In this episode, the destined one explores the side plot of the game—Kingdom of Sahali, along with the stories behind the Yellow Wind Sage, the Yellow-Robed Squire, and the colossal insect Fuban.
Was there ever a mention of the Kingdom of Flowing Sands or the Kingdom of Sahali in the original “Journey to the West”? Indeed, there was. This realm was referenced when Tang Seng and his disciples passed by the Flaming Mountain.
In the game, the backstory of the Kingdom of Sahali is further developed. Located in the distant west, at the edge of the sky where the sun sets, lies a secretive nation once known as the Kingdom of Flowing Sands. This land is filled with gold, but the thunderous roar produced as the sun’s true fire sinks into the sea at sunset torments its inhabitants. Each evening, as the sun dips into the Western sea, it’s as if flames are quenched in water, stirring up a boiling turmoil that shakes the soul and can even kill infants.
The Buddha, in his compassion, bestowed upon the Kingdom of Flowing Sands a sunset drum. Each time at Shenyou, the king would send people to beat the drum and blow horns atop the city walls, using the mixed sounds to mask the noise of the roaring sea, thereby protecting the children within the city from being startled. The citizens, feeling secure, were profoundly grateful to the Buddha, practicing Buddha Dharma devoutly throughout the nation and creating numerous Dharmakayas in Golden Body form. Thus, the country came to be known as the Golden Buddha Kingdom.
However, as the fervor for the Buddha’s teachings spread, temples sprouted everywhere, and the people’s faith in the Buddha began to overshadow their loyalty to the king. The conflict between religion and royal authority escalated until the king finally ordered the destruction of the temples and expelled the practitioners, renaming the country the Kingdom of Sahali.
From then on, whenever the drum was struck on the city towers, a beast carrying a stone Buddha’s head would rise from the earth, wreaking havoc on the border villages and causing numerous casualties. This creature was known as Fuban. Some said it was divine retribution for the king’s suppression of Buddhism; others believed it was drawn by the sound of the drums, an Evil Spirit.
With no other choice, the king dispatched his army to exterminate the beast. However, how could mere mortals contend with such a colossal creature? Even the Kingdom of Sahali’s most elite troops, armed with the most advanced weapons, could not inflict the slightest harm on the beast. Each confrontation resulted in heavy losses. At this critical moment, a friar with blond hair, known as the Yellow Wind Sage, passed by and heroically slew the Guai Fuban. The king was immensely grateful, appointing him as the National Preceptor and heeding his advice in all matters.
Following this, the king issued the “Respect for Rats Decree” to repay the Yellow Wind Sage for his kindness. Throughout the Kingdom of Sahali, rats were declared creatures blessed by the heavens, not to be harmed, and were allowed to live among the people. Due to this decree, everyone in the Kingdom of Sahali, including the king himself, turned into giant rats.
Yellow Wind Sage felt that it was his subduing of Fuban and the subsequent respect he received from the king that led to the disastrous transformation. Consequently, Yellow Wind Sage left the capital of the Kingdom of Sahali and wandered to Yellow Wind Ridge, reverting to his true Yaoguai nature. From then on, the legends of the Kingdom of Sahali vanished with the wind, leaving behind only a desert of yellow sand and endless sighs.
So, where did the colossal insect Fuban in the game come from? And what story lies behind it?
When the Destined One returned to the Kingdom of Sahali with the help of the Yellow-Robed Squire, the squire shared the past and present of the country. Who is the Yellow-Robed Squire, you might ask? He is none other than Pig Guai, a brother from the Meishan brothers and also a sibling of Erlang Shen Yang Jian.
The Yellow-Robed Squire mentioned that when the Yellow Wind Sage was eliminating the giant insect, he once said that the insect, Fuban, seemed to possess supreme Buddha power, suggesting that this giant insect’s origins might be related to Buddhism. Moreover, at the end of this section’s animation, it introduced the mounts of various Bodhisattvas, hinting that this giant insect could also be the mount of a Bodhisattva. Thus, it is very likely that Fuban was released by Bodhisattva Lingji. The reason Bodhisattva Lingji might have released this giant insect could be because the king ordered a cessation of reverence towards Buddhism, shaking the very foundation of Buddhism.
In the game, the final boss of the second chapter, Yellow Wind Sage, was originally a yellow-furred marmot from Vulture Peak who one day stole some sacred oil from a glazed cup. The Four Vajras attempted to capture him but failed. Later, Tathagata Buddha gave Bodhisattva Lingji a Wind-Calming Pill and the Flying Dragon Staff, which finally allowed them to apprehend him and bring him before the Buddha. Tathagata Buddha, believing that the small mouse didn’t deserve death, instructed Bodhisattva Lingji to release him back to the mountains to live in hidden retreat, under strict supervision.
However, Bodhisattva Lingji’s ashram was over two thousand miles away from Yellow Wind Ridge, which made it less of a detention and more of a release into the wild. As long as Yellow Wind Sage stayed within the mountains, he lived quite freely and comfortably. Later, as he passed through the Kingdom of Sahali, he righteously intervened in a local conflict. After leaving Yellow Wind Ridge and returning, he brought back the Root Instrument of the Great Sage and Bodhisattva Lingji’s head for his spiritual practice. This becomes a part of the storyline that the destined one will explore in Black Myth: Wukong.
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