Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Let us leave Tang Sanzang and his companions enduring the night rain in the dilapidated Huaguang house. Now, in Diling County of Tongtai Prefecture, there was a band of ruffians who had squandered their fortunes on prostitutes, drinking, and gambling. With no means to support themselves, they banded together—more than ten strong—to become thieves. They reckoned who was the wealthiest family in the county and who was the second wealthiest, planning to rob them of gold and silver for their expenses.

One among them said, "No need for investigation or calculation. There's the household of Squire Kou, who today saw off the Tang monks—they're fabulously rich. We can take advantage of this night rain; no one on the street will be on guard, and the fire patrols won't be making their rounds. Let's strike now, rob them of some capital, and then go enjoy ourselves with gambling and women. Isn't that splendid?"

The bandits were delighted, united in purpose. They armed themselves with short knives, caltrops, clubs, blackjacks, hemp ropes, and torches, and braved the rain to advance. They broke open the Kou family's great gate and charged in with shouts. The household—old and young, men and women—were thrown into such panic that they all hid away clean: the old mother cowered beneath the bed; the old father slipped behind the door; Kou Liang, Kou Dong, and their close kin of children all trembled and scattered in every direction, fleeing for their lives.

The bandits brandished their knives and lit their torches, broke open the family's trunks and chests, and plundered to their hearts' content—gold, silver, jewels, jewelry, clothing, vessels, and household goods. The squire could not bear to part with his possessions; he risked his life and came out the door, pleading with the strongmen: "My lords, take what you need and no more—just leave me a few garments for my old age."

The bandits would not hear of it. They rushed forward and kicked Squire Kou between the heels, knocking him to the ground. Pitiful—his three hun souls drifted away to the realm of darkness; his seven po souls parted from the world of men!

The bandits, having succeeded, left the Kou house. Along the base of the city wall they made a soft ladder, scaled the ramparts one by one, and fled westward through the rain all that night.

The Kou family servants, seeing the robbers had gone, finally emerged from hiding. When they looked, the old squire lay dead upon the ground. They wailed aloud: "Heaven! Our master has been beaten to death!" All gathered around the corpse and wept, sobbing mournfully.

In the fourth watch of night, the old mother nursed her resentment against Tang Sanzang and his companions for not having accepted her offerings. Because she had sent them off in such a showy fashion, this disaster had come upon them. A malicious thought arose in her heart—she wished to frame the four monks. She took Kou Liang by the arm and said: "Son, no need to weep. Your father gave alms to monks today and gave alms to monks tomorrow—who would have known that on this day of completion, he would host this band of death-bringing monks!"

His brother said: "Mother, what do you mean by 'death-bringing monks'?"

The mother said: "The robbers came raging into the room with such ferocity. I hid beneath the bed, trembling, but I watched carefully by the light of the torches and saw clearly. Who do you think it was? The one who lit the fires was Tang Sanzang; the one wielding the sword was Zhu Bajie; the one carrying off the gold and silver was Sha Wujing; and the one who beat your father to death was Sun Wukong."

The two sons heard these words and accepted them as truth. "Mother, since you saw so clearly, it must be so. Those four stayed in our house for half a month—they memorized every gate, every wall, every window, and every passage. The sight of wealth stirred their hearts. Taking advantage of this night's rain, they returned to our house, stole our goods, and murdered our father. What venomous creatures! When dawn comes, we'll go to the prefecture office and file a formal accusation, naming them by name."

Kou Dong said: "How should the accusation be written?"

Kou Liang said: "Just as Mother described it." And he wrote:

Tang Sanzang lit the fires;

Bajie called for killing.

Sha Wujing carried off the gold and silver;

Sun Wukong beat my father to death.

The household clamored and quarreled until dawn broke. On one hand they sent for relatives and arranged for a coffin; on the other hand, Kou Liang and Kou Dong went to the prefecture office to present their complaint.

Now this Tongtai Prefecture's Prefect, the great man of the main hall:

He had been upright all his life and virtuous by nature. In his youth he studied by the light of the snow upon his desk; in his early years he answered the imperial questions at the Golden Palace. He always harbored a loyal and righteous heart; he constantly cherished thoughts of benevolence and mercy. His name would be recorded in the annals of history for a thousand years—another Gong and Huang reborn; his fame would echo through the hall of justice for all ages—another Zhuo and Lu come back to life.

At that moment he sat in the hall and dispatched all pending business, then ordered the placard for receiving complaints to be brought out. Kou Liang and Kou Dong, holding the placard, entered and knelt, crying out: "Your Honor, we accuse robbers who have obtained wealth and committed a grave crime of taking life."

