Chapter 71

Chapter 71

"Form is emptiness" has been true since ancient times,

And emptiness is form, as ever it has been.

If one can thoroughly comprehend the Zen of form and emptiness,

What need is there for cinnabar and alchemical refinement?

Cultivate virtue in full, never slacken;

Apply bitter effort, endure the long ordeal.

When merit is complete at last, ascend to court on high,

And your immortal countenance shall remain forever unchanged.

Now the story goes that the Sai Tai Sui tightly shut both the front and back gates, searching for the Pilgrim, raising a clamor all the way until dusk, but finding no trace of him. He sat in the Skin-Flaying Pavilion, assembled the demon host, and issued orders: every gate was to have bells lifted and watchmen's calls sounded, drums beaten and watchman's clappers struck; every demon had bowstrings drawn and blades unsheathed, keeping watch through the night in shifts.

Now the Great Sage Sun had transformed into a dull-witted alighted fly, clinging beside the gate. Seeing the defenses ahead were extremely tight, he shook out his wings and flew to the entrance of the inner palace to observe. There he saw the Golden Saint Empress prostrate upon the imperial desk, shedding silent tears, her voice heavy with hidden grief. The Pilgrim flew in through the door and gently alighted upon her cloud-like disheveled hair, listening to what she wept about. After a short while, the Empress suddenly cried out, saying: "My lord, you and I—

In a former life we burned incense with severed heads,

In this world we meet a monstrous king who scatters and destroys.

The phoenix was torn apart—when shall we reunite after three years?

The mandarin ducks are parted in two places, bringing only grief.

The elder you sent brought us word of each other,

But the shock scattered our fine match, and a life was lost.

Only because the golden bell could not be understood,

Our longing is more frantic than ever before."

Upon hearing these words, the Pilgrim moved to just behind her ear and softly called out: "Holy Palace Empress, do not be afraid. I am still the divine monk Elder Sun whom your kingdom sent—I have not lost my life. It was only because of my own impatience that I approached the dressing table and stole the golden bell. While you and the demon king were drinking wine, I slipped away and left the front pavilion. Unable to restrain myself, I opened it to look. Unexpectedly I pulled out the cotton plug that stopped the mouth of the bell, and the bell rang once, belching out smoke, fire, and yellow sand. I panicked and dropped the bell, revealing my true form. I wielded my iron staff and fought bitterly but could not break through, fearing I would fall into his poisonous hands. So I transformed into a fly and clung to the door hinge, hiding until now. The demon king has grown even more vigilant and refuses to open the gates. You must use the proprieties of husband and wife to coax him to come in and rest, so that I can slip away and act, and find another way to rescue you."

When the Empress heard these words, she trembled as though her hair were being pulled by spirits; her heart pounded as if being pounded with a pestle. With tears streaming down, she said: "Are you a man or a ghost now?" The Pilgrim said: "I am not a man, and I am not a ghost. I have now transformed into a fly here. Do not be afraid—go quickly and invite the demon king." The Empress did not believe him, and with tears dripping, she whispered softly: "Don't bewitch me." The Pilgrim said: "How would I dare bewitch you? If you do not believe me, open your hand and let me jump down for you to see." The Empress indeed opened her left hand, and the Pilgrim gently flew down, landing upon her jade palm, just like:

A black bean stuck upon a lotus stamen,

A wandering bee resting upon a peony;

A grape falling into the heart of an embroidered ball,

A thick black spot beside a lily branch.

The Golden Saint Palace raised her jade palm high and called out: "Divine Monk!" The Pilgrim buzzed in reply: "I am the Divine Monk, transformed." Only then did the Empress believe him. She whispered: "When I go to invite the demon king, how will you act?" The Pilgrim said: "The ancients said: 'Only wine can waste a whole lifetime.' And also: 'Nothing dispels all matters better than wine.' Wine has many uses—you need only make drinking the foremost thing. Call in one of your personal serving maids and point her out to me. I will transform into her likeness and serve at your side, ready to act."

