Monkey King Volume 16: The Golden Temple [1 ed.] 9788998341169

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Wei Dong Chen • Chao Peng

The Golden Temple

Vol.

16

Vol.

16

Vol. 16

The Golden Temple Created by

WEI DONG CHEN

Wei Dong Chen, a highly acclaimed and beloved artist, and an influential leader in the “New Chinese Cartoon” trend, is the founder of Creator World in Tianjin, the largest comics studio in China. Recently the Chinese government entrusted him with the role of general manager of the Beijing Book Fair, and his reputation as a pillar of Chinese comics has brought him many students. He has published more than three hundred cartoons, which have been recognized for their strong literary value not only in Korea, but in Europe and Japan, as well. Free spirited and energetic, Wei Dong Chen’s positivist philosophy is reflected in the wisdom of his work. He is published serially in numerous publications while continuing to conceive projects that explore new dimensions of the form.

Illustrated by

CHAO PENG

Chao Peng is considered one of Chen Wei Dong’s greatest students, and is the director of cartoon at Creator World in Tianjin. One of the most highly regarded cartoonists in China today, Chao Peng’s fantastic technique and expression of Chinese culture have won him the acclaim of cartoon lovers throughout China. His other works include "My Pet" and "Searching for the World of Self".

Original story “The Journey to The West” by Wu, Cheng En Editing & Designing Sun Media, Design Hongs, David Teez, Jonathan Evans, YK Kim, HJ Lee, SH Lee, Qing Shao, Xiao Nan Li, Ke Hu ©Chen, Wei Dong 2011 All rights reserved. Original Chinese edition published by Anhui Fine Arts Publishing House. Scanning, uploading, and electronic distribution of this book is prohibited.

Characters

Volume 16

JIU TOU CHONG Jiu Tou Chong is a sea monster with nine heads who is also married to the daughter of the WanSheng Sea King. In Journey to the West, Jiu Tou Chong is responsible for the theft of a precious treasure that brought fortune and luck to the JiSai Kingdom. Returning the treasure to its rightful owners will require all of Wu Kong’s strength, as well as insight into Jiu Tou Chong’s past--a past that includes a close friendship with Yu Long.

THE KING OF THE JISAI KINGDOM The King of the JiSai Kingdom reigned over a period of good fortune and wealth thanks to a magical treasure that rested at the top of the Golden Temple. When the treasure was stolen by Jiu Tou Chong, the king was convinced by his angry subjects to blame the theft on the Buddhist monks of the temple, who were completely innocent but nonetheless were subsequently tortured and imprisoned. When San Zang and his disciples discover who the real culprit is, the king is forced to atone for his actions.

THE WANSHENG SEA KING The WanSheng Sea King is the father-in-law of Jiu Tou Chong. When his son-in-law returned with the precious treasure he’d stolen from the JiSai Kingdom, the sea king used the treasure to illuminate his palace. The mission to return the stolen treasure is not the first time one of San Zang’s disciples has crossed paths with the sea king; Yu Long and the king’s daughter have a history filled with sadness and regret.

KANG JIN LONG Kang Jin Long is one of several heavenly guardians called upon to help San Zang and his disciples after they are captured by King Huang Mei. He has an incredibly powerful horn, which comes in handy when he’s called upon to free Sun Wu Kong from a pair of enchanted symbols.

KING HUANG MEI King Huang Mei is a former disciple of the Buddha Mi Le, who spent ages learning at the feet of his master before stealing two of his precious treasures and running away. In Journey to the West, Huang Mei deceives San Zang and his disciples by pretending to be the Buddha, so that he may be the one to finally taste San Zang’s flesh.

BUDDHA MI LE Buddha Mi Le studied the path to enlightenment at the feet of Buddha, and is known to give teachings in Doushuai Palace. It is believed he will emerge as the savior of humanity when so much time has passed since Buddha’s death that all the enlightenment has gone from the world. In Journey to the West, Mi Le helps Sun Wu Kong to defeat a former student, who uses stolen treasures of Mi Le to cause trouble for San Zang and his disciples.

JIN GUANG TEMPLE, IN THE HEART OF THE JI SAI KINGDOM.

Look at that! This land has two moons!

The lower one is not a moon.

It is the light of a treasure called BaoZhu, which rests at the top of the temple.

BZZZ

8

Ha ha! No, no... You are mistaken.

Amazing! Its light is so pretty.

WHISH

?

W H O SH O

Oh, no... Monster!

10

SPLI

T

T SPLA

HA HA HA HA HA HA

11

MEANWHILE, SAN ZANG AND HIS DISCIPLES WERE TRAVELING WEST, AWAY FROM MOUNT FLAME. AUTUMN WAS ALMOST OVER, AND THE CHILL OF WINTER WAS IN THE AIR.

Hey, look over there!

I think I may be seeing things, but...

Wu Kong! Do you see that? It looks like a big city!

No, it's not.

It’s a HUGE city, Master.

A city that big must be the capital of a kingdom!

You think so?

JI SAI KINGDOM

Step right up! The most delicious noodles you have ever tasted, right here!

All you can eat! Step right up!

14

Well, that explains the large temple.

Hm ... You three wait here.

Don't trouble yourself, Master.

I'll do it.

I will get us something to eat.

No, no! Let me! I'll take care of it!

Big brother does so much already. Let me return the favor.

All right, all right.

Besides, look at me! They'll definitely give me bigger portions.

Great. We may as well starve right now.

Stop that.

Excuse me? Would you be willing to offer some food to this traveling monk in exchange for Buddha's blessing? Save us, merciful Buddha!

Come Why again? would I want to give anything to a worthless priest?

Buddha's blessings are nothing but a curse, so don't go spouting that crap in here!

Mind what You you say, don't want to now. be a lost soul, do you?

A bowl of noodles? I'm not giving you a bowl of noodles! You'd be lucky if I decided to give you a bowl of cow dung!

I just want to take a bowl of noodles to my master.

Hey!

That's not a nice thing to say!

16

You haven't seen not nice yet! Now, get lost! Before I force feed you the bowl of dung!

Scram, you filthy, selfish pig! Oh, so you know what I truly am, huh?

I sure do, you worthless swine!

You have until the count of three... One! Two!

Uhoh. Oh, dear.

