In this, this series, the monk Tangseng and his disciples have been traveling for two or three years. They arrive at a secluded mountain monastery, which turns out to be the home of a powerful master Zhenyuan and an ancient and magical ginseng tree. As usual, the travelers' search for a nice hot meal and a place to sleep quickly turns into a disaster. Although Zhenyuan has gone away for a few days, he has left his two youngest disciples in charge. They welcome the travelers, but soon there are misunderstandings, arguments, battles in the sky, and before long, the travelers are facing a powerful and extremely angry adversary, as well as mysterious magic fruits and a large frying pan full of hot oil. This book is based on Journey to The West, an epic novel written in the 16th-Century by Wu Chen'en. The novel is loosely based on an actual journey by the Buddhist monk Tangseng (called Xuanzang and Sanzang in earlier books), who traveled from the Chinese city of Chang'an westward to India in 629 A.D. and returned 17 years later with priceless knowledge and texts of Buddhism. Over the course of the book, the band of travelers face the 81-tribulations that Tangseng had to endure to attain Buddhahood. All of the stories in this series are all written in simple language suitable for intermediate Chinese learners.