The Empress indeed followed his words and called: "Where is Chunjiao?" From behind the screen emerged a fox with a jade-like face, who knelt and said: "What does Your Majesty command of Chunjiao?" The Empress said: "Go and have them light the silk lanterns and burn the brain musk, and help me to the front hall to invite the Great King to rest." Chunjiao then went to the front and called out seven or eight monster-deer and demon-foxes, who carried two pairs of lanterns and a pair of censers, arrayed on either side. The Empress bowed with folded hands, but the Great Sage had already flown away. The excellent Pilgrim spread his wings and flew straight to the head of the jade-faced fox. He plucked one of his hairs, blew on it with immortal breath, and called: "Transform!" It transformed into a sleep-inducing bug, which he gently placed on her face. Now when a sleep-inducing bug reaches a person's face, it crawls toward the nostrils, enters the holes, and the person falls asleep. Chunjiao indeed gradually felt drowsy, could no longer stand steadily, swayed on her feet and dozed. She quickly found her original sleeping place, threw herself down, and slept soundly. The Pilgrim jumped down, shook his body, and transformed into an exact likeness of Chunjiao. He turned behind the screen and stood among the others—no more of this for now.

Now the Golden Saint Palace Empress was walking forward when a little demon saw her and reported to the Sai Tai Sui: "Great King, the Empress has come." The demon king hurried out of the Skin-Flaying Pavilion to greet her. The Empress said: "Great King, the fires have died down and the thief has vanished without a trace. In the deep of night, I have come especially to invite Your Majesty to rest." The demon was overjoyed and said: "Take care, Your Majesty. That thief just now was Sun Wukong. He defeated my vanguard and killed my soldiers, then transformed and came in to deceive us. We searched everywhere, but he is nowhere to be found, which is why I am uneasy in my heart." The Empress said: "That fellow must have escaped. Let Your Majesty set his mind at ease and not worry—go and rest." The demon saw the Empress standing respectfully and inviting him, and did not dare refuse outright. He could only instruct the demon host to be careful with fire and candlelight and guard against thieves, then went with the Empress straight to the inner palace. The Pilgrim, disguised as Chunjiao, was led in by the two ranks of serving maids.

The Lady said, "Prepare wine to ease the King's labors." The Demon King laughed and said, "Indeed, indeed! Bring the wine quickly—I shall drink with the Lady to calm her fright." The false Chunjiao then, together with the other demons, arranged fruits, prepared some raw meats, and set out tables and chairs. The Lady raised her cup, and the Demon King also presented a cup to her; the two exchanged their cups. The false Chunjiao stood beside them, holding the wine pot, and said, "Great King, this is the first time you and the Lady have shared cups tonight. Please both drink up and exchange cups in celebration." Indeed, they each poured again and drank dry. The false Chunjiao then said, "Since the Great King and the Lady are rejoicing in their reunion, let those attendants who can sing provide music, and those who can dance rise up and dance." Before she had finished speaking, a chorus of songs was heard, all in tune—some singing, some dancing. The two drank much more, and the Lady called for the music and dancing to stop. The attendants filed out and arranged themselves beyond the screen. Only the false Chunjiao remained, holding the wine pot, serving wine up and down. The Lady and the Demon King spoke only of husband and wife matters. You should see—the Lady, with all her amorous charms, bewitched the Demon King until his bones were soft and his sinews numb. Only he had no fortune and could not touch her body. Pitiful! Truly, a cat biting a bladder—empty joy.

After chatting for a while and laughing for a while, the Lady asked, "Great King, was the treasure damaged?" The Demon King said, "This treasure is a thing forged since the beginning of time—how could it be damaged? Only that thief tore open the cotton stopper and burned the leopard-skin wrapping." The Lady said, "How shall we store it?" The Demon King said, "No need to store it—I carry it at my waist." The false Chunjiao, hearing this, plucked a handful of fine hairs, chewed them to pieces, gently approached the Demon King, and placed the hairs on his body. She blew three breaths of immortal breath and secretly cried, "Transform!" Those fine hairs turned into three kinds of vermin—lice, fleas, and bedbugs—which burrowed into the Demon King's body and bit randomly at his skin. The Demon King was tormented by unbearable itching. He reached into his robes to scratch and rub, and with his fingers squeezed out a few lice, which he brought near the lamp to examine. The Lady, seeing this, said thoughtfully, "Great King, I suppose your underclothes are dirty—you haven't had them washed and starched in a long time, and that's why these creatures have appeared." The Demon King said in shame, "I have never had such creatures before—how embarrassing that they appear tonight." The Lady laughed and said, "Why should the Great King be embarrassed? As the saying goes: 'Even the Emperor has three imperial lice on his body.' Take off your clothes and let me catch them for you." The Demon King actually undressed and removed his garments.

