Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The poem says:

Do not forcibly extinguish deluded thoughts;

Why must you seek after the true?

The original nature is cultivated before Buddha—

How can delusion and enlightenment be placed before or after each other?

Enlightenment brings instant Buddhahood;

Delusion sinks one into endless ebb and flow.

If for a single thought you unite with true cultivation,

You will annihilate sins as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

Now Bajie and Shaseng had fought the monster for thirty rounds with neither side gaining the advantage. You may wonder how that could be. If it were a matter of skill, not to say two monks, even twenty could not have matched that demon. It was only because Tang Seng's life was not yet fated to end—unseen, the guardian deities protected him; in the air, the Six Ding and Six Jia spirits, the Five Direction Vajras, the Four Duty Spirits, and the eighteen guardian伽蓝 aided Bajie and Shaseng.

Leaving the three of them to their battle, let us return to the Elder in the cave, weeping bitterly, thinking of his disciples, tears streaming from his eyes. "Wukong," he said, "I do not know in what village you have met a good friend, so greedy for offerings you have lingered. Wujing, I do not know where you have gone to search for him—can you find him? Little do you know that I have encountered a demon and am suffering here. When shall I see you again, escape this great calamity, and hasten to Spirit Mountain?" Just as he wept in anguish, he suddenly saw a woman walk out of the cave. She leaned against the Soul-Fixing Pillar and called out, "Elder, where have you come from? Why has he bound you here?" The Elder heard her and stole a glance through his tearful eyes. The woman appeared to be about thirty years of age. He said, "Lady Bodhisattva, there is no need to ask. I am already a dead man—I walked into your door myself. If you want to eat me, then eat me. Why ask so much?" The woman said, "I am not a man-eater. My home lies more than three hundred li west of here, where there is a city called Precious Elephant Kingdom. I am the third princess of that kingdom, my childhood name being Baihua Xiu—'Shame of a Hundred Flowers.' Thirteen years ago, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, while I was admiring the moon, this demon carried me away on a wild wind and has kept me as his wife for thirteen years. Here I have borne him children, and no word of me has ever returned to the court. I think of my parents and cannot see them. Where have you come from, and how did he capture you?" Tang Seng said, "This poor monk is on his way to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. Without intending to, I wandered here by mistake. Now he wants to capture my two disciples as well, and steam us all together to eat." The princess said with an apologetic smile, "Elder, set your mind at ease. Since you are a scripture-seeker, I can save you. Precious Elephant Kingdom lies on the great road to the West. If you will carry a letter for me to my parents, I will tell him to spare you." The Tripitaka nodded and said, "Lady Bodhisattva, if you can save this poor monk's life, I am willing to be your letter-carrier."

The princess hurried to the back, quickly wrote a family letter, sealed it properly, and brought it to the pillar. She freed Tang Seng and handed him the letter. Tang Seng, now released, held the book in his hands and said, "Lady Bodhisattva, I thank you for the kindness of saving my life. When I pass through your domain, I will certainly deliver it to the king. But I fear that after many years your parents may not recognize me. What then? Do not blame this poor monk for speaking falsely." The princess said, "It is no matter. My father the king has no sons—he has only us three daughters. If they see this letter, they will surely wish to see you." The Tripitaka tucked the letter tightly into his sleeve, thanked the princess, and started to leave. The princess caught hold of him and said, "You cannot go out the front gate—all the lesser demons are outside waving their flags, beating their drums and gongs, aiding their king in battling your disciples. Go out the back gate instead. If the king captures you, he will at least question you. But if the little demons catch you, they will not distinguish good from bad and may kill you on the spot. Let me go and speak a word of favor to the king. If he releases you, wait for your disciples to come and find you, and you can all leave together." Hearing this, the Tripitaka kowtowed, followed her instructions respectfully, took leave of the princess, and hid himself outside the back gate, not daring to move on his own, concealing himself among a thicket of brambles.