The Prefect took the complaint and read it—this and that, such and such—and asked: "Yesterday I heard it said that your family completed the alms-giving to monks, hosting four eminent monks, arhats from the Eastern Land of the Tang, sent off with great fanfare and music filling the streets. How could such a thing have happened?"

Kou Liang and the others kowtowed and said: "Your Honor, our father Kou Hong had been giving alms to monks for twenty-four years. Because these four monks came from afar, they completed the number of ten thousand monks. Therefore he held the completion ceremony and kept them for half a month. They memorized every road, every gate, and every window. That same day they were sent off, and that very night they returned. Taking advantage of the dark and stormy night, they came with blazing torches and weapons, broke into the house, carried off gold, silver, jewels, clothing, and ornaments, and beat our father to death on the ground. We beg Your Honor to see justice done for us common folk."

Upon hearing this, the Prefect immediately mustered mounted and foot constables as well as civilian militia—in all a hundred and fifty men—each armed with sharp weapons. They went out through the western gate, straight in pursuit of Tang Sanzang and his four companions.

Master and disciples had spent the night huddled in the broken-down halls of the Huaguang Monastery. At last, when daylight arrived, they set out once more on their journey west. As fate would have it, those same robbers who had raided the Kou family the night before had fled the city and were also making their way along the western highway. After traveling from dawn, they passed the Huaguang Monastery and continued about twenty li further west, where they hid in a mountain hollow to divide up their gold and silver. The division was still underway when they happened to see the four pilgrims approaching along the road. The robbers' hearts were still restless. Pointing at Tripitaka, one said, "Isn't that the monk who saw us off yesterday?" The robbers laughed. "How convenient, how convenient! We too engage in this heaven-defying trade. These monks have come a long way and stayed at the Kou household for some time—who knows how much they carry? Let's waylay them, seize their traveling funds, and take that white horse to add to our shares. Wouldn't that satisfy us completely?" The robbers then brandished their weapons, gave a great shout, and rushed onto the highway, spreading out in a line. "Monks, don't you dare move! Quickly hand over the toll for the road and we'll spare your lives. But if you so much as utter half a 'no,' it'll be one slash each—no exceptions!"

Tripitaka trembled so violently on his horse he could barely sit upright. Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie were beside themselves with panic. They said to Sun Wukong, "What are we going to do? What are we going to do? We barely endured that rainstorm in the middle of the night, and now we run into bandits blocking the road. Truly, as they say, 'Misfortunes never come singly.'" Sun Wukong laughed. "Master, don't be afraid. Brothers, have no fear. Let old Sun go have a word with them."

The Great Sage hitched up his tiger-skin skirt, straightened his brocade robe, stepped forward, and folded his hands before his chest. "And what exactly are you gentlemen?" The bandits roared, "This fellow has a death wish, daring to question us! Don't you have eyes in that thick skull of yours? Don't you recognize the Great King? Quick, hand over the toll if you want to pass." Hearing this, Sun Wukong put on a broad smile. "So you're highwaymen." The bandits snarled, "Kill him!" Sun Wukong feigned terror. "Great King, Great King! I'm just a country monk who doesn't know how to speak properly. Please forgive my offense, forgive me. If you want the toll, don't ask those three—just ask me. I'm the one who keeps the accounts. All the sutra money, all the offerings, everything we've begged or been given—it's all in the pack, and I'm the one who controls the disbursements. The one on the horse is my master, but all he knows is how to chant sutras. He doesn't concern himself with worldly matters—he's forgotten all about wealth and desire, not a penny to his name. The dark-skinned one is a young fellow I took on along the way; all he's good for is tending the horse. The long-mouthed one is a hired hand I employ; all he's good for is carrying the load. Let those three pass, and I'll give you every bit of our traveling funds and our alms bowls." The bandits all said, "This monk is an honest sort. Very well, we'll spare his life. Tell the other three to drop their luggage and we'll let them pass." Sun Wukong turned his head and gave a signal. Sha Wujing dropped the luggage pole, and leading the master and his horse, he and Bajie made straight for the west.