Three! That's it! I'm just trying to help big brother...

How dare you insult me like that? You can forget Buddha's blessing.

!

Hey!

Well, I'm more steamed than fine dumplings.

H S A CR

Now you die!

What? You're still here? 17

Ugh! Ow! oof Stop it! oof

Ugh! Stop!

Help me!

Bajie! Stop it! You're not supposed to hit people!

You can't hit someone just because he didn't give you food.

Master! Big brother! Get him off of me!

Bajie?

What the?

Master! I can't fight on an empty stomach!

So you like tricking people by pretending to be a monk, do you?

He's done for. Yikes.

18

Bajie!

Good! You should just lay there and take your beating!

WHAM

Oh, no.

Ahh! oof

Of course not, Master! I just, uh, tapped him.

Sir?

That guy was a brute. I bet he didn't even feel it.

Ha ha!

Wu Kong! Are you trying to kill him?

19

All right, we need to stop causing trouble and look for a place to rest.

You hear that, Pigsy? Behave yourself!

That’s a good idea, Master! …

!

Please! I let him off easy.

We've eaten nothing for a week.

If it wasn't for my empty stomach, he'd be serving noodles in the afterlife by now.

Sir, can you offer food for Buddha's sake?

We'll take leftovers, scraps, whatever you can spare.

Get away from me, you filthy priests!

? Ahh!

Here! Take some dumplings. But never come back again!

Unless you want to get beat.

!

?

Wow!

Don't eat fast!

Save us, merciful Buddha. Huh?

21

What horrible crime have you committed?

My friends, why are there collars and chains around your necks?

Have you been expecting me?

You must be the priest from the Tang Dynasty! Hey! Feel free to answer him!

How did you know I'm from the Tang Dynasty?

22

Yes! It's you! We've been waiting for you! We're from the Tang Dynasty, as well. Please, stand up. And tell me...

Last night, each of us had the exact same dream. In it, we saw The high you. priest who will save us!

This kingdom is called JiSai Kingdom.

What is going on?

sob

The king must be a man of virtue.

And his subjects very wise.

No! Not at all.

It is the envy of its neighbors, who make offerings to it in exchange for its favor. Ah. I see.

Years ago, the kingdom was blessed by a special energy that came from the top of JinGuang Temple. That's why the neighboring lands made offerings. They thought it bought them the protection of Heaven.

Then, a few years ago, a great storm came, and it started to rain blood. The king and his subjects lost their minds with fear.

Huh! 24

At first, people thought it was because of the blood rain, but later they discovered that the precious crystals that gave the temple its power were gone.

Since then, the tower's energy has completely vanished.

After that, the neighboring lands stopped their offerings, and the kingdom's fortune vanished... Meanwhile, the king's vicious subjects blamed the monks of the temple for what happened.

The king believed them, and took his anger out on us.

Thus we live like this.

Why didn't you just tell the king the truth?

We did tell the king the truth! But he would not believe us!

We were brutally tortured. Many of our brothers died.

Our days are numbered too. ...

Please! We beg you to help us! We cannot endure this any longer!

Wu Kong? What time is it? About six o’clock.

Before I left the Tang Dynasty, I had a vision that I would come to the aid of fellow monks. I will go into the tower, light incense, pray, and clean up the place.

26

These monks have lived through such pain.

Wu Kong, you will come with me.

Cleaning up the tower is the least I can do.

Brother! Take our food.

While we clean up, we'll figure out what happened to the tower.

Yes, sir.

Thank you!

You should rest before you go up there. You must eat.

And here, we have a good broom for you.

Don't worry about me.

Wait here, Master. I should check it out first.

Save us merciful Buddha. I have come here on my way to the West on the I ask emperor's that you orders. hear my plea.

My brothers are the victims of a series of lies.

28

All right, Wu Kong. Let's get started.

I ask that you let their names be cleared.

We’ve already reached the 9th floor. I see nothing strange.

This tower is utterly without fault. What could have happened?

Oh, my…

Wu Kong, how many floors does the tower have?

Too many. We still have a ways to go.

29

Well, don't let that affect your effort. Our prayer must be heard.

We only have two floors to go.

Let's take a break and then finish this.

Once I've rested, we can finish this with vigor.

My whole body aches. I must lie down.

You get some rest. I can finish this.

30

Well, don't take any shortcuts.

Left! Right!

If I had done this from the beginning, we'd be done by now.

Hit every hole and corner!

What is this?

Huh.

There is something strange going on up here. Okay, I've thought about it long and hard, and I think you're cheating.

How can I lose the same bet ten times It doesn't in a row? make any

That’s not my fault.

sense.

Stop betting money on things, and you won't lose.

Hey! Is this drinking game open to anyone?

32

How about dealing me in? I'll beat you both.

Hey! Who are you?

FLICK

F LI CK

CRASH

You're dead meat!

Nobody who sees us can live! 33

WHAM Hey! You broke my axe!

KRONCH

What's your name?

What do you want from us? We've never seen you.

I'll ask the questions. Word has it that some precious crystals were stolen from this temple. Was it you two?

And don't lie to me, or you'll pay with your lives.

No, sir! We never stole a thing! Okay. Then you must decide: tell me who the thieves are, or end up as fish soup. Your choice.

Well, that's not really a ... You see... It was the son-in-law of the king!

The king has a new son-inlaw.

We are subjects of the sea king WanSheng.

What is the name of the king's son-in-law?

We don't know.

But rumor has it he has nine heads.

The son-in-law is a powerful being, and he stole the precious crystals so that he could give them to the king as a birthday present.

Anyway, the king loved the gift. And the son-in-law is now favored by the king over all others.

All we know is that he's more powerful than the sea king.

The stolen crystals illuminate the sea king's palace day and night.

36

The nineheaded one ordered us to guard this tower. He knew you were coming.

It all makes sense now.

He told us to kill you when you arrived.

Now we can prove the Wu Kong! monks are These not to blame two are for what witnesses. happened. Make sure they don't flee.

Not a problem.

We will meet with the king tomorrow, and we need to bring those two along.

They won't go anywhere until then.

We'll plead the monk's case to Then the king. they will go free.

At least, I hope that is what happens...

Wu Jing! Yu Long! Why

are you two here?

?

A monster with nine heads just attacked us. He was looking for you.