Now the princess had conceived a clever plan. She hurried to the front and went outside, separating the host of lesser demons. All that could be heard was the clanging of weapons—it was Bajie and Shaseng battling the monster in midair. The princess cried out in a loud, sharp voice, "Yellow Robe!" The demon king heard the princess call and at once abandoned Bajie and Shaseng, descended on his cloud, seized his steel blade, and took the princess by the arm. "My dear," he said, "what do you wish to say?" The princess said, "My lord, just now I was sleeping within my bed-curtains when in my dream I suddenly saw a golden-armored spirit." The demon said, "What golden-armored spirit? What business had he at my door?" The princess said, "When I was young in the palace, I secretly made a vow to someone: if I could marry a worthy husband, I would go to a famous mountain, pay homage to an immortal's abode, offer alms to monks, and give in charity. Since I married you, we have been happy together, but I have never mentioned it until now. That golden-armored spirit came to demand the fulfillment of my vow and woke me from my dream. So I hastened to come and tell you. I did not expect to find a monk bound to that pillar. I beg you, my lord, in your mercy and for my sake, spare that monk. Consider it as my offering of alms to monks and the fulfillment of my vow. Will you consent?" The demon said, "My dear, you are overthinking it—what does it matter? If I wanted to eat people, I could catch them anywhere. What is one monk to me? Let him go." The princess said, "My lord, let him go out the back gate." The demon said, "What a nuisance! I'll let him go—why should I care whether it's the back gate or the front?" He then seized his steel blade and called out loudly, "You, Zhu Bajie, come here. It is not that I fear you or refuse to fight you—out of regard for my wife, I am sparing your master. Go quickly to the back gate, find him, and head west. If you ever trespass on my territory again, I will show you no mercy."

Wujing and Sha Wujing, upon hearing these words, felt as though they had been released from the very gates of hell. At once they led the horse and shouldered the load, scurrying away like mice. They passed around the back gate of the Wave-Moon Cave and called out, "Master!" The elder recognized their voices and answered from within the brambles. Sha Wujing cut a path through the grass and helped his master out, and in great haste they mounted the horse. At this point:

Fierce poison nearly met the blue-faced ghost,

But thanks to the devoted Lady Hundred Flowers.

The great turtle fish escaped the golden hook,

And now it swims the waves, tail swaying, head rolling free.

Zhu Bajie led the way at the front, Sha Wujing followed behind. They emerged from the pine forest and came out upon the main road. Look at the two of them—bickering and grumbling, complaining and fretting—while Sanzang merely tried to make peace between them. When evening fell they sought lodging at once; when the cock crowed they set out early. Stage by stage, through long pavilions and short pavilions, before they knew it they had traveled two hundred and ninety-nine li. Lifting their heads sharply, they saw a fine city before them—this was the Kingdom of Precious Elephant. What a splendid place it was!

Clouds stretched dim and far, the road wound on and on. Though the land lay a thousand li away, its scenery was no less rich. Auspicious mists and blessed smoke enshrouded it; clear breezes and the bright moon beckoned. The distant mountains rose rugged and steep, like a vast unrolled painting; the flowing streams burbled and gurgled, their waters splashing like scattered jade. Farmland stretched in connected ridges and paths; abundant crops of dense grain and tender shoots promised plenty. A few fishermen plied their hooks where three stream-bends met; woodcutters carried loads of pepper from twin-peaked hills. The city was spacious, the city was solid, fortified as if by metal and boiling moat. Every household, every family, lived in carefree ease. Lofty terraces of ninefold height rose like palace halls; towering platforms of ten thousand feet resembled championship banners. There were the Hall of Supreme Principle, the Canopy Hall, the Incense-Burning Hall, the Literature-Viewing Hall, the Governance Hall, and the Audience Hall—each hall with its jade steps and gold-tiered stairs, lined with civil and military officials in their caps and robes. There were the Great Bright Palace, the Sunny Palace, the Eternal Joy Palace, the Splendid Pure Palace, the Established Splendor Palace, and the Endless Palace—each palace with its bells, drums, pipes, and flutes, echoing with the sorrows and spring-longings of women's quarters. In the forbidden gardens, dew-kissed flowers were as smooth as tender cheeks; in the imperial canals, willows danced in the breeze like slender waists. On the main thoroughfares, there were those who wore caps and sashed belts, with dignified bearing, riding five horses; in secluded spots, there were those who carried bows and arrows, parting the clouds and piercing twin eagles. Flower-lined lanes, music-filled towers—the spring breeze here rivaled even the bridges of Luoyang. The scripture-seeking elder, turning back in his mind, felt his liver and gall burst with longing for the Great Tang; the disciples who accompanied their master, resting their shoulders at a small post-station, found even their dreams dissolved.

