Chapter 34. The Demon King's Cunning Causes the MindApe Trouble, The Great Sage Wins the Treasures Through Improvisation

Monkey finds out that Silver and Golden Horn are inviting their mother to have a meal of the Tang Priest's flesh and to bring another treasures to capure Monkey with. On her way to visit her sons, Monkey kills her, takes a treasure from her and takes her form. He visits the two demons as their mother, but Pig gives away the game. Monkey fights them and is captured by the rope-thightening-spell.

Monkey uses his magic to escape, plucks out a hair, turns it into a replica of himself, and leaves it tied up there. He then announces that he, Novice Sun, wants to see the demons. We've captured Sun the Novice, so how can there be another Novice Sun," says Senior King ? The demon leaps into mid-air with his treasure, which he holds upside-down as he calls out, Novice Sun. If I reply, Monkey thinks, he'll have me inside. Why don't you answer me? the demon asks. I can't hear you, replies Monkey, I'm a bit deaf. Shout louder. Novice Sun, the demon shouts again. Down below Monkey pinches his own fingers as he thinks things out: My real name is Sun the Novice. Novice Sun is only a false name I've made up. With my real name I could be put in the gourd, but I reckon that with a false name I can't be. Unable to restrain himself any longer he replies this time. With a roaring of wind he is sucked into the gourd and the label is put on it. As it happened it made no difference to that treasure whether a name was real or false: any response was enough to get you put inside. Chapter 35 The Power of Heterodoxy Oppresses the True Nature, The MindApe Wins the Treasuresand Beats the Demons

Monkey escapes again, gets back the treasures, visits the demons again and captures Silver Horn in it. He then takes on Gold Horn, but after fighting for twenty rounds neither has emerged as the victor. The demon reaches behind his neck with his right hand to bring out the Plantain Fan, turns towards the fire-gods of the Southeast and the Constellation Ligong and waves the fan. At once flames shoot out of the ground, for such is the power of that treasure. The monster is truly ruthless. He waves the fan seven or eight times, setting great fires burning heaven and earth. It is a fine blaze. To avoid disaster by fire, Monkey somersaults upwards and escapes the fire.

As he wants to rescue his master Monkey goes back to the cave to reconnoiter a little later. The doors are wide open, and he finds the old demon slumped against the stone table, fast asleep. The Plantain Fan sticks out from his clothes at his shoulder, half covering the back of his head, and the Seven-star Sword is leaning against the table. Monkey makes his way forward very quietly, pulls the fan out, then turns and whooshes out. This is because the fan has rubbed against the monster's hair, waking him up. As soon as he looks up and sees that Monkey has stolen the fan he grabs for his sword and goes after him. After thirty or forty rounds of fighting against Monkey, when the day is almost over, the demon king can hold out no longer and he brakes away, defeated. Monkey frees Sanzang and Pig and Friar Sand. The Tang Priest thanks him no end: I'm so grateful to you for your great efforts, disciple. Master and disciples get their baggage and horse ready, and hurry on their way West. As they are walking along a blind man suddenly appears beside the path, goes up to them, and seizes Sanzang's horse. Where are you going, monk? he asks. Give me back my treasures. That's done it, says Pig with horror. It's the old demon here to demand his treasures back. When Monkey looks carefully and sees that it is the Supreme Lord Lao Zi he rushes up to him, greets him and asks, Where are you going, old fellow? The venerable elder at once rises up to his throne in the realm of jade, draws himself upright amid the nine mists and calls, Sun the Novice, give me back my treasures. The Great Sage rises into the air and asks. What treasures? I use the gourd to keep cinnabar and the vase to hold water, replies the Lord Lao. The precious sword I use for refining demons, the fan for fanning my fire, and the cord for tying round my gown. One of those two demons was a servant boy who looked after my golden furnace, and the other a servant who looked after my silver furnace. They stole my treasures and came down to the mortal world. I could not find them anywhere. You have done a very good deed in capturing them. You're very rude indeed, old fellow, says the Great Sage. You deserve to be charged with laxity for allowing members of your household to become evil spirits. Don't blame the wrong person, says Lord Lao. It was nothing to do with me. It was the Bodhisattva from the sea who asked me for the loan of them three times, and sent them here to be turned into monsters to test whether your master and his disciples truly wanted to go to the West. Chapter 36.When the MindApe Stands Correct, All Evil Causes Submit, When the SideGate Is Smashed, the Moon Appears in Its Brightness

Sanzang and disciples reach a monastery and Sanzang asks permission to stay for the night. The abbot is very unkind and doesn`t want to let them stay at the monastery because the last time he allowed monks to stay at the monastery, they stayed for seven or eight years and did terrible things. When Monkey hears about it he bursts into the Abbot`s quarters and demands to stay in the monastery. Venerable sir, called the abbot, shaking with fear, you ask for lodging, but our little monastery would be most inconvenient, so we won't be able to entertain you. Please spend the night somewhere else. Monkey made his cudgel as thick as a rice-bowl and stood it on its end in the courtyard outside the abbot's cell. If it would be inconvenient, monk, he said, you'd better move out.

They are all invited to stay at the monastery. On going outside to relieve himself the Tang Priest sees the moon shining in the sky. He calls his disciples, Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand, who come out to stand in attendance. He is moved by the brightness and purity of the moon as it shines from high in the jade firmament, making all in heaven and on earth clearly visible. Sanzang recites a long poem in the ancient style in the moonlight with a nostalgic feeling. A white soul hangs, a mirror in the sky, Reflected whole in the mountain stream. Pure light fills the towers of jade, Cool air swirls round the silver bowls. The same pure light shines on a thousand miles; This is the clearest night of the year. It rises from the sea like a frosty disk, Hang in the heavens as a wheel of ice. Chapter 37 The Royal Ghost Visits the Tang Priest at Night, Wukong's Magic Transformation Lures the Boy

During the night, the soul of a King from a nearby town visits Sanzang in a dream and tells him how a Taoist wizard killed him, threw his body in a well, and then assumed the King`s form. The King asks Sanzang to tell his son about it and gives Sanzang a gold-bordered white jade scepter which will serve as proof. If the crown prince sees it he will be reminded of his father and the King shall be able to take his revenge.

Sanzang tells Monkey about his dream and Monkey makes a plan to help the king. The splendid Great Sage plucks out a hair, blows a magic breath on it, calls Change! and turns it into a box of red and gold lacquer into which he places the white jade scepter. Then with another transformation he turns himself into a tiny monk only two inches tall and squeezes into the red box. Sanzang meets the King`s son and tells him he has a box that contains a treasure called the King-maker who has something to tell him. Monkey tells the Prince about his father and shows him the scepter, but the Prince isn`t convinced that Monkey is telling the truth. He thinks Monkey might be the Taoist wizard who suddenly disappeared and stole the scepter. Seeing that he is unable to make up his mind, Monkey goes up to him and says, No need for all these doubts, Your Highness. Why don't you ride back to the capital and ask Her Majesty the queen how the love between her and your father is compared with three years ago. That's the only question that will prove that I'm telling the truth.Chapter 38 Questioning His Mother, the Boy Sorts Right from Wrong, When Metal and Wood Join in the Mystery, Truth an Falsehood Are Clear

The Prince visit his mother and asks her if there is any difference in the affection between her and his father now compared with three years ago. His mother answers: "He used to be so passionate and tender,But three years later on he's turned to frost.If I whisper to him warmly on the pillowHe pleads old age and says the urge is lost. The Crown Prince returns to Monkey and tells him that he now believes him.

