Chapter 102: Turning Away from the Path to Heaven, Yet Breaking Through the Gate to Hell

He refuses the path to paradise, yet forcefully breaks through the gates of hell. Is this the end of his world?

Zhu Ganglie grew increasingly terrified. "You—you... monkey, be honest. What exactly do you want? You walk your sunny path, I'll take my narrow bridge; we can live without disturbing each other."

"Pah! You truly are a shameless pig demon. Beg me to spare you? Heh heh, not impossible. But first, you must kneel before me, kowtow three times nine, and finally call me Grandmaster Sun. Only then might I be amused enough to let your misdeeds slide."

Hearing this, Zhu Ganglie immediately exploded with rage. "Damn you! Where did you come from, wild monkey? I—I, old pig, am not afraid of you!"

With a clang, the angry pig demon brandished his nine-toothed rake and lunged at Sun Wukong without hesitation.

"Oh? So you really are angry? How entertaining, truly entertaining."

Sun Wukong nimbly dodged and delivered a swift kick to the pig demon’s rear.

"Ow..."

The pig demon was unexpectedly slammed against the wall in a sudden “wall slam,” his pig face contorted from the impact.

Before he could regain his senses, Sun Wukong drew his golden cudgel, pinned the pig demon down, and ruthlessly battered him.

Finally, he slowly began to speak: "Pig demon, you were once a great general in Heaven—Marshal Tianpeng. You broke celestial laws and were cast down to the mortal realm. By some twist of fate, you were reborn as a pig demon. Consider yourself extraordinarily unlucky, and this is your punishment."

"Now, the crimes you committed here in Gao Village, I shall lay them out one by one."

"First, humans and demons walk different paths. You should not have entangled yourself with the Gao family, especially that poor woman named Gao Cuilan. You had no right to forcibly marry her."

"I—I protest! I did not forcibly marry Gao Cuilan. We were mutually in love at the time, and then we..."

"Nonsense! If it weren't for you disguising yourself in human form, how could such a pure, gentle woman choose to marry a pig demon?"

With a sharp thud, Sun Wukong struck the pig demon’s head with his cudgel to bring him back to reality. "That’s the first. Secondly, you pig demon should not have used your status to harm the villagers of Gao Village. You not only stole their food but also injured them. Wounding innocent civilians, you deserve death."

"Uh... wait, they were the ones who rebelled, threatening to kill me, the pig demon. I only hurt them in self-defense and did not use excessive force."

Though a pig, as a demon he insisted on justifying himself.

Another sharp thud! Sun Wukong struck his head again. "Hmph, no matter what, injuring people is wrong. Especially in the past six months, you secretly cast a spell to imprison poor Gao Cuilan in a small attic, cutting off visits from her parents. That is an even graver crime."

"For this, I, Grandmaster Sun, hereby pass judgment on you, pig demon—"

"Please wait!"

Zhu Ganglie struggled hard to rise, but the monkey’s strength was overwhelming. No matter how he tried, he could not break free and eventually gave up, voicing his grievance loudly:

"None of these things were done by my own will. I was once the respected Marshal Tianpeng in Heaven, but one misstep led to my fall from grace... and then, I was reborn as a pig demon. Can you imagine how miserable that is?"

"Who can I complain to about my grievances? Who can I seek justice from? How did the once glorious Marshal Tianpeng end up in such a wretched state? Am I not wronged? Am I not in pain? I..."

"Heh. So, what? You just gave up on yourself? You surrendered to despair?" Sun Wukong sneered.

"Yes, that’s exactly it. To be honest, I must confess—I stayed here because Guanyin Bodhisattva instructed me to. She said a monk named Xuanzang would soon arrive from the Eastern Tang, and I was to serve as his disciple and escort him on his journey to the West."

"Oh? Is that so? Well then, my apologies for beating you up just now. Why didn’t you say so earlier?"

If only he had spoken earlier, he wouldn’t have gotten beaten.

But whether he said it or not, the beating was inevitable.

Earlier, Sun Wukong had learned about all this from Chu Xiaoyu, an immensely powerful celestial master.

A high-ranking general in Heaven, demoted to the mortal realm for breaking celestial rules, and by misfortune, reincarnated as a pig demon. What a tragic fate for Zhu Ganglie.

"You said earlier? If I had said it earlier, I wouldn’t have been beaten?"

The monkey’s shrewd, cunning eyes revealed the truth: whether he said it or not, he’d still get beaten.

Sun Wukong chuckled softly, expressing a mock apology, then pulled the pig demon to his feet.

"I am now escorting that monk from the Eastern Tang on his pilgrimage to the West. So, do you have any other business?"

Zhu Ganglie shook his head, then nodded again.

Sun Wukong immediately frowned. "You’re shaking your head and nodding at the same time. What do you mean?"

"I—I..." The pig demon stammered, "If I become a disciple, will I never have a chance to see Cuilan again?"

"Oh ho, I didn’t expect you to be such a sentimental and charming pig demon. Let me give you some advice: once you become that Tang monk’s disciple, you must become a monk yourself. According to the Buddha’s teachings, monks must renounce the world — all worldly desires and attachments, including love and affection."

"Besides, escorting that Tang monk to the West to retrieve scriptures is a great meritorious deed. You may attain Buddhahood. Then you can do whatever you want, without anyone to restrain you. After enduring hardship comes sweetness."

Sun Wukong’s words were smooth and convincing, stirring the slightest wavering in the pig demon’s heart.

Ha!

So there are such benefits to becoming a Buddha? Why remain a lowly pig demon? Ascending to immortality and Buddhahood sounds wonderful!

The journey to the West begins.

Once successful, ascending to immortality and Buddhahood is only a matter of time.

From then on, whether it’s enjoying luxury or women, those are all mundane concerns. Wouldn’t it be more delightful to flirt with the Seven Fairies?

The pig demon’s heart was deeply stirred, eager to become the disciple of Tang Sanzang at once.