38

Master! You're both okay!

We fought him off as hard as we could, but Bajie was taken!

I'm so sorry. That's strange. Yu Long never appears as a person.

I’m worried about Bajie.

He's not safe. Wu Kong!

Master, I must tell you the identity of the monster.

You had better go save your little brother.

Let me guess: the monster's name is JiuTou Chong.

And he's the sea king's son-inlaw.

That's right, big brother. How do you know about the nineheaded prince? Oh, I have my While ways. we were cleaning the tower, we found these two.

We never thought His Highness would show up tonight.

I see.

They may be ugly, but they are servants of our friend the prince.

Yu Long! You seem to know about the prince.

Do me a favor and level with me.

Are you related to him?

40

No. But when I lived in the palace of the dragon king, he was one of my close friends.

One thing led to another, and over time we became enemies.

Ha ha ha! Yu Long, what has happened to you? You've made yourself a slave to a monk? How sad.

May we never meet each other. It will not end well for you.

I can't believe I was once friends with someone like you.

HA

HA HA

HA! Thank you, San Zang! We didn't think you would find the monsters.

Now we can prove our innocence!

We all rely on Buddha's mercy. You owe me nothing.

These two are We just hit need to men. find their boss.

How can we repay you? 42

Good point.

Are they fish or are they men?

They sure are ugly.

Master!

Ask Wu Jing to help you with these I'll go two. save Pigsy's bacon. Again.

Can you handle all that by yourself? The monster kidnapped Bajie quite easily. He is likely stronger than you think.

I'll also find the prince and bring him back to face the king.

Well... I don't like that he lives in the water. Big brother!

I will come with you. I was raised underwater. I can be of help.

Good! Just make sure you're ready for anything.

You got it.

What's this? Bajie? I thought I told you to bring me San Zang!

MOUNT LUO SHI AT BI BO LAKE 44

I’m sorry, my lord. I could not find him.

But don't worry. You will be able to eat his flesh soon enough.

Why do you look so shocked?

There! Hear that? Bajie called him "big brother." Do you know who he's referring to?

Boo!

!

Someone even the Jade Emperor couldn't defeat.

What? His flesh?

You fool! Big brother will kill you first!

Relax. He's just a monkey.

Mind your tongue! Sun Wu Kong is a walking hurricane! He leaves nothing but ruin in his wake. Don't you get it?

45

Ha You forgot ha I have ha! nine heads. That's a lot of brain power.

Why do you insist on provoking someone who can destroy us? Are you insane?

I’ve thought this out many times now.

We are talking about a former stable boy.

But--

He's clever, and he knows some tricks, but he's still just a dumb animal.

46

I wouldn’t provoke him if I wasn't sure I could kill him.

Trust me!

I am 3,600 years old.

The world is vast, and one cannot succeed without But stepping out on it. we each need help.

Nothing can be achieved alone.

Haven't you ever wanted to be the most powerful dragon king in the world?

And in all that time, have you ever wanted more than this little kingdom?

Have you ever felt like you were meant for greater things?

No, it can't.

If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?

…

Put your faith in me. I will mount Sun Wu Kong's head on the palace wall as a trophy, and your kingdom will be the envy of the world!

P SNA

48

Big brother! I'm going to look around.

H SPLAS

What are you doing? Is it time for a shift change already?

Yes, you fool! Why? Do you wish to remain here all night?

49

Let me go now, and I might be able to hold him off.

All right, you sea maggots! This is your last chance! I know you've heard of Sun Wu Kong. I know you've heard about how much he loves killing monsters and destroying palaces. Well, he really hates it when his brothers are tied up!

I’m just trying to help.

Your choice. Free me, or die.

Shut up!

Then untie me!

?

WHUMP

G N I ZH hrph hrph

THOOM

P

51

Hey! Who's there? Big brother, Is that you?

Shh! It's me! It's Yu Long!

Ah! Yu Long!

No worries. Just get me down from here.

Sorry to keep you waiting like that.

C H EEN G 52

Wu Kong is waiting outside the palace. Disguised as guards, we should make it out easily.

Can't go that way.

ZH O O M P

Hey! Isn't that ...

54

I bet you didn't think I'd escape, huh? Now, prepare to die!

BAM 55

BAM Grandpa! Help!

And now for the rest of you!

Bajie! Quiet! You don't know what I've been through!

We're outnumbered! We can't do this without Wu Kong!

56

No!!!

You killed my grandson before my very eyes! Guards! Crush him! Come on!

That's right! Come to Bajie! I’ll kill you one at a time, or all at once. oink

Great. Now he's done it.

57

ACK

Hey, thanks for that!

58

Bajie! We need to leave. Now!

We can’t keep this up for much longer!

Come on, I'm just getting warmed up!

Time to fill a few graves!

That's enough out of you, raving lunatic. Kill him!

Yahh!

Well, there's no way out of this.

Uh-oh. They don't fear us at all, do they?

Come on!

We have to fight to the end!

That's what I'm talking about!

They are killing us!

How can this be?

Ha ha ha! I feel much better now! oink

60

Go get my son-inlaw!

Yes, sir!

?

Big brother! Where's Yu Long?

Hasn’t he returned yet?

Oh, no! I got so carried away by the fighting, I left him there lone.

Yu Long!

You moron.

There you are! As you can see, we have Get a dragon rid of problem. it! Your Majesty!

Dragon! Don't be such a coward! Forget these minnows and fight someone your own strength!

It's already killed half my men!

Huh?

62

Jiu Tou Chong!

Come on! Stop this mindless killing!

I am the one you want! So come and get me!

Let’s take this This outside. is

between you and me.

...

My palace is destroyed. My grandson is dead.

We shall not rest until Bajie the murderer sleeps beneath the earth forever.

Soldiers! Gather round!

Yes, sire!

We must avenge my dead grandson.

A deathtrap, old man!

Bajie! The time has come for you to pay for your crime!

Oh, yeah?

Heh heh. I knew you'd pursue me. You've walked right into my trap.

What trap?

Stop right there!

It's no use. You can't get away from me.

Hello, Yu Long. I thought it best we conduct Before we business away from others. cross swords, there are a few things I'd like to explain.

66

There's nothing to explain. You won't fool me again.

You deceived me in the worst way, and you tried to hurt my master.

