Chapter 83: A Child’s Interrogation
Everyone looked up at the sky, and Zhu Bajie was the first to recognize the person.
Zhu Bajie said, “Mao Ri Xingjun, what are you doing here?”
Mao Ri Xingjun descended to the ground, and the Yellow Robe Monster under Wukong’s feet repeatedly begged for help, “You’ve come, brother! Quickly save me!”
Sun Wukong pressed down with his foot, causing the ground to crack: “How does he call you brother?”
Mao Ri Xingjun said with a smile, “Great Sage, you don’t know, this Yellow Robe Monster is not a demon, but Kuimu Lang Xingjun of the Western Seven Mansions.
Thirteen days ago, he descended to the mortal realm without permission and became a demon here.”
Speaking, Mao Ri Xingjun glared at the Yellow Robe Monster, “The White Tiger Emperor has ordered that you descended to the mortal realm without permission, and you are punished to go back to Laozi’s alchemy furnace to stoke the fire for three months.”
Then, Mao Ri Xingjun smiled apologetically at Sun Wukong again, “Great Sage, how about we let this matter go? Please give this little brother some face, so that I can also report back to the Emperor.”
Sun Wukong’s eyes turned cold. This wasn’t about giving him face; it was clearly about making him give face to the White Tiger Emperor.
If it were just Mao Ri Xingjun asking for leniency, Sun Wukong might have ignored him. Even though he was a divine general, he wasn’t enough for Sun Wukong to give face to.
But the White Tiger Emperor was different. He was the leader of the Western Constellations, and all the White Tiger Emperors throughout history came from the White Tiger Clan, a very powerful clan among the divine beasts.
He had to give face to this White Tiger Emperor.
But… Sun Wukong said, “You think I’ll give you face just because you ask?
Kuimu Lang descended to the mortal realm this time and doesn’t know how many people he has eaten. He also imprisoned Bai Hua Xiu for a full thirteen years. How can I just let him go like this?”
Mao Ri Xingjun said, “Great Sage, you misunderstand. My brother did eat a few people, but according to the rules of the Heavenly Realm, a demon who eats more than ten people is a demon, and it is not tolerated by heaven.
But my elder brother only ate nine people, so the Emperor only punished him to go stoke the alchemy furnace.”
Sun Wukong said, “This Yellow Robe Monster has a habit of eating people. In thirteen years, he wouldn’t have eaten only nine people. He must have eaten at least several hundred.”
Zhu Bajie said, “We can check the Yellow Register in the Underworld.”
Mao Ri Xingjun said, “There are only nine on the Yellow Register of the Underworld. You’ll know when you check.”
Just as Bajie was about to continue arguing, Sun Wukong stopped him, “Forget it, Bajie. Since he dares to say that, it proves that he has already tampered with things. We won’t find anything even if we check.”
Sun Wukong looked at Mao Ri Xingjun again, “Then how do you explain his abduction of a civilian girl?
That Princess Bai Hua Xiu was not only forced to be his wife but was also imprisoned by him for a full thirteen years.”
Mao Ri Xingjun said, “This is an even bigger misunderstanding. That Princess Bai Hua Xiu is not an ordinary person. She is a maid of the Pi Xiang Palace in the Heavenly Realm. My elder brother was in love with her in the Heavenly Realm.
This time, my elder brother descended to the mortal realm to pursue her.”
Sun Wukong performed a divination, and indeed, that Princess Bai Hua Xiu was not a mortal. Her soul was also from the Heavenly Realm.
“Sigh…”
Sun Wukong sighed. Now that things had come to this, there was nothing he could do. He took his foot off the Yellow Robe Monster’s head.
“Thank you, Great Sage, for sparing my life. Thank you, Great Sage, for sparing my life.” The Yellow Robe Monster thanked him repeatedly.
Mao Ri Xingjun said, “Elder brother, are you alright?”
The Yellow Robe Monster said, “I’m fine. If you hadn’t arrived in time, my life would have been lost here.”
Mao Ri Xingjun said, “I have the White Tiger Emperor’s warrant. I can take your sister-in-law back to the Heavenly Realm. Let’s bring your sister-in-law and your two nephews, and we’ll return to the Heavenly Realm together.”
“Okay, let’s bring your sister-in-law and two nephews, and I’ll return to the Heavenly Realm with you.”
The Yellow Robe Monster was overjoyed and was about to go and fetch Bai Hua Xiu and his two children.
But at this moment, a child in white clothes, riding a yellow ox, slowly approached from a distance.
Besides the child, a woman was also sitting on the ox’s back. It was Bai Hua Xiu.
The Yellow Robe Monster was immediately delighted, “My wife, so you were here! Come quickly and ascend to the heavens with me.”
Bai Ze jumped off the ox’s back and said, “Is there any justice in this world?
Let’s not talk about how you deliberately erased the documents and claimed you only ate nine people. Even if that were true, aren’t nine people still too many?
