After satisfying his appetite, Tripitaka prepared to continue his journey but soon noticed something odd about his white horse.
"Huh, what's wrong with the horse?" he wondered aloud.
"Not sure. Maybe it's in heat," Monkey King lied, silently cursing the system. This isn't what you promised! You said it wouldn't affect other species! Yet here was the white horse, acting strangely agitated, almost as if it had eaten something highly stimulating.
"Reporting to the host, Menglóng Grass is a potent herb, so even a mundane horse will have some reaction. It's proof of quality," the system chimed in.
That makes… way too much sense. I've got no comeback for that, Monkey King thought with exasperation.
"In heat?!" Tripitaka echoed, somewhat taken aback. Looking at the agitated horse, he started to think maybe Wukong had a point. Out here in the wilderness, there's no way to find it a mate.
Curiosity got the better of him. "Wukong, do you think… um, mating feels good?"
Monkey King nearly fell flat on his face, staring at Tripitaka in horror. Is he developing some… unconventional interests?
"Oh, right," Tripitaka mused, as if finding some solace. "You're probably worse off than I am—five hundred years as a monk!"
Monkey King's face darkened. Does he really need to rub it in? I mean, it's just five hundred years! And it's not like I couldn't have found someone if I hadn't been under Buddhist restriction!
As they pressed on, they finally reached Eagle Sorrow Gorge.
"Wukong, where are we?" Tripitaka asked, glancing around.
"Master, this is Eagle Sorrow Gorge," Monkey King replied, pointing at a nearby stone tablet marking the location.
"We've been on the rall day. Let's rest here," Tripitaka suggested, dismounting with a sigh of relief.
Rolling his eyes, Monkey King said nothing. Master's clearly dragging his feet, he thought, though he had to admit that they were close to where he needed to be. Now, it was just a matter of waiting.
Sure enough, as soon as Tripitaka settled down, the waters of the gorge surged and frothed. Out of the depths, a white dragon burst forth, maw wide open, as it unleashed a powerful suction force towards Tripitaka and his white horse.
"Master, watch out!" Monkey King cried, leaping forward to pull Tripitaka out of harm's way. As for the horse? That bait was meant for the dragon. Let it enjoy one last meal.
The little white dragon swallowed the horse whole, but soon afterward, it felt an overwhelming drowsiness. Ignoring Tripitaka and Monkey King, it turned and slithered back to the depths of the pool.
Tripitaka, still shaken, turned to Monkey King. "What… what was that thing? That was terrifying! Good thing you were here, Wukong!"
"That… seemed to be a dragon, Master."
"A dragon? Aren't dragons supposed to bring good fortune? Why did it attack me?"
"I'm not sure, but don't worry, Master. I'll go check on things," Monkey King replied, doing his best to reassure Tripitaka. He was eager to confirm whether the little white dragon was truly dead.
Tripitaka sighed regretfully. "What a shame about the horse. I've never tried horse meat before."
Monkey King, who had started walking away, stumbled in shock, staring at Tripitaka in disbelief. So, the only thing you're sad about… is missing out on horse meat?
We've got a long way to go, Master. Are you planning to walk all the way to the Western Heaven? he thought with exasperation. We'll be lucky to reach the Thunderclap Monastery within this lifetime!
Realizing his blunder, Tripitaka gave an embarrassed chuckle and said nothing more. Meanwhile, Monkey King quickly left, feeling that Tripitaka's sanity seemed increasingly questionable. Better not to linger too long—who knows if that madness might be contagious?
Using his cloud somersault, Monkey King soon hovered above Eagle Sorrow Gorge. There, floating lifelessly in the water, was the little white dragon's body.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have altered the course of the pilgrimage, gaining 5,000,000 karmic points!"
Ah, a tenfold profit. This is great!
"Master, it's safe now! Come on over!" he called out, loud enough for the concealed Five Noble Truths (Buddhism) to hear. They were still recovering from the shock of Tripitaka's comment about never eating horse meat, but his shout managed to draw their attention away.
"Wukong, are you sure it's safe? What happened to that evil dragon?" Tripitaka asked, edging closer.
"Strangely, it seems to have died on its own. It's just floating on the water now," Monkey King replied. His words left the Five Noble Truths (Buddhism) no choice but to check on the little white dragon themselves.
Monkey King hid a sly smile, keeping his expression innocent as he continued to act oblivious. Tripitaka, on the other hand, was curious about seeing a dragon up close. He'd never seen one before.
By now, the Five Noble Truths (Buddhism) had abandoned all attempts at concealing themselves, standing dumbfounded at the water's edge, staring at the lifeless little white dragon.
"What happened to it?" one of them asked, unable to contain his surprise.
"It's not breathing… could it really be dead?"
"But how did it die? Monkey King hadn't even made a move!"
"Could it have choked on that horse? No, that can't be!"
"But the little white dragon was meant to be Tripitaka's steed—a crucial part of the pilgrimage! How did it end up dead?"
"We'd better report this to the Tathagata and let him decide."
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