Thorn Ridge

On a barren and mysterious Thorn Ridge grows an ancient pine tree, Squire Eighteen. Squire Eighteen is not an ordinary pine tree. He is a pine tree demon with a long time of witnessing the vicissitudes of Thorn Ridge.

He stands alone on the mountain ridge, taking the mountain wind as his companion and dancing with the stars. Every day, he immersed himself in the seclusion of the mountains, sometimes listening to the songs of the birds, sometimes enjoying the dance of the flowing clouds. He gained a more profound understanding of the meaning of life and developed a unique emotion for his existence.

One day, Tang Monk and his disciples passed by Thorn Ridge. They had traveled through mountains and rivers to get the Scriptures. When they arrived at Thorn Ridge, it was already nightfall.

The Tang Monk was exhausted and wanted to rest his feet on the ridge. At that moment, they saw Squire Eighteen.

The Tang Monk approached Squire Eighteen, wanting to ask him some questions. Squire Eighteen looked at the monk who had come from afar and sensed his inner devotion and determination. So they began a deep conversation.

Tang Monk and Squire Eighteen had a fascinating conversation. They talked about the meaning of life, the value of morality, and the wonders of nature. Their thoughts collided and inspired each other, creating a unique way of communication.

Tang Monk began reciting a poem to express his feelings and thoughts. His poem was sincere in emotion and profound in meaning. Squire Eighteen was deeply moved when he heard the poem. He also began to chant a poem in his language, and his poetry was full of reverence for nature and respect for life.

The poems of the two echoed and blended. Their poems flowed like fresh springs in the mountains, washing each other's hearts. They exchanged poems and better understood each other's thoughts and feelings.

However, Bajie, who had just found Tang Monk, mistakenly thought Squire Eighteen wanted to harm Tang Monk. So he attacked Squire Eighteen.

In the battle, Squire Eighteen did not use weapons or spells but poetry as a weapon. He used poetry to express his emotions and thoughts to sensitize Tang Monk and the others. However, Bajie misunderstands his intentions and thinks he is confusing Tang Monk, so he uses the Nine-Toothed Nail Harrow to beat him to death.

At the moment of Squire Eighteen's fall, his poems still echoed, and they were as bleak and harsh as the wind on Thorn Ridge. Tang Monk looked at him sadly, and he felt a deep sense of pain and remorse. He understood that his encounter with Squire Eighteen could have led to more understanding and peace, but he had lost that opportunity through misunderstanding.

Bajie looked at what was happening before him, his heart filled with horror and confusion. He could not understand why such a demonic-looking old pine tree would express itself in such pure poetry while his own greed and fear blinded him.

In sorrow and remorse, Tang Monk decided to bury Squire Eighteen on Thorn Ridge. They honored the ancient pine tree demon by using poetry as an epitaph. Tang Monk and his disciples continued their journey to the West, but this sad memory remained in their hearts forever.

On Thorn Ridge, a new pine tree began to grow. Its branches and leaves shimmer with hope, as timeless and resilient as the poetry of Squire Eighteen. When people walked by, they would hear the sound of poetry coming from the wind, Squire Eighteen's poetry echoing on Thorn Ridge.

Artist:

@braun_______

(Explainer - 152)