Monkey and Pig go to water crystal palace of the Dragon King of the well where the King was thrown into by the Taoist wizard. They retrieve the body which been dead three years. The face is well preserved because the Dragon King of the Well had used a face-preserving pearl to stop the body from decomposing.Chapter 39 A Pill of Red Cinnabar Is Brought from Heaven, After Three Years the Monarch Is Revived

Monkey Goes up to heaven and ask Lord Lao for one of his Nine-cycle Soul-returning Pills. With this pill Monkey is able to bring the King back to life. The King put`s on a monk`s cloth habit and together they go to see the fiend-monarch. When Monkey confronts the fiend-monarch, he escapes on a cloud. Monkey pursues the demon and they have a splendid fight. After a few rounds the fiend realizes that he is no match for Monkey and flees back to the city.

He rushes through the two lines of civil and military officials and turns himself into the likeness of the Tang Priest with a shake of his body. When the Great Sage catches up with the monster and raises his cudgel to strike him down the monster says, Disciple, it's me, don't hit me. Monkey then raises his cudgel to strike the real Tang Priest, who also says, Disciple, it's me, don't hit me. Both Tang Priests are so alike as to be indistinguishable. Since only the real Sanzang knows the band-tightening-spell, Monkey asks Sanzang to recite it. The fake Sanzang, knowing he`ll be discovered, leaps up into the air and flies away on a cloud. Monkey goes after him but just before he delivers a blow to the fiend, he hears a voice shouting loudly, Don't hit him, Sun Wukong. Monkey turns round to see that it is the Bodhisattva Manjusri. "The demon is the blue-haired lion from under my throne. He was sent here by the Lord Buddha ", says Manjusri. The king of Wuji was a benevolent man. The Lord Buddha sent me here to bring him to the West, where he might become a golden arhat. Because I could not appear to him in my real form I turned into an ordinary monk and asked him for some vegetarian food. When he was unable to answer some questions I asked he took me for an evildoer, had me tied up, and immersed me in the palace moat for three days. Luckily the Six Jias saved me with their golden bodies and took me back to the West, where I reported to the Tathagata Buddha. It was he who ordered that the king be pushed into the well and soaked for three years as punishment for my three-day soaking. 'Every mouthful we eat or drink is predestined.' By coming here you have now won a great merit.Chapter 40 The Boy Fools with Transformations, Disturbing the Dhyana Heart Ape and Horse Return with a Knife; the Mother of Wood Is Empty

Sanzang and disciples reach a mountain that touches the sky and blocks out the sun. A demon disguises himself as a naughty boy of six and ties himself hand and foot, stark naked, to the top of a pine tree and shouts for help. Sanzang is fooled and tells Monkey to untie the little boy and carry him.

After carrying him for a while, Monkey decides to kill the demon boy. However, the Red Boy demon changes into an evil wind and captures Sanzang. Monkey summons the local mountain Gods and finds out the demon is the son of the Bull Demon King and possesses True Samadhi Fire.High fiendish dangers face high virtue;The stillness of meditation gives rise to evil spirits.When the Heart Lord is upright and takes the middle way,Wood's mother foolishly treads the wrong path.The Thought-horse silently nurses desires,The Yellow Wife wordlessly worries and grieves.When the stranger prospers he rejoices in vain;From just this place must one vanish.Chapter 41 The MindApe Is Defeated by Fire, The Mother of Wood Is Captured by a Demon

Monkey fights the demon but his Samadhi Fire is too strong for him. He asks the Dragons of the Four Seas to help extinguish the Samadhi Fire by making rain. However, the fire cannot be put out by rain. Instead the rain is like oil poured on the flames: the more there is, the fiercer the blaze. Monkey goes after the demon, swinging his cudgel. Seeing Monkey coming, the demon blows a cloud of smoke straight into his face. Even though he turns away, Monkey's eyes smart terribly, and he can not stop the tears from pouring down. Although not bothered by fire, the Great Sage is vulnerable to smoke. When the demon blows another cloud of smoke at him it is more than he can bear, and so he makes off on his cloud. The flames and the smoke have made the Great Sage unbearably hot, so he plunges straight into the stream to put out the flames, not realizing that the shock of the cold water will make the fire attack his heart, driving his three souls out of him.

Pig and Friar Sand spot the Great Sage`s body in the river and haul him to the bank. Pig goes to Guan Yin to ask for help, but the demon changes himself into an imitation Guan Yin and captures Pig. After Monkey recovers, he transforms himself into a fly to enter the demon`s cave. He discovers that the demon has invited his father, the Bull Demon King, so they can enjoy eating Sanzang together.Chapter 42 The Great Sage Reverently Visits the Southern Sea, Guanyin in Her Mercy Binds the Red Boy

Monkey changes himself into the Bull Demon king and visits the demon. The demon discovers the disguise and Monkey flees and seeks out Guan Yin to ask for help. Monkey returns to the demon`s cave and lures him out to Guan Yin. Guan Yin tricks the demon into sitting on a thousand-petaled throne made from the Pole Star swords.

The splendid Bodhisattva points downwards with her sprig of willow and calls: back. The colours and auspicious glow of the lotus thrown all disappear, leaving the demon king sitting on the points of swords. The Bodhisattva then points her sprig of willow down once more, says the magic word Om and turns all Pole Star swords into halberds with inverted barbs like wolfs teeth that can not be pulled out. This finally makes the demon desperate. The Bodhisattva says the spell. She makes magic with her hands and recited the words silently several times over. The evil spirit twists and tugs at his ears and cheeks, stamps his feet and rolls around. Indeed, one phrase unites all the words without number; Boundless and deep is the strength of the dharma. Chapter 43 At the Black River a Monster Carries Off the Priest, The Dragon Prince of the WestCaptures an Alligator

Sanzang and disciples reach a great black river vast as far as the eye could see. The boatman who promises to takes them across turns out to be an Alligator demon of the river and captures Sanzang and Pig. The God of the black river tells Monkey that the demon is the nephew of the Dragon King of the Western Sea. Monkey visits him and tells him to arrest his nephew.

The dragon King tells his son crown prince Mo'ang to arrest the demon. Mo'ang goes to the underwater palace and announces his arrival. When the alligator comes out he sees a whole force of sea soldiers and realizes what`s up. A fight ensues: Fierce were the river soldiers as the cannon roared; wild were the ocean warriors as the gong was beaten. Shrimp fought with shrimp and crab with crab. The prince pretended to drop his guard with his three-bladed mace. Not realizing that this was a trick, the evil spirit rushed him, whereupon the crown prince skillfully first struck him a blow with the mace on the right arm that made him stumble, caught up with him, then struck at his feet and set him sprawling. The ocean soldiers rushed up, seized Alligator, tied both hands behind his back, put an iron chain through his collar bone, hauled him up on the bank. Friar Sand went to free Sanzang and Pig. Still needing to cross the river, the river god performs water-stopping magic to hold the waters back. In an instant a broad road opens up where the waters has withdrawn; master and disciples cross to the West bank and after thanking the river god, and continued on their way. Chapter 44 Evil in the Heart's Centre Crosses the Backbone Pass

Sanzang and disciples reach a city were the Buddhist monks are working for three Taoist monks. The King favors the Taoist because they can make rain when necessary. The Taoists mistreat the Buddhist monks and make them work like slaves in the construction of a new monastery. Monkey frees the Buddhist monks and smashes the cart loaded with kiln bricks, tiles, wood and adobe bricks to smithereens.

