Chapter 12
When my brother attacked, I was telling the Leopard Demon about my miserable life.
“You have no idea how I’ve suffered.
“I can’t beat them.
“They were going to beat me to death if I didn’t join them.
“All they ever do is stroke me…
“All four of them stroke me together…”
The demon stroked my hand, his face full of sympathy. “Beauty, you’ve suffered so much.”
With one blow of his staff, Eldest Brother tore the entire roof off the cave. “Oh? Little Sister, you’ve been suffering again?”
Then his gaze fell on my hand in the demon’s grip. His face instantly turned icy. “Come here.”
I flung the Leopard Demon’s hand off and hurried to flee, but he grabbed me. “Beauty, don’t be afraid. We’ll fight side by side!”
“…All I can say is, I suggest you surrender.”
I struggled to pull free, but he wouldn’t let go. “Beauty, didn’t you say you liked how special I was? We’ll live and die together!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. “You’re not special. You’re exactly like every other man I know. You’re so worldly, so full of hot air. The moment you open your mouth, it’s as if you’re announcing to the world that you’re a hopeless illiterate. I’ve heard plenty of people call themselves lonely. Your loneliness is no different from anyone else’s. In the end, you’re lonely because nobody cares about you. Your desires outweigh everything you love. There’s so much water in that brain of yours I could swim in it…”
I was only halfway through my impassioned tirade when the Leopard Demon’s humiliation gave way to rage. He thrust a palm toward my chest. But before the blow could land, the golden-hooped staff suddenly lengthened and pinned him to the wall. Second Brother arrived right behind it, driving his nine-toothed rake into the demon’s shoulder. “I haven’t even held Little Sister’s hand yet!” he snarled.
Third Brother freed Master and the couple. Only when he saw me did the crease between his brows finally ease.
Pale-skinned Sha Wujing opened his mouth, but in the end all he said was, “As long as you’re all right.”
Yes.
As long as we were all right.
The Leopard Demon had no powerful backer and died without any fuss.
Second Brother was still angry. “I haven’t held Little Sister’s hand yet!”
I held it out. “Here. Go ahead. Go ahead.”
He squealed with delight. “Yes, yes, yes! My little sister is the best.”
Third Brother quietly sidled over too.
Master coughed.
Eldest Brother took out his golden-hooped staff, as if he had nothing else to do.
Everyone quietly dispersed again.
I ran over to him.
At first, he wouldn’t look at me.
After a long while, he sighed softly. “Jiaojiao, don’t sacrifice yourself for other people again.
“Of course mortals should be saved. But you’re more important.”
I smiled. “That’s because I knew you’d come to save me.”
His gaze was serious. “Even so.”
I ran ahead of him, walking backward as I looked at him. “Eldest Brother, we’ve left the worldly life behind. We’re going to become Buddhas. We have to learn to sacrifice ourselves for others. We can’t be selfish!”
He patted my head. “But I’m not a Buddha yet.”
His voice suddenly became almost too soft to hear. “I can still be a little selfish.”
I paused. “Hm? Brother, what did you say?”
He looked at the sun rising in the distance and smiled. “Nothing. Let’s go.”
I hung from a branch nearby and scrambled along it at top speed. “Off to fetch the scriptures!
“You carry the load~ You lead the horse~
“Here come the demons~ There go the demons~”
(The End)