Up on Lingshan Mountain, life was always a party. Flowers bloomed year-round. Fruit ripened in every season. Divine beasts and birds took turns putting on dazzling shows. It was pure bliss—just another day in paradise.

One day, Tathagata Buddha called his disciples together and said, “Ever since I handled that Monkey King situation, peace has returned to Heaven and Earth. It’s been 500 years already. How time flies! Since it’s the Hungry Ghost Festival, why not throw a little Ullambana bash?”

So he ordered Ananda and Kasyapa to hand out magical fruit and celestial flowers from golden platters. As everyone munched and sipped, they composed poetry to show their thanks. The vibe? Top-tier heavenly banquet.

Once the feast wound down, Tathagata Buddha cleared his throat and began, “Let’s talk continents. In the East, folks are simple and honest. The Northern lands? Bit aggressive, but hey, that place is rough. The Western region? Obsessed with wellness. Everyone’s into longevity and weird teas. But the South…”

He paused.

“The Southern Continent. Full of greed, anger, and chaos. People there are… complicated.”

He went on, “I’ve got these sacred scriptures—three baskets of truth. They teach people how to live right, be kind, and even attain enlightenment.”

The Bodhisattvas leaned in, curious. “What exactly do these scriptures say?” someone asked.

“The first teaches cosmic law,” Tathagata Buddha replied. “The second covers the natural world. The third? Guides souls through death. Altogether: 35 books, over 15,000 volumes. Pure truth. But here’s the problem. People in the South are too lost. We need someone capable to find a devout mortal, one who’ll cross mountains and rivers to seek the truth. Only that kind of journey earns true merit.”

The room fell silent.

Then Guanyin stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, “I’ll go.”

Heads turned. She was serene, dignified, radiant. The great Compassionate One of Mount Potalaka, the savior of the suffering, and the protector from all disasters.

Tathagata Buddha smiled. “This job was made for you.”

“What are your instructions?” she asked.

“You’ll have to travel on foot. No shortcuts, no flying. Walk the land, feel its hardships, memorize the path. That way, you’ll know exactly what the scripture-seeker must endure. I’m sending you with five treasures.”

Ananda and Kasyapa brought out a shimmering brocade robe and a nine ring tin staff.

“Give these to the pilgrim,” Tathagata Buddha said. “The robe protects against rebirth and the tin staff wards off demons.”

Guanyin accepted them. Then Tathagata Buddha revealed three glowing golden hoops.

“These are tighten hoops,” he said. “They all look the same but have different spells. If you meet a troublesome creature who won’t behave, try talking first. If that fails, put a band on their head and chant the spell. It’ll hurt so bad, even their mother won’t recognize them. They’ll fall in line real quick.”

Guanyin nodded, bowed again, and set off with her disciple Hui’an—a muscular guardian deity armed with a hefty iron bar.

They walked east until they reached a monstrous river: Flowing Sand River. Eight hundred miles wide, bottomless, with waves like mountains and wind sharp enough to skin a yak. Even birds avoided it. Total wasteland.

As they stared at the churning water, something exploded from the surface—splash!

A demon.

Ugly as sin. Greenish-black skin, barefoot, blood-red hair flying, glowing furnace eyes, thunder-voice, razor fangs—and wielding a massive magic staff. He charged straight at Guanyin.

Hui’an stepped up and swung his iron bar. “Hold it right there, beast!” he roared, and the two clashed like titans.

Metal smashed, water roared, clouds spun. Thirty rounds later, still no winner.

Finally, the demon barked, “Who are you people?!”

Hui’an shouted back, “I’m the second son of Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing. I serve Bodhisattva Guanyin, on a mission to find someone worthy of getting the scriptures. Who the hell are you?”

The demon squinted. “Wait… aren’t you that guardian from the Violet Bamboo Grove?”

“Yep. That’s my master,” Hui’an pointed at Guanyin.

