Chapter 67 The DhyanaNature Is Stable, and Tuoluo Village Is Saved, The Mind of the Way Is PurifiedAs Corruption Is Removed

Sanzang and disciples stay overnight at a house. When the owner finds out who Monkey is, he asks him for help to catch a monster, which visits his village twice a year and swallows hens and geese whole. Any men or women he finds, he devours alive. As they are talking with the elders of the village about how to catch the monster, the howl of a great wind makes the elders start shaking with fear. Monk, you've asked for trouble and you've got it, they say. You talked about the monster and here he is. Splendid Monkey springs up into mid-air with a whistle, brandishing his cudgel. The monster sees him coming and takes a firm stance and begins to wield a long spear furiously. When the fight has gone on for a long time the East grows light. The monster doesn't dare to fight any longer, so it turns and flees, with Monkey and Pig both after it. The two of them cross a ravine, where they see the monster coiled up, its head held high and its enormous mouth gaping wide. It is about to devour Pig, who flees in terror. Monkey, however, goes straight on towards it and is swallowed in a single gulp.

From inside the monster's belly, Monkey is poking around with his cudgel. He then jabs his cudgel out as hard as he can through the monster's spine from the inside and makes it stand some sixty or seventy feet high, just like a mast. Struggling for its life and in great pain the monster shoots forward faster than the wind, going down the mountain and back the way it has come for over seven miles until it collapses motionless in the dust. It is dead. All the people in the village, young and old, male and female, kneel down and bow to Sanzang and thank him. When they want to take their leave the old man tells them that they have to take Runny Persimmon Lane, a lane about a dozen miles West of the village. Every year over-ripe, rotten persimmons fall on the path, and they fill the rocky lane right up. The rain, dew, snow and frost attack them, and they rot all through the summer until the whole path is a mass of putrefaction. The people round here call it Runny Shit, or Runny Persimmon, Lane. When there's a West wind it smells even worse than a cesspit being emptied. In that case, go and prepare two hundredweight of parched grain, as well as some steamed cakes and buns, say Monkey. When our long-snouted monk has eaten his fill he'll turn into a giant boar and clear the old lane with his snout. Then my master will be able to ride his horse over the mountain while we support him. He'll certainly get across. The splendid idiot makes a spell with his hands, shakes himself, turns himself into a giant hog and goes forward to clear the way.Chapter 68 In the Land of Purpuria, the Tang Priest Discusses History, Sun the Pilgrim in His Charity Offers to Be a Doctor

As they carry on their way a walled and moated city appears before them. Reining in his horse, Sanzang, says, Disciples, can you see where this is? You can't read, Master, Monkey exclaims. How ever did you get the Tang Emperor to send you on this mission? I have been a monk since I was a boy and read classics and scriptures by the thousand, Sanzang replies. How could you say I can't read? Well, Monkey replies, if you can, why ask where we are instead of reading the big clear writing on the apricot-yellow flag over the city wall? Wretched ape, Sanzang shouts, you're talking nonsense. The flag is flapping much too hard in the wind for anyone to read what, if anything, is on it. Then how could I read it? Monkey asks. Don't rise to his bait, Master, Pig and Friar Sand say. From this distance we can't even see the walls and moat clearly, never mind words in a banner. But doesn't it say Purpuria? Monkey asks. Purpuria must be a Western kingdom, Sanzang says. We shall have to present our passport.

Once in town, Monkey and Pig go to do some shopping but find that the crowds really are very dense. As Monkey squeezes his way through them he hears people saying that a royal proclamation has been posted at the tower. The proclamation says that the King has been confined to bed with a chronic illness. An invitation to all experts in medicine is issued to try to heal the sickness. Monkey volunteers to cure the King`s illness. The eunuchs and officers come up to him, bow low and say, Lord Sun, His Majesty is very fortunate today as Heaven has sent you down to us. We are sure that you will display your great skill and give him the benefit of your outstanding medical knowledge. If you cure our king you will receive half the country and half the state. Monkeys goes to the palace to see the King but he is too weak to see anybody. If he won't see a stranger, Monkey says, I know the art of taking the pulses with hanging threads. That is something of which we have only heard, exclaim all the officials, concealing their delight, but that we have never seen with our own eyes. His Majesty consents to pulse-taking by the hanging threads so Monkey puts out his hand to pull three hairs from his tail, holds them in a bunch, calls, Change! and turns them into three golden threads each twenty-four feet long to match the twenty-four periods of the solar year. Then Monkey gives instructions to fasten three threads to His Majesty's left wrist at the inch, the bar and the cubit, and then to pass them out of the window to him, so he can make his diagnosis. Chapter 69 The Heart's Master Prepares Medicine in the Night, The Monarch Discusses a Demon at the Banquet

My diagnosis of Your Majesty's ailment is that you are suffering from alarm and worry. The condition is the one known as the 'pair of birds parted. When the king hears this inside his chamber he is so delighted that his spirits revive and he shouts in reply, You have understood my illness through your fingers. That is indeed my trouble. Please go out and fetch some medicine. All the officials then come forward to ask, Holy monk, reverend sir, what is the 'pair of birds parted' condition of which you spoke just now? It's when a cock bird and a hen who were flying together are suddenly separated by a violent storm, replies Monkey with a smile. The hen misses the cock and the cock misses the hen. Isn't that 'a pair of birds parted?' At this the officials all cry out over and over again in admiration. He really is a holy monk! He really is a divine doctor!

Monkey makes three pills and after the King takes the medicine, he recovers from his illness. The King invites Sanzang and disciples to a banquet and tells Monkey that he has suffered from melancholia for years on end because the Golden Queen has been missing from the palace. An evil spirit took her during the Dragon-boat Festival three years ago. Monkey tells the King that he is willing to go after the evil spirit. The demon returned with different demands several times, so the King had ordered the building of a demon shelter to hide from the demon. While the King shows Monkey the demon shelter, the evil spirit turns up. Brother Monkey summons up his divine prestige and rises up into the air on his magic light, wielding his iron cudgel. Chapter 70 The Evil Monster's Treasures Emit Smoke, Sand and Fire Wukong Steals the Golden Bells by Trickery

The demon, who turns out to be the vanguard warrior under the Great King Evil Star Matcher from Horndog Cave on Mount Unicorn, flees westwards in fear for his life, when his spear is quickly broken in two by Monkey's iron cudgel. The King tells Monkey where the cave of the demon is, and with a single leap Monkey is soon in sight of a tall mountain. After some time, he hears a banging and a clanging like a copper gong, sounding like an official messenger's gong. A young demon appears, holding a yellow flag and carrying a document on his back. Monkey shakes himself and turns himself into a Taoist boy and questions the demon. After finding out want he wants to know, Monkey brings out his cudgel, and hits the little devil on the back of his head, smashing it to a pulp.

Monkey shakes himself and turns into the likeness of the demon messenger, takes the yellow flag and the gong and starts hitting the gong as he strides straight towards Horndog Cave. Once inside the cave, Monkey finds out from the queen, that the demon has three golden bells. As soon as he shakes the first one three thousand feet of burning flames shoot out. When he shakes the second one a three-thousand-foot column of smoke gushes out to kipper people. And when he shakes it the third time a blinding three-thousand-foot sandstorm blows up. The fire and smoke are nothing much, but the sand is lethal. If it gets up your nostrils it can kill you. Monkey devises a plan for the queen to trick the demon into giving her the golden bells. When Monkey gets the bells, he shakes them by accident and smoke, fire and sand come gushing out. Monkey is discovered and panics, dropping the bells behind.Chapter 71 Under a False Name Monkey Beats the Demon Hound, Guanyin Appearsto Subdue the Demon King

Sun Wukong turns himself into a fly and goes to the Queens living quarters, tells her who he is and that he will help her escape. He then turns himself into one of the Queen`s personal slave-girls and steals the three golden bells again, replacing them with fake ones. Then Monkey challenges the demon. When the two of them have fought fifty rounds without result the demon king realizes that Monkey is too strong a fighter for him to be able to beat. Blocking the iron cudgel with his axe the demon says, Stop, Sun the Novice. I haven't had my breakfast yet today. Let me eat, then I'll have it out with you. Monkey is well aware that he wants to fetch the bells, so he puts his cudgel away and says, A hero doesn't chase an exhausted hare. Off you go. Have a good meal, and get ready to come back and die.