Sun Wukong lowered his head, opened the pack, scooped up a handful of dust from the ground, tossed it into the air, and recited a spell—it was the Immobilization Technique. He shouted, "Stop!" The bandits, some thirty in all, stood rigid—teeth clenched, eyes wide, hands outstretched, frozen upright, unable to speak or move. Sun Wukong leaped out of the road and called, "Master, come back! Come back!" Bajie panicked. "This is bad, this is bad! Our brother has given us away. He has no money on him, no gold or silver in the pack—he must be asking the master for the horse! And he's told them to strip us of our clothes!" Sha Wujing laughed, "Second Brother, don't talk nonsense. Big Brother is a man of real ability. He could subdue those venomous demons and savage monsters—why would he fear a few petty thieves? He must have something to say. Let's hurry back and see." The Elder, hearing this, gladly turned his horse and rode back to the roadside. "Wukong, what did you call us back for?" Sun Wukong said, "Have a look at these bandits and see what's happened." Bajie stepped forward and shoved one of them. "Hey, bandit, why aren't you moving?" The bandit was utterly unresponsive, not saying a word. Bajie said, "Well, he's gone deaf and dumb." Sun Wukong laughed. "It was old Sun who immobilized them with a spell." Bajie said, "If you immobilized their bodies, you didn't immobilize their mouths—why don't they make any sound at all?" Sun Wukong said, "Master, please dismount and sit down. As the saying goes, 'It is better to arrest by mistake than to let go by mistake.' Brothers, turn all these bandits over and tie them up. Make them give a confession—let's find out whether they're novice robbers or hardened ones." Sha Wujing said, "We don't have any rope." Sun Wukong plucked a few strands of hair from his body, blew on them with immortal breath, and transformed them into thirty lengths of rope. They all set to work at once, overturning the bandits and hogtying them. Then Sun Wukong slowly recited the counterspell, and the bandits gradually came to their senses.

Wukong asked Tripitaka to take the seat of honor, while the three of them brandished their weapons and shouted: "You scoundrels! How many of you are there altogether? How many years have you been in this trade? How much have you robbed? Have you ever killed anyone? Is this your first offense, or your second, or your third?"

The bandits pleaded: "Grandfathers, spare our lives!"

Wukong said: "Stop your wailing and confess honestly."

The bandits said: "Your Honor, we are not hardened bandits—we are all sons of good families. Because of our dissolute ways, drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels, we squandered our fathers' and grandfathers' estates. We had no livelihood and no money. We learned that in Tongtai Prefecture, Squire Kou was fabulously wealthy. Last night we banded together, and during the dark, rainy evening we went to rob him. We seized some gold, silver, and clothing, and were dividing the spoils in the mountain hollow north of the road when suddenly you arrived. Among us, some recognized that you were the monks Squire Kou had seen off—you must have had valuables on you. We also saw your heavy luggage and your swift white horse. Our greed was not satisfied, so we came to intercept you. Little did we know you possess great divine power and have trapped us. We beg you, in your mercy, to take back the stolen goods and spare our lives."

When Tripitaka heard the goods were from the Kou household, he was greatly startled and rose hastily. "Wukong," he said, "Old Squire Kou is a man of great charity—how could such a calamity befall him?"

Wukong laughed and said: "It was precisely because he sent us off with such pomp—all those colorful canopies, banners, and music—that it caught people's attention, and these ruffians went after his house. Now by good fortune we have met them and taken back all this gold, silver, and clothing."

Tripitaka said: "We imposed on him for half a month, and his kindness and generosity were beyond any repayment. Would it not be a good deed to escort these goods back to his house?"

Wukong agreed. He then went with Bajie and Sha Wujing to the mountain hollow and gathered up the stolen goods, packed them, and loaded them onto the horse. He also had Bajie carry a load of gold and silver in a pole, while Sha Wujing carried his own luggage. Wukong wanted to strike all the bandits dead with one sweep of his staff, but he feared that Tripitaka would blame him for taking lives, so he merely shook his body and收回 his transformed hairs. The bandits, finding their limbs free, scrambled to their feet and fled in all directions.

Tripitaka turned back and went to return the goods to the squire. But this journey was like a moth flying into a fire—it brought disaster upon them. There is a poem to prove it, which says:

Kindness repaid with kindness is rare in this world;

Gratitude itself is turned into enmity.

Even rescuing a drowning man may end in failure;

Think thrice before acting, and you will have no regrets.

Tripitaka and his disciples took the gold, silver, and clothing and turned back. As they traveled, they suddenly saw weapons bristling in a crowd. Tripitaka cried out in alarm: "Disciples, look—those weapons approaching in force—what does it mean, good or ill?"

Bajie said: "Disaster! Disaster! These must be the bandits we let go. They've armed themselves, gathered more men, and turned back to fight us."

Sha Wujing said: "Second Brother, those coming are not bandits.—Elder Brother, look carefully."

Wukong whispered to Sha Wujing: "Our master's star of misfortune has come again. These must be soldiers sent to catch the bandits."

