Mentioned in a Post a while back about a Jttw/LMK AU I had regarding the "Yellow Robed Demon" Arc when Tripitaka got turned into a tiger.
Book Summary;
Tripitaka manages to escape his capture (for once) and passes on a message to the King of Baoxiang from his daughter, Baihuaxiu, explaining that she was kidnapped and made the forced bride of a demon (ironically making it a magical version of what befell Tripitaka's mother when he was a baby).
Kui Mulang rolls in with a human glamour and goes: "Nu-Uh! I'm but a humble human hunter. THIS guy is a tiger demon who attacked a girl some time ago. I save her and we've been living a simple life for the last 13 years!" (Lie)
So the dude pulls an Uno-Reverse and transforms Tripitaka into a tiger (or in some versions, glamours him into one). The King and his subjects believe this 100% since Tripitaka and the Pilgrims don't look so great without Wukong there to act as PR (he was exiled at the time for the White Bone Spirit incident).
Tripitaka is apparently aching-beautiful no matter his form though;
Wukong even feels kinda bad for his Master, since the transformation is so good that he can't even see through it with Gold Vision. Also imagine a sad giant kitty, that would bum anyone out.
Of course things are resolved by the end of the arc; the gang reunite with their monkey, Ao Lie gets his own badass chapter, the Princess is saved, Bajie kills the couple's two half-demon wolf children, the Yellow Robed Demon is revealed to be Revatī - the Wood Wolf of Legs after Wukong catches the demon commenting on his performance during the Havoc (Wukong has a few Columbo moments in the book like this), and Tripitaka is transformed back into his squishy monk self.
Bonus - Tripitaka as a tiger from a book illustration + the 1999 cartoon.
The book illustration + description suggests he's a rare Pseudo-melanistic "Black Tiger" seen in India, possibly an Indo-Chinese Tiger, or a South China Tiger with a darker back.
So here's where the timeline shifts...
The Wood Wolf of Legs ain't happy to be dragged away from (what he believed to be mutual) his true love on earth + his two kids, so he curses the Tang Monk to not only retain part of the glamour he imposed upon him, but to transform him fully into a carnivorous feline demon. Also as an extra "F-k you!" to the Jade Court he and his past love fled from, since the Queen Mother is a celestial tigress herself.
The Pilgrims freak out, obviously.
Guanyin is called up and is like;
Guanyin: "Well, you did unjustly punish and exile your best bodyguard because you didn't trust his judgement, seeing him only as a murderous beast... so *your* punishment is to deal with the rest of your Journey as one of the very same creatures you see as mindlessly bloodthirsty."
Tripitaka, now cursed to stay a catboy: "Dang it." (≽^╥⩊╥^≼)
He still gets to wear the robes and walk upright -think Master Tigress from Kung Fu Panda but as a wimpy, twink-shaped, monk.
Tripitaka aint' having fun. He's a life-long vegetarian who's suddenly an apex hypercarnivore. He tries his best for the longest time to stay on the veggies (and durian weirdly enough since tigers like those), but eventually he will need to chow down on some bleeding protein.
And his team literally consists of the main diet of a tiger...
Wukong, a monkey: "Master isn't looking too good."
Zhu Bajie, a pig: "I don't like the way he's been looking at us. I burnt my finger making the campfire and he looked ready to pounce!"
Sha Wujing, a fish: "I'm not surprised. Cats are of few beasts that absolutely require meat protein to survive."
Ao Lie, currently a horse: "If he goes feral, I vote we sacrifice the pig first."
Wujing & Wukong: "Agreed."
Zhu Bajie: "HEY!!" (₍•̀ ⚇•́ ₎)
Tripitaka, meditating hard: "Perhaps if I eat a watermelon, it would sustain my desire for flesh?"
What worse?
Tripitaka is still considered smoking hot. Now by demon standards too!
The Trio of Lion Camel Ridge prepare to attack the Pilgrims when;
Azure Lion: (*sees that the Great Monk is actually a beautiful tiger.*)
Azure Lion, lowering his sword: "Guys, do not mess this up for me."
Peng & Yellow Tusk: (*annoyed groans!*)
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