Chapter 76

Chapter 76

[This passage could not be machine-translated — see the original Chinese]

The Great Sage saw the wind, bent his waist, and grew to about three zhang in length. With one hand he held the rope, and with the other his iron cudgel. The demon chief, knowing no better, saw him come out and raised his steel sword to hack at his face. The Great Sage met it with his iron cudgel in one hand. Then the second demon came at him with a spear and the third with a halberd, pressing him from all sides without cease. The Great Sage let go of the rope, put away his cudgel, swiftly leapt up, and rode a cloud away. The truth was, he feared the little demons would surround him and make things difficult. He leapt clear of the camp and descended on an empty, open mountaintop. Landing from the cloud, he grabbed the rope with both hands and pulled with all his might. Only then did the old demon's heart begin to ache. The pain made him struggle upward; the Great Sage pulled down again. The little demons saw from a distance and cried out together in a loud voice: "Great King, don't provoke him—let him go! This monkey has no sense of the season: Qingming hasn't arrived yet, and he's flying a kite here!" Hearing these words, the Great Sage gave a mighty stomp. The old demon plummeted from the sky with a whirring sound, like a spinning wheel, and fell to the dust. He struck the hard yellow earth on the hillside and sank into a hole two chi deep.

The second and third demons were thrown into such alarm that they pressed down their cloud-tops together, rushed forward to grab the rope, and knelt at the foot of the hill, wailing: "O Great Sage, we thought you were a magnanimous immortal of boundless forbearance, but who knew you were a petty, narrow-minded creature. We truly coaxed you out to meet us in battle, never expecting you would tie a rope around our elder brother's heart." The Great Sage laughed and said: "You band of lawless demons, utterly without manners. The last time you coaxed me out, you tried to bite me. This time you coaxed me out only to array your forces against me. For several tens of thousands of demon soldiers to fight me single-handedly—even in principle that makes no sense. Drag him along—drag him along to see my master." The demons kowtowed together and said: "Great Sage, in your mercy spare our lives. We are willing to escort the reverend master across the mountain." The Great Sage laughed and said: "If you want your lives, simply take a knife and cut the rope." The old demon said: "Grandfather! If you cut the outer part, the inner part is tied to my heart, and it tickles disgustingly in my throat—what can be done?" The Great Sage said: "In that case, open your mouth and let me go back in to untie the rope." The old demon was alarmed and said: "Once you go in, you won't come out again—this is difficult, truly difficult!" The Great Sage said: "I have the ability to untie the inner end of the rope from outside. If I untie it, will you truly and honestly send my master across?" The old demon said: "Once it's untied, I will send him—I would never dare to speak falsely." The Great Sage, having ascertained that he was sincere, gave his body a shake and retracted his hairs. The demon's heart immediately stopped hurting. This was the method the Great Sage Sun had used: he had tied the demon's heart with one of his hairs, and once the hair was retracted, the pain ceased. The three demons leapt into the air and thanked him, saying: "Great Sage, please go back. Tell Tang Seng to gather his luggage—we will carry a sedan chair to escort him." The demons sheathed their weapons and all returned to the cave.

