Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Here follows the translation:

Now Sun Xingzhe, summoning his divine might, grasped his iron staff, trod auspicious light, and rose into the air. He confronted the creature and shouted: "What demon are you, and where do you rampage?" The monster cried out fiercely: "We are no others—we are the vanguard of the Great King Sai Tai Sui, Lord of the Xiezhi Cave on Qilin Mountain! The King has sent us to fetch two palace maidens to serve the Golden Saint Consort. Who are you, that you dare question me?" Xingzhe said: "I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. I am escorting the Tang monk of the Eastern Land on his pilgrimage to the Western Heaven to worship Buddha. Passing through this kingdom, I learned that you demons have been oppressing your sovereign. I have come to display my prowess, govern the country, and expel evil. I was just looking for you—and here you come to deliver yourself into my hands." The monster, hearing these words, knew not good from ill. He leveled his long spear and thrust at Xingzhe. Xingzhe raised his iron staff to meet him. In midair, a splendid battle ensued:

The staff was a treasure that stabilized the Dragon Palace's seas;

The spear was iron refined among mortal men.

How could common weapons compare with immortal arms?

The slightest touch, and divine qi would leak away.

The Great Sage was originally a Taiyi immortal;

The demon was born of wicked, evil stock.

How could foul fiends draw near an upright man?

Once the righteous prevails, evil is destroyed.

That one stirred wind and flung dust, terrifying the king;

This one trod mist and soared through clouds, blotting out the sun and moon.

They cast aside all pretense to wager victory—

Who without true ability would dare boast of heroism?

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven proved his might:

With a crack of the staff, the spear snapped in two.

The demon, struck by Xingzhe's iron staff, his spear broken in two, panicked for his life. He turned his wind-borne retreat and fled westward in defeat.

Xingzhe did not pursue him. He pressed down his cloud and came to the outside of the tower's sheltering tunnel. He called out: "Master, please come out with the king—the monster has been driven off." Only then did Tang Seng support the king and emerge from the tunnel together. They saw the sky clear and bright, with no trace of demonic qi. The emperor went at once to the wine feast, took the pot himself, filled a golden cup to the brim, and offered it to Xingzhe, saying: "Divine monk, my humble thanks, my humble thanks." Xingzhe took the cup in hand, but before he could reply, an official came from the palace gate to report: "Fire has broken out at the West Gate!" When Xingzhe heard this, he flung the golden cup and its wine into the air. With a clang, the golden cup fell to the ground. The king was alarmed and bowed, saying: "Divine monk, forgive me, forgive me—it is this unworthy one's fault. Properly, I should have invited you to the palace to bow in thanks, but because this convenient wine was here, I offered it on the spot. Yet you cast the cup away—surely you took offense?" Xingzhe laughed and said: "It is not so, it is not so." Shortly after, another official came to report: "What fine rain! The moment the fire broke out at the West Gate, a great downpour extinguished it. The streets are flooded, and the air is thick with the smell of wine." Xingzhe laughed again and said: "Your Majesty, when you saw me cast the cup, you suspected I took offense—but that was not it. The demon fled westward; I did not pursue him, and he set the fire in retaliation. This cup of wine was what I used to quench the demon's fire and save the households of the west city and beyond. What other meaning could there be?"

The king was all the more delighted and reverent. He invited Tang Seng and his four companions to ascend the treasure hall together, with the intention of yielding the throne to them. Xingzhe laughed and said: "Your Majesty, that demon called himself the vanguard of Sai Tai Sui, sent here to fetch palace maidens. Now that he has been defeated and returned, he will surely report to that wretch, and that wretch will surely come to contend with me. I fear he may at once raise his army and lead his troops, which would needlessly alarm and harm the people and frighten Your Majesty. I wish to go and meet him—to seize him there in midair and retrieve the Saint Consort. But I do not know which direction to go. How far is it from here to his mountain cave?" The king said: "This unworthy one once sent night-scout troops there to gather intelligence. The journey takes more than fifty days. It lies to the south, some three thousand li away." When Xingzhe heard this, he called: "Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, remain here and protect them. This old Sun will go and return." The king seized his arm and said: "Divine monk, take a day to prepare. Let us arrange some dried provisions and roasted grain, give you some silver for the road, and select a swift horse—only then should you go." Xingzhe laughed and said: "Your Majesty speaks as one who crosses the Bashan mountains on foot. But I will not deceive you—for a distance of three thousand li, I could make the round trip before the wine in a cup has cooled." The king said: "Divine monk, do not take offense at my words, but your venerable appearance resembles a monkey—how can you possess such magical power for travel?" Xingzhe said:

"Though my body belongs to the monkey kind,

From youth I opened the road of life and death.