The false Chunjiao watched intently from the side, observing the Demon King's clothes layer by layer—every layer had fleas jumping on it, every garment was lined with great bedbugs; mother and child lice were thick and dense, like ants pouring out of a nest. Unconsciously, she reached the third layer where flesh was visible, and on the Golden Bells there were countless numbers, swarming in profusion. The false Chunjiao said, "Great King, hand me the bells—let me also catch lice for you." The Demon King, partly from shame and partly from alarm, did not recognize the true from the false, and handed the three bells to the false Chunjiao. The false Chunjiao took them in her hand and played with them for a long time. Seeing the Demon King lowering his head and shaking out his clothes, she immediately hid the Golden Bells, plucked one fine hair, and transformed it into three bells, identical in every way. She took them before the lamp and examined them. Then she twisted and turned her body, shaking it once, and collected the lice, bedbugs, and fleas back onto herself. She handed the false golden bells to the demon. The demon took them in his hand, now thoroughly bewildered, unable to tell true from false at all. He held the bells with both hands and handed them to the Lady, saying, "This time you must keep them safe—be careful, very careful, not like before." The Lady took them, gently opened the clothes chest, stored the false bells, and locked them with a golden lock. Then she drank a few more cups of wine with the Demon King and instructed the attendants, "Clean the bed and spread the brocade quilt—I shall sleep with the Great King." The Demon King stammered, "No fortune, no fortune—I dare not keep you company. I shall take a palace maid and sleep in the western palace. Please rest yourself, my Lady." And so each went to their own quarters—no more of this.

Now the false Chunjiao, having succeeded in her scheme, carried the treasure at her waist, revealed her true form, shook her body, and collected the sleeping bug. She went straight forward. She heard the watchman's clappers and bells ringing—the third watch of the night. The good Pilgrim, making a hand seal and reciting the true words, used his invisibility spell and went straight to the gate. He saw that the gate was locked and bolted very tightly. He then took out his Golden-banded Cudgel, pointed it at the gate, and used his lock-opening spell. The gate gently opened. He quickly stepped out and stood below, crying out in a loud voice, "Sai Tai Sui, return the Golden Saint Lady to me!" He called out two or three times, alarming the demons great and small. They hurried to look and saw the front gate was open. They quickly lit lamps, searched for the lock, and locked the gate as before. Several ran inside to report, "Great King, someone outside the great gate is calling your honored title and demanding the Golden Saint Lady." The attendants inside then came out of the palace gate and whispered, "Don't shout—the Great King has just fallen asleep." The Pilgrim called out loudly again at the gate, but the little demons did not dare disturb him. This happened three or four times—none dared to report it. The Great Sage outside made a clamor and commotion until daybreak. Unable to restrain himself, he swung his iron rod and advanced to beat on the gate. The demons great and small were thrown into a panic—some barred the gate, some ran to report. The Demon King had just awakened from sleep and heard the chaotic uproar. He rose, put on his clothes, and came out beyond the bed curtains, asking, "What is all this shouting?" The attendants knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, we don't know who was cursing and railing outside the cave all night, and now they are beating on the gate."

The demon king walked out of the palace gate and saw several little devils who had been reporting, kowtowing in a panic. "Someone outside is cursing and shouting, demanding the Golden Saint Palace Consort! If we say even half a 'no,' he spouts endless vulgar talk, most unbearable to hear. Seeing that the Great King of the Heavenly Dawn does not come out, he's forced to batter at the gate." The demon said, "Do not open the gate yet. Go ask him where he comes from and what his name is. Come back quickly with a report." The little devil hurried out and asked through the gate, "Who is it battering at the gate?" The Pilgrim said, "I am the maternal grandfather, invited by the Kingdom of Zizhu, to fetch the Saint Palace Consort back to her country." The little devil heard this and reported it accordingly. The demon then went to the rear palace to inquire into the visitor's origins.

