Chapter 42

Chapter 42

The six sturdy warriors left the cave gate and headed southwest along the road. The Pilgrim thought to himself in secret, "He wants to invite the Great King to eat my master. The Great King must be the Bull Demon King. When I met him in former days, we were truly in harmony and friendship, and our bond was deep. Now that I have returned to the proper path, he still remains a demon. Though we have long been parted, I still remember his appearance. Let me transform into the Bull Demon King and deceive them a while, and see what happens."

The clever Pilgrim slipped away from the six little demons, spread his wings, and flew ahead until he was some ten miles away from them. He shook his body and transformed into the Bull Demon King. He plucked a few hairs and cried, "Change!" They at once became several little demons. In a hollow of the mountain, he set up hawks, led dogs, fitted arrows to bows, and made a show of hunting, waiting for the six sturdy warriors.

As that band was dragging themselves along, they suddenly saw the Bull Demon King sitting in the middle of the road. Flustered, Xinghongxian and Xianhongxing threw themselves to their knees and said, "The Great King Grandfather is here!" Yunliwu, Wuliuqi, Jiruhuo, and Kuairufeng were all flesh-and-blood mortals with mortal eyes—how could they tell true from false? They too fell to their knees and knocked their heads, saying, "Grandfather, we are sent by the Sage Infant King of the Cave of Flaming Clouds. We invite the Great King Grandfather to come eat the flesh of the Tang monk, so that your life may be prolonged a thousand ages!" The Pilgrim answered through his disguise, "Rise, my children. Come home with me, and we'll change clothes before going." The little demons knocked their heads and said, "We hope for your convenience, Grandfather—there's no need to return home. The road is long and far, and our King would blame us for the delay. Please come with us from here." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "What obedient children! Very well, very well. Lead the way forward, and I shall go with you." The six demons braced themselves and shouted the way ahead. The Great Sage followed behind.

Before long, they had reached their destination. Kuairufeng and Jiruhuo rushed into the cave and reported, "O King! The Great King Grandfather has arrived!" The demon king was delighted and said, "You have been useful—he came so quickly!" He at once ordered all the chiefs to line up their troops and raise their banners and drums to welcome the Great King Grandfather. All the demons in the cave obeyed the command and marched out in neat and orderly ranks. The Pilgrim strode forward with head held high and chest thrust out. He shook his body once, and the hairs that had become hawks and dogs returned to him. He took great strides, walked straight through the gate, and sat down in the seat of honor facing south. Red Boy knelt before him and bowed, saying, "Father, your son greets you." The Pilgrim said, "Rise, my child." The demon king bowed four times, then rose and stood to one side. The Pilgrim said, "My son, why have you asked me here?" The demon king bowed and said, "Your son is unworthy, but yesterday I captured a man—a monk from the Tang Empire in the East. I have often heard it said that he is a man who has cultivated himself for ten lifetimes. If one eats a piece of his flesh, one's life will be like that of the immortal sages of Penglai. I did not dare to eat him myself, and so I have specially invited Father to share the Tang monk's flesh, that your life may be prolonged a thousand ages."

When the Pilgrim heard this, he feigned a startled cry and said, "My son, which Tang monk is it?" The demon king said, "The one going to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures." The Pilgrim said, "My son, could it be the master of Sun Wukong?" The demon king said, "Yes, indeed." The Pilgrim waved his hand and shook his head, saying, "Don't provoke him! Don't provoke him! You may provoke others, but not Sun Wukong—he is that sort of person. My good son, you have not met him. That monkey's power is vast and his transformations are many. He once caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace. The Jade Emperor sent down a hundred thousand celestial soldiers and spread heaven-wide nets, yet they could not capture him. How dare you eat his master? Quickly send the monk back to him and do not provoke that monkey. If he learns that you have eaten his master, he won't even come to fight you—he'll just thrust his iron rod into the mountainside and make a hole, and carry off the whole mountain. My son, where would you find a place to live? On whom would I rely in my old age?"