Monkey, Pig and Friar go the Taoist monastery called ` the Temple of the Three Pure Ones` where the three Taoist priests are holding a service. The Hall of the Three Pure Ones is full of offerings: steamed buns as big as a bucket, cakes that must weight fifty or sixty pounds apiece, any amount of rice, and fresh fruit too. The splendid Great Sage does some magic, makes the hand movements of a spell, draws in a breath from the quarter of the wind, and blows a gale so terrible that as it tears into the Hall of the Three Pure Ones and knocks down all the vases, candlesticks, and offerings on the walls and puts out all the lamps. The Taoists all shake with terror. Thinking a divine wind has blown out all the lamps and the incense, they decide to retire and come back the next day. Chapter 45 In the Hall of the Three Pure Ones the Great Sage Leaves His Name, In the Kingdom of Tarrycart the Monkey King Shows His Powers

Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand knock over and hide the statues of Three Pure Ones, sit on their pedestals and have their fill of steamed bread, assorted cold dishes, the rice, pastries, buns, biscuits, pancakes, doughnuts, and steamed pies. A young priests, who has forgotten his handbell returns to the hall to look for it, and hears breathing. He is shocked and as he flees in alarm he trips, smashing his bell to pieces with a tremendous clang. Pig cannot not help roaring with laughter at this, which terrifies the young Taoist out of his wits. He returns with the three senior Taoist priests. Seeing that all the offerings have been eaten and thinking that the Three Pure Lords came down to the mortal world to enjoy the offerings, the priest pray and beg the Three Pure Lords for holy water. Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand have all changed themselves in the form of the statues and Monkey answers that they will receive the water but they must first withdraw from the hall because the secrets of Heaven must not be revealed. Monkey Pig and Friar Sand each fill a container with their stinking piss and offer it to the priests.

The next day Sanzang and disciples visit the King, but the Taoist Monks accuse them of killing some Taoist monks, destroying the temple and tricking them into drinking their piss. The King will permit them to continue on their way only if they can win a rainmaking competition with the Taoist monks. Monkey decides to get help from the weather dragons, plucks out one of his hairs, blows on it with magic breath, calls Change! and turns it into an imitation Monkey who stands by the Tang Priest while his true self escapes and rises up into the air. Monkey wins the competition with the help of the local Gods. Chapter 46 False Faith Oppresses the True Dharma, The Sage MindApe Eliminates Evil

The Taoist monks persuade the King to let them have another competition. It is a meditation competition called 'revealing one's holiness on a cloud ladder`. A hundred tables are needed, says one of the Taoist monks. Fifty of them are piled one on top of each other to make the meditation platform. Once must mount it not by using one's hands or a ladder, but by riding a cloud to take one's seat on it and sit motionless for the agreed number of hours. Monkey plucks out one of his hairs and turns it into a double of himself that stands below with Pig and Friar Sand while he makes his real self into a coloured auspicious cloud that lifts the Tang Priest up through the air to take his seat on the Eastern platform. One of the Taoists plucks a hair from the back of his head, and flicks it straight at the Tang Priest's head, where it turns into a huge bedbug that starts biting the venerable elder. Monkey sees what`s happening and flies with a buzz straight up to the Tang Priest's head, picks the bug off Sanzang and then scratches and rubs his head for him, so that the venerable elder does not itch or ache any more and sits up straight again. He then shakes himself and turns into a poisonous centipede seven inches long that goes straight for the Taoist and stings him in the nose. The Taoist can sit still no longer, and tumbling head over heels he falls off the platform and would probably have died had not the senior and junior officials saved him.

The Taoist monks again persuade the King to let them have another competition. This time it is a game of decapitation. Monkeys head is cut off, but he regenerates a new one. When the Taoists head is cut off, Monkey instantly pulls out a hair, blows a magic breath on it, and says, Change!; it turns into a brown dog that runs across the execution ground, picks the Taoist's head up with its teeth, and then drops it into the palace moat. The Taoist shouts three times but doesn`t gets his head back. As he does not have Monkey's art of growing a new one, red blood gushes noisily from his neck. A moment later his body collapses into the dust, and everyone can see that he is really a headless yellow-haired tiger. The other two Taoist lose their lives in similar competitions. The Buddhist monks regain their freedom, and Sanzang and disciples continue their journey.Chapter 47 The Holy Monk Is Stopped by the River of Heaven at Night, Metal and Woodin Their Mercy Rescue a Child

Sanzang and disciples reach a river and discover a stone tablet on which is inscribed in an ancient script three words in large letters and nine words in two rows of little ones underneath. The three words written large are RIVER OF HEAVEN, and the words in small writing are 250 miles across; few travelers have ever been here. They go to a little village and stay overnight at a house of Mr. Chen who just had a funeral celebration, because his two children are going to be fed to a demon, the King of Miraculous Response, as sacrifice for the rain he gives the village.

Monkey offers to help and suggests he and Pig turn into the likeness of the children to save their lives. Pig says the words of a spell, shakes his head several times, calls Change! and really makes his head look like the little girl's. The only trouble is that his belly is still much too fat and disproportionately big. Change some more, says Monkey with a laugh. Hit me then, says Pig. I can't change any more, and that's that. But you can't have a little girl's head on a monk's body, says Monkey. You won't do at all like thatyou're neither a man nor a girl. Monkey blows on him with magic breath and in fact changes his body to make it look like the little girl's and then changes in to the boy`s likeness.Chapter 48 A Devilish Blizzard Makes the Snow Whirl, The Monk Who Seeks to Worship BuddhaWalks on Ice

Together with pork, mutton, beef and wine, Monkey and Pig are taken to the Temple of Miraculous Response , where it is all set out with the young boy and girl in the most prominent place. Some time later an evil creature comes in through the temple doors and asks, Who is making the sacrifice this year? Thank you for asking, Monkey replies. This year it`s Mr. Chen. This reply strikes the monster as very odd. That boy has a lot of courage, he thinks, and he's a good talker too. Usually the children who are offered say nothing the first time I ask them a question and are frightened out of their wits the second time. Before I've even grabbed them in my hand they are already dead. So why's this boy today so good at answering? Instead of seizing him the monster asks another question: What is your name, boy? My name is Chen Guan and the girl is called Pan of Gold. According to the old custom of this sacrifice I should eat you first, says the monster. I have no objection, says Brother Monkey. Enjoy your meal. Hearing this the monster is once more afraid to grab Monkey, so instead he blocks the doorway and shouts, I'll have none of your answering back. Usually I eat the boy first, but this year I shall start with the girl. Better to follow the old custom, says Pig in a panic. Don't break with tradition. Without any more discussion the monster makes a grab for Pig, who leaps down, turns back into himself, and strikes at the monster's hand with his rake. The monster pulls his hand back and flees. He turns into a wild wind and goes straight into the River of Heaven. No need to chase him, says Monkey. I'm sure the monster's a river creature. We'll have to work out a way of catching him and getting the master across the river tomorrow.

Having escaped with his life back to the river the monster sits brooding silently in his palace and devises a plan to catch the Tang Priest. He makes magic to cause a cold wind and a heavy fall of snow and freezes the River of Heaven solid. The next day Sanzang hears that the river is frozen and decides to cross it. The evil monster has been waiting under the ice for a long time and as soon as he hears the horse's hoofs he uses his magic to make the ice burst noisily open, giving Monkey such a fright that he springs up into mid-air. The other three and the white horse sink into the water, where the evil monster captures Sanzang and takes him back to his underwater palace.Chapter 49 Sanzang's Great Misfortune Is to Fall into the River, Guanyin's Fish BasketSaves the Tang Priest

Since Monkey can't cope in the water, he asks Pig and Friar Sand to challenge the monster to battle. "Capture him if you can, and if you can't then pretend to be beaten and lure him out of the water for me to kill. Pig and Friar Sand challenge the monster and they fight a fine battle under the water. When the three of them have been fighting under the water for four full hours without either side emerging as victor Pig realizes that they are not going to beat the monster and gives Friar Sand a nod. Pretending that they are beaten, the two of them turn and flee, with the monster in pursuit of them. No sooner has his head emerged above the water than Monkey strikes with his cudgel, shouting, Take that! The evil spirit swerves to avoid it then parries with his copped mace. Before three rounds of the fight have been fought the monster, unable to keep up his resistance, does a feint and plunges back into the water.