I sought out enlightened masters to transmit the Way,

Cultivating on the mountain without regard for dawn or dusk.

I took heaven as my roof and earth as my furnace,

The two medicines combined—crow and hare.

I gathered yin and yang, water and fire in exchange,

And in time comprehended the mysterious pass.

I relied entirely on the transporting power of the Celestial Stem,

And also on the shifting steps of the Dipper's handle.

Withdrawing from the furnace and entering the fire, I followed the proper hour;

Extracting lead and adding mercury, I balanced them in turn.

I gathered the five elements, and creation was born;

I harmonized the four images, dividing them according to the seasons.

The two qi returned to the space between the Yellow Path;

The three families met on the road of the golden elixir.

I comprehended the principles and returned them to my four limbs;

My somersault was naturally aided by divine power.

In one leap I crossed Mount Taihang;

In one vault I passed the Lingyun Ford.

Why fear a thousand layers of steep ridges?

Why dread a hundred stretches of the Long River?

Because my transformations have no obstacle,

One vault carries me one hundred and eight thousand li!"

When the king heard this, he was both astonished and delighted. Smiling, he offered a cup of imperial wine to Xingzhe, saying: "Divine monk, you have toiled from afar—accept this cup as a token of gratitude." The Great Sage's whole heart was set on subduing the demon; he had no mind for wine. He said only: "Set it aside for now—let me drink it when I return." The worthy Xingzhe spoke the word "go," gave a whistle, and vanished without a trace. The king and all his court marveled—but no more of that.

Now Xingzhe gave a single leap, and soon saw a great mountain blocking the edge of the mist. He pressed down his cloud and stood upon its peak, examining it closely. What a fine mountain:

Here is the translation:

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Piercing the sky and covering the land, blocking the sun and giving birth to clouds. Where it pierces the sky, sharp peaks tower tall; where it covers the land, distant ridges stretch endlessly. What blocks the sun are the luxuriant pines atop the ridge; what gives birth to clouds are the jagged rocks beneath the cliff. The luxuriant pines remain green through all four seasons and eight terms; the jagged rocks remain unchanged through ten thousand years and a thousand ages. In the forest one often hears the night apes wailing; in the ravine one constantly hears the demon pythons passing. The mountain birds cry mournfully; the mountain beasts roar fiercely. Mountain deer and mountain bucks, in pairs and couples, scatter and flee in swarms; mountain crows and mountain magpies, forming flocks and gathering in groups, fly densely together. Mountain grasses and mountain flowers cannot be seen to their end; mountain peaches and mountain fruits appear fresh with every season. Though it rests upon perilous terrain and is unfit for travel, it is yet a place where demons and immortals seclude themselves.

The Great Sage gazed upon it without tiring, just as he was about to search for the cave entrance, when he saw a burst of fiery light fly out from a hollow in the mountain. In an instant, the red flames shot up to the sky, and from amid the red flames rose a foul smoke, more poisonous than fire! What smoke! For this was no chimney smoke, no smoke from grass or wood—yet the smoke had five colors: green, red, white, black, and yellow. It fumigated the pillars outside the South Heavenly Gate and singed the beams of the Hall of Spiritual Sovereigns. It burned until the beasts in their burrows rotted through their hides, and the birds in the forest lost every feather. Since this smoke was so vicious, how could one enter the deep mountains to subdue the demon king?

Even the Great Sage Sun was struck with fear, when he saw a blast of sand burst forth from the mountain. What sand—it truly blotted out the sun and obscured the earth! For you see:

Scattered and whirling, it spread across the end of the world;

Choking and blinding, it covered the earth below.