Before he could finish, the soldiers arrived and formed a circle around them, surrounding the master and disciples. "Fine monks!" they shouted. "You've robbed someone's property and you're still swaggering about!" They surged forward, seized Tripitaka, dragged him from his horse, and bound him with ropes. They bound the three disciples as well, threaded poles through their bindings, and had two men carry each one. They drove the horse, seized the loads, and made straight for the prefecture city. There they were:

Tripitaka, trembling and quivering, unable to speak through his tears;

Zhu Babai, muttering and grumbling, nursing resentment in his heart;

Sha Wujing, his mind churning, deliberating anxiously;

Sun Wukong, grinning cheerfully, ready to deploy his tricks.

The soldiers crowded around, hoisting and carrying them, and in no time they were brought into the city and led straight to the magistrate's hall to report: "Your Honor, the constables have captured the bandits." The prefect sat in state on his bench, rewarded the constables for their labor, and examined the stolen goods, then ordered the Kou family to claim them. But he had the monks brought forward into the hall and asked: "You lot of monks, who claim to have come from the Eastern Lands to worship Buddha in the Western Heaven—so it turns out you are nothing but schemers who find ways to spy out opportunities and rob houses."

Tripitaka said: "Your Honor, allow me to explain: this humble monk is truly not a bandit and would not dare to lie. I have on me a passport that can verify my story. We were lodged and fed at Squire Kou's home for half a month, and his kindness was profound. On our way we encountered bandits who had plundered the Kou household, and we recovered their goods. We were returning them to the Kou family to repay their kindness, but unexpectedly the constables captured us, thinking we were bandits. We are truly not bandits. I beg Your Honor to investigate carefully."

The prefect said: "You scoundrel, seeing the soldiers capture you, you cleverly concoct this talk of repaying kindness. If you truly encountered bandits on the road, why didn't you capture them as well and report them to the authorities to repay your kindness? How is it that there are only four of you? Look—Kou Liang has filed a formal complaint naming you specifically. How dare you argue?"

When Tripitaka heard this, it was as though the great sea had swallowed his boat—his soul fled and his spirit withered. He cried: "Wukong, why don't you come forward and argue our case?"

Wukong said: "The stolen goods are real evidence. What is there to argue?"

The prefect said: "Exactly! The evidence of the loot is right here, and you still dare to deny it?" He called to his men: "Bring the head hoop! Hoof the head of this bald bandit, and then beat him."

Wukong grew alarmed. He thought to himself: "Though my master deserves this calamity, I must not let him suffer too greatly." He saw the bailiffs preparing ropes and fashioning the head hoop, and at once spoke up: "Your Honor, do not hoop that monk. Last night when we robbed the Kou household, it was I who lit the lamp, I who held the knife, I who seized the goods, and I who killed the man. I am the ringleader. Beat me if you must—it has nothing to do with them. Only do not let me go."

When the prefect heard this, he ordered that this one be hooped first. The bailiffs all came forward and fitted the hoop around Wukong's head. They pulled it tight and yanked—and the rope snapped with a snap. They fashioned another hoop and hooped him again—and again it snapped with a crash. Three or four times they hooped him, and not once did his scalp so much as wrinkle.

But just as they were changing the rope to fashion yet another hoop, someone came running to report: "Your Honor, the Grand Guardian Chen of the capital has arrived. He asks Your Honor to go outside the city to welcome him."

The prefect at once ordered the warden: "Put the bandits in prison and guard them carefully. I will question them further after I have received my superior."

The warden then pushed the four monks into the jail. Bajie and Sha Seng carried in their luggage with them. Tripitaka said: "Disciples, how has this come about?" Wukong laughed and said: "Master, go in, go in. There are no dogs barking in here—it's rather fun."

Alas, the four of them were dragged inside, each one pushed onto a restraining bed, and shackled with belly-chains, neck-collars, and chest-binders. The jailers then beat them at random. Tripitaka could not endure the pain and cried out: "Wukong, what are we to do? What are we to do?"

Wukong said: "They beat you because they want money. As the saying says: 'In good times find a place to rest; in hard times use money.' If we give them some money, they'll stop."

Tripitaka said: "Where would I get money?"

Wukong said: "If you have no money, clothing will do. Give them your kasaya."

When Tripitaka heard this, it was as though a knife had pierced his heart. Seeing that he could not endure the beating any longer, he finally opened his mouth and said: "Wukong, do as you will."

Wukong then called out: "Honorable officers, no longer beat us. Among the two bundles we carried in, there is a brocade kasaya worth a thousand pieces of gold. Untie them and take it."