Pig and Friar Sand go back into the water to challenge the monster to battle again, but he now realizes that the Great Sage Equaling Heaven is their accomplice and decides to shut the doors and not go out again. He hopes they will leave after a couple of days so he can feast on the Tang Priest flesh at his ease. Monkey decides to go to Potaraka to call on the Bodhisattva Guan Yin for help. The Bodhisattva goes back to the river with monkey carrying a basket made from purple bamboo. Holding the other end of the sash she throws the basket into the river then pulls it up through the current, reciting, Die if you go, live if you stay, die if you go, live if you stay. When she says this seven times she raises the basket again, and this time it contains a glistening goldfish, blinking its eyes and moving its scales. Wukong, says the Bodhisattva, go down into the water and rescue your master. How can I ? Monkey says, The monster hasn't been caught yet. Isn't that him in the basket? the Bodhisattva asks. Pig and Friar Sand then bow low and ask, How could that fish have had such great powers? It originally was a goldfish that I raised in my lotus pool, the Bodhisattva replies. Every day it would swim up to listen to sutras, and it trained itself to have magic powers. One day, I do not know when, a high tide reached the pool and carried it here. When I was leaning on the balustrade looking at the lotuses this morning I noticed that the wretch had not come to pay his respects, so I examined my fingers and the palms of my hands and worked out that it must have become a spirit and be planning to kill your master. Pig and Friar Sand clear a way through the water straight to the River Turtle's Residence, where they find their master and carry him up out of the water. When Monkey asks Old Mr. Chen if he can find a boat to take them across the river, he hears great shout coming from the river, Great Sage Sun, don't waste other people's money building a boat. I shall carry you all, master and disciples, across the river. A moment later a monster emerged from the water. This is what it was like:A divine square-headed and extraordinary beast,The miraculous creature, the immortal of the waters.Wagging his tail he can live for many an age,Hiding still and silent in the depths of the rivers.Leaping through the waves he rushes to the bank,Or lies beside the sea facing sun and wind.He has mastered the true Way of nourishing his essence,The Ancient Soft-shelled Turtle with his carapace of white.Chapter 50 Feelings Run Wild and Nature Gets Loose Because of Desire In Confusion of Spirit,the Heart Is Disturbed and the Demon Encountered

The poem goes:The heart must be frequently swept,The dust of emotions removed,Lest the Buddha be trapped in the pit.Only when the essence is pureCan the origin then be discussed.Trim the candle of nature,Breathe in the way that Master Caoxi taught,Control the ape and horse of the mind.Only when breath is calm by day and night Can one achieve the true adept's skill.This poem is set to the tune Nan Ke Zi and it tells how the Tang Priest escape disaster under the ice of the River of Heaven and cross to the other bank on the shell of the white turtle. The master and disciples are obstructed by a high mountain. They see high towers and elegant buildings in the distance with evil-looking clouds and vapors hanging over them, so they know there were evil spirits and monsters around. Monkey decides to look for food. He is about to go when he turns back to add, Master, I know that you haven't the patience to sit still, but I'll make a spell to keep you safe here. With that he takes out his gold-banded cudgel and in a flash he draws a circle on the ground with it. He asks the Tang priest to sit in the circle with Pig and Friar Sand standing on either side and the horse and luggage nearby. Then he puts his palms together and says to the Tang Priest, The circle I've drawn is stronger than a wall of bronze or iron. No tiger, leopard, wolf, demon, fiend or monster will dare come anywhere near it. But you must not step outside it. I guarantee that you'll come to no harm as long as you sit inside the circle; but once you leave it very nasty things will happen to you. Please, please, please stay inside it whatever happens. Sanzang does as he is told and they all sit down.

After tiring of waiting in the cold, Pig suggests Sanzang to look for a place to warm themselves. Sanzang follows the idiot's advice and they all leave the circle. They soon reach a large house created by the magic of an evil spirit who spent all his life lying in wait there to catch people and they are captured by it. When Monkey returns, the local mountain Deity tells Monkey what has happened. Monkey fights the great King Rhinoceros, but the demon has a magic Diamond Jade Bangle Ring with which he captures Monkey Kings cudgel.The Way grew by one foot but the demon grew by ten. Blinded and confused, they took the passions as their home.Alas there was no place to be found for the dharma body:In action and in thoughts they had made a great mistake. Chapter 51 In Vain Does the MindApe Use a Thousand Trick, Fire and Water Fail to Harm the Demon

Monkey feels desperate at not being able to rescue his master, but just when he is in the depths of misery Monkey thinks, That fiend knew who I was. I remember him saying something about the sort of skill that made havoc in Heaven when he was praising me during the fight. That means he can't be a common mortal monster: he must be an evil star from Heaven come down to earth for love of worldly things. I don't know where he come down from, so I'd better go up to Heaven to make some inquiries. Monkey goes to the Jade Emperor in Heaven to see if any of the divine Kings of any of the constellations have gone down to earth out of love for earthly things. After inspecting the true ones within the three little enclosures, the thirty three heavens, the 28 zodiacal constellations and others, everything is found to be in its place. Monkey asks the Star Lord of Fire for help and the Star Lord of Fire goes down to the mountain and issues the order to his troops from his peak to release all their fire together. But the onslaught by the fire doesn`t frighten the demon in the least. He throws his ring up into the air, and as it comes whistling down it catches the fire dragons, fire horses, fire crows, fire rats, fire swords, fire spears, fire bows and fire arrows. The demon then leads his troops back to his cave in victory.

Monkey then asks the Star Lord of Water, the planet Mercury for help. The Star Lord orders the Earl of the Yellow River to go with the Great Sage and bring a bowl that can hold the waters of the Yellow River. Monkey lures out the demon from his cave and the river god throws all the water in his white jade bowl into the cave. Seeing it coming, the demon throws down his spear and quickly takes out his ring to seal the inner doors tightly. All the water then surges noisily out again, giving Sun Wukong such a fright that he has to give an immediate somersault and leap straight back up to the mountaintop with the river god. Monkey decides to turn himself into a fly and enters the demon`s cave to steel the Jade Bangle Ring. However, when he sees his As You Will Gudgel he can`t resist grabbing it and leaves the cave.Chapter 52 Monkey Makes Havoc in the Jindou Cave, The Buddha Gives a Hint About the Owner

Monkey goes to the demons cave again and takes back the weapons of all the Gods and then fights the great King Rhinoceros again with the help of many Gods but again all their weapons are captured. Monkey decides to go to the Buddha on Vulture Peak to ask if he can see with his all-seeing eye where the demon is from. His all-seeing eyes looks far away, and all is revealed to him at once. The Tathagata Buddha tells his eighteen arhats to open their treasury, take eighteen grains of golden cinnabar sand and go with Monkey to help him.

Monkey again takes on the monster, who strikes back with his spear, and not realizing that Monkey is deliberately springing from side to side he allows himself to be lured further and further from the cave. Monkey then calls on the arhats to throw their golden cinnabar sand at the demon all together. When the demon is being blinded by the flying sand he bends down, takes out his ring and throws it up in the air with a shout of Catch them! As it comes whistling down it catches all eighteen grains of golden cinnabar sand. The monster goes back into his cave. Finally Monkey goes to Tushita Palace in the Lihen Heaven to visit Lao Tzi. He discovers that Lao Zhis bull is missing and stole Lao Zhi`s Diamond jade bangle. After Lao Zi descends to earth and captures his bull, the Tang Monk is released.Chapter 53 The Dhyana Master Conceives after Eating a Meal, The YellowWife Brings Waster to Remove a Devil Foetus

Sanzang and disciples reach a small river where a ferrywoman takes them over. Sanzang and Pig drink some of the clear river water; however, after a while Sanzang and Pig are groaning from agony and their abdomens are gradually swelling. When they reach a little village, an old woman tells them they are in the Womanland of Western Liang. All people of this country are female. There is a Male-welcoming Post Station outside the capital with a Pregnancy-revealing Spring. Only women drink of the river's water when they reach the age of twenty. After drinking it they feel the abdominal pain of pregnancy. There's a Miscarriage Spring in Childfree Cave in Mount Offspring. In order to terminate a pregnancy, water must be taken of that spring. But the spring water cannot be had because a Taoist called the As-you-will Immortal recently changed the Childfree Cave into the Hermitage of Immortals. Anyone wishing water must first present him rich gifts.

