Tang Seng had really turned into a white tiger and was locked in a cage under heavy guard.
After that, Yang Xue left the palace. Just as she was about to go to the outskirts, she heard Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng discussing something outside the city.
"What should we do now? Master has turned into a tiger, and Elder Brother Monkey has returned to the Flower-Fruit Mountain. How can we still go on the journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures?" Zhu Bajie sat on the ground, already having the thought of disbanding the group. "Why don't we divide up the luggage? You go back to your Flowing Sand River, and I'll go back to my Gao Lao Zhuang."
"Second Brother, we mustn't!" Sha Seng, wearing a huge string of black Buddhist beads, grabbed Zhu Bajie and said seriously, "Why don't we go find Elder Brother Monkey? Once he knows that Master is in trouble, he will surely come back."
"Not likely." Zhu Bajie sat on the ground angrily, and his sleeve stirred up the yellow soil beside him. "I don't know why Master and Elder Brother Monkey quarreled. Elder Brother Monkey has always been good-tempered. This time it was Master who drove him away. I'm sure he won't come back."
"Anyway, we must save Master." Sha Seng insisted. "We were personally chosen by the Bodhisattva to go on the journey to fetch the scriptures. Even if we go back, we'll be caught and brought back. Besides, are you, Second Brother, really willing to go back and be laughed at by those in the Heavenly Court?"
Just mentioning the Heavenly Court made Zhu Bajie angry.
He used to be the Marshal Tian Peng in charge of the Ruoshui River. Who would dare to look down on him?
But now he had become a pig demon and was forced to protect a mortal on the journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. Poor old Zhu was really upset.
"Humph, I'll go to the Flower-Fruit Mountain right now to invite Brother Monkey!" Zhu Bajie flung his sleeve and turned to leave.
"Who's there?" Just as Zhu Bajie turned around, he suddenly caught a faint sound.
While Yang Xue was eavesdropping, she accidentally stepped on a tile.
She held her breath and was about to run away.
"Who is it! Come out quickly, or I'll be rude!" As he spoke, a rake flew to her feet.
She quickly recalled Zhu Bajie's combat ability in her mind and decided to give in.
"It's me. What a coincidence." She quickly stepped out. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you. I was just passing by."
"Miss Bai?" Zhu Bajie stared closely. Wasn't this the female demon who cooked delicious food and was as beautiful as the Goddess Chang'e?
He put away his rake and said with a smile, "Why are you here? We're really destined."
Sha Seng knew Zhu Bajie's true nature. Once he saw a good-looking girl, he would forget about his business.
"Second Brother, why don't you ask Miss Bai to go with you to the Flower-Fruit Mountain to invite Elder Brother Monkey back? After all, this incident was caused by Miss Bai. He will surely come back." Sha Seng was more calm. He thought this female demon had come just in time.
"What?" Yang Xue exclaimed and pointed at herself in disbelief. "Caused by me?"
Yang Xue never expected that the White Bone Demon hadn't managed to drive a wedge between Sun Wukong and the Tang Seng disciples, but because of her, the fake White Bone Demon, they still had a falling-out.
Sun Wukong had finally gone back to the Flower-Fruit Mountain. It seemed that they, as master and disciples, were doomed to go through this disaster.
But why was it because of her?
It couldn't be. She hadn't done anything. How could she have such a great influence?
"Miss Bai doesn't know. Since we left your cave, we haven't had a decent vegetarian meal for several days. We finally met a hunter on the way, but who would have thought that there wasn't even any rice in his house, only wine and meat." Zhu Bajie sat on the ground and began to pour out his grievances.
"Master knew that Elder Brother Monkey had gone to the street to buy wine with you and even drank with you at night. Somehow they just started arguing."
That's it?
Sun Wukong lost the argument and went back to the Flower-Fruit Mountain?
"Get to the point." Yang Xue interrupted him.
At this rate, Zhu Bajie would tell her everything he had seen and heard in the past few days. He was so wordy.
"Miss Bai, do you know that the Black Bear Demon came looking for you later?" Sha Wujing also thought Zhu Bajie was too wordy and got straight to the point.