The demon reclaims his bells, returns and shouts, Stay where you are, Sun the Novice. Watch while I ring these bells. You have your bells, but why shouldn't I have mine? Monkey replies. You can ring yours, so why shouldn't I ring mine? What bells have you got? the demon king asks. Show me. Monkey pinches his iron cudgel to make it into an embroidery needle that he tucks into his ear then brings out the three real treasures from at his waist. Here are my purple gold bells, he says to the demon king. The sight of them comes as a shock to the demon. That's funny, he thinks, very funny. Why are his bells exactly the same as mine? Even if they'd been cast from the same mould they'd not have been properly smoothed: you'd expect some extra marks or missing knobs. How can they be identical with this? "Shake yours first, says Monkey. The demon king then rings his first bell three times. No fire comes out. He rings his second three times. No smoke comes out. He rings his third three times, and no sand comes out either. Very odd, he says, making wild gestures, very odd. The world's changed. These bells must be hen-pecked. Stop, nephew, says Monkey. Now I'm going to shake mine to show you what happens. The splendid ape then grasps all three bells in one hand and rings them together. Watch as clouds of red flames, black smoke and yellow sand all come gushing out, setting the trees and the mountain ablaze. Monkey then says the words of another spell and shouts Wind! towards the Southeast; and a wind did indeed spring up that fans the flames. With the power of the wind behind them the flames and smoke filled the heavens, blazing red and deepest black, and the earth is covered by the yellow sandstorm. The Evil Star Matcher's souls fled from his body in his terror, but he has nowhere to turn: amid that fire there was no way of escaping with his life. Then a penetrating shout was heard from mid-air: Sun Wukong, I am here. Monkey quickly looks up and sees that it is the Bodhisattva Guanyin holding her vase of pure water in her left hand and a sprig of willow in her right with which to sprinkle sweet dew and puts out the flames. The demon is in fact the golden-haired giant hound on which the Bodhisattva used to ride. She orders the monster to turn back into it`s own form and places the bells round the giant hound's neck, and flies up to her high throne. The Queen is freed and returned to the King. Chapter 72 The Seven Emotions Confuse the Basic in Gossamer Cave, At FilthCleansing Spring,Pig Forgets Himself

Along the way, Sanzang and disciples reach a house in the woods. Despite Monkeys advice, Sanzang wants to go begging for food by himself. When he approaches the house he sees four beautiful girls all busily embroidering phoenix designs. As there are no males but only these four girls to be seen the reverend gentleman does not dare go inside, but slips back under the tall trees and stands stock still. He stands there for an hour. The silence is complete, unbroken by dog or cock. If I'm not even capable of begging us a meal my disciples will laugh at me, he thinks. If the master can't beg a meal, what hope do his disciples have of ever getting to see the Buddha? As he comes nearer, he sees three more girls inside the pavilion juggling a ball with their feet. After watching for a long time Sanzang can only go to the bridge and calls loudly, Bodhisattvas, fate brings me here as a poor monk to beg for the gift of some food. As soon as the women hear him they cheerfully put aside their needlework and balls to come out smiling and giggling through the gates to greet him. The girls offer Sanzang some dishes with food, but Sanzang politely refuses because it`s not vegetarian food. When the woman insists he eats the food Sanzang wishes to leave and as he struggles to get out the women blocked the gateway and refuse to let him go. They grab Sanzang and drag him like a sheep and throw him to the ground. Then they all hold him down, tie him up, and suspend him from the rafters.

When Sanzang doesn`t return, Monkey knows he`s in trouble, summons the local deity and ask him what place they have reached. That is Gossamer Ridge, the local deity replies. Under the ridge there's a cave called Gossamer Cave where seven evil spirits live. Male or female ones? Monkey asks. She-devils, the local deity replies. Monkey turns himself into a fly and spies on the She-devils, who are bathing in a pool. If I hit them I'd kill them, but it wouldn't do my reputation any good, he thinks. As they say, a real man doesn't fight women. The splendid Great Sage makes a spell with his hands, says the words of it, shakes himself and turns into a hungry eagle. With a whoosh of his wings he flies towards them, stretches his sharp talons to seize all seven sets of clothes that are hung on the stands and flies straight back to the ridge with them. Here he reverts to his own form to see Pig and Friar Sand and tells them what he saw. Pig then summons up his spirits and in high delight rushes straight to the pool, his rake held aloft. As he suddenly pushes the gates open and looks inside he sees the seven women squatting in the water and wildly cursing the eagle. As the woman see him, they use magic to make thick silken ropes come out of their navels, filling the sky with a huge silken canopy under which Pig is caught. When the idiot looks up he cannot see the sun in the heavens. He tries to run outside, but he cannot lift his feet, which are tangled in silken ropes that covered the ground. Goodness only knows how many times he stumbles and falls till his whole body is numb, his feet sore, his head aching and his eyes blurred. He can no longer even crawl, but lies groaning on the floor. Then the demons tie him up. They neither beat him up nor wounded him, but spring outside to rush back to their cave, leaving the silken canopy to blot out the daylight. When they reach the stone bridge they stop and say the words of a spell. In an instant the silk canopy is put away, and they all rush stark naked into the cave, covering their private parts with their hands as they ran giggling past the Tang Priest. Pig, meanwhile, whose head is spinning after falling over so often, looks up and suddenly sees that the silken canopy and ropes have all disappeared. Pig goes into the cave, where he finds the master hanging groaning and sobbing in mid-air and unties him.Chapter 73 The Emotions Bear a Grudge and Inflict Disaster, The Heart's Master Smashes the LightWhen He Meets the Demons

The story tells how the Great Sage Sun supports the Tang Priest as they hurry along the main road to the West together with Pig and Friar Sand. Within a few hours they are in sight of a compound with many tall towers and imposing buildings. The Taoist master of the Yellow Flower Temple invites them to some tea. This Taoist so happened to be the teacher of the seven she-devils, who had returned to the temple. When they see Sanzang and his disciples, they tell their master that the monks tried to kill them. The Taoist becomes furious and puts deadly poison in the monks tea. When Brother Monkey takes his cup he has already noticed that there are two black jujubes in the cup left on the tray and doesn`t drink it. However, after the others drink the tea, they all faint and fall to the floor. The splendid Great Sage feels in his ear for his gold-banded cudgel, waves it to make it as thick as a rice-bowl, and strikes at the Taoist master's face. The fighting disturbs the seven she-devils inside, who all rush out, undo their clothes, revealing their white stomachs, and from their navels they produce by magic thick silken ropes that come reeling out in such abundance that they form a canopy under which Brother Monkey is confined. Seeing that things are going badly Monkey gets up, says the words of a spell, does a somersault, smashes through the canopy and escapes. A local God informs Monkey that the she-devils are really seven spider spirits. The silken ropes that come out of them are spiders' webs. Monkey then goes to the outside of the Yellow Flower Temple, pulls seventy hairs out of his tail, blows on them with magic breath and shouts, Change! The hairs turn into seventy little Monkeys. He then blows a magic breath on his gold-banded cudgel, calls Change! and turns it into seventy two-pronged forks, one of which he gives to each of the little Monkeys. Monkey himself uses one of the forks to twist the silken ropes as he stands outside, then they all attack together to the rhythm of a tune, tearing the ropes to pieces, each of them tearing off over ten pounds of rope. They drag seven spiders out from inside. Each is about the size of a wicker basket. All of them hold their hands and feet together and have ropes round their necks. Spare us, spare us, they say. The seventy little Monkeys then press the seven spiders to the ground, refusing to let them go. Dont hit them, says Monkey. All we want is to make them give my master and my brothers back. Elder Brother, shriek the demons at the tops of their voices, give the Tang Priest back and save our lives. The Taoist master rushes outside saying, Sisters, I'm going to eat the Tang Priest. I can't save you. This infuriates Brother Monkey. If you won't give my master back just watch what happens to your sisters. The splendid Great Sage waves his fork, turns it back into an iron cudgel that he lifts with both hands and smashes the seven spider spirits to pulp. Then he shakes his tail a couple of times, puts the hairs back on it and charges inside alone, swinging his cudgel to fight the Taoist master.