To distract the Taoist, who is actually a demon, Monkey fights him. Friar Sand then fills his bucket with water from the well, goes out through the gates, rises up on his cloud, and calls to Monkey, I've got the water, brother. Spare him now, spare him. After drinking from the water, Sanzang and Pig empty their bowels.Chapter 54 The BuddhaNature Traveling West Enters Womankind, The MindApe Makes a Plan to Escape from the Beauties

Continuing their way in the land of Western Liang, they enter a city of only women. They go to the Male Welcoming Post station to have their passports inspected. Their arrival is reported to the Queen who decides she wants to marry Sanzang. Monkey tells Sanzang to pretend to agree to the Queen`s proposal in order not to anger her. Monkey, Pig and Friar, will continue the journey to the West and get the scriptures without Sanzang, who will pretend to send them off and then run off with them.

The Queen escorts Sanzang to see his disciples off. When Sanzang steps down from the royal carriage, he raises his hands together to the queen, and says, Please go back now, Your Majesty, and allow me to fetch the scriptures. When the queen hears this, her face goes pale with shock. She grabs hold of the Tang Priest and says, Dear emperor's brother, I have offered you the wealth of my realm to become my husband. Tomorrow you are going to take the throne as monarch, and I am going to be your consort. We have already eaten the wedding feast. How can you go back on your word now? This is too much for Pig, who goes wild. Thrusting his snout about and waving his ears he rushes to the royal coach shouting. What would monks like us want to marry a powdered skeleton like you for? Let my master go! This rough and violent behavior so frightens the queen that her souls all go flying and she collapses in the coach. Friar Sand pulls Sanzang out of the crowd and helps him mount the horse. Just then a woman shoots forward from the roadside shouting, Don't go, Tang emperor's brother. You and I are going to make love. You ignorant, wicked creature, Friar Sand shouts at her, striking at her head with his staff. The woman then makes a whirlwind that carries the Tang Priest off with a great roar. He has disappears without shadow or trace. Chapter 55 The Tang Priest Is Tempted with Sex and Debauchery, Because His Nature Is Upright He Resists Unharmed

Monkey finds the cave of the she-devil, changes himself into a bee, enters the cave and sees the she-devil trying to seduce Sanzang. Monkey, worried that his master`s true nature might become disturbed, changes back to his own form and fights with the she-devil. After fighting for some time, the she-devil stings Monkey with her sting in her tail. Monkey yells in agony from unbearable pain and flees in defeat. She is really a scorpion killer.

The she-devil goes back to her cave and continues to try to seduce Sanzang. She says, There is room on my pillow and under my sheet: Why not come to bed? The Tang Priest replies, My head is shaven and I wear monk's robes: I may not join you. She says, I would like to be Liu Cuicui in the story. He replies, But I am not like the Monk of the Moonlight. The she-devil says, I am more lovely than Xi Shi herself. Long was the king of Yue buried on her account, the monk replies. Do you remember the lines, the she-devil asks, I'm willing to die and be buried under flowers; Even as a ghost shall I live and love? To this the Tang Priest replies, My true masculinity is my great treasure; I could not lightly give it to a bag of bones like you. The two of them keep up their battle of words till it is late in the night, when the she-devil has her beloved man tied up like a dog and dragged outside to the portico. On the mountainside Monkey is at a loss about what to do, when the Bodisattva Guan Yin appears and tells them to go to the Palace of Light in the Eastern gate of Heaven to get help from the Star Officer of the Pleiades. Monkey and Pig lure the she-devil out. As soon as the Star Officer crows, the she-devil returns to her scorpion-spirit form. When he crows again her body crumbles in death, and Sanzang is freed.Chapter 56 The Spirit Goes Wild and Wipes Out the Bandits, The Way in Confusion Sends the MindApe Away

The heart that is empty of all things is said to be pure,In utter placidity not giving rise to a thought. The ape and the horse must be tethered, not left to run wild;The spirit must always be cautious, not seeking for glory.Wake up to Three Vehicles, wipe out the Six Bandits,And all human destinies then become clear.Extinguish the evil of sex and rise to enjoyThe pleasures of paradise that can be found in the West.It is soon summer again. One day a mountain rises in front of them to block their way forward. Monkey wants to speed up the horse and shouts at it, at which it starts to gallop along the track with the speed of an arrow. The venerable elder can not keep hold of the reins: he simply holds tight to the saddle and gives the horse its head as it galloped six or seven miles towards some farm land before slowing down to a walk. As Sanzang is riding along he hears a gong being struck as over thirty men armed with spears, swords and staves emerge from both sides of the track to block his way. The crowd of bandits fall upon him, take his money, rope him up, and suspend him high from a tree.

Monkey goes after the bandits, takes out his cudgel and with a single blow of it strikes one bandit chief to the ground. You're pretty cheek there, says the other bandit chief abusively. you've killed one of us. Just a moment, says Monkey with a smile. I'm going to kill every one of you and wipe you all out. With another swing of his cudgel he kills the other bandit chief, at which all their men throw down their spears and clubs and scatter in terror, fleeing for their lives. Sanzang and disciples continue their way but Sanzang is upset with Monkey that he has killed the bandits instead of just scaring them away. They stay overnight at a farm and it just happens to be that one of the bandits is the son of the farmer. When he finds out that Monkey is staying at his father`s home he comes after him with the other bandits. Monkey kills them and shows the head of the son to Sanzang. Sanzang, pales with horror at seeing the head. Evil macaque, he says, you will be the death of me, terrifying me like that. Take it away at once. Wicked ape, you're too much of a murderer to fetch scriptures. I gave it to you yesterday for your cruelty in killing the two bandit chiefs on the mountainside. I don't want you with me any more. Go back. Chapter 57 The True Sun Wukong Makes His Complaint at Potaraka, The False Monkey King Copies a Document in the Water Curtain Cave

Monkey visits the Bodhisattva Guan Yin and complains about Sanzang. Guan Yin tells him that in her impartial judgment it was wicked to kill the bandits. Killing evil beasts and demons are good deeds, but killing humans is wicked. In the meantime Sanzang is waiting for Pig and Friar to come back with some food, when Monkey returns, hits Sanzang and steals two bundles wrapped in blue felt.

Friar goes to the Water Curtain cave on the mountain of Flowers and Fruit, where Monkey used to live before his search for a master. He finds Monkey with the bundles, who tells him he is going to get the scripture at Vulture peak himself and has a new master. Sanzang comes out followed by Pig, Friar and the horse. Friar hits the other Friar and kills him, revealing he was really a monkey spirit. Friar flees and goes to Mount Potaraka to see the Bodhisattva Guan Yin. When he gets there he sees Monkey and tries to hit him. The Bodhisattva asks Friar what happened. After telling his story, Guan Yin reveals that Monkey has been with her the last four days so it couldn`t have been him. Monkey and Friar go to the mountain of Flowers and Fruit together to find out who the other false Monkey is.Chapter 58 Two Minds Throw Heaven and Earth into Uproar, One Body Cannot Achieve True Nirvana

When Monkey sees the other Monkey he starts a fight with him. After fighting for a while he tells Friar to go back to the master to tell him what happened while he will drive the demon Monkey to Potaraka island to ask Guan Yin to identify him as the real Monkey. The other Monkey than tells Friar the same. Guan Yin cannot tell who is who and tells them to go to the Jade emperor in Heaven. The Jade Emperor tells the Heavenly King Li the Pagoda-carrier to look at them both, in the demon-revealing mirror, but he only sees two identical monkeys in it. Still fighting, one of the Monkeys says; Let`s go and see the master, which the other Monkey repeats. Sanzang says the Band-tightening-Spell, at which both Monkeys cry out together.