The demon king said, "Father, why do you say such things—building up another's courage and destroying your son's prestige? That Sun Wukong has three brothers in all. They were escorting the Tang monk in the middle of my mountain when I used a transformation and carried off his master. He and Zhu Bajie came to my gate at once, talking about family ties and old friendships. I was filled with rage and fought several rounds with them—and they were nothing special, showing no great skill. That Zhu Bajie came slanting in to help, but your son breathed out the True Samadhi Fire and routed them in one blaze. In their panic, they went to ask the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas to send rain, but they could not extinguish my True Samadhi Fire. I gave them a good scorching, and in a flurry they went off to ask the Bodhisattva Guanyin of the South Sea for help. I transformed myself into Guanyin and tricked Zhu Bajie into coming. He is now hanging in my wish-fulfilling bag, and I mean to steam him and share him with all my little ones. That Pilgrim came again this morning and shouted at my gate. I gave orders to seize him, and in his panic he dropped his bundles and fled. Only then did I invite Father to come and see the living likeness of the Tang monk, so that we may steam him for you to eat, and you may live forever and never grow old."

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "My dear nephew, you only know that he can be defeated with Samadhi Fire, but you don't know that he has seventy-two transformations!" The demon king said, "No matter how much he transforms, I can recognize him. I reckon he wouldn't dare come through my gate." The Pilgrim said, "My child, although you can recognize him, if he doesn't grow large—say, as big as a massive elephant—he might not be able to fit through your gate. But if he shrinks small, you'll have a hard time recognizing him." The demon king said, "No matter how small he becomes, there are four or five little demons guarding each level of my gates. How could he possibly get in?" The Pilgrim said, "You don't know. He can transform into a fly, a mosquito, a flea, or a bee, a butterfly, a cicada, and so on. He can also take on my appearance. How would you recognize him then?" The demon king said, "Have no fear. Even if he had a heart of iron and bronze, he wouldn't dare approach my gates."

The Pilgrim said, "Since that's the case, my dear nephew, you truly have the means to match him. You must have been able to defeat him, which is why you invited me to eat the flesh of the Tang monk. But as it happens, I won't be eating today." The demon king said, "Why not eat?" The Pilgrim said, "I've been getting on in years, and your mother has often urged me to do some good deeds. I couldn't think of much good to do, so I've been keeping some fasts." The demon king said, "I don't know—does the king father keep a permanent fast, or a monthly fast?" The Pilgrim said, "Neither a permanent fast nor a monthly one. It's called Thunder Fast, observed only four days each month." The demon king asked, "Which four days?" The Pilgrim said, "The sixth day after the three Xin days. Today is a Xin-You day, so first of all, I should be fasting; second, You is not a day for receiving guests. Wait until tomorrow—I'll personally wash and steam him, and we'll enjoy him together, you and I."

When the demon king heard this, he thought to himself, "My king father has always lived on human flesh and has been alive for over a thousand years. How is it that he's keeping fasts now? He committed countless evil deeds in the past—how could a few days of fasting over the last three or four days make up for that? These words are false. Suspicious, very suspicious." He immediately withdrew and went out beneath the second gate, where he called the Six Mighty Generals and asked, "Where did you invite the Great King Father from?" The little demons said, "We invited him from the road." The demon king said, "That's why I said you came so quickly. He hasn't been home yet, has he?" The little demons said, "That's right, he hasn't been home." The demon king said, "This is bad—we've been taken in by a fake! This is not the Great King Father." The little demons all knelt and said, "Great King, can you not even recognize your own father?" The demon king said, "In his appearance and mannerisms, he resembles him, but his speech doesn't match. I'm afraid we've been tricked by an impostor and will suffer for it. All of you must be careful: those who wield swords, draw them from their sheaths; those who wield spears, sharpen them; those who wield staffs, take up your staffs; those who wield ropes, take up your ropes. Let me go question him again and see how his words come out. If he really is the Great King Father, it doesn't matter if we don't eat today or tomorrow—even delaying a month would be fine. But if his words don't add up, at the sound of my signal, all of you attack together." The demon horde each received their orders.