The Great Sage coiled up the rope and went straight back to the east of the mountain. From afar he saw Tang Seng rolling on the ground in tearful anguish. Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng had undone the bundles and were dividing the luggage among themselves. The Great Sage sighed inwardly: "Needless to say—this must be Bajie telling the master that I've been eaten by a demon. The master couldn't bear to part with me and is weeping bitterly, while that idiot is dividing the spoils and disbanding the company! Hmm—I wonder if that's really the case. Let me call out and see." He descended from the cloud and called: "Master!" Sha Seng heard and complained to Bajie: "You're nothing but a coffin stand—nothing but trouble for others. Our elder brother isn't dead, yet you said he was, and you're carrying on with this business here. Isn't that calling him to come?" Bajie said: "I clearly saw him swallowed in one gulp by the demon. I suppose the stars were unlucky—the monkey's come as a ghost." The Great Sage went up to him, seized Bajie by the face, and gave him a slap that sent him reeling. "You dolt! What ghost am I?" The idiot rubbed his face and said: "Brother, you really were eaten by that demon—how, how are you alive again?" The Great Sage said: "You worthless, incompetent sack of pus? After he swallowed me, I grabbed his intestines, squeezed his lungs, and threaded this rope through his heart, pulling it until the pain was unbearable. One by one they kowtowed and begged for mercy, and only then did I spare their lives. Now they're coming with a sedan chair to escort you across the mountain, Master." When Tripitaka heard this, he scrambled to his feet in one motion and bowed to the Great Sage: "Disciple, how you've toiled for me! Had I believed what Wuneng said, I would be finished." The Great Sage punched Bajie and cursed: "This gluttonous idiot, utterly lazy and worthless—no kind of man at all. Master, don't be troubled—the demons will come to escort you." Sha Seng was also deeply ashamed. He quickly covered his embarrassment, gathered the luggage, and saddled the horse. They all waited by the road—but of this, no more.

Now it must be told that the three demon chiefs led their horde of imps back to the cave. The second demon said: "Elder Brother, I thought this Sun Xingzhe had nine heads and eight tails, but he turns out to be nothing but a tiny little monkey. You shouldn't have swallowed him. If you had just fought him, how could he have stood against us? The tens of thousands of imps in this cave could have drowned him with their spit. Yet you swallowed him into your belly, and then he worked his magic and made you suffer. How dare you compare yourself with him? Just now, when you said you would escort Tang Seng, it was all pretense. In truth, your own life was at stake, so you coaxed him out—you absolutely will not escort the monk." The old demon said: "Brother, why won't you escort him?" The second demon said: "Give me three thousand little imps and let me deploy them in battle formation. I have the ability to capture this monkey-head." The old demon said: "Never mind three thousand—take the whole camp if you wish. Only capture him, and we shall all have merit."

The second demon then mustered three thousand little imps and lined them up along the main road. He ordered a standard-bearer with a blue flag to ride back and forth, announcing: "Sun Wukong, come out early and fight with our Second Great Lord Grandfather!" Bajie heard this and laughed: "Elder Brother, as the saying goes, 'You can't fool the locals.' They're playing tricks and pulling a fast one—how is it they claim to have surrendered the demons and are sending us with a sedan chair to escort Master, yet they're also calling us to battle? What's going on?" Wukong said: "The old demon has already surrendered to me and doesn't dare show his face. Just hearing the name 'Sun' gives him a headache. This must be the second demon, who isn't willing to let us pass, so he's calling us to fight. Brother, this demon has three brothers, and they're so loyal to each other. We three brothers—don't we have any loyalty? I've already subdued the first demon. Now that the second one has come out, there's no harm in you fighting him." Bajie said: "What do I have to fear? Let me go and have a bout with him." Wukong said: "Go then, if you're going." Bajie laughed: "Elder Brother, I'll go all right, but lend me that rope to use." Wukong said: "What do you want with it? You don't have the skill to get inside his belly, nor the skill to tie him up by his heart. What use would it be to you?" Bajie said: "I'll tie it around my waist as a lifeline. You and Seng hold the back end and let me out to fight him. If I win, you loosen the rope and I'll capture him. If I lose, you pull me back and don't let him drag me away." Wukong secretly smiled to himself: "This will be a fine trick to play on the fool." He tied the rope around Bajie's waist and sent him out to battle.

