第052回

Chapter 52

The Great Sage Sun, having recovered his golden-banded staff, charged out the gate, leaped to the summit of the high peak, and addressed the celestial hosts with a heart full of joy. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King said, "How did this battle fare?" The Pilgrim said, "Old Sun transformed and entered his cave. That monster was singing and dancing and drinking victory wine all the more. I never did find out where his treasure was. I went around to the back, and suddenly I heard the neighing of horses and the singing of dragons—I knew it was something belonging to the Fire Department. Leaning against the eastern wall was my golden-banded staff. Old Sun took it in hand and fought my way out with it all along." The celestial hosts said, "You've got your treasure back. When will we get ours?" The Pilgrim said, "No difficulty, no difficulty. Now that I have this iron staff, no matter what, I'll beat him down and get your treasure back for you."

Just as they were speaking, they heard from the slope below the beating of gongs and drums and the shaking of the earth by shouts. It was the Demon King of Great Power leading his host of spirits in pursuit of the Pilgrim. When the Pilgrim saw them, he cried, "Good, good, good—this suits my wishes perfectly. Please, sit down, my lords, and wait while old Sun goes to capture him again." The great Sage, raising his iron staff, rushed straight at the face of the foe, shouting, "Where do you think you're going, you fiend! Take that!" The demon raised his spear to block the blow, cursing, "Thievish monkey! Truly insolent! How dare you rob me of my possessions in broad daylight?" The Pilgrim said, "You creature who knows nothing of death! You set a trap and snatched my things in broad daylight—and now you ask which of them belongs to you? Don't you run—take a blow from your lord!" The demon whirled his spear to parry and block. What a battle this was:

The Great Sage unleashed his ferocity; the fiend would not yield softly. Both sides strove with courage—neither would give way. One's iron staff was like a dragon's tail; the other's long spear was like a python's head. One wielded his staff with technique swift as the wind; the other parried with majestic might flowing like water. Colored mists dimmed the mountain ridges; auspicious clouds brought sorrow to the woods. Birds in the sky all folded their wings; wolves and beasts in the four directions tucked their heads. The lesser fiends on the demon's side shouted and roared; the Pilgrim on his side shook his spirit high. One iron staff—no one could withstand it—had struck its way across ten thousand miles to the West. That long spear was a worthy match—a treasure forever guarding the Golden-Ridge Mountain, the original text reads "⿰山兜," a character absent from Unicode, hence called the Supreme Stratagem. They met in this battle with no good end in sight—they would not stop until one proved the superior.

The Demon King and the Great Sage Sun fought for three full watches without either gaining the upper hand, and already the sky was growing dark. The fiend, bracing his long spear, said, "Wukong, hold! The sky is dark and dim—this is no time for a contest of strength. Let us each rest and rest, and tomorrow morning we'll compete again." The Pilgrim cursed, "Hold your tongue, you fiend! Old Sun's enthusiasm is just getting started—what do I care that it's late? I must settle the outcome with you." The demon let out a cry, made a feint with his spear, and fled for his life, leading his host of fiends to withdraw their weapons and return to their cave, where they shut the gate tight and barred it.

The great Sage pulled back his staff and returned. The celestial gods on the shorehead congratulated him, saying, "This is the Great Sage Equal of Heaven, with boundless ability and true skill beyond measure." The Pilgrim laughed, "You flatter me, you flatter me." The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King stepped forward and said, "These words are no mere praise—this is truly a fine fellow. This battle is no less impressive than when you once defied the nets of earth and snares of heaven." The Pilgrim said, "Let us not speak of past matters. That fiend has been beaten by old Sun in this fight and must be exhausted. Old Sun won't speak of his own toil—sit back and rest at ease, all of you, while I go into the cave again to find out about his ring. I must steal it, capture that fiend, recover your weapons, and return them to you so you can go back to heaven." The Crown Prince said, "It's already late at night. Better to sleep through the night and go tomorrow morning." The Pilgrim laughed, "This young lad doesn't know the ways of the world. Have you ever heard of a thief who works in broad daylight? For a job like this, sneaking and stealing, you must go by night and return by night, without anyone knowing—that's the way to do business!" The Lords of Fire and Thunder said, "Say no more, Third Prince. This is something we don't understand. The Great Sage is an old hand, a practiced veteran. You must let him take advantage of this hour—first, the demon chief is weary, and second, the night is dark and unguarded. Please, go quickly, go quickly."