The jailers, hearing this, set to work and untied both bundles. There were a few items of plain cloth and a document pouch, none of them worth anything. But they saw something wrapped in several layers of oiled paper, radiating brilliant light—they knew it was something precious. They shook it out and looked, and what they saw was:

Exquisite pearls adorned it, rare Buddhist treasures gathered upon it.

Coiled dragons spread across embroidered knots, flying phoenixes along the brocade borders.

All crowded around to look, and this stirred the chief jailer of the prison, who came striding over and shouted: "What are you all making such a racket about?"

The jailers knelt and said: "Old sir, we were just about to interrogate them when these four monks were delivered here—they are a band of major bandits. When we gave them a few blows, they gave us these two bundles. When we opened them and saw this item, we did not know what to do with it: if we all tore it apart to divide it, it would truly be a pity; if it went to only one person, the rest would gain nothing. Fortunately, old sir has come—let old sir make the division."

The jailer saw that it was a kasaya. He also examined the other garments and the document pouch. Then he opened the passport inside and saw the royal seals and stamps of various countries. He said: "It is a good thing I came to look. Otherwise, you would all have stumbled into disaster. These monks are not bandits. Do not touch their belongings. Wait until His Honor conducts another interrogation tomorrow, and then we shall know the truth."

The jailers, hearing this, returned the bundles to them, wrapped them up as before, and handed them over to the jailer for safekeeping.

As evening gradually drew on, they heard the drums sounded on the watchtower, and the constables began their night rounds. Time dragged on until the fourth watch, the third quarter. Pilgrim, seeing that none of the others groaned and that they had all fallen asleep, thought to himself silently, "Master was fated to spend this night in a prison calamity. The reason old Monkey did not open his mouth to argue or use his magic power was precisely for this. Now the fourth watch is almost over, and the calamity is nearly spent. I must make some preparations so that we can leave the prison gate when daylight comes." Watch him exercise his abilities! He made his body a little smaller and slipped out of the cangue-bed. He shook himself and changed into a tiny grasshopper, flying out through the cracks in the eaves and tiles. He saw the bright stars and luminous moon—truly a serene, peaceful night. He recognized the direction and flew straight to the Kou family's front gate. He noticed that a household to the west of the street was brightly lit. Flying closer to their door to take a look, he discovered that it was a family that made tofu. He saw an old man tending the fire while the old woman pressed the bean curd. The old man suddenly called out, "Old woman, Squire Kou certainly had sons and wealth, but he lacked longevity. When we were young, I studied with him in school, and I was five years older than he was. His father was called Kou Ming. At that time, they didn't even possess a thousand mu of farmland; they collected some rents, but even those were barely enough. When he turned twenty, old Master Kou died, and he took over the household. Actually, it was a stroke of good fortune for him: he married the daughter of Zhang Wang, whose little name was Chuanzhen'er, 'Thread-the-Needle.' She was a wife who brought prosperity to her husband. Ever since she entered his door, his farming yielded bountiful harvests and his moneylending prospered. Whatever he bought turned a profit; whatever he made brought in money. By now he had amassed a fortune of a hundred thousand strings of cash. When he turned forty, he turned his heart toward goodness and entertained ten thousand monks. Who would have expected that last night he would be kicked to death by bandits? Pitiable! He was only this year sixty-four, just at the age to enjoy his blessings. How could it be that despite such devotion to goodness he received no good reward and met an untimely death? How lamentable, how lamentable!"

Pilgrim listened to every word. By then it was already the beginning of the fifth watch. He flew into the Kou residence and saw that in the main hall a coffin had already been set up. Beside the head of the coffin a lamp was burning, and incense, candles, flowers, and fruit had been arranged. The old mother was weeping beside it. He also saw her two sons come to bow and weep, while their two wives presented two bowls of rice as offerings. Pilgrim alighted on the head of the coffin and coughed. The two wives were so frightened that they fled wildly out of the house. The brothers Kou Liang and Kou Fu prostrated themselves on the ground, too terrified to move, crying out, "Father! Uhu, uhu, uhu..." The old mother was bolder; she patted the coffin lid and said, "Old Squire, have you come back to life?" Pilgrim imitated the old gentleman's voice and said, "I have not come back to life." The two sons became even more frightened, kowtowing unceasingly and shedding tears, crying, "Father! Uhu, uhu, uhu..." The old mother, summoning her courage, asked again, "Squire, if you haven't come back to life, how can you speak?" Pilgrim said, "I am the ghost-servant sent by the King of the Underworld to be escorted here to speak with you. That Zhang, Thread-the-Needle, with her lying tongue, has falsely accused the innocent." When the old mother heard him call her by her little name, she was so startled that she fell to her knees and kowtowed, saying, "Good old man! At such an advanced age, and you still call me by my little name! Where have I spoken falsely, and whom have I harmed?" Pilgrim shouted, "What about 'Tang Seng lit the fire, Bajie called for murder. Sha Seng carried off the gold and silver, and Pilgrim beat your father to death'? Because of your lying words, good people are suffering. Those four masters from the Tang Dynasty encountered robbers on the road; they seized the stolen goods and brought them to thank me—what good intentions those were! Yet you falsely filed a report of loss and told your sons to accuse them to the authorities. The officials did not conduct a thorough investigation, and now they have imprisoned them. The prison god, the local earth god, and the city god have all been thrown into a panic, unable to sit or stand at ease, and they reported the matter to the King of the Underworld. The King of the Underworld sent a ghost-servant to escort me here and tell you to release them at once. Otherwise, he will have me make trouble in this household for a month, so that not one of the old and young of the family, not even the chickens and dogs, will survive." The brothers Kou Liang and Kou Fu kowtowed and pleaded piteously, "Father, please return. Do not harm the old and young. Tomorrow at dawn we will go to the prefecture and submit a petition of release. We are willing to confess and withdraw the charges. We only ask that both the living and the dead may be at peace." Having heard this, Pilgrim called out, "Burn the paper money. I'm leaving." The whole family came to burn the paper money.

