The next day we started off early again and made it to the top about mid-morning.

  Tripitaka was catching his breath, sitting on a rock while I inspected the talisman adhered to the rock that jutted out of the top of the mountain.

  I had it figured out. Somehow, the talisman redirected all of the chi in the mountain to suppress Wukong. So instead of Wukong just dealing with a mountain spread over a wide area, it was like he was dealing with a mountain’s worth of weight sitting squarely on top of him.

  I also figured out it reacted to the sort of slowly circulating chi Buddhists use. I could mimic it to take it off, but I promised Buddha I’d wait until his chosen person took it off. I waited for Trip, who finally caught his breath and stood up.

  “Okay. I just need to rip it off?”

  I nodded. “Then we’ll wait for Wukong to come. I told him to meet us at the top here.”

  He nodded and reached for the talisman. I held my breath as he managed to wiggle his fingernail under it, then he tore it off with one smooth motion.

  Nothing. Then a rumble.

  Wukong was out. I looked down the mountain, certain a little flying cloud would come zipping towards us any moment now.

  Sure enough, just two minutes later I saw one little cloud zipping towards us with one happy monkey on top.

  I cheered as Wukong got closer, and he jumped off at the top and picked me up and swung me around.

  “Yue! I’m free! Gods I’ve missed you.” He pulled me into a tight hug, which I returned.

  “I’ve missed you too.” I sniffed, tears of happiness forming. He was out. We were hugging. All was right with the world.

  He pulled away just enough to give me a kiss. A deep one.

  A throat clearing reminded me we weren’t the only ones up here and I elbowed Wukong away. Yep. One very embarrassed Buddhist monk was trying to look everywhere but at us.

  “Not now. Wukong. Later.”

  He looked up at Tripitaka and sighed. “Fine. Later.”

  With one last squeeze he let me go and turned towards Tripitaka. He bowed, and punched his hands together in a symbol for respect.

  “Disciple greets Master! Thank you for freeing me, Master! What are your orders?”

  Tripitaka seemed taken aback. “Um, well, I guess we should head back down the mountain and continue west. Does that sound good to you?”

  “Yes, Master! Don’t worry! I’ll protect you from anything that wants to eat you!”

  “Actually,” I interjected. “We need more supplies. I was planning to make a trip to Flower-Fruit Mountain to pick some up. You two can get started on your journey, and I’ll catch up to you.”

  Trip looked worried. “Um, will you be able to find us again on the road?”

  I tapped my bracelet. “As long as Wukong is wearing the bracelet that matches this one, I can find you. I’ll be back before you set up camp for tonight. And Wukong.”

  “Yes Yue?” He gave me a broad grin.

  “Be good.”

  He laughed. “Of course Yue! I’m a changed man now!”

  Sure he was. I gave them both one last look before summoning my sword and flying off.

  It was only for a few hours. What could Wukong possibly do?

  My resupply at Flower-Fruit Mountain went better than I hoped. The generals accepted we’d be gone longer than we hoped without much fuss, and offered me several treasures and talismans that would be helpful for a long journey like ours.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  My necklace and bag were packed full. Which was good because I wasn’t sure when we’d be able to make it back. It already took a couple hours to fly to the mountain, and then a few hours back. It would only take longer the farther west we got. We’d have to find supplies and food along the way.

  But I had all the basics now. Everything I’d need for cooking, mending, and camping. I just had to get back to Wukong and Trip.

  As I passed over the human lands, I checked Wukong’s bracelet location. And frowned.

  It was a lot further east than I thought it’d be. Even further east than Five Elements Mountain, which was their starting point. Did they get the directions mixed up or something?

  I followed his signal until I saw a little floating cloud with a sullen monkey on it. I sighed and flew over and landed on Nimbus with Wukong.

  “What happened? Did Trip get eaten?”

  Wukong glanced towards me, suddenly furious. “You won’t believe it Yue! I picked him up and ran with him down the mountain, but he shouted for me to stop! Then I had to follow him as he walked slowly on the road! A bunch of bandits sprang out and tried to rob us, so I killed them, and he was mad at me over it. He was so ungrateful and he called me a murderer!”

  “He did?” I sort of agreed with Wukong here. If the bandits attacked first, then they were the aggressors, and should accept the fact they were risking their lives. Wukong defended himself and his master. That they died was simply the outcome of the risk they took.