The fool raised his rake and charged up the mountain slope, shouting: "Come out, demon! Come fight with your Pig Ancestor!" The blue standard-bearer rushed to report: "Great Lord, a monk with a long snout and big ears has arrived." The second demon immediately came out of camp. Seeing Bajie, he wasted no words but thrust his spear straight at the fool's face. Bajie raised his rake to meet him. The two joined battle at the foot of the slope. After no more than seven or eight exchanges, Bajie's arms grew weak and he could no longer fend off the demon. He turned his head in haste and called: "Elder Brother! This is bad! Pull the lifeline! Pull the lifeline!" On the other side, the Great Sage heard him and loosened the rope, letting it drop. The fool had lost the battle and ran toward the back. At first, with the rope dragging behind him, he hadn't noticed a thing. But when he turned back and found the rope had gone slack, it caught his feet and tripped him, so he tumbled headlong. He fell again as he tried to get up. At first he staggered about, then he fell flat on his face. The demon caught up, opened his snout like a dragon, and with one curl of his trunk seized Bajie, then returned to the cave in victory. The imps sang songs of triumph and swarmed back together.

Down on the slope, Sanzang saw what had happened and said angrily to Wukong: "Wukong, no wonder Wuneng cursed you to death. So it turns out you brothers have no affection for each other at all, only envy and jealousy in your hearts. He told you to pull the lifeline—why didn't you pull? You even threw the rope away! Now he's been captured—what are we to do?" Wukong laughed: "Master, you're too partial, too one-sided. Never mind. When I was captured, you didn't worry at all—I'm a man who can afford to risk his life. But the moment this fool gets seized, you blame me. Let him suffer a little, so he'll know how hard this scripture pilgrimage is." Sanzang said: "Disciple, when you went, how could I not worry? I thought you could transform, so you'd never come to real harm. That fool is clumsy and can't fly—this time, there's little good fortune and much ill. Go and rescue him." Wukong said: "Master, don't complain. I'll go rescue him."

He quickly leaped up and raced up the mountain, thinking bitterly to himself: "This fool cursed me to death—well, I won't let him off easy. I'll follow and see how the demon deals with him. Let him suffer a bit, and then I'll rescue him." He formed the mudra, recited the true words, shook his body, and transformed into a tiny cicada. He flew over and landed on Bajie's ear, then went along with the demon into the cave. The second demon led three thousand lesser imps with great fanfare and drumming to the mouth of the cave and encamped there. He brought Bajie inside himself and said: "Elder Brother, I've captured one." The old demon said: "Bring him here for me to see." He loosened his trunk and dropped Bajie, saying: "Isn't this him?" The old demon said: "This one is useless." Bajie heard this and said: "Great Lord, if I'm useless, let me go and go catch someone useful." The third demon said: "Though he's useless, he's still Tang Seng's disciple Zhu Bajie. Tie him up and put him in the back pond to soak. Once the feathers are soaked off, we'll cut open his belly, salt him, dry him in the sun, and save him for drinking on a cloudy day." Bajie was greatly alarmed and said: "I'm done for! Done for! I've run into demons who pickle their victims!" The imps all set upon him at once, bound him hand and foot like a horse, and carried him to the edge of the pond, where they pushed him into the middle and all withdrew.

The Great Sage flew up and watched. The fool lay face-up with all four limbs in the air, his snout sticking out, half floating and half sinking, snoring loudly—it was truly laughable: he looked just like a big black lotus seedpod after the autumn frost had knocked its seeds loose in the eighth or ninth month. The Great Sage looked at his face and both hated him and pitied him, saying: "What's to be done? After all, he's one of the people from the Dragon Flower Assembly. But I hate how he's always talking about dividing the luggage and splitting up, and always urging the Master to chant the Tightening-Curse Sutra to punish me. I heard Shaseng say the other day that he's been saving up some private money. I wonder if that's true? Let me go and scare him a bit and see."

Great Sage flew up close to his ear, faked a voice, and called out: “Zhu Wuneng, Zhu Wuneng!”

Eight-Panic was flustered. “Bad luck! Wuneng is the name Guanyin Bodhisattva gave me. Since I’ve been with old Tang they call me Eight-Rules. How can anyone around here know I’m called Wuneng?”