Fine dust drifted everywhere, bewildering men's eyes;

Coarse ash filled the valleys, rolling like sesame seeds.

The immortal boys gathering herbs lost their companions;

The woodcutters could not find their way home.

Even if one held a bright pearl in one's hand,

In time the sand scraped until the eyes saw flowers.

The Pilgrim only gazed in fascination, not noticing that sand and ash had flown into his nostrils, making them itch and tickle, and he sneezed twice. He turned his head, reached beneath the rocks, and felt about for two goose-egg stones, which he stuffed into his nostrils. He shook his body and transformed into a coal-gathering sparrow hawk, flew into the midst of the smoke and fire, fluttered a few times, and then the sand and ash were gone and the smoke and fire had ceased. He quickly resumed his true form and descended, and as he looked, he heard the ding-dong dong-dong of a gong. He said to himself, "I must have taken the wrong road—this is not where the demon lives. The gong sounds like the gong of a postal guard. This must be a main road leading to the capital, with postal guards carrying documents below. Let old Sun go and ask."

Just as he walked along, he suddenly saw what appeared to be a small demon, carrying a yellow banner, with a document on his back, beating a gong, and rushing forward as swiftly as flying. The Pilgrim laughed and said, "So it is this fellow beating the gong. I wonder what letter he is delivering? Let me listen to him." The excellent Great Sage shook his body and transformed into a buzzing insect, and lightly flew onto the demon's document satchel. He heard the little demon beating the gong, muttering and chattering to himself: "Our Great King is truly too venomous. Three years ago he seized the Golden Saint Queen of the Kingdom of Zhuzhi, but all this time he has had no luck and has not been able to touch her—he has only made the palace ladies brought in suffer in her stead. He killed two when two were brought, and killed four when four were brought. He demanded some the year before last, demanded more last year, demanded them again this year, and now demands them once more. But then an adversary arrived—the vanguard who was to fetch the palace ladies was defeated by some Sun So-and-so, and no more palace ladies are being sent. Our Great King is therefore enraged and wants to wage war against that kingdom, and has sent me to deliver a declaration of war. Once I go, if that king does not fight, well and good; if he fights, he will surely not prevail. Our Great King employs fire, smoke, and flying sand—not a single one of that king's ministers, officials, or common people will be spared. Then we will seize their city, our Great King will proclaim himself emperor, and we will become his ministers. Though we too will have titles of greater or lesser rank, still it defies the principles of Heaven."

The Pilgrim, upon hearing this, secretly rejoiced and said, "Even demons have good in their hearts! Judging by those last two words he spoke—'defies the principles of Heaven'—is that not a good sentiment? But he said that the Golden Saint Queen has all this time had no luck and has not been touched—I do not understand the meaning of this. Let me ask him." With a whir of wings, he flew off from the demon and turned toward the road ahead, and after some ten li, he shook his body and transformed again into a young Taoist boy:

His hair was bound in twin buns;

His body was clad in a patchwork robe.

In his hand he beat a fish-drum and clapper;

From his mouth he sang a Daoist ballad.

He rounded the mountainslope and met the little demon, pressing his palms together and saying, "Officer, where are you going? What official document are you delivering?" The demon seemed to recognize him, and stopped his gong mallet, returning the bow with a grin. "Our Great King has sent me to the Kingdom of Zhuzhi to deliver a declaration of war." The Pilgrim asked in follow-up, "Has that matter in the Kingdom of Zhuzhi been joined with the Great King yet?" The little demon said, "Ever since she was seized the year before last, a celestial being at once sent a five-colored immortal robe for the Golden Saint Palace to wear as new. Since she put on that robe, her whole body grew prickles—our Great King does not dare touch her even once. But if he so much as brushes against her, his palm hurts, and he does not know why. From beginning to end, he has not yet touched her. This morning he sent the vanguard to demand palace ladies to attend her, and they were defeated by some Sun So-and-so. The Great King is furious, so he sent me to deliver a declaration of war—tomorrow he will do battle with them." The Pilgrim said, "Why is the Great King so enraged?" The little demon said, "He is in a rage right now. Go and sing him a Daoist ballad to ease his frustration."

