At the age of thirty-eight, Sun Wukong struck the White Bone Demon with his staff.

Only then did Tang Sanzang notice behind Zhu Bajie, a young maiden of about sixteen, and immediately sprang to his feet, pressing his palms together at his chest, saying, “Young lady, this humble monk greets you!”

“Greetings, venerable one,” Bai Jingjing replied, ready to step forward, but as her gaze fell upon the glowing circle beneath Tang Sanzang’s feet, she instantly realized it was Sun Wukong’s spell to subdue demons. She withdrew a few steps and said, “Master, this place is called White Tiger Ridge. The house just west of here is my home. My parents are both devout Buddhists, and if they meet you, they will surely be delighted.”

“Excellent, excellent,” Tang Sanzang replied, bowing his head. “So your whole family are virtuous people. Truly, this is a blessing for my disciples and me.”

Bah, wretched monk, does eating vegetarian and chanting sutras automatically make one good? What about those pot-bellied, meat-eating monks at Shaosen Temple in the great Tang?

This was Bai Jingjing’s thought, but her face remained smiling as she looked at Tang Sanzang. She set the green jar and bottle aside and said, “Master, this is vegetarian food I prepared myself. If you do not mind my humble skills, please come and try it.”

Tang Sanzang wished to move at her words, but remembering Sun Wukong’s warning, he muttered softly, “Excellent, excellent. Thank you for your kindness, but my eldest disciple has gone to pick fruit and will soon return.”

Seeing Tang Sanzang refuse to eat, Bai Jingjing felt displeasure in her heart, though none showed on her face. She pressed on, “Master, before I left home, my parents repeatedly taught me to give charity as fate allows, saying it is karma! Now, having finally encountered several eminent monks, you repeatedly decline. What is the reason?”

“Amitabha,” Tang Sanzang murmured, intent on Sun Wukong’s advice, ignoring whatever Bai Jingjing said.

Zhu Bajie, listening nearby, felt Tang Sanzang was too rigid and grumbled, “Master, you won’t eat this ready meal, but insist on chewing Monkey Brother’s wild peaches—what a loss!”

Unable to bear his hunger any longer, Zhu Bajie wasted not a moment. He knocked over the jar and was about to feast when a sudden slap landed on his head.

“Ow, ow! Monkey Brother, why are you hitting me for no reason?” Zhu Bajie clutched his head and hopped aside, protesting.

Sun Wukong stood with a branch laden with peaches, glaring at Zhu Bajie, then turned to Bai Jingjing and demanded, “Which little demon are you, hiding your identity from your Grandpa Sun?”

“What is the venerable one saying? I cannot understand,” Bai Jingjing was startled and retreated several steps as Sun Wukong returned.

“Wukong, what are you doing?” Tang Sanzang hurried over and pulled Sun Wukong aside.

Sun Wukong knew Tang Sanzang’s mortal eyes could not recognize Bai Jingjing’s true nature and was not worried. He handed the peach branch to Xiong Wufan, then said to Bai Jingjing, “Whatever scheme you’re plotting, you’d best leave before I lose my temper.”

“Wukong, how can you be so rude?” Tang Sanzang scolded. “This young lady has kindly offered us a meal, yet you accuse her of being a demon?”

Sun Wukong laughed and explained, “Master, how could good people live in this desolate wilderness? And look at this little demon—arched brows, spring in her eyes, clearly a woman who has tasted meat, yet now appears as a young maiden.”

Tang Sanzang, a monk, knew nothing of the difference between maidens and matrons, and simply assumed Sun Wukong was speaking nonsense. He pressed his palms together and apologized to Bai Jingjing.

Now Sun Wukong understood the bitterness of Qu Yuan’s lament, “The world is drunk and only I am sober.” Seeing that persuasion was useless, he turned to Zhu Bajie, “Bajie, you understand worldly matters. Take a good look—do you think this demon is a maiden or a matron?”

“Monkey Brother, how should I know?” Zhu Bajie blushed and fidgeted, muttering, “You’re just afraid that if Master tastes her fragrant rice, he’ll ignore the peaches you picked, so you claim she’s a demon.”

“Bajie, are you muddling things again? Have you forgotten the ‘Bodhisattva’s search for a son-in-law’ incident?”

“Hmph…” Zhu Bajie turned away and would not respond.

Sun Wukong sighed and said to Tang Sanzang, “Master, since I escaped from under Five Elements Mountain, have I ever deceived you?”

“Well…” Tang Sanzang hesitated. Remembering past events, his mood softened. “Wukong, I know your abilities, but this young lady appears to be a living girl in every way.”

“Master, she’s possessed another’s body to do her misdeeds! If I strike her with my staff, her soul will flee, leaving only a corpse, and you will blame me!”

“Bah, you monks know no courtesy! I offered you food out of kindness, and if you don’t want it, fine, but why slander me with lies?” Bai Jingjing cursed, then picked up her jar as if to leave. Zhu Bajie quickly rose to stop her, pleading, “Young lady, goddess, please don’t be angry! If they won’t eat, let me have it!”

“Bajie, come and see what’s inside this jar,” Sun Wukong snapped his fingers, breaking Bai Jingjing’s spell of illusion. To his surprise, the jar still held fragrant rice, and the bottle contained noodle soup.

“What is it? What is it?” Zhu Bajie saw clearly: the jar was full of steaming rice, the bottle fragrant noodle soup. He couldn’t help but mock, “Monkey Brother, you’re too petty. You won’t eat, but you won’t let Master eat either!”

“How can this be? She truly is a demon!” Sun Wukong was dumbfounded. This was nothing like the story of striking the White Bone Demon three times!

Yet his fiery eyes saw clearly—this young maiden was definitely a centuries-old demon, deeply cultivated. For some reason, her demonic aura was nearly invisible, her whole body suffused with celestial energy.

“Hey, Monkey Brother, just go chew your peaches!” Zhu Bajie, without ceremony, scooped rice from the golden bowl for Tang Sanzang, shared some with Sha Monk and Xiong Wufan, then hugged the jar and feasted.

“Masters, eat at leisure. If you’re not full, there’s more at home!” Bai Jingjing smiled as she handed out bowls and divided the noodle soup, offering some to Tang Sanzang and the others, then raised her head and looked at Sun Wukong, her eyes full of triumph.

“White Bone Demon, what trick are you playing?” Sun Wukong bit his silver teeth, eyes fixed on Bai Jingjing, his Golden Staff itching to strike her forehead.

But reason prevailed: if he did so, Tang Sanzang would surely turn against him on the spot and drive him away! Though, deep down, being driven away was a tremendous blessing—but being duped by a mere White Bone Demon would tarnish his reputation as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!

“To strike or not to strike, that is the question,” Sun Wukong’s staff trembled, as if locked in a battle between his heavenly and earthly natures:

Strike down the White Bone Demon, justice is served, but he would be expelled from the pilgrimage and regain his freedom—

Don’t strike—

Wait, isn’t striking the White Bone Demon full of benefits? Isn’t freedom exactly what I long for?

So, why hesitate—

“I’ll strike!” Sun Wukong suddenly lifted his Golden Staff and brought it down on Bai Jingjing’s face, startling Tang Sanzang and the others so much that their food dropped to the ground.

As expected, Bai Jingjing was prepared. She used the “Corpse Dissolution Method”; as Sun Wukong’s staff came down, she trembled thrice, her soul fled her body, leaving a false corpse “dead” on the ground…