Pilgrim flew up on one wing and went straight to the prefect's residence, lowering his head to look inside. There was already lamplight in the rooms, and he saw that the prefect had gotten up. He flew into the central hall and saw that on the back wall in the middle hung a scroll painting of an official riding a spotted horse, with several attendants holding a green umbrella and carrying a camp bed. He could not tell what story it depicted. Pilgrim alighted in the middle of the painting. Suddenly the prefect came out of his room, bent over, washing and grooming himself. Pilgrim coughed loudly, startling the prefect so badly that he hurriedly rushed back into his room. After washing and grooming, he put on his formal robes and came out to burn incense before the painting and pray, "Spirit tablet of Grandfather Jiang Qian the First: Your filial nephew Jiang Kunsan, relying on the virtue and protection of our ancestors, was fortunate enough to pass the provincial examination. I now serve as prefect of Tongtai Prefecture. I have offered incense and fire without cease morning and evening. Why did you make a sound today? Please do not act as an evil spirit or demon to frighten the household." Pilgrim laughed to himself, "So this is his grandfather's spirit tablet." Then he called out in a measured tone, "Nephew Kunsan, although you have received your official post through your ancestors' protection and have been honest and upright, how could you be so ignorant yesterday as to treat the four holy monks as robbers, without investigating the facts, and imprison them? The prison god, the local earth god, and the city god are all alarmed. They reported the matter to the King of the Underworld, who sent a ghost-servant to bring me here to tell you: exercise your reason and judgment, and release them quickly. Otherwise, he will have you go to the Underworld to testify in court." When the prefect heard this, he was filled with dread and said, "Grandfather, please return. When I open court, I will release them at once." Pilgrim said, "Since that is so, burn the paper money. I will go see the King of the Underworld and report back." The prefect again added incense, burned the paper money, and bowed in thanks.

When Pilgrim flew out again to take a look, the eastern horizon was already growing light. He flew to Diling County and saw that all the county officials were gathered in the main hall. He thought, "If those grasshoppers are seen speaking, it will be hard to cover up my tracks." So in mid-air he transformed himself into a giant figure, and stretched a single foot down from the sky, filling the entire county hall. He called out in a voice, "All you officials, listen: I am the Wandering Spirit sent down by the Jade Emperor. He says that in your prefect's prison you have wrongly beaten the Buddhist pilgrims who are fetching the sutras, and this has disturbed the gods of the Three Realms so that they are uneasy. I have been sent to tell you to release them at once. If there is the slightest mistake, he will send me back with another kick, and I will first kick to death all the prefectural and county officials, then trample to death the inhabitants of the four borders, and reduce your cities and towns to ashes." The county officials and clerks were so terrified that they all fell to their knees together, kowtowed, and bowed, saying, "Holy One, please return. We will now go into the prefecture and report to the prefect, and he will order their release. Please, do not move your foot and terrify us to death." Only then did Pilgrim withdraw his giant form, change himself back into a grasshopper, and fly through the tile cracks of the prison roof back inside. He crawled into the middle of the rack bed and fell asleep as before.

