Chapter Text
“Why are there so many damn mountains?” Sun Wukong mutters under his breath as they stare at the three big mountains RIGHT in their way. “Ughhh, I miss my bed and wine,” Bajie screamed. Ao Lie stomps and huffs, getting his annoyance across. “Maybe there's a village nearby that we can stay at for now,” Tripitaka suggested, hopefully raising his eyebrows.
“Let’s keep going, maybe master’s right.” Wujing stated, “ Besides we still have enough daylight we can at least make it over the next mountain.” Pilgrim looks at him with disbelief. “ You wanna find a demon today?” He says with a contempt grin. “Uhhh I’d rather not.” Tripitaka pleads. Bajie laughs, “Don’t worry master, eldest brother wouldn't let anything happen to you.”
“You guys coming or what?” Pilgrim calls out to them already ahead of them. Ao Lie starts off towards him happy to finally get moving again. The mountains cast shadows on anything it couldn't reach and the air was cold showing their breath. Pilgrim flying on his cloud rises up into the sky looking for any signs of a village. “Aha, finally.” Ahead hidden in a valley is a small village surrounded by plum trees.
He drops himself in front of the other pilgrims explaining his find. “So, there is one!” Bajie Excitedly. Tripitaka gives a sigh of relief at the prospect of not sleeping on the hard ground. They continue on the cold wind, not giving up even with the lower altitude. After walking for about Xūyú the sun has set, and the air is getting colder as clouds roll in. They finally come across the small town with barely anyone roaming the street, they stand on the border of the possible demon town.
The whole of the town smells wrong and the surrounding mountains trap the cold in the small desolate town. “Hmm, you four stay here for a moment.” Pilgrim said before quickly making his way into town. “Be careful please!” His master called after him, sparing a worried look his way.
The small houses line the roads with no one on them, Wukong peeks into an open window the room is completely empty with only a singular woman she stands staring at the wall not moving, Pilgrim quickly jumps through the open window quietly into the cold dusty room. Cautiously coming up behind her. He creeps around her staring at her face, it's deformed and almost looks like a rotten peach, its pale flesh color but her ‘eyes’ and ‘mouth’ seem to droop off of her face.
“Hey?” He hops in front of the ‘woman’, She stares her eyes are a pale blue, they glow in the small light from the window that backlights her. “This is so queer” Pilgrim mumbles. The woman seems to come to life three fens later. “Welcome the great sage equal to heaven,” she muttered, her lips only open, never moving after. Her mouth is left half ajar as she speaks and her voice sounds echoey.
“You seem to be with the monk with the immorality granting flesh,” Her open mouth shows way to the empty mouth she tries to smile but it never moves more than a few inches up and a few cracks form where she pushed it too far. ”What the…” Pilgrim mumbles. He steps back, his tail hits the wall before his back does, the ‘woman’ doesn’t move or even seem to register that he had moved.
Pilgrims vision bleeds yellow and slowly his sight returns, this isn’t just a random skill that the pilgrim gained, No this is THE sun wukong’s golden eyes of truth. The gold spreads around the area covering all that exists. “W-what are you?!” The future deity shouts, his tail flicks anxiously. Its whole body is hollow, there is no life force, nothing inside them. Attached to the empty shell are small but strong strings of spiritual power, it's strong enough it must be from a god.” why, why would they be controlling this empty shell in an empty town?” Pilgrim wonders as his vision returns to the normal colors with only small hints of gold remaining. “Welcome, we have been waiting,” the shell speaks, never moving its lips.
Sun Wukong rolls his eyes and jumps back out the window, “well it's not a demon town so we shouldn’t have to ask or worry about sleeping here!” he huffed with faux cheer. He hops up onto the nimbus cloud quickly flying towards the spot he left the others at. The town whipped as he sped through the empty street. The cloth curtains from the houses get sucked into the vortex the cloud creates.
The sun seems to waver with the mist, creating a foggy feeling across the town. The town seemed to shout with silence, its unbroken serenity slowly creeping into eeriness. “ What a strange town” Tripitaka mumbles on Ao Lie back.
“MASTER!” Pilgrim squeaks as his nimbus flies toward the group at top speed. “Pilgrim?” He looks up at the ape in concern. The monkey stops abruptly in front of the group, his body full force jerking. “I really think we should hurry up and pass through, this town just doesn’t feel right.” Pilgrim states jumping off his cloud. “Why? Are there demons everywhere or something?” Bajie questions giving the sage a confused look.
“Sort of, it’s queer,” He glances back towards the town. “Well let's get moving.” He marches off back towards the town, the rest of the monks following suit. The closer they get to the town the more the fog increases, thickening the air up with tension every second. These eerie soundless roads seem like they go on forever. “Are you sure about this Wukong? This place seems off”
Wujing softly speaks next to Pilgrim. “Not entirely but it’ll take days to go around this small village. It’s easier to head straight through it.” He responded cautiously looking into any unboarded windows or alleys. “Just be weary and don’t speak to anyone in this town, we get to the edge of it, rest and be on our way, alright.” He turns to look at Wujing, giving him a focused look. “Of course eldest brother.” He nods and lets Pilgrim walk ahead of him.
The walk is quick but long, The more they traveled into the town the more it seemed the towns repeating. “Hey you stupid ape do you even know where we’re going!” Bajie shouts from behind his master and Ao Lie. “Things are starting to repeat the more we walk!” holding his rake in hand he gives the said ape a glare. “Of course I know where we’re going Piglet, it shouldn’t be much longer, don’t get your curly tail in a twist.” he never turned to look at him.
The fog is engulfing them, soon enough they lose sight of the pilgrim, “Pilgrim! Where’d you go!” Tripitaka calls out in front of him, halting his steed. “Master please stay on your horse, we don’t want you to run off and get captured.” Bajie stops him from getting off the horse, pushing him back on top “The monkey can handle himself.” Wujing stares ahead, his crescent staff in hand watching the fog surrounding them. “Master, I don't think the fog is natural.” Bajie gave him a look, “eldest brother would have sensed something if it wasn't natural, we should just keep going, this is taking too long.”
“Listen to your brother Bajie, something is wrong here and I’m afraid I don’t know exactly what.” Their master says looking around him trying to find any shape in the fog. “I’m worried for Pilgrim, he would’ve been back by now. You know how heighted his senses are.” Ao Lie snorts, seeming to agree with the buddhist. Gold and teal appear bright against the fog. “Who is it?!” Bajie yells his rake scraping the ground as he swings it towards the colors.
“Welcome” the colors speak, the voice sultry. The fog is ever abundant. Bajie yells again sweeping his rake at the figure again, it goes right through. “Bajie stop your attack,” Tripitaka mutters under his breath, feeling a bit scared. The figure doesn’t move or speak. Bajie doesn’t stop and with all his might continues the attack.
“I wish to invite you to my manor,” Her voice is still anxiety inducing. “If you’d be so kind, please tell us where you have taken my disciple,” Tripitaka said, his voice not wavering, but if you knew him you could tell his hands were holding his nine-ringed pilgrim staff a tad harder than normal. “Hmm? Who?” the figure wonders, her voice fake. “ He's got a circlet on his head and a staff,” Wujing explained, ignoring the woman's faux wonder.
Bajie huffs, using his rake as a support as he heaves trying to catch his breath, “what the hell!” he yells. “Ah yes, the golden ape,” She mumbles to herself, “I didn't lay a hand on him.” Suddenly red eyes appear before the said disciple comes running out of the fog, straight towards the colors.