They could not exhaust the sights of the Kingdom of Precious Elephant. The master and his three disciples gathered their luggage and the horse and rested at the official post-station.

Tang Sanzang walked to the gate of the palace and said to the Grand Master of the Palace Gates, "There is a monk from the Great Tang in the East, who has come expressly to have an audience with Your Majesty, to exchange official documents. I humbly beg you to transmit this petition." The official in charge of memorials hastened to the white jade steps and reported, "Your Majesty, there is a great monk from the Tang who wishes to have an audience, to exchange official documents." The king, upon hearing that this was the great nation of Tang and that the man was a holy monk from a distant land, was greatly pleased and granted the audience at once. He commanded, "Bring him in." Sanzang was ushered to the golden steps, where he performed the ceremonial dance and the mountain-homage, completing the ritual. The civil and military officials on both sides could not help but sigh, saying, "A person from the Upper Kingdom—such grace and decorum in his rites and bearing!" The king said, "Elder, what business brings you to our kingdom?" Sanzang said, "This humble monk is a Buddhist disciple of the Tang, acting under the imperial edict of my Son of Heaven, journeying to the West to obtain the scriptures. I originally carried official documents, and upon arriving in Your Majesty's exalted kingdom, it is proper that they be exchanged. For this reason, not knowing whether to advance or retreat, I have presumptuously disturbed the dragon countenance." The king said, "Since you carry the documents of the Tang Son of Heaven, bring them up for me to see." Sanzang presented them with both hands, unrolling them and placing them upon the imperial desk. The document read:

From the Great Tang Nation of the Southern Continent of Jambudvīpa, the Tang Son of Heaven who receives and carries out the Mandate of Heaven, issues this document: It is known that I, with meager virtue, have inherited the great foundation, serving the spirits and governing the people, as if standing beside a deep abyss or treading upon thin ice, trembling morning and evening. Formerly I failed to save the old Dragon of the Jing River, and was reproached by the August Emperor of the Dark North. My three souls and seven spirits suddenly passed to the underworld, and I became a guest of Impermanence. Because my allotted lifespan in the world of light had not yet expired, I was moved by the Lord of the Dark Court to release me back to life. I widely performed acts of merit and established a great assembly to deliver souls from suffering. I was then graced by the golden body of the Bodhisattva Guanyin of Saving from Suffering, who appeared and pointed out that in the West there are Buddhas and scriptures that can deliver the dead and liberate lonely souls. I have therefore specially commissioned the Dharma Master Xuanzang to travel across distant mountains in search of the scriptures and verses. Should he arrive at the various kingdoms of the West, let not the good karmic connection be extinguished, but let him pass in accordance with this document. This document is required. Issued on an auspicious day in the autumn of the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang. (Imperial document presented before the throne. Nine imperial seals affixed thereon.)

The king, having examined it, took his own jade seal, affixed his signature, and handed it back to Sanzang.