When the Taoist master fights fifty or sixty rounds with the Great Sage he feels his hand weakening and his sinews getting slack, so he undoes his belt and with a loud flapping noise takes off his black robe. Well, my lad, says the Great Sage with a laugh, if you can't beat me you still won't be able to when you strip off. Once the Taoist master strips off his clothes he raises both hands to reveal under his ribs a thousand eyes flashing golden light. The Great Sage Equaling Heaven is caught in the golden light and yellow smoke. Monkey starts lashing out desperately with his hands and feet, but can only spin around inside the golden light, unable to take a step either forwards or backwards. It is as if he is turning round and round in a bucket. It is hopeless. He is unbearably hot. In his anxiety he leaps into the air, smashing against the golden light, and crashing head first to the ground. His head aches where he hit it, and feels anxiously to find that the top of his scalp is tender. The splendid Great Sage says the words of a spell, shakes himself, and turns into one of those scaly diggers called pangolins. Watch him as he burrows into the ground with his head, not coming out again till he covers over six miles. When he emerges and turns back into himself he is exhausted. His muscles ach, his whole body is in pain, and he cannot help weeping. Just as the Handsome Monkey King is feeling miserable, a woman appears who tells him. Go to Mount Purple Clouds, where there lives a sage called Vairambha who will be able to defeat that demon. Monkey goes to Mount Purple clouds and the Bodhisattva Vairambha helps Monkey to catch the demon and gives him three pills to give to Sanzang Pig and Friar Sand, to recover from the poison.Chapter 74 Li Changgeng Reports the Demons' Vicious Nature, The Novice DisplaysHis Powers of Transformation

Emotions and desires are in origin all the same;Both emotions and desires are completely natural.Many a gentleman refines himself in the Buddhist faith;When desire and emotions are forgotten, dhyana comes.Don't be impatient; be firm of heart;Be free of dust like the moon in the sky.Make no mistake in your labors and your progress; When your efforts are completed you will be an enlightened immortal.The story tells how Sanzang and his disciples, having broken through the net of desires and escape from the prison-house of the emotions, let the horse travel West. After a mile or two an old man appears. He stands far away at the top of the slope shouting, Venerable gentleman travelling West, stop your worthy steed. Rein in. There is a band of demons on this mountain who have eaten all the people in the continent of Jambu. Go no further! At this Sanzang turns pale with terror, and because the horse is not standing steadily and he himself is not well seated in the carved saddle he crashes to the ground and lay in the grass, moaning but unable to move. Monkey goes over to help him to his feet with the words, Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I'm here. Did you hear the old man up on the crag telling us that there's a band of demons on this mountain who have eaten everyone in the continent of Jambu? says Sanzang. Who'll dare go to ask him what this is really all about? Sit there while I go and ask him, Monkey replies. With your ugly face and coarse language I'm afraid you may shock him, says Sanzang, so you won't get the truth from him. I'll make myself a bit better looking before questioning him, laughs Brother Monkey. Do a change to show me, says Sanzang, and the splendid Great Sage makes a spell with his fingers, shakes himself, and turns into a very neat little monk, clear-eyed, fine-browed, round-headed and regular of features. He moves in a most refined way and says nothing vulgar when he opens his mouth. Brushing his brocade tunic he steps forward and says to the Tang Priest, Master, have I changed for the better? Yes, says the delighted Sanzang. The splendid Great Sage leaves them behind as he goes straight up to the old man, bows to him and says, Greetings, venerable sir. The old man warns Monkey to go no further. They are close to Lion Ridge, which is 250 miles around. In it there is a Lion Cave where there are three demon chieftains. The three demon chiefs have the most tremendous magic powers. There must be 47,000 or 48,000 little demons altogether under their command.

The splendid Great Sage goes straight up to a peak by his somersault cloud and scouts around. After a while, he sees a little devil boy with a banner on which was written BY ORDER over his shoulder, a bell at his waist and clappers in his hands. Monkey does a quick transformation into another junior devil, sounding clappers, ringing a bell and carrying a flag over his shoulder just like the real one, goes up to the devil boy and pretends to be a Senior Patroller in charge of the devil boys company. He shows him a pass that he made on the spot as proof. The devil boy takes Monkey to meet the rest of his company. After a mile or two a writing-brush peak is seen. Why is it called a writing-brush peak? Because on the top of the mountain there is a pinnacle about forty or fifty feet high that looks just like a writing brush standing upright on a brush stand. Going up to it Monkey lifts his tail, jumps to the top of the pinnacle and calls, Come here, all of you. The young Wind-piercers, the official name for the devil boys, all bow low beneath him and say, We're at your service, sir. Monkey questions them about the powers of the Senior Devils and learns that they have a treasure called the Male and Female Vital Principles Jar. Anyone who's put in that jar is turned liquid in a few moments. When he finds out all they know he kills the junior Wind-piercer, turns into the exact likeness of him and goes straight to the cave to find out about the demon chieftains. . Chapter 75 The MindApe Bores a Hole in the Male and Female Jar, The Demon King Returnsand the Way Is Preserved

Brother Monkey strides inside, quite unafraid, puts down his clappers and bell, and calls, Your Majesties. The three old demons chuckle and reply, So you're back, young Wind-piercer. Yes, Monkey replies. When you were patrolling what did you find out about where Sun the Novice is? Your Majesties, Monkey replies, I don't dare tell you. Monkey then makes up a story about himself. He tells them that Sun the Novice may turn himself into a fly, get in through a crack between the gates and catch us all. Then they'll be done for. Be very careful, brothers, says the senior demon. We haven't had a fly here for years, so any fly that gets in will be Sun the Novice. So I'll change into a fly and frighten them into opening the gates, thinks Monkey, smiling to himself. The splendid Great Sage then slips aside, reaches up to pull a hair from the back of his head, blows on it with a magic breath, calls Change! and turns it into a golden fly that flies straight into the old demon's face. Brothers, says the old demon in a panic, this is terrible! He's inside! All the demons great and small are so alarmed that they rush forward to swat the fly with their rakes and brooms. The Great Sage can not help giggling aloud, which was just what he should not do as it reveals his true face. The third demon chief leaps forward, grabs him and says, Brothers, he almost had us fooled. Who had who fooled? the senior demon asks. The young devil who reported just now was no junior Wind-piercer, the third chief replies, but Sun the Novice himself. He must have run into a junior Wind-piercer and somehow or other murdered him and done this transformation to trick us.

Monkey is found out and captured. "Now that we've captured Sun the Novice the Tang Priest is as good as a meal in our mouths. says the third demon chief. Sun the Novice is a slippery customer and is good at escaping by magic. I'm worried he might get away. Tell the juniors to bring the jar out and put him inside. Monkey is put inside the jar and soon his ankle began to hurt. Putting his hand down at once to feel it he finds that it has been burnt so badly it had gone soft. I don't know what to do, he says with anxiety, My ankle's been cooked tender. I'm a cripple now. Just when he is feeling thoroughly miserable he suddenly remembers, Years ago the Bodhisattva gave me three life-saving hairs on the Coiled Snake Mountain. I wonder if I've still got them. I'd better look for them. He feels all over his body and finds three very rigid hairs on the back of his head. All the other hair on my body is soft except for these three that are as hard as spears, he says with delight. They must be my lifesavers. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he pulls the three hairs out, blows on them with magic breath and calls, Change! One of them turns into a steel drill, one into a strip of bamboo, and one into a silken cord. He makes the bamboo strip into a bow to which he fixes the drill. After a noisy spell of drilling at the bottom of the jar he makes a hole through which the light comes in. I'm in luck, he says with glee, I'm in luck. Now I can get out. No sooner has he transformed himself ready to escape than the jar becomes cool again. Why is that? It cooled because the hole he has bored in it let the male and female vital forces escape. The splendid Great Sage put his hairs back, makes himself small by turning into the tiniest of insects, a very delicate creature as thin as a whisker and as long as an eyebrow hair, and slips out through the hole. Chapter 76 When the Heart Spirit Stays in the Home, the Demons Submit, The Mother of Wood HelpsBring Monsters to the Truth