The good Pilgrim, with a cupped bow, drew himself away and left. The demon went on as before, beating his gong and marching ahead. But Pilgrim turned ferocious. He pulled out his staff, turned around, and struck the lesser demon a blow on the back of the head. Pitiful! His skull was smashed, blood and brains gushing out, his skin torn and his neck snapped—his life utterly destroyed. He put away his staff and then reproached himself, saying, "I was too hasty. I never asked him what his name was. Ah, well." He took the demon's letter of challenge and hid it in his sleeve. He concealed the yellow banner and the gong in the grass by the roadside. As he grabbed the demon's foot to hurl him down the ravine, there was a clang, and a gold-inlaid ivory tablet appeared at the demon's waist. There were words on the tablet, which read: "Trusted Underling, one Youlai Youqu. Short and squat, pockmarked face, no beard. To be hung at the long river; without this tablet, he is an impostor." Pilgrim laughed and said, "So this fellow's name is Youlai Youqu—'Come-and-Go.' This one staff-blow has struck him into Qu-Youlai—'Gone-and-Not-Come.'" He took the tablet off and hung it at his own waist. He was about to throw the corpse down, but then he thought of the poisonous smoke and fire. Not daring to seek out their cave dwelling, he raised his staff, jabbed the little demon in the chest, lifted him into the air, and made straight for his own country, intending to report a first-class merit. You should have seen him, talking to himself and whistling once, arriving at the border of the kingdom.

Back in front of the Golden Chariot Hall, Bajie had been protecting the king and the Master. Suddenly he turned and saw Pilgrim in midair, carrying a demon on his staff. He grumbled, "Ai! A trifling bit of business. If I'd known, old Pig would have gone and fetched him—wouldn't that have counted as a merit for me?" Before he finished speaking, Pilgrim brought his cloud down and flung the demon onto the steps. Bajie ran up and struck him with his rake, saying, "This is old Pig's merit!" Pilgrim said, "What merit of yours?" Bajie said, "Don't cheat me—I have proof. Can't you see nine holes I raked in him?" Pilgrim said, "Take a look—does he have a head or not?" Bajie laughed and said, "So he has no head! No wonder he didn't budge when I raked him." Pilgrim said, "Where is the Master?" Bajie said, "He's in the hall, talking with the king." Pilgrim said, "Go and ask him to come out." Bajie hurried up into the hall and nodded. Tripitaka immediately rose and came down the hall to greet Pilgrim. Pilgrim tucked the letter of challenge into Tripitaka's sleeve and said, "Master, take this and don't let the king see it."

Before he had finished speaking, the king also came down from the hall to greet Pilgrim, saying, "Divine monk, elder, you have returned! How did the business of capturing the demon go?" Pilgrim pointed with his finger and said, "Isn't that the demon down there on the steps? Old Sun has beaten him to death." The king looked and said, "It is a demon corpse, but it's not the Grand Duke Sai. I've seen the Grand Duke Sai twice in person—he's eighteen feet tall, five spans across his shoulders; his face gleams like gold, and his voice is like thunder. How could he be this puny little thing?" Pilgrim laughed and said, "Your Majesty is right—it's certainly not him. This was a messenger demon who ran into Old Sun and got killed first. I brought him back to report a merit." The king was overjoyed and said, "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! This should count as a first-class merit. I've often sent men here to spy, but they never brought back any real intelligence. The moment the divine monk went out, he captured one and brought him back—truly divine powers!" He called out, "Bring warm wine to congratulate the elder on his merit."

Pilgrim said, "Drinking wine is a small matter. Let me ask Your Majesty: when the Saintly Consort Jin was taken away, did she leave behind any token? Give me something of hers." The moment the king heard the word "token," it was as if a knife were cutting into his heart. He could not hold back his tears, and he said:

"In that fine year, at the Dragon Boat Festival's height,

The fierce demon Grand Duke raised his dreadful cry.

He seized my royal consort to be his mountain bride,

And I surrendered her to spare my people's lives.

No words of parting were spoken, no farewells exchanged,

No long pavilion, no short pavilion for our leave-taking.

No token, no sachet—nothing was left behind,

And to this day I am abandoned, wretched and alone."

