RPAGF Chapter 219 World of Famous Works 8
Chapter 219 World of Famous Works 8
Unable to find the cassock, Tang Sanzang was frantic.
In his anxiety, he started muttering about Sun Wukong again, complaining that he hadn't watched the luggage properly, letting Jinchi see the cassock and flaunt his wealth. Then he asked if he was blaming the monks for neglecting him during the day and for deliberately setting fire to their temple, which caused them to hide the cassock.
Sun Wukong retorted, "How could I, Old Sun, be such an evil person! Wait until I capture two monks and question them, then you'll know."
Sun Wukong got up, dragged two monks whose faces were blackened by smoke from a corner, and threw them on the ground.
The two monks were so terrified they nearly jumped out of their skin, shouting, "The vengeful spirits are here! The vengeful spirits are here!"
Sun Wukong feigned anger and rebuked, "What vengeful spirits are you asking for my life? Tell me, what's the deal with this fire, and where did my master's cassock go?"
Since it concerned the important matter of the cassock, Tang Sanzang did not blame Sun Wukong for his crude behavior, but stared at the two monks on the ground with a frosty expression.
The two monks were utterly terrified, stammering, "Grandpa! Grandpa, spare us! The grievances have their source, the debts have their debtors! This fire... this fire was a plot by our master and Guangmou to harm you! Don't come after us for our lives!"
Sun Wukong glanced at Tang Sanzang: "Master, do you understand?"
Tang Sanzang knew he had misunderstood Sun Wukong because of his impatience, but he couldn't bring himself to admit his mistake. So he just kept a straight face and didn't say anything.
Sun Wukong didn't care. He already knew what kind of person Tang Sanzang was—a complete coward.
He turned to the kneeling monk and asked, "What are you asking for! I, Old Sun, am asking you, where is my master's robe?"
The two monks stammered, "Master... the robe should be in Master's room!"
Sun Wukong glanced at the anxious Tang Sanzang and said, "I went to Jinchi's house but didn't find the cassock. Tell me, are there any monsters around here?"
Upon hearing this, the two monks hurriedly looked up. One of them, with snot and tears still on his face, said in a panic, "There is a black bear spirit on Black Wind Mountain nearby. He often associates with our master. He is very powerful and has great magical abilities."
Another monk quickly nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, that black bear spirit often comes to the temple to discuss scriptures and doctrines with our master. His cave is about twenty miles away from here."
Sun Wukong laughed and said, "It seems that the black bear demon stole the cassock. I'll go find him and get it back."
Seeing that Sun Wukong was about to leave, Tang Sanzang said anxiously, "If you leave, who will protect me?"
Sun Wukong found Tang Sanzang utterly speechless. He kept nagging Tang Sanzang to go find the cassock, but he dared not let him actually leave his side, lest he lose his protection.
He looked at the two monks on the ground and said, "Take good care of my master here. If anything happens to him, I, Old Sun, will hold you accountable."
Then he turned to the nervous Tang Sanzang and said, "Master, don't worry, they know my abilities, they probably won't do anything to you."
Sun Wukong somersaulted and flew to Black Wind Mountain, twenty miles away.
Just then, I saw a burly man with a dark face, a Taoist priest in blue robes, and a scholar in white robes strolling around and chatting.
The burly, dark-faced man said that the day after tomorrow was his birthday, and coincidentally, he had just received a precious kasaya last night, so he planned to hold a Buddhist gathering to celebrate.
Sun Wukong jumped down from the mountain and landed in front of the three people.
The three men were startled by the sudden appearance of strangers and immediately stood up, shouting, "Who goes there?"
Sun Wukong chuckled and sat down on a large rock nearby. "Don't get excited, don't get excited. I was just passing by when I heard this dark-faced brother say that he had obtained a precious cassock and was going to hold a Buddhist gathering to celebrate. I, Old Sun, am very curious about this treasure. May I have a look?"
Upon hearing this, the black bear spirit became wary and sneered, "You hairy-faced monk, you're acting suspiciously, you clearly have ill intentions. This cassock is my beloved possession, why should I show it to you?"
Sun Wukong feigned disappointment and clicked his tongue: "Oh well, never mind. I was just genuinely curious. I've heard this precious cassock is incredibly magical, and just being able to see it would make the trip worthwhile. Since you're unwilling, I won't force you. But I wonder where you obtained this treasure?"
The scholar in white robes sized up Sun Wukong and said, "You monk, what are you trying to do, asking all these questions? This cassock was obtained by my brother Xiong by chance; what does it have to do with you?"
Sun Wukong scratched his head, looking rather simple-minded: "To be honest, I, Old Sun, am quite knowledgeable. Perhaps I can tell you the origin of this cassock."
The Taoist priest in blue snorted disdainfully: "Who do you think you are? How could you know the origin of this cassock? Don't spout nonsense here."
Sun Wukong chuckled: "Speaking of which, yesterday a monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East stayed overnight at a temple twenty miles away. He also had a precious cassock, which emitted auspicious light as soon as it was unfolded. The abbot of the temple, Jinchi, happened to see it. He liked it and borrowed it to examine it closely. But that night, the temple suddenly caught fire, and the cassock disappeared without a trace."
Upon hearing this, the black bear spirit's expression changed slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "The cassock is gone; it may have been burned to ashes in the fire. What does it have to do with me!"
Sun Wukong was not in a hurry and continued, "This cassock is called the Brocade Cassock. It is a treasure bestowed upon that monk by the Buddha. This cassock is inlaid with all kinds of rare treasures. It is impervious to water and fire, and evil spirits cannot approach it. How could a mere mortal fire turn it to ashes?"
Sun Wukong leaped up from the rock, dusted himself off, and casually said, "But don't be impatient, you dark-faced brother. I, Old Sun, never said that Tang Sanzang's lost cassock had anything to do with you. I just mentioned Tang Sanzang's brocade cassock when you mentioned that you also have a precious cassock. After all, anyone who dares to take that brocade cassock would be going against the entire Buddhist sect, and might even lose their life. Alright, I won't say any more. I'm leaving now."
"Wait!" the burly, dark-faced man called out to stop them.
Sun Wukong turned his head, feigning surprise: "Brother Black Face, is there anything else?"
Suddenly, the burly man with the dark face changed to a smile, stepped forward, and grabbed Sun Wukong's arm, saying, "I am the Black King of Black Wind Cave, and these two are my brothers. Since we have met, it must be fate. Why don't we sit down and have a few drinks together?"
Sun Wukong pretended to hesitate for a moment, then agreed, "Since the Black King has so kindly invited me, then I, Old Sun, will trouble you."
Sun Wukong called himself the Pilgrim, and the three of them, including the Black King, drank several rounds of wine, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
The Black King then asked Sun Wukong, "Brother Xingzhe, you just said that if we take Tang Sanzang's cassock, we will be going against the entire Buddhist community. What do you mean by that?"
Sun Wukong, looking like he knew the inside story, whispered mysteriously, "Black King has probably lived in the mountains for a long time and is out of touch with the world. Do you know who Tang Sanzang is?"
The other three craned their necks, their faces full of curiosity: "Who is it?"
"The man of destiny!"
"The chosen one?" The other three exchanged glances, seeing confusion in each other's eyes. "What chosen one?"