Sanzang thanked the favor, received the document, and further reported, "This humble monk has come first to exchange the official documents, and second to deliver a letter to Your Majesty from his family." The king was greatly pleased and said, "What letter?" Sanzang said, "Your Majesty's third princess was carried away by the yellow-robed demon of the Wave-Moon Cave on Bowl-Mountain. This humble monk chanced to encounter the matter, and therefore I bring this letter." Upon hearing this, the king's eyes filled with tears. "Ever since the princess disappeared thirteen years ago, I do not know how many civil and military officials in the two ranks have been demoted. Within and without the palace, I do not know how many eunuchs and servants, great and small, have been put to death. It was said only that she had left the palace and lost her way, and there was no place to search for her. The common people throughout the city were questioned beyond counting, yet there was no trace. How could I know that she had been carried away by a demon? Today, hearing these words for the first time, I am moved to grief and tears." Sanzang drew the letter from his sleeve and presented it. The king received it and, seeing the words "peace and safety," his hands went limp and he could not open it. He issued an edict summoning a Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy to the palace to read the letter. The secretary ascended the hall at once. Before the hall stood the civil and military officials; behind the hall stood the consorts and palace ladies, all straining their ears to hear. The secretary broke the seal and read aloud. It was written:

The unfilial daughter Baihua Xi, knocking her head a hundred times and bowing a hundred times, addresses His August Majesty the Great King in the Phoenix Hall, Their Majestages the Three Palace Empresses in the Zhaoyang Palace, and all the worthy ministers of the civil and military court:

Your humble daughter, fortunate enough to be entrusted to the palace, feels boundless gratitude for your countless labors. Yet she has failed to devote herself to bringing joy to your face or to serving you with all her heart. On the night of the fifteenth day of the eighth month, thirteen years ago, a fine and auspicious evening, by the gracious decree of His Majesty, each palace was ordered to prepare a banquet to enjoy the moonlight and share in the splendor of the clear evening festivities. In the midst of our joy, without warning, a fragrant wind suddenly swept forth, and from it appeared a demon king with golden eyes, a blue face, and green hair. He seized your daughter, mounted a beam of auspicious light, and carried her straight to a desolate place in the Ban Ye Mountain, where no one could distinguish or identify her. By brute force, the demon took her as his wife. Thus she endured thirteen helpless years and bore two demon children, all offspring of monsters. Truly, this is a violation of human decency, an affront to propriety, and not something that should be put in writing to bring disgrace. Yet I fear that if I die, the truth will never be made clear. Just as I was nursing my grievances and longing for my parents, it happened that the Tang Dynasty sage monk was also captured by the demon king. With tears, your daughter composed this letter and boldly released him, entrusting him to deliver this piece of paper to express her heart. She humbly begs His Majesty to take pity and dispatch a great general early to the Wave-Moon Cave on Bowl Mountain to capture the Yellow-Robed Monster and rescue your daughter back to court. She will be eternally grateful. Written hastily and with insufficient respect, she cannot address every matter in person. The unfilial daughter Baihua Xi knocks her head again and again.

When the academician had finished reading the letter, the king wept aloud, the three palaces shed tears, the civil and military ministers were grieved, and all, from front to back, mourned without exception.

After the king had wept for a long time, he asked the two ranks of civil and military officials: "Who among you dares to raise troops and lead generals to capture the demon and rescue my Princess Baihua for me?" He asked several times, yet not a single man dared to answer. Truly, the military officers were like figures carved from wood, and the civil officials like figures molded from clay. The king's heart filled with vexation, and his tears gushed like a spring. Then all the officials prostrated themselves together and memorialized: "Let Your Majesty set aside his grief. The princess has been lost, and for thirteen years there has been no word. By chance the Tang Dynasty sage monk has sent a letter here, though we do not yet know if it is true. Moreover, Your ministers are all ordinary men and ordinary horses; we have studied military texts and strategy, and can at best deploy formations and establish camps to protect the state from invasion. That demon is one who comes on clouds and goes on mist—we cannot meet him face to face, so how can we campaign to rescue her? It is thought that the scripture-seeker from the Eastern Land is a sage monk of a superior nation. This monk's Tao is lofty—tigers and dragons submit to him; his virtue is profound—spirits and ghosts revere him. He must possess the art to subdue demons. As the saying goes: 'He who brings up a matter of right and wrong is himself the source of that right and wrong.' You may invite this elder to subdue the demon and rescue the princess; this would be the strategy for complete success."