When Monkey shakes himself and turns back into himself, he is discovered and one of the senior demons charges at him. The monster opens his jaws to eat Monkey up. This is just what Monkey intends so he goes straight towards the demon, who swallows him in a single gulp. Elder brother, says the third demon chief with horror, Sun the Novice isn't worth eating. I'm delicious, says the Great Sage from inside the demon's stomach, and I'll stop you from ever feeling hungry again. This causes the junior devils such a shock that they report, This is terrible, Your Senior Majesty. Sun the Novice is talking inside your stomach. Sun the Novice, the monster calls, won't you come out? Not yet, Monkey replies, and starts kicking about him, swinging on the demon's liver, doing headstands and somersaults, and dancing wildly. This causes the monster such unbearable pain that he collapses. Desperate to save his skin, the evil monster calls out, I beg you, Great Sage, in your mercy and compassion take pity on my antlike greed for life and spare me. If you do I'll escort your master across the mountain. Evil monster, Monkey shouts, I'll spare your life, I`m coming out". He puts his hand behind him to pluck a tiny hair from his tail, blows on it with magic breath, calls Change! and makes it into a string as fine as a hair but some four hundred feet long. One end Monkey fastens round the evil monster's heart in a slip-knot that he doesn`t tightenif he did it would cause great pain. The other end he holds in his hand as he says to himself, If they agree to escort my master across the ridge when I come out I'll leave it at that. But if they refuse and go for me with their weapons so hard that I can't cope with them I'll just need to pull this rope. I'll get the same results as if I were still inside. As he comes out, Monkey bows and grows over thirty feet long, keeping the string in one hand and holding the iron cudgel in the other. The wicked monster raises his steel sword as soon as he sees Monkey appear and hacks at his face. The Great Sage meets the blow one-handed with his cudgel. Then the second demon chief with his spear and the third chief with his halberd go for him furiously. The Great Sage relaxes his pull on the rope, puts his iron cudgel away and makes off at speed by cloud, afraid that he will be unable to fight properly when surrounded by so many devils. Once he leaps out of the demons' camp he brings his cloud down on a spacious and empty mountain top and pulls with both hands on the rope as hard as he can. This gives the senior demon a pain in the heart. The demon struggles upwards in agony, whereupon the Great Sage pulls him down again. The demon came whistling down out of the sky like a spinning-wheel to crash into the dust, making a crater some two feet deep in the hard earth at the foot of the mountain.

This gives the second and third demon chiefs such a fright that they kneel at the foot of the mountain and say, "If in your mercy and compassion you spare our lives, Great Sage, kowtowing together, we vow to escort your master across this mountain. Monkey shakes himself and puts the hair back on his body, whereupon the monster's heart pains stop. The three demon chiefs then rise up into the air to thank him with the words, Please go back now, Great Sage, and pack your luggage. We will carry your master. The three demon chiefs go back to their cave to get a chair to carry the Tang Priest in, but decide to have it out with the Great Sage again. The second demon chief musters three thousand junior demons and goes out to challenge him. He sends a herald with a blue flag to carry a message. Sun the Novice, the herald says, come out at once and fight His Second Majesty. I'm not scared of him, Pig says. I'll go and give him a fight. If you want to, go ahead, Monkey replies. The idiot lifts his rake and rushes up the steep slope shouting. Come out, evil spirit! Come and fight your ancestor Pig! The two of them join battle in front of the mountainside, and before they have fought seven or eight rounds the idiot begins to weaken. He is no longer able to hold the evil spirit off. The evil spirit unwinds his trunk that is like a python, wraps it round Pig and carries him back in triumph to the cave. Monkey goes after them, frees Pig and captures the yellow-tusked elephant demon. I won`t kill you if are really willing to escort my master across the mountain. As soon as he hears this, the demon falls to his knees and promises to do so. Great Sage, he says, I'll carry him across by chair if you spare my life. "If you break your word again we most certainly won't spare your life when we catch you next time, Monkey says. The freed monster kowtows and leaves. A little while later, the demons come back with the carrying-chair, but they have devised another plan to catch the Tang Priest. When they have traveled about 150 miles West they find themselves near a walled city. Monkey sees a very evil atmosphere hanging over the town. Just as he is being overcome by terror the Great Sage hears a wind from behind him and turns quickly to see the third demon chief raising a heaven-square halberd. Monkey then sees the senior demon chief giving out orders as he lifts his steel saber to hack at Pig. Meanwhile the second demon chief is thrusting with his spear at Friar Sand, who parried with his demon-quelling staff. Sixteen junior devils obey their orders and carry Sanzang straight to the city.Chapter 77 The Demon Host Mistreats the Fundamental Nature, The One Body PaysHis Respects to the Buddha

We will tell now not of the sufferings of the venerable Tang Elder but of the three demon chiefs in strenuous combat with the Great Sage and his two brother disciples in the low hills to the East outside the city. After the six of them have been fighting for a long time evening is drawing in. Pig is finding it harder and harder to hold off his opponent and is soon captured. Seeing that things are going badly Friar Sand feints with his staff and turns to flee only to be caught. Now Monkey has to fight off the three demons together. Monkey can not get out of the third demon chief talons no matter how hard he struggles. The demon takes him back inside the city to the palace, releases his talons, drops him into the dust, and tells the fiendish hordes to tie him up and put him with Pig and Friar Sand. Third brother, you really are strong and wise, says the senior demon. Your plan to capture the Tang Priest was brilliant and it worked. Little ones, he called, Five of you carry water, seven scrub the pans, ten get the fire burning and twenty fetch the iron steamer. When we've steamed the four monks tender for my brothers and me to enjoy we'll give you juniors a piece so that you can all live for ever. Brother, says Pig, trembling, when he hears this, listen. That evil spirit's planning to steam and eat us. A little later a junior devil comes in to report that the water is boiling. The senior chief orders that the monks be carried in, and all the demons act together to carry Pig to the lowest shelf of the steamer and Friar Sand to the second shelf. Guessing that they would be coming for him next Brother Monkey frees himself and says, This lamplight is just right for some action. He then pulls out a hair, blows on it with magic breath, calls, Change! and turns it into another Monkey he ties up with the hempen rope while extracting his real self in spirit form to spring into mid-air, look down and watch. Not realizing his deception, the crowd of demons pick up the false Monkey they see and carry him to the third tray of the steamer, near the top. Only then do they drag the Tang Priest to the ground, tie him up, and put him into the fourth tray. In the meantime Monkey summons the Dragon King of the Northern Ocean to protect Sanzang for him and tells him to not let the steam harm him. The Dragon King at once turns himself into a cold wind that blows underneath the cooking pot and coils around to shield it from all the heat of the fire. Thus are the three of them saved from death.

That night Monkey hears a rumor in the city that the Tang Priest is eaten raw by the senior king during the night. This makes Brother Monkey really anxious. He returns to the palace, shakes himself, turns himself into a junior demon, and frees Friar Sand and Pig who confirm the story. Now that it seems true, the Great Sage is cut to the heart. Deep in misery, Monkey says to himself, It's all the fault of our Buddha, the Tathagata, who has nothing better to do in his paradise than make the three stores of scriptures. If he really wanted to convert people to be good he ought to have sent them to the East himself. Oh well! I'll ride my somersault cloud to see the Tathagata Buddha and tell him what's happened. The splendid Great Sage jumps to his feet and goes straight to India on his somersault cloud. The Tathagata Buddha is sitting on his nine-level lotus throne expounding the sutras to his eighteen arhats when he sees Monkey he says, Wukong, what makes you so miserable? Brother Monkey describes their difficulties along the way, and that the demons have eaten Sanzang. Before he has finished tears well up. There is no end to his howls of misery.Don't upset yourself so, Wukong, says the Tathagata with a smile. You can't beat those evil spirits. Their magical powers are more than you can handle. That is why you are so unhappy. I shall have to go and subdue the demons in person, the Tathagata says. Monkey kowtows as he respectfully replies, I beg you to condescend to grant us your illustrious presence. The Tathagata then comes down from his lotus throne and goes out through the monastery gates down to the city. Two of the monsters are quickly captured, but the third evil monster is more difficult to subdue. Spreading its wings it drops its heaven-square halberd and rises straight up to try to catch the Monkey King with a swing of its sharp talons, but as the Great Sage is biding in the golden aura of the Buddha, the demon dares get nowhere near him. When the Tathagata realizes what it is trying to do he makes his golden aura flash and shakes his head, the supreme meditator in the wind, to turn the creature into a bright red lump of bloody meat. The evil spirit seizes it with a flourish of its sharp talons, whereupon the Lord Buddha points upwards with his hand, destroying the muscles in the monster's wings. It cannot fly or get away from the top of the Buddha's head, and it reverts to its true appearance as a golden-winged vulture. Lord Buddha, today you have captured the evil spirits and removed a great bane, but my master is dead. At this the Great Roc says bitterly as it grounds its teeth, Damned ape! Why did you have to bring these ferocious men here to persecute me? I never ate that old monk of yours. He's in the Brocade Fragrance Pavilion now, isn't he? When Monkey hears this he quickly kowtows to thank the Lord Buddha and goes to the Brocade Fragrance Pavilion. Opening the door and looking inside he sees an iron trunk from which can be heard the sound of Sanzang weeping. Friar Sand uses his demon-quelling staff to open the iron cage over the chest and raise its lid. Master, he calls. At the sight of them Sanzang weeps aloud and says, Disciples, how were the demons beaten? How did you manage to find me here? Monkey tells him all the details of what has happened from beginning to end and Sanzang expresses boundless gratitude. Chapter 78 In Bhiksuland the Hidden Gods Are Sent on an Errand of Mercy, In the Palace the Monster Is Revealed and the Way Discussed

