The monkey beat us up and left grumbling.

Originally, the monkey felt that we had insulted his intelligence and intended to vanquish demons.

However, Tang Sanzang stepped in to stop him and wanted to hear about our past.

As a result, Tang Sanzang came to know that there were such miserable monsters in the world.

Every day, they couldn't eat enough and were constantly beaten by the old monk. Their only life goal was to die at the hands of strong farmers.

Even the thought of finding a job, working nine to six, and waiting for the boss to exploit them, or kneeling and scrubbing the washboard for their wives at home, was beyond their reach.

In the renditions of the poignant and tearful song by Benbo'erba and the enchanting Demon King, it was truly heart-wrenching for those who heard it and brought tears to the eyes of those who saw it.

Before leaving, Tang Sanzang even gave us a few extra steamed buns, asking us to keep them as tomorrow's food.

This was the only monk who didn't hit Benbo'erba, and he was so moved that he even spoke in the local dialect:

"You're a really good person."

We happily returned to our shack on Mount Dongdong, but upon further thought, Guanyin Bodhisattva's task had not been fulfilled.

Nevertheless, the antagonistic feeling towards Tang Sanzang and his disciples had truly disappeared.

At least, until the next day's meal, Benbo'erba still muttered:

"Tang Sanzang is a really good person."

Helpless, we could only go to the old monk in the temple for help.

The old monk sat in the courtyard, silently watching us without saying a word.

Before long, a little chicken in the temple walked over, and the old monk tied its foot with a piece of string.

The old monk repeatedly tugged the chicken, which was about to leave, a total of eight times.

Finally, the old monk let go, and the chicken left the courtyard where we were.

Benbo'erba scratched his head and said:

"Master, are you trying to tell us that as long as we persist and never give up, we will definitely succeed?"

The old monk shook his head, and Benbo'erba said:

"Then, is the master trying to tell us that in life, there will always be hardships, but those who cannot defeat us will eventually make us stronger?"

The old monk shook his head again, and suddenly I understood:

"The master means that in life, we should go with the flow, and all the hardships are part of life. We should face them with strength."

The old monk sighed and quietly uttered four words:

"Pull the chicken eight times!"

Benbo'erba got so angry that he cursed and then grabbed a frying pan from somewhere and held it in front of his face.

This time, the master didn't use the Great Binding Technique. Instead, he used the Monkey Steals the Peach move and launched a fierce attack on Benbo'erba.

Unfortunately, the all-knowing master still made a mistake; catfish don't have peaches.

Benbo'erba laughed recklessly, even dropping the frying pan. The master took advantage of the situation and delivered two more Great Binding Techniques.

At that moment, I finally understood:

"Master, thank you for your teachings."

As I left with my two brothers, the master had a perplexed expression on his face.

I was moved. The master was such a person who hid his true abilities and helped others, yet he behaved as if he hadn't helped at all.

Back in our cave on Mount Dongdong, I devised the plan the master gave us: "Create a diversion in the east while attacking in the west."

I drew a signpost with the words:

"Treasure is here!"

As long as Tang Sanzang and his disciples went to find the treasure, we could dig a big trap and trap them inside.

Then we could hit them with clubs, throw sand, spit on them, and gouge out their eyes.

We were overjoyed, dancing with excitement for this great plan.

The next day, we started putting up signposts all over Mount Dongdong. The whole mountain wasfilled with signs pointing to the nonexistent treasure.

Tang Sanzang and his disciples, being naive and gullible, fell right into our trap. They followed the signs, eagerly searching for the treasure.

Meanwhile, we prepared the pitfall, digging a deep hole covered with branches and leaves to conceal it.

As Tang Sanzang and his disciples approached the designated spot, they were completely oblivious to the impending danger.

Just as they reached the spot marked with the signpost, the ground beneath them gave way, and they fell into the pitfall.

With a triumphant cheer, we emerged from our hiding places, armed with clubs, sand, and spit.

However, as we looked down into the pit, our excitement turned to confusion.

Instead of finding Tang Sanzang and his disciples, we discovered a group of ferocious-looking monsters staring back at us.

It turned out that Tang Sanzang had used his magical powers to disguise himself and his disciples as monsters, anticipating our trap.

Before we could react, Tang Sanzang and his disciples leaped out of the pit, unleashing their powerful martial arts skills.

We were completely outmatched and overwhelmed by their abilities. Within moments, we were defeated and lying on the ground, bruised and battered.

Tang Sanzang stood over us, his expression stern yet compassionate.

"Violence is not the solution," he said. "We are on a journey to seek enlightenment and cultivate compassion. I urge you to abandon your wicked ways and choose a path of virtue."

His words struck a chord within us. We realized the futility of our actions and the emptiness of our pursuit of material gain.

In that moment of defeat, we made a vow to change our lives and seek a more meaningful existence.

Tang Sanzang offered us his forgiveness and extended a hand of friendship. He saw the potential for goodness in all beings, even those who had caused harm.

From that day forward, we became disciples of Tang Sanzang, accompanying him on his journey to collect scriptures and learn the ways of righteousness.

We embarked on a new path, leaving behind our former lives as bandits and monsters.

Under the guidance of Tang Sanzang, we learned to cultivate compassion, wisdom, and selflessness.

Our encounters with various demons and challenges along the way tested our resolve, but we remained steadfast in our commitment to the path of enlightenment.

Together with Tang Sanzang and his disciples, we faced numerous trials and tribulations, growing spiritually and gaining insights into the true nature of existence.

Our journey continues, with the hope that one day we may attain true enlightenment and contribute to the well-being of all sentient beings.