden, Tripitaka sighed, "I’ve heard the Peach of Immortality only lasts a year. Shouldn’t you take the time to deliver it home first, Mr. Ao?"
"Well..." Aiden glanced at the pack on the horse’s back where the peach was kept, and laughed awkwardly. "I’ll need the Great Sage’s permission to leave. But don’t worry, our westward road passes my home soon. It won’t be long."
Tripitaka nodded quietly. "That’s good, then. I’m sorry for all the trouble, Mr. Ao."
"Please—" Aiden waved his hands quickly. "Master Tripitaka, please don’t say that. If the Great Sage hears, he might scold me!"
Tripitaka smiled faintly. The two walked side by side, gradually falling behind Monkey.
Behind a rock at the foot of the mountain, a monk shrank back, carefully watching the three travelers.
Monkey immediately slowed his pace until he was walking beside Tripitaka. In a low voice, he said, "Someone’s been following us."
"Oh?" Tripitaka paused, then asked softly, "Do you know who it is?"
"Not sure. Their cultivation is weak, just a bit stronger than a mortal. Feels like they’re not Daoist, nor demon."
"So, Buddhist then?" Tripitaka reached into the rack on the horse’s back and drew out a silk map, opening it as he walked.
After a moment, Tripitaka pointed to the mountain ahead and said quietly to Monkey, "There’s a famous monastery up ahead."
"A famous monastery? Could it be Mercy Abbey?"
Tripitaka frowned slightly. "The Great Sage knows of it?"
Monkey shook his head. "No need to say it—there’s also Black Wind Mountain next door."
Tripitaka rolled up the map and put it back in his bag, then quietly asked, "Great Sage, have you been here before?"
"Never been. But best to take a detour." Monkey took a deep breath and sighed. "Mercy Abbey probably has an old monk who’s lived for centuries—very greedy. And Black Wind Mountain likely hides a black bear demon with decent cultivation. I said likely."
Walking slowly, Tripitaka asked offhandedly, "Great Sage, do you not wish to meet your old subordinates?"
"They’re not old subordinates." Monkey shook his head. "I don’t even know that black bear demon—just trying to avoid trouble. Now everyone says eating your flesh grants immortality, and stealing your robe lets you ascend in broad daylight. Who knows what they might try."
"And if I choose to walk into the tiger’s den, knowing it’s there?"
Monkey raised an eyebrow at Tripitaka. "Go if you must, but don’t stray more than five steps from me."
"Understood."
Far off, incense smoke curled over a grand Buddhist temple on the mountain, as chanting echoed ceaselessly.
A young monk, robes flying, sprinted across the empty courtyard toward the meditation room.
He pushed open the door. Inside, a middle-aged monk who looked no older than forty or fifty sat upright, striking a wooden fish and chanting sutras. This was the same monk who once served at Manjusri’s side.
"Master, Master!" the young monk called urgently. "A demon monkey, a wandering monk, and a layman have come up the mountain. The wandering monk looks just like the Tripitaka you mentioned."
The monk’s hand paused on the wooden fish. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled. "Open the gates to welcome them."
"Yes, Master."
The sound of bells echoed through the mountains and fields.
From afar, the three caught sight of Mercy Abbey, grand as a palace atop the mountain peak.
Towering walls, pagodas rising dozens of yards high, and wisps of cloud drifting up from between the buildings into the sky.
"Don’t stray more than five steps from me," Monkey reminded in a low voice.
Tripitaka nodded quietly, while Aiden Ao looked completely bewildered.
"Five steps? We’re just getting a room, aren’t we? What could possibly happen?"
Before Aiden could react, the vermillion gates swung open with a crash. More than ten monks in blue robes filed out, lining up on both sides. Three high monks in red robes walked out from the center.
The one in the middle was the same monk who once accompanied Manjusri to observe Tripitaka. He pressed his palms together and greeted from afar: "I am Abbot Goldenpool. I have awaited Master Tripitaka for a long time."
Smiling, he led the other two high monks step by step toward the trio.
Tripitaka pressed his palms together and replied respectfully, "I am Tripitaka, honored to meet Abbot Goldenpool. I am but a wandering monk—your personal welcome is truly an honor."