The Fool couldn’t help asking, “Who’s calling my dharma name?”

The Pilgrim said, “It’s me.”

The Fool said, “Who are you?”

The Pilgrim said, “I’m a summons man.”

The Fool panicked. “Sir, where are you from?”

The Pilgrim said, “I was sent by the Fifth Yama King to summon you.”

The Fool said, “Sir, please go back and report to the Fifth Yama King that he’s on very good terms with my senior brother Sun Wukong. Ask him to let me have one more day, and he can summon me tomorrow.”

The Pilgrim said, “Nonsense! ‘The Yama King has decreed death at the third watch—who dares keep a man alive past the fourth?’ Come with me now, and I won’t have to drag you off with a rope.”

The Fool said, “Sir, isn’t there some flexibility? Look at my face—I still want to live. Death is certain, but just give me one day. This demon has taken my master and the others too. Let us meet up and settle everything together.”

The Pilgrim laughed to himself. “Very well. I’ve got thirty people on my list, all in this area. When I’ve rounded them up to match you, there’ll be a day’s delay. Do you have any traveling money? Give me some.”

Eight-Panic said, “Poor me! What traveling money would a monk have?”

The Pilgrim said, “If you don’t have money, I’ll take you off in ropes.”

The Fool panicked. “Please don’t bind me, sir. I know that rope of yours is called the Life-Chasing Rope—once it’s on you, your breath is cut off. Yes, yes, I do have some, though not much.”

The Pilgrim said, “Where is it? Bring it out quickly.”

Eight-Panic said, “Poor, poor me! Since I became a monk up to now, there have been a few devout families who’ve offered meals to monks. They saw I have a big appetite, so they gave me a bit more in offerings. I saved it up, and all together it came to five mace of silver. Because it was hard to keep track of, the other day in town I asked a silversmith to melt it together for me. But he had no conscience—he stole a few grains from me, so all I have left is a single piece weighing four mace and six candareens. Take it.”

The Pilgrim laughed to himself. “This Fool doesn’t even even have pants—where could he hide it? Hey! Where’s your silver?”

Eight-Panic said, “It’s stuffed in my left ear. I can’t get at it with my hands tied—you take it yourself.”

The Pilgrim reached into his ear hole and pulled it out. It really was a piece of saddle-shaped silver, weighing a full four mace and five or six candareens. He held it in his hand and couldn’t help bursting into a loud laugh.

The Fool recognized the Pilgrim’s voice and cursed wildly from the water: “Horse-keeper cursed to death! Things are already this miserable, and you still come swindling me out of my belongings!”

The Pilgrim laughed again. “You worthless glutton! Old Sun has suffered untold hardships protecting our master, and you’ve been saving up a private stash.”

Eight-Panic said, “What face! This isn’t a private stash. Every bit was scraped off my teeth—I couldn’t bear to spend it on my mouth. I saved it to buy some cloth and make a piece of clothing. And you scared it out of me. At least share some with me.”

The Pilgrim said, “Not half a grain for you.”

Eight-Panic cursed. “Take the life-surender money then—just save me while you’re at it.”

The Pilgrim said, “Don’t panic. I’ll save you.” He hid the silver, immediately resumed his true form, pulled out his iron staff, hauled the Fool to shore, grabbed him by the feet, hauled him up, and untied the ropes. Eight-Panic jumped up, stripped off his clothes, shook the water dry, gave them a shake, and draped them on himself still dripping wet. “Brother, let’s go out the back door.”

The Pilgrim said, “Slipping out the back door—is that any way to show progress? We’re going out through the front gate.”

Eight-Panic said, “My feet are numb from the ropes—I can’t run.”

The Pilgrim said, “Quick, follow me!”

