Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4 - 7 2018 | Page 112

were ready, Sha Wujing attacked first, hitting the gut of the demon, only to be retaliated. He dodged and
weaved past his rake, he attacked his back, hitting it with a force similar to a thousand tonnes. But there was
no crack heard. The demon returned with a swipe and Sha Wujing fell down instantly. Xuanzang took this
chance to take away his rake with his bare hands, holding onto the weapon himself. He was not much of a
fighter, but for the sake of saving his friend, he had to. He raised the rake and swiped it down his face and
into his body, disfiguring it but only to unveil his grey, rough and hard belly, his skin wrinkled and battered.
The demon unleashed his true form, he turned into a rhino and rammed Xuanzang into the wall, breaking
his ribs. Sha Wujing got up from the ground and grabbed his spear, he shouted a battle cry and bludgeoned
it into the demon’s neck, piercing the tissue. Thump! He fell down onto the ground, momentarily
unconscious.
After that, Xuanzang sat down, meditated to call out for the Buddha’s help. Xuanzang’s wounds were
healing significantly fast, then he used his mind to find the spirit trapped inside the demon. With one lift of a
hand, a blinding light struck the temple. The rhino was gone, what was left was a muscular man, wounded
but still alive and breathing.
Xuanzang summoned his healing powers and given it to the muscular man, his wounds slowly disappeared.
The man gasped, his eyes locked on to Xuanzang and said, “Who are you?” He replied, “My name is
Xuanzang and I am a monk. I am on a quest to find my three disciples that will help me throughout this
journey. The Buddha tells me that you are one of them. You were a great warrior Zhu Bajie, you have
served your kingdom well, but it's time to atone for your sins. Follow me on my journey and honour will
naturally come to you.” Zhu Bajie reflected on his past, bit by bit he woke pieces of his memories,
reminding him of the blood of his family that had fallen onto his own hands, regretting everything. He said,
“Thank you, I accept this offer. It's time for me to change.”
Xuanzang said, “That’s good, now we have to embark on the treacherous journey to the eastern hills of
Jiangsu so that we can find our final disciple.” He felt great saying that, it was almost as if he was now a
complete leader, a commander with no fear.
They walked out of the temple, night had set in. Under a sky of midnight velvet, there were stars glittering
merely into existence, in the sky forming a certain constellation, the moon illuminated the grassy plains
which created an entirely new landscape compared to daylight. The lake glistened, reflecting the
luminescence and peacefulness of the dark night.
When they arrived at Jiangsu, the sky was concealed by clouds, some of them as big as the land, as black as a
crow, rumbling inside. In front of them was never-ending rows of mountains. Zhu Bajie thought, a barren
landscape, perfect for a prison. Then he recalled his memory and said, “This is the place where we fought in
the Spring War, we lost 10,000 men in this territory, needing to retreat back to our defence lines to call for
backup. The enemy had a demi-god on their side, a powerful and mischievous, monkey changeling, who
wiped out our entire army in one hit. His name is Emperor Wukong. Some people said that he even tried
to challenge the Buddha to become the ultimate king and ruler of the world. But he was defeated and now
trapped here in a cave, powerless and eager to escape. Isn’t that right Xuanzang?” Xuanzang replied, “Let’s
find out.”
After a few miles of walking, they heard a noise, a whimper calling out for help. It came from the hole in
behind them, they tracked back and looked inside. It was Emperor Wukong, a powerless monkey with
dishevelled hair, he looked up and snickered, “How wonderful that the Buddha has sent me guests!” “Are
you here to make fun of me!” Xuanzang replied, “Emperor, I’m going to make you a deal, you either serve
me to regain your freedom or stay in this prison for another few centuries.” The emperor laughed, unveiling
a cunning smile, “Why don’t you just set me free, I won’t do anything to hurt you, after all, you helped
me.” Xuanzang was not buying it, he was clearly annoyed.
He said, “Well, why can I believe you.”
“If you let me free, I will serve you for free, with no charge at all. It’s a win-win situation.”
“And if I don’t”
“Oh. Once I get out I will tear your family apart, one by one, until you are left, then you will die too!”
Xuanzang was unfazed.