The great Sage, chuckling to himself, hid his iron staff. He leaped down from the high peak and went again to the cave entrance. He shook his body and transformed into a cricket. Truly:

A hard beak, long whiskers, black skin; bright eyes, sharp claws, forked feet. In clear wind and bright moonlight he cries by the wall. In the still of night he sounds like a human voice. His weeping in the dew makes a desolate scene; his intermittent song is worthy of praise. Travelers in their windows, homesick, dread to hear him. He favors the empty steps beneath the bed.

He kicked open his great legs and in three or five hops reached the gate. He squeezed through the crack in the door and crouched down at the foot of the wall, facing the lamplight within, watching carefully. He saw the host of fiends, great and small, all devouring food like wolves and tigers. The Pilgrim chirped and chirped, crying out once through the cave. A short while later, they cleared away the dishes and went to arrange their bedding, each one settling in for the night.

It was about the first watch of the night when Pilgrim finally reached the back room. He could hear the old demon king issuing orders: "Wake up all the little ones at the gates! I fear that Sun Wukong may transform himself into something and sneak in to steal." Some of the demons on night watch were bustling about, their wooden clappers and bells ringing in unison. This only made it easier for the Great Sage to act. He slipped through the door and saw a stone bed, flanked on either side by several mountain spirits and tree demons with powdered faces and rouged cheeks, who were spreading the bedding and attending to the old demon—some removing his boots, others unfastening his clothes. The demon king had just loosened his garments, and on his left arm he wore that ring, white and gleaming, which looked like a string of beads fashioned into a bracelet. You see, he did not remove it; instead, he pushed it up twice, tightening it firmly around his arm, before lying down to sleep. Pilgrim, seeing this, transformed himself again, turning into a yellow-skinned flea. He leaped onto the stone bed, burrowed under the quilt, and crawled onto the demon's arm, where he bit down hard. The demon rolled over in his sleep and cursed: "These worthless slaves! They didn't even shake out the bedding or brush off the bed. What on earth bit me just now?" He pushed the ring up twice more and went back to sleep. Pilgrim climbed onto the ring and bit him again. The demon could not sleep and rolled over once more, saying: "What a torment!"

Pilgrim saw that the demon was on such high alert, and that the treasure was always on his person and never removed, so he judged that he could not steal it. He jumped off the bed, transformed again into a cricket, left the room, and went straight to the back, where he heard the neighing of horses and the roaring of dragons. It turned out that the inner gate was tightly locked, with the fire dragons and fire horses hung inside. Pilgrim resumed his true form, approached the gate, and used his lock-opening technique. He recited an incantation, gave a wave of his hand, and with a sharp crack, the lock and both its hasps fell away. He pushed open the gate and rushed in to look around. The interior was brightly illuminated by fire weapons, as bright as daytime. He noticed several weapons leaning against the walls on the east and west sides—all the Demon-Slaying Swords of the Crown Prince, along with the fire bows, fire arrows, and other fire weapons of the Fire Virtue. By the light of the flames, Pilgrim surveyed the area and then saw, behind the door on a stone table, a bamboo tray holding a handful of hairs. The Great Sage was overjoyed. He picked up the hairs, blew two breaths of warm air on them, and cried, "Change!" They immediately turned into thirty or fifty little monkeys. He told them to take the swords, halberds, staffs, sashes, balls and wheels, as well as the bows, arrows, spears, carts, gourds, fire crows, fire rats, and fire horses—all the items that had been confiscated—and to untie the fire dragons. He set them ablaze and started a fire that burned from the inside outward. There was a roaring and crackling, a crashing and banging, just like the sound of thunder and cannon fire in succession. The panic-stricken little demons were thrown into confusion—throwing on their clothes, covering their heads, some shouting, some crying, all with nowhere to flee. More than half of them were burned to death by the flames. The Handsome Monkey King returned in triumph, and it was only the third watch of the night.