The demon dropped his weapon and bowed fast. “Oh no, sorry! Total misunderstanding. I’m not actually a demon. I used to be the Curtain-Lifting General in Heaven. But I smashed a crystal goblet by accident and got whacked with 800 lashes. Jade Emperor booted me down here. Now I’m cursed. Every seven days a hundred flying swords stab me. I couldn’t take it anymore… so yeah, I started eating people.”

“Not proud of it,” he added. “But it’s freezing and I’m starving. Every time a pilgrim came by, I’d eat them. Their skulls float, so I strung nine together into a little necklace. Just something to do…”

Guanyin listened, then said, “You broke a cup and paid the price. That’s your karma. But eating people? That’s crossing a line. Still, I’m here on Tathagat Buddha’s orders. If you’re willing to repent, I’ll spare you. Serve the pilgrim as his disciple, walk the path west, and I’ll stop the swords from stabbing you. You may even earn your place back in Heaven.”

The demon didn’t hesitate. “Deal! I’m done eating folks!”

He sheepishly added, “The skulls… I still have nine. I wear them. For, um, sentimental reasons.”

Guanyin chuckled. “No worries. Keep them. They’ll come in handy.”

She blessed him, gave him a new name, Sha Wujing or Monk Sha, and left him by the river to wait for the pilgrim.

Then she and Hui’an continued east. Not long after, they came to a mountain cloaked in rolling black clouds. The air was thick with evil, the path impassable.

They were about to take flight when—WHOOSH!—a beastly warrior burst from the mist.

This one was next-level terrifying: mouth like a rotted lotus pod, ears the size of fans, eyes glowing gold, steel fangs, breath like fire. He wore a golden helmet, shining armor, and carried a massive rake with nine iron spikes. A bow hung from his hip, and every step screamed Boss Battle.

The moment the creature spotted Guanyin, he didn’t ask questions—just roared and came charging with his spiked rake swinging.

Hui’an leapt forward to block the blow. “How dare you, monster!”

The beast snarled back, “Outta my way, baldy! You’re asking for a beating!”

And just like that, it was on.

Iron rod clashed against nine-toothed rake. The earth shook. The rocks flew. The clouds scattered. These weren’t amateurs. One was the son of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, the other a disgraced heavenly marshal. Gods in exile, powers unchained. The fight was explosive and evenly matched.

But just as the storm hit its peak, a lotus flower floated down from the sky, landing squarely between their weapons. Both froze. The monster blinked. “You sneaky monk, what trick is this?!”

Hui’an calmly pointed. “That’s my master’s lotus. I serve Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy.”

The monster’s rage drained away in an instant. He dropped his weapon and dropped to his knees, forehead to the dirt.

Guanyin descended gently on a cloud, serene as ever. “You’ve got nerve,” she said. “Attacking travelers and blocking my path. Who are you?”

The monster looked up with a piggish snout and shame in his eyes. “I was once Marshal Tianpeng of the Heavenly River. But one night I had a bit too much wine and… flirted with Chang’e. Big mistake. Jade Emperor beat me bloody and banished me to Earth. Worse yet, I reincarnated as a pig! Life got hard, so I started robbing and eating people. I know it’s wrong, but fate brought me here, and now I beg your mercy.”

Guanyin asked, “Where are we now?”

“This is Mount Fuling. I live in the Yunzhan Cave. It used to belong to a she-demon named Sister Egg. I drove her out and took over. Yes… I’ve eaten my share of people. I deserve punishment.”

Guanyin sighed. “You broke Heaven’s law, then you broke Earth’s. That’s double the sin.”

The pig-demon pouted. “Look, I tried to be a good pig! But if the law starves me and the Dharma beats me… what else am I supposed to do? Eating people was easier.”

Guanyin looked at him kindly. “If you’re truly willing to change, stop eating meat and quit harming others. Then when I find the scripture seeker, you can join him as a disciple. Follow him west to fetch the scriptures. Atone for your sins. Earn redemption.”

His face lit up. “Yes! Absolutely! I’ll do anything you say!”

So she gave him a monastic name, Zhu Wuneng. She blessed him and told him to go vegetarian from now on, and wait patiently for the chosen pilgrim to arrive.