A single thought at once disturbs a hundred monsters;The hardest efforts are all to no avail.One can only wash away each speck of dust,Tidy everything and polish well.Sweep all causation away and come to nirvana;Waste no time and destroy the thousand demons.You surely will be free from obstructions,And rise to the Daluo Heaven when your deeds are done.The master and disciples reach a city that has been called Bhiksuland, but is now called Boytown. Monkey discovers the entrance to every house has a basketwork coop of the sort geese are kept in. A little boy is seated inside each coop. They are informed that three years ago an old man dressed as a Taoist came to the town with a fifteen year old girl. She was a ravishing beauty, just like a Bodhisattva Guanyin. He presented her to the king, who was so smitten by her charms that she became the favorite of all his women. She was given the title Queen Beauty. The king had no eyes for any of his other queens or consorts. He was so insatiable that he was at it day and night. The result was nervous exhaustion and physical collapse. He was eating and drinking next to nothing. He may die at any moment. The Royal College of Physicians tried every possible medicine without any success. The Taoist who presented the girl to the king was rewarded with the title of Elder of the Nation. He has a secret foreign formula for making people live a great deal longer. He's been to ten continents and the three magic islands to collect the ingredients. Everything is ready. The only problem is that it needs a terrible adjuvant to help ita potion made from the hearts of 1,111 little boys. After the King has taken the medicine, he'll have a thousand years of vigorous life ahead of him. All the little boys being kept in the coops are the ones that have been chosen. Their parents are so afraid of the king that none of them dare weep. That's why they've put out the story that this place is now called Boytown. Monkey asks the city god, the local deities, the officiating immortals, the Protectors of the Faith of the four quarters and the center, the Four Duty Gods, the Six Dings and the Six Jias and the Guardians of the Teaching to use all their powers to lift the little boys and their coops over the city wall into a mountain hollow or somewhere deep in a forest and keep them there for a day or two.

When the Elder of the nation discovers that the boys are gone, he isn`t upset. He has just seen Sanzang, when he went for an audience with the king to present his passport. The Elder tells the king, The monk from the East who is being sent to fetch the scriptures has pure organs and regular features. His is the body of one who has cultivated his conduct for ten lifetimes. He has been a monk since childhood and has preserved his masculine purity, which all makes him ten thousand times better than those little boys. If you can make a decoction from his heart with which to take my elixir I can guarantee you an extremely long life. Monkey, who was disguised as a fly, had heard this conversation when he secretly accompanied Sanzangs audience and stayed in the palace to investigate. When Sanzang is later summoned to the palace, Monkey changes himself into Sanzang and goes instead.Chapter 79 Searching the Cave to Capture the Fiend They Meet Longevity, The Reigning Monarch Saves the Little Boys

King of Bhiksuland, shouts imitation Tang Priest, what have you summoned me here to say to me? We are sick with a chronic illness that has dragged on for many a day without any improvement, the king replies. Now the Elder of the Nation has to our good fortune presented us with a prescription that has been made up. All that is needed now is an adjuvant. The reason we have sent for you, reverend sir, is to ask you for the adjuvant. If we recover we will build a temple to you in which offerings will be made in all four seasons and incense will be burnt to you in perpetuity by our country. I am a man of religion, the imitation Tang Priest replies, and have brought nothing with me. I do not know what adjuvant the Elder of the Nation has told Your Majesty you need. Your heart, reverend sir, the deluded monarch replies. I will be frank with Your Majesty, the imitation Tang Priest says. I have a number of hearts. I don't know which you want. Monk, pronounces the Elder of the Nation, who was standing beside the king. I want your black heart. Very well then, the imitation Tang Priest replies. Produce your knife at once and open up my chest. If there is a black heart there I shall offer it to you obediently. The deluded monarch thanks him delightedly and orders an official in attendance to bring a small knife with a blade shaped like a cow's ear that is handed to the imitation Tang Priest. Taking the knife, the imitation Tang Priest undoes his clothes, thrusts out his chest, presses his left hand against his abdomen and cuts the skin of his stomach open with the knife in his right hand. There is a whoosh, and out roll a whole pile of hearts. The civilian officials all turn pale with fright; the military officers are numbed. When the Elder of the Nation sees this from inside the throne hall he says, This monk is a suspicious-minded character. He has too many hearts. The imitation Tang Priest then holds up the hearts one by one, each dripping with blood, for all to see. They include a loyal red heart, a pure white heart, a yellow heart, an avaricious heart, a fame-hungry heart, a jealous heart, a calculating heart, an over-competitive heart, an ambitious heart, an overbearing heart, a murderous heart, a vicious heart, a frightened heart, a cautious heart, a heretical heart and a heart full of indefinable gloom. There was every kind of evil heart except a black one.

The deluded ruler is horror-struck, unable to speak until he says in tones, Put them away! Put them away! The imitation Tang Priest has taken as much as he could, so he puts his magic away and turns back into himself to say to the deluded monarch, Your Majesty, you're not at all perceptive. We monks all have good hearts. It's only this Elder of the Nation of yours who has a black heart. His would make a good adjuvant for the medicine. If you don't believe me I'll take his out to show you. When the Elder of the Nation hears this he opens his eyes wide to take a careful look. He sees that the monk's face has changed to something quite different. Heavens! Recognizing him as the Great Sage Monkey who had been so famous five hundred years ago he makes a getaway by cloud. Monkey does a somersault and springs up into mid-air to shout, Where do you think you're going? Take this from me! The Elder uses his stick with a dragon on its head to meet the blow from Monkey's cudgel. The two of them fight a fine battle up in the sky. When the evil spirit has fought over twenty hard rounds with Monkey his dragon staff is no longer a match for the gold-banded cudgel. Feinting with his staff, the spirit turns himself into a beam of cold light and drops into the inner quarters of the palace to take the demon queen he has presented to the king out through the palace gates with him. She too turns into cold light and disappears. Monkey asks the local God if he knows a demon cave in the neighborhood. The local God tells Monkey to look for the nine-forked willow on the Southern bank, walk round it three times to the left and three times to the right, hit the tree with both hands and shout 'Open up' three times. The Pure Splendor Cave Palace will then appear. The Great Sage follows the local god's advice and after he shouts 'Open up' three times, a pair of double doors open with a noisy whoosh and the tree is nowhere to be seen. Inside the doors is bright light of many colors but no sign of human life. Hurrying forward for a closer look Monkey sees that on the stone screen is carved IMMORTAL PALACE OF PURE SPLENDOR. Unable to restrain himself, he jumps over the stone screen to see the old monster embracing a beautiful woman and telling her breathlessly what has happened in Bhiksuland. That was our chance, they say together. Three years' efforts should have paid off today, but that ape's ruined everything. Monkey charges up to them, brandishing his cudgel and shouting, I'll get you, you fools. What do you mean, that was your chance? Take that! After fighting several rounds Monkey hears the calls of the phoenix and the crane and looks up to see that it is the Star of Longevity from the Southern pole of the heavens. Placing a cover over the cold light the old man calls out, Don't be in such a hurry, Great Sage, he's a messenger of mine, I carelessly let him escape to become a monster here. The Star of Longevity then lets the cold light out and shouts, Evil beast! Turn back into yourself at once if you want to be spared the death penalty. The demon turns himself round and reveals that he is really a white deer. Chapter 80 The Young Girl Seeks a Mate to Build Up the Male, Protecting His Master the MindApe Sees Through a Demon