These nine people also had families and loved ones. Why should they be eaten by you for no reason?
Even petty thieves in this world have to go to the yamen. Just because you are a celestial being, you only get three months of hard labor for eating nine people?
Oh, right, those three months of hard labor are because you were derelict of duty.
In other words, you didn’t receive any punishment for eating nine people.
I ask, is there any justice within these Three Realms?”
Bai Ze’s voice was resounding, echoing in the empty hall.
Bajie, Wukong, and Wujing all lowered their heads in shame. They knew that this Yellow Robe Monster was guilty and should be killed, but the White Tiger Emperor had sent someone. Could they offend the White Tiger Emperor for the sake of nine people who were already dead?
Mao Ri Xingjun and the Yellow Robe Monster were dismissive of Bai Ze’s words.
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Mao Ri Xingjun said, “Where did this little brat come from? The Three Realms have their own order. Immortals, Buddhas, demons, and humans are clearly distinguished by their status. Ordinary humans are like ants. What does it matter if my elder brother eats a few? What right do you, a little brat, have to interfere?”
Bai Ze said, “His eating people is unforgivable, but as you said, I can’t interfere with that.
But he cannot take Bai Hua Xiu to the heavens. I am determined to interfere with this.”
Zhu Bajie came over to persuade, “Little brother, we understand your sense of injustice, but it’s a matter between a couple. Shouldn’t we just stay out of it?”
Bai Ze glanced at Bajie and surveyed the crowd. “What do you mean it’s a matter between a couple?
I ask, did they get Bai Hua Xiu’s permission to take her to the heavens?
It’s as if this matter has nothing to do with Bai Hua Xiu. You say you’ll grab her, lock her in a cave to be your wife, and then keep her locked up for thirteen years as your wife.
You say she has to give birth to your children, and she has to give birth to your children.
You say you’ll take her to the heavens, and you’ll take her to the heavens. Did you ask her what she wanted?”
Mao Ri Xingjun said, “That’s a joke. Ascending to the heavens is such a great fortune!
How many people in this world seek this fortune but cannot obtain it? Letting your sister-in-law ascend to the heavens is for her own good.
How many women usually seek this heavenly fortune but cannot find it?”
Bai Ze said, “No matter how great the fortune, it must be something the woman herself wants.
Some women crave this heavenly fortune, but some women do not.
Have you asked Bai Hua Xiu what she thinks?”
Zhu Bajie said, “That’s right, have you asked Bai Hua Xiu what she thinks?”
Wukong asked Bai Hua Xiu, “Sister, we are determined to interfere with this. Do you want to go to the heavens with them?”
It was not good to offend the White Tiger Emperor, but the pilgrimage group would still protect a weak woman.
Bai Hua Xiu said, “I think about escaping from this demon every day. How could I throw myself into a trap and go to the heavens with him?
I only wish to never see him again.”
The Yellow Robe Monster said, “That’s not up to you. You are my woman. You have to do as I say.”
Mao Ri Xingjun said, “As the saying goes, ‘It’s better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage.’ Why are you, a little brat with a tender face, breaking up a marriage?”
Bai Ze said, “That’s a joke. There was never a marriage. That demon harassed Bai Hua Xiu in the Heavenly Realm, even forcing her to abandon her celestial status and flee to the mortal realm.
And now, you’ve pursued her to the mortal realm, forced her to be your wife, and forced her to bear your children.
For thirteen years, she lived each day like a year.
And now, it’s good, you’re going back to the Heavenly Realm, and you still want to take her back with you?
Is this life of being your slave going to never end?”
The Yellow Robe Monster said, “How do you know I was harassing her in the Heavenly Realm? We were clearly in love. She accidentally fell into the mortal realm, and I secretly descended to pursue her. It was true love.”
Bai Ze said, “If it were truly as you said, and Bai Hua Xiu was in love with you in the Heavenly Realm, why does she have no affection for you now?
You are all immortals, so you should understand this principle. Even if a person is reincarnated and forgets all their memories, the karmic pull is still there.
If a person liked someone very much in their previous life, even if they don’t like them in this life, they definitely wouldn’t hate them. They would feel very close to them.
This is caused by the seeds of the previous life that are preserved in the Alaya consciousness.
But this Bai Hua Xiu has never had any affection for you. On the contrary, she extremely dislikes you.
If it were truly as you said, and you two were in love in the Heavenly Realm, how could this kind of phenomenon occur?
From the state that Bai Hua Xiu has shown, it can be inferred that she hated you very much in the Heavenly Realm.
But you are a general of the Western Constellations, and she, a mere maid, was helpless against you. She even sacrificed her celestial status to become an ordinary mortal, all to avoid you.
But unexpectedly, you also came to the mortal realm and turned into a demon to kidnap her.
Bai Hua Xiu really couldn’t escape your clutches!
And now, you still want to control her and take her back to the Heavenly Realm to continue being your slave?”
