Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The law arises from the mind, and it also perishes through the mind.

Who is responsible for its arising and perishing? I ask you to discern this for yourself.

Since it all comes from one's own mind, why need you rely on another's words?

You need only apply yourself with bitter effort, and wring blood from iron.

Thread a rope through the nose, and tie a firm knot in the void.

Hitch it to the tree of non-action, and do not let it act recklessly or stray.

Do not mistake the thief for your son—let both mind and dharma be utterly forgotten.

Do not let it deceive me—shatter it with a single fist.

When mind appears, it is yet no mind; when dharma appears, the dharma too is stilled.

When neither man nor ox is seen, the blue sky shines pure and bright.

Round like the autumn moon, neither can be distinguished from the other.

This gatha was composed by Master Xuanzang after he had thoroughly understood the *Duoxin Sutra* (Sutra of the Multiplicity of Minds) and opened its gateway. The elder recited and cherished it constantly, and a point of spiritual light shone through him of its own accord.

Now let us speak of the three travelers on the road, who drank the wind and slept by the waters, journeying by moonlight and under the stars. Soon they arrived at the height of summer's scorching days. And this is what they saw:

The flowers had all faded, and the butterflies had no sentiment left to express; the trees were tall, and the cicadas clamored with sound. Wild silkworms had spun their cocoons, and the fiery pomegranate blossoms were glorious; new lotus flowers appeared upon the marshes.

One day, as they were traveling, the sky suddenly grew dark, and they saw a village dwelling by the roadside. Tripitaka said, "Wukong, look—the setting sun has hidden its fiery mirror behind the western hills, and the rising moon reveals its icy wheel over the eastern sea. Fortunately there is a house by the road. Let us lodge there for the night and continue tomorrow." Zhu Bajie said, "Quite right. This old pig is rather hungry too. Let us go to the house and beg some vegetarian food. Once I have strength, I can carry the luggage properly." Sun Wukong said, "You homesick creature! You've only been away from home a few days and you're already complaining." Bajie said, "Brother, you can't compare yourself to me—you who drink the wind and feed on mist! Ever since I followed the Master these past few days, I've been enduring hunger with half an empty stomach. Do you know that?" Tripitaka heard this and said, "Wuneng, if your attachment to home is so strong, then you are not truly a monk. You may as well go back." The fool panicked and knelt down. "Master, don't listen to what Senior Brother says—he's slandering me. I didn't complain at all, yet he says I complained. I'm a simple-minded fool with a straight gut. I merely said I was hungry and that it would be good to find a household to beg food from, and he called me a homesick creature. Master, I have received the Bodhisattva's precepts, and I have your compassion as well. I am willing to serve you, Master, on the journey to the Western Heaven, with no thought of turning back. This is what is called 'enduring hardship in cultivation.' How can you say I am not a monk?" Tripitaka said, "Since that is so, then get up."

The fool leaped to his feet, muttering and grumbling as he shouldered the load, and with no choice but to set his heart to follow along. Soon they arrived at the gate of the house by the roadside. Tripitaka dismounted, Wukong took the reins, and Bajie set down the luggage. They all stood beneath the green shade of the trees. Tripitaka, leaning on his nine-ringed tin staff, adjusted his vine-woven, bamboo-coarse cape, and went ahead to the gate. He saw an old man reclining on a bamboo couch, softly murmuring the Buddha's name. Tripitaka did not dare to speak loudly; slowly he called out, "Benefactor, I greet you." The old man sprang up with a start, hastily straightened his clothes, and came out the gate to return the bow. "Elder, I have been remiss in greeting you. Where do you come from, and what brings you to my humble door?" Tripitanga said, "I am a monk from the Great Tang in the East, sent by imperial decree to Leiyin Temple to worship the Buddha and seek the sutras. Having reached this blessed land at dusk, I wish to beg lodging in your household for one night. I earnestly beseech your kindness." The old man waved his hand and shook his head. "You cannot go. It is too difficult to obtain the sutras in the Western Heaven. If you want sutras, go to the Eastern Heaven instead." Tripitaka said nothing but pondered silently within: "The Bodhisattva pointed the way to the west—why does this old man say to go east? How could there be sutras in the east?" He was too embarrassed to speak, and for a long while he made no reply.