Upon hearing this, the king quickly turned and invited Tripitaka, saying: "If you, elder, have the means and can unleash your spiritual power to capture the demon and rescue my child back to court, you need not go west to worship the Buddha. You may grow your hair and keep it, and I will take you as my brother. We shall sit together upon the dragon throne and share wealth and honor—how would that be?" Tripitaka hastily replied: "This poor monk knows only how to recite the Buddha's name; in truth, I cannot subdue demons." The king said: "If you cannot subdue demons, how dare you go to the West to worship the Buddha?" The elder could not conceal the truth and spoke of his two disciples. He memorialized: "Your Majesty, this poor monk alone could truly never have reached here. I have two disciples who are skilled at opening roads through mountains and building bridges over rivers, and they have escorted me to this place." The king said in surprise: "You monk have no manners at all! Since you have disciples, why did you not bring them in together to have an audience with me? Had they come to court, even if there were no special reward, they would certainly have been given a proper vegetarian meal." Tripitaka said: "My disciples are ugly; I did not dare bring them to court without permission, for fear of alarming Your Majesty's dragon person." The king laughed: "Listen to this monk talk! You don't mean to say I would be afraid of them?" Tripitaka said: "I would not presume to say so. My senior disciple is surnamed Zhu, named Wuneng Bajie. He has a long mouth with tusks, stiff bristles and fan-like ears, a thick body and a big belly, and when he walks he stirs up the wind. My second disciple is surnamed Sha, his dharma name is Wujing. He is twelve feet tall, with arms three spans wide, a face like indigo, a mouth like a blood basin, flashing eyes, and teeth like rows of nails. They are both of such appearance, so I did not dare bring them to court without authorization." The king said: "Since you have described them thus, why should I fear them? Summon them in." He immediately sent a golden plaque to the post station to invite them.

When Idiot heard of the invitation, he said to Sha Wujing: "Brother, didn't I tell you not to deliver the letter? Now you see the benefits of delivering the letter. I suppose the Master delivered the letter, and the king said, 'The letter-bearer must not be treated rudely; we must certainly prepare a banquet for him.' But his appetite isn't enough on its own—he has us in mind, so he mentioned our names and sent the golden plaque to invite us. We'll all have a good meal, and tomorrow we can be on our way." Sha Wujing said: "Brother, who knows what the reason is? Let's go and see." They entrusted their luggage and horses to the postmaster, each took his own weapon, and entered the court following the golden plaque. They soon arrived before the white jade steps, stood to the left and right, bowed once toward the court, and did not move again. None of the civil and military officials was not afraid. They all said: "These two monks may be ugly, but they are far too coarse and vulgar. Why, when they see our king, do they not bow? They finish their bow, stand upright, and remain standing. How strange, how strange." Idiot heard them and said: "Gentlemen, do not discuss us. We are like this: at first glance we do indeed look somewhat ugly, but if you look at us a while longer, we are actually quite presentable."

The king was already startled by his hideous appearance, but when the fool opened his mouth and spoke, the king grew even more terrified. He could not remain seated on his dragon throne and toppled off. Fortunately, the attending officials helped him up. In a panic, Tang Seng knelt in the palace hall, kowtowing unceasingly. "Your Majesty, this humble monk deserves ten thousand deaths, ten thousand deaths. I told you my disciple was ugly and dared not present himself at court, fearing he might injure Your Sacred Body. And indeed, he has alarmed the sovereign!"