Wait. Your master?

Stop! I won't be fooled twice. I didn't know San Zang was your master. I swear to you.

But I must say, I never thought I'd see a prince become a horse just so he could carry a monk on his back.

Shut up!

Listen to me. I swear I won't lay a finger on San Zang.

My friend, I didn't take anything. Your fiancée chose me. What?

I'm here because you took her from me!

You really think I took her from you?

I’m telling you, I seduced no one. It was the other way around.

Don't make me laugh. You seduced your best friend's fiancée and married her. Don't start making excuses now.

I'll tell you the truth, and then you can believe what you want.

Your fiancée's father, Wan Sheng, wanted an alliance with the West Sea King. This is why he introduced his daughter to you. That is why you were betrothed.

You were engaged to the princess because you were the prince of the West Sea.

What do you mean?

You may have loved her with all your heart...

...But the princess never returned your feelings. She stayed with you only to please her father. Darling, please meet my dear friend Jiu Tou Chong.

I really didn't mean to come between you, but...

Nice to meet you. …

I fell in love with her. And I knew that she was in love with me too.

Let’s have a drink!

…

This is hell for me. Please take me away from here. I'll go with you. Please…

Stop! We can't do this to Yu Long. He's my best friend.

At first we ignored our feelings. But later, we couldn't lie to ourselves anymore.

You are the one I love.

Whenever we shared a private moment, she begged me to save her from marriage.

Hey! What are you two doing?

You saw us together and drew your sword before I could explain what was going on.

I couldn't let you bring harm That’s to the why I princess. escaped with her.

That's a very interesting story. And you tell it well.

But I don't believe you.

I had planned to come back and tell you the truth.

But it was too late. You had already destroyed the palace.

Don't you get it? And I'm done listening. Now are you going to fight or what?

I married her to protect you!

You are a liar.

Your engagement was a plot to overthrow your father's kingdom!

Don't you dare call me a liar!

K L A NG

My men are coming. Go, now! We'll talk more later.

From this day forward, I declare you my sworn enemy.

There he is!

He is getting away!

Sire! Should we go after him?

No. Let him be.

What are you doing here?

The king has left the palace. He's hunting Bejie.

He's done what?

He is in grave danger!

I told him to stay inside no matter what!

Wu Kong finished him off, but it was the great Bajie who lured him up here.

Well, look at that.

Well done, you two.

Is that so... You know, I think this is my finest hour.

SWOOS H

Ah!

Yu Long! Look out!

BAM

It's the nineheaded monster!

Big brother! Do something, quick!

Help!

76

CHOMP SH O HO W

WHACK Eww. It stinks in here!

CHO MP

77

And now I will avenge my father-inlaw!

Don't bite off more than you can chew!

78

M A WH

79

Wait a minute...

Dang it! I'm too strong. And he took the king's body!

koff Big brother! How about lending me a hand!

80

We have a problem. They won't come out of the water again.

Hey! I'm down here!

!

HAIL, QITIANDASHENG! WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

Well, if it isn't my old friend God Er Lang.

Wait. He knows God Er Lang?

81

Ha ha ha! He must be one slippery snake, to avoid the grasp of a seasoned warrior like you.

MEANWHILE, IN THE PALACE OF JI SAI KINGDOM...

?

We’ve told you everything We we know. were just guarding the tower.

Please spare our lives!

So your king's son-in-law stole the crystals? And the monks are blameless?

That's right! He stole them and then ordered us to stand guard at the tower.

Then tell me, where are the crystals now? Please, have mercy! We were only following orders.

On display in the king's palace.

84

I don’t believe this! First the sea king has my precious crystals stolen.

Then he uses them to decorate his palace!

Save us, merciful Buddha!

Your Majesty, now that you know where the crystals are...

I ask you that you free the monks from their I also think chains. you would be wise to clear their names by direct order.

If news of your cruelty spreads faster than your pardon, the people may not forgive you.

Ha ha ha! Of course. That's what I've been meaning to do!

Of course I'll pardon No need the monks! to let false charges stand.

Of course not! Once they have been exonerated and freed, I will make a generous donation to every temple in the kingdom!

I trust that won't be the end of your mercy. You are most kind, Your Majesty.

That won't be necessary. I've already sent my three disciples to retrieve them.

It's not a problem. In the meantime, I need to muster my army to retrieve the crystals.

Guards! Summon the infantry!

I suspect they will return shortly with your treasure.

You're not serious, are you?

We are talking about King He is Wan Sheng, extremely not some powerful, and regional his fighting lord. forces are not to be trifled with.

Certain death? Your Majesty, the sea king is no match for my disciples.

You have sent them to certain death.

They are each strong and wise, and were chosen for a reason.

Yu Long is the West Sea King's son.

Zhu Bajie and Sha Wu Jing were each commanders of the heavenly armada when they lived among the Oh, gods.

I had no idea.

Why have you sent your disciples there? Are you trying to get them killed?

Finally, Sun Wu Kong is so invincible that he once overpowered the Jade Emperor. The sea king is no match for him.

I trust that you believe in them, but--

87

Your Majesty, try not to A small judge them band can based on be just a looks. strong as a giant army.

HA HA H A

!

I have dedicated my life to defending this kingdom!

I am no fool!

If I have underestimated your disciples, I will convert to Buddhism and study the scripture day and night.

Guards! Find the monks and free them from their chains.

88

THAT NIGHT, GOD ER LANG HELD A SMALL DRINKING PARTY FOR SAN ZANG'S DISCIPLES, AND WU KONG SPENT THE NIGHT TELLING HIM STORIES ABOUT THE JOURNEY. MANY JOKES WERE MADE AT BAJIE'S EXPENSE.

MORNING DAWNED…

MEANWHILE, YU LONG SAT IN THE DISTANCE, HIS THOUGHTS FILLED WITH ANGER AND DOUBT.

...WHILE DEEP BENEATH THE WATER'S SURFACE...

...A FUNERAL WAS HELD FOR KING WAN SHENG. 90

sob sob

What are we going to do? The king is gone. The kingdom will fall into ruin.

Fate's cruelty knows no bounds... sob

91

At least you are here.

I saw Yu Long. He is now one of San Zang's disciples.

Yu Long?

You are all I have left in this world.

92

If I lost you, I would have no reason to live.