Meanwhile the Regional Censor had just ascended the hall and brought out the notice board, when Kou Liang and his brothers came rushing forward, holding the board and kneeling at the gate, shouting loudly. The Censor ordered them to come inside. They presented a petition to him. When the Censor saw it, he flew into a rage and said, "Yesterday you submitted a report of the robbery, and we arrested the thieves for you. You even took back the stolen goods. How can you come today with another petition?" The two men shed tears and said, "Your Honor, last night my father's spirit appeared and said, 'The holy monk of the Tang Dynasty actually captured the bandits and recovered the property. He released the bandits out of kindness and returned the property to our family as an act of gratitude. How could you treat him as a thief instead and imprison him to suffer? The prison's local god and the city god are disturbed and have reported this to the King of Hell. The King of Hell has sent a ghost emissary to escort me here to tell you to go to the prefecture and file another complaint, so that Tripitaka may be released and disaster averted. If not, both old and young will die.' That is why we have come specially to submit this petition. We hope Your Honor will be merciful." When the Censor heard this, he thought to himself, "Their father was a fresh corpse, and for a new ghost's spirit to appear is perhaps understandable. But my uncle has been dead for five or six years—how is it that his spirit also appeared tonight, telling me to hold a trial and release them? It seems they must have been wronged."

While he was deliberating, he saw the county magistrates of Diling and other officials rush up to the hall in a panic, shouting, "Great Lord, terrible news! Just now the Jade Emperor sent the Wandering Spirit down to the mortal world, telling you to quickly release the good people in the prison. Those monks you arrested yesterday are not bandits—they are all Buddhist pilgrims fetching the sutras. If you delay even slightly, he will kick us officials to death and will trample the city and its people to ashes." The Censor was greatly alarmed and turned pale. He immediately ordered the penal clerk to hastily write a warrant for their release. The prison gates were opened at once and the prisoners were brought out. Zhu Bajie worried, "I wonder how they'll beat us today." Pilgrim laughed, "Don't worry—they won't dare hit you even once. I've already taken care of everything. When we appear in court, you must not kneel. They will be the ones coming down to invite us to sit in the seats of honor. Wait for me to ask them for our luggage and horses. If even one item is missing, watch me beat them for you."

Before he finished speaking, they had reached the entrance to the hall. The Censor, the county magistrate, and all the prefectural and county officials came down to meet them, saying, "Holy monk, when you came yesterday, first, we were busy receiving a superior official, and second, we had seen the recovered stolen goods, so we did not have time to inquire into the details." Tripitaka pressed his palms together, bowed, and recounted the whole story again in full. The officials all admitted their mistake, saying, "We were wrong, we were wrong. Please forgive us, please forgive us." They then asked whether there had been any mistreatment in the prison. Pilgrim stepped forward, glared with fierce eyes, and shouted in a loud voice, "My white horse was taken by the people in the hall, and my luggage was taken by people in the prison—return them to me at once. Today it is my turn to interrogate you: you wrongfully arrested innocent people and called them thieves. What crime do you deserve?" When the prefectural and county officials saw his ferocity, not a single one was not afraid. They immediately ordered the man who had taken the horse to lead it out, and the man who had taken the luggage to bring it out, and everything was returned clearly and completely. You should have seen the three of them each acting fierce and overbearing, while the officials could only use the Kou family's case as a cover. Tripitaka counseled them, saying, "Disciples, this still isn't clear enough. Let us go to the Kou household—first to offer our condolences, and second to verify the facts and see who actually saw me committing the theft." Pilgrim said, "That's right. Let me bring the dead man back to life and see who beat him."

Then Sha Monk helped Tripitaka onto his horse in the prefectural hall, and they all pushed their way out with a great clamor. The many prefectural and county officials also followed one and all to the Kou household. Kou Liang and his brothers were so frightened that they kept kowtowing ceaselessly at the gate as they ushered them into the main hall. In the mourning hall, the whole family was weeping inside the funeral curtains. Pilgrim called out, "That lying woman who falsely accused an innocent person, stop weeping! Let me call your husband back and see who beat him to death—give him a good shame!" The officials all thought that Sun Pilgrim was joking. Pilgrim said, "Honorable gentlemen, please keep my master company for a while. Bajie and Sha Monk, protect him well. I will be back soon." The great sage leaped out the door and rose into the sky. All around, colorful clouds enveloped the house, and auspicious vapors protected his divine spirit. Only then did the crowd recognize that he was a immortal who could ride the clouds and mist, a sage who could restore the dead to life. They burned incense and bowed in worship—but no more of that.

The great sage traveled all the way on his somersault cloud to the realm of darkness and went straight into the Palace of the King of Hell. He threw the place into such a panic that:

The Ten Generations of Yama Kings received him with clasped hands;

The Five Directions of Ghost Judges welcomed him with kowtows.