The demon king then turned around and went back inside, bowing to the Pilgrim face to face. The Pilgrim said, "My child, there's no need for formal ceremony at home—no need to bow. Just say whatever you have to say." The demon king prostrated himself on the ground and said, "Your foolish son has invited you here first to offer the flesh of the Tang monk, and second to ask you something: the other day I was taking a leisurely ride on auspicious clouds, soaring all the way up into the ninefold heavens, when I happened to encounter the Patriarch of the Dao, Master Zhang Daoling." The Pilgrim said, "You mean Zhang Daoling, the Heavenly Master?" The demon king said, "Yes, exactly." The Pilgrim asked, "What did he have to say?" The demon king said, "He saw that my features were well-proportioned and my three divisions were balanced, and he asked me in what year, month, day, and hour I was born. Because I was young at the time, I couldn't remember clearly. The Master is well-versed in the art of fate calculation and wanted to chart my five stars for me. Now I've invited the king father here precisely because I wanted to ask about this. If I should meet him again, I would trouble him to make the calculation." When the Pilgrim heard this, he sat up above and laughed inwardly, "What a clever demon! Since old Sun attained the Buddhist fruit and began protecting the Tang master, I've caught several demons along the road, but none as shrewd as this one. If he had asked me about family matters, about rice and firewood, I could have made something up on the spot to answer him. But now he's asking me my date of birth—how would I know that?" But the clever Monkey King was also quite resourceful: he sat solemnly in the middle, showing not the slightest trace of fear, and instead smiled broadly on his face. "Dear nephew, please rise. Because of my age, and because things haven't been going my way these past few days, I've actually happened to forget the time of your birth. Wait until tomorrow when we return home, and I'll ask your mother, then we'll know."

The demon king said, "The king father always used to talk about my eight characters without stopping, saying I would live as long as heaven without aging. How could you suddenly forget today? This makes no sense—you must be a fake!" At the signal, the horde of demons surged forward with spears and swords, stabbing at the Pilgrim from all sides. The Great Sage used his golden-banded staff to fend them off, revealed his true form, and said to the demon, "Dear nephew, have you no sense of propriety? Since when does a son strike his father?" The demon king was covered in shame and dared not look up. The Pilgrim transformed into a golden light and flew out of the cave. The little demons said, "Great King, Sun Xingzhe has left." The demon king said, "Enough, enough, enough—let him go. I've suffered a loss at his hands this time. Close the gates and don't speak with him anymore. Just go ahead and wash the Tang monk, steam him, and eat him."

Here is the passage from *Journey to the West*, Chapter 42:

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With his iron staff slung over his shoulder, Monkey came laughing and chuckling from the far side of the stream. Sandy came rushing out of the forest to meet him. "Brother," he said, "you've been gone half the day. What are you laughing so happily about? I suppose you've rescued the Master."

"Brother," said Monkey, "I haven't rescued the Master, but I did get the better of them."

"How so?"

"Pig was tricked by the monster, who turned himself into Guanyin and lured him back. Pig's now hanging in a leather bag. I was trying to think of a way to save him when the monster sent his Six Strong Generals to invite the Great King of the Mountain to come and eat the Master's flesh. I reckoned their Great King must be the Bull Demon King, so I changed into his shape, walked in, and sat in the middle of the hall. When they called me 'Father King,' I answered; when they kowtowed to me, I accepted. It was really delightful—I certainly got the better of them."

"Brother," said Sandy, "you may enjoy these little triumphs, but I'm afraid the Master's life is in danger."

"Don't worry about that. I'm going to the Bodhisattva for help."

"But your back still hurts."

"It doesn't any more. As the ancients said, 'When a man's happy, his spirits soar.' You watch the luggage and the horse while I'm gone."

"You've made an enemy there, and I'm afraid he'll harm the Master. You must go and come back quickly."

"I'll be fast—I'll be back before a meal is ready."

The Great Sage said this as he left Sandy, then he somersaulted on his cloud straight to the South Sea. In less than an hour's flight through the air, he saw the scenery of Mount Putuo. In a moment he brought his cloud down and landed on the Luoya Cliff. Walking forward with grave dignity, he was met by the Twenty-Four Devas.

"Where are you off to, Great Sage?" they asked.

After bowing, Monkey said, "I need to see the Bodhisattva."

"Wait a moment while we announce you."

Then the Hariti Deva went to the Cave of Sound and reported, "The Bodhisattva should know: Sun Wukong has come to pay his respects."

When the Bodhisattva heard this, she ordered him to be admitted. The Great Sage straightened his clothes, calmed his mind, and walked in with steady steps. Seeing the Bodhisattva, he threw himself to the ground and kowtowed.