The Great Sage swung his iron staff in a continuous series of movements, fighting his way out. The Fool endured the numbness and had no choice but to follow. They saw his rake leaning against the second gate. He pushed the little demons aside, scooped it up, and swung it wildly ahead, and together with the Pilgrim they fought through three or four layers of gates, killing countless little demons.

The old demon lord heard the commotion and said to the second demon: “Well captured, well captured! Look—Sun Wukong has rescued Zhu Bajie and is beating up our little demons at the gates!”

The second demon lord quickly leaped up, seized his spear, and charged out the gate, shouting loudly: “Rascal macaque! How dare you be so rude and show such contempt for us?”

The Great Sage heard him and stopped in his tracks. The creature didn’t wait for words—he thrust with his spear. The Pilgrim was a true expert and unhurried; he pulled out his iron staff and met him head-on. The two of them clashed outside the cave entrance—what a battle!

The Old Yellow-Tusked Elephant took human form,

And swore brotherhood with the Lion King.

Because the Great Demon brokered the pact,

They schemed together to devour old Tang.

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven’s powers were vast—

Upholding the right, he would destroy the fiend.

Eight-Panic, helpless, fell into the poison hand;

Wukong rescued him and brought him out the gate.

The demon lord rushed forward, displaying fierce might;

Spear and staff crossed, each showing his skill.

One spear came like a python piercing the forest,

The other staff rose like a dragon emerging from the sea.

The dragon left the sea gate amid swirling clouds;

The python threaded the forest trees through rising mist.

All of it was for the sake of Monk Tang—

Such bitter struggle, so heartless and cruel!

Wukong and the demon were fighting, and Bajie stood on the hillside holding his rake, not coming to help, just staring blankly. The demon saw that the Pilgrim’s cudgel was heavy and that he used every trick with no opening to exploit, so he parried with his spear, twisted his nose, and tried to coil it around him. The Pilgrim knew what he was up to, so he held the golden-banded staff with both hands, raised it horizontally, and lifted it high. The demon coiled his nose around his waist and hips, but not around his hands. Watch — the two hands were still playing with the flower-like staff right on the tip of the demon’s nose. Bajie saw this and beat his chest, saying: “Ai! That demon’s out of luck. When he coiled his nose around me, a clumsy oaf, he even got my hands and I couldn’t move at all. But when he coils around that slippery one, he can’t even catch his hands. With both hands holding the staff, he only needs to thrust it once into that nostril — how the demon will ache and weep! How can he coil around him then?”

The Pilgrim had no such intention, but Bajie taught him. He gave the staff a shake, making it small as the egg of a chicken, yet over ten feet long, and really thrust it into the demon’s nostril. The demon was frightened, and with a rustle, he twisted and released his nose. The Pilgrim twisted his hand around, grabbed hold, and pulled forward with force. The demon, protecting his pain, followed the hand and came along step by step. Only then did Bajie dare to approach, raising his rake and striking wildly at the demon’s hips. The Pilgrim said: “Not good, not good. The teeth of that rake are sharp — I’m afraid they’ll break the skin and draw blood. When our master sees it, he’ll say we’ve taken a life again. Just use the handle to hit him.”

And so the simpleton raised the rake handle, taking one step and striking once; the Pilgrim led him by the nose — just like two elephant handlers, leading him down the slope. Sanzheng was gazing intently when he saw the two of them coming noisily, and he called: “Wujing, look — what is Wukong pulling?” Sha Seng saw it and laughed: “Master, our elder brother is pulling the demon by his nose — it really is a sight to kill for.” Sanzheng said: “Good! Good! Such a huge demon, such a long nose. Go ask him: if he’s willing to send us happily across the mountain, spare him and don’t take his life.” Sha Seng hurried forward and shouted loudly: “Master says: if the monster is willing to send the master across the mountain, he says don’t take his life.” When the demon heard this, he immediately knelt down and answered with a wailing sound. It turned out that the Pilgrim had been pulling his nose and squeezing it, so it was like a severe cold. He cried out: “Old Master Tang, if you’re willing to spare my life, I’ll have a sedan chair carried for you.” The Pilgrim said: “My master and disciples are all people of good virtue. According to your words, I’ll spare your life for now. Quickly carry the sedan chair here. If you change your mind again, I’ll catch you and never spare you again.” The demon, having freed his hands, kowtowed and left. The Pilgrim and Bajie went to see Sanzheng and told him everything that had happened. Bajie was extremely ashamed, and he went to the slope to dry his clothes and wait — but that is another story.