When the four have been traveling for a long time another towering mountain appears in front of them. Master, Monkey calls there's a path that goes round the mountain. The Tang Priest answers, Let`s sit here for a moment to let the horse have a rest. I am, besides, famished. Go and beg me some meat-free food from somewhere. Sanzang is sitting in the forest clarifying his mind and contemplating the Buddha-nature as he recites the Mahaprajnaparamita Heart Sutra when suddenly he hears a high-pitched cry of Help! As he goes closer he sees a woman tied to a big tree. The top half of her body is bound to the trunk with creepers and her lower half buried in the ground. Sanzang stops to ask, Why are you tied up here, lady Bodhisattva? It is quite obvious that the wretched creature is an evil monster, but with his mortal eyes in a worldling's body Sanzang is unable to perceive this. The evil spirit makes up a story and as Sanzang really does have a merciful heart he can not help weeping and sobbing himself.The Tang Priest points at the tree and says , Pig, untie this lady Bodhisattva and save her life. Without caring whether this is the right or the wrong thing to do, the idiot sets to. Brother, replies Monkey with a smile, don't untie her. She's an evil spirit who's been putting on an act to fool us. Wretched ape, shouts Sanzang, talking nonsense again. How can you possibly take a girl like this for an evil spirit? There's something you don't know, Master. Monkey replies. In the old days I tried all these tricks myself when I wanted some human flesh. You couldn't possibly tell what she is. Master, says Pig, pouting sulkily, don't let that Protector of the Horses take you in. She's a local girl. We've never had dealings with her before on our long journey from the East and she's no relation or in-law of ours, so how can you say she's an evil spirit? He's trying to get rid of us by making us go ahead so he can turn a somersault and get back here by magic. Then he's going to have a bit of fun with her and ruin our reputation. You cretin, shouts Brother Monkey, stop talking such rubbish. I've never done any such outrageous thing on all our journey to the West. I reckon it must have been some reckless womanizer like yourself who forgot his principles when he saw a good chance. I expect you tricked some family into taking you as their son-in-law and tied her up here. That's enough of that, said Sanzang, that's enough. Disciple, the Tang Priest replies, there's an old saying, 'Do not fail to do a good deed because it is small; do not commit a bad deed because it is small.' You're still to go and save her.

After she is untied the demon stamps her feet, fastens her skirt and happily follows the Tang Priest out of the pine forest. Within seven to ten miles the evening is drawing in and a tall building comes into sight. Disciples, says Sanzang, that must be a temple of some sort. We shall ask to spend the night here and be on our way first thing tomorrow. They were soon at the gates, where Sanzang tells them, Keep well out of the way while I go in first to ask if we can stay for the night. If it looks suitable I shall send someone to call to you. As he walks further Sanzang sees written over the gate in large letters SEA-GUARDING MONASTERY OF MEDITATION. He strides in through the gates, where a monk appears coming towards him. After leading Sanzang into the abbot's lodgings and going through the rituals of greeting the lama asks him, Where have you come from, venerable Father? I have been sent by His Majesty the Emperor of Great Tang in the East to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures from Thunder Monastery in India in the West, Sanzang replies. I don't think that a lone traveler looking as delicate as you could possibly be a pilgrim going to fetch the scriptures, says the lama. You are quite right, abbot, Sanzang replies. I could never have got here alone. I have three disciples who clear my way across the mountains and build me bridges over rivers. It is only because they have protected me that I have been able to reach your monastery. Where are your three distinguished disciples? the lama asks. Waiting outside the gates of the monastery, Sanzang replies. Father, says the lama with alarm, you don't realize that there are dangerous tigers, wolves, evil bandits, ghosts and demons here. We don't dare roam far even by day and we shut the gates before nightfall. How can you leave people outside this late? He then tells his disciples to ask them in at once. Chapter 81 The MindApe Recognizes a Monster in the Monastery, The Three Search for Their Master in Black Pine Forest

Sanzang and his disciples are given a vegetarian meal. When the four of them have eaten the girl is also fed. The next day Sanzang feels ill and they stay at the monastery for three days. On the third day they hear that in the three days they've been in the monastery, an evil spirit has eaten six of the monastery's young lamas. Monkey goes to the Buddha Hall. He breaths out some of his magic fire to light the glazed lamp then beats the drum that stands to the East and strikes the bell to the West. That done, he shakes himself and turns himself into a young lama of only eleven or twelve who is wearing a yellow silk shirt and a white cotton tunic, striking a wooden fish with his hand as he recites a sutra. He waits till the first watch without seeing anything happen. Then a roaring wind can be heard. As soon as the wind has passed by there was a fragrance of musk and incense and the tinkling of pendants. When Monkey looks up he sees that a woman of great beauty is going towards the Buddha Hall. Monkey mumbles the words of a sutra for all he is worth. The woman goes up to him, puts her arms around him and asks, What's that sutra you're reciting? One I vowed to, says Monkey. But why are you still reciting it when the others are all asleep? she insists. I vowed to, so why shouldn't I? Monkey replies. Keeping a tight hold on him, the woman kisses his lips and says, as the stars and moon are so bright tonight and we are fated to come hundreds of miles to meet each other, let's go round to the garden at the back to make love. When Brother Monkey hears this he nods to himself and thinks, So those stupid lamas all died because they were led astray by lust. Now she's trying to lure me. Lady, he says in reply, I'm a monk and still very young. I don't know anything about love-making. Come with me and I'll teach you, the woman replies. All right then, Monkey thought with an inward smile, I'll go with her and see how she fixes things. Shoulder nestling against shoulder and hand in hand the two of them leave the Buddha Hall and go straight to the garden at the back. Here the monster trips Monkey over and sends him to the ground. With wild calls of My darling! she makes a grab for his crotch. So you really want to eat me up, my girl, he says, seizing her hand and throwing her off balance so that she somersaulted to the ground. So you can throw your sweetie to the ground, can you, my darling? she says. If I don't take this chance to finish her off what am I waiting for? he thinks. As they say, hit first and win, strike second and lose. He leans forward with his hands on his hips, springs to his feet and reverts to his own form. With a swing of his gold-banded iron cudgel he strikes at the monster's head.

The Great Sage Monkey is in such high spirits that his cudgel never misses. Realizing that she is no match for him, the evil spirit takes the embroidered shoe off her left foot, blows on it with a magic breath, says the words of a spell, calls out, Change! and turns it into a likeness of herself that comes back at him waving a pair of swords. Meanwhile she turns her real body with a shake into a pure breeze and goes. This is Sanzang's star of disaster. She heads straight for the abbot's quarters, lifts Sanzang up into a cloud, and, on the instant, before anyone can see anything, she is back at Mount Pitfall and inside the Bottomless Cave, where she tells her underlings to prepare a vegetarian marriage feast. The story switches back to Brother Monkey, who fights with desperate anxiety until he is able to seize an opening and smash the evil spirit to the ground with a single blow, only to find that she is in fact an embroidered shoe. Realizing that he has fallen for a trick he goes straight back to see the master, but the master is gone. Monkey tells the lamas to go and see if the girl is still in the devarajas' hall.She's gone, my lord, the lamas say, she's gone. She has spent only one night there and was gone the next morning.That girl who was tied up in the Black Pine Forest the other day, Monkey says, I saw through her with my fiery eyes and golden pupils, but you all thought she was a good person. And now it's her who's eaten the monks and her who's carried the master off. You all did a fine thing rescuing that 'lady Bodhisattva'. As she's carried the master off we're going back the way we came to look for her. Monkey summons the mountain god and a local deity and discovers that the evil spirit has taken Sanzang to the Bottomless Cave at Mount Pitfal, three hundred miles due South. The master's a long way from here, says Monkey to Pig and Friar Sand. If it's a long way let's go there by cloud, Pig replies. The splendid idiot goes ahead on a wild wind followed by Friar Sand on a cloud. As the white horse has originally been a dragon's son he too comes by wind and mist as he carries the luggage on his back. The Great Sage sets off by somersault as he heads due South.Chapter 82 The Girl Seeks the Male, The Primal Deity Guards the Way

Before long a high mountain comes into view that is blocking the way for the clouds.They leap down the mountainside and find a narrow path. After following it for nearly two miles they came across two she-monsters drawing water from a well. They followed the two monsters for five or six miles deep into the mountains before suddenly disappearing. Monkey spots a ceremonial archway on which four large words are written: PITFALL MOUNTAIN: BOTTOMLESS CAVE. This must be where the evil spirit lives, Monkey thinks. I'll go in and find out what's up. No, wait. If I go in like this she'll recognize me. I'd better transform myself. With a shake and a hand-spell he turns himself into a fly and flies lightly up to land on the gate-tower and listens in. When he spreads his wings and flies inside to look he sees the Tang Priest sitting in a corridor behind a trellis covered with opaque red paper below and left clear above. Butting a hole through the trellis paper Monkey lands on the Tang Priest's bald head and calls, Master. Save me, disciple, replies Sanzang, who recognizes Monkey's voice. Monkey tells Sanzang that the evil spirit is going to drink some wine with him. When Sanzang pours her wine, he should pour it out quickly and make a lot of froth. Monkey will turn him self into a tiny insect and fly under the bubbles.