"Wukong," said the Bodhisattva, "why aren't you escorting Gold Cicada to the West to fetch the scriptures? What are you doing here?"

"Bodhisattva," said Monkey, "your disciple was protecting Tripitaka as we traveled forward and reached a place called the Fire-Cloud Cave on Withered Pine Stream of Mount Number One. There was a Red Boy sprite, who called himself the Great Sage Saint Baby, and he carried off the Master. Your disciple and Zhu Wuneng went to his gate and fought him. He breathed out the Samadhi Fire, and we couldn't beat him—we couldn't rescue the Master. In desperation I went to the Eastern Sea and invited the four Dragon Kings to send rain, but even the water couldn't overcome the fire. Your disciple was nearly roasted to death."

"Since his Samadhi Fire is so powerful, why did you go to the Dragon Kings for help instead of coming to me?"

"I meant to come, but your disciple was choked by the smoke and couldn't ride a cloud, so I sent Pig to invite you."

"Wuneng hasn't come."

"No, he hasn't. Before he could reach your precious mountain, the sprite changed himself into your likeness and tricked Pig into the cave. He's now hanging in a leather bag, waiting to be steamed and eaten."

When the Bodhisattva heard this, she was furious. "That impudent sprite dares to take my form!" With a cry of anger, she hurled her jewel and her willow flask into the sea. Monkey was so horrified that his hair stood on end. He stood up and waited below, thinking, "This Bodhisattva still has a temper. She must have taken offense at something I said and thought it damaged her virtue, so she threw away the flask. What a pity! If she'd given it to me, wouldn't that have been a great favor?"

Before he had finished thinking this, the waves of the sea surged and the flask leaped out of the water. A creature was carrying it on its back. Monkey looked carefully at the creature that was carrying the flask. This was what it looked like:

*Its origin and source were known as Bangni,*

*Its underwater brilliance shone with unique might.*

*Hidden from the world, it knew the nature of Heaven and Earth,*

*In its hiding place it understood the workings of ghosts and gods.*

*When it tucked itself away, it had no head or tail,*

*When it stretched its feet, it could move swift as flight.*

*King Wen once divined with it when drawing the trigrams,*

*It often accompanied Fuxi in his courtyard.*

*It could outshine dragons and clouds with a thousand graces,*

*It could summon water and push waves with its breath.*

*Golden threads crossed to form its armor,*

*Spotted patterns adorned it like colorful tortoise shell.*

*A robe of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams draped upon it,*

*And a coat of scattered, shimmering green.*

*In life it was brave and favored by the Dragon King,*

*In death it carried the Buddha's stele on its back.*

*If you wish to know this creature's name and fame,*

*It was the wicked turtle that raised wind and waves.*

The turtle carried the flask up to the cliff and nodded its head twenty-four times to the Bodhisattva, making twenty-four bows in all. Monkey laughed to himself: "So it's the flask-keeper. I suppose it couldn't find the flask and came to ask for it."

"Wukong," said the Bodhisattva, "what are you saying down there?"

"Nothing," said Monkey.

The Bodhisattva ordered, "Bring the flask up here."

Monkey went to pick it up. Alas! He couldn't move it at all. It was like a gnat trying to shake a stone pillar—how could he budge it by the tiniest fraction? Monkey stepped forward and knelt down.

"Bodhisattva, your disciple can't lift it."

"You monkey, all you know is how to talk. If you can't even lift the flask, how are you going to subdue monsters and bind demons?"

"I don't hide it from you, Bodhisattva. I could lift it normally, but today I can't. I think it's because I was beaten by the sprite and my strength is weakened."

"Normally it's an empty flask. But now the flask was thrown into the sea, and in that time it passed through the Three Rivers, the Five Lakes, the Eight Seas, the Four Streams, the springs, the sources, the pools, and the caves, borrowing the water of an entire sea into itself. Where would you get the strength to carry the sea? That's why you can't lift it."

Monkey put his palms together and said, "So that's it. Your disciple didn't know."