The king, trembling with fear, stepped forward and helped him up. "Elder, it is well that you warned me beforehand. Had you not, and I had suddenly seen him, I would surely have been frightened to death." After the king had calmed himself for some time, he asked, "Of the Elder Zhu and the Elder Sha, which one is skilled at subduing demons?"

The fool, not knowing what was good for him, replied, "This old Pig can subdue them."

The king asked, "How do you go about it?"

Wuneng said, "I was once the Marshal of the Heavenly Reeds. Having offended the laws of Heaven, I was banished to the mortal world. Fortunately, I have now returned to the true path and become a monk. Since coming from the Eastern Land, the first to subdue demons has been me."

The king said, "Since you are a heavenly general descended to earth, you must be skilled at transformations."

Wuneng said, "I dare not say so, but I do know a few transformations or so."

The king said, "Show me one, if you would."

Wuneng possessed the Thirty-Six Transformations. He went before the palace steps to show his skills, reciting a spell and shouting, "Grow!" He bent at the waist and immediately grew to the height of eight or nine zhang, looking just like a road-opening god. The two rows of civil and military officials trembled with fear, and all the monarchs and ministers stood in a daze. At that moment, the palace guard general asked, "Elder, if you grow this tall, where will you stop? Is there no limit?"

The fool, speaking his foolish words again, said, "That depends on the wind. An east wind is tolerable; a west wind will do. But if the south wind rises, I could push a great hole through the sky."

The king, greatly alarmed, said, "Withdraw your powers! I have seen enough of such transformations." Wuneng shrank back down and resumed his original form, standing at the foot of the steps.

The king asked again, "Elder, what weapon will you use to fight the demon?"

Wuneng drew the rake from his waist. "This old Pig uses a nine-toothed rake."

The king laughed. "What a disgrace to the royal court! Here we have whips, clubs, maces, hammers, swords, spears, battle-axes, halberds, lances, and sickles—choose whatever suits your hand. What kind of weapon is a rake?"

Wuneng said, "Your Majesty does not understand. Though this rake is crude, it has been with me since childhood. When I commanded the eight thousand sailors of the Heavenly River, I relied entirely on this rake. Now that I have descended to the mortal world to protect my master, it is this rake that has broken through the lairs of tigers and wolves in the mountains and overturned the caves of dragons and sea-serpents in the water."

When the king heard these words, he was greatly pleased and believed him. He then ordered his nine imperial concubines: "Bring me the imperial wine that I personally use, and present it to the Elder as a farewell offering." He filled a goblet to the brim and presented it to Wuneng. "Elder, this cup of wine is a small token of my appreciation for your labor. Once you have captured the demon and rescued my daughter, I shall host a grand feast in your honor and reward you generously."

The fool took the cup. Though his manner was rough, his conduct was courteous. He bowed deeply to Tang Seng and said, "Master, this wine should properly begin with you. But since the sovereign has given it to me, I dare not disobey. Let old Pig drink first to raise my spirits, so I can capture the demon." He drained the cup in one gulp, then filled another and handed it to his master. Tang Seng said, "I do not drink wine. You brothers may have it." Shasheng stepped forward and took it. Wuneng then generated clouds beneath his feet and soared straight into the sky.

The king exclaimed, "The Elder Zhu can also ride the clouds?"

After the fool had gone, Shasheng also drained the cup in one gulp and said, "Master, when the Robe of Yellow captured you, the two of us fought him to a draw. Now that Second Brother goes alone, I fear he may not defeat him."

Tang Seng said, "That is true, my disciple. You should go and help him." Hearing this, Shasheng also mounted the clouds and leaped after him. The king was alarmed and grabbed Tang Seng. "Elder, please stay and sit with me—do not fly away on the clouds too." Tang Seng said, "Alas, alas, I cannot take a single step." The two of them then conversed in the palace hall, but we shall not recount that here.

Meanwhile, Shasheng caught up with Wuneng. "Elder Brother, I am here."

