Why couldn't there be any missing master and disciple in Journey to the West?
In Journey to the West, the four masters and disciples could not be missing because this was the official lineup of the four masters and disciples of Tang Sanzang. Tang Sanzang was the Buddhist leader who went to fetch the scriptures, while Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing were Tang Sanzang's right-hand men and guards. If there was no one among the four of them, then Tang Sanzang would not be able to lead them to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures and the mission would not be completed. In the novel, Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie were very smart, brave and loyal characters, while Sha Wujing had superb martial arts and wisdom. If any one of the four of them were missing, it would be extremely difficult to obtain the scriptures. Therefore, only Tang Sanzang, Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing could work together to successfully complete the mission.