The Bodhisattva stepped forward, gently lifted the purification bottle with her right hand, and cradled it in her left palm. The turtle nodded its head and dove beneath the water. "So it's just a hired keeper for the bottle," said the Pilgrim. The Bodhisattva sat down and said, "Wukong, the sweet dew and water in my bottle are different from the Dragon King's private rains. They can extinguish that monster's Samadhi fire. If I were to let you take it, you couldn't carry it. If I sent the Good Wealth Dragon Maiden with you, you are no good-hearted person—you only know how to cheat people. You see my Dragon Maiden is beautiful and the purification bottle is a treasure; if you cheated them away, would you have the time to come looking for me? You must leave something as a pledge."

The Pilgrim said, "How pitiful! The Bodhisattva is so suspicious. I, your disciple, have long been a Buddhist monk and have never engaged in such things. You tell me to leave a pledge—what do I have? This cotton robe I'm wearing was given to me by you, old one. This leather skirt is worth only a few copper coins. This iron staff is something I need to protect myself day and night. But this golden band on my head—it's gold, yet you've used a method to make it grow into my head so it can't be removed. If you want a pledge, I'm willing to leave this as collateral. Recite the spell to loosen it and remove it. Otherwise, what else could serve as a pledge?"

The Bodhisattva said, "How casually you talk! I don't want your robe, iron staff, or golden band. Just pluck one of the lifesaving hairs from the back of your head and give it to me as a pledge."

The Pilgrim said, "That hair was also given to me by you, old one. But I'm afraid if I pull one out, the whole cluster might be damaged, and it wouldn't be able to save my life anymore."

The Bodhisattva scolded, "You monkey! You won't even part with a single hair, and you expect me to part with my Good Wealth Maiden?"

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Bodhisattva, you are too suspicious too. As the saying goes, 'If not for the monk's face, then for the Buddha's.' Please, save my master from this calamity."

The Bodhisattva,

Joyfully descended from her lotus throne,

Her cloud-like steps wafted fragrance up the stone cliff.

Because the holy monk had encountered harm,

She would subdue the monster and bring him back.

Great Sage Sun was overjoyed and invited Guanyin out of the Tide Sound Immortal Cave. All the heavenly gods were arrayed on the rocks of Mount Putuo. The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, cross the sea."

The Pilgrim bowed and said, "Please, Bodhisattva, go first."

The Bodhisattva said, "You go first."

The Pilgrim kowtowed and said, "Your disciple does not dare to perform in the Bodhisattva's presence. If I were to ride my somersault cloud, I would expose my body, and I fear the Bodhisattva would take offense at my disrespect."

Upon hearing this, the Bodhisattva ordered the Good Wealth Dragon Maiden to go to the lotus pond and cut a single lotus petal, which she placed on the water below the rock. She told the Pilgrim, "Step onto that lotus petal, and I will ferry you across the sea."

The Pilgrim looked at it and said, "Bodhisattva, this petal is so light and thin—how could it carry me? If I flip and fall into the water, won't my leather skirt get wet? The leather will lose its treatment, and how could I wear it when the weather is cold?"

The Bodhisattva barked, "Just get on and see."

The Pilgrim dared not refuse and jumped up with all his might. Indeed, at first it seemed light and small, but once on top it was three parts larger than a sea-going boat. The Pilgrim joyfully said, "Bodhisattva, it can carry me!"

The Bodhisattva said, "Since it can carry you, why don't you cross?"

The Pilgrim said, "But there's no pole, no oar, no sail, no mast—how can we get across?"

The Bodhisattva said, "No need." She simply blew a breath that pushed the petal apart and gathered it together, then gave another solid breath that blew them across the bitter sea of the South Seas to reach the other shore. The Pilgrim's feet touched solid ground, and he laughed, "This Bodhisattva shows off her divine powers, ordering me about as she pleases without the slightest effort."

The Bodhisattva instructed all the heavenly beings to guard their respective realms and ordered the Good Wealth Dragon Maiden to close the cave door. Then she mounted the auspicious clouds, departed from the rocks of Mount Putuo, and went over there, calling, "Where is Hui'an?"

Hui'an (he was the second son of the Pagoda-Bearing Heaven King, commonly known as Muzha) was a disciple personally taught by the Bodhisattva, never leaving her side, known as the Dharma-Protecting Pilgrim Hui'an. Hui'an pressed his palms together and attended upon the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva said, "Quickly ascend to the upper realm, see your father the Heaven King, and ask him to lend me the Heavenly Gang swords for use."

Hui'an asked, "How many does the master need?"