Now on the high peak, the Heavenly King Li and his company suddenly saw the bright glow of fire and rushed forward together. They saw Pilgrim riding a dragon, shouting and yelling, leading the little monkeys up to the peak. He called out loudly: "Come and collect your weapons! Come and collect your weapons!" The Fire Virtue and Nezha answered at once. Pilgrim shook his body, and the hairs returned to him. The Crown Prince Nezha collected his six weapons, and the Star Lord of Fire Virtue had his fire officials collect the fire dragons and other items. They all smiled and congratulated Pilgrim—but no more of this.

Now in the Golden Gourd Cave—originally written with a character not found in Unicode—the flames were spreading everywhere, terrifying the Demon King of the Rhinoceros so that his soul nearly left his body. He hastily rose and opened his door, holding the ring in both hands. When he pushed it to the east, the fire in the east died; when he pushed it to the west, the fire in the west was extinguished. Smoke and flames filled the air, and he ran all around with his treasure, until the fires on every side were put out. He hurried to rescue his demon soldiers, but by then more than half had been burned to death. He could gather no more than a hundred or so males and females. He then inspected the armory and found that every weapon was gone. He went to the back and saw that Pigsy, Sha Monk, and the Elder were still tied up and not yet released, the White Dragon Horse was still in the stable, and the luggage was still in the room. The demon said angrily: "I don't know which careless little demon let the fire start, causing all this!" A courtier standing nearby reported: "Your Majesty, this fire was not started by anyone in our own household. It was most likely a spy who sneaked into the camp, released the fire weapons, and stole the divine arms." The old demon suddenly understood: "It can be no one else—it must be that thief Sun Wukong. No wonder I couldn't sleep peacefully. That monkey thief must have transformed himself and come in, biting me twice on the arm. He certainly wanted to steal my treasure, but seeing that I had it pushed up tight and couldn't get at it, he stole the weapons instead, unleashed the fire dragons, and set this vicious fire, intending to burn me to death. You thief of a monkey! You wasted your schemes, not knowing my abilities. As long as I carry this treasure, I cannot be drowned even in a great sea, nor burned even in a fire pit. If I catch that thief this time, I'll have him scraped and chopped to pieces—only then will my heart be satisfied."

He spoke with anguish for a long time, and before he knew it, the rooster crowed and dawn broke. On the high peak, the Crown Prince had obtained his six weapons and said to Pilgrim: "Great Sage, it is already daylight. We must not delay. Let us take advantage of the demon's crushed spirits, and with the fire officials and others assisting you, go and fight him with all our strength. Perhaps this time we can capture him." Pilgrim laughed and said: "Well spoken. Let us unite our hearts and go have some fun!" Each one roused his martial spirit and readied his weapons, and they went straight to the cave entrance. Pilgrim shouted: "Come out, you wretched demon, and fight with old Sun!"

There, the two stone gates had been reduced to ashes by the fire. Inside, several little demons were sweeping up the dust and ashes. When they suddenly saw the host of holy ones arrive, they dropped their brooms, threw aside their ash rakes, and ran inside to report again: "Sun Wukong has led a host of celestial warriors and is cursing and challenging us at the gate once more!" The Demon of Great Power was greatly alarmed at the report. His steel teeth gnashed with a cracking sound; his round eyes bulged and glared. He leveled his long spear, took up his treasure, and strode out the gate, cursing wildly: "You thievish, fire-setting bandit of a monkey! What great skills do you possess that you dare treat me with such contempt?" The Pilgrim, with a smile on his face, cursed back: "O vile creature! If you wish to know my skills, come forward and I shall tell you:

"Since birth my skills have been mighty,

My fame has spread through the universe of heaven and earth.

In youth I was keen and awakened to the immortal way,

In ages past I received the formula of undying life.

I resolved to bow and submit to the land of the square inch,

With reverent heart I visited the realm of the sages.

I learned transformations beyond measure,

And raged freely through the vastness of space.

In leisure I subdued tigers before the mountain,

In boredom I vanquished dragons within the seas.

My ancestral home was Flower-Fruit Mountain, where I was called king,

In the Water-Curtain Cave I displayed my fierce strength.

Several times I had designs on the celestial realm,

On numerous occasions in ignorance I strove to seize the heights.

The Emperor bestowed upon me the title Great Sage, Equal of Heaven,

And further enstyled me Handsome Monkey King.

It was only because the Peach Banquet was held,

And no invitation was sent—such was my fiery temper.