Now Sun Wukong was by nature fierce and intolerant. He could not restrain himself and stepped forward, calling out loudly: "You old man, at your great age, you are utterly unreasonable. We monks have come from afar seeking lodging, and you frighten us with such tiresome talk. Even if your house is too narrow and there is no room to sleep, we can sit under a tree for the night and not bother you at all." The old man seized Tripitaka's arm. "Master, you say nothing, but that disciple of yours—with that angular face and sunken cheeks, thunder-god mouth, and red eyes—looks like a consumptive demon. How dare he talk back to an old man like me?" Wukong laughed. "You old fellow, you really have no eye for quality. Those who are handsome on the outside are often good-looking but useless. I may be small, but I'm quite sturdy—nothing but sinew wrapped in skin!" The old man said, "You must have some skills then." Wukong said, "I would not boast, but I can hold my own." The old man said, "Where is your home? Why did you shave your head and become a monk?" Wukong said, "Old Monkey's ancestral home is in the Shuiliandong Cave on Mount Huaguo in the Aolai Kingdom, east of the Eastern Sea of Victorious Spirit Continent. From childhood I learned to be a demon and took the name Wukong. By my abilities I made myself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. But because I would not submit to Heaven's registers, I raised a great rebellion in Heaven and brought disaster upon myself. Now I have escaped calamity and turned to the Buddhist fold, seeking the right fruit. I am protecting this Master of the Tang Dynasty on his journey to worship the Buddha in the Western Heaven. What do I fear of perilous mountains and long roads, wide waters and raging waves? This old Monkey can catch monsters, subdue demons, tame tigers and seize dragons, kick at the sky and dig into the earth—I know a thing or two. If there is any knocking of bricks or tiles in your house, or pots calling and doors opening, this old Monkey can set it to rights."

The old man, upon hearing these words, laughed heartily and said, "So you're a glib-tongued monk who goes about bumping into people to beg for alms!"

Wukong said, "Your son is the glib one. These days, I've been so tired from traveling with my master that I can barely be bothered to speak."

The old man said, "If you weren't tired and didn't keep your mouth shut, you'd have talked me to death. Since you have such abilities, you can still make it to the West—yes, you can. How many are in your party? Please come to my humble cottage and rest."

Tripitaka said, "We are most grateful to you, kind benefactor, for not driving us away. There are three of us."

The old man said, "Where is the third?"

Wukong pointed and said, "This old fellow's eyesight is failing. Isn't that him standing under the green shade?"

The old man's eyes were indeed poor. He suddenly looked up and examined the figure more closely. The moment he saw Bajie's hideous face, he was so terrified that he stumbled and staggered, running wildly into the house, shouting, "Close the gate! Close the gate! A demon is here!"

Wukong rushed forward and grabbed him. "Old man, don't be afraid. He's not a demon—he's my junior brother."

The old man trembled and said, "Very well, very well. One uglier than the other, these monks."

Bajie stepped forward and said, "Old sir, if you judge people by their looks, you're making a great mistake. We may be ugly, but we are all useful."

While the old man was standing at his gate talking with the three monks, they saw two young men approaching from the south of the village, accompanied by an old woman and three or four small children. They had been planting rice, their clothes tucked up and their feet bare. They saw a white horse and a load of luggage making a commotion at the old man's gate and, not knowing what was happening, they all crowded forward and asked, "What's going on here?"

Bajie turned his head, flapped his ears several times, and stretched out his long snout. The people were so frightened that they toppled over in every direction, stumbling and falling in a panic.

Tripitaka was alarmed and called out repeatedly, "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! We are not bad people. We are monks going to fetch the scriptures."

The old man then came out of the house, helped the old woman up, and said, "Get up, mother, and don't be frightened. This master has come from the Tang Empire. His disciples may have ugly faces, but they are fierce in appearance and kind in heart. Take the children inside."

The old woman then took the old man's arm, and the two young men led the children in.