The Bodhisattva said, "All of them."

Hui'an received the order, mounted a cloud head, and went straight through the Southern Heavenly Gate to the Cloud Tower Palace, where he bowed before his father the Heaven King. The Heaven King saw him and asked, "Where have you come from, my son?"

Muzha said, "The master was invited by Sun Wukong to subduce a monster. She sent your son to bow before the Heaven King and borrow the Heavenly Gang swords for use."

The Heaven King then called Nezha to fetch the swords—thirty-six in all—and handed them to Muzha. Muzha said to Nezha, "Brother, when you return, pay many respects to our mother: my business is urgent, and I'll kowtow again when I deliver the swords." He hurriedly took his leave, descended on auspicious light, went straight to the South Sea, and presented the swords to the Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva received them in her hand, tossed them out, and recited a spell. The swords transformed into a thousand-petal lotus throne. The Bodhisattva mounted it and sat upright in the center. The Pilgrim standing beside her secretly laughed and thought, "This Bodhisattva is so frugal. There are five-colored precious lotus thrones in the lotus pond, but she couldn't bear to sit on one of those—instead she had to borrow from someone else."

The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, stop talking and come with me." Then they all mounted the cloud heads and departed from the sea. The white parrot spread its wings and flew ahead, while Great Sage Sun and Hui'an followed behind.

In an instant, a mountain appeared before them. "This is Mount Hao," said the Pilgrim. "From here to the fiend's gate is about four hundred li." Upon hearing this, the Bodhisattva ordered her auspicious cloud to descend. She sat atop the mountain and chanted the syllable "Om." Immediately, numerous spirits and ghosts emerged from both sides of the mountain—the local earth gods of the mountain, who all came to kowtow before the Bodhisattva's lotus throne. "Do not be alarmed," said the Bodhisattva. "I have come to subdue this demon king. Cleanse this entire area for me—a radius of three hundred li must be cleared of every living creature. Send the young beasts from their dens and the fledglings from their burrows to safety on the mountain peak." The gods withdrew to carry out her orders. Before long, they returned to report. "Since it is done," said the Bodhisattva, "return each of you to your shrines." She then tipped over the purification bottle, and out poured the water with a thunderous roar. Truly it was:

Surging over mountain peaks, bursting through stone cliffs. Surging over peaks like the force of the sea, bursting through cliffs like the vastness of the ocean. Black mists rose to fill the sky with water vapor; dark waves cast shadows that made the sun gleam cold. Jade waves crashed across every cliff; golden lotuses spread across the whole sea. The Bodhisattva deployed her great demon-subduing magic, drawing from her sleeve the meditation of immobilization. She transformed the scene into the realm of Mount Luofuo, truly like the Southern Sea itself. Elegant rushes thrust forth tender night-blooming cereus; fragrant herbs unfurled fresh palm leaves. On several purple bamboo stalks parrots rested; among clusters of green pines partridges called. Layer upon layer of waves and lotuses filled the four wildernesses—nothing was heard but the howling of wind and the flooding of water.

Great Sage Sun watched from the shadows and sighed in admiration: "Truly a Bodhisattva of great compassion and mercy! If old Sun had such power, I'd just tip the bottle toward the mountain—what would I care about birds, beasts, snakes, or insects?" The Bodhisattva called out, "Wukong, give me your hand." The Pilgrim quickly rolled up his sleeve and extended his left hand. The Bodhisattva plucked a willow branch, dipped it in sweet dew, and wrote the character *mi* (bewilderment) on his palm. She told him: "Clench your fist and go quickly to challenge that fiend. You may lose but must not win. Lure him back to me, and I will use my power to subdue him."

The Pilgrim received his orders, turned his cloud-light, and went straight to the cave entrance. With one hand clenched in a fist and the other wielding his staff, he shouted loudly: "Open the door, demon!" The little fiends rushed inside to report: "Sun Xingzhe is back." The demon king said, "Bar the door firmly. Ignore him." The Pilgrim shouted: "Good son! You've driven your old father outside—and you still won't open the door?" The little fiends reported again: "Sun Xingzhe is hurling insults." The demon king only said, "Ignore him." The Pilgrim called out twice more, and when the door still did not open, he flew into a rage. Raising his iron staff, he smashed the door and punched a hole through it. The little fiends stumbled inside in a panic: "Sun Xingzhe has broken down the door!" The demon king, having received several reports and now hearing that the front gate was smashed, leaped out in haste, leveled his long spear, and cursed the Pilgrim: "You wretched monkey, you really don't know your place! I let you have a bit of advantage, and still you're not satisfied—you come bullying me again. You've broken down my gate. What crime is that?" The Pilgrim said: "My son, you drove your old father outside. What crime is that?"

