Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 105 Battle Against Red Boy

Chapter 105 Battle Against Red Boy (Part 9)
Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang and his disciples encountered Red Boy.

Tang Sanzang saw Red Boy hanging from a tree, and after a closer look, he realized that Red Boy was a monster.

It is because it is now the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, and the mountain wind is biting.

The four of them, dressed in cotton robes, still felt cold. The child, who was only about six or seven years old, was hanging naked from a tree with his hooves tucked in. His hands and feet were not blue or purple, but rather rosy. Wasn't that different from ordinary people?

Furthermore, the child had delicate skin and was suspended by a thick rope, yet there was not a single chafing mark on his body. If it were an ordinary child, his skin would have been chafed raw by the thick rope long ago.

From this, Tang Sanzang realized that the child was a demon.

Unexpectedly, Wukong stepped forward to save the child.

Tang Sanzang quickly stopped him.

Wukong said, "Master, don't be afraid, this child is my nephew."

Tang Sanzang said, "Wukong, are you confused? This is clearly a demon, how can you say he's your nephew?"

Red Boy, still hanging there, said, "Elder, don't be afraid. My father is named Mighty Bull Demon King, a renowned demon king of Xiniu Hezhou. If you save me, I will definitely repay you handsomely."

Upon hearing this, Tang Sanzang was so frightened that he turned his horse around and shouted, "Go! Go!"

Pigsy laughed and said, "Master, what are you afraid of? Don't you know that the Bull Demon King is my sworn brother?"

Tang Sanzang said, "You idiot, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Wukong stepped forward and laughed:

“Master, this time Pigsy wasn’t lying. This child really is my nephew. When I first attained enlightenment, I hadn’t yet ascended to heaven; I was a demon immortal. I raised a flag on Flower Fruit Mountain and traveled all over the world. I admired six heroes who became my seven sworn brothers, also known as the Seven Great Sages.”

The child's father is the eldest of the seven of us, called the Bull Demon King, also known as the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven; the second brother is called the Flood Dragon Demon King, also known as the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas; the third brother is called the Roc Demon King, also known as the Great Sage Who Confounds Heaven; the fourth brother is called the Lion Camel King, also known as the Great Sage Who Moves Mountains; the fifth brother is called the Macaque King, also known as the Great Sage Who Knows All; the sixth brother is called the Yu Rong King, also known as the Great Sage Who Drives Away Gods; only I, the youngest, am called the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

Tang Sanzang exclaimed in surprise, "So many demon kings!"

Bajie laughed and said, "Master, you're only just realizing this now! If we're just talking about being a demon, I was already at the top of the list back then."

Tang Sanzang said, "If that's the case, then why have we encountered so many difficulties along the way..."

Wukong said, "Master, let's not talk about that anymore, let's save the child first."

Tang Sanzang said, "That makes sense."

Wukong stepped forward and untied the ropes binding Red Boy's hands and feet. Red Boy fell down and bowed to Sun Wukong, saying, "Thank you for saving me, Uncle Sun."

Bajie came up and said, "You little rascal, you're quite adorable."

Red Boy asked, "Who are you?"

Bajie laughed and said, "I am your Uncle Sun's junior brother. According to seniority, you should call me Uncle Pig Two."

Upon hearing this, Red Boy guessed that he was Zhu Wuneng, Tang Sanzang's second disciple, and called out, "Uncle Zhu."

Pigsy immediately beamed with joy.

Sha Wujing stepped forward and said with a smile, "Then I shall be Uncle Sha the Third!"

Red Boy guessed that he was Sha Wujing and ignored him.

The group thought the child might be a little shy.

Tang Sanzang asked, "Child, how did you end up hanging here?"

Red Boy said:

"Reporting to my ancestor, I was sent by my father to guard the mountains and lands of this 600-mile-long Drillhead Mountain. A few months ago, a demon with some power came to the mountain. I fought him several times, but today I was defeated. He hung me here and humiliated me. Fortunately, Uncle Sun rescued me and I was able to escape..."

Tang Sanzang asked, "Wait, what did you call me just now?"

Red Boy said, "Grandmaster."

Tang Sanzang asked, "Why do you call me Grandmaster?"

Bajie said, "Master, how can you be confused? Eldest Brother is his uncle, and you are Eldest Brother's master, so aren't you his grandmaster?"

Tang Sanzang said, "Amitabha! That's true in terms of seniority, but..."

Tang Sanzang took a few steps back and whispered to Pigsy, "But he's a monster!"

Pigsy said, "Master, why do you care about this? So what if it's a monster? Look at Sandy, he ate countless people before, and he still became a monk."

Sha Wujing, with his keen ears, spoke up:

"Second Brother, why are you bringing that up again? I have already received the Bodhisattva precepts and have changed my ways. If you're talking about this, don't you have a father-in-law in Gao Village?"

Pigsy tucked his hands into his pockets and looked around.

Red Boy said, "Grandmaster, Uncle Sun, Uncle Pig, let's not stay here any longer. My father taught me from a young age that we must not be ungrateful. Please come with me to my cave, where I will prepare a grand feast to thank you for saving us!"

Upon hearing that a feast was to be held, Pigsy was overjoyed and exclaimed:
"Good! Good nephew, it wasn't for nothing that I saved you!"

Tang Sanzang still had some concerns and said worriedly to Wukong:
"Wukong, this..."

Wukong said, "Master, don't worry, with me here, nothing will happen."

Red Boy led the way.

The four of them followed behind.

After walking for a while, they came to an ancient cliff, a narrow passage between two rocky mountains, as if they had been joined together with a crack in the middle. Red Boy said:
“Grandmaster, this cliff is steep and easy to fall over. We should cross from below. However, the path below is narrow and this white horse may not be able to make it across. Why don’t you give me the horse? I know the way well and can lead it across the cliff from above while you go down.”