Tripitaka sat on a bamboo couch in the gateway and complained, "Disciples, the two of you are not only ugly in appearance but coarse in speech. You've terrified this whole family half to death, and you're making me accumulate sins on their account!"

Bajie said, "To tell you the truth, master, I've become much more handsome since I started following you. Back in my old days at Old Gao's village, when I thrust my snout forward and flapped my ears, I used to scare twenty or thirty people to death at a time."

Wukong laughed and said, "Don't talk nonsense, idiot. At least try to look a little less hideous."

Tripitaka said, "Look at what Wukong says. Your looks are born with you—how can you change them?"

Wukong said, "Tuck that rake-like snout into your chest and don't let it show. Press those fan-like ears flat against the back of your head and don't flap them. That's how you tidy yourself up."

Bajie actually tucked his snout in and pressed his ears back, bowed his head, and stood to one side. Wukong carried the luggage inside and tied the white horse to a post.

Then the old man led a young man who brought a wooden tray with three cups of clear tea as an offering. After the tea, he ordered that a vegetarian meal be prepared. The young man brought out an old table with holes in it and no lacquer left, along with two broken-legged benches, and set them in the courtyard, inviting the three monks to sit in the cool.

Tripitaka then asked, "What is your honored surname, kind benefactor?"

The old man said, "My surname is Wang."

"How many sons do you have?"

"I have two sons and three grandsons."

Tripitaka said, "Congratulations, congratulations."

He then asked, "How old are you?"

"I have foolishly reached the age of sixty-one."

Wukong said, "Good, good, good—a full cycle of sixty years doubled!"

Tripitaka asked again, "Kind benefactor, you said earlier that the scriptures of the West are difficult to obtain. Why is that?"

The old man said, "The scriptures are not difficult to obtain. It's just that the road is hard and treacherous. Going west from here, only about thirty li away, there is a mountain called the Eight-Hundred-Li Yellow Wind Ridge. That mountain is full of demons. That's why I said the scriptures are hard to get. But as for this young monk here, since he says he has many abilities, he should be able to make it."

Wukong said, "No problem, no problem. With old Sun and my junior brother here, no demon would dare bother us."

While they were talking, the son brought out the food and set it on the table, saying, "Please eat."

Tripitaka pressed his palms together and began reciting the grace before meals. Bajie had already swallowed one bowl. Before the master had finished a few lines of scripture, the idiot had eaten three more bowls.

Wukong said, "This bran-eater must have run into a hungry ghost."

The old man Wang was perceptive. Seeing how fast Bajie ate, he said, "This monk must truly be starving. Quick, bring more rice!"

The idiot truly had a massive appetite. Without even lifting his head, he ate more than ten bowls in a row. Tripitaka and Wukong each could barely manage two bowls. Bajie kept on eating without stopping.

Old Wang said, "We have no proper dishes to offer on such short notice, so I won't press you too hard. Please have a little more."

Tripitaka and Wukong both said, "We've had enough."

Bajie said, "Why do you keep dithering, old man? Who asked you to lecture us? What's all this talk about fifth line, sixth line? Just keep bringing the rice!"

In one sitting, the idiot ate up the entire family's supply of rice and still said he was only half full. Only then did they clear away the dishes. Beneath the gateway, they arranged bamboo couches and plank beds for the night.

The next day at dawn, Monkey saddled the horse, and Piggy arranged the luggage. The old Wang again instructed his wife to prepare some refreshments and soup to see them off. The three pilgrims expressed their thanks and took their leave. The old man said, "If you encounter any trouble along the road, by all means come back to our humble cottage." Monkey said, "Old fellow, don't talk nonsense. We who have left home to follow the Way never retrace our steps." And so they urged their horse and shouldered their load, heading west.