The Consort had just risen and had not yet finished her toilet when she saw a serving maid come to report, "Grandfather has come." The Consort hastily arranged her clothes, gathered up her cloud-dark hair, and came out of the palace to greet him. She had scarcely sat down and had not yet asked anything when she heard another little devil report, "The grandfather who has come has already broken the gate." The demon king laughed and said, "Consort, how many generals and commanders are there in your court?" The Consort said, "In the court there are forty-eight guards of troops and a thousand able generals; the marshal-commanders on each border are beyond counting." The demon king said, "Is there one with the surname Wai?" The Consort said, "I am in the palace; I only know of assisting the sovereign within and instructing the consorts morning and evening. External affairs are boundless—how could I remember all their names?" The demon king said, "This visitor calls himself 'Maternal Grandfather.' I have thought over the *Hundred Family Surnames*, and there is no surname Wai in it. Consort, you are by nature intelligent and of noble birth; dwelling in the imperial palace, you must have read many books. Do you remember in which book this surname appears?" The Consort said, "Only in the *Thousand Character Classic* there is the line 'Wai shou fu xun'—'externally receiving the instructions of the tutor.' It must be this."

The demon king said joyfully, "It must be! It must be!" He then took leave of the Consort, went to the Skin-Peeling Pavilion, dressed himself in proper array, mustered his demon soldiers, opened the gate, and went straight outside. Holding a single broad-bladed battle-axe, he cried out in a stern, loud voice, "Which one is the maternal grandfather from the Kingdom of Zizhu?" The Pilgrim gripped the golden-banded staff in his right hand and pointed with his left. "Nephew, what do you want with me?" The demon king saw him and flew into a rage in his heart. "You wretch—

Your looks are like a monkey, your face like a macaque.

Seven parts you truly are a ghost, so bold as to bully people!"

The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You deceitful, heaven-offending, good-for-nothing fiend—you were born blind, it seems. When I caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago, not one of the Nine Heavenly Generals dared address me without the word 'Old.' You call me Maternal Grandfather—wherein have you lost anything?" The demon king roared, "Quickly tell me your name and surname, and what martial skills you possess, that you dare come here in such swagger!" The Pilgrim said, "If you did not ask my name, that would be all right. But if you want me to tell you my name, I fear you will have nowhere to stand. Come up here, plant your feet firmly, and listen to me:

My birth parents were Heaven and Earth; the essence of the sun and moon formed my sacred womb.

An immortal stone held me without count of years; a spiritual root conceived—how wondrous indeed!

When I was born, the three yang forces were in harmony; today I return to truth, the myriad assemblies in accord.

Once I gathered demon hordes and was called their chief; I could subdue all monsters and make them bow at Cinnabar Cliff.

The Jade Emperor of Heaven issued an edict; the Great White Star of Venus carried the decree.

They invited me to ascend to Heaven to inherit an office; I was granted the title of Stable-Holding Horse, but my heart was not content.

In my original heart I rebelled and plotted in the mountain caves; in my boldness I raised troops and stormed the imperial steps.

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and his prince—after one bout of combat, they were utterly routed.

The Star of Venus again memorialized the Sovereign of the Dark Palace; once more an amnesty edict was sent down.

They invested me as the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven—only then was I called a pillar of talent.

Then again I disrupted the Peach Festival; in my drunkenness I stole the elixir and brought disaster upon myself.

The Supreme Lord Lao personally memorialized the throne; the Queen Mother of the West paid homage at the Jasper Terrace.

They knew full well that I had offended the king's law; at once they mobilized the heavenly troops and issued fire-decrees.

A hundred thousand fierce stars and baleful luminaries—spears and halberds, swords and halberds densely arrayed.

Heavenly nets and earthly snares spread across the mountains; together they raised their blades for a great battle on the field.

A fierce fight was waged with no victor or vanquished; Guanyin recommended Erlang to come.