Next they visit the Buddha in the western heaven. The Buddha says: There are five kinds of immortal: heavenly, earthly, divine, human and demonic. There are five kinds of beast: snail, scaly, furry, feathered and insect. This wretch is not heavenly, earthly, divine, human or demonic. He is not a snail, or scaly, or furry, or feathered or an insect. Now there are also four kinds of ape that cause confusion and don't come under any of the ten categories. I can see that the false Sun Wukong is of the fourth kind, a six-eared macaque. Wherever he stands he can know what is happening hundreds of miles away and hear everything that is said. That is why he has such wonderful hearing, brilliant perception, and knowledge of the past, the future, and all beings; that is why he looks and sounds just like Wukong.. The macaque's fur stands on end as he realizes that there would be no escape, so he shakes himself and turns straight into a bee who starts to fly straight up, only to fall down again as the Tathagata's golden begging bowl claps over him. They all surge forward to see him in his true form of a six-eared macaque as the bowl is lifted. The Great Sage cannot restrain himself. Swinging his iron cudgel he kills the demon with a single blow to the head, and that is why this species is now extinct. The Buddha tells Monkey to go back to Sanzang and escort Sanzang to him to fetch the scriptures. Guan Yin goes with him to tell Sanzang to accept the Monkey`s protection again on the way to fetch the scriptures. Chapter 59 Sanzang's Way Is Blocked at the Fiery Mountains, Monkey First Tries to Borrow the Plantain Fan

Where there are scriptures there's fire, and where there's no fire there are no scriptures.As they continue their travel it is now autumn, but the temperature is gradually getting hotter and hotter. They reach a house and the owner tells them they are getting close to the Fiery mountains. They are 800 miles wide and completely covered with flames. He also tells them that there is an iron fan, owned by Princess Iron Fan also called Raksasi. Upon request, the fan puts out the fire at the first wave, makes a wind blow at the second wave, and brings rain at the third wave. Monkey goes to find the princess, who is the wife of the Bull Demon King. The princess demon doesn`t want to give him the fan because her son Red boy, who had caught Sanzang and was planning to eat him, was defeated by Monkey and converted to Buddhism. He is now serving Guan Yin. Monkey fights Raksasi till evening. As Monkey's cudgel strikes so hard and his technique is so flawless the Raksasi realizes that she will never be able to beat him. She brings out her plantain fan and with a single wave blows Monkey right out of sight. There is no way he can stand his ground. With that she goes back to her cave in triumph.

Monkey goes to Bodhisattva Lingji for help and receives a Wind-fixing Pill which will stop the fan from being able to move him. Monkey visits the Princess again but this time when she uses her fan, he does not move. The Princess is so alarmed that she puts her pride and joy away at once, goes straight back into the cave, and shuts the doors firmly. When Monkey sees this he uses magic, shakes himself, turns into the tiniest of insects, and squeezes in through the crack between the doors. When the Princess has a cup of tea he flies under the froth. She drinks the tea and inside her stomach Monkey reverts to his own form and shouts at the top of his voice, Princess, lend me the fan. With that he stamps his foot, giving her an unbearable cramp in her stomach that leaves her sitting groaning on the floor. The Princess promises to give him the fan so Monkey turns back into the tiny insect and flies out. After Monkey returns to Sanzang they travel about fifteen miles west to the Fiery Mountains. As the get closer the heat is becoming unbearable. Monkey uses the fan but the flames become higher instead of lower. It appears that the princess fooled Monkey and gave him another fan. Chapter 60 The Bull Demon King Gives Up the Fight to Go to a Feast, Monkey Tries the Second Time to Borrow the Plantain Fan

Monkey finds out that the Bull Demon King, an old friend from the time he wreaked havoc in Heaven, abandoned the Princess and has a new lover. Monkey asks him for help to get the fan. However, the Bull Demon King is also angry with Monkey because his son is now serving Guan Yin and starts a fight. After a hundred rounds of fighting neither one emerges as a winner and so they abandon the fight. Monkey then turns himself into a likeness of the Bull Demon King and visits the Princess again.

My good lady, says the false Bull Demon King, it's been a long time. I hope that everything has gone well for Your Majesty, Princess Iron Fan replies, going on to ask, What wind brings you back to your abandoned wife now that you have married your new darling? She tells the serving girls to lay on wine and a feast to welcome him back. They have a chat about the good old times as Great Sage watches her get drunk, and asks her, Where have you put the real fan, wife? You must watch it very carefully all the time. I'm worried that Sun the Novice will trick it out of you with some of his many transformations. At this Raksasi titters, spats it out of her mouth, and hands it to the Great Sage. It is only the size of an apricot leaf. Here's the treasure, she says. The Great Sage takes the chance to slip in the question, How could a little thing like this blow out 250 miles of fire? She is now drunk enough to have no inhibitions about speaking the truth, so she tells him how it was done: Your Majesty, I expect you've been overdoing your pleasures day and night these last two years since you left me. That Princess Jade must have addled your brains if you can't even remember about your own treasure. You just have to pinch the seventh red silk thread with the thumb of your left hand and say, 'Huixuhexixichuihu.' Then it'll grow twelve feet long. It can do as many changes as you like. It could blow 250,000 miles of flame out with a single wave. The Great Sage commits all this very carefully to memory, puts the fan in his mouth, rubs his face and turns back into himself. Raksasi he yells at the top of his voice. Have a careful look and see who I am", and rushes straight out of the Plantain Cave. He springs on his auspicious cloud that takes him up to the top of the mountain, spats the fan out of his mouth, and tries the magic out. Pinching the seventh red tassel with the thumb of his left hand, he says Huixuhexixichuihu, and indeed it grows to be twelve feet long. On close examination he finds it quite different from the false one he has borrowed before. It glitters with auspicious light and is surrounded by lucky vapors. But Brother Monkey has only asked how to make it grow and has not found out the spell for shrinking it. So he has to shoulder it as he goes back by the way he had come. Chapter 61 Zhu Bajie Helps to Defeat a Demon King, Monkey's Third Attempt to Borrow the Fan

When the Bull Demon King hears that Monkey stole the fan, he changes himself into the likeness of Pig and gets the fan back. Monkey and the Bull Demon King fight again and the real Pig comes to help, along with the local Deity and his spirit soldiers. When the Bull Demon King`s junior and senior demons come to help, Monkey and Pig have to give up the fight. How are we going to take our master across the mountains if we're having so hard a time getting the fan, says Pig. We'll just have to go back and make a bloody detour. Don't get impatient, Great Sage, the local god says, and don't try to be lazy, Marshal Tian Peng. If you make a detour that will mean leaving the straight and narrow: you'll never cultivate your conduct that way. As the old saying goes, 'In walking never take a short cut.' You mustn't talk about detours. Your master is waiting by the main road, desperate for your success. The way grows by one foot, the demon by ten-thousand; The cunning mind-ape puts him down by force,If the fiery mountain flames are to be put out,The precious fan must blow them cool. The yellow-wife is determined to protect the primal ancient;The mother of wood is set on wiping out the demons. When the Five Elements are harmonized they return to the true achievement; Evil and dirt are refined away as they travel to the West.Monkey and Pig go to fight the Bull Demon again, but this time they get help from Prince Nezha. Great Sage, Prince Nezha shouts at the top of his voice, I can't greet you properly as I'm in armor. Yesterday my father and I went to see the Tathagata Buddha, who sent a note to the Jade Emperor. It said that the Tang Priest was held up by the Fiery Mountains and that you couldn't subdue the Bull Demon King, Great Sage. The Jade Emperor then ordered my father to bring his forces here to help. Watch me catch him. With one swing of his demon-beheading sword he has the bull's head off before he even realizes it. The Heavenly King throws down his sword and goes to meet Monkey. But another head grows out from the Bull Demon King's throat, its mouth breathing black vapors and its eyes flashing golden light. Nezha cuts again, but as the head falls a new one appears. Nezha's sword cuts a dozen heads off and a dozen new heads immediately grow again. Nezha then hangs his fire-wheel on the bull's horns, blows on the magic fire, and makes it blaze so fiercely that the Bull Demon King bellows in desperate pain, shaking his head and tail and trying for all he is worth to escape.