Pilgrim said, "Your Majesty is here before me—why torment yourself? Since the lady left no token, is there anything she treasured in the palace? Give me one thing, that will do." The king said, "What do you want it for?" Pilgrim said: "That demon king truly has magic powers. I saw him belch smoke, fire, and sand—he'll be hard to subdue. And even if I subdue him, I'm afraid the lady will see that I'm a stranger and refuse to return to the kingdom with me. I need one of the things she treasured in daily life—only then will she believe me, and I can bring her back. That's why I need to take something with me." The king said, "In the Zhaoyang Palace, on the dressing table, there is a pair of golden treasure strings that the Saintly Consort Jin used to wear on her hands. Because that day was the Dragon Boat Festival and she had to tie the five-colored threads, she took them off and didn't put them back on. This was something she treasured, and now it's kept in her cosmetic case. I, seeing her suffer this separation, cannot bear to look at it—for when I see it, it's as if I see her jade countenance, and my illness grows several degrees worse." Pilgrim said, "Let us not speak of this further—just bring me the golden strings. If you can bear to part with them, give them all to me; if you cannot, just take one." The king then ordered the Jade Saintly Consort to fetch them. She brought them out and handed them to the king. The king looked at them and called out several times, "My tender, loving consort!" then handed them to Pilgrim. Pilgrim took them and slipped them onto his arm.

The great Sage, declining the congratulatory wine, mounted his somersault cloud, whistled once, and was back on Qilin Mountain. He had no heart for sightseeing and went straight to find the cave dwelling. As he traveled, he heard the clamor of voices and stopped to gaze intently. It turned out that at the gate of the Xiezhi Cave, the officers and chiefs guarding the entrance numbered about five hundred. There they were:

Ranked in dense array, packed close together.

Ranked in dense array, grasping spears and halberds, gleaming bright in the sun;

Packed close together, unfurling banners and flags, fluttering and flashing in the wind.

Tiger generals and bear commanders could transform;

Leopard-headed marshals and tiger-striped commanders showed their mettle.

The gray wolves were fierce and savage;

The otters and elephants were valiant and bold.

Cunning rabbits and crafty roe deer brandished swords and halberds;

Long snakes and great pythons shouldered sabers and bows.

The orangutans could understand human speech,

And knew how to deploy troops and pitch camp by reading the winds.

When Pilgrim Sun saw this, he dared not advance and turned back the way he had come. You may wonder why he withdrew. It was not that he feared them. He went back to the place where he had killed the little demon, found the yellow banner and the gong, made a secret sign against the wind, concentrated his thoughts, and with a shake of his body transformed himself into the exact likeness of "Has-Come-Has-Gone." Clanging the gong with a ping-pang, he strode straight ahead until he crashed right into Xiezhidong, the Lair of the Chinese Unicorn. Just as he was about to take in the view of the cave, he heard an orangutan call out, "Has-Come-Has-Gone, you're back?" Pilgrim had to answer, "I'm back." The orangutan said, "Hurry, the Great King is waiting for your report at the Skin-Peeling Pavilion."

On hearing this, Pilgrim stepped forward, striking the gong, and made straight for the front gate. He saw sheer cliffs and precipitous walls, stone chambers and empty halls, with rare flowers and jade-like plants on either side and ancient cypresses and towering pines before and behind. Before he knew it he had passed through the second gate, and looking up he saw a pavilion with eight bright windows. In the center of the pavilion was a gilded armchair, and seated in it was a fiend king, truly a fearsome sight. Just look at him:

Dazzling radiance blazed from his crown,

And murderous fury burst from his chest.

Fangs outside his mouth were ranked like sharp blades,

And singed hair at his temples sent up red smoke.

His mustache bristled like arrows stuck in his lips,

And his whole body was covered with bristling fur like layered felt.

His eyes bulged like brass bells, outdoing the God of the Year,

And he held an iron staff that seemed to scrape the sky.