I thought he was locked up.

He was released on the condition he join the priest on his westward journey.

Well... I don't care. I don’t have an ounce of feeling for him.

But he was your fiancée.

And he was my good friend.

And now we are mortal enemies. What should I do?

If you have to fight him, then I think you should kill him.

!

All right! I see what you mean.

93

That pig is back again! Sire! We’ve got a big problem!

I told you I was going to kill all of you! And I'm a man of my word!

Oh, no. Run!

No, please!

Well, well, well. We meet again.

K R A NG

You must have a death wish, to show your face back here!

You fool! I'm so heavy you won't be able to find my neck!

Now I can finish removing your head from your neck!

K L A NG

96

There they are!

WHILE BAJIE ENGAGED JIU TOU CHONG BELOW, GOD ER LANG AND WU KONG WAITED FOR THEM TO COME TO THE WATER'S EDGE.

97

That is it.

That's where the prince and princess live.

Please. I've led you here. Let me go.

Get lost.

Darling! Are you back so soon?

98

Yu Long. What... What are you doing here?

Have... Have you come to kill me?

99

You don’t deserve to be As for killed the rest by me. of your kin...

AHH!!!

100

Every last member of your family is now dead, save for your mother and you. Now you too will know how painful it is to spend the rest of your life alone.

KRACK

This isn't fair! You've lured me into a trap!

Not fair? You're the one who stole Yu Long's fiancée.

Who cares? Her family's all dead.

In fact, Yu Long is probably dealing with her right now.

I didn't steal her.

Yu Long, how could you? I thought you were my friend once!

Gah!

102

JIU TOU CHONG! IN ATTACHING WU KONG, YOU ATTACK THE WILL OF HEAVEN!

God Er Lang?

DO YOU THINK HAVING NINE HEADS GIVES YOU NINE LIVES?

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FIND OUT, STAND DOWN.

Ha ha! I do not fear death!

WHOOSH 104

I'll even bring you and the monkey with me!

THOONK !

AH!

Ha!

For a small creature, you have caused way too much trouble.

And now you must pay for it with your life!

106

Ugh! My head!

May you have better fortune in the next life!

SLASH 107

Hey! He’s fleeing! WU KONG! DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIM. HE WON'T BE ANY MORE TROUBLE.

NOW, GO FIND THOSE CRYSTALS.

What? Are you sparing him?

108

NO. MY DOG RIPPED OFF HIS HEAD. HE'S AS GOOD AS DEAD.

Oh, yeah! I almost forgot about the treasure. Thanks for everything, my friend.

Until next time! And next time the drinks are on me!

Big brother! I've brought someone to see you.

She's the sea king's wife.

We’d better take her back with us.

No! Please, kill me here. I don't want to be the lone survivor.

The missing treasure is in this box.

Gah! These thing is insanely bright!

Luckily, it is not damaged.

It's like looking into seven suns!

109

WU KONG AND HIS BROTHERS RETURNED TO JI SAI KINGDOM AND RESTORED THE CRYSTALS TO THE TOP OF THE TEMPLE, WHERE THEY SHONE BRIGHTLY ONCE MORE.

Hey, look over there! The light is back!

Praise Buddha!

Good priest, our treasure has been returned thanks to your disciples.

And you saved a king who was foolish enough to let good men suffer. 110

I won’t doubt Buddha's power again.

I will support the monks from this day on.

I can assure you...

I will help them to restore their temples...

And help them any way I can. I still find it remarkable: a monster stole the crystals right out from under my nose.

How could I have been so blind?

It's no use beating yourself up over it. Focus your energy on restoring the temples and making sure the monks aren't wrongfully persecuted again.

And one last thing…

111

THE KING HAD THE TEMPLE RENAMED AND THREW A GREAT FEAST TO MARK THE OCCASION.

I heard that you call this the golden temple. But gold is the object of greed because it's scarce. Light, however, is fixed and eternal.

THE KING OFFERED SAN ZANG AND HIS DISCIPLES GOLD AND SILVER AS A TOKEN OF GRATITUDE, BUT THE PRIEST POLITELY REFUSED AND LED HIS DISCIPLES INTO THE WEST.

I suggest a new name for the How restored about the temple. Temple of Eternal Light?

TRUE TO HIS WORD, THE KING HELPED THE MONKS REBUILD THEIR LIVES, AND EVEN PRACTICED WITH THEM. That’s a good idea!

We will rename the temple right away!

Hey, Wu Kong. How did you like having to clean up a temple?

THE SEA KING’S WIFE WAS CONFINED TO THE TOP OF THE TEMPLE AND FORCED TO GUARD THE GLOWING TREASURE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.

THE PRINCESS SUCCUMBED TO MADNESS AND LEFT THE KING'S PALACE, NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.

I just do whatever Master tells me to do.

Frankly, I think all we've done on this journey is clean up after people. That, and fight off monsters.

It's true.

Who would have thought we'd encounter this many messes on our journey?

But the nice thing is that if we clean them up now, others who make this journey will have it easier.

He he! With all this cleaning, we should have packed more brooms! oink

114

I don't think that’s what Master meant.

I know that! I was making a joke! Clearly the brain isn't your strongest muscle.

Ha ha ha!

ONCE SAN ZANG AND HIS DISCIPLES HAD CROSSED THE BORDER OUT OF JI SAI KINGDOM, THEY SPENT MANY DAYS STRUGGLING THROUGH THORNY BRUSH UNTIL THEY CAME TO A VERTICAL CLIFF.

Look at this! "Ling Yun"

115

Hm...

The name of this place is familiar.

Now, where have I seen it before?

Come on... think! I saw it somewhere, but I can't remember where.

Something's not right. I sense an invisible menace in this place.

Wait, now I remember! …

116

This is it! We've made it!

Don't you see? We’ve finally arrived!

Made what? Where are we?

Pigsy!

We've waited so long for this.

It's the day we've been waiting for!

?

Do you know what he's talking about?

Don't you get it? This is LeiYin Temple! We've reached the West!

There's a river at the foot of the mountain, That means and that's this is LingYun Mount Bridge. LingCui!

This is so exciting! I thought we still had a long way to go! oink

Master! I don't think this is the place.

It is?

I guess so.

The clouds surrounding the mountain do look heanvenly...