I secretly stormed the Jasper Pool and stole the jade liquor,

In private I entered the treasure pavilion and drank the immortal broth.

Dragon liver and phoenix marrow I once stole to eat,

A hundred delicacies and rare delicacies I secretly sampled.

Thousand-year peaches I enjoyed at will,

Ten-thousand-year elixirs filled my belly.

Rarities from the heavenly palace I took by the kind,

Precious treasures from the sacred halls I stored away piece by piece.

The Jade Emperor learned of my skills and forthwith dispatched celestial troops to array the battlefield.

The nine malign planets were demoted by me,

The five fierce constellations were wounded by my hand.

All the celestial warriors of heaven were no match,

A hundred thousand brave troops dared not stand against me.

I compelled the Jade Emperor to issue his decree,

And the Little Sage of Guajiang raised his armies.

We contended through seventy-two transformations,

Each exerting his spirit, each displaying his might.

The Southern Sea Guanyin came to aid the battle,

With pure bottle and willow branch she lent her help.

Laozi also employed the Diamond Snare,

And captured me and brought me up to the heights.

I was bound and presented to the Great Emperor Jade,

The officials examined my guilt and found it fitting.

They at once ordered the Mighty One to wield the blade and behead me,

But the sword struck my scalp and sparks of fire flew.

By a hundred schemes and a thousand methods they could not kill me,

So they escorted me to Laozi's hall.

The six martial fires smelted me in the furnace,

Until my whole body was hard as steel.

When the forty-ninth day was complete and the cauldron was opened,

I leaped out once more, fierce and savage.

The gods closed their gates with no way to block me,

The sages took counsel and besought the Buddha.

Truly the Tathagata possessed great power,

Indeed his wisdom was vast and immeasurable.

He wagered with me, turning somersaults in his palm,

And pressed me beneath a mountain so that I could not break free.

The Jade Emperor then convened the Banquet of Pacifying Heaven,

And the Western Region was proclaimed the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

For five hundred years I was pressed and imprisoned,

And tasted not a sip of tea or a grain of rice.

The Elder Golden Cicada descended to the mortal world,

Sent from the Eastern Land to the realm of the Buddhas.

He wished to obtain the true scriptures and return to the upper kingdom,

That the great Tang emperor might save the souls of the departed.

Guanyin exhorted me to turn to goodness,

To embrace the precepts and restrain my wildness.

Released from my tribulation beneath the mountain,

Now I journey westward to gather the scriptures.

O vile demon, cease your fox-cunning tricks,

And return my Master Tang that he may worship the Dharma King!"

Hearing these words, the demon pointed at the Pilgrim and said: "So you are a great thief who stole from heaven! Do not run away—take a spear from me!" The Great Sage met him with his staff. The two were locked in combat when, on one side, Prince Nezha grew wrathful and the Fire Lord flew into a rage. The six divine weapons and the fire implements were hurled at the demon. The Great Sun Monkey grew even more ferocious. On the other side, the Thunderer swung his mallet and the Heavenly King raised his blade—high and low, they all surged forward together. The demon chief laughed coldly, secretly took out his treasure from his sleeve, and flung it into the air, crying: "Strike!" With a great swoop, the six divine weapons, the fire implements, the Thunderer's mallet, the Heavenly King's blade, and the Pilgrim's staff were all swept up and taken away. The host of gods were left empty-handed as before, and Great Sage Sun still had nothing but his fists. The demon returned in victory, calling out: "Little ones, haul stones to rebuild the gate, move earth to repair and reconstruct, and put the halls and corridors in order anew. When all is complete, we shall slaughter the three disciples of Tang to thank the earth gods, and all shall share the blessings and enjoy the feast." The little demons received their orders and set about their tasks—no more of this.