Pilgrim looked at him and behaved with open insolence toward the fiend, observing no manners whatsoever. He turned his face away, faced outward, and went on striking the gong. The fiend king asked, "You're back?" Pilgrim did not answer. He asked again, "Has-Come-Has-Gone, you're back?" Still no reply. The fiend king stepped forward and grabbed him. "Why are you still beating that gong now that you're home? And why don't you answer when I ask you questions?" Pilgrim hurled the gong to the ground and said, "What do you mean, 'why, why'? I said I wouldn't go, but you made me go. When I got there, I saw countless troops drawn up in battle formation. When they saw me, they all shouted, 'Seize the fiend! Seize the fiend!' They pushed and pulled, dragged and carried me into the city. I was taken before the king, and the king ordered, 'Behead him!' Fortunately two groups of counselors said, 'When two sides are at war, do not kill the messenger.' They spared me. They received the battle letter, then escorted me outside the city, gave me thirty strokes of the rod in front of the army, and let me come back to report. They'll be here soon to fight you." The fiend king said, "If that's the case, you suffered. No wonder you haven't said a word when I ask you." Pilgrim said, "Isn't that so? It's only because I'm still sore that I haven't answered." The fiend king asked, "How many troops are there?" Pilgrim said, "I was so frightened, and I'm still cowed from the beating, that I couldn't possibly count their numbers. I only saw their weapons arrayed in dense rows:

Bows and arrows, swords and spears, armor and mail,

Halberds, spears, swords, and pennants and flags.

Spears and moon-shaped shovels, helmets and mail,

Great axes, shields, and caltrops of iron.

Long cudgels and short clubs, steel tridents, blunderbusses, and helmets.

They were dressed in boots, head-guards, padded jackets,

And carried whips, magic pellets, and copper hammers."

The king laughed when he heard this and said, "No matter, no matter. Weapons like those are all empty and useless. Go and report this to Golden Sage Queen and tell her not to worry. This morning when she heard me vowing to go to battle, she wept and couldn't stop her tears. Now go and tell her that their troops are valiant and will surely defeat me, so as to set her mind at ease for the time being."

Pilgrim was overjoyed to hear this and said, "That's exactly what old Sun had in mind." You see, he knew the way well. He turned through a corner gate and passed through the halls. Inside were nothing but lofty mansions and grand buildings, quite different from what he had seen earlier. He went all the way to the rear palace, where in the distance he saw a magnificent colored gate—the residence of the Golden Sage Queen. He went straight inside and saw two groups of fox-spirits and deer-spirits, each dressed in the form of a beautiful woman, standing in attendance on either side. Seated in the middle was the queen, her chin resting in her hands, tears streaming from her eyes. Truly she was:

A tender, delicate face, beautiful and enchanting.

She was too lazy to dress her hair, which was piled like a crow's wings;

She dreaded adornment and wore no hairpins or rings.

Her face had no powder—cold and pale without rouge;

Her hair had no oil—her cloud-like tresses hung limp.

Her cherry lips were pressed tight, her silver teeth clenched,

Her moth-like brows furrowed, her starry eyes drowned in tears.

Her heart thought only of the king of Zizhu;

At that moment she could not bear to leave the nets of Heaven and Earth.

Truly it is said: since ancient times, beautiful women have had thin fates,

Sighing silently as she faced the eastern wind.

Pilgrim stepped forward and greeted her with a "Jieno." The queen said, "This wretched country bumpkin is utterly uncouth. When I was in the Kingdom of Zizhu, sharing glory and splendor with the king, even the Grand Marshal and the Prime Minister prostrated themselves in the dust before me and dared not look up. How can this wild fiend call out 'Jieno'? Where did such a boorish creature come from?" The attending maids stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, calm your anger. He is the Great King's trusted underling, called Has-Come-Has-Gone. He was the one sent this morning with the battle letter." The queen, suppressing her anger, asked, "When you delivered the battle letter, did you reach the borders of Zizhu?" Pilgrim said, "I carried the letter straight into the city, into the Golden Hall, and presented myself before the king. I have brought back his reply." The queen said, "When you saw the king, what did he say?" Pilgrim said, "The king's words about fighting and his plans for deploying troops I have already told the Great King. But the king had thoughts of the queen, and there is a message from the heart that I have come to deliver. However, with so many people around, this is not the place to speak of it."