The two sides opposed each other to determine who was superior; he had his brothers of Mount Mei.

Each displayed his heroism and worked transformations; the Three Sages of the Heavenly Gate parted the clouds.

Lord Lao hurled his Diamond Snare; the gods captured me and brought me to the golden steps.

There was no need to write out a detailed confession—the crime called for death by slow slicing.

Axes pounded and hammers struck, but could my life be harmed? Swords swung and halberds hacked—how could they wound me?

Fire burned and thunder struck, and it was just so—there was no way to destroy my long-life womb.

I was escorted to the Supreme Pure's Palace of the Doushu Court; in the furnace I was refined, all arranged.

When the appointed time was fulfilled, they opened the cauldron; I leaped out from within.

I grasped this staff of wish-fulfillment and turned to storm the Jade Dragon Terrace.

Each star and each constellation hid themselves; I caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace as I pleased.

The Patrolling Spirit Officers hurriedly invited the Buddha; Shakyamuni matched his wits with me.

I somersaulted within the palm of his hand, roaming throughout the heavens and returning again.

The Buddha used a method of deception and entrapment; by it he pressed me beneath a mountain.

Five hundred years have passed since then; now freed from that body, I am up to my old tricks again.

I was specially charged to protect Tripitaka on his journey to the West—Wukong the Pilgrim, perfectly clear-minded.

On the Western road I have subdued demons and fiends—what demon or evil has not feared me!"

When the demon king heard him speak the name Wukong the Pilgrim, he said, "So you are the wretch who caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace. Since you escaped and are protecting Tripitaka on his journey west, you should simply go your own way. Why do you meddle in others' affairs, acting as a slave for the Kingdom of Zizhu, and come here seeking your death?" The Pilgrim roared, "You ignorant, good-for-nothing fiend! You speak without knowing what you say. I received the courtesy of the Kingdom of Zizhu's invitation, and I have been honored with their hospitality and respect. I, Old Sun, am a thousand times higher than a king's throne. They revere me as parents and serve me as a deity. How dare you use the word 'slave'? I will not let you go, you heaven-offending, deceitful fiend—take a staff-blow from your Maternal Grandfather!" The demon was thrown into a panic, dodged swiftly to avoid the blow, and raised his broad-axe to meet the attack face to face. What a splendid battle this was! Look—

Golden-Hooped As-you-will Staff, Wind-blade Axe with Floral Pattern. One gnashed his teeth in fierce determination, the other bared his teeth in martial might. This was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven descending to the mortal world, that was the monster king who had come down to make mischief below. The two spewed clouds and mist that lit up the celestial palace, truly stirring up stones and raising sand to cover the starry courts. Back and forth they exchanged many moves, over and over again golden light flashing. Each deployed his abilities, each staked his supernatural powers. This one wanted to take the empress back to the capital, that one delighted in keeping the empress in his mountain lair. This battle was all without cause—they risked death and forgot life because of a kingdom's lord.

The two of them fought for fifty rounds without either gaining the upper hand. The monster king saw that Pilgrim Sun's skills was formidable and, judging that he could not win, blocked his iron staff with his axe and said, "Sun Pilgrim, hold on a moment. I haven't had my morning meal yet. Let me go in and eat, then I'll come back to settle the contest with you." Pilgrim knew full well that he was going to fetch the bells, so he put away his iron staff and said, "A brave man doesn't chase a tired rabbit. Go ahead, go ahead. Eat your fill, then come back and receive your death."

The monster king turned quickly and rushed inside, saying to the Empress, "Quick, hand over the treasure!" The Empress said, "What do you want the treasure for?" The monster king said, "The one who challenged me to battle this morning is a disciple of the scripture-seeking monk, called Sun the Pilgrim, who falsely claims to be my maternal grandfather. I've been fighting him till now, and neither of us has won. Let me take the treasure out and set off some fire and smoke to burn this monkey's head." When the Empress heard this, her heart trembled with fear: if she didn't hand over the bells, she feared he would become suspicious; if she did hand over the bells, she feared she would endanger Sun the Pilgrim's life. She was just hesitating, unable to decide, when the monster king pressed her again: "Hurry up and bring it out!" The Empress had no choice but to unlock the case and hand the three bells to the monster king. The monster king took them and walked out of the cave. The Empress sat in her palace, tears falling like rain, wondering whether Pilgrim might be able to escape with his life. Neither of them knew that the bells were fakes.

