The Great Sage's Broken Shell#

Three Yangs converge, life springs forth anew, The celestial stone holds sun and moon's hue. From an egg, a monkey's path is laid, A future arises with his form made. Within, no form to recognize, Without, a shape before everyone's eyes. Talented ones emerged through ages, How few achieved the Dao among kings and sages!

The table was a mess, and after three rounds of drinks, the two sitting across from each other were completely hammered.

"Bajie, my brother, I'm done being the Victorious Fighting Buddha. Whoever wants the darn title can have it," Wukong said, his face red and blood boiling. It was unclear whether he was truly drunk or just pretending.

Bajie, straightforward as always, replied, "Brother, enlightenment we've attained. Being free, we can drink to our hearts' content. Shouldn't we be happy?.

Wukong sneered, "Yes, attaining Buddhahood for the removal of my headband was indeed a good deal."

"Exactly. With the headband gone, you don't have to fear Master chanting anymore. Doesn't call for two more toast?" Bajie said, still trying to persuade Wukong to drink more, despite his own muddled state.

"Bajie, you enjoy drinking, but if someone wanted to have you served as their side dish for drinking, would you still be this happy?"

"Who wants to eat me? My nine-toothed rake won't allow it," Bajie said, slamming the table.

"Well, that would be much more difficult than you think," Wukong waved his hand dismissively, his face distainful. "If they wanted to eat you, there wouldn't even be bones left."

"They? Who are you talking about?"

"Let me ask you, on our iourney, how many vaoguais did we encounter? And how many did we kill?"

"Too many! Lost count. Remember? Whenever you get bored or lazy, you'd send me to clear out those caves and lairs."

"Not counting the lesser ones, how many of the powerful ones did we kill??.

"1 don't remember...,probably killed them all."

"Setting aside the tree guais from the Wood Immortal Hut and those seven spiders, we killed less than half of the ones we fought."

"Seven...seven spiders? Oh, I remember now."

"The other half. we didn't kill. Do vou know why?"

"Why?""

"Because we mustn't kill them."

"Hmph, that was before. Now we're celestial beings ourselves. If it pleases us, we can go kill them now!"

Wukong sighed, "Bajie, why don't we resign from our positions and retire? I'll go back to my mountain, and you can return to your village."

Bajie was stunned, not understanding why Wukong suddenly changed the topic.

"I'm not going back. If you want to leave, go ahead. Now, I don't have to lift a finger. and there's an endless supply of tributes and all kinds of delicacies. If I go back, I'll have to work the fields. I can't bear the toil!"

"These tributes should go to those who need them more. If we eat them, those people will have less to eat."

"What happened to you? Weren't all our struggle just for this? Don't tell me you wish to go begging for alms with our master like before!"

"Forget it, forget it. Let's drink."

Bajie couldn't remember when Wukong left the table.

Before he blacked out from drinking, the last thing he remembered his brother said was-

"Immortality? It's not for me."

Yuan Shoucheng#

Half a life in vain, half a life in haste, One dawn of clarity, one dawn erased.

Prophecies lag behind the schemes of man, No augury can stay an obsessed hand.

Waves upon waves, the world's perils lie, Dust upon dust, uncountable debts beneath the sky.

Gatherings and partings like morning dew, Grudges and loves like lightning, passing through.

A thousand years of rise and fall, nothing new, A century's success and failure, something true.

Harvesting deeds, by the destiny's decree, Fates rise and fall, as sunsets flee.

Harsh words spoken, ears they defy, Careless talk, hearts they pry.

Crude strokes mar the eye's delight, Intent to sketch, wounds for sight.

Yaoguais and Buddhas, all in me, Fiends and gods, alike we see.

My tears flow like springs, don't ask why, Laughing to the sky, it's folly's cry.