Upon hearing this, the Queen dismissed the two rows of fox and deer attendants from her presence. Sun Wukong closed the palace door, wiped his face, and revealed his true form. He said to the Queen, "Do not fear me. I am a monk sent by the Great Tang of the Eastern Land to the Great Western Heaven, to the Kingdom of Tianzhu, to the Thunder Monastery to see the Buddha and obtain the scriptures. My master is Tang Sanzang, the Imperial Brother of the Tang Emperor. I am his eldest disciple, Sun Wukong. When passing through your kingdom to exchange travel documents, I saw that your king and his ministers had posted a notice seeking a physician. I applied my healing skills and cured his lovesickness. They held a banquet to thank me. During the feast, it was mentioned that you had been seized by a demon. I am skilled at subduing dragons and taming tigers, and I was specially invited to capture the monster and bring you back to your kingdom. It was I who defeated the vanguard in battle, and it was I who killed the lesser demons. When I saw the ferocity outside the gate, I transformed myself into the likeness of Youlai Yoqu and risked my life to come here and deliver this message to you."

When the Queen heard this, she fell silent, pondering. Sun Wukong took out the precious string and presented it to her with both hands. "If you do not believe me, look at this—where did it come from?" The Queen saw it and tears fell from her eyes. She descended from her seat and bowed in thanks. "Venerable Elder, if you can truly save me and bring me back to my court, I shall never forget this great kindness as long as I live."

Sun Wukong said, "Let me ask you this—what is that treasure of his that lets him release fire, smoke, and sand?"

The Queen said, "It is no ordinary treasure—it is three golden bells. When he shakes the first one, it produces three hundred zhang of fire that burns people. When he shakes the second, it produces three hundred zhang of smoke that suffocates people. When he shakes the third, it produces three hundred zhang of yellow sand that bewilders people. The fire and smoke are not the worst—it is the sand that is most poisonous. If it enters a person's nostrils, it takes their life."

Sun Wukong said, "Formidable, formidable! I have already been hit by it—I sneezed twice. But do you know where he keeps those bells?"

The Queen said, "How could he ever set them down? He carries them at his waist, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down—they never leave his body."

Sun Wukong said, "If you still care for the Kingdom of Zhuzi and wish to be reunited with your king, then set aside all your worries and sorrows for now. Put on a charming and joyful countenance, speak with him as husband and wife, and persuade him to let you keep the bells for safekeeping. When I find the right moment, I will steal them, subdue this demon, and then I can take you home, where you may be reunited in harmony and enjoy peace together."

The Queen agreed to follow his advice.

Sun Wukong transformed himself again into the trusted little guard, opened the palace door, and called in the attending maids. The Queen called out, "Youlai Yoqu, quickly go to the front pavilion and invite the Great King here to speak with me." The clever Sun Wukong acknowledged the order and went to the Skin-Flaying Pavilion, where he said to the demon king, "Great King, the Queen of the Sacred Palace requests your presence."

The demon king was delighted. "The Queen always scolds me—why does she invite me today?"

Sun Wukong said, "The Queen asked about the King of Zhuzi, and I told her, 'He no longer wants you. He has installed another queen in his kingdom.' When the Queen heard this, she lost all hope, and that is why she has sent for you now."

The demon king was overjoyed. "You are truly useful. When I have conquered his kingdom, I will appoint you as a Grand Counselor of the court."

Sun Wukong thanked him obediently and hurried back with the demon king to the rear palace gate. The Queen greeted him with a warm and welcoming expression and reached out to take his hand. The demon king drew back, stammering, "I dare not, I dare not. I am most grateful for Your Majesty's affection, but my hands are sore—I dare not touch you."

The Queen said, "Please sit, Great King, and let me speak with you."

The demon king said, "Please speak freely."

The Queen said, "I have received Your Majesty's favor for three years now, yet we have never shared a pillow or quilt together. By the karma of a past life, we became husband and wife. But I did not know that Your Majesty's heart had turned away from me, and that you no longer treat me as your wife. When I was queen in the Kingdom of Zhuzi, whenever foreign nations sent tribute, the king would always let me keep the treasures after he had seen them. Here you have no treasures at all—you wear fox and marten furs, you eat raw meat and blood. Have I ever seen brocade or gold and pearls? There is nothing but hides and furs spread about. Perhaps you do have some treasures, but because your heart has turned from me, you neither show them to me nor let me keep them. I have heard that you possess three bells—they must be some kind of treasure. Why do you carry them with you wherever you sit or walk? You should let me keep them for you, and take them out when you need them. This is what it means to be husband and wife—to entrust one's heart to another. If you will you not entrust them to me, is that not proof that your heart has turned away?"