Sanzag does as monkey told him. But when the spirit takes the goblet she puts it down instead of drinking from it, bows twice to the Tang Priest and speaks loving words to him with charming bashfulness. By the time she lifts the cup the bubbles have burst and the insect is revealed. Not realizing that it is Monkey transformed, the evil spirit takes it for a real insect, lifts it out with her little finger and flicks it away. Seeing that as things are not going as he intended he would be unable to get into her belly, Monkey turns himself into a hungry eagle. Monkey flies up, swings his jade claws, and noisily overturns the tables, smashing all the fruit, vegetables and crockery, and leaving the Tang Priest alone there as he flies off. This is so terrifying that the she-devil's heart and gall are split open, and the Tang Priest's flesh and bones are turned crisp. Shivering and shaking, the evil spirit throws her arms round the Tang Priest and says, Dearest reverend gentleman, wherever did that come from? I don't know, Sanzang replies. A little later monkey returns in the form of a fly again, and says, Don't be angry with me, Master. I've got a way to save you. How will you save me? the Tang Priest asks. When I flew up just now, says Monkey, I saw that she has a garden behind here. You must lure her into the garden to fool around and I'll rescue you from there. How will you rescue me from the garden? the Tang Priest asks. Go to the peach trees in the garden with her and stay there. Wait till I've flown to a branch of the peach tree and turned into a red peach. When you want to eat a peach pick the red one firstthat will be me. She'll be bound to pick one too. You must insist on giving her the red one. Once she's swallowed it I'll be in her stomach. When I tear her stomach to pieces and rip her guts to shreds she'll be dead and you'll be freed. With your powers you ought to fight her, says Sanzang. Why do you want to get into her stomach? You don't understand, Master, Monkey replies. If it were easy to get in and out of this cave of hers I would be able to fight her. But this place is very hard to get into or out of: the way out is complicated and difficult. If I started a fight with her all the fiends in her den, young and old, would overpower me. Then how would it end? We must act carefully if we're all to make a clean getaway. This time the plan works and once inside the evil spirit Monkey shouts. You must take my master out. I'll only spare your life when you've carried him outside. This leaves the evil spirit with no choice as all she cares about is saving her skin. At once she struggles to her feet, lifts the Tang Priest on her back and heads straight to the mouth of the cave, where the clang of weapons and wild shouts can be heard. Disciple, says Sanzang, why can I hear weapons outside? It's Pig rubbing his rake, replies Monkey. Give him a shout. Bajie, Sanzang shouts. Friar Sand, says Pig when he hears this, the master's out. The two of them draw back their rake and staff, letting the evil spirit carry the Tang Priest out.Chapter 83 The MindApe Recognizes the Refiner of Cinnabar, The Girl Reverts to Her True Nature

Monkey tells the monster to open her mouth, jumps out and raises his cudgel to strike her. At once she draws a pair of fine swords and they fight a splendid battle on the mountain top. After a while, Pig and Friar decide to join the fight. The evil spirit, who is already finding Brother Monkey too much to handle, realizes that she will be unable to hold out against two more of them. At once she turns and flees. After her, brothers, Monkey shouts. Seeing that they are so hot on her heels the evil spirit takes the embroidered shoe off her right foot, blows on it with a magic breath, says a spell, calls Change! and turns it into her own double swinging a pair of sword. Then she shakes herself, turns into a puff of wind and goes straight back. There she is, fleeing for her life because she is no match for them. What happens next is quite unexpected: Sanzang's evil star has still not gone away. As the evil spirit reaches the archway in front of the entrance to the cave she sees the Tang Priest sitting there by himself, so she goes up to him, throws her arm round him, grabs the luggage, bites through the bridle, and carries him back inside, horse and all. The story tells not of her but of Pig, who exploits an opening to fell the evil spirit with one blow of his rake, only to find that she is really an embroidered shoe. You pair of idiots, says Monkey when he sees it. You should have been looking after the master. Nobody asked you to help. The three of them hurry back to find that the master has disappeared: there is no sign at all of him, the luggage or the white horse. Monkey goes back to the evil spirit's residence, but it is completely deserted. Not knowing where they have gone, Monkey stamps his foot but just when he is howling with impatience and anxiety his nose is struck by a whiff of incense, which brings him back to himself. This incense smoke is coming from the back, he thinks, so I suppose they must be there. He strides in at the back, his cudgel in his hand, but still sees no sign of life. What he does see are three side rooms. Near the back wall is a lacquered offertory table carved with dragons on which stands a gilt incense-burner. From this comes heavily scented incense smoke. On the table is a tablet inscribed with letters of gold to which the offerings are being made. The letters read, Honoured Father, Heavenly King Li. In a slightly inferior position is written, Honored Elder Brother, Third Prince Nezha.

Monkey went up to heaven to Heavenly King Li and told him that his daughter had become an evil spirit on earth. The Heavenly King and the prince with their heavenly soldiers, went down to the evil spirit`s cave. Underneath a dark corner in the Southeast of the cave there was another, smaller cave, where behind a pair of tiny gates there was a tiny cottage with flowers growing in pots and a few canes of bamboo beside the eaves. The atmosphere was dark and heavy with fragrance. This was where the evil spirit had carried Sanzang and was going to force him to marry her. She was sure that Monkey would never find them; none of them realized that her union was fated to be thwarted.Monkey went up to heaven to Heavenly King Li and told him that his daughter had become an evil spirit on earth. The Heavenly King and the prince with their heavenly soldiers, went down to the evil spirit`s cave. Underneath a dark corner in the Southeast of the cave there was another, smaller cave, where behind a pair of tiny gates there was a tiny cottage with flowers growing in pots and a few canes of bamboo beside the eaves. The atmosphere was dark and heavy with fragrance. This was where the evil spirit had carried Sanzang and was going to force him to marry her. She was sure that Monkey would never find them; none of them realized that her union was fated to be thwarted. The junior devils were jabbering away in a great crush when a bolder one among them stretched outside the cave for a look around only for her head to butt into a heavenly soldier, who shouted, They're here! At this Monkey flew into a rage, grasped the gold-banded cudgel and charged straight down in. The cave was tiny and all the demons from the big cave were in there, so that when Prince Nezha sent his heavenly soldiers crowding into the attack, not a single one of the demons could hide. Monkey found the Tang Priest, the dragon horse and the baggage. The senior demon was at her wit's end. All she could do was to kowtow to Prince Nezha, begging him to spare her life. Chapter 84 The Indestructible Proteges of the Buddha Complete Enlightenment, The Dharma King Comes to the Truth, Through His Own Nature

On their way the master and disciples meet an old woman who tells them that they will come to the capital of Dharmadestructia in a couple of miles and that the king there, has formed a hatred of Buddhism in an earlier existence, and in his present life he is punishing it without just cause. Two years ago he made a monstrous vow to kill ten thousand Buddhist monks. In that time he's killed 9,996 unknown monks in succession. He is just waiting for four famous monks to make up his ten thousand so that he will fulfill the vow. If they go into the city they will be throwing away their lives for nothing. She adds though, that there is no way around. The only way they can get past it is if they can fly. Monkey steals some clothes and says to Sanzang, Master, you won't get through Dharmadestructia as a monk. I've just borrowed these hats and clothes from an inn for us to dress ourselves up as laymen. The venerable elder to takes off his monastic tunic and hat and puts on a layman's clothing and headwear. They all go into the city disguised and pretend to be horse dealers.