"Please, Master Tripitaka, don’t be so formal." Abbot Goldenpool shook his sleeves, walked slowly to Tripitaka, and reached out to take his hand—only for Monkey to block him with his staff.
Startled, Abbot Goldenpool looked at Monkey, eyes wide. "And this is...?"
Tripitaka replied softly, "This is my friend, Simon Sun—not of the Buddhist order. He’s accompanied me all this way, and I owe my safe passage to him. If there’s any offense, please forgive us."
The monks nearby watched Monkey warily.
"Oh? Simon Sun?" Abbot Goldenpool composed himself, glanced at Monkey, and gestured. "Please, Master Tripitaka, come inside and rest."
He raised his head and glanced at Monkey and Aiden Ao. "The other two, since you’re here, you might as well come in out of the wind."
His tone changed at once, like a different person—now with a hint of contempt in his eyes.
For a moment, Monkey’s brow furrowed, Aiden Ao stared in fear, and even Tripitaka glanced at Monkey.
How many years had it been since anyone dared speak to him that way?
Monkey hesitated briefly, but merely composed himself and did not react.
Only then did Tripitaka and Aiden Ao relax a little.
They walked slowly into the monastery, Tripitaka side by side with Abbot Goldenpool. Tripitaka asked casually, "My journey west has not been widely announced. Abbot Goldenpool, how did you know I was coming?"
"Master Tripitaka travels west to seek the Way, to save all sentient beings. Such a great undertaking, even without fanfare, cannot be hidden. Naturally, I knew."
Aiden Ao leaned close to Monkey and muttered, "That answer says nothing. The old guy’s definitely hiding something."
"Shh, keep your voice down," Monkey whispered back.
Looking around, all the monks following behind seemed focused entirely on Monkey, ignoring Tripitaka up ahead. Some were so pale with fear their steps looked stiff, as if walking on stilts.
"Heh, they know who I am. Their act is pretty convincing."
Aiden Ao whispered, "I have to admire them—if it were me, no reward could make me pretend in front of you. That’s risking instant annihilation."
Abbot Goldenpool cheerfully described the sights along the way—from the ancient pine at the gate, to the bodhi tree in the courtyard, the towering pagodas, grand halls, and gilded Buddha statues. Tripitaka only nodded quietly, rarely commenting.
Mercy Abbey wasn’t huge, but could house hundreds of monks. Touring the place would take half a day, but after a third of the way, Tripitaka’s indifference left Abbot Goldenpool at a loss for words. He waved the group to the main hall, had seats prepared for the three, then took his place at the head.
Once tea was served, Abbot Goldenpool asked softly, "You’ve seen most of Mercy Abbey, Master Tripitaka. How does it compare to your Mount Gold Monastery?"
Tripitaka pressed his palms together. "The temple is grand, the scenery beautiful—far beyond Mount Gold Monastery."
"Oh?" Abbot Goldenpool’s smile returned. He slapped his thigh and laughed. "Then, is there anything lacking? Please advise, so we may improve."
Tripitaka hesitated, then lowered his eyes and said softly, "Everything is in order, except for one thing—the word 'Buddha' is missing."
All the monks present froze, staring at Tripitaka.
Monkey raised his eyebrows and looked at Tripitaka.
Abbot Goldenpool frowned, pursed his lips, and thought for a moment, eyes half closed. "I don’t quite understand. Please explain, Master Tripitaka."
"Amitabha." Tripitaka pressed his palms together and glanced at the monks. "It’s not convenient to speak here."
"What inconvenience?" Abbot Goldenpool sipped his tea and smiled. "I am already 270 years old, though my power is shallow, I have never reached true Buddhahood. The more a scripture is debated, the clearer its truth. If you have something to say, let us all discuss it. I would also like to know why Golden Cicada lost his Buddha body."
At once, the hall’s atmosphere chilled. It seemed rehearsed—everyone’s eyes turned to Tripitaka.
Tripitaka’s expression did not change. He said softly, "Since Abbot Goldenpool insists, I will speak boldly."