Now, the Heavenly King Li led his host back up to the high peak. The Fire Lord resented Nezha for his impatience, the Thunderer blamed the Heavenly King for his tricks, while the Water Lord beside them said nothing. The Pilgrim saw that they would not look at each other, and though his heart was troubled and full of bitter resentment, he forced himself to appear cheerful and said to the assembled gods with a smile: "You need not be troubled, my lords. As the ancients said, 'Victory and defeat are the constant lot of soldiers.' In martial arts, I am his equal; but he has that one ring, and that is what makes him so dangerous—he has taken our weapons once again. Do not worry. Let old Sun go and investigate his background once more." The Prince said: "You previously memorialized the Jade Emperor, and a search was made throughout the heavens and the world, yet not a trace was found. Where else can you search now?" The Pilgrim said: "It occurs to me that the Buddha's law is boundless. Let me now go up to the Western Heaven and ask our Buddha Tathagata. Let him employ his wisdom-eye to survey the four great continents of the earth, and see in what region this demon was born, in what locality he dwells, and what manner of treasure that ring is. No matter what, we must capture him, to vent the anger of you all and restore your joy so that you may return to heaven." The gods said: "Since you have this intention, do not delay—go quickly, go quickly!"

Splendid Pilgrim! He said "I go," and at once mounted his somersault cloud, arriving swiftly at Mount Ling. He descended from the auspicious light and gazed about him on all sides—what a splendid place:

The spirit peaks stood tall and graceful, the layered ridges clear and lovely, the immortal mountain summits brushing the azure sky of the Milky Way. The great western heaven presided over this mighty stronghold, its imposing presence overshadowing all of China. Primordial energy flowed freely between heaven and far earth; a majestic wind swept through, filling the terraces with blossoms. From time to time the long chime of bells and chimes was heard; ever and again the clear and bright chanting of sutras rang out. Again one saw beneath the green pines the upāsakas discoursing, and among the emerald arhats the arhats walking. White cranes, moved with feeling, came to Vulture Peak; blue phoenixes, with deliberate intent, alighted upon the idle pavilion. Dark apes in pairs bore immortal fruits; long-lived deer in twos presented purple blossoms. The hidden birds sang frequently as if telling tales; the strange flowers blazed with color beyond naming. The winding ridges coiled and circled, turning back again and again upon themselves; the ancient paths curved and looped, level at every turn. Truly this was a place of pure emptiness and spiritual elegance, bearing the solemn and great-awakened manner of the Buddha's house.

The Pilgrim was just then gazing upon the mountain scenery when suddenly he heard someone call out: "Sun Wukong, where have you come from? Where are you going?" He turned quickly in haste—it was the Bhikkhunī尊者. The Great Sage bowed and said: "I have one matter on which I wish to see the Tathāgata." The Bhikkhunī said: "You rascal. Since you wish to see the Tathāgata, why do you not ascend the precious monastery, and instead stand here gazing at the mountain?" The Pilgrim said: "I have only just arrived in this honored place, and so I have been bold." The Bhikkhunī said: "Quickly, follow me." The Pilgrim followed closely to the mountain gate of the Thunder Monastery, where he again saw the eight great vajra warriors, fierce and martial, blocking both sides. The Bhikkhunī said: "Wukong, wait a moment while I go in and present your case." The Pilgrim had no choice but to stand outside the gate. The Bhikkhunī went before the Buddha, pressed her palms together, and said: "Sun Wukong has a matter on which he wishes to see the Tathāgata." The Tathāgata issued a decree admitting him, and only then did the vajra warriors step aside to let him pass.

The Pilgrim bowed his head and finished his obeisance. The Tathāgata asked: "Wukong, I previously heard that the Bodhisattva Guanyin released you from your bondage, that you took refuge in the Buddhist teaching and escorted Tripitaka of the Tang court here in search of scriptures. How is it that you have come here alone? What has happened?" The Pilgrim bowed his head and said: "I report to my Buddha. Since your disciple received the precepts, I journeyed west with my Tang master. When we reached the Golden Gourd Cave, we encountered a demon chief called the Great King Si, of vast and boundless powers, who took my master and my fellow disciples into his cave. When I went to him to demand their return, he showed no goodwill. The two of us fought, and he seized my iron cudgel with a white, gleaming ring. I feared he might be a heavenly general who had descended to the mortal world, and hastened to the upper realms to investigate, but found nothing. The Jade Emperor graciously dispatched the Devarāja Li and his sons to assist me, but he seized the prince's six weapons as well. I then invited the Star Lord of Fire to burn him with flames, but he seized the fire implements too. I then invited the Star Lord of Water to drown him with floods, but not a drop could touch him. Your disciple expended no small amount of spirit and effort to steal back the cudgel and other items, and went to challenge him again, but once more he took back all the previous objects as before, and I had no way to subdue him. Therefore I have come especially to report to my Buddha, hoping that in your compassion you will look into this for your disciple—what manner of creature is he, truly? Then I can go and seize his family and neighbors, capture this demon chief, rescue my master, and together with devoted sincerity seek the true fruit of enlightenment."