When the monster king came out, he took the upper ground and shouted, "Sun Pilgrim, don't run away! Watch me shake my bells!" Pilgrim laughed and said, "You have bells, and I don't? You can shake them, and I can't?" The monster king said, "What bells do you have? Show them to me." Pilgrim squeezed his iron staff into a tiny embroidery needle and hid it in his ear. Then he untied three genuine treasures from his waist and said to the monster king, "Aren't these my Purple-Gold Bells?" When the monster king saw them, he was astonished and said, "Strange, strange! How can his bells be exactly the same as mine? Even if they were cast from the same mold, they should have a few more blemishes or a different stem—how can they be identical down to the finest detail?" He then asked, "Where did you get your bells?" Pilgrim said, "Dear nephew, where did you get yours?" The monster king, being honest, told him: "My bells were made thus:

The Immortal Lord of Great Clarity, his Way's source profound,

Long refined in the Eight Trigrams Furnace they were bound.

Fashioned into bells, called treasures supreme,

Lord Lao left them down to the present day, so it would seem."

Pilgrim laughed and said: "My bells, Old Sun's, also came from that time." The monster king said, "How did they come about?" Pilgrim said: "My bells were made thus:

The Way's Patriarch refined elixirs in the Palace of Tuṣita,

The golden bells were forged within the furnace's heat.

Two and three make six, the cycle treasure complete—

Mine is the female, and yours the male, so take your seat."

The monster king said, "Bells are treasures of the Golden Elixir, not flying birds or wild animals—how can you tell male from female? As long as they produce treasure when shaken, they're good enough." Pilgrim said, "Words are empty proof—let's see them in action. You shake yours first."

The monster king indeed shook the first bell three times, but no fire came out; he shook the second three times, but no smoke came out; he shook the third three times, but no sand came out either. The monster king panicked and said, "How strange, how strange! The ways of the world have changed—these bells must be henpecked. The male has seen the female, so they won't come out." Pilgrim said, "Dear nephew, stop. Let me shake mine and show you." That fine monkey grabbed all three bells and shook them together. Look—red fire, blue smoke, and yellow sand all rolled out together, crackling and roaring as they burned trees and scorched mountains. The Great Sage then recited a spell and called out toward the southeast wind: "Wind, come!" Truly the wind urged on the fire's force, and the fire rode the wind's power—red flames, dark billows, smoke and fire filling the sky, yellow sand covering the ground. It terrified Sai Ta Sui until his soul fled and his spirit scattered, with no way to escape—how could he save his life from within that fire?