They decide to stay at an inn called `Widow Zhao's Inn`, and sleep inside a big trunk, so that even if any of the inn people come in to tidy up, they won`t see their bald heads and realize that they are monks. At night the trunk is stolen by some bandits who think there are some treasures in the trunk. The bandits kill the soldiers at the city gate, open it and let themselves out. This causes a sensation in the streets and the markets, where the watchmen of all the shops report it to the commander-in-chief of the city garrison and the East city commissioner. The commander-in-chief and the East city commissioner muster a force of infantry, cavalry and bowmen that leaves the city in pursuit of the bandits. Seeing that resistance to so powerful a government force will be pointless, the bandits abandoned the trunk, scatter into the undergrowth and disappear. The trunk is carried to his headquarters, where the East city commissioner seals it with strips of paper on which they writes and sets a guard over it till morning, when they will submit a memorial to the king and request a decision on what to do with it. In the third watch Monkey uses one of his magic powers. Slipping his cudgel out he blows on it with a magic breath, calls Change! and turns it into a triple auger with which he drills two or three holes near the bottom of the chest, forming a single larger hole. He puts the auger away, shakes himself, turns into an ant and crawls out. Then he turns back into himself and rides his cloud straight to the palace gates. The king is fast asleep, so Monkey uses his Great All powerful Body-dividing Magic. Plucking all the hairs out of his left arm he blows on them with a magic breath, calls Change! and turns them into little Monkeys. Then he pulls all the hairs out from his right arm, blows on them with a magic breath, calls Change! and turns them into sleep-insects. Next he recites the magic word Om and tells the local deity of the place to take the little Monkeys to distribute them throughout the palace to all the officials in every office and department of government. Each holder of official rank is given a sleep-insect to ensure that he or she will sleep soundly and not gets up. Monkey then takes his gold-banded cudgel in his hands, squeezes it, waves it, calls, Change, treasure! and turns it into over a thousand razors of the sort used for shaving the head. Taking one himself, he tells all the little monkeys to take one each and shave the heads of everyone in the inner quarters of the palace and in all the government departments and offices. When the king opens his eyes in the morning and sees the queen's bald head he gets straight out of bed and says, Why are you like that, my queen? You're the same, Your Majesty, she replies. The king then rubs his head, which gives him such a fright that the three souls in his body groan, and his seven spirits fly off into the air. What has happened to me? he exclaims. Just when he is in this panicky state the royal consorts, the palace ladies and the eunuchs young and old all fall to their knees, their heads shaved bald, and say, Lord, we have all been turned into monks. At the sight of them the king weeps. We think this must be because of all the monks we have killed, he says. Chapter 85 The Mindape is jealous of the Mother of Wood, The Demon Chief Plots to Devour the Master of Dhyana

The story tells how the king holds his dawn audience with the civil and military officials. The King says, From now on we will not dare kill any more monks. The king then returns to his throne and the officials take their places in their proper ranks. The king then says, Let those with business here come forward from their ranks to report. If there is no other business the curtain may be rolled up and the audience ended. The commander-in-chief of the capital's garrison then tells the King about the trunk and the trunk is brought out. No sooner is the lid lifted than Pig, who can restrain himself no longer, springs out, giving all the officials such a fright that they shiver, unable to speak. Next Brother Monkey can be seen helping the Tang Priest out, while Friar Sand lifts the luggage out. Sanzang tells the King that he has been sent by His Majesty the Great Tang Emperor to go to the Great Thunder Monastery in India in the West to worship the living Buddha and fetch the true scriptures. They slept in a trunk because they knew that His Majesty had sworn a vow to kill Buddhist monks. Venerable Master, the king replies, you are a distinguished monk from our suzerain heavenly dynasty. It was wrong of us not to go out to welcome you. For years we have been fulfilling a vow to kill monks because a monk once maligned us. The vow we made to heaven was to kill ten thousand monks to make up a round number. We never imagined that today we would return to the truth and that we would all be turned into monks. Now all of us, king, officials, queen and consorts, had our hair shaved off. I beg, Venerable Master, that you will not be grudging with your lofty virtue and will take us as your disciples. If you will accept us as your follower, Master, we will present you with all the wealth in our kingdom. Don't talk about wealth to us, says Brother Monkey, as we're proper monks. As long as you inspect and return our passport and escort us out of the city I can guarantee that your monarchy will last for ever and that you will enjoy a long and happy life. The passport is immediately inspected and returned, after which Sanzang is asked to change the name of the country. 'Dharma' in the name of Your Majesty's country is excellent, Monkey says, but the 'destructia' part is nonsense. Now that we've come here you should change the name to 'Dharmarespectia'. We will say no more of how monarch and subjects now hold to the true faith, but tell how, as they are traveling along, a great mountain comes into view, blocking their way. Reining in the horse, the Tang Priest says, Disciples, see how high that mountain is. You must be very careful. Don't worry, says Monkey with a grin, don't worry. I promise you nothing will go wrong. You have already forgotten the Heart Sutra that the Rook's Nest Hermit taught you. I can still remember it, Sanzang says. Even if you can still remember that, says Monkey, there is a quatrain that you've forgotten. What quatrain? Sanzang asks, to which Monkey replies,Do not go far to seek the Buddha on Vulture Peak;Vulture Peak is in your heart Everybody has a Vulture Peak stupaUnder which to cultivate conduct.

Now there actually is an evil spirit living on the mountain, who has a junior assistant who used to live in the Lion Cave of the demon king on Lion Ridge and knows the master and disciples because the demon king on Lion Ridge tried to eat the Sanzang. He has a plan to capture the Tang priest. What plan? the senior demon asks. I have a plan to 'divide the petals of the plum blossom.' What do you mean by 'dividing the petals of the plum blossom?' the demon king asks. Call the roll of all the devils in the cave, the junior devil replies. Choose the best hundred from all thousand of them, then the best ten out of that hundred, and finally the best three out of the ten. They must be capable and good at transformations. Have them all turn into Your Majesty's doubles, wear Your Majesty's helmet and armor, carry Your Majesty's mace, and lie in wait in three different places. First send one out to fight Zhu Bajie, then one to fight Sun the Novice and finally one to fight Friar Sand. This way you'll only have to spare three junior devils to draw the three disciples away. Then Your Majesty will be able to stretch down from mid-air with your cloud-grabbing hand to catch the Tang Priest. He'll be in the bag. It'll be as easy as catching flies in a dish of fish juice. Nothing to it. The plan works and Sanzang is once again captured by a demon. The demon tells the commander of the vanguard, to bring the Tang Priest to him and tell the underlings to fetch water, scrub the cooking pot, fetch some firewood and light the fire. When he's been steamed we will each have a piece of his flesh and live for ever.Chapter 86 The Mother of Wood Lends His Might in Defeating the Ogre, The Metal Lord Uses His Magic to Wipe Out the Monster

Monkey and Pig go looking for the demon` s cave. Strike, Pig, says Monkey when they find it. This is where the evil spirit lives. The master must be here. At this the idiot turns vicious, raises his rake, and brings it down on the gates with all his strength, smashing a big hole in them and shouting, Ogre, send my master out at once if you don't want me to smash your gates down and finish the lot of you off. The junior devil throws out a human head and tells them they have already eaten the priest, hoping to take him them in, so that they will leave and they can enjoy eating the priest. 'This one's a fake, Brother Monkey says. How can you tell? Pig ask. When you throw a real human head it lands quietly, Monkey explains, but when you trow a fake it makes a loud noise like a pair of wooden clappers. If you don't believe me, I'll throw it for you. Listen! He picks the head up and throws it against a rock, where it gives a hollow ring. I'll get you, you hairy lot, Pig says, you may have hidden my master in your cave and fooled your ancestor Pig with a piece of willow root, but don't imagine that my master is just a willow-tree spirit in disguise. The junior devil who is holding the tray is thrown into such a panic by this that he runs shaking with fear back to report, It's terrible, terrible, terrible. What's so terribly terrible then?" the senior demon asks. Zhu Bajie and Friar Sand are taken in, but Monkey's like an antique dealerhe really knows his stuff, the junior demon replies. He could tell it was an imitation head. Monkey and Pig rush straight for the stone gates, and with no more ado they smash them down and shout with a yell that made the heavens shake, Give us our Tang Priest back alive! After fighting for thirty rounds, Monkey realizes that the junior devils are fighting so hard that repeated attacks were failing to drive them back, so he uses body-dividing magic, plucks out a bