Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Now then, the fifty defeated and wounded little demons, clutching their tattered banners and broken drums, stumbled into the cave and reported, "Great King, Tiger Vanguard could not stand against that hairy-faced monk and was driven down the eastern hillside." When the old demon heard this, he was greatly vexed. He sat in silence, head bowed, pondering his next move, when another little demon who guarded the front gate came forward and said, "Great King, Tiger Vanguard has been killed by that hairy-faced monk. He's dragged the body to the gate and is hurling insults at us." When the old demon heard this, his vexation only grew. "This fellow is truly ignorant! I haven't even eaten his master, yet he kills my vanguard. Intolerable! Intolerable!" he cried. "Bring me my armor and weapons. I've only heard talk of this Sun Wukong. Let me go out and see what sort of nine-headed, eight-tailed monk he is. I'll capture him and bring him back to answer for Tiger Vanguard." The little demons hastily brought out his armor and weapons. The old demon buckled himself up properly, seized a three-pronged steel trident, and led his host of demons out of the cave.

The Great Sage stood waiting outside the gate. When he saw the demon emerge, he could tell the creature was truly formidable. Observe how he was dressed:

His golden helmet blazed against the sun; his golden armor gleamed with light. The plume on his helmet swayed like a pheasant's tail from the mountains; his silk robe over his armor was the pale yellow of a goose. His armor-binding sash coiled with dragons, shining brilliantly; his heart-protecting mirror dazzled the eyes around it. His boots were deerskin, dyed with the color of locust blossoms; his embroidered waistband skirt was adorned with willow-leaf floss. The three-pronged steel trident in his hand was no less fearsome than that of the Demon-Subduing Warrior of old.

When the old demon came through the gate, he cried out in a fierce, loud voice, "Which one is Sun Wukong?" The Pilgrim, with one foot resting on the tiger demon's hide and his iron staff in hand, replied, "Your Grandfather Sun is right here. Send my master out." The demon looked him over carefully and saw that the Pilgrim was short and puny, with a gaunt, sickly face, not even four feet tall. He laughed. "Pitiful! Pitiful! I thought he was some unshakeable hero, but he's nothing but a bony, sickly ghost." The Pilgrim laughed. "You son of a bitch, you've got no eyes at all. Your Grandfather may be small, but if you're willing to hit me on the head with the butt of your trident, I'll grow three feet taller." The demon said, "Hold your head still and take a blow from me!" The Great Sage showed no fear at all. The demon struck him once. The Pilgrim bent his waist and grew three feet, reaching a full ten feet tall. The demon was so startled that he held his trident fast and shouted, "Sun Wukong, why are you using your body-protecting transformation technique right here at my gate? No tricks—come forward and let me test your real skill!" The Pilgrim laughed. "My son, as the saying goes, 'He who shows mercy does not raise his hand; he who raises his hand shows no mercy.' My hand is heavy—I'm afraid you won't be able to withstand a single blow from my staff." The demon would not listen. He twisted his steel trident and thrust it straight at the Pilgrim's chest. But the Great Sage was a true expert—experts are never flustered, and the flustered are never experts. He parried the trident with his iron staff, using the technique "Black Dragon Sweeping the Ground," knocked the trident aside, and brought his staff down on the demon's head. The two of them fought a magnificent battle at the mouth of Yellow Wind Cave:

The demon king raged; the Great Sage showed his might. The demon king raged, wanting to capture the Pilgrim to pay for his vanguard; the Great Sage showed his might, wanting to seize the spirit to rescue the elder. Trident came, staff parried; staff went, trident met it. One was the Supreme Commander of the Mountain; the other was the Monkey King, Guardian of the Dharma. At first they fought amid the dust; later they rose into the center of the sky. The steel trident was sharp and gleaming; the iron staff was black-bodied and ringed with yellow. Those pierced by it would have their souls return to the underworld; those struck by it would surely see the King of Hell. It all depended on swift hands and keen eyes, and required strength and a powerful body. The two fought to the death, neither yielding—who could tell which one was safe and which was wounded?

The old demon and the Great Sage fought thirty rounds with neither gaining the upper hand. The Pilgrim, wanting to prove his merit, used his "body outside the body" technique: he plucked a handful of his hairs, chewed them to bits in his mouth, blew them into the air, and cried, "Transform!" They turned into a hundred or so Pilgrims, all dressed alike, each wielding an iron staff, and surrounded the demon in midair. The demon was frightened and used a technique of his own: he turned sharply, faced the Xun direction, opened his mouth three times, and blew out a great breath. Suddenly a yellow wind rose from the sky and swept down. What a wind—truly terrible:

Chilling and whistling, heaven and earth changed; formless and shadowless, yellow sand whirled.

It tore through forests and snapped ridges, toppling pines and plums; it flung up earth and dust, crumbling mountain peaks.

The Yellow River's waves were churned to muddy chaos; the Xiang River's waters surged and overturned.

The blue sky shook the Palace of the Ox and Dipper; it nearly blew down the Hall of the Net.

The five hundred Arhats made a clamor that reached the heavens; the eight Vajra Guardians shouted in confusion.

Manjushri lost his green-haired lion; Samantabhadha's white elephant could not be found.

Zhenwu's turtle and serpent scattered; Zitong's mule lost its saddle cloth.

Merchants cried out to the blue sky; boatmen bowed and made all manner of vows.

Lives drifted in the waves like floating weeds; fame and fortune, the remnants of life, were swept away with the water.

Immortal caves and blessed isles grew pitch dark; the island of Penglai was shrouded in gloom.

Lord Laoji could not tend his furnace of elixir; the Star of Longevity put away his dragon-beard fan.

The Queen Mother was on her way to the Peach Banquet when the wind tangled her skirt and jade pendants.

Erlang lost his way in Guancheng; Nezha could not retrieve the sword from his box.

The Heavenly King could not find the pagoda in his hand; Lu Ban lost his golden drill.

The precious temple of Thunder Sound collapsed three levels; the stone bridge of Zhao Province broke in two.

The red sun was shaken and lost its light; the stars of the sky were all in chaos.

Birds from the southern mountain flew to the northern mountain; the waters of the eastern lake spilled into the western lake.

Male and female were separated and could not call to each other; mother and child were torn apart and could not cry out.

The Dragon King searched the seas for his yakshas; the God of Thunder looked everywhere for lightning.

The Ten Kings of Hell sought their judges; the Ox-Head and Horse-Face of the underworld chased each other.

This wind blew over Mount Putuo, rolling up a scroll of Guanyin's sutra.

White lotus flowers were stripped and flew from the sea; the wind knocked down the Bodhisattva's twelve cloisters.

Since the time of Pangu, such a wind had been seen, but never one so vicious.

With a great roar, the universe nearly split and burst apart; ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains trembled.

The demon used this fierce gale to send the little pilgrims—transformed from Sun Wukong's hairs—spinning in midair like tops on a spinning wheel. They could not swing their staffs, nor could they hold their ground. In a panic, Wukong shook his hairs and drew them back into his body. Then he raised his iron staff alone and advanced to strike. But the demon spat a mouthful of yellow wind straight into his face, forcing his fiery golden eyes tightly shut so that he could not open them. Unable to wield his staff, he was defeated and withdrew from the battle. The demon gathered his wind and returned to his cave—no more of this.

Now, when Zhu Bajie saw the yellow wind rise and the sky and ground grow dark, he led the horse, guarded the pack, and crouched in a hollow between the hills. He dared not open his eyes or raise his head, but kept murmuring Buddhist prayers and making vows. He did not know whether the Pilgrim had won or lost, or whether their master was alive or dead. While he was lost in anxious thought, the wind suddenly died down and the sky cleared. He raised his head and looked toward the cave entrance, but saw no weapons and heard no drums or gongs. The fool did not dare approach the cave, yet there was no one to watch the horse or the luggage. Truly he was caught in a dilemma, in utter distress. As he worried, he heard the Great Sage Sun shouting from the west. He rose to meet him and said, "Elder Brother, what a tremendous wind! Where have you come from?" Wukong waved his hand and said, "Terrible, terrible! Since I came into this world, I have never seen such a wind. The old demon wielded a three-pronged steel trident and came to fight me. After more than thirty exchanges, I used my 'body outside the body' technique and surrounded him to strike. He grew desperate and conjured up this wind. It was truly vicious—it blew me so hard I could not stand. I withdrew my technique and fled through the wind. Aiya, what a wind! Aiya, what a wind! I too can call the wind and summon the rain, but I have never encountered a wind as evil as this demon's." Bajie asked, "Brother, how is the demon's martial skill?" Wukong said, "It's passable. His trident technique is quite orderly, and he fought me to a draw. It's just that his wind is too vicious—I can hardly defeat him." Bajie said, "If that's the case, how can we rescue our master?" Wukong said, "Rescuing our master will have to wait. I wonder if there is an eye doctor around here who can treat my eyes." Bajie said, "What happened to your eyes?" Wukong said, "The demon spat a mouthful of wind at me, and it made my eyeballs ache and water. Even now tears keep flowing." Bajie said, "Brother, we are halfway up the mountain, and the sky is already growing dark. Never mind finding an eye doctor—there isn't even a place to spend the night." Wukong said, "Finding a place to stay shouldn't be hard. I don't think the demon would dare harm our master. Let's find the main road and look for a house to stay in for the night. Tomorrow, when it's light, we'll come back and subdue the demon." Bajie said, "Yes, yes, that's right."

He led the horse and carried the pack out of the hollow and onto the road. By now it was growing dusk, and they heard the bark of dogs from a hillside to the south of the road. The two stopped and looked—it was a farmhouse, with the faint glow of lamplight. Without worrying whether there was a path or not, they walked through the grass until they reached the gate. They saw:

Purple mushrooms grew thick and lush; white rocks stood pale and tall. Among the lush purple mushrooms were many green grasses; upon the pale white rocks grew half a coat of green moss. A few small fireflies glowed brightly; a grove of wild trees stood dense and close. Fragrant orchids breathed their sweetness; fresh bamboo had been newly planted. A clear spring wound through crooked ravines; ancient cypresses leaned against deep cliffs. The place was so remote that no travelers ever came; before the gate only wild flowers bloomed.

The two did not dare enter on their own, so they called out, "Open the gate! Open the gate!" An old man came out, followed by several young farmhands carrying forks, hoes, and brooms. They asked, "Who is it? Who is it?" Wukong bowed and said, "We are disciples of the Holy Monk of the Great Tang in the East. We are traveling west to worship Buddha and seek scriptures. While crossing this mountain, we were captured by the Great King of the Yellow Wind, who took our master. We have not yet been able to rescue him. The sky is growing dark, and we have come to your honorable home to ask for lodging for the night. We hope you will grant us this kindness." The old man returned the bow and said, "Forgive us for not welcoming you sooner. This is a place where there are many clouds but few people. When we heard someone calling at the gate, we feared it might be a demon fox, a mountain tiger, or bandits from the hills. That is why these foolish fellows responded so bluntly and may have given offense. We did not know it was two venerable elders. Please come in, please come in."

His brothers led the horses and carried the loads inside, going straight to the inner quarters, where they tied up the horses, set down the loads, and paid their respects to the old man of the estate, sitting down to converse. Then a servant boy served tea. After the tea, several bowls of sesame rice were brought out. When the meal was finished, arrangements were made for them to spread their bedding and rest.

Tripitaka said, "I can do without sleep for now, but may I ask you, good sir, does this region sell any eye medicine?"

The old man said, "Which elder among you has an eye ailment?"

Tripitaka said, "To be honest with you, old one, we monks have always been free from illness and have never known anything about eye ailments."

The old man said, "If you have no eye ailment, why are you asking for medicine?"

Tripitaka said, "Today at the Yellow Wind Cave we tried to rescue our master, but unexpectedly that monster blew a gust of wind at us. It struck my eyes and made the eyeballs ache. Now tears are welling up, so I need to find some eye medicine."

The old man said, "Well said, well said! You, young elder, are so small in years, yet how can you tell such lies? That Yellow Wind Great King—his wind is most fearsome. His wind is nothing like the spring and autumn winds, the winds through pines and bamboos, or the winds of east, west, south, and north..."

Zhu Bajie said, "Could it be the wind that strikes the back of the head, the wind that enters the ears, the great hemp wind, or the full and half head-winds?"

The elder said, "No, no. It is called the Samadhi Divine Wind."

Tripitaka said, "How so?"

The old man said, "That wind can blow the heavens and earth dark, it brings sorrow to gods and spirits, it splits rocks and collapses cliffs with its ferocity, and when it blows upon a person, their life is done. If you encounter that wind and are struck by it, you would wish to survive! Only a celestial being could remain unharmed."

Tripitaka said, "Indeed, indeed. Though we are not celestials, celestials are still my juniors. This life of mine was in urgent peril of being cut short—it only made my eyeballs ache."

The old man said, "If that is the case, then you must be someone of considerable background. This humble place of mine has no eye medicine for sale. This old man also suffers from wind-induced tearing. Once I met a strange person who transmitted to me a formula called the Three Flowers Nine Seeds Ointment, which can cure all wind-related eye ailments."

Hearing this, Tripitaka bowed his head and said, "I beg you to give me some to try."

The old man agreed, went inside, and brought out a small jar made of agate stone. He pulled out the stopper, dipped a jade hairpin into it, took out a small amount, and applied it to Tripitaka's eyes, telling him not to open them, to calm his heart and sleep, and by morning he would be well. When the application was finished, he put away the stone jar and led the young servants back inside.

Zhu Bajie untied the pack, spread the bedding, and invited Tripitaka to settle down. Tripitaka, with his eyes closed, groped about blindly. Bajie laughed and said, "Master, where is your white cane?"

Tripitaka said, "You good-for-nothing fool, you're treating me as if I were blind!"

The fool chuckled quietly to himself and went to sleep. Tripitaka sat on the bed, circulating his inner energy, and did not fall asleep until after the third watch of the night.

Before long, it was the fifth watch, approaching dawn. Tripitaka rubbed his face, opened his eyes, and said, "Truly excellent medicine—my eyes are a hundred times clearer than usual." But when he turned to look behind him—alas! Where were the houses and windows? There were only tall old locust trees and weeping willows, and his brothers were all sleeping on the green mossy ground.

Bajie woke up and said, "Brother, why are you shouting?"

Tripitaka said, "Open your eyes and look."

The fool suddenly raised his head, saw that the household had vanished, and in a panic scrambled to his feet. "Where is my horse?"

Tripitaka said, "Isn't it tied to the tree?"

"And the luggage?"

Tripitaka said, "Isn't it right by your head?"

Bajie said, "This family is truly lazy! If they moved, why didn't they wake us? If old Pig had known, I could have brought you some tea and fruit. They must have been hiding from the authorities, afraid the neighborhood elder would find out, so they moved in the night.—Alas! We were too sound asleep—how could they tear down the house and we didn't hear a sound?"

Tripitaka said with a sly smile, "Fool, don't make a racket. Look at that tree—what paper notice is that?"

Bajie walked up, pulled it down with his hand, and found four lines of verse written on it:

This estate is no dwelling of ordinary men;

A guardian Ghasena transformed it to a hermitage.

Fine medicine I give to cure your aching eyes;

Devote yourself to subduing the demon without hesitation.

Tripitaka said, "These strong spirits—ever since they exchanged the dragon horse, I haven't called upon them, and now they come playing tricks again."

Bajie said, "Brother, don't put on airs—how could they take orders from you?"

Tripitaka said, "Brother, you still don't know. These Guardians of the Teaching, the Six Ding and Six Jia spirits, the Five Directional Vajra Deities, and the Four Guardians of Time received the Bodhisattva's decree to secretly protect our master. Since they were first assigned, it's only been because we've had you along that we haven't needed them, so I haven't called upon them."

Bajie said, "Brother, since they received the decree to secretly protect our master, they cannot reveal themselves openly, so they transformed this immortal estate. Don't blame them. Yesterday they helped by applying the medicine to your eyes, and they also provided us a meal of vegetarian food—that can be called doing their utmost. Don't blame them. Let's go rescue our master."

Tripitaka said, "Brother, you speak rightly. From here to the Yellow Wind Cave is not far. You must not move—stay in the woods and watch the horse and guard the loads. Let me go into the cave to find out what has happened to our master, and then we'll do battle with him."

Bajie said, "Exactly so—we need to get reliable news of whether he's alive or dead. If our master has died, each of us can go our own way; if he's still alive, we must do our utmost."

Tripitaka said, "Don't talk nonsense. I'm off."

He gave a leap and arrived at the cave entrance, where the doors were still closed and the demons were sleeping. Tripitaka did not knock on the door, nor did he wish to alarm the monsters. He formed the mudra, recited an incantation, shook his body, and transformed into a mottled-legged mosquito—truly tiny and delicate. There is a poem as proof, which says:

A tiny form with sharp buzzing mouth,

Its humming voice as thin as thunder.

Through orchid chambers and gauze curtains it freely glides,

Delighting in the warm air of summer's height.

"Smoke may sting the fan, but light delights the lamp." Light and small, swift and nimble, it flew straight into the goblin's cave.

The gatekeeper doze was snoring in his sleep. The Pilgrim stung him on the face, and the little goblin woke with a start, turning over. "My lord! What a huge mosquito—one bite and it's raised a great lump!" Then he opened his eyes and said, "It's dawn." There came a creak as the second gate opened. The Pilgrim buzzed his way inside, only to see the old fiend giving orders to each gate to be on guard, while on one side they gathered their weapons. "I'm afraid yesterday's gust of wind didn't kill Monkey Pilgrim. He's certain to come again today, and when he does, I'll make sure he loses his life."

The Pilgrim, hearing this, flew past the main hall and made his way to the back, where he found a gate locked very tightly. He slipped through the crack and entered—it turned out to be an empty courtyard. There, tied to the Wind-Calming Post with ropes and cords, was Tripitaka. The Master wept incessantly, his heart filled with thoughts of Wukong and Wuneng, not knowing where they had gone. The Pilgrim alighted and perched on his bald head, calling out, "Master." The elder recognized his voice. "Wukong! You're killing me! Where are you calling from?" The Pilgrim said, "Master, I'm on your head. Don't be anxious, don't trouble yourself. We must capture the fiend before we can save your life." Tripitaka said, "Disciple, when will you capture the fiend?" The Pilgrim replied, "The tiger spirit who captured you has already been killed by Bajie. Only the old fiend's gale is formidable. I reckon it'll be today—we'll catch him for certain. Don't worry, stop crying. I'm off."

Having said this, he buzzed his way to the front. There sat the old fiend above, reviewing his various commanders. A little goblin at the cave entrance was polishing a banner with the character "command," and he ran into the hall to report, "Your Majesty, I was on patrol. As soon as I left the gate, I saw a monk with a long snout and big ears sitting in the woods. If I hadn't run fast, he would have caught me. But I didn't see that hairy-faced monk from yesterday." The old fiend said, "Sun Xingzhe isn't here—the wind must have killed him. Or perhaps he's gone elsewhere to beg for reinforcements." The other fiends said, "Your Majesty, if he was indeed blown to death, that's our good fortune. But if he wasn't killed and goes to summon divine troops, what shall we do?" The old fiend said, "Why fear divine troops? If they can withstand my gale, only the Bodhisattva Lingji could do so—the rest are beneath contempt."

The Pilgrim, perched on the roof beam, heard these words and was overjoyed. He slipped away, flew out, resumed his true form, and came to the woods, calling out, "Brother!" Bajie said, "Elder Brother, where have you been? Just now a goblin carrying a command banner—I chased him away." The Pilgrim laughed, "Good work, good work. Old Sun transformed into a mosquito and flew into the cave to check on the Master. The Master is tied to the Wind-Calming Post, weeping. I told him not to cry. Then I perched on the roof beam and listened. That goblin with the command banner came panting in to report: he said he only chased you away, but didn't see me. The old fiend guessed wildly—he said Old Sun was killed by the wind, and also said I'd gone to summon divine troops. But he himself revealed someone—wonderful, wonderful!" Bajie said, "Who did he reveal?" The Pilgrim said, "He said he feared no divine troops, and that the only one who could withstand his gale was the Bodhisattva Lingji. But I don't know where Lingji lives."

