Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Then the Great Sage and his two brothers lowered their clouds and made their way straight into the court. There they saw the monarch, his ministers, the crown prince, and the empress, all lined up in rows to bow and express their thanks. The Pilgrim related to the king and his court the whole story of how the Bodhisattva had subdued the fiend and captured the monster, and everyone present bowed in reverence without end. Just as they were offering their congratulations, a palace attendant came forward to announce: “Your Majesty, there are four monks outside.”

“Brother,” said Eight Rules in a panic, “could this be the demon working some trick? He might have impersonated Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva to fool us and now he’s turned himself into monks to match wits with us?”

“Nonsense!” said the Pilgrim. He ordered that the monks be brought in to see them.

The civil and military officials issued the command for them to enter. When the Pilgrim looked, he saw that they were monks from Baolin Monastery, who came forward bearing the soaring crown, the jade belt, the ochre-yellow robe, and the sandals of carefree ease. The Pilgrim was overjoyed. “Well done! Well done!” He told the Daoist priest to come forward, remove his scarf, and put on the soaring crown; take off his plain robe and put on the ochre-yellow robe; untie his sash and fasten the jade belt; slip off his monk’s shoes and step into the sandals of carefree ease. He told the crown prince to bring out the white jade tablet and place it in his hand, and then invited him at once to ascend the throne and rule. As the saying goes, “A court cannot be without a lord for a single day.” But how could the emperor consent to sit? He wept and knelt at the foot of the steps, saying: “I have been dead for three years. Now that my master has saved me and brought me back to life, how dare I presume to sit on the throne again? Please let one of my masters be the king. I am willing to lead my wife and children to live as commoners outside the city.”

Tripitaka would not hear of it; his only wish was to worship Buddha and seek the scriptures. They then invited the Pilgrim, who laughed and said: “To tell you the truth, old Monkey would have been emperor of all the kingdoms of the world many times over if I had wanted to be. But we’ve been monks too long and have grown too lazy. If we became emperor, we’d have to grow our hair long, stay awake through the night, and rise before dawn; when reports came from the borders, our hearts would be troubled; when famine and disaster struck, we would be weighed down with worry. How could we stand it? You go ahead and be emperor, and I’ll go on being a monk and cultivating my merit.” The king pressed him in vain, so he finally ascended the palace hall, faced south to rule, proclaimed a great amnesty throughout the land, and bestowed rewards upon the monks of Baolin Monastery before sending them back. Then he opened the Eastern Pavilion to hold a banquet in honor of the Tang monk. At the same time he issued an edict summoning painters to make portraits of the Tang monk and his three disciples, which were to be enshrined in the Golden Phoenix Hall.

Having restored peace to the kingdom, the master and disciples did not linger long; they wished to take leave of the king and journey westward. The emperor, together with the ladies of the three palaces, the crown prince, and the ministers, offered the treasures of the state—gold, silver, and silk—to the master in gratitude. Tripitaka accepted nothing at all. He merely had the travel documents stamped and urged Wukong and the others to pack the horses and set out early. The king, feeling deeply uneasy, arranged the full imperial procession and invited Tripitaka to take the honored seat, while two ranks of civil and military officials led the way. The emperor himself, together with the ladies of the three palaces, the crown prince, and his whole family, pushed the carriage wheels and escorted them out of the city. Only then did he descend from his dragon carriage to take leave of them.

“Master,” said the king, “when you return from the Western Heaven with the scriptures, you must be sure to visit my realm again.”

“This disciple obeys your command,” said Tripitaka.

The emperor, his eyes brimming with tears, then returned with his ministers.

The Tang monk and his four disciples set out on the winding road, their hearts set on worshipping at Vulture Peak. It was the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. They saw:

Frost had withered the red leaves, making the forests thin;

Rain had ripened the yellow millet, filling the fields everywhere.