  “I know right? So I jumped on Nimbus and flew off. I was so mad at him.”

  I sighed and sat next to him. “While I agree he should be somewhat grateful for you saving his life, humans don’t like killing other humans. Even if they attack first.”

  “But why? It’s stupid!”

  “I know. But you’re Buddhist now too, and Buddhists are supposed to be peaceful. Maybe you should have stopped at just scaring them off.”

  He snorted. “I can’t believe you’re agreeing with him.” He turned away from me.

  “Wukong, we both knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Are you going to quit at the first hurdle because your master yelled at you?”

  He growled. “No! I’m just mad is all.”

  “Well, you can be mad while we find Tripitaka. It’s going to get dark soon and I don’t want him getting almost eaten a third time.”

  He sighed. “Fine. I left him a little past Five Elements Mountain.” Nimbus reluctantly moved forward and we headed to where Wukong left Trip.

  We went slowly, and I kept my eye on the road until I spotted him.

  “Over there! Near the smoke!” I pointed.

  Wukong set us down to where Trip was burning the bodies of the bandits, tears leaking down his face.

  I jumped off Nimbus and started helping without a word. It was clear Trip didn’t want to talk right now.

  Wukong helped too, and soon we had the bodies built into a pyre. Trip offered a prayer for their souls as smoke rose in the sky.

  He turned back to Wukong with a hard look on his face. “Well?”

  Wukong took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” His apology lasted two seconds before he added on “For saving you from those bandits!”

  “Wukong!”

  “What it’s true! They attacked us!”

  “Your Master is upset! You should offer a sincere apology!” Why was he so impossible sometimes?

  “It’s fine Yue. I expected this.” I turned back to Trip and he pulled some clothes out of his bag, including a golden circlet. “Here, this is for you Wukong.”

  “Huh?” Wukong seemed taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled. “Oh! I get it! You’re offering me these as an apology for yelling at me right? I accept!”

  I didn’t think that’s what this was. My eyes swept between Trip and Wukong as Wukong put on the clothes.

  They looked good on him. But it seemed awfully high-quality for a gift from a mortal. I activated my chi sight.

  Wukong was putting the circlet on. I shouted. “Wukong! Stop!”

  Too late. The moment the circlet was on his head Trip began whispering, and Wukong started screaming. He tried to tear the circlet off, but it seemed welded to his head.

  Or more specifically his chi. The circlet somehow bonded with the chi inside him in a way I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how to get it off.

  I turned to Trip, who continued chanting, and pushed him down.

  He stopped his chant and looked up at me while tears filled my eyes.

  “Stop it! Stop hurting him! We trusted you! He was only trying to help!”

  “Yue…” Guilt filled his eyes for a moment before they turned to the still-smoldering pile of bodies. “He went too far. This can’t be justified. Most of those bandits tried to run and he hunted them down and slaughtered them. He needs to be punished.”

  “Maybe he does, but that doesn’t give you the right to hurt him like this.”

  “No. Being his master does. It’s my job to control him while he’s on this journey so he doesn’t give into his impulses. I’m sorry Yue, but I need to punish him so he doesn’t do it again.”

  “Fine.” I choked out. “But just know that if you control someone through force then they’re not your disciple. They’re your slave. I expected more from you.”

  He looked like I slapped him and I turned back to Wukong. He’d stopped screaming in pain when I pushed Tripitaka down. I knelt down next to him as he whimpered.

  “Wukong? Are you okay? Is there something I can do to help?” I looked him over with chi sight. There didn’t seem to be any permanent damage.

  “Yue, I can’t get it off. Can you…” His face fell as I shook my head. I had no idea how the circlet blended with his chi. If I took it off without knowing what I was doing, I could seriously hurt him.

  His face fell and he whimpered again. “It was awful Yue. I never felt anything like that. Even your vow wasn’t as painful. It was like my head was splitting open.”

  I patted Wukong to comfort him. “It’s okay Wukong. I got him to stop. We just need to be careful so it doesn’t happen again. Can you stand?”

  He took a shuddery breath and nodded. He stood up with a little help from me, glared at Trip, who flinched and looked away again.

  We started west again in complete silence. Wukong and I rode on Nimbus while Tripitaka walked. Neither of us said a word to him.

  That was the status quo for the next few days. Until we reached the river.