The demon king laughed loudly and apologized. "The Queen is right to blame me, she is right. The treasure is here—I will entrust it to you today." He then lifted his clothing to retrieve the treasure. Sun Wukong watched from the side without blinking, observing as the demon lifted two or three layers of clothing to reveal three bells carried against his body. He untied them, stuffed cotton into their mouths, wrapped them in a leopard-skin pouch, and handed them to the Queen. "Though these objects are humble, you must keep them carefully and never shake them."

The Queen took them and said, "I understand. I will place them on the dressing table, where no one will disturb them." She called out, "Attendants, prepare wine! I wish to share joy and intimacy with the Great King and drink a few cups together."

The maids immediately set out fruits and dishes, arranging the meat of water deer, roe deer, and wild rabbits, and poured coconut wine to serve. The Queen put on a seductive manner and beguiled the spirit.

Sun Wukong, who had been lurking nearby looking for an opportunity, edged and sidled his way closer to the dressing table. He gently lifted the three golden bells, slowly shifted his steps, and slipped out of the palace gate, making straight for the exit from the cave dwelling. When he reached a deserted spot before the Skin-Flaying Pavilion, he unfolded the leopard-skin wrapping and examined them. The middle bell was the size of a teacup, while the two at either end were the size of fists. Not knowing their power, he pulled out the cotton stuffing. Instantly there came a loud *clang*, and out burst smoke, fire, and yellow sand in a furious rush. He could not stop it, and soon the whole pavilion was ablaze with crackling flames.

This terrified the gate-guarding demons, who came rushing into the rear palace in a crowd, alarming the Demon King. In a flurry he ordered, "Go put out the fire! Put out the fire!" When he came out to look, it turned out to be Youlai Youqu who had taken the golden bells. The Demon King strode forward and roared, "You wretched slave! How dare you steal my precious golden bells and play your tricks here?" He shouted, "Hand them over! Hand them over!" The tiger generals, bear masters, leopard heads, panther commanders, otter elephants, gray wolves, docile roes, cunning hares, long serpents, great pythons, and orangutans at the gate led all the other demons in a mass assault.

The Pilgrim panicked. He dropped the golden bells, revealed his true form, pulled out his golden-banded staff as-you-will, and began swinging it wildly in every direction. The Demon King gathered up his treasure and issued orders: "Shut the front gate!" The demons obeyed—some shut the gates, while others joined the fight. Finding it hard to escape, the Pilgrim put away his staff, shook his body, and transformed into a dull gray fly, which he stuck onto a section of the stone wall untouched by fire. The demons could not find him and reported, "Great King, the thief has escaped! The thief has escaped!" The Demon King asked, "Did he get out through the gate?" The demons all replied, "The front gate is tightly locked and bolted. He did not get out." The Demon King said only, "Search carefully." Some fetched water to douse the fire, while others searched carefully, but there was no trace. The Demon King raged, "What manner of thief is this? So bold! He took the form of Youlai Youqu, came in to report to me, then stayed by my side and seized the chance to steal my treasure. It is a good thing he hasn't managed to carry them out yet. If he had taken them beyond the mountain and they met the wind of heaven, what would we have done?" The Tiger General stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty's blessings match heaven itself, and our fortunes have not yet run their course—that is why we became aware of it." The Bear Master stepped forward and said, "Great King, this thief is none other than that Sun Wukong who was defeated as our vanguard. He must have met Youlai Youqu on the road, done away with him, and seized his yellow banner, brass gong, and ivory tablet. Then he transformed into Youlai Youqu's likeness and came here to deceive Your Majesty." The Demon King said, "Exactly, exactly! That reasoning is sound." He called out, "Little ones, search carefully and guard against him. By no means open the gate and let him escape."

And this is what is called:

A clever scheme backfires,

A jest turns real.

How Sun Wukong managed to escape from the demon gate, listen to the next chapter.