The second demon returned to the cave trembling with fear. Before he arrived, a little demon had already reported to the old demon and the third demon that the second demon had been pulled away by the Pilgrim holding his nose. The old demon was terrified, and with the third demon leading the troops, they had just come out when they saw the second demon returning alone. They welcomed him in and asked why he had been released. The second demon told everyone about Sanzheng’s compassionate and virtuous words. They looked at each other, not daring to say anything more. The second demon asked: “Brother, can we send Sanzheng across?” The old demon said: “Brother, what are you saying? Sun Xingzhe is a monkey head who widely bestows benevolence and righteousness. He was first in my belly — if he wanted to take my life, a thousand of me would have been killed by him. And just now he grabbed your nose — if he had pulled you away and not released you, and just crushed the tip of your nose, that would have been terrifying too. Quickly arrange to send him across.” The third demon laughed and said: “Send, send, send.” The old demon said: “Younger brother, those words sound like you’re still being stubborn. If you won’t send him, we two will send him.”

The third demon laughed again: “Two elder brothers, please listen: if that monk doesn’t want us to send him, and just lets him slip past like this, then it’s his good fortune. But if he wants us to send him, hasn’t he fallen right into my ‘Lure the Tiger Out of the Mountain’ scheme?” The old demon asked: “What is ‘Lure the Tiger Out of the Mountain’?” The third demon said: “Now summon all the demons in the cave and select from them — ten thousand choose a thousand, a thousand choose a hundred, a hundred choose sixteen, and also choose thirty.” The old demon asked: “Why both sixteen and thirty?” The third demon said: “We need thirty who can cook — give them fine rice, refined flour, bamboo shoots, tea sprouts, fragrant mushrooms, common mushrooms, tofu, and gluten. Have them set up camps every twenty or thirty li, arrange tea and meals, and entertain Sanzheng.” The old demon asked: “What are the sixteen for?” The third demon said: “Have eight carry the sedan and eight call out the road. We brothers will accompany him on both sides and escort him for a journey. From here, going west for over four hundred li, is my city, where I have my own troops to meet us. When we reach the city walls… thus and thus, we’ll make it so that master and disciples cannot look after each other front and back. To capture Sanzheng, success depends entirely on these sixteen.” When the old demon heard this, he was overjoyed — truly like waking from drunkenness, like waking from a dream. He said: “Good, good, good!” He immediately summoned the demons, first selecting thirty and giving them supplies; then selecting sixteen to carry a fragrant rattan sedan chair. They went out together. He also instructed all the demons: “None of you are allowed to wander up the mountain. Sun Xingzhe is a suspicious monkey — if he sees you coming and going, he’ll become suspicious and see through this plan.”

The old demon then led the crowd to the main road and called out loudly: "Old Master Tang, today we mean no harm—please cross the mountain early, Old Master." When Tripitaka heard this, he said, "Wukong, who is calling me?" Pilgrim pointed and said: "Over there are the demons I've subdued, carrying a sedan chair to send you on your way." Tripitaka pressed his palms together and faced heaven: "Good! Good! Had it not been for my worthy disciple's great ability, how could I ever get through?" He walked straight ahead and bowed to the demons: "I am most grateful for your kindness. My disciple is returning east with the scriptures to Chang'an, and will surely spread the good fruits of your merit." The demons kowtowed: "Please, Old Master, get into the sedan chair." Now Tripitaka, with his mortal eyes and ordinary flesh, did not know this was a scheme. Sun the Great, though a Golden Immortal of the Supreme Ultimate, was by nature loyal and upright—he thought only of his achievement in subduing the demons, never suspecting they harbored ulterior designs. He did not investigate thoroughly but followed his master's wishes entirely. He ordered Pigsy to load the luggage onto the horse and had Sandy follow close behind. He himself wielded his iron staff to clear the road ahead, watching for signs of fortune or disaster. Eight demons lifted the sedan chair, eight more called out in turn as heralds, and three demons steadied the carrying poles. The Master sat happily in the sedan chair. They ascended the high mountain and traveled along the main road.