The warm sun illumined the plum blossoms on the mountain ridges;

The wind stirred the mountain bamboos with a chill rustling.

The master and disciples left the Kingdom of Wuchou, resting at night and traveling by day. After more than half a month, they suddenly saw another towering mountain, truly piercing the sky and blocking the sun. Tripitaka on his horse was alarmed. He pulled the reins quickly and called out to the Pilgrim.

“What does Master wish?” asked the Pilgrim.

“Look,” said Tripitaka. “Ahead there are again great mountains and steep ridges. We must be on our guard, for I fear that once more some evil creature may come to attack me.”

The Pilgrim laughed. “Just keep walking and stop worrying. Old Monkey will protect you.”

The elder could only put his mind at ease, whipped his horse, and hastened to the mountain crag. It was indeed extremely dangerous. They saw:

So high, its summit touched the blue sky;

So deep, its ravines were like the underworld.

Before the mountain, white clouds billowed constantly and dark mists swirled upward.

Red plums and green bamboos, dark cypresses and blue pines.

Behind the mountain stood a soul-snatching platform of ten thousand feet, and behind the platform lay a demon-hiding cave, strange and eerie. Inside the cave was a dripping spring that went tink-tang, tink-tang, and below the spring wound a twisting, turning stream. There were also apes that leapt and stabbed at the sky, offering fruit; deer with branching antlers; and gazelles that stared at people in a dazed way. Tigers that climbed the mountain at dusk to seek their dens, and dragons that churned the waves at dawn to rise from the water. When the cave door was pushed open, it went crash! The startled birds fluttered up with a whir. The beasts in the forest went scurrying along, and seeing this flock of birds and herd of beasts, men’s hearts pounded in terror. Halls collapsed and caves caved in, and caves crumbled into caves. The blue stones were dyed into a thousand pieces of jade; green mist shrouded ten thousand piles of haze.

Just as the master and disciples were filled with dread, they saw in the hollow of the mountain a red cloud shooting straight up into the ninefold heavens, gathering a mass of fiery energy. The Pilgrim was greatly startled. He stepped forward, grabbed Tripitaka by the foot, and pushed him off his horse.

“Brothers, don’t go any farther! A demon is coming!”

In a panic, Eight Rules hastily pulled out his spiked mace, and Sandy quickly raised his precious staff. They surrounded Tripitaka in their midst.

Here the narrative divides. Now let us speak of the red light—it was indeed a demon. Several years earlier he had heard it said that the Tang monk Xuanzang, traveling west to fetch the scriptures, was the reincarnation of the Venerable Golden Cicada, a good man who had cultivated for ten lifetimes. Whoever ate a piece of his flesh would live forever, as enduring as Heaven and Earth. Day after day he had waited in the mountains, never expecting that today the monk would arrive. He was watching from midair when he saw three disciples surrounding and protecting the monk on horseback, each one at the ready. The spirit could not stop praising them: "Fine monks! I saw a plump, fair-skinned monk riding a horse—surely that is the holy monk of the Tang—but how is it that three ugly monks are guarding him? Each one rolling up his sleeves, fists clenched, weapons in hand, as if ready to fight someone. Ah! I wonder if someone with sharp eyes has recognized me. With things looking like this, there's no hope of getting the flesh of Xuanzang." He pondered for a long while, deliberating with himself: "If I try to seize him by force, I cannot get close. But if I deceive him with kindness, I may succeed. Once I have confused his mind, I can find an opening within that kindness and surely capture him. Let me go down and toy with him a bit."

The fine demon then dispersed the red light, pressed down his cloud, and descended. He went into the hillside, shook his body, and transformed himself into a seven-year-old child, stark naked with no clothes on, his hands and feet bound with hemp rope, hung high from the top of a pine tree, crying out again and again: "Save me! Save me!"

Meanwhile, the Great Sage Sun suddenly looked up and saw that the red cloud had completely dispersed and the fiery qi was gone. He called out: "Master, mount up and let's be on our way." Xuanzang said, "You said a demon was coming—how dare we travel now?" Wukong replied, "Just now I saw a red cloud rise from the ground and form a mass of fiery qi in the sky—it was certainly a demon. Now the red cloud has dispersed, so it must have been a passing demon that wouldn't dare harm anyone. Let's go." Bajie laughed, "Elder Brother, you have the cleverest tongue. Since when do demons just pass through?" Wukong said, "How would you know? If some demon king of a mountain or cave is holding a feast and invites the spirits of every mountain and cave to attend, then spirits from the east, west, south, and north all come to the gathering. So this one had his mind only on attending the feast and no intention to harm anyone. That's what you call a passing demon."

On hearing this, the Tripitaka was half-believing, half-doubting, but could only climb into the saddle and ride forward along the mountain path. As they traveled, they heard a cry: "Save me!" The Elder was greatly startled: "Disciples, who could be calling out here halfway up the mountain?" Wukong stepped forward and said, "Master, just keep walking. Don't get tangled up with sedan chairs—whether carried by people, by mules, open ones, or sleeping ones. Even if there were sedan chairs around here, there's no one to carry you." Xuanzang said, "I'm not talking about carrying chairs—I'm talking about the cry of someone calling." Wukong laughed, "I understand. Don't meddle in other people's business. Let's keep going."

The Tripitaka did as he said and urged the horse forward again. They had gone no more than a mile when they heard the cry again: "Save me!" The Elder said, "Disciples, this cry is not from a ghost or demon. If it were a ghost or demon, there would be a sound but no echo. Listen—he calls once, then calls again. This must be someone in trouble. We should go and save him." Wukong said, "Master, put away your compassion for now. We can show mercy again once we've passed this mountain. This place is more dangerous than safe. You know the saying about things that attach themselves to grass and wood—creatures can become spirits. Most are harmless, but there is one kind: the python. If it cultivates for many years and becomes a spirit, it is skilled at knowing people's names. If it calls to someone from the grass or a mountain hollow, and the person doesn't answer, that's the end of it. But if the person answers, the spirit seizes his soul and follows him that night, surely taking his life. Let's go, let's go. The ancients said, 'If you escape, thank the gods.' Do not answer him." The Elder had no choice but to obey, and he whipped the horse onward.

Wukong thought to himself: "I don't know where this wretched demon is, but he keeps calling and calling. Let me give him a 'Mao-You star trick' so that neither of the two sides will meet." The fine Great Sage called Sha Wujing over: "Stay close to the horse and walk slowly. Let me, old Sun, relieve myself." You see, he let Xuanzang go a few steps ahead, then spoke an incantation and used the technique of moving mountains and shrinking the earth. He pointed the golden-banded staff backward, and his master and brothers passed over the peak and went forward, leaving the demon behind.

He then quickened his pace and caught up with Xuanzang, and they raced along the mountain. The Tripitaka heard the cry again from behind the mountain: "Save me!" The Elder said, "Disciples, that poor person has no karmic connection with us—he didn't get to meet us, and we've passed him. Listen, he's calling from behind the mountain." Bajie said, "He was in front of the mountain before, but now the wind has shifted." Wukong said, "Never mind whether the wind has shifted or not. Let's keep going." So they all fell silent, wishing they could cross this mountain in a single step. But enough of this.

Now let us speak of the demon in the hillside. He had called out three or four times and still no one came. He thought to myself: "I've been waiting for Xuanzang here. I saw him no more than three miles away, so why hasn't he arrived after all this time? He must have taken a different path." He shook his body, slipped free from the ropes, and once more rose on a red light to look from above. Before he knew it, the Great Sage Sun looked up and recognized him as a demon. He grabbed Xuanzang by the foot and pushed him off the horse, crying: "Brothers, be careful, be careful—the demon is back!" In a panic, Bajie and Sha Wujing seized their rake and staff and once again surrounded and protected Xuanzang.

The spirit watched from midair and could not help but admire him. "What a fine monk! I saw the pale-faced monk riding on horseback just now—how is it that those three have hidden him away? I shall find out when I meet them face to face. I must first knock down the one with the keen eyes, and only then can I capture the monk Tang. Otherwise, all my scheming will be in vain, and my efforts will come to nothing." He then lowered his cloud, just as before, and transformed himself, hanging high from the tip of a pine tree to wait. This time, however, he did not go even half a li away.

Now the Great Sage Sun looked up again and saw that the red cloud had dispersed. He once more invited his master to mount his horse and continue on their way. Tripitaka said, "You said the demon was coming back—why are you now asking me to walk?" Wukong replied, "This is merely a passing demon. He wouldn't dare provoke us." The elder, still nursing his anger, said: "This wretched monkey is tormenting me beyond endurance. When there really are demons about, he says there's nothing to fear; yet in a place as peaceful as this, he frightens me by shouting every so often that there are demons about. More false than true, making no distinction between what matters and what doesn't—he grabbed my foot and threw me from my horse, and now he tries to explain it away as a passing demon. If he had injured me in the fall, he would have felt terrible about it, and so on and so forth..." Wukong said, "Master, don't blame me. If I had injured your hands or feet, they could still be healed. But if a demon had carried you off, where would I ever find you?" Tripitaka flew into a rage and, grinding his teeth, was about to recite the Tight-Fillet Spell. It was only Sha Wujing's earnest pleading that made him mount his horse and continue on.

He had barely settled into his saddle when a cry rang out again: "Master, save me!" The elder looked up and saw a small child, stark naked, hanging from a tree. He reined in his horse and cursed at Wukong: "How lazy and worthless this wretched monkey is! He hasn't a shred of kindness in him—his only thought is to cause trouble and do harm! I told him plainly that the cry was a human voice, yet he talked a thousand words insisting it was a demon. Look—isn't that a person hanging from the tree?" The Great Sage saw that his master was angry with him, and when he looked directly at the figure, he found he could neither act nor speak—for one thing, he couldn't make his move, and for another, he feared the Tight-Fillet Spell. He kept his head lowered and dared not say another word, letting Tripitaka ride up to the base of the tree. The elder pointed with the tip of his whip and asked: "Whose child are you? What has happened to you, that you are hanging here? Tell me, and I will save you." Ah! Clearly this was a spirit who had transformed himself to look like this, but the master was a mortal with fleshly eyes and could not recognize him.

When the demon saw him ask these questions, he played his deception all the more, tears welling in his eyes. He cried out: "Master, to the west of here there is a Dry Pine Ravine. Beyond the ravine there is a village—I am from that household. My great-grandfather's surname was Hong. Because he amassed great wealth and had a fortune of ten thousand strings of cash, he was known by the nickname Hong the Millionaire. He passed away long ago, and his estate was left to my father. In recent years, people have grown extravagant, and the family fortune has dwindled, so his name was changed to Hong the Hundred-Thousand. He made a point of befriending bold men from all directions, lending out silver and gold in the hope of earning interest. But how could he know that a worthless swindler would cheat him and make off with the principal and interest alike? My father swore a mighty oath and would not lend a single coin. The man who had borrowed the silver and gold, now destitute, gathered a band of villains. They came to my gate in broad daylight with blazing torches and drawn weapons, plundered all my family's wealth and goods, and killed my father. Seeing that my mother was still somewhat comely, they carried her off to be their mountain stronghold's lady. At that time, my mother could not bear to part from me. She held me in her arms, weeping piteously and trembling with fear, and followed the bandits. When we reached this mountain, they tried to kill me as well. It was only because my mother begged them tearfully that they spared me from the blade—but they tied a rope around me and hung me from this tree, leaving me to die of cold and hunger. Those bandits carried my mother off—I know not where. I have been hanging here for three days and three nights, and not a single soul has passed by. I know not what merit I cultivated in a former life to meet you, Master, in this one. If you would show great mercy and save my life so that I may return home, I would sell myself into servitude to repay your kindness. Even if I were buried beneath yellow sand, I would never forget it."

When Tripitaka heard these words, he took them at face value. He told Bajie to untie the rope and bring the child down. The fool, unable to tell a person from a demon, moved forward to do so. Wukong, standing nearby, could not restrain himself and shouted: "You wretched creature! There is someone here who knows you! Stop your empty tricks and your lies to deceive people. If your family fortune was plundered, your father killed by bandits, and your mother carried off by others—who would you give yourself over to if we saved you? What would you give us in thanks? Your lie has fallen apart." When the demon heard this, his heart trembled with fear, and he knew that the Great Sage was a man of ability. He secretly kept this in mind. Yet he continued to tremble and weep as he said: "Master, although my parents are gone and my family fortune is destroyed, there is still some farmland untouched, and my relatives are all alive." Wukong said: "What relatives do you have?" The demon said: "My maternal grandfather lives south of the mountain; my aunt lives north of the ridge. Li Si at the head of the ravine is my uncle by marriage; Hong Three in the woods is my elder cousin of the clan. I also have uncles and elder cousins living all around this village. If you would be willing to save me, when we reach the village and I see all my relatives, I will tell them one and one how you saved me, and I will sell some of the farmland to repay you handsomely."

When Bajie heard this, he held back the Patriarch and said, "Brother, he's just a little child — why do you keep interrogating him? If he says they were bandits, they only plundered some floating goods from him — surely they didn't take his house and land as well? If we tell his relatives about this, even with our enormous appetites, we couldn't eat up the price of ten acres of his fields. Let's save him down." The fool was only thinking of food and couldn't care less about right or wrong. He used his priest's knife to cut the ropes and lowered the fiend. The fiend wept before the horse, bowing his head repeatedly to Tang Seng. The Elder's heart was compassionate, so he called out, "Child, get up on the horse and I'll take you along." The fiend said, "Master, my hands and feet are numb from hanging, my waist and hips ache. Besides, I'm from a country family and not used to riding horses." Tang Seng told Bajie to carry him. The fiend wiped his eyes and said, "Master, my skin is frozen raw — I dare not let this master carry me. He has a long mouth, big ears, and stiff bristles behind his head — they'd stab me to death in my panic." Tang Seng said, "Let Sha Seng carry him." The fiend wiped his eyes again and said, "Master, when those bandits came to rob my family, they all had painted faces and false beards, wielding swords and staves. I was so frightened by them that when I see this gloomy-faced master, I lose my soul entirely. I dare not let him carry me either." Tang Seng told Sun Wukong to carry him. Wukong laughed and said, "I'll carry him, I'll carry him." The fiend secretly rejoiced and docilely allowed Wukong to carry him.

Wukong pulled him aside to the roadside and tested him — he weighed only three jin and ten or so ounces. Wukong laughed and said, "You wretched fiend, today you ought to die. How dare you play tricks before Old Sun? I know what sort of thing you are." The fiend said, "I'm the child of a good family, unfortunate to suffer such a calamity — how can you call me 'that sort of thing'?" Wukong said, "If you're the child of a good family, why are your bones so light?" The fiend said, "My frame is small." Wukong said, "How old are you this year?" The fiend said, "I'm seven years old." Wukong laughed and said, "One year adds one jin — you ought to weigh seven jin. How come you don't even weigh four jin?" The fiend said, "I lost my mother's milk when I was young." Wukong said, "Very well, I'll carry you. But if you need to piss or shit, you must tell me first."

Tang Seng, Bajie, and Sha Seng walked ahead while Wukong carried the child behind them, and the whole company headed straight west. There is a poem that testifies to this. The poem says:

When virtue rises high, so do demonic obstacles;

The stillness of Chan itself gives birth to fiends.

When the heart-king walks the upright middle way,

The wooden mother stumbles, stubborn and wayward outside.

The thinking horse harbors love and desire in silence;

The yellow woman frets and worries without a word.

The guest evil rejoices in vain at gaining its wish,

For in the end it is still consumed by the upright.

The Great Sage Sun carried the demon on his back, inwardly grumbling at Tang Seng's ignorance of hardship: "Traveling through this treacherous mountain terrain, even an empty body finds it hard to walk — yet he makes Old Sun carry a person. Never mind that this fellow might be a demon; even if he were a good person with no parents, who would we hand him over to? I'd better just dash him to death." But the fiend had already sensed this. He used his magic to draw in four breaths from all around and blew them onto Wukong's back, and suddenly Wukong felt him weigh a thousand jin. Wukong laughed and said, "My child, you're using a heavy-body spell to press down on your old grandpa!" Hearing this, the fiend feared the Great Sage would harm him, so he released his soul through corpse-escaping. His spirit leaped up and stood in the ninefold heavens. Wukong's back grew even heavier. The Monkey King flew into a rage, grabbed him, and flung him with a violent smash onto a slimy rock by the roadside, dashing his corpse flat like a meat patty. Still fearing he might cause more trouble, Wukong tore off his four limbs and threw them on both sides of the road, smashing them all to pieces.

The creature watched clearly from the air and could not suppress the fire rising in his heart. He said, "This monkey monk is utterly lazy and worthless! Even if you take me for a demon who wants to harm your master, you haven't even seen me make a move yet — how could you mangle me like this? It's a good thing I had a plan and escaped with my spirit; otherwise, you'd have killed a living creature for no reason. If I don't seize this chance to capture Tang Seng, and let him be, he'll only stay longer and grow wiser." The fine fiend then stirred up a whirlwind in midair. With a great roaring sound, it swept up stones and flung sand — truly ferocious. What a wind:

It roared and churned, rolling up water and clouds reeking of blood;

Black vapors billowed, shutting out the bright sun.

Trees on the mountains were uprooted, roots and all;

Wild plum trees were flattened, branches and trunks alike.

Yellow sand blinded the eyes so men could not walk;

Jagged rocks lay shattered, making the path impassable.

Rolling and swirling, the plain grew dark;

Beasts throughout the mountains howled and roared.

The wind blew so hard that Tang Seng could barely stay on his horse, Bajie dared not look up, and Sha Seng bowed his head and covered his face. The Great Sage Sun knew at once that the fiend was stirring up the wind. He quickly bounded forward to chase him, but the fiend had already ridden the gust and spirited Tang Seng away — without a trace, gone to who knew where, with no way to track him.

After a while, the wind died down and the sunlight shone bright again. Wukong went forward to survey the scene. He saw only the White Dragon Horse trembling and neighing in fright, the luggage scattered on the roadside, Bajie groaning as he lay prostrate beneath the cliff, and Sha Seng crouching at the slope calling out. Wukong shouted, "Bajie!" The fool heard Wukong's voice and looked up — the gale had already ceased. He scrambled to his feet and grabbed Wukong, saying, "Brother, what a huge wind!" Sha Seng also came forward and said, "Brother, that was a whirlwind." He then asked, "Where is the Master?" Bajie said, "The wind came so hard that we all covered our heads and hid our eyes, each sheltering from the gale. The Master was lying on his horse." Wukong said, "Then where has he gone now?" Sha Seng said, "He was made of wick grass — I think he was swept away by a single gust of wind."

"Sun Wukong said, 'Brothers, we might as well part ways from here.' Zhu Bajie said, 'Indeed, let's split up early and each seek our own fortune—that would be for the best. The road to the Western Heaven is endless; when will we ever get there?' When Sha Wujing heard this, he was so shocked that his whole body went numb. 'Elder Brother, what kind of talk is that?' he said. 'We were guilty of crimes in our previous lives, and it was out of compassion that Guanyin Bodhisattva persuaded us, touched our heads, and administered the precepts. She gave us new Dharma names, and we converted ourselves to the Buddhist path, vowing to protect Tang Seng on his journey to the West to worship Buddha and seek the scriptures, so that our merit might atone for our sins. Now that we have come this far, if we were to abandon the mission all at once and speak of each seeking our own fortune, would that not betray the Bodhisattva's virtuous purpose, ruin our own moral character, and invite the ridicule of others, who would say we started something we could not finish?' Wukong said, 'Brother, what you say is true, but what can be done when our master refuses to listen to reason? These old eyes of mine can distinguish good from evil. Just now that wind was made by the child hanging from that tree. I knew he was a demon, but none of you recognized it, and our master didn't either. He took him for a good human child and told me to carry him on my back. I was scheming to deal with him, when he used a heavy-body technique to press me down. I smashed him to pieces. He must have then used a corpse-releasing trick, conjuring a whirlwind to carry our master away. That is why I am angry that he never listens to me, and so my heart has grown weary and I said we should each go our own way. But since you, dear brother, have such sincere devotion, you put me in a difficult position. Bajie—what exactly do you want to do?' Bajie said, 'I spoke carelessly a moment ago; really, we shouldn't split up. Brother, there's no helping it—let's trust what Sha Brother said and go find that demon to rescue our master.' Wukong's anger turned to joy at once. 'Brothers, let us join our hearts once more, gather up the luggage and the horse, and go up the mountain to find the monster and save our master.'

The three of them climbed over vines and pulled themselves up by creepers, following the slopes and winding along the ravines. They traveled some fifty or seventy li, but found no news of him. On that mountain there were not a single bird or beast to be seen, only ancient cypresses and towering pines. The Great Sage Sun was truly beside himself with anxiety. He bounded upward and leaped onto the perilous peak, shouting 'Transform!' He took on the form of three heads and six arms, just as he had looked when he caused havoc in Heaven. He waved his golden-banded staff, and it became three golden-banded staffs. Whack, whack, whack!—he struck east along one road, struck west along another, and flailed on both sides without stopping. When Bajie saw this, he said, 'Sha Monk, this is bad—our Elder Brother can't find our master and has worked himself into a fit of mad rage.'

After Wukong had struck for a while, he beat out a whole crowd of impoverished deities, each wearing a single scrap of cloth, with sashes but no trouser seats and trousers with no openings. They knelt on the mountain and called out, 'Great Sage, the Mountain God and the Land Deities have come to pay their respects.' Wukong said, 'How is it there are so many Mountain Gods and Land Deities?' The deities kowtowed and said, 'We beg to inform you, Great Sage: this mountain is called the Six-Hundred-Li Ao-Mountain. We are the Land Deities and Mountain Gods for every ten li, making thirty Mountain Gods and thirty Land Deities in all. Yesterday we heard that you, Great Sage, had arrived, but because we could not all assemble at once, we were late in greeting you. This made you angry, and we beg your forgiveness.' Wukong said, 'I will spare you punishment. Tell me: how many demons are there on this mountain?' The deities said, 'Oh, Grandfather! There is only one demon, and he has rubbed our heads bald. He leaves us with no incense and no paper offerings, no blood sacrifices at all. We have not enough clothing to cover our bodies, not enough food to fill our mouths—how could there be many demons?' Wukong said, 'Does this demon dwell on the front of the mountain or the back?' The deities said, 'Neither on the front nor the back. In this mountain there is a ravine called Withered Pine Ravine. Beside the ravine is a cave called the Cave of Flaming Clouds. Inside the cave is a demon king of vast magical powers. He often seizes us Mountain Gods and Land Deities and makes us tend his fires at his gate. At night he makes us ring bells and shout watch-calls. His little demons also demand regular tribute.' Wukong said, 'You are deities of the spirit world—what money could you have?' The deities said, 'Exactly—we have no money for him, so we can only catch a few mountain deer and wild antelopes to offer the demons morning and evening. If we have nothing to give, they tear down our temples and strip off our clothes, making life impossible for us. We beg you, Great Sage, to destroy this fiend and save the living creatures on this mountain.' Wukong said, 'Since you are under his control and are often at his cave, you must know where this demon comes from and what he is called.' The deities said, 'Speaking of him, perhaps you know him already, Great Sage. He is the son of the Bull Demon King, raised by the Rakshasa Maiden. He practiced austerities on the Mountain of Flames for three hundred years and cultivated the Samadhi True Fire—his magical powers are indeed vast. The Bull Demon King sent him to guard Ao Mountain. His childhood name is Red Boy, and his title is Sagely Infant King.'

Merry at these words, Pilgrim dismissed the local god and the mountain god. Then he resumed his original form, leaped down from the peak, and said to Eight Rules and Sha Monk, "Brothers, rest easy and worry no more! Master will not lose his life. This fiend and old Monkey are related." Eight Rules said with a laugh, "Elder Brother, don't lie to us! You were in the Continent of Superior Divinity, and this is the Continent of Cattle's Auspice. The distance is vast—ten thousand rivers and mountains lie between, and there are even two oceans! How could he be related to you?" Pilgrim said, "Those fellows just now were the local god and the mountain god of this region. When I asked them about the fiend, they told me he is the son of the Bull Monster King, raised by the Rakshasa Woman. His name is Red Boy, and he is called the Great Sage, Sagely Infant. Think of it—when old Monkey created havoc in the Celestial Palace five hundred years ago, he roamed all the famous mountains of the world and sought out the mighty heroes of the earth. That Bull Monster King and old Monkey became sworn brothers—seven of us in all. There were five or six demon kings, but only old Monkey was small in stature, so the Bull Monster King was called the eldest brother. This fiend is the Bull Monster King's son. I knew his father. By that reckoning, I'm his old uncle! How would he dare harm our Master? Let's go quickly." Sha Monk said with a laugh, "Elder Brother, as the saying goes, 'If you don't visit for three years, even kin are no kin.' You parted from him five or six hundred years ago. You've never exchanged a cup of wine, never sent a seasonal gift—why would he acknowledge any kinship with you?" Pilgrim said, "How can you judge people so narrowly? As the saying goes, 'A drifting duckweed leaf returns to the sea—where in this world will men not meet?' Even if he doesn't acknowledge the kinship, surely he wouldn't harm our Master. If he doesn't offer us a banquet, he should at least return us a whole and intact Tripitaka."

The three brothers, each with devoted hearts, led the white horse, which carried their luggage on its back, and advanced straight along the main road. Day and night without pause, they traveled a hundred *li* or so when suddenly they came upon a pine forest. In the forest was a winding stream, and beneath it flowed clear, emerald water. At the head of the stream stood a stone bridge, leading to a cave dwelling on the other side. Pilgrim said, "Brother, look at those rocky cliffs over there—most likely the fiend's lair. Let us discuss this together: who will stay to guard the luggage and the horse, and who will come with me to subdue the fiend?" Eight Rules said, "Elder Brother, this old pig has no patience for sitting still. I'll go with you." Pilgrim said, "Good, good." He instructed Sha Monk, "Hide the horse and luggage deep in the forest and guard them carefully. Wait for the two of us to go to the door and find our Master." Sha Monk obeyed. Eight Rules followed, and together with Pilgrim, each wielding his weapon, they went forward. Truly:

The evil fire of the unrefined infant prevails;

The Mind-Ape and the Wood-Mother support each other.

What fortune or calamity awaited them on this journey, you will hear explained in the next chapter.