Ah! From this point onward, there would indeed be no good road leading to the Western Regions, and surely demons would bring great calamity. The three pilgrims had not traveled for half a day when they indeed came upon a lofty mountain, which was exceedingly perilous to behold. When Tripitaka's horse reached the cliff's edge, he tilted his precious saddle and looked, and truly:

The mountains were high, the ridges were steep; the cliffs were towering, the valleys were deep; the springs were murmuring, the flowers were bright. Were the mountains not high? Their summits touched the blue sky. Were the gorges not deep? Their bottoms reached down to the underworld. Before the mountains, there were billowing white clouds and jagged, towering strange rocks—countless soul-snatching cliffs of a thousand or ten thousand feet. Behind the cliffs, there were winding dragon-hiding caves, and within the caves there were dripping, tinkling rock formations. There were also branching-antlered deer watching people dully, coiled red-scaled pythos, and playful white-faced apes. There were tigers seeking their dens at evening on the hills, and dragons emerging from the waves at dawn, making the cave doors rattle loudly. Birds in the grass fluttered up with a whir, and beasts in the forest trotted about with a scuffle. When a pack of wolves and tigers suddenly passed by, it made one's heart pound with fright. Truly it was a mountain of caves within caves, caves within caves within the mountain. The blue-green peaks were dyed into a thousand feet of jade, and green gauze-like mist enshrouded ten thousand piles of smoke.

The Master slowly urged his silver-gray steed, the Great Sage Sun halted his cloud and walked slowly, and Zhu Wuneng trudged along with his load. As they were gazing at the mountain, they suddenly heard a great whirlwind rising. Tripitaka on his horse was alarmed and said, "Wukong, the wind is rising." Monkey said, "What are we afraid of the wind for? It is merely the seasonal air of Heaven. What is there to fear?" Tripitaka said, "This wind is very evil—it is different from the wind of Heaven." Monkey said, "How do you know it is different from the wind of Heaven?" Tripitaka said, "Look at this wind:

Vast and sweeping, rustling and soaring,

Dim and boundless, emerging from the blue sky.

Passing the ridges, it makes a thousand trees roar;

Entering the forest, it causes ten thousand bamboo stalks to sway.

By the shore, it moves the willows up by their roots;

In the garden, it blows flowers and leaves about together.

Fishing boats all haul in their cables tightly,

Sailing boats all cast their anchors.

Travelers halfway on their journey lose their way,

Woodcutters in the mountains can hardly carry their loads.

Monkeys scatter in the orchards among the trees,

Deer flee within the groves of rare flowers.

Cypresses and junipers on the cliff topple one by one,

Pines and bamboos in the gorge shed their leaves one by one.

It stirs up earth and raises dust, sand flying wildly;

It overturns rivers and churns waves, billows surging fiercely."

Piggy stepped forward and grabbed Monkey by the arm. "Brother, the wind is very strong. Let's find shelter for a while." Monkey laughed, "Brother, you're no use. If we hide whenever the wind is strong, what shall we do if we run into a demon face to face?" Piggy said, "Brother, haven't you heard the saying 'Avoid lust as you would avoid an enemy, avoid the wind as you would avoid an arrow'? If we take shelter, no one loses anything." Monkey said, "Say no more. Let me catch a handful of this wind and smell it." Piggy laughed, "Brother, you're talking nonsense again. How can you catch the wind to smell it? Even if you could catch it, it would slip right through your fingers." Monkey said, "Brother, you don't know that old Sun has a method for 'catching the wind.'" The great Sage let the head of the wind pass, then grabbed a handful of the tail end and smelled it. There was a fishy odor. He said, "Indeed this is no good wind. The smell of this wind is not the wind of a tiger—it must be the wind of a monster. There is definitely something strange about it."

Before he had finished speaking, from the slope of the mountain there leaped a striped tiger, tail flicking and hooves prancing. Tripitaka was so frightened that he could not stay in his carved saddle; he tumbled off his white horse and lay slumped by the roadside, his soul truly scattered and his spirit fled. Piggy dropped his luggage, grabbed his nine-toothed rake, and would not let Monkey go forward. With a great shout he cried, "You creature, where do you think you're going!" and rushed at it, striking at its head. The tiger stood bolt upright, raised its left front paw, dug into its own chest, and with a ripping sound tore its skin off, standing by the roadside. See what a fearsome sight it was! Ah! Its appearance:

A blood-dripping, stripped red body,

Crimson, curved legs and feet.