Yet who knew that sorrow would come even amid joy? As the scripture says: "When peace reaches its extreme, chaos returns." Their fortune had met the True Grand Duke, and they also encountered the Star of Mourning and the Star of the Hanging Guest. Those demons, of one mind and heart, attended him left and right, diligent morning and evening. After thirty li they offered a meal, after fifty li another; before evening they asked him to rest, and along the way everything was orderly and proper. Three meals a day, to his heart's content; a good night's sleep, comfortable and at ease.

They journeyed west for more than four hundred li when suddenly a city appeared nearby. The Great Sage raised his iron staff—the sedan chair was only a li away—and when he saw the city, he was so frightened he fell down and could not get up. You might think him so bold—why was he so terrified? It was because he saw much evil qi in the city. Indeed:

Crowded and clustered demons and monsters—

At all four gates were wolf spirits.

Spotted tigers served as administrators,

White-faced fierce leopards as commanders.

Stags with branching antlers delivered documents,

Clever foxes patrolled the roads.

Thousand-chi great pythons circled the city,

Ten-thousand-zhang long serpents occupied the thoroughfares.

Below the tower, grey wolves gave orders;

On the platform, leopards spoke with human voices.

Those who waved flags and beat drums were all demons;

Those who kept night watch and guarded posts were all mountain spirits.

Cunning hares opened the gates and did business,

Wild boars carried on shoulder poles and worked for their livelihood.

In former years this was a kingdom of the Celestial Court,

But now it had become a city of tigers and wolves.

As the Great Sage was trembling with fear, he heard a wind behind his ear. He turned his head quickly and saw the Third Demon, both hands raised, swinging a painted-pole halberd down upon the Great Sage's head. The Great Sage hastily rolled over and scrambled to his feet, meeting him with his golden-banded staff face to face. Each nursed anger in his breath, and without a word they gnashed their teeth, each determined to fight. Then the old demon chief gave orders and raised his steel blade to strike at Pigsy; Pigsy, in a panic, abandoned his horse and swung his rake wildly before him. The Second Demon, with a long spear, thrust at Sandy; Sandy raised his demon-subduing staff and braced himself to resist. Three demon chiefs and three monks, each matched against an other, fought desperately on that mountain peak, forgetting life and death.

The sixteen lesser demons, obeying orders, each did their part: they seized the white horse and the luggage, surrounded Tripitaka, carried the sedan chair, and went straight to the city wall, calling out loudly: "The Great King has carried out his plan—he has captured the monk Tang!" The demons great and small atop the city wall came running down and threw the gates wide open. They ordered all camps to furl their drums and silence their gongs, forbidding shouting or beating of alarm gongs. They said: "The Great King gave orders beforehand—we must not frighten Tripitaka. Tripitaka cannot endure fright; once frightened, his flesh turns sour and is not fit to eat." All the demons joyfully invited Tripitaka in, bowing with bent backs to receive their master monk. They carried Tripitaka in the sedan chair up to the Golden Palace Hall and seated him in the center, while on one side they offered tea and food, circling around him on all sides. The Elder was dazed and confused, and when he raised his eyes, he saw no one he knew.

What became of his life in the end—let us listen to the explanation in the next chapter.