“ We didn ’ t come because we thought it was going to be a smooth journey , Great Master ,” said Wukong pensively . Xuan Zang nodded at them . “ The boat will drive itself towards our destination . Sleep well tonight , my friends . Who knows when we ’ ll get another chance ,” advised the Great Master .
Later that night , as they made their way further west , the water began to darken , to the point where it was no longer blue , but pitch black , and only the sloshing of water against the hull could be heard . Sensing something was not quite right , Wukong got up , nudged Zhu and Sha and whispered something to them . The trio made their way to the deck , taking out their weapons on their way .
Not too soon , a large crash rocked the boat , knocking the trio off their feet . Water splashed onto the deck and the sound of wet footsteps followed . Wukong leapt to his feet , with his fiery eyes providing the only source of illumination , his golden armour shining in the dark . Scanning the deck , Zhu held his nine-tooth iron-rake close to him and jumped to the quarterdeck with the help of a few puffs of clouds , in an attempt to get a better view of the invaders . Sha stood ready with his crescent-moon shovel , prepared for combat .
The splashing sounds continued rhythmically , increasing in volume . Suddenly , a gush of water swept Zhu off his feet , and the demon appeared . Hearing the thud of Zhu ’ s fall , Wukong turned just in time for a full face of sea water , temporarily disorientating him . With Sha the last one standing , the sea demon targeted its next attack at him , but Sha used his Monk ’ s spade to block the water and threw it back at the demon , who dodged it . With all of its attention focused on Sha , Zhu came up from behind , hit the demon on the head and kicked it back into the river depth where it came from .
Suddenly , the door to the cabin opened . The trio , expecting more demons , all turned their heads , with weapons at the ready . To their surprise , Xuan Zang stepped out and said , “ Could you all please stop making a racket ? I ’ m trying to get a good night ’ s sleep before we face monsters tomorrow .” With a chuckle , the trio left the deck . They all quickly fell asleep while the magical boat sailed deeper and deeper into the dangerous territory .
**********
“ Our journey on the river has come to an end ,” said the Great Master , “ and from here on , we travel by horse .” “ Well , the river still carries on for quite a while ,” noted Wukong . But Sha quickly explained , “ We can ’ t travel through the river because we ’ ve reached No-Man ’ s Land . The boat will be sucked under by the current as soon as we round the corner , not to mention the river strainer demons !”
The group then made their way through the forest . The misty woods and the tall Cypress trees made it feel almost like a fairy tale . “ A lot has changed since the last time we passed through these woods ,” exclaimed Zhu . “ That ’ s because we ’ re taking a different path this time ,” explained Xuan Zang . “ I calculated the geographical distance , and this is the fastest route with the least danger . Feel the tranquillity , my friends .”
“ Least danger , you said ?” asked Wukong , who now slowed his footsteps and looked up into the trees . “ Yes , why ?” asked the Great Master , with his head buried in the map . “ Because of that !” Sha directed their attention to the trees .
Wukong took his needle-sized weapon out from behind his ear and expanded it to full size , ready for the fight . Zhu looked up , hoping to catch a glimpse of the demon , but before he could get a good look , the forest demon wrapped his legs in thick vines , immobilizing him . Sha tried to catch it off-guard by coming up from behind , but the demon jumped onto the branches before his crescent-moon shovel could touch it .
Guarding Xuan Zang against the demon , Wukong and Sha , however , lost sight of it . Just when they were scanning the surrounding , a piercing whistle sounded , and green arrows rained from the branches above . Wukong used his staff , spinning it around to block the arrows from hitting his friends . Three small forest demons materialized from the soil beneath them , swinging swords and axes . Zhu summoned a cloud to take care of the archers in the treetops and swung his magic iron-rake flicking soil into the air , disorienting his attackers and kicking them backward with his hooves .