Chapter 18: The Exorcist of Unknown Origin

“Enough, enough! Since you all wish to die, I won’t stop you! Follow me, then!” Gao Cai shook his head, picked up his bundle, took an oil-paper umbrella, and led Tang Sanzang and his disciples into Gao Village, heading straight for the residence of Old Master Gao, calling out as he went, “Old Master, Old Master!”

Inside the main hall, Old Master Gao was chatting idly over tea with a few exorcists. Hearing his servant’s cries, he hurried out, scolding, “You little rascal, didn’t I tell you to fetch some accomplished masters? Why have you come back so soon?”

Gao Cai set down his bundle and umbrella and replied quickly, “Master, as soon as I stepped into the street, I ran into a group of monks. When they heard about the pig demon causing trouble in Gao Village, they insisted on coming to catch it!”

“To catch the demon?” Old Master Gao was half-believing, half-doubting. “Where are they from?”

“They said they are monks from Great Tang in the East, traveling west to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. They just happened to pass through Gao Village,” Gao Cai answered.

Old Master Gao pondered this for a moment and said, “If they are monks from Great Tang, perhaps they are capable. Quick, where are they now?”

“They’re resting in the side hall behind me,” Gao Cai pointed to the southern wing.

“Good, come with me, let’s meet them at once!” Old Master Gao called Gao Cai and rushed to the side hall, calling out, “Venerable, venerable!”

Hearing the call, Tang Sanzang came out and saw an elderly man, his head wrapped in a black silk scarf, dressed in emerald-white Sichuan brocade, wearing rough leather boots, a black-green sash at his waist, his face wreathed in smiles, hands clasped in greeting. “Greetings, venerable masters, this old man pays his respects!”

“Amitabha!” Tang Sanzang returned the bow and called Hu Rong and Wu Fan to come out and greet Old Master Gao.

“Ah! A demon!” Old Master Gao was startled at the sight of Hu Rong, and seeing Wu Fan, he thought it was a black bear spirit come to devour them!

“Benefactor Gao, do not fear! They are my disciples—” Tang Sanzang had barely spoken when a robust man with a Hebei accent shouted, “Where’s the demon? Let me take it on!”

“Hmph! You brazen demon, prepare to die beneath my Heavenly Crippled Leg!” An elderly man, white-haired and bearded, leaning on a cane, came out of the hall, his tone gruff.

“You two odd creatures, aren’t you afraid people will mistake you for demons first?” The last was a young gentleman seated on a bamboo litter, carried by four old women.

“Hey! Sir Emptiness, it’s just a few steps—can’t you walk by yourself?” The Hebei man looked up and asked.

“Ahem, how could an ordinary mortal understand the loneliness of a master?” replied Sir Emptiness, coughing lightly and signaling his maids to stop scattering flower petals. “Besides, if I walked like you mortals, how would I differ from the likes of you?”

“Hmph! They say your Emptiness Sword is unrivaled in the world, no longer a mortal’s sword. I, Heavenly Crippled Leg, have long heard your name and wish to compete and see who is the greatest exorcist!” grumbled the old man.

“Forget it! No need to compete! If you want the title of ‘the greatest,’ take it! I, Sir Emptiness, care nothing for such things!” Sir Emptiness waved his feather fan with indifference.

“Sir Emptiness, such bold words! Even I would like to challenge you!” said the robust Hebei man.

“All right, gentlemen!” Seeing the three eccentric exorcists quarrel, Old Master Gao hurried over, trying to stop them. “The pig demon hasn’t even appeared yet—why are you fighting amongst yourselves?”

“Ahem, blame these two ugly fellows, shouting ‘the demon is here’ for no reason—wait, there really is a demon! Young monk, step aside quickly!” Sir Emptiness, startled by Hu Rong and Wu Fan, urged Tang Sanzang to move away, then took out a square ancient bronze sword case.

Just as he was about to open the case, the robust man rushed ahead, darting before Hu Rong and declaring, “This monkey is mine! No one else touch it!” He stepped forward with his right leg, bent his left, stretched out both arms in a tiger stance, and growled, “Five Forms Demon-Subduing Art: Tiger!”

Hu Rong watched the human’s ridiculous antics with cold indifference, saying nothing, letting the robust man’s fists, each as big as a sandbag, rain upon him without moving an inch.

“Yah! Yah! Yah!” Each punch landed on Hu Rong like striking diamond; the man’s hands ached, but the monkey didn’t budge, utterly unharmed.

“Five Forms Demon-Subduing Art: Dragon!” Seeing he couldn’t break through, the man switched forms, lunging at Hu Rong like a fierce dragon.

“Out of my way! Of all things to become, you turn into a mud eel!” Hu Rong slapped him, sending the robust man flying dozens of meters, crashing into a stone wall and fainting.

“A mere monkey demon, yet so fierce! In that case, I’ll have you die beneath my Heavenly Crippled Leg!” The old man leaned on his cane, casting a spell to enlarge his crippled leg.

“Enough, you lot! Stop messing about! I am Sun Wukong! Have you heard my name?”

Hu Rong pulled out the golden staff from behind his ear and pressed it against the old man’s Heavenly Crippled Leg. Thirteen thousand five hundred pounds of weight rendered him immobile.

“What?! You—you are the legendary Demon King of Flower Fruit Mountain, Sun Wukong?!” Sir Emptiness opened his sword case, ready to wield his sword, but upon hearing Hu Rong’s words, he froze in shock.

“That’s me!”

“But weren’t you suppressed by the ancient god Yu under Turtle Mountain in Huaiyin with the Nine Cauldrons? How did you escape?”

“That was the great demon Wuzhiqi, the legendary red-buttocked horse monkey—nothing to do with me!” Hu Rong was annoyed; after only five hundred years, the world had forgotten Sun Wukong’s havoc in Heaven?

“Is it unrelated?” Sir Emptiness looked Hu Rong up and down, then mused, “I also heard that in the primordial era, a white ape was trapped by Lady Nuwa with the Map of Rivers and Mountains. What was his name?”

“Yuan Hong! The legendary long-armed ape—again, nothing to do with me!” Hu Rong finished, suddenly remembered something, and hurried over to grab Sir Emptiness, demanding, “How do you know all this?”

“Because I just say whatever comes to mind, Great Sage!” Though Hu Rong held him fast, Sir Emptiness was unfazed, a wicked smile on his lips. “If you have any conscience left, remember—never kill your second brother!”

“What? Second brother? You mean the Sea-covering Sage, the Jiao Demon King?” Hu Rong wasn’t clear about the changes in this Journey to the West world, but he was certain they all revolved around this strange Sir Emptiness.

“Heh… Is he even worthy? But enough, I’ve said all I can. Take care, Great Sage!” Sir Emptiness called to Heavenly Crippled Leg and the robust man, “Fifth, Seventh, let’s go!” With a sweep of his sleeve, he turned into a streak of golden light, shooting into the night sky.

Heavenly Crippled Leg and the robust man likewise transformed into streams of light, flying into the endless stars.

“Hey, where are you going!” Hu Rong sensed trouble, hurriedly flinging his Invincible Brick at the two streaks of light, but for the first time, his trusty weapon missed its mark!

Shocked, Hu Rong recalled the Invincible Brick, golden light flashing from his eyes as he scanned the night sky, hoping to trace the aura left by Sir Emptiness, but found nothing.

Clearly, their ability to conceal themselves surpassed even Hu Rong’s Fiery Eyes, and from Sir Emptiness’s earlier display, his magical power was greater still.