A thousand forests of sword trees all tilted and swayed;

Ten thousand layers of knife mountains were leveled and smoothed.

In the City of the Wrongfully Dead, demons and monsters were transformed;

Beneath the Bridge of Sighs, the dead were reborn.

Truly, his divine light shone like a heavenly pardon,

And the dark underworld was everywhere illuminated.

The Ten Kings of Hell received the Great Sage, and after exchanging greetings, they inquired about his purpose and business. The Pilgrim said, "The ghost of Kou Hong of Diling County, Tongtai Prefecture, who had been holding a vegetarian feast for monks—which of you took him in? Quickly look it up and bring him to me." The Ten Kings said, "Kou Hong was a good man. No ghostly messengers were ever sent to summon him; he came here on his own. He encountered the Golden-Robed Boy of the Kṣitigarbha King, who led him into Kṣitigarbha's presence." The Pilgrim then took his leave and went straight to the Palace of Azure Clouds to see the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha. After the Bodhisattva and he had exchanged rites, the Pilgrim told him everything that had happened. The Bodhisattva said with delight, "Kou Hong's allotted lifespan on earth ended according to the numbers of the hexagrams; he departed this world without ever taking to his bed. Because he had held a vegetarian feast for monks and was a good man, I took him on as a bureau chief in charge of the Ledger of Good Karmic Connections. Since the Great Sage has come to claim him, I shall extend his earthly lifespan by another cycle of twelve years and let him go with the Great Sage. After those twelve years have passed, he will return here." The Golden-Robed Boy then led Kou Hong out. When Kou Hong saw the Pilgrim, he cried out again and again, "Master, Master, save me!" The Pilgrim said, "You were kicked to death by bandits. This is the realm of the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha in the Underworld. I, Old Sun, have come specially to take you back to the world of the living to clear up this matter. Since the Bodhisattva has released you and extended your earthly lifespan by a cycle of twelve years, after those twelve years have passed, you will return here again." The household head bowed in gratitude without end.

The Pilgrim thanked the Bodhisattva and took his leave. He blew a breath upon Kou Hong, transforming him into a vapor, which he tucked into his sleeve. He then departed the Underworld and returned to the world of the living. Riding on a cloud, he arrived at the Kou household and immediately called Zhu Bajie to pry open the coffin lid. He pushed Kou Hong's soul back into his own body. In an instant, breath passed through him and he came alive. The household head climbed out of the coffin and kowtowed to the Tang monk and his three disciples, saying, "Master, Master, Kou Hong died an untimely death. That the Master went all the way to the Underworld to save me and restore me to life—this is a kindness second only to creation itself." He expressed his thanks without end. Turning around, he saw the various officials standing in attendance and kowtowed again, saying, "Honored Sirs, how does it come that you are all in my humble house?" The Regional Military Commander said, "Your son initially filed an accusation, naming the sagacious monk by name. I immediately dispatched men to make the arrest. Unexpectedly, the sagacious monk happened upon the very brigands who had raided your house and killed you, and he recovered the stolen goods and returned them to your household. My subordinates made the arrest by mistake without thorough investigation, and they were about to send the monk to prison. Tonight your spirit appeared in a manifestation, and my deceased uncle also came to the house to lodge a complaint. The county was further visited by a wandering deity who descended to earth, so all at once there were so many supernatural manifestations. For this reason the sagacious monk was released. And the sagacious monk went on to bring you back to life as well." The household head knelt and said, "Honored Sir, these four sagacious monks were truly wronged. That night there were more than thirty bandits who came with blazing torches and weapons and plundered my household. I could not bear to let it go and tried to reason with the brigands, but unexpectedly one of them kicked me in the groin and I died. What had this to do with these four?" He called his wife over and said, "Who was it that kicked me to death, that you dared to make a false accusation? I ask the Honored Sir to pass judgment." At that time the entire household, old and young, simply kowtowed. The Regional Military Commander, in his clemency, pardoned them of their crime. Kou Hong ordered a banquet to be prepared to thank the prefecture and county for their great kindness. The officials each took their leave and returned to their yamens. The following day, Kou Hong again hung up the board announcing a vegetarian feast for monks and once more urged Tripitaka to stay. Tripitaka absolutely refused to remain. Kou Hong then invited relatives and friends, prepared banners and streamers, and escorted them on their way as before. Ah! Truly it is said:

The earth endures and preserves deeds of evil,

But the heavens above never fail a heart of goodness.

In peace and ease, step steadily upon the Tathāgata's path,

And you will arrive at the Blissful Gate of Mount Ling.

As for what transpired when they finally saw the Buddha, let us listen to the explanation in the next chapter.