Wuneng said, "Brother, why have you come?"

Shasheng said, "Master told me to come and help."

Wuneng was overjoyed. "Well said, and well done! If the two of us work together with all our might to capture that monster, even if we accomplish nothing else, at least we shall make a name for ourselves in this kingdom."

Look at them:

Auspicious light and cloudy radiance left the kingdom,

Vital essence and hallowed mist departed the royal city.

They received the king's command and went to the mountain cave,

Striving with united hearts to capture the monstrous spirit.

Before long the two of them arrived at the cave entrance and descended from the clouds. Zhu Bajie raised his rake and, summoning all his strength, drove it into the stone gate of the Wave-Moon Cave, punching a hole the size of a large bushel basket through it. The gatekeeping imp was so startled that he flung open the gate, and on seeing the two of them, he rushed inside in a panic to report: "Your Majesty! Terrible news! The long-mouthed, big-eared monk and the one with the sallow complexion have come again and smashed the gate!"

The demon king exclaimed: "So it's Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing again. I spared their master—how dare they come back and break down my door?"

The little imp ventured: "Perhaps they forgot something and came to fetch it."

The old demon snapped: "Nonsense! If they merely forgot something, would they dare attack my gate? There must be some other reason." He quickly donned his armor, seized his steel saber, and strode out, demanding: "You monks—I already spared your master. How dare you come battering down my gate again?"

Bajie retorted: "You wicked demon, what a fine thing you've done!"

The demon king demanded: "What do you mean?"

Bajie said: "You tricked the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Baoxiang and lured her into your cave, where you've held her by force as your wife for thirteen years. It's time you gave her back. I come by royal command of the king to capture you. Go inside at once, bind yourself, and come out—otherwise old Pig will have to do it myself."

At these words the old demon flew into a raging fury. Watch him—gnashing his steel teeth with a violent clench, his round eyes bulging and rolling, raising his saber with savage might, and bringing it down in a sweeping slash straight at Bajie's head. Bajie dodged to the side and met the blow with his spiked rake. Then Sha Wujing rushed forward with his precious staff, and the two struck together. The battle fought on this mountain ridge was different from the last one. Truly:

Wrong words spoken provoke anger; venomous intent gives birth to wrath. The demon king swung his great steel saber, striking straight at the head; Bajie's nine-toothed rake came forward to meet it. Sha Wujing brandished his precious staff; the demon king parried with his divine weapon. One fierce demon, two divine monks—back and forth they clashed without respite. One cried: "You deceived the kingdom—death is your just punishment!" The other retorted: "You meddle in what's no concern of yours!" One said: "You forced the princess into marriage—an outrage against the realm!" The other said: "It's none of your business—stop your meddling!" In truth, all this strife stemmed from nothing but the delivering of a letter, causing monk and demon alike to know no peace.

They fought on that hillside for eight or nine rounds, and gradually Bajie began to falter. He could barely lift his rake; his strength was failing. Why could he not match the demon? In their earlier battle, the guardian deities—who were protecting Tang Seng inside the cave—had secretly aided Bajie and Sha Wujing, so the two had managed to hold their own. But now all the deities were guarding Tang Seng in the Kingdom of Baoxiang, and so the two monks could not withstand the demon.

The fool called out: "Sha Wujing, you come forward and fight him—old Pig needs to relieve himself!" Without waiting for a reply, he bolted off into a tangle of wormwood, wild vines, brambles, and creepers, plunging in recklessly regardless of what he trampled. He cared nothing for scraped skin or torn face—he simply rolled over, lay flat on his ground, and dared not come out again. He left but half an ear cocked, listening for the watchman's clapper.

Seeing Bajie flee, the demon turned on Sha Wujing. Wujing was caught off guard; the demon seized him in one grasp and dragged him into the cave. The little demons bound him hand and foot like a horse.

What became of his fate, whether he lived or died—that must await the next chapter.