Just when he is about to do another transformation and get away his true image is fixed in Heavenly King Li's demon-revealing mirror. Now he can make no more changes and he has no way of escape. He can only call out, Spare my life! I wish to be converted to the Buddhist faith. If you value your life, hand the fan over at once, says Nezha. Wife, Old Bull calls, bring the fan out and save my life. As soon as she hears this Raksasi takes off her jewelry and bright-coloured clothing, dresses her hair like a Taoist nun and puts on a white silk habit like a Buddhist one. She comes out through the doors carrying the twelve-foot fan with both hands, and at the sight of the vajrapanis, the gods, the Heavenly King and Nezha she falls to her knees in terror, kowtowing in worship and saying, I beg you Bodhisattvas to spare my husband and me. I present the fan to my brother-in-law Monkey for him to win his glory with. Monkey goes forward, takes the fan, and rides back East by auspicious cloud with the others. The Great Sage Sun takes the fan close to the Fiery Mountains, waves it as hard as he can, and puts the flames out. Their glare disappears. He waves the fan again and the rustle of a cool breeze can be heard; and at the third wave the sky is overcast with clouds and a fine rain begins to fall. Chapter 62 Cleansed and with a Washed Heart He Sweeps the Pagoda, The Devils Are Captured and Converted; the Body Is Cultivated

Through the twelve hours it must never be forgotten;When success is won all time will be put away.For five years and one hundred and eight thousand cycles Do not let the holy water dry up, Do not allow the fire to flag. When water and fire are in balance no harm will arise;The Five elements are joined as if with hooks. Ying and Yang in harmony will climb the cloud tower,Riding the phoenix to the purple palace,And flying on the crane to magical Yingzhou.The master and disciples reach a city were the Buddhist monks are walking with chains and heavy boards around their neck, begging from door to door. The monks tell Sanzang that they were accused of stealing the treasure from the pagoda in the monastery. Auspicious clouds previously gathered round the pagoda of their monastery and mists of good omen rose high above it. The glow above it at night could once be seen from thousands of miles away; the coloured vapors were admired by the countries all around. That was why this was a divinely appointed capital to which all the foreigners sent tribute. But three years earlier at midnight on the first day of the first month of autumn it had rained blood. The next morning everyone was terrified and miserable. The king did not investigate, and corrupt officials had all the monks arrested. They were beaten and tortured in every possible way. The monks implore Sanzang to take pity on them and in his great mercy and compassion make wide use of his dharma powers and save their lives. Sanzang and Monkey go to the pagoda to sweep it clean. Monkey discovers two demons on the top of the Pagoda who confess that Prince Nine head, the son-in-law of the Infinitely Sage Dragon King, made it rain blood and then stole the Buddha relic.

Monkey and Pig each carry one of the demons down the stairs to bring them to the King so that they can tell it all to him and lead them to catch the thieves and get the treasure back. After the king hears the confessions of the demons he orders, Release all the monks of the Golden Light Monastery from their cangues and chains, and have the Office of Foreign Affairs prepare a banquet in the Unicom Hall to congratulate the holy monks on their great achievements in catching the thieves. We shall now invite them to capture the ringleaders. Monkey and Pig, each firmly grasping a demon, ride the wind and use magic to take them off to the Dragon Palace.Chapter 63 Two Monks Wipe out the Demons in the Dragon Palace, The Sages Destroy Evil and Recover the Treasure

At the dragon Palace they throw the two demons into the water with a shout of, Tell the Infinitely Sage Dragon King that the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, is here. After getting the message, the splendid demon jumps to his feet, puts on his armor, takes the weapon he uses, a crescent-bladed halberd, walks out of the palace, parts the waters, and when he reaches the surface calls out, What's all this about a 'Great Sage Equaling Heaven'? Come and give yourself up at once. The Great Sage and the Dragon King fight hard for over thirty rounds without either of them emerging as winner until Pig joins the fight.

The Dragon King resists for another six or seven rounds until he can hold out no longer against the weapons that are swinging at him from before and behind, when he rolls away and leaps up into the sky in his true form as a nine-headed bird. The monster turns with a roaring noise to come low over the mountain and shoots out from his waist another head with a mouth open wide like a bowl of blood. His beak grips Pig's bristles at the first attempt, then he drags Pig to the pool and pulls him in and takes him to the dragon palace. Monkey is able to free Pig and just as they are discussing what to do next he sees Illustrious Sage Erlang with the Six Brothers of Plum Hill, who is just on his way home from a hunting trip with his brothers. Monkey had previously fought with the sage after he wreaked havoc in Heaven, but now asks him for help. Pig goes to the dragon Palace and lures Prince Ninehead out of the water so that Sage Erlang can fight with him. The Sage`s dog bites off one of the heads and the monster flees. The treasure of the pagoda is recovered, the Buddhist monks are freed, and order is restored in the city.Chapter 64. Wuneng Works Hard on Thorn Ridge, Sanzang Talks of Poetryin the Wood Immortals' Hermitage

The master and disciples reach a ridge that is overgrown with brambles and creepers. The splendid idiot makes a spell with his hands and says the words of it, leans forward, and says, Grow! He grows two hundred feet tall, then waves the rake and shouts. Change! It becomes three hundred feet long. Then he strides forward and wields the rake two-handed to clear the undergrowth from both sides of the path. Come with me, Master, he says. When they had covered thirty miles they come to a stretch of empty ground where a stone tablet stood in the middle of the path. On the tablet the words THORN RIDGE were written large, and under them two lines of smaller writing read, Two hundred and fifty miles of rampant thorns; few travelers have ever taken this road. This place strikes me as very sinister, says Monkey. Let's not stay here long. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than there was a gust of sinister wind and an old man emerges from the temple gateway. He is accompanied by a devil servant who is carrying a tray of cakes. Great Sage, says the old man as they both kneel down, I am the local god of Thorn Ridge. As I knew you were coming but had nothing better to offer you I have prepared this tray of steamed cakes for your master. Do all have some. As there are no other houses for hundreds of miles I hope you will accept a few to stave off the pangs of hunger. This is just what Pig wants to hear: he goes up and is just stretching out his hands to take a cake when Monkey, who had been taking a long, hard look at all this, shouts Stop! He's evil! Behave yourself! He is now addressing the local god. You're no local god, trying to fool me like that. Take this! Seeing the ferocity of his attack, the local god turns round and transforms himself into a howling gust of negative wind that carries the venerable elder flying off through the air. Nobody knows where he has been taken.

