Journey to the West: Starting from Changing Sun Wukong’s fate
Chapter 295 - 296: I, Old Pig, Am Going to Have a Baby

Chapter 295: Chapter 296: I, Old Pig, Am Going to Have a Baby

With the arrival of the Grand Elder of the Supreme Way, King Rhinoceros also came to his senses.

"My lord!"

King Rhinoceros looked at the Grand Elder of the Supreme Way, his face full of a pitiful expression.

"Sinner, say no more, and quickly revert to your true form!"

Upon hearing the command of the Grand Elder of the Supreme Way, where would King Rhinoceros dare to utter half a word? He obediently lay down on the ground, his body shuddered, and then he crouched down.

He transformed into a Green Ox.

The Green Ox let out a moo.

He seemed very depressed. Then he glanced at Xuanzang and the others before coming to rest beside the Grand Elder of the Supreme Way.

The Grand Elder of the Supreme Way gently landed on the back of the Green Ox, patted its head, and then said with a smile, "Xuanzang, there are many difficulties ahead, you all must continue to strive hard!"

After speaking, the Grand Elder of the Supreme Way patted the back of the Green Ox, and in an instant, the ox soared upwards, disappearing into the sky, and ten thousand rays of twilight vanished alongside.

The Golden Helmet Cave regained its original appearance.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

After uttering the name of Amitabha Buddha, Xuanzang then turned to look at the converted little demons.

"You must behave yourselves. If we discover that you dare to harm others in the future, do not blame us for taking action and exterminating you!"

Xuanzang said in a low voice.

"Amitabha Buddha, the Elder is right, we have understood and will never dare to do such a thing!"

The leading little demon respectfully replied.

In the meantime, Sun Wukong, seeing that the Grand Elder of the Supreme Way had departed, descended from the sky and landed next to Xuanzang, saying, "Master, it seems your good plan had no chance to succeed this time!"

Zhu Bajie and Sand Monk also looked towards Xuanzang.

Xuanzang was somewhat helpless. The Green Ox Demon had considerable strength, and if he could have subjugated it, it would have been very helpful to him.

However, unfortunately, the Grand Elder of the Supreme Way had taken the Green Ox Demon with him.

"Let’s pack up and prepare to hit the road!"

Xuanzang sighed, and they continued on their way.

Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sand Monk each nodded, and then together they crossed over the Golden Helmet Mountain.

On this day, they were walking forward.

Suddenly, they encountered a small river blocking their path. The river’s surface was not wide, the water clear, the scenery was beautiful.

"Are we unable to cross again?"

Xuanzang frowned, not expecting to be blocked by a river once more.

"Master, look there, there seem to be a few thatched cottages, maybe for ferrying us across!"

Sun Wukong pointed to the distance and spoke.

Zhu Bajie and Sand Monk couldn’t help but look in that direction.

Xuanzang also looked over.

Following the direction of Sun Wukong’s pointing, indeed, there were faintly some thatched cottages, and Xuanzang seeing that scene, slightly nodded, "It does seem to be a ferry, but how come there are no boats visible?"

Zhu Bajie began to shout loudly on the side, "Ferryman, come over with the boat!"

Zhu Bajie repeatedly called out several times.

However, after a moment, a small boat truly appeared from among the willows, creaking its way over to them.

The person rowing the boat paddled to the shore and cried out, "Those wishing to cross the river, come aboard here."

The voice of the ferryman was crisp, apparently a woman.

The crowd approached for a closer look and, indeed, it was a woman steering the boat. Sun Wukong, curious, hopped over and asked with a smile, "Are you the ferryman?"

The woman nodded, "Yes!"

Sun Wukong asked with a puzzled frown, "Why isn’t there a boatman, but instead, you are steering the boat?"

The woman merely smiled, offering no answer.

"Thank you, Lady Benefactor, for taking us across the river," said Xuanzang, quite politely.

Then, with Sun Wukong’s help, he boarded the boat, with Zhu Bajie and the others following suit.

In just a short while, they had already reached the opposite shore.

Xuanzang took out some copper coins to give to the woman steering the boat.

After the woman took the money, she returned to her cottage to rest.

Having traveled for so long, Xuanzang and his companions had finally crossed the river. Zhu Bajie, seeing the clear, bottom-visible river water, could not help feeling thirsty. Taking out his alms bowl, he went to the riverside and filled it with clear water.

Zhu Bajie chuckled and said, "This lake water is truly clear, it must taste good!"

Zhu Bajie, who was always gluttonous, now wished to taste the water to see how it was.

After taking a big gulp, he found the taste of the lake water to be good.

Then he handed it to Xuanzang.

After taking the alms bowl, Xuanzang took a few gulps with a "glug glug," and his face showed pure enjoyment.

"Indeed, this water is sweet and refreshing!"

"Brother Monkey, Junior Brother Sand, would you like some?"

Zhu Bajie turned to look at Sun Wukong and Sand Monk after Xuanzang finished drinking.

At that moment, Sand Monk and Sun Wukong both waved their hands.

"No thanks, pass!"

Zhu Bajie put away the alms bowl, and the group continued on their way. Less than half an hour later, Xuanzang suddenly cried out in pain while riding his horse.

Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie, along with the others, turned to look at Xuanzang. Sun Wukong asked, "Master, what’s wrong with you?"

Xuanzang clutched his stomach and said, "I suddenly feel unbearable stomach pain; I don’t know why."

At this point, Zhu Bajie also spoke up, "I feel some stomach pain, too."

Sand Monk said with a frown, "It must be the cold water we drank. It’s upset our stomachs."

Sun Wukong frowned and said, "If it’s Master’s stomach upset by the cold water, that could make sense. But Bajie is a cultivator, with a body of an immortal. He is immune to diseases; how could he suffer from stomach pain from drinking some cold water?"

"Then what’s the matter?" Sand Monk asked perplexedly.

Sun Wukong stretched out his hand and felt Xuanzang’s stomach, where he could sense what seemed like a lump of flesh squirming inside.

Sun Wukong was also baffled.

He didn’t know what happened to his master or why such a change occurred.

Sun Wukong looked around and suddenly saw a shop up ahead. Pointing toward it, he said, "Master, look, there is a place that sells wine ahead. Let’s go there first, get some hot soup for you, and meanwhile, we can inquire if there’s a place nearby to get some medicine to help cure your stomach pain."

Enduring his stomach pain, Xuanzang raised his head and saw several thatched huts, so he nodded and urged the horse to move faster. Although Zhu Bajie was also in unbearable pain, he wasn’t a flesh-and-blood mortal like Tang Monk. Such pain he could endure.

The group of four walked over and saw an old woman sitting at the doorway, twining hemp ropes.

Sun Wukong hurriedly approached, speaking politely, "Old mother, this little monk gives you his regards."

The old woman, initially frightened by Sun Wukong’s unsightly appearance, summoned the courage to speak after noticing his polite manner, "What sort of people are you?"

Sun Wukong hurriedly explained, "Old mother, to tell you the truth, we are monks from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land on our way to the Western Heaven, seeking scriptures. My master is the Imperial Uncle of the Tang Dynasty."

"But we drank some river water while crossing a river just now, and now we’re suffering from stomach pain. We hope you can boil some hot soup for my master to cure him."

The old woman thought for a moment and then suddenly smiled and asked, "Which river’s water did your master drink from?"

Sun Wukong promptly replied, "The water from the river to the east."

Upon hearing this, the old woman burst into laughter and then said, "Come in, I will tell you all about it."

Having said that, the old woman turned and ran into the thatched hut.

Sun Wukong felt puzzled and glanced back at Xuanzang and Zhu Bajie.

With no other choice, Sun Wukong helped Tang Monk dismount and entered the hut, followed by Sand Monk assisting Zhu Bajie. They all sat down around a table.

At this point, the old woman came out, accompanied by three middle-aged women, who pointed and laughed at Tang Monk and his companions.

What could have made them so delighted remained a mystery.

Seeing this scene, Sun Wukong couldn’t help but frown.

Zhu Bajie, however, couldn’t bear it anymore and shouted, "Go boil me some hot soup right now, or I won’t hold back any longer! Ouch, ouch!"

Seeing his master and Zhu Bajie both in such pain, Sun Wukong grimaced and grabbed the old woman who led them in, saying, "Boil that soup now, or Old Sun won’t let you off easily!"

The old women, frightened by Sun Wukong’s ferocity, all took a step back.

The woman grabbed by Sun Wukong explained, "Oh sir, boiling soup won’t cure their stomach pain!"

"You know what’s going on?"

Sun Wukong was surprised that the old woman seemed to know what was happening to Zhu Bajie and Xuanzang.

"Don’t worry, let me explain slowly!"

The old woman began to speak.

Yet Sun Wukong, impatient, said, "If you know what’s going on, speak quickly!"

The old woman hurriedly explained, "You may not know, sir, but this is the Kingdom of Women in Xiliang, a country entirely populated by women, without a single man. Seeing you gentlemen sparked our curiosity, and we momentarily forgot our manners. We beg your forgiveness."

"Enough with the prattle. What exactly is causing my master and brother’s stomach pain?" Sun Wukong asked, frowning.

Sun Wukong released the old woman, waiting for her to reveal the reason.

The old woman continued, "Their stomach pain is solely due to drinking the water from that river. That river is called the Mother-Child River, located outside our Royal City. There’s also a Sun Welcoming Post, with the Pregnancy Revealing Spring right outside the post’s gate."

"The women here do not dare to drink the water from the Mother-Child River until they turn twenty. After drinking it, they experience stomach pains and develop a fetus. After three days, they go to the Pregnancy Revealing Spring. If a double shadow appears in the reflection, it means they are pregnant and will have children. Your master and brother drank the water from the Mother-Child River and have developed fetal breath. In a few days, they will give birth. No amount of boiled soup can cure that!"

Zhu Bajie, who had been enduring the pain, was thrown into a panic at these words, crying out, "Old Zhu is going to have a baby too! But I’m a man; where could the baby possibly exit from?"

Sun Wukong, initially worried, heard Zhu Bajie’s words and jumped over, patting Zhu Bajie’s belly, saying,

"Don’t panic, Bajie. As the saying goes, ’the ripe melon falls off its stem.’ When the time comes, we’ll just make an opening in your big belly and take the baby out."