Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 1-2 | Page 194

Journey to the West
Diocesan Preparatory School , Yip , Chi Ching - 10

Xuanzang , Su Wukong , Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing were on their way to the West . One night , Su Wukong smiled happily as he looked at the steaming food . “ We ’ ll have a feast tonight !” said he , rubbing his hands together and licking his lips . The group of travellers sat contently around the crackling fire . For a while , there was no noise except for the sounds of munching and crunching as they devoured the food . Xuanzang was the first to break the silence as he said , “ Boys , I don ’ t mean to worry you , but we haven ’ t encountered any dangers in a while . I just have the feeling that something is lurking ahead ….”

Just as the words left his lips , a cough behind the group made them all turn around in surprise . A beautiful woman stood behind them . Her hair was decorated with beads and feathers , and she wore a long , sweeping robe of silver and white . The group were struck speechless as they stared at this vision of beauty . The woman bowed to them and said , “ Hello gentlemen , my name is Zhi Ruo . I need your help .” Zhu Bajie immediately agreed and said , “ Tell us your story and how we can help .” The rest of the group nodded their assent .
The woman began , “ Well , my father had abused me and so I ran away and came to you guys for help .” As the woman was talking , Su Wukong thought it was strange that she had such a casual attitude about the matter , whereas she had been oddly formal moments before . He was jolted back to reality with a start . The woman was just finishing her speech and said , “ I ’ ll stay here with you guys for the night and then go on my own way tomorrow .” Feeling that something was amiss , Su Wukong decided to stay on guard for the night . He thought : Better be safe than sorry .
In the dead of night , Su Wukong saw a movement amongst the trees . He quietly crept up to its source , silently taking his staff out of his ear . Zhi Ruo was sitting by the now-extinct fire . She seemed to be unhooking something from her ears . At once , her face seemed to fall away , replaced by the visage of a hideous demon . The demon took out a pen and started drawing on her mask , filling a few holes here and there , and adding a few worry lines to the sides of the eye-holes . After changing the mask , the demon put it back on her face . At once , her face seemed to transform back into a pretty young lady ’ s . Hearing the horrified gasp of Sun Wukong , the demon quickly spun around . She hissed , “ Who ’ s there ?” Sun Wukong tried to edge back into the shadows , but it was too late- the demon had already seen him .
The demon snarled and leaped high up in the air , wings fanning out behind her . She shrieked , “ I am the feared Demon Silver Scourge , and I will gain immortality no matter the cost ! You will never escape my wrath , feeble creature !” She was flying towards Sun Wukong . With his quick thinking , the intuitive monkey pulled out a hair and blew lightly on it . This caused 17 monkey clones to materialise from thin air and leap at the demon , with murder written on their faces . Silver Scourge ’ s eyes grew wide with fear and turned to flee , only to feel the sharp THWACK of Su Wukong ’ s staff rain down on her back . The demon ’ s body instantly turned to ash and floated away in the wind . The Monkey King knelt down , picked up the demon ’ s mask and smashed it into pieces . Lighting the fire , he swept the pieces into the raging flames .
The next morning , the group woke up to find Su Wukong stretched out under a tree and no sign of the lovely lady they had met the day before . They questioned him , only to receive a grin and the words , “ That is how you kill a demon , my friends .”