Only a sharp cry rang through the air above: "Sun Wukong, I have come!" Wukong turned his head in haste to look upward, and there was Guanyin Bodhisattva, holding the purification vase in her left hand and a willow branch in her right, sprinkling sweet dew to put out the flames. In a flurry, Wukong hid the bells in his waistband, pressed his palms together, and prostrated himself. The Bodhisattva dipped the willow branch and flicked several drops of sweet dew, and in an instant, the smoke and fire vanished without a trace, and the yellow sand cleared. Wukong kowtowed and said, "I did not know the Great Compassion had descended to the mortal world; I failed to withdraw in time. May I ask where the Bodhisattva is bound?" The Bodhisattva said, "I have come specially to capture this demon." Wukong said, "What is the origin of this creature, that it should trouble your golden form to descend and capture it?" The Bodhisattva said, "He is the golden-furred Hou that I ride. Because the cowherd dozed off and neglected his watch, this beast bit through his iron chains and escaped—he has come to bring disaster upon the King of Zhuzi." Hearing this, Wukong quickly straightened himself and said, "Bodhisattva, you have it backwards. Here he has deceived the king and cheated the queen, corrupting morals and injuring decree, bringing calamity upon the king—and yet you say he has come to bring disaster relief. How can that be?" The Bodhisattva said, "You do not understand. When the former King of Zhuzi was on the throne, this king was still the crown prince, not yet enthroned. In his youth, he was passionately fond of hunting. Leading his men and loosing his hawks and hounds, he came to Slope of the Fallen Phoenix, where the Buddha-Mother Great Peacock Mingwang Bodhisattva had given birth to two offspring—a male and a female peacock chick, resting their wings on the slope below. This prince drew his bow and wounded the male peacock; the female peacock also died bearing the arrow. The Buddha-Mother, after repenting, ordered that he be separated from his phoenix mate for three years and afflicted with a wasting illness. At that time, I was riding this Hou, and I heard these words together with the Buddha-Mother. I did not expect this beast to take it to heart, and so he has come to deceive the queen and bring disaster upon the king. Now the three years are complete and the karmic debt is fulfilled. Happily you have come to cure the king's suffering. I have come specially to capture this evil creature." Wukong said, "Bodhisattva, though this is the story, still he has defiled the queen, corrupted morals, injured decree, violated ethics and broken the law—he deserves the death penalty. Now that the Bodhasattv has condescended to come in person, you may spare him the death penalty, but you cannot spare him a living punishment. Let me give him twenty blows with my staff, then you may take him away." The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, since you know I have descended to the mortal world, you should consider my favor and spare him entirely—this will also count as one of your meritorious deeds in subduing demons. If you raise your staff, he will die." Wukong dared not disobey, so he could only bow and say, "Since the Bodhisattva is taking him back to the sea, do not let him descend to the mortal world again to cause no end of harm."

Only then did the Bodhisattva give a shout: "Wretched beast! Return to your true form—what are you waiting for?" The creature rolled on the ground and revealed its true form, shook out its fur garments, and the Bodhisattva mounted it. The Bodhisattva then looked at its neck and saw that the three golden bells were missing. The Bodhisattva said, "Wukong, return my bells." Wukong said, "Old Sun does not have them." The Bodhisattva barked: "You thieving monkey! If you had not stolen these bells, even ten Sun Wukongs could not have come near him. Hand them over at once." Wukong laughed and said: "Truly I have not seen them." The Bodhisattva said: "Since you have not seen them, let me recite the Golden Headband Incantation." Wukong was alarmed and cried: "Don't recite it, don't recite it! The bells are here." And so it was: who else could untie the golden bells from the Hou's neck? Only the one who tied them could untie them. The Bodhisattva placed the bells around the Hou's neck and rose into the air to take her high seat. Look at her—lotus flowers of flame rising from all four feet, golden threads bristling all over her body. The Great Compassion returned to the Southern Sea, and there we leave her.

Now Sun the Great Sage straightened up his robes, hefted his iron staff, and charged into the Xiezhi Cave, slaughtering all the demons and monsters without mercy, rooting them out completely. He went straight to the palace and invited the imperial queen to return to her kingdom. The queen bowed in boundless gratitude. Wukong told her the whole story of the Bodhisattva capturing the demon and the cause of the phoenix separation. He found some soft grass, tied it into a straw dragon, and said: "Your Majesty, mount it, close your eyes, do not be afraid—I will take you back to the capital to see your lord." The queen followed his instructions carefully. Wukong exercised his magic, and all that could be heard was the wind whistling in her ears.

In half an hour, they entered the city. Wukong brought them down from the clouds and called: "Your Majesty, open your eyes." The queen opened her eyes and recognized the phoenix pavilion and dragon tower; her heart rejoiced. She dismounted from the straw dragon and ascended the treasure hall together with Wukong. The king saw her and hurriedly stepped down from the dragon bed to grasp the queen's jade hand, longing to pour out his feelings of parted love—when suddenly he fell to the ground, crying: "My hand hurts, my hand hurts!" Bajie laughed loudly: "What a face! No fortune to enjoy it. The very first meeting and he's stung!" Wukong said: "Idiot, would you dare to touch her?" Bajie said: "What if I do touch her?" Wukong said: "The queen's body has grown poison thorns; her hands carry the venom of stinging yang. Ever since she arrived at Qilin Mountain and spent three years with Saitaisui, that demon never once touched her body. But if anyone touches her body, it causes bodily pain; if anyone touches her hand, it causes hand pain." The officials hearing this said: "What can be done in such a case?" At this moment, the officials outside were anxious and doubtful; the concubines inside were terrified. The two palaces of Yusheng and Yinsheng came forward to help the king to his feet.