Flaming, disheveled hair on both temples,

Hard, bristling eyebrows standing straight up.

Snow-white four steel teeth,

Glittering a pair of golden eyes.

Fiercely, it roared with great vigor,

Boldly, it shouted in a terrible voice.

It cried, "Hold on, hold on! I am no other than the vanguard of the Great King Yellow Wind. I have received the King's strict orders to patrol the mountain and capture a few mortals to go with our wine. Where do you monks come from, that you dare raise weapons and injure me?" Piggy cursed, "You creature! You don't recognize us. We are not mere mortals passing by—we are the disciples of the Imperial Brother Tripitaka of the Great Tang in the East, who have been sent on a mission to worship Buddha and seek the scriptures in the West. You had better keep your distance far away, clear the road, and not alarm our Master, and I will spare your life. If you carry on as before, when my rake comes down, I will show no mercy." The demon would not listen to reason. It quickly stepped forward, assumed a posture, and lunged at Piggy's face to grab him. Piggy hastily dodged and swung his rake to strike. The monster had no weapons, so it turned and fled. Piggy chased after it. The monster reached a tangle of rocks at the foot of the slope, drew two brass swords, whirled them up, and turned to meet him. The two fought back and forth on the slope, charging and clashing in combat.

The Sun Xingzhe helped Tripitaka to his feet. "Master, don't be afraid. Sit here and wait while old Sun goes to help Piggy beat that monster so we can be on our way." Tripitaka had just sat down, trembling, reciting the Heart Sutra to himself.

The Pilgrim drew his iron rod and cried out, "Seize him!" At this, Bajie summoned his spirits, and the fiend fled the field in defeat. The Pilgrim said, "Don't spare him—we must catch up!" The two of them swung their rake and raised their iron rod, chasing him down the mountain. The fiend, flustered and panicked, employed the "Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell" trick. He rolled over, revealed his true form, and was once again a fierce tiger. The Pilgrim and Bajie would not give up. They pursued the tiger, determined to root him out completely. When the fiend saw them closing in, he clawed at his chest, stripped off his hide, and laid it over the Sleeping Tiger Rock. Shedding his true body, he transformed into a violent whirlwind and made straight for the road. There he found the Master reciting the Heart Sutra. The fiend seized him in one grasp and, riding the long wind, swept him away. Poor Tripitaka—the River-born was fated for many tribulations; the path to nirvana is never easy.

The fiend carried Tripitaka to the cave entrance, stilled the whirlwind, and said to the gatekeeper, "Go report to the Great King that the Tiger Vanguard of the Front Mountain has captured a monk and stands outside awaiting orders." The Lord of the Cave gave the command to bring him in. The Tiger Vanguard, two brass swords at his waist, held Tripitaka in both hands and knelt before the throne. "Great King," he said, "this unworthy general, honored by your command to patrol the mountain, suddenly encountered a monk. He is the Tripitaka Dharma Master, imperial brother of the Great Tang in the East, journeying west to worship Buddha and seek the scriptures. I have captured him and present him to you—a humble offering for a meal."

When the Lord of the Cave heard this, he was startled. "I have heard it said before: the Tripitaka Dharma Master is a divine monk sent by imperial decree to fetch scriptures from the Great Tang. He has a disciple named Sun the Pilgrim, of vast supernatural powers and surpassing wisdom and strength. How could you have captured him?" The Vanguard replied, "He has two disciples. The first wields a nine-toothed iron rake and has a long snout and big ears. The other wields an iron rod with a golden band and has fiery eyes and golden pupils. They were just then fighting with me when I used the Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell trick, withdrew my body, and seized this empty opportunity to capture the monk and present him to the Great King—a token of my humble respect." The Lord of the Cave said, "Don't eat him yet." The Vanguard said, "Great King, to see food and not eat it—is that not called foolish?" The Lord of the Cave said, "You don't understand. Eating him is no matter, but I fear his two disciples will come to our gate to make trouble—that would not be safe. Tie him to the Wind-Calming Post in the back garden and wait three or five days. If those two do not come to make a disturbance, then, for one thing, we can ensure his body is clean, and for another, we will avoid any quarrel. Then we can do as we please—boil him, steam him, fry him, or roast him—and enjoy him at our leisure." The Vanguard was greatly pleased. "The Great King's far-sighted wisdom is truly sound." He called out, "Little ones, take him away."

