Great Demon Sun Wukong
Chapter 958 - 958: The Journey to the West: Prey and Hunter

On the Pilgrimage Route, there are a total of eighty-one trials, yet in reality, the actual demons Sun Wukong encountered along the way were few in number. Although Buddhism and Heaven both hoped to use the Demon Clan's hands to kill Tang Sanzang, due to Sun Wukong's reputation among the Demon Clan, it led to only a very few demons participating in the eighty-one trials, while more demons or those famous Great Demons kept a watchful attitude.

This resulted in the monsters encountered along the way absolutely not adding up to eighty-one, naturally falling short of the required eighty-one trials. So what to do? Tathagata and the Jade Emperor decided: Shall we each send some of our own people to turn into demons? This way, if they indeed kill Tang Sanzang or Sun Wukong, they can still blame the Demon Clan. Thus, on the Western Paradise Heavenly Road, the monsters encountered were either the mount of a Bodhisattva or the pet of an Immortal.

Besides these, Tathagata felt it necessary, at critical moments, to warn or remind Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong, letting them know that although they seem to be free now, in reality, all is under our control. The best example is the trial by the Four Saints testing the heart of zen.

Li Shan Lao Mu, Guanyin, along with Manjushri and Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, these Four Saints turned into three beautiful women and an old lady to test the sincerity of Tang Sanzang and his party's journey west. It sounds nice to say it's to test the zen mind of the four people. But in reality? Sun Wukong initially saw through the true forms of these Four Saints with his fiery eyes.

And Tang Sanzang had no longing or inappropriate thoughts about women at all, as for Sha Wujing, he is an honest and straightforward person. So, who was this trial mainly testing? Was it Zhu Bajie? Not that either. Because at that time, Zhu Bajie had just left home, and he was originally not sincerely going to the Western Paradise to fetch the scriptures.

If given the choice, Zhu Bajie would prefer to be a demon in Fuling Mountain rather than go to the Western Paradise to fetch any scriptures or become a Buddha. So in Zhu Bajie's case, there's no need to test at all, just seeing alone is enough. Zhu Bajie's journey to fetch the scriptures was completely forced by Guanyin and the Jade Emperor. Moreover, Zhu Bajie's performance was indeed not firm.

Not to mention whether Zhu Bajie saw through the true identities of these four people, anyway, Zhu Bajie's attitude was, I have no interest in fetching scriptures, I'd rather marry a wife and have children. But for someone like Zhu Bajie, who has no heart for the scriptures, how does the Four Saints' test come into play? They merely hung Zhu Bajie on a tree for a night. For Zhu Bajie, hanging for a night felt no different than sleeping on a bed for a night. So such punishment was utterly useless for Zhu Bajie.

Punishing someone like Zhu Bajie, who has not a trace of zen heart like this, then what use is this trial of zen heart? Therefore, the most fundamental aim of the Four Saints this time was to tell Sun Wukong and Tang Sanzang, we know your every move, and you should be cautious, anyone you meet in the future might be us in disguise, so you'd better proceed honestly to fetch the scriptures westward.

Thus, if we consider it from another angle, what if at that time Zhu Bajie also saw through the true identities of the Four Saints? Or if Sun Wukong told Zhu Bajie the true identities of the Four Saints? Suppose Zhu Bajie knew the truth but still pretended not to know, taking advantage of Guanyin and Li Shan Lao Mu; then Zhu Bajie's behavior is indeed worth pondering.

Moreover, given Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie's personalities, such a thing could very likely occur. Sun Wukong, compared to the Four Saints teasing Zhu Bajie, would likely prefer to watch Zhu Bajie feign ignorance while pranking these Four Saints. You see, opportunities to have Guanyin serve tea and pour water, then coyly coo and flirt, are rare. And the chance to openly tease Guanyin and Li Shan Lao Mu must be even rarer.

Therefore, perhaps the true situation of the Four Saints testing zen heart is this.

Tathagata had the Four Saints warn Tang Sanzang and his party in this manner, that you are under our control. But Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie counteracted the plan, with Zhu Bajie even openly flirting with such saints as Guanyin and Li Shan Lao Mu. Thus, intentionally or unintentionally, telling Tathagata, even if we are controlled by you, we are not to be trifled with. Didn't you see me daring even to tease Guanyin? But as for whether Guanyin and Li Shan Lao Mu knew the true situation, it appears they did not; otherwise, merely hanging Zhu Bajie for a night would be far too simple.

The world says that Zhu Bajie is greedy and lazy, lustful and money-loving, but who knows, this is just what Zhu Bajie wants others to see. Only Sun Wukong showing his strength can make Tathagata and the Jade Emperor relax their vigilance. Because this is the kind of person Sun Wukong is, once Sun Wukong becomes weak, they would certainly feel there's some intrigue within. On the other hand, Zhu Bajie playing weak and incompetent enables Tathagata and the Jade Emperor to mistakenly think everything is under control, giving Sun Wukong more time.

Furthermore, Tang Sanzang must ensure and demonstrate his resolution to fetch the scriptures westward, so the Jade Emperor and Tathagata can believe their plan is always proceeding perfectly.

Hunter and prey, at certain times, are actually scheming against each other. As for who eventually becomes whose meal, it depends on whose knife is sharper and whose teeth, more firm.