Wukong laughed and said, "Nephew, you don't need to lead the horse. There's a place here that's wider than a horse. If the horse can't get through, he certainly can't. You might as well let him lead it."

Pigsy said, "Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, you're making fun of me again. I may be a little fat, but I have thirty-six transformations. How can I not get past that?"

Wukong said, "You idiot, what did you call me!"

Red Boy said, "Uncles, please don't argue. I'll go and lead the horse. Firstly, the cliffs are steep, and Uncle Pig is not familiar with the mountain paths, so it's inconvenient for him to walk. Secondly, I am the junior, and I have been rescued by you, so it is my turn to lead the horse."

After saying this, Red Boy led the white horse and rode off up the mountain.

Bajie said, "This child is sensible and likable."

Tang Sanzang nodded in agreement.

The four travelers crossed the cliff, and Red Boy led the horse down the mountain. They continued on to a stream. The white horse stepped into the stream, splashing water. Red Boy rushed to the side and helped Tang Sanzang hold up his monk's robe to prevent it from getting wet.

Tang Sanzang couldn't help but say, "Child, the water is cold!"

Red Boy laughed and said, "Grandmaster, don't worry, I have fire in my body and I'm not afraid of this cold water."

After crossing the stream, the group continued forward into a secluded forest. Red Boy reminded them:

"Master, there are often snakes and insects in this forest, so be careful when you walk."

The group carefully walked through the secluded forest, and further ahead was a rocky path covered with moss and vines.

Red Boy added, "Grandmaster, be careful riding the horse, be careful not to slip."

In this way, the group traversed ancient cliffs, crossed streams, walked through secluded forests, and stepped on vines, finally arriving at a strange rock cliff.

Inside the Strange Rock Cliff is a cave with a stone tablet beside it that reads: "Withered Pine Stream, Fiery Cloud Cave".

Red Boy said, "We've arrived."

Pigsy plopped down and said, "We're finally here. I'm exhausted."

Tang Sanzang dismounted.

Red Boy rushed to help.

Tang Sanzang couldn't help but say, "Child, be careful."

After saying this, Tang Sanzang realized that the Red Boy in front of him was a monster, and his heart couldn't help but feel complicated.

Because Red Boy took such good care of him along the way, Tang Sanzang forgot that he was a demon.

Red Boy said, "Wait a moment, I'll go and call someone to open the door."

Having said that, he quickly ran off.

The four of them looked at Red Boy's hurried appearance and couldn't help but smile at each other.

Wukong laughed and said, "My elder brother, the Bull Demon King, did not follow the righteous path when he was young, but unexpectedly his child is so sensible."

Bajie said, "Brother, what's so strange about that? It is said that dragons have nine sons, each different; even cats and dogs can have different colors."

Sha Wujing said, "Although what you said, Second Brother, is crude, the principle is the same."

Just then, Red Boy ran out, wearing a red bellyband and a small cloak.

The cave entrance was wide open, and a group of lesser demons ran out and lined up on both sides.

Red Boy stepped forward and said, "Grandmaster, uncles, please come in."

Tang Sanzang looked at the group of little demons.

The little demons all wore ingratiating smiles, but some of them, with their varied shapes, still looked ferocious.

Upon seeing this, Tang Sanzang couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety.

Fortunately, these little demons were only strange in appearance. After Tang Sanzang and his companions entered the cave, they found that the cave was quite ordinary and there was nothing bloody inside.

I have not seen anything like human heads, skin, or tendons.

Therefore, Tang Sanzang was not too frightened.

Red Boy ordered his minions to prepare a grand vegetarian feast.

They also cleaned out four rooms in the cave for Tang Sanzang and his disciples to live in.

Tang Sanzang remained cautious and only asked for one room, so the four of them stayed together.

Red Boy didn't mind. Before long, the vegetarian feast was prepared and served.

There are four kinds of food: steamed white buns, red bean paste-filled dumplings, pancakes the size of a washbasin, and baked fruit with sesame seeds.

There are eight dishes: daylily stir-fried in clear oil, wood ear mushrooms mixed with sesame oil, deep-fried tofu until golden brown, braised eggplant until soft, pan-fried mushrooms, wild vegetables with dipping sauce, soup made with winter melon and vermicelli, and a dish made with fresh bamboo shoots and radishes.

There were also four kinds of dried fruits: longan, grapes, persimmons, and red dates.

Red Boy invited everyone to come forward and said, "Time was short and the preparations were simple. Please forgive us, Grandmaster and Uncles. We will hold a grand feast another day."

Bajie, suppressing his drool, said, "Not at all, not at all! The last time I had such a fine feast was in the royal palace of Wuji Kingdom! Master, please forgive my rudeness, I'll eat first!"

Bajie picked up a roasted fruit and was about to stuff it into his mouth.

Tang Sanzang couldn't help but exclaim, "Bajie!"

Pigsy had already eaten.

Tang Sanzang sighed helplessly, then turned around and thanked Red Boy first.

Red Boy returned the greeting and said, "Grandmaster, you should eat too. You must be starving after traveling all day."

Bajie said, "That's right, that's right, Master, eat up!"

In no time, Pigsy's chopsticks were already skewered with a row of fried tofu.

Tang Sanzang couldn't help but say, "You really are a fool!"

After Tang Sanzang and his disciples finished their feast, it was getting late outside, so Red Boy invited everyone to stay in the cave.

Tang Sanzang did not refuse.

The four returned to their room, and Pigsy rolled onto the bed and fell asleep immediately.

Sha Wujing packed his belongings and went to sleep.