We can't possibly have arrived already.

Excuse me?

I'm not so sure. Wu Kong, dedication can take you anywhere in a moment...

While a dark heart can prevent you from ever reaching your destination. I think Buddha is rewarding our dedication.

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But Master! I sensed some wicked spirits swirling around the mountain.

Watch your mouth, Wu Kong!

Don't ruin this for us by slandering a place where Buddha is enshrined!

You often don't.

What’s wrong with you? I don't sense anything wrong.

Why don’t you just trust Master? It's a good thing that we're here.

" A good thing"? I don't think so at all, Pigsy.

Look! It says "Little LeiYin Temple."

120

Now do you believe me?

"Little LeiYin Temple"? Now it sounds even more strange!

Master! You should put on your precious robe before meeting the Buddha!

You're right!

Master, don't do that! We don't know what's in there!

There could be a monster in there, waiting to hurt you.

Master!

Please, you must trust me!

All right, Wu Kong ...

If you're so sure, come inside and see for yourself.

But I warn you: Buddha might not be happy with you.

SAN ZANG! YOU HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED.

Yes!

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PLEASE COME INSIDE. I HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU.

Well, it wouldn't be the first time.

Stay close to me, all of you. It is time...

This has got to be a trick.

Save us, merciful Buddha!

Surely, this must be the real supreme being!

!

You will pay for disguising yourself as Buddha!

All right, you wicked imposter!

Wu Kong! What are you doing?

I will crush this fraud on behalf of the real Buddha!

No more noise from you!

TSK... FOOLISH LITTLE MONKEY.

H S O O H W 124

KLAN

G

BOOM

Merciful Buddha! Please have mercy on him. Wu Kong is petulant and rash, but he is a good Buddhist!

Hey! Let me out of here!

HA HA

HA!

Mercy? I see no need to have mercy on him.

If I let him out, he won't let me eat your flesh!

Isn't that right, San Zang?

126

Wait! You are not the Buddha!

Wu Kong was right the whole time!

Dang it! He caught me off the guard! I should have seen this coming.

Hrr! ... ...

These aren't any ordinary cymbals.

I can’t get them to budge an inch! huff

Hrr!

BA M

BA M

M A

BAM

B

BAM

BAM

Come on!

!

No use. ...

No.

128

Wait. What's that noise?

It's Kang Jin Long!

Hey!

What are you doing out there?

QiTianDaSheng! Can you hear me?

Several of us have been dispatched to help San Zang and the others.

Oh, sure, it's just that I like it so much in here. Of course I can't, you idiot!

Can you get out of there?

Now I'm both trapped and annoyed. Now get me out of here!

129

THE HEAVENLY GUARDIANS TRIED TO THINK OF SOME WAY TO OPEN THE CYMBALS...

Look around and see if you can find any cracks.

He can get out of the slightest opening.

...BUT THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO FREE WU KONG.

MEANWHILE, INSIDE THE CYMBALS, WU KONG WAS STRUGGLING TO CONTROL HIS TEMPER. Ah ha! I think I have an idea!

What do we do now?

Hm …

Heave!

Push! Hard!

Heaveho!

That's it! Push with all you've got.

And... Got it!

THONK KANG JIN LONG IMPALED THE SEAM OF THE CYMBALS WITH HIS MIGHTY HORN.

Yes, yes! Excellent!

That will do perfectly.

Now ... .

Ow! What are you doing?

Quit I’m whining drilling and hang a hole in on! your horn so I can get out of here.

Are you ready? On three.

HRR!!!

132

Ow, ow, ow!

One... Two... Three!

SHOOMP

Fine! Just make it quick. Ow!

Ha ha ha! Glad you're happy. It was worth the pain.

Ha ha ha! So good to smell the fresh air again! My poor horn!

Are those the cymbals that I was trapped in?

Just the sight of them makes me sick.

Now that's music to my ears.

M A B A K I thank you all.

Don't thank us. We just did our jobs.

Now, back to the business at hand. Do you know where they took my master?

134

I know that.

But don't be modest. I'll pay you back some day.

We only saw the minions We saw guarding nothing the cymbals. of your master or your brothers.

I would imagine they've been hidden somewhere.

I bet you are right. They couldn't have gone far, though. I'll bet they're still nearby.

Good guess. Take a look behind you.

Hey! That's the unibrowed freak!

You hideous rodent!

You've destroyed my most precious treasure.

136

And you've taken my master! I hope you're ready to pay!

So I will have to cut it in two!

I’m going to make cymbals from your head.

WHAM

YAAHHH!!!

Finish him!

SWISH

Take no prisoners!

Kill them!

!

I can deal with the monkey, but my army is outmatched!

Retreat!

What the hell is this?

Now I've got you!

?

?

The king has them now!

What's going on?

It looks like a gant sack.

Oh, no! It's caught us!

Ha ha ha! That's better.

I've collected you like rocks or coins in my little purse.

This is not good.

What is this thing, and why can't we get out?

KING HUANG MEI BROUGHT WU KONG AND THE HEAVENLY GUARDIANS TO HIS LAIR, WHERE HE TIED THEM UP AND THREW THEM IN THE DUNGEON.

142

HA

HA HA

HA! Well done, sire!

Here's to you!

KING HUANG MEI CELEBRATED HIS CAPTURE BY THROWING A TREMENDOUS PARTY. MEANWHILE, IN THE DUNGEONS FAR BELOW THE THRONE ROOM...

…

zzz zzz

143

Wha... Wu Kong? How did you-Shh!

I hate it when Wu Kong is right.

It's not fair.

Don't be mad We at him, wouldn't Bajie. be here if I had listened to him.

Huh?

Wu Kong! Is that really you?

Oh, so now you're hearing the voice of reason?

144

Well, who else would be able to save your necks?

I thought you'd been trapped inside the cymbals.

I'll tell you later. Let's get out of here.

How did you manage to escape?

Wu Kong... I’m so ashamed… I'm sorry I didn't trust you.

It's no use beating yourself up over it.

We can talk about it later.

Now, hurry up!

145

You're going back to the monster's lair?

Our horse I and bags need are still to get there. them back.

But you might have to face the king again. That's not the point.

The bags contain our travel documents. Without them, we won't be able to go anywhere. Plus, without a horse, Master would have to walk. And he doesn't have my stamina.