We will not describe the disciples` search for Sanzang, but tell how the old man and his devil servant carry Sanzang to a stone house that is wreathed in mist and gently sets him down. Holding him by the hand and supporting him the old man says, Don't be afraid, holy monk. We aren't bad people. I am the Eighteenth Lord of Thorn Ridge. I have asked you here on this cool, clear moonlit night to talk about poetry and pass the time in friendship. He introduces Sanzang to three other old man who all came to bow to Sanzang, who returns their courtesy, saying, I have done nothing to deserve this great affection you are showing for me. To this the Eighteenth Lord replied with a smile, We have long heard, holy monk, of how you have found the Way and we've long been waiting for the good fortune of meeting you." "How old are you four venerable gentlemen? Sanzang asks. All of them answer they were over a thousand years old. All four of you immortals have lived to most advanced ages. Sanzang says. You are ancient, you have found the Way, you are elegant and you are pure. Are you not the Four Brilliant Ones of Han times? You flatter us too much, say the four old men. We're not the Four Brilliant Ones: we're the four from deep in the mountains.' The four ancients praise him, saying, Holy monk, you have followed the Buddha's teaching since you left your mother's womb. By cultivating your conduct from childhood you have become a lofty monk who has found the Way. We are very happy to see you and would like to ask you to teach us. Sanzang and the four ancients have a pleasant conversation, exchanging poetry and ideas about Dhyana meditation. As they are talking, a fairy comes in who is holding a sprig of apricot blossom as she greets Sanzang with a smile and sits down next to him. She listens to Sanzang`s poetry and says, "could you be generous with your pearls and teach me one of those verses? The Tang Priest dares not reply. The woman is evidently falling for him and moving closer and closer, pressing herself against him and whispering to him, Noble guest, let's make the most of this wonderful night for love. What are we waiting for? Life is short. The Apricot Fairy admires you completely, holy monk, says the Eighteenth Lord. You must feel something for her. If you don't find her adorable you have very poor taste. Hearing this Sanzang turns pale with horror, jumps to his feet and shouts at the top of his voice, You're all monsters, trying to lead me astray like that. There is nothing wrong with talking about the mysteries of the Way with well-honed arguments, but it's disgraceful of you to try to ruin a monk like me by using a woman as a bait. Don't be so upset, noble guest, the fairy says. You and I are going to taste the pleasures of love. Sanzang shouts at her to go away and wants to leave at once but they hold him there by force. The row goes on till daybreak. Suddenly Sanzang hears a call of, Master! Master! We can hear you. Where are you? Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand had been searching everywhere all night, leading the white horse and carrying the baggage. They had gone through all the thorns and brambles without a moment's rest and by now had reached the Western side of the 250-mile-wide cloud-capped Thorn Ridge, This was the shout they gave when they heard Sanzang's angry yells. Sanzang brakes free, rushes outside, and calls, Wukong, I'm here. Help! Help! The four ancients, the devil servant, the woman and her maids all disappear in a flash.Chapter 65 A Demon Creates a False Thunder Peak, All Four Pilgrims Meet with Disaster

Sanzang and disciples arrive at the Lesser Thunder monastery. Monkey thinks the place looks sinister, but Sanzang wants to worship at the temple. As they enter the Buddha Hall, a voice from inside the gate called out, Tang Priest, you've come from the East to worship our Buddha, so why are you still being so casual about it? Sanzang at once starts kowtowing, as do Pig while Friar Sand kneels. Monkey alone does not bow. Sun Wukong, comes a shrill shout from the throne, why don't you kowtow when you see the Buddha? Nobody realizes that Monkey has spotted as he takes a careful look around that this is all false. Letting go of the horse and putting down the luggage he shouts as he brandishes his cudgel, Evil beasts! What a nerve! How dare you try to ruin the Buddha's good name by pretending to be him! Stay where you are! He raises his cudgel in both hands and is just about to strike when a pair of bronze cymbals come out of the sky to join together with a mighty crash, enclosing him completely from head to toe. Pig and Friar Sand grab desperately for their rake and staff, only to be so closely surrounded by the arhats, protectors, holy monks and lay brothers that they can not move. They and Sanzang too are all captured and roped up tightly.

Now the Buddha on the lotus throne is a demon king and all the arhats and others his little devils. At night, with the help of the Twenty-eight Constellations who came down from Heaven, the splendid Great Sage escapes from the cymbals. Monkey fights the demon king, but after fifty rounds neither emerges as victor. The heavenly soldiers of the Twenty-eight Constellations and the holy hosts of the Five Protectors, are all armed and surround the demon king. The old demon king is not at all afraid. He holds all the enemy troops at bay with his mace in one hand while with the other he undoes an old white cotton pouch that is round his waist as a sash; this he throws into the air. With a loud swish it catches the Great Sage Monkey, the Twenty-eight Constellations and the Protectors of the Four Quarters and the Centre; he then slings them over his shoulder and carries them back inside.Chapter 66 All the Gods Meet a Vicious Foe, Maitreya Binds the Evil Monster

Monkey escapes again and asks help from a True Martial God of the North, The Heavenly Honored Demon Suppressor, who sends General Tortoise, General Snake, and five magic dragons to help. However, after an hour of fighting the demon king takes out his pouch and catches them all, except for Monkey. Monkey then goes to the The Bodhisattva King Teacher for help, but he can`t go with Monkey himself because of some urgent business, and sends his disciple and four of his generals, who are also caught in the demon`s pouch. Monkey, who saw it coming, escapes being caught in the pouch. As Monkey is in the very depths of misery a brightly-coloured cloud suddenly lands to the Southwest and the whole mountain peak is lashed with a torrential rainstorm. Wukong, a voice called, do you know who I am? As soon as Monkey sees him he kowtows immediately and says, Where are you going, Lord Buddha Maitreya from the East? I beg you to forgive me for failing to keep out of your way. I'm here because of the demon in the Lesser Thunder Monastery, the Buddha replies. I am very grateful for your great kindness, my lord, Monkey replies. May I ask where the demon is from and where he became an evil spirit? What sort of treasure is that pouch of his? Please tell me, my lord. He was a yellow-browed page who used to strike my stone chime, the Buddha Maitreya replies. On the third day of the third month this year I left him looking after my palace when I went to an assembly of the Primal One. That was when he stole some of my treasures and became a spirit as an imitation Buddha. That pouch is my future heaven bag, or what's generally called a human seed bag. The wolf-tooth cudgel was originally the stick for striking the chime.

When Monkey hears this he shouts, You're a splendid laughing monk, I must say. By letting that boy escape you let him masquerade as a Buddha and ruin things for me. You ought to be charged with slack management of your household. I was careless, Maitreya replies. Besides, your master and you disciples have not yet come to the end of the demons you will have to deal with. That is why every kind of spiritual creature has been coming down to earth. It's right that you should suffer. Now I'm here to capture him for you. That evil spirit has very great magic powers. Maitreya tells Monkey his plan to capture the demon king. Monkey goes back to the monastery gates, brandishing his cudgel with one hand as he shouts, Evil spirit, your lord and master Monkey's here. Come out at once and we'll see who's the champion. Look at you, the demon replies. You're at your wit's end and exhausted. Do you think you'll be able to hold me off by using your cudgel one-handed? My dear boy, says Monkey, if I used both hands it would be too much for you. Even with four or five hands you wouldn't be able to beat me even if I had one hand tied behind my back. That is, as long as you didn't use that pouch of yours. Very well then, the demon king replies, I won't use my treasure. I'll give you a straight fight and we'll see who's the best man. After a short fight, Monkey feints then turns and flees in defeat, pursued by the evil spirit down the Western slopes of the mountain. At the melon field nearby Monkey rolls himself into a ball and turn himself into a big, ripe, sweet watermelon. Maitreya, who had turned himself into an old melon grower, greets the demon king and offers him the melon that is Monkey transformed. When Monkey is inside the demon king`s he starts hitting out and kicking, grabbing and clawing at the monster's entrails and stomach, turning somersaults, standing on his head, and doing just as he likes. The demon king surrenders and The Great Sage then releases the Tang Priest, Pig and Friar Sand and all the other Gods and Generals.>