Seven or eight binding hands crowded forward and carried Tripitaka off—just as a hawk seizes a sparrow, bound and trussed with ropes. Such is the fate of the River-born longing for the Pilgrim, the imperiled divine monk thinking of Wuneng. He cried out, "My disciples! I do not know on what mountain you capture fiends or in what place you subdue demons, but I have been seized by this devil and suffer such cruelty. When shall I see you again? How bitter! If you come soon, you may yet save my life; if you are very late, I surely cannot be saved." As he sighed and lamented, tears fell like rain.

Now the Pilgrim and Bajie had chased the tiger down the mountainside. They saw the tiger collapse and lie prostrate before the cliff. The Pilgrim raised his rod and struck with all his might—only to jar his own hand with the impact. Bajie struck again with his rake, and the rake's teeth bounced back. It was nothing but a tiger hide draped over a boulder of Sleeping Tiger Rock. The Pilgrim cried out in alarm, "Bad, bad! We've fallen for his trick!" Bajie said, "What trick?" The Pilgrim said, "This is called the Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell trick. He left the tiger hide here and slipped away. Let's go back quickly and check on the Master—he may have fallen into the fiend's clutches." The two hurried back, but Tripitaka was already gone. The Pilgrim roared like thunder, "What shall we do? The Master has been captured!" Bajie led the horse, tears streaming from his eyes. "Heaven! Heaven! Where shall we search for him?" The Pilgrim raised his head and said, "Don't cry, don't cry—crying saps our fighting spirit. In any case, he must be somewhere on this mountain. Let us search."

The two of them plunged into the mountain, crossing ridges and traversing peaks. After traveling for some time, they saw a cave mansion rising from beneath a rocky cliff. They stopped to observe it—truly a fearsome place. They saw:

Layered peaks and jagged summits, winding ridges and ancient roads. Green pines and emerald bamboo clustered close; verdant willows and azure parasol trees swayed gently. Before the cliff stood strange rocks in pairs; within the forest sang hidden birds in couples. The stream in the gorge rushed far against the stone walls; mountain springs dripped slowly over the sandy bank. Wild clouds drifted in patches; precious grasses grew thick and lush. Cunning foxes and crafty rabbits darted about; horned deer and musk deer vied in vigor. From the split cliff hung ten-thousand-year vines; in the deep ravine dangled thousand-year cypresses. Majestic and towering, it rivaled Mount Hua; with falling flowers and singing birds, it surpassed the Terrace of Heaven.

The Pilgrim said, "Dear brother, you may rest the luggage in a wind-sheltered hollow of the mountain and turn the horse loose. Don't show yourself. Let Old Sun go to the cave entrance and fight him. We must capture the demon before we can rescue the Master." Bajie said, "No need to tell me—go quickly!"

Monkey straightened his kasaya, tightened his tiger-skin skirt, seized his staff, and charged up to the gate. He saw six large characters inscribed upon it: "Yellow Wind Ridge, Yellow Wind Cave." Planting himself in a T-stance, he gripped his staff and shouted at the top of his lungs: "You demon! Hand over my master at once, or I'll overturn your nest and flatten your dwelling to the ground."

The lesser demons who heard this were terrified. Trembling, they rushed inside to report: "Your Majesty, disaster!" The Yellow Wind Demon was seated in his hall. "What is it?" he asked. The lesser demon said, "Outside the cave gate there's a monk with a thunder-god mouth and a hairy face, wielding an enormous iron staff. He's demanding his master back."

The cave lord was alarmed. He summoned the Tiger Vanguard. "I sent you out to patrol the mountains. You were supposed to catch mountain cattle, wild boars, fat deer, and sheep. Why did you have to capture that Tang monk? Now you've provoked his disciple to come making trouble here. What are we to do?"