The Tathāgata, hearing this, directed his wisdom-eye to gaze from afar and already knew full well. He said to the Pilgrim: "That creature—though I know of him, I cannot tell you. You monkey, your mouth is too loose. The moment you spread word that I told you of him, he will not fight with you; he will surely clamor his way up to Vulture Mountain and bring disaster upon me instead. Here I shall use my power to help you capture him." The Pilgrim bowed again in thanks and said: "What power will the Tathāgata lend me?" The Tathāgata then ordered the eighteen arhats to open the treasure-house and take out eighteen grains of golden elixir sand to aid Wukong. The Pilgrim said: "What is this golden elixir sand for?" The Tathāgata said: "Go outside the cave and challenge that demon to a contest. Lure him out, and have the arhats release the sand to trap him, so that he cannot move his body or lift his feet, and you can seize and beat him as you please." The Pilgrim laughed and said: "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Let us go quickly."

The arhats dared not delay and took the golden elixir sand out the gate. The Pilgrim thanked the Tathāgata once more. Along the way he counted and found only sixteen arhats. The Pilgrim shouted: "What sort of place is this, that cheats and shortchanges people?" The arhats said: "Who has shortchanged you?" The Pilgrim said: "Originally eighteen were sent, so how is it that there are only sixteen?" Before he could finish, the Subduer of Dragons and the Tamer of Tigers came out from within and stepped forward, saying: "Wukong, how can you be so troublesome? We two were inside listening to the Tathāgata's instructions." The Pilgrim said: "Too much cheating, too much cheating! If I had shouted even a moment later, you wouldn't have come out at all." The arhats laughed merrily and mounted their auspicious clouds.

Before long they reached the boundary of the Golden Gourd Mountain. The Devarāja Li saw them and led his host forward to meet them, recounting in full what had happened before. The arhats said: "No need for lengthy talk—quickly go and call him out." The Great Sage clenched his fists and went to the mouth of the curse, shouting: "Fat, vile monster! Come out quickly and have a match with your Grandfather Sun." The little demon again flew in haste to report. The Demon King said angrily: "That thieving monkey—I wonder who he has brought this time to make such a racket." The little demon said: "There are no other generals—just him alone." The Demon King said: "I have already taken his cudgel, so how is it that he has come alone again? Could it be he wants to fight with his fists?" He took his treasure in hand, grasped his spear, ordered the little demons to move the stones aside, leaped out the gate, and cursed: "Thieving monkey, you have failed to gain the upper hand several times already—you should have kept your distance. How dare you come shouting again?" The Pilgrim said: "This vile demon has no sense of what is proper! If you don't want your Grandfather to come, then submit, make amends, and send out my master and my fellow disciples, and I will spare you." The monster said: "Those three monks of yours have already been washed clean, and before long they will be slaughtered. Don't you know when to yield? Be gone!"

When Pilgrim heard the words "slaughter," fire flared up from his cheeks and he could not suppress his rage. He dropped his pose, threw up his fists, stepped sideways in a diagonal gait, and threw a punch at the fiend. The monster drew his long spear and met the blow with his hand. Pilgrim hopped left and right to fool the fiend; the fiend, unaware of the scheme, chased him away from the cave mouth and southward. Pilgrim then called to the arhats to hurl the Golden Elixir Sand at the fiend all at once. What sand! It was truly:

Like mist and smoke it first scattered in confusion, drifting and billowing down from the edge of the sky. Vast and white, it dazzled the eyes everywhere; dim and dusky, those who flew could not find their way. The woodcutter lost his companion, the herb-gathering immortal boy could no longer find his home. Fine and light it floated like wheat flour; coarse and tumbling it resembled sesame seeds. The world grew hazy and the mountain peaks darkened; the long sky was obscured and the sun was hidden. It was not like the dust kicked up by galloping steeds, nor could one speak of its softness as adorning a fragrant carriage. This sand was originally a thing without feeling, yet it covered the earth and blocked the sky to seize the fiend. It was only because the fiend had violated the true Way that the arhats, upholding the Dharma, displayed their splendor. In their hands a bright pearl appeared, and in due time it would scrape the eyes until they ached.