As they were discussing this, they saw an old man come out from the side of the road. Observe his appearance:

Vigorous, needing no walking stick; his beard was like ice and snow, fluffy and flowing. Golden flowers dazzled the eyes, hazy and dim; yet his bones were frail and sinews strong.

His back was bent, his head bowed, walking slowly; his brows were huge, his face red as a child's. Judging by his looks, people would say he was the Star of Longevity emerging from his cave.

Bajie was overjoyed to see him. "Elder Brother, as the saying goes, 'If you would know the way down the mountain, ask those who've come and gone.' Why don't you go ask him?" Indeed, the Great Sage hid his iron staff, smoothed his robes, and stepped forward, calling out, "Old grandfather, I greet you." The old man returned a half-hearted bow. "What monk are you? What business do you have in this wilderness?" The Pilgrim said, "We are the holy monks on the scripture pilgrimage. Yesterday we lost our Master here. May I trouble you, grandfather—where does the Bodhisattva Lingji dwell?" The old man said, "Lingji is due south—it's still three thousand li from here. There is a mountain called Little Mount Sumeru, and on it is a monastery where the Bodhisattva preaches and meditates. Have you come to fetch his scriptures?" The Pilgrim said, "We haven't come for his scriptures. I have a matter to trouble him with—I only wish to know which road to take." The old man pointed south with his hand, "This narrow path is the way." He had barely fooled the Great Sage into turning to look at the road when the old man transformed into a clear breeze and vanished without a trace. Only a note was left by the roadside, containing four lines of verse:

"To the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, from Old Man Li Changgeng:

At Little Mount Sumeru lies the Dragon-Subduing Staff—

Lingji received this Buddhist weapon in years past."

Pilgrim took the note and turned to leave. Bajie said, "Brother, our luck has been low these days—we've been seeing ghosts in broad daylight for two days now. Who was that old man who turned into the wind and left?" Pilgrim handed the note to Bajie and read it aloud. "Who's Li Changxing?" Pilgrim said, "That's the title of the Western Star of Venus." Bajie hastily bowed toward the air and said, "Benefactor! Benefactor! If old Pig hadn't been saved by the Star's memorial to the Jade Emperor, I don't know what would have become of my life." Pilgrim said, "Brother, at least you know gratitude. But don't stick your head out—just hide deep in these woods and keep a close watch on the luggage and the horse. Let old Sun go find Mount Sumeru and invite the Bodhisattva here." Bajie said, "Got it, got it. You just hurry along. Old Pig has learned the turtle's trick—when it's time to pull in my head, I pull it in."

Great Sage Sun leaped into the air, rode his somersault cloud, and headed straight south. Truly it was fast—a nod of his head covered three thousand miles, and a twist of his waist more than eight hundred leagues. In a moment he saw a tall mountain, with auspicious clouds emerging from its midst and auspicious mists swirling. In a hollow of the mountain there was indeed a monastery; he could hear the clear notes of bells and chimes, and see the faint drifting of incense smoke. The Great Sage went right up to the gate and saw a Daoist monk with prayer beads around his neck, reciting Buddha's name. Pilgrim said, "Greetings, monk." The monk bowed and said, "Where have you come from, sir?" Pilgrim said, "Is this where the Bodhisattva Lingji preaches the sutras?" The monk said, "Indeed it is. What business brings you?" Pilgrim said, "I trouble you, elder, to pass on a message: I am the disciple of the Tripitaka Dharma Master, imperial brother of the Great Tang of the East, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong the Pilgrim. I have a matter I wish to discuss with the Bodhisattva." The monk laughed and said, "Sir, you have too many titles and too many words—I can't remember them all." Pilgrim said, "Just say that Tang Seng's disciple Sun Wukong has arrived."

The monk went as told and announced it in the lecture hall. The Bodhisattva at once put on his kasaya robe and burned incense to welcome him. The Great Sage entered the gate and looked around, and saw this:

The whole hall was splendid with brocade, the room full of majesty. The disciples all chanted the Lotus Sutra, while the senior monk lightly struck the gilded bronze chime. The offerings before the Buddha were all immortal fruits and immortal flowers; the items on the table were all plain vegetarian dishes. Brilliant precious candles, each flame shooting golden rainbows; rich true incense, each wisp of jade smoke flying among colored clouds. Indeed, it was a place where, after preaching, the mind grew still and entered meditation, white clouds drifting among the pine branches. The sword of wisdom was sheathed and demons vanquished; prajna paramita flourished in high assembly.