ZZZ...ZZZ...

146

F LI T

FLIT

F LI T

Yu Long!

Shh! Don’t make sound. You hear me?

Eh, never mind. They're all passed out drunk.

boilk

KRUNCH

CRASH

Hrm... Erh...Hmm? Who's there?

What was that?

Thief! Stop him! burp

148

Oh, great! Now we've done it. The monkey has returned. Everyone wake up! Sound the alarm!

Your Highness! That vicious monkey has come back for his horse and baggage. He's trying to flee!

Lock the doors and close the gate! Capture that little rat!

Hold it! You're not going anywhere!

Oh, yeah?

S HU

Yu Long! I'll come back for you and the bags!

U

SH

U H S Huh? Where'd he go?

Sire! The dungeon is empty! They're all gone!

The monkey must have freed them all.

150

No matter! It just means we get to hunt them down again!

He vanished just like that!

Ha ha ha! Here they are!

Sire! Would you like a sneak attack?

No! Let me handle this!

!

Oh, no. Not again!

We've fallen for it twice!

Not good!

151

Hurrah! Great King!

You did it again!

Ha ha ha! That was too easy! I could do this a third time!

Ha ha ha!

This guy is wearing on my last nerve.

Why does every monster have some kind of special weapon they use?

It's like they all fell out of some deity's pocket.

SUN WU KONG! DON'T BE AFRAID!

I'VE COME TO HLEP YOU...

153

Are you sure?

Great The King! monkey was not in the sack. Ooh, he is a clever little villain. But he is also proving to be royal pain in my--

Sire! The monkey is back!

I think you know he wants to see you.

154

HA

HA HA

Very well! I will go meet him. Just when I was losing interest, he falls into my lap!

HA!

He's mine now.

So are you a monkey or a chicken? You're back, but you always seem to run away!

What, you think I'm scared of you?

I'd be more afraid of a blind rabbit.

You're just a coward with strong weapons.

What did you say?

Who are you calling a coward?

I’m calling you a coward, you unibrowed tub of lard!

You may have a giant gut, but do you have the guts to fight me fairly?

I only used the weapons to go easy on you!

You're about to find out!

I thought you wanted a fair fight. Why do you keep fleeing?

156

I’m not fleeing. You’re just too slow.

Oh…

WU KONG HAD HYPNOTIZED KING HUANG MEI, WHO MINDLESSLY FOLLOWED HIM.

Look! He's got the monkey in retreat!

Ha! The little rat is scared to death! 157

huff, huff Where is he hiding?

Ah! A watermelon patch. I was getting thirsty anyway.

158

Hello! Please mind your step. You might damage my watermelons.

No, more like a monkey who looks like a man.

Execuse me. Did a monkey pass by here?

A man who looks like a monkey? Why would a monkey come here?

I haven't seen any animals here.

He must have fled elsewhere. Still, I need to quench my thirst.

You grew all of these watermelons? Yes, I did.

159

That's not called for. Take your pick.

Ha ha ha!

May I have one?

I am so thirsty I could drink urine.

Here! This one looks like it will taste good.

D! U H T

160

I'm sure it will.

How do you like it?

nom, nom, nom It's great!

Ugh! My stomach! What’s going on?

My stomach is being torn apart!

HELLO, YOU STUPID ANIMAL. REMEMBER ME?

Please forgive me! Have mercy...

WHERE ARE MY WEAPONS?

Ah! Mi Le!

Here is the sack. But Wu Kong broke the cymbals.

I'm sorry I stole them from you.

SUN WU KONG! YOU CAN COME OUT NOW.

What? Sun Wu Kong?

No! He did this?

I WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS. GO SAVE YOUR MASTER.

Thank you, Mi Le. If I'd know he was one of your servants, I would have bugged you earlier! 162

You do, do you?

HA HA! I WILL SEE THAT HE DOES NO MORE EVIL DEED. BUT I ASK THAT YOU FORGIVE HIM.

...So the unibrowed fatty was a former servant of Buddha Mi Le.

That makes sense. His disguise was so good because he learned from the best.

He's the one who disguised himself as Buddha.

Wu Kong, this has been all my fault. I should have trusted you from the beginning.

Me, neither. I won’t make that mistake again.

Hey, it could have happened to anyone. You wanted to reach the West so bad, you trusted an illusion. I'd say you need to rid yourself of greed.

We'll get to the West soon.

Indeed. It appears that this time I've learned something important from you.

Appendix

SYNOPSIS

THE GOLDEN TEMPLE

As autumn draws to a close, San Zang have traveled well past the dangerous Mount Flame when they come upon an enormous city. It is the capital of the JiSai Kingdom, and at its center is an enormous Buddhist temple. When the traveling companions arrive in the city, they look for food and lodging. Bajie volunteers to go looking for food, but when he asks a local vendor for charity in the name of Buddha, he is angrily rebuked and then physically attacked. Wu Kong intervenes and subdues the vendors, and the four friends continue to walk the streets of the city. Soon, they come upon a group of shackled monks begging for food. The monks explain to them that the JiSai Kingdom was once blessed with good fortune emanating from a magical treasure that rested at the top of the golden temple. One day, the

166

treasure was stolen, and as the kingdom’s fortunes declined, the king’s angry subjects accused the priests of the theft. The king severely punished the innocent monks and allowed the golden temple to fall into disrepair. The real culprit was never discovered. San Zang pledges to plead the monks’ case before the king, and in the meantime he and Wu Kong go to the temple to clean it up. While Wu Kong is cleaning the top floor, he discovers two henchmen of Jiu Tou Chong, the sea monster who stole the kingdom’s treasure and ordered his two minions to guard the tower and await San Zang’s arrival. Jiu Tou Chong, who is the son-in-law of the WanSheng Sea King, has tremendous ambition and believes that capturing San Zang will bring great glory to his father-in-law’s kingdom. When they are done interrogating the guards, Sha Wu Jing and Yu Long show up and tell them that Jiu Tou Chong attacked them, looking for San Zang and eventually kidnapping Bajie. When San Zang orders Wu Kong to go to the palace of the sea king, rescue Bajie, and recover the stolen treasure, Yu Long steps forward and offers to help. It turns out, he has a history with Jiu Tou Chong: when Yu Long was still a sea prince, Jiu Tou Chong stole the woman he was supposed to marry. Afterward, Yu Long became so enraged