When the fiend saw the flying sand blinding his eyes, he lowered his head a little, and at once there was over three feet of sand beneath his feet. Alarmed, he leaped his body upward and jumped onto the floating layer above. Before he could stand firm, in a moment there was again over two feet of sand. The fiend grew frantic, pulled out his feet, hastily took out his ring, tossed it upward, and shouted, "Take this!" With a great swoop, the eighteen grains of Golden Elixir Sand were all caught up in the ring. He pulled it back, turned on his steps, and went straight back to his original cave.

The arhats stood one and all with empty hands, hovering on the clouds. Pilgrim came forward and asked, "Venerable arhats, why did you not continue to pour the sand?" The arhats replied, "Just now there was a sound, and the Golden Elixir Sand vanished." Pilgrim laughed and said, "It's that thing again—he's snatched it away." The Heavenly King and the others said, "This creature is so hard to subdue! How can we capture him? When can we return to Heaven, and with what face can we see the Emperor?" The two arhats, Dragon-Subduer and Tiger-Queller, stepped beside Pilgrim and said, "Wukong, do you know why we two were late in setting out?" Pilgrim said, "Old Sun only blamed you for not coming to avoid the fight, but I did not know you had something to say." The arhats said, "the Tathagata instructed us two, saying, 'That fiend's supernatural powers are vast and great. If the Golden Elixir Sand is lost, then send Sun Wukong to the Palace of the Grand Pure on the Heaven of the Scattered Void, to the place of the Most High Lord Lao, to seek his trail, and perhaps he can be captured in one stroke.'" When Pilgrim heard this, he said, "How hateful, how hateful! the Tathagata has also put one over on old Sun. He should have told me at the time, and then there would have been no need to have you travel so far." Heavenly King Li said, "Since the Tathagata has given this clear instruction, Great Sage, you should set out at once."

That fine Pilgrim said the word "go" and at once leaped on a somersault cloud, flying straight into the Southern Heavenly Gate. At that time the four great commanders clasped their fists and bowed, saying, "How goes the capture of the fiend?" Pilgrim answered as he walked, "Not yet, not yet. Now I have a place to seek out the root of the matter." The four generals dared not detain him and let him enter the Heavenly Gate. He did not go up to the Hall of Spiritual Brightness or enter the Palace of the Dipper, but went straight to the Palace of the Grand Pure on the Heaven of the Scattered Void, beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. He saw two immortal lads standing in attendance, but he did not announce his name, walking straight in. The two lads were alarmed and grabbed him, saying, "Who are you? Where are you going?" Pilgrim then said, "I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and I wish to seek the Old Lord Li." The immortal lads said, "How can you be so rude? Stay here and let us announce you." Pilgrim would not let them argue, shouted a command, and walked straight inside. Suddenly he saw Lord Lao come out from within and bumped into him full on. Pilgrim bowed his body and said in greeting, "Old fellow, I have neglected to visit you for a long time." Lord Lao laughed and said, "This monkey, instead of going to fetch the scriptures, what business brings him to my place?" Pilgrim said, "Fetching scriptures, fetching scriptures, day and night without rest. There are some obstacles, and so I come to visit." Lord Lao said, "The road to the West is blocked—what has that to do with me?" Pilgrim said, "West, West, hold your tongue for now. If I find the trail, then I'll come and pester you." Lord Lao said, "This is the highest immortal palace—what trail is there to seek?"

Pilgrim went inside, his eyes not blinking, looking east and west. After passing through several corridors and halls, he suddenly saw a lad dozing by the cattle pen, and the blue ox was not in the pen. Pilgrim said, "Old fellow, your ox has gone, your ox has gone." Lord Lao was greatly alarmed and said, "When did this wretch escape?" As they were shouting, the lad woke up and knelt before him, saying, "Grandfather, your disciple fell asleep and does not know when he left." Lord Lao cursed him, "How could you doze off?" The lad kowtowed and said, "Your disciple picked up a pellet of elixir in the alchemy room, ate it at the time, and fell asleep here." Lord Lao said, "It must be the Seven-Returns Fire Elixir I refined the other day—one pellet was left hanging, and this fellow picked it up and ate it. That elixir, when one pellet is eaten, should make one sleep for seven days. Because you were asleep and no one was watching, this wretch took the opportunity and descended to the mortal world. It has been seven days now."