Just as all were in a state of panic, suddenly someone called from mid-air: "Great Sage, I have come!" Wukong raised his head to look, and he saw:

A solemn, piercing crane cry soaring to the sky,

Drifting lightly straight before the court.

Coiling auspicious light in rays upon rays,

Billowing blessed air in graceful folds.

A palm-fiber robe draped over his body, releasing clouds and mist,

Rarely seen straw sandals on his feet.

In his hand a whisk made of dragon beard,

A silk sash tied around his waist.

He makes connections with people everywhere in the universe,

Roaming freely across the great earth.

This was the Purple Cloud Immortal from the Heaven of Great Luo,

Descending today to the mortal world to break the enchantment.

Wukong stepped forward to greet him. "Where are you bound, Zhang Ziyang?" The Perfected Lord Zhang came straight to the hall and bowed deeply. "Great Sage, this humble immortal Zhang Bo-duan salutes you." Wukong returned the greeting. "Where have you come from?" The Perfected Lord replied, "Three years ago this humble immortal was attending a Buddhist assembly and passed through this region. I saw that the ruler of the Kingdom of Zizhu was suffering the anguish of a phoenix torn apart. I feared that the demon would defile the empress, violating the principles of human conduct, and that afterward she would be unable to reunite with her sovereign. I therefore transformed an old palm-fiber cloak into a new five-colored radiance robe, which I presented to the Demon King and had the empress put on as fresh attire. The moment she donned it, her whole body grew poisonous thorns. The thorns were, in fact, the palm-fiber cloak. Now that I have learned of the Great Sage's success, I have come specially to lift the curse." Wukong said, "In that case, I am grateful for your long journey—please relieve her quickly." The Perfected Lord stepped forward and pointed his finger at the Consort. Instantly the palm-fiber cloak fell away from her. The Consort's body was restored as before. The Perfected Lord shook the cloak, draped it over his own shoulders, and said to Wukong, "Great Sage, forgive me. This humble immortal takes his leave." Wukong said, "Wait—let the sovereign thank you." The Perfected Lord smiled. "No need, no need." He made a long bow and rose into the air. The emperor, the empress, and all the officials high and low rushed to bow toward the sky.

When the obeisance was finished, orders were given to open the Eastern Pavilion in grand feast for the four monks. The ruler led his court in kneeling and bowing, and the husband and wife were at last reunited. Just as the banquet was at its most joyful, Wukong called out, "Master, bring out the letter of challenge." The elder produced it from his sleeve and handed it to Wukong, who passed it to the king. "This letter was sent by one of the demon's junior officers. That officer I had already killed and his head brought here as proof of merit. Later I returned to the mountain and transformed myself into a junior officer to enter the cave and make my report. That was how I managed to see the Consort, steal the golden bells, and nearly be captured by him. I transformed again, stole the bells once more, and engaged him in battle. Fortunately Guanyin Bodhisattva came and took him away, and she also explained to me the reason for the phoenix being torn apart..." He recounted the entire story from beginning to end in full detail. Not a single person throughout the kingdom—ruler, ministers, or subjects—failed to express gratitude and praise. Tripitaka said, "In the first place, this is the blessing of a wise king; in the second, it is the achievement of my young disciple. We have been honored with a magnificent feast—this is more than enough. Let us now take our leave and not delay this poor monk's journey to the West." The king begged him to stay but could not prevail. He thereupon issued the travel pass with the royal seal, arranged a great imperial procession, and invited Tripitaka to ride in the dragon carriage in comfort. The sovereign and his consorts themselves grasped the carriage shafts and pushed the wheels, escorting them on their way. Indeed:

When karma cleanses the sickness of doubt and worry,

With thoughts cut off and no strife, the heart finds its own peace.

What fortune or peril lay ahead on the road from this point—that, surely, must await the next chapter.