"Bring him in."

The Divine Envoy bowed and retreated, soon bringing Sun Wukong to the main hall. Through the curtain, the Monkey could only vaguely see the figure of Yunxiao. With his Eyes of Golden Flame, he saw what seemed to be a massive expanse of azure cloud continuously rising, imbued with immense majesty.

Without knowing why, he felt a slight tremble.

"Great Saint, for what purpose have you come?"

"Heh heh, I am protecting Xuanzang on his journey to the Western Heaven for scriptures. We passed by Wuzhuang Temple and a conflict arose; now my master is detained there. I must revive the Ginseng Fruit Tree to continue the journey."

"May I boldly ask for a medicinal method, Emperor?"

Yunxiao sipped his tea slowly.

"You might be disappointed, Great Saint. Zhen Yuanzi is the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, and he is of the same generation as my master. The Ginsengfruit Tree, formed during Heavenly Creation and Earth Breaking, is one of a kind. I am powerless to help."

The Monkey was genuinely anxious now.

"What is to be done?"

Yunxiao said nothing more. The Monkey lingered a while longer, unable to sit still, and departed the Two Purple Mansion Immortal Palaces feeling dejected, lamenting the trouble he had caused in a moment of rashness.

He circled the Three Immortals Island several times, seeking out Immortals, but the results were the same; no one could heal it.

Sun Wukong found a solitary small island to sit on, feeling regret. This incident was a significant blow to him — a sense of helplessness filled his heart as he faced reality.

He reminisced about the time when his arrogance led him to create havoc in the Heaven Palace, only to find himself now at a dead end over a single fruit tree, the stark contrast driving him toward instability.

Seeing Sun Wukong had learned his lesson, the Bodhi Ancestor, who had been watching, spared him further hardship, for it might disturb the Monkey's mindset.

"Wukong, Wukong."

Upon hearing the voice as he squatted in frustration, Sun Wukong's eyes welled with tears, and he knelt in deep respect.

"Master, Master, your disciple realizes his mistake! Please, grant me a method to heal the tree!"

"At South Sea Putuo Mountain, the sweet dew from Guanyin's Jade Purifying Bottle can heal it."

"Thank you, Master."

Sun Wukong kowtowed thrice and immediately headed toward the South Sea.

There's little else to say: Guanyin used the sweet dew to revive the Ginseng Fruit Tree, and Sun Wukong and his master were finally set free. Sun Wukong emerged from the ordeal, much more subdued.

The four disciples continued their journey. Unbeknownst to them, an even more thrilling experience awaited, and rumors had already spread that the monk from East Earth seeking the scriptures was virtuous across ten lifetimes; consuming him would grant immortality.

The disciples continued westward, leaving Longevity Mountain and arriving at a hilly area where a beautiful village girl seemed to be stationed.

Zhu Bajie, noting the girl's beauty, quickly approached for conversation.

"Dear sister, we are monks on a pilgrimage to the West for scriptures. Do you know where in this area we might find a vegetarian meal to beg for?"

Xuan Zang observed Zhu Bajie actively seeking alms and said nothing, but Sun Wukong immediately saw that the village girl was not human.

"Master, how can there be households in this wilderness? This village girl is transformed by a demon."

Listening to Sun Wukong's words, Xuanzang peered over carefully, but with his mortal body, what could he discern?

Reflecting on the Wuzhuang Temple incident, his dissatisfaction with Sun Wukong remained; the Monkey was indeed frightfully adept at getting into trouble, not realizing Zhu Bajie's role in instigation.

Though Zhu Bajie wasn't necessarily smarter than the others, he leveraged the information gap, knowing they wouldn't be troubled along the westward journey, thus aiming for extra benefits while shirking whenever possible.

The village girl was indeed transformed by the White Bone Lady. She pretended to be startled by Zhu Bajie and intentionally approached Xuanzang, saying, "Within a hundred miles, this is the only household, and my mother is fervently devoted to Buddha. I have some food in this basket — let me gift it to you, as charitable goodwill."

Sun Wukong, seeing the spectral aura on the village girl, immediately grinned. The previous Wuzhuang Temple incident had left a strong impression on him, and he was eager to seize this opportunity to prove himself.

Without a word, he raised his Jingu Bang and struck the village girl with it.

With a cry of anguish, the village girl escaped into the ground, leaving only her clothes behind as the food in the bamboo basket transformed into poisonous insects.

This sudden change shocked Xuanzang.

Sun Wukong, seeking praise, remarked, "Master, I told you this was a demon. Its low prowess couldn't escape my Eyes of Golden Flame."

Zhu Bajie felt uneasy — back when Sun Wukong refused to pick more fruit, he mentally noted it down against the Monkey. Being bossed around and nitpicked all the way, his dislike for Sun Wukong grew.

"What demon? I think she was a kind-hearted female Bodhisattva. You beat her to death for the sake of glory and even used a Blinding Technique!"

The Monkey couldn't tolerate such slander, raised his staff to strike, while Zhu Bajie ran to Xuanzang's side, feigning victimhood and stirring discord.

Xuanzang hadn't yet fully understood the nature of his second disciple. Uncertain, he was swayed by Zhu Bajie's remarks, diminishing his liking for Sun Wukong further.

The disciples resumed their travel, only to encounter a farmhouse where a farmwife was hanging clothes.

After some dialogue, they entered the farmhouse. At first glance, Sun Wukong immediately recognized the woman as the demon's transformation and quickly warned, "Master, be cautious — this woman is the demon we saw earlier."

Zhu Bajie immediately retorted, "I think you killed the daughter and now aim to silence witnesses!"

The Monkey's initially calm demeanor ignited with Zhu Bajie's accusations. Since when had the Great Sage Equalling Heaven endured such humiliation?

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