The demon king, shamed and enraged, leveled his spear and thrust at the Pilgrim's chest. The Pilgrim raised his iron staff to parry. They clashed and fought four or five rounds, then the Pilgrim clenched his fist, dragged his staff, and retreated in defeat. The demon king stood on the mountainside and said: "I'm going to wash and prepare the Tang monk." The Pilgrim said: "Good son—heaven is watching you. Come on." The fiend, hearing this, grew even more furious. With a roar, he charged forward and thrust his spear again. The Pilgrim swung his staff and fought a few more rounds, then broke formation and fled again. The demon king cursed: "Monkey, you used to be able to fight twenty or thirty rounds—why do you run away as soon as the battle starts?" The Pilgrim laughed: "My worthy lad, I'm afraid you'll set fires." The fiend said: "I won't set fires. Come up here." The Pilgrim said: "If you won't set fires, then move away a bit. A true hero doesn't fight at his own doorstep." The fiend, not knowing it was a trick, truly raised his spear and gave chase. The Pilgrim dragged his staff and opened his fist. The demon king was bewildered and pursued with all his might. The one fleeing ahead was like a shooting star crossing the sky; the one chasing behind was like a crossbow bolt leaving the string.

Before long, the Bodhisattva came into view. The Pilgrim said: "Fiend, I'm afraid of you—spare me! You've chased me all the way to Guanyin Bodhisattva of the Southern Sea. Why don't you go back?" The demon king did not believe him. Clenching his teeth, he kept chasing. The Pilgrim gave his body a flicker and hid within the Bodhisattva's divine radiance. The fiend saw that the Pilgrim had vanished. He stepped forward, opened his eyes wide, and said to the Bodhisattva: "Are you the reinforcements that Sun Xingzhe invited?" The Bodhisattva made no reply. The demon king twirled his spear and shouted: "Hey! Are you the reinforcements that Sun Xingzhe invited?" The Bodhisattva still made no reply. The fiend thrust his spear straight at the Bodhisattva's heart. The Bodhisattva transformed into a beam of golden light and ascended straight into the heavens. The Pilgrim followed and said: "Bodhisattva, you've really let me down! The fiend asked you again and again, and you played deaf and mute, not daring to make a sound. He speared you and you fled—and you've even left your lotus throne behind!" The Bodhisattva only said: "Say no more. Watch what he does next."

At this time, the Pilgrim and Muzha were together in the sky, standing side by side to watch. They saw the demon laugh with a cold, mocking sneer: "You wretched monkey head—you've misjudged me. He doesn't know who my Lord Holy Infant truly is. He's fought me several times and lost each time, and then went off to invite some pus-filled Bodhisattva here. But I skewered him with a single lance, and he vanished without a trace or shadow—and lost his precious lotus throne too. Let me go sit on it for a while." What a clever little demon! He imitated the Bodhisattva, folding his hands and crossing his legs as he sat right in the middle. The Pilgrim saw this and said, "Well, well, well! The lotus throne has been given away to someone else!" The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, what are you saying now?" The Pilgrim said, "What am I saying? What am I saying? The lotus throne has been given away. The demon is sitting on it right on his backside—it'll never come back to you!" The Bodhisattva said, "I want him to sit there." The Pilgrim said, "His body is small and delicate—he'll sit more securely than you could." The Bodhisattva said, "Say no more. Watch my power."

He pointed the willow branch downward and called out, "Retreat!" At once the lotus throne lost all its colors and radiance, and the auspicious light scattered entirely. It turned out the demon king had been sitting on the tips of blades all along. He then ordered Muzha: "Use your demon-subduing pestle and strike the handles of the blades!" Muzha descended on his cloud and pounded the demon-subduing pestle against the blades as though ramming a wall—hundreds and thousands of blows. The demon's legs were pierced through by the blade tips, blood pooling in puddles, flesh torn open. But what a stubborn creature! You should have seen him gritting his teeth, enduring the pain, abandoning his long lance, and pulling at the blades with his hands. The Pilgrim said, "Bodhisattva, that monster doesn't fear pain—he's still pulling out the blades!" The Bodhisattva saw this and called Muzha back: "Do not take his life." He then lowered the willow branch and chanted the syllable "Om" as a mantra. At once the Heavenly Gang blades all turned into barbed hooks, like wolf's teeth—impossible to remove. Only then did the demon grow frightened. He clutched at the blade tips and cried out in agony: "Bodhisattva! Your disciple had eyes but no discernment—I failed to recognize your vast and boundless spiritual power. I beg you, in your compassion, spare my life. I will never again rely on evil. I am willing to enter the gate of the Dharma and observe the precepts!"

When the Bodhisattva heard these words, he, the two attendants, and the white parrot lowered their golden light and descended before the demon. He asked, "Will you accept my precepts?" The demon king nodded, tears dripping, and said, "If you spare my life, I am willing to accept the precepts." The Bodhisattva said, "Will you enter my gate?" The demon king said, "If you truly spare my life, I am willing to enter the gate of the Dharma." The Bodhisattva said, "Since that is so, I shall lay hands on your head and bestow the precepts." He drew from his sleeve a golden razor and went up to the creature, shaving several strokes across the crown of his head, giving him a peak like Mount Tai pressing down, leaving three tufts on top and twisting them into three little topknots. The Pilgrim laughed from the side: "This demon is truly unlucky—he's been made neither male nor female. I don't know what kind of creature he looks like now." The Bodhisattva said, "Now that you have accepted my precepts, I will not treat you poorly. I shall call you the Boy of Good Fortune—what do you think?" The demon nodded and accepted it, hoping only to be spared his life. The Bodhisattva then pointed his hand and called, "Retreat!" With a crash, the Heavenly Gang blades all fell to the dust, and the boy's body was unharmed.

The Bodhisattva said, "Huian, take the blades up to the Heavenly Palace and return them to your father the king. Do not come back to meet me—go first to Mount Potala and wait there with the assembled devas." Muzha received the order and carried the blades up to the celestial realm, then returned to the sea—of which no more need be said.

Now this boy's wild nature was not yet tamed. He saw that where his legs had been wounded there was no pain, where his backside had been torn there was no break, and that three topknots had been twisted on his head. He walked over, snatched up his long lance, and aimed at the Bodhisattva: "Where is the true spiritual power that was supposed to subdue me? It was nothing but a trick of illusion! I will not accept your precepts—take my lance!" He lunged at the Bodhisattva's face. The Pilgrim was so enraged he raised his iron staff to strike. The Bodhisattva simply said, "Do not strike—I have my own way of disciplining him." Then he drew from his sleeve a golden circlet and said, "This treasure was originally given to me by the Tathagata Buddha when he sent me to the Eastern Land to find the scripture-seeker—the Gold, Tight, and Prohibiting circlets. The Tight Circlet I have already put on you; the Prohibiting Circlet I used to subdue the Guardian Deity of the Mountain. This golden circlet I had never been willing to give to anyone, but now, seeing this creature's insolence, I shall give it to him." The Bodhisattva waved the circlet in the wind and said, "Transform!" It immediately became five circlets, which he hurled at the boy's body, shouting, "Take hold!" One landed on his head, two on his left and right hands, and two on his left and right feet. The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, step back. Let me recite the Golden Circlet Mantra." The Pilgrim was alarmed and said, "Bodhisattva! I asked you here to subdue this demon—why are you going to curse me?" The Bodhisattva said, "This mantra is not the Tight Circlet Mantra that curses you—it is the Golden Circlet Mantra for cursing that boy." Only then did the Pilgrim relax, and he followed close by to listen as the Bodhisattva recited the mantra. The Bodhisattva formed a mudra with his fingers and silently recited it several times. The demon then rubbed his ears, pinched his cheeks, and kicked his hooves, rolling on the ground. Indeed:

A single phrase penetrates the entire realm of sand—

Vast, boundless, and unfathomably deep is spiritual power.

As for how exactly the boy submitted to the faith, listen to the explanation in the next chapter.