The Bodhisattva, having arranged his robes, came out to greet him. Pilgrim entered the hall, took the guest seat, and was offered tea. Pilgrim said, "No need for tea, but my master is in danger on Yellow Wind Mountain. I have come specially to ask the Bodhisattva to employ his great dharma power to subdue the demon and save my master." The Bodhisattva said, "I received a command from the Tathagata to guard and restrain the Yellow Wind Demon here. The Tathagata gave me a Fixing-Wind Elixir and a Flying Dragon Precious Staff. I captured him at the time and spared his life, releasing him to hide his nature and return to the mountain, forbidding him to harm any living being or commit evil deeds. I did not know he would harm your master today, violating the command—this is my fault." The Bodhisattva wished to keep Pilgrim for a vegetarian meal and conversation, but Pilgrim earnestly declined. He then took the Flying Dragon Staff, and together with the Great Sage they mounted the clouds.

Before long they reached Yellow Wind Mountain. The Bodhisattva said, "Great Sage, this demon is somewhat afraid of me. I will remain in the clouds above. You go down and challenge him to battle, lure him out, and I can then employ my power." Pilgrim did as told, descended on his cloud, and without a word struck the cave's gate flat with his iron rod. He shouted, "Demon, return my master!" The gate-guarding little demon was alarmed and rushed to report. The demon said, "This impudent ape is truly insolent! He won't submit and has smashed my gate instead. When I go out this time, I'll summon my divine wind and blow him to death." He put on his armor as before, took up his steel trident, and came out again. Seeing Pilgrim, he wasted no words but thrust the trident straight at his chest. The Great Sage dodged sideways and raised his staff to meet him. After only a few exchanges, the demon turned his head toward the Xun direction and was about to open his mouth to summon the wind when, from midair, the Bodhisattva Lingji hurled down the Flying Dragon Precious Staff. Uttering some mantra, it transformed into an eight-clawed golden dragon that spread its claws, seized the demon by the head, and dashed it two or three times against the rocky cliff, revealing its true form—a yellow-furred marten.

Pilgrim rushed forward and raised his staff to strike, but the Bodhisattva stopped him, saying, "Great Sage, don't kill him—I must take him to see the Tathagata." He said to Pilgrim, "He was originally an enlightened rat at the foot of Spirit Mountain. He stole the clear oil from a glass lamp, dimming its flame, and feared the Diamond Guardians would seize him, so he fled and became a demon here. The Tathagata saw that he did not deserve death, so he placed him under my supervision. But he has harmed living beings and committed evil, and will be taken up to Spirit Mountain. Now that he has also offended the Great Sage and plotted against Tang Seng, I will take him to the Tathagata to have his crime properly judged—only then will this deed be complete." Pilgrim thanked the Bodhisattva, who returned to the West. No more of that.

Now Pigsy, in the woods below, was thinking of Pilgrim when he heard a voice calling from the hillside: "Brother Wukong, bring the horse and the packs!" The idiot recognized Pilgrim's voice, hurriedly gathered his things, and ran out of the woods. Seeing Pilgrim, he said, "Brother, how did it go?" Pilgrim said, "I invited the Bodhisattva Lingji, who used a Flying Dragon Staff to capture the demon. It turned out to be a yellow-furred rat who had become a demon. She's taking him to Spirit Mountain to see the Tathagata. Let's go into the cave and rescue Master." The idiot was overjoyed.

The two of them crashed inside, and with iron rake and iron cudgel they slaughtered every last one of that den of cunning foxes, wicked hags, musk deer, and horned stags. Then they went to the back garden to rescue their master. The Master came out through the door and asked, "How did you two manage to capture the fiends? How were you able to save me?" Pilgrim related the entire story of summoning Lingji to subdue the demons. The Master thanked him profusely. His brothers then prepared some tea and food from the vegetarian provisions found in the cave, and after eating, they finally set out through the gate to find the main road heading west.

What happened next, however, is not yet known. Let us hear it told in the next chapter.