The vanguard said, "Your Majesty, rest easy and sleep without worry. Though I am of no great ability, I will lead fifty soldiers out and capture this so-called Sun Wukong to add to our meal."

The cave lord said, "Besides the officers great and small, I have five or seven hundred soldiers here. Choose as many as you wish and take them. But if you can capture that Pilgrim, then we can eat that monk's meat in peace, and I will gladly swear brotherhood with you. But if you fail to catch him and get hurt instead, don't you blame me."

The tiger demon said, "Rest assured, rest assured. Let me go."

He mustered fifty sturdy lesser demons, beat the drums, shook the banners, strapped on two brass swords, and charged out of the gate. He roared: "What monkey monk are you, coming from where, that you dare shout and bawl like this?"

Monkey cursed: "You skinned beast! What trick of shedding your shell did you use to snatch my master, and now you turn around and ask me what I want? Hand over my master this instant, and I'll spare your life."

The tiger demon said: "Your master is my prisoner. He's to be a meal for my king. You'd better know when to back off and go home. Otherwise, I'll catch you too and eat you both. That's buying one and getting one free."

When Monkey heard this, his fury surged. His steel teeth gnashed, his fiery eyes blazed wide, and he seized his iron staff, shouting: "What skills do you have that you dare make such boasts? Don't run away—take this!" The vanguard hastily raised his sword to meet him. This was truly a fierce battle, the two of them displaying their might:

The demon was a true goose egg; Wukong was a goose-egg stone.

The brass sword opposed the Handsome Monkey King—it was like piling eggs to strike a stone.

How could a magpie contend with a phoenix? How could a turtledove challenge a hawk and sparrow-hawk?

The demon spewed wind and dust across the mountain; Wukong spat mist and clouds that obscured the sun.

After no more than three or five exchanges, the vanguard's waist went limp and his strength failed.

He turned to flee for his life, but Wukong pressed him relentlessly.

The tiger demon could no longer hold his ground and turned to run. Having boasted before the cave lord, he dared not return to the cave. He fled straight up the hillside to save his life. Monkey would not let him go for a moment. Staff in hand, he gave chase with all his might, roaring and shouting without cease, pursuing him all the way to a wind-sheltered hollow in the mountains. He raised his head and saw Eight Rules there tending the horse.

Eight Rules suddenly heard the shouting and looked back. It was Monkey chasing the defeated tiger demon. He abandoned the horse, raised his rake, and struck at an angle, driving it straight at the demon's head. Alas for the vanguard—he had barely escaped the yellow silk net only to meet a man with a fish trap. Eight Rules' rake pierced nine holes in him, blood gushing out, his brains spilling completely. A poem bears witness:

Three or five years ago he returned to the True Teaching,

Kept the fast and practiced the pure, awakening to the void.

With sincere heart he sought to protect Tripitaka of Tang,

As a novice monk he first established this merit.

The idiot planted one foot on the demon's back, raised his rake with both hands, and struck again. Monkey saw this and was overjoyed. "Brother, exactly so! He led dozens of lesser demons and dared to fight me. I defeated him, and instead of running back to the cave, he came here to seek his death. Good thing you were here to meet him—otherwise he would have gotten away."

Eight Rules said: "Is this the one who conjured the wind and carried off our master?"

Monkey said: "Yes, yes."

Eight Rules said: "Did you ask him where our master is?"

Monkey said: "This demon has our master in the cave. He wants to make him a meal for some bird king of his. I was furious and fought him all the way here, and you finished him off. Brother, this credit is yours. You stay here and watch the horse and the luggage. I'll drag this dead demon back and challenge them at the cave gate. I must capture that old demon before I can rescue our master."

Eight Rules said: "Brother, you're right. Go, go. If you defeat that old demon, chase him here and let old Zhu intercept and kill him."

Good Monkey—in one hand he held his iron staff, in the other he dragged the dead tiger, and he made straight for the cave gate. Indeed:

The master met calamity and encountered a demon;

Their natures were in harmony, and together they subdued the wicked fiend.

Whether he could subdue the demon and rescue Tripitaka on this occasion, listen to the explanation in the next chapter.