Guanyin and Hui’an continued east. Before long, they heard weeping—mournful and high above. Looking up, they saw a white dragon tied up in the clouds, dangling like a roast duck, crying for help.

Guanyin called up, “What’s your story?”

The dragon sobbed, “I’m the son of the Dragon King of West Sea. I accidentally set fire to the palace treasure room. Jade Emperor whipped me 300 times and sentenced me to death! Please, save me!”

Without hesitation, Guanyin took Hui’an and soared up to Heaven to petition Jade Emperor himself.

“May I take the dragon with me?” she asked. “He can atone by guarding the scripture seeker on the journey west.”

Jade Emperor agreed and pardoned the dragon. Guanyin brought him back down and hid him in a mountain stream. “When the pilgrim comes,” she said, “transform into a white horse and carry him all the way to the West.”

The pair resumed their journey. Soon, golden light shimmered ahead, swirling with auspicious clouds. Hui’an pointed. “Master, that’s the Five Elements Mountain. See the talisman? That’s Tathagat Buddha’s seal.”

Guanyin nodded. “Yes. And trapped beneath it is the infamous Great Sage the Equal of Heaven—Sun Wukong.”

They climbed the mountain and found a giant boulder pinned at the top. A tablet nearby read: Om Mani Padme Hum. Guanyin gazed at the inscription and softly sighed, a poem on her lips—a tribute to the fallen hero, once a comet in the sky, now buried beneath stone.

As soon as she finished, a booming voice echoed from below.

“HEY! Who’s up there reading my embarrassing backstory?!”

Down they went. The local mountain god and earth deity were already waiting, ready to lead her to the prisoner.

There he was—Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Pinned beneath the mountain, arms and legs trapped, but his fiery eyes still blazed.

Guanyin stepped close. “Wukong, do you remember me?”

His eyes lit up. “Of course I do! You’re Guanyin Bodhisattva from the South Sea! I’ve been stuck here for over 500 years. Finally someone shows up! Please, you’ve got to help me. Where’ve you been?”

“I’m on a mission from Tathagata Buddha,” she said. “Looking for a mortal to travel west and fetch the scriptures. I passed by and thought I’d check on you.”

The Monkey King groaned. “Tathagat Buddha tricked me! Said I’d be immortal—then boom, crushed under a mountain. Please, Bodhisattva, show me mercy. Let me out!”

Guanyin frowned. “You caused chaos in Heaven. If I release you, will you just go wild again?”

“No! I swear I’ve changed! I’ll be good. Let me prove it. Let me start over!”

Guanyin studied him and saw true regret. “Very well. When the seeker arrives, you’ll follow him west. Serve him, protect him, obey him. Redeem yourself.”

The Monkey King’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll do it! I will! I swear it!”

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Sun Wukong,” he said proudly.

She smiled. “A good name. I’ve already taken in two disciples for the journey—Wujing and Wuneng. You’ll be the third. All of you share the character ‘Wu’—Awakening. A perfect trio.”

And with that, she and Hui’an carried on.

Days later, they arrived outside Chang’an, capital of the Tang Dynasty. Disguising themselves as ragged, traveling monks—bald, dusty, and humble—they entered the city at dusk.

They found a small shrine by the market, dedicated to the Earth God, and settled in for the night.

The local deity peeked out, recognized Guanyin, and nearly tripped over himself rushing to greet her. Soon the City God, the Land Spirit, and half the divine neighborhood showed up, bowing and begging for guidance.

Guanyin waved them off. “No ceremony. I’m only here on Tathagata Buddha’s orders, looking for the one fated to retrieve the scriptures. I’ll stay here a few days. When the time comes, I’ll leave.”

The gods bowed and withdrew. Guanyin and Hui’an suppressed their divine forms, took on mortal appearances, and quietly waited in the little shrine—for destiny to walk through the door.

End of this chapter. Thank you for reading!

This is just the serialized version of Journey to the West (modern retelling). If you want to read the full book faster, check out the complete, easy-to-read English and Chinese (Simplified & Traditional) version on Amazon.

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