167

that he destroyed his father’s sea palace and was banished from the kingdom. When they arrive at the sea palace, Yu Long offers to go in and rescue Bajie, since Wu Kong is not very powerful under water. He frees Bajie, who goes on a rampage and tries to kill the entire kingdom. He kills the king’s grandson, and the enraged king chases Bajie to the water’s edge, where Sun Wu Kong kills him. Yu Long is still fighting in the palace when Jiu Tou Chong is summoned to fight him. Jiu Tou Chong tries to explain to Yu Long what happened with his fianceé, but Yu Long does not believe him and will not forgive him. Yu Long leaves, and Jiu Tou Chong is told about the king’s pursuit of Bajie. He swims to the water’s edge, where Sun Wu Kong and Bajie are waiting for him with the dead king. Wu Kong fails to kill Jiu Tou Chong, who appears in his nine-headed monster form, and the prince recovers the sea king’s body. As a funeral is being held for the sea king, San Zang appears before the king of JiSai and tells him who actually stole his treasure. The king is about to dispatch an army when San Zang assures him that his disciples can handle the situation. Meanwhile, back at the sea palace, Bajie has returned and begun fighting practically everyone.

168

He draws Jiu Tou Chong to the water’s surface, where Wu Kong and God Er Lang await the pair. When the monster surfaces, God Er Lang attacks him and eventually kills him. Wu Kong and Bajie recover the treasure, which is restored to the top of the golden temple. The king of JiSai pledges to make amends by helping the monks and restoring their temples. The traveling companions leave the kingdom, and before long they come upon a place with a name very familiar to San Zang. He believes they have reached their destination, LeiYin Temple, home of the Mahayana Sutras. But Sun Wu Kong senses that something is wrong. Over his disciple’s objections, San Zang enters the temple and sees Buddha, but Wu Kong attacks, calling him an impostor. Sure enough, it is not the real Buddha, but rather King Huang Mei, who traps Wu Kong in a pair of enchanted symbols and kidnaps San Zang. A team of heavenly guardians are dispatched to help Wu Kong escape, and once he’s free he confronts Huang Mei, who uses a magical sack to capture Wu Kong and the heavenly guardians. Wu Kong manages to escape, and with the help of Buddha Mi Le, who is the former master of Huang Mei, he frees his friends and master so that they can continue their journey to the West.

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THEMES OF THE JOURNEY TO THE WEST

A COVETOUS NATURE

When San Zang and his disciples enter the JiSai Kingdom, they discover a land that was once blessed and prosperous, but has fallen upon an age of ruin because the precious treasure that sat atop the kingdom’s Golden Temple has been stolen. Not long before, the temple’s treasure provided a golden illumination that many felt was the blessing of the gods. But when the treasure was stolen the light was snuffed out, and all the surrounding lands that bestowed gifts and wealth upon the JiSai Kingdom in exchange for the temple’s blessing have long since stopped paying dues. Angry about the kingdom’s sudden shortfall of material wealth, the citizens of the kingdom convince their king that a band of Buddhist monks have stolen the treasure and persuade him into severely punishing them. The monks are entirely innocent of the

170

crime, since they have no need or desire for material wealth, but that makes little difference to the materialist citizens of the kingdom; their covetous nature is so profound that they don’t care if those punished for stealing are guilty or not--they simply want someone, anyone, to pay for the things they no longer have. Once the true culprits of the theft have been found, the mission to retrieve them is threatened most severely not by the fighting ability of the adversary, but rather by the envy of one of San Zang’s disciples. When Yu Long confronts his one-time best friend, Jiu Tou Chong, over the loss of his former fiancée, it becomes clear that what first seems like a man fighting for the woman he loves is in fact a man fighting for the woman he once possessed. After all, Yu Long’s was intended to be an arranged marriage, and his fiancée clearly did not feel the same way about him as he felt about her; indeed, her feelings toward him are so cold that she advises Jiu Tou Chong to kill Yu Long. Yu Long’s insistence on fighting his friend over a woman who does not love him suggests that perhaps he wasn’t banished from heaven merely for destroying a temple; it could also have been because he coveted someone so blindly in the first place. These predicaments highlight one of the central themes of

171

Journey to the West. It is easy to forget, since we have been following four rather noble Buddhist monks throughout the story, one of the objectives of the journey to recover the Mahayana Sutras is to deliver humanity from such torments as coveting material wealth. It is an affliction that can make it virtually impossible to achieve enlightenment—the idea that an object can make one being superior to another is against the tenants of Buddhism. In order to become enlightened, and advance along to the path to becoming a Buddha, it is necessary to cast off any desire for worldly possessions, be they treasure or people. This is what makes Bajie such a consistent nuisance: his covetous behavior toward women, which treats them like objects that must be possessed and creates a hysteria in Bajie almost like gold fever, has threatened to derail the journey on several occasions. Completion of the journey to the West will require master and disciple alike to exercise extraordinary discipline and turn away from covetous distraction. In the world of Journey to the West, greed is an obstacle that is just as dangerous as a monster. When Wu Kong and his brothers finally succeed in restoring the precious treasure to the JiSai kingdom, and it is place once more atop the Golden Temple, San Zang advises the king to rename the temple.

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Because gold is finite and the object of greed, it does not belong in a place of Buddhist prayer. Instead, he urges that the temple be renamed to commemorate something fixed and eternal, and suggests the name Temple of Eternal Light. What San Zang knows, and what the King of JiSai comes to understand, is that while gold may be considered precious, it does nothing to advance a person toward enlightenment. Light, however, is the perfect thing for a Buddhist to contemplate, because it has no material value but keeps everyone equally

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jiu tou chong

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“…the most extensive, graphic adaptations of China’s…great classical novels….” – Publishers Weekly

All-Ages Adventures Action

When San Zang and his disciples arrive in the JiSai kingdom, they find a oncepowerful city in decline and a frustrated king who has blamed the wrong people for the crime at the heart of his misfortune. Now, San Zang must convince the king to forgive those who have been falsely accused of theft, while Sun Wu Kong and Yu Long search deep under the sea for the stolen treasure that will restore the kingdom’s fortunes.

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