He then checked whether anything had been stolen. "No precious treasures," said Pilgrim, "except that he has a ring, and it's a most formidable one." The Lord Lao quickly inspected his belongings. Everything was there except the Diamond Jade Bangle. "That beast has stolen my Diamond Jade Bangle!" said Lao Jun. "So that's the treasure that hit me before," said Pilgrim. "Now he's down there running amok, and I don't know how many of our things he's snatched." "Where is that beast?" asked Lao Jun. "He's at the Cave of Golden Gourd on Golden Gourd Mountain. He's captured my Master Tang and taken my Golden-Hooped Rod. I asked the Heavenly soldiers for help, and he took the Crown Prince's divine weapons. Then I asked the Fire Virtue Star Lord, and he took his fire implements. The Water Lord couldn't drown him, but at least he didn't get his things. Then I asked the Tathagata to send the Arhats with the golden elixir sand, and he snatched that too. You old fellow, letting your monster run loose and steal from people—what crime should you be charged with?" "My Diamond Jade Bangle," said Lao Jun, "is the implement I used when I passed through the Han Barrier and converted the barbarians. It's a treasure I refined from childhood. No weapon or element of water or fire can get near it. If he had stolen my Palm-Leaf Fan as well, even I wouldn't have been able to do anything about him."

The Great Sage was overjoyed and followed Lord Lao. Lao Jun took the Palm-Leaf Fan, mounted a auspicious cloud, and they departed the celestial palace together. Outside the South Heavenly Gate, they lowered their clouds and went straight to the region of Golden Gourd Mountain. They met the eighteen Arhats, the Lord of Thunder, the Water Lord, the Fire Virtue, and the Heavenly King Li with his sons, and Lao Jun told them everything that had happened. "Sun Wukong," said Lao Jun, "go back and lure him out so I can capture him."

Pilgrim leaped down from the peak and shouted again at the top of his lungs: "You fat, wretched beast! Come out and meet your death!" The little demon went back to report. "That thieving monkey must have called in someone else again," said the old demon. He quickly seized his spear, took his treasure, and rushed out the gate. "You damned fiend," cursed Pilgrim, "this time you're as good as dead! Don't run—take my palm!" He darted forward in a flying leap, threw his arms around him, and slapped him hard across the face, then turned and ran. The fiend gave chase with his spear. From the high peak came a voice calling: "You ox, when are you coming home?" The fiend looked up and saw the Supreme Lord Lao. His heart quaked and his gall blanched. "That thieving monkey really is a goblin from the underworld! How did he manage to find my master?"

Lao Jun recited an incantation and waved the fan once. The fiend threw the ring, but Lao Jun caught it in his hand. He waved the fan again, and the creature went limp and weak, revealing his true form—he was a green ox. Lao Jun breathed a breath of immortal essence onto the Diamond Jade Bangle, pierced the beast's nose with it, untied his sash, fastened it to the ring, and led the ox by it in his hand. To this day the practice of leading an ox by a ring through its nose is called "binlang," and that is its origin. Lao Jun took leave of the gods, mounted the green ox, rode a rainbow cloud back to the Palace of Supreme Purity, and bound the demon, ascending to the Heaven of Transcendent Sorrow.

The Great Sage Sun then joined the Heavenly King and the others in attacking the cave. They slaughtered all hundred or so little demons and retrieved their weapons. He thanked the Heavenly King and his sons as they returned to Heaven, the Lord of Thunder went back to his residence, the Fire Virtue returned to his palace, the Water Lord went back to his river, and the Arhats headed west. Then he freed Tripitaka, Pigsy, and Sandy, and took back the iron rod. The three of them thanked Pilgrim, gathered the horse and luggage, and the master and disciples left the cave to find the main road and continue on their way.

As they walked, they heard a voice calling from the side of the road: "Venerable Tang Seng, come and have some vegetarian food!" The elder monk was startled.

Now who it was that called out, you will hear explained in the next chapter.