Great Demon Sun Wukong

Sun Wukong was stunned for a long time and finally turned his head with some difficulty, gazing at Sha Wujing behind him with a face full of sorrow. Wukong almost roared, "What exactly happened to Master? Why would he say such a thing?" Sha Wujing sighed and said, "Actually, Eldest Brother, you were in meditation for an entire Chinese hour, and Master woke up less than a quarter-hour after you entered meditation. However, for some reason, his memory has remained at the time when we were fetching the True Scriptures in the Western Paradise. I have confirmed this over and over again, there can be no mistake!" Though Wujing was somewhat saddened, for him, as long as Master was alive, that was more important than anything.

Sun Wukong turned back around and tentatively asked, "Master, do you really not remember? We've already reached the Western Paradise, met Tathagata, and obtained the True Scriptures. I was conferred the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha, and Master regained his status as Golden Cicada!" No sooner had Wukong finished speaking than Sanzang angrily retorted, "Stop talking nonsense. How many times have I told you that this journey to the Western Paradise must be made step by step, without the slightest bit of luck. How far have we traveled that you would say we've reached the Western Paradise? Wukong, I know you are anxious, but many things can't always be achieved through shortcuts. Right, where exactly has Bajie gone? And where is this place? Why don't I seem to remember?"

Listening to Sanzang's all-too-familiar reprimands, Sun Wukong suddenly felt a pain in his heart. Over the years, how many times had Master said these words to him, yet he had never seriously listened even once. Now, hearing them again, Wukong's heart was filled with an inexplicable sadness. "Master's teachings are correct, your disciple dares not again. Bajie went to beg for alms, he'll return soon, and the dragon horse I've taken to graze. Once Bajie is back, we'll set off. Master, do you really not remember where this place is?"

Sanzang first nodded but then, hearing Sun Wukong's question, touched the back of his head in confusion and said uncertainly, "All I remember is being in a land of ice and snow, and I needed to find a very important person. But who was I supposed to find? Wukong, was I injured by a demon? Why does my head hurt?" Sun Wukong's heart sank with even more sorrow, for he already knew the reason for Master's confused memories.

Originally, he had gone to the Extreme Northern Ice Field in search of the Five-Colored Divine Stone of the Water Attribute. During the fusion with the Divine Stone, he was completely frozen, and all signs of life vanished from him. Master, in searching for him, ventured alone into the Extreme Northern Ice Field and ultimately froze to death on the road. It must have been then, the extreme cold of the Extreme Northern Ice Field that damaged Master's spirit, causing his memory to revert to the time of our journey to the Western Paradise.

All of this, it was his own fault!

But Sun Wukong knew that now was not the time for self-blame. Master had just woken up; perhaps there was still a way to restore the damaged memory. Just as Wukong was about to probe Master's spirit with his Divine Sense, the Annihilation Nine Headed Serpent within him suddenly spoke, "Kid, don't waste your effort. This monk's situation is special, it's not amnesia—those memories are completely lost."

"Hmm? What do you mean? Do you know the situation with my Master?"

"I am called Snake Nine, your Master's case of amnesia is different. Normal amnesia is like covering something with a cloth, which prevents you from seeing it and makes you think it's gone. But when you lift the cloth, the object reappears. However, in your Master's case, the object itself has been completely destroyed and has vanished, with no way to find it again!" Sun Wukong sat directly on the ground, a bitter taste in his heart.

Yet Snake Nine spoke again, "However, it's not entirely impossible." Just as Snake Nine finished speaking, a great force came from within, and Sun Wukong pulled the entire Annihilation Nine Headed Serpent out from his Dantian. Wukong, now clearly agitated, demanded, "Speak quickly, what's the method?" Snake Nine's head was nearly squeezed off by Wukong and it hastily shouted with another head, "Release me, if you kill me, you'll be in deep trouble!"

Sun Wukong then came to his senses and quickly let go. Snake Nine twisted its body and said annoyed, "Sun Wukong, I warn you, be more careful next time. If you really accidentally kill me, then you're really going to be in deep trouble." Wukong didn't take Snake Nine's threatening words to heart. Seeing Sun Wukong's anxious look, Snake Nine didn't keep him in suspense any longer and said, "There is only one possibility, and that is to allow the memories that have been destroyed and vanished to sprout again in your Master's heart. That way, there is a chance that those memories could slowly be recovered."

"Sprout? How can it sprout?" "A person's memories are actually imprinted in their entire soul. Even if they are completely lost, there will still be a trace of a seed left in the soul. If you have a way to make this seed sprout, then there is hope. As for how to make it sprout, I don't know. After all, I don't understand your Master!" Sun Wukong asked thoughtfully, "Is it like a big tree that has been cut down but the root is still there, and if I can make the root grow again, there's a chance the original tree could regrow?"

"Theoretically, that's how it is. Honestly, you are truly unlucky. Even your Master Zun in the Patrolling Celestial World needs a similar method. By the way, I just remembered something, is there anything in the memories your Master currently possesses that he is particularly obsessed with? Like something he had done before, and although it is part of the lost memories, he still wants to carry on with it now?"