"The Black Bear Demon?" Yang Xue was extremely surprised. If she remembered correctly, that demon had been taken in by the Avalokitesvara.
"Yes. They wanted to catch you and take you back. I don't know what you did wrong. Anyway, after the Black Bear Demon left, Master and Elder Brother Monkey had a private conversation. Sun Wukong annoyed Master and was even made to feel the pain of the tightening hoop. In a fit of anger, Brother Monkey ran back to the Flower-Fruit Mountain." Just as Zhu Bajie got up from the ground, as he was speaking, he wiped his tears and fell back to the ground again.
What they talked about in private had little to do with her.
Yang Xue patted her chest. It was okay. It was just a false alarm.
"I vaguely heard your name a few times. This matter is indeed related to you. Now Master is in trouble. We can't defeat that Yellow Robe Demon. Please go with Second Brother to the Flower-Fruit Mountain. I'll stay here to take care of Master." Sha Seng was worried that if he went to the Flower-Fruit Mountain, Zhu Bajie would go straight back to Gao Lao Zhuang.
Second Brother was always unreliable. Whenever there was a problem, he would shout that he wanted to go back to the Flower-Fruit Mountain. Sha Seng didn't trust him.
Now with Miss Bai accompanying him, Second Brother probably wouldn't leave halfway.
"No, no. I can't go." She refused again and again.
Although as a little fan of Sun Wukong, she really wanted to see the true face of the Flower-Fruit Mountain, but now she was a demon. She couldn't get involved in the journey of their master and disciples. Otherwise, she might not even know how she died.
"Miss Bai, Master said that Elder Brother Monkey had fallen in love with a mortal, all because of you. If you don't go, we, as master and disciples, won't be able to continue our journey to the West. The consequences of this matter will fall on your head. By then, we won't be able to explain it to the Heavenly Court and the Buddhas in the West. This matter..."
"Okay, okay, I'll go." Yang Xue didn't expect that Sha Seng, who seemed so careless, was actually so good at persuasion. He had put such a big hat on her head!
If she refused again, she was really worried that she would be caught and executed on the spot for interfering with the journey to the West, and her soul would be scattered.
She was a soul who had traveled through time. If she was seen through, she wouldn't even have the chance to be reincarnated.
"Miss Bai is so righteous. Why don't we go to the Flower-Fruit Mountain right away?" As soon as Zhu Bajie heard there was hope, especially to go with such a beautiful female demon, he couldn't wait.
"Wait a minute. I have two people to settle first. I'll come right after."
"No problem. I'll wait for you here." As long as he could go with Miss Bai, it didn't matter how long he waited.
---
The Flower-Fruit Mountain.
Yang Xue and Zhu Bajie came to the foot of the mountain. From afar, they saw many monkeys playing in the water under the Water Curtain Cave. It was really lively.
The Flower-Fruit Mountain lived up to its reputation. As they climbed up the steps, all kinds of fruit trees were planted on both sides of the road, full of fruits.
The scenery was beautiful, with singing birds and fragrant flowers. It was really a blessed land.
"Who goes there!" The patrolling monkeys quickly discovered them and rushed towards them beating gongs and drums.
Yang Xue remembered the scene from the TV drama she watched when she was a child, where Zhu Bajie was tied up by the monkeys and carried in front of Sun Wukong.
She didn't want to be tied up. A wise man knows when to yield.
"I'm here to visit the Great Sage Equaling Heaven," Yang Xue quickly raised her hands to show her sincerity. "I'm Bai Xue. I met the Great Sage before."
"I'm Marshal Tian Peng, Zhu Bajie, the junior brother of your king. Little monkeys, go and inform him quickly and ask him to come out to greet me."
Yang Xue frowned. This guy was going to drag her down.
Seeing a group of monkeys surrounding them, Zhu Bajie was a bit impatient. "Quickly tell Brother Monkey that Master is in trouble and needs him to go and rescue him."
Yang Xue slapped her forehead. What a pig teammate!
She quickly stepped aside. "I'm not with him. I've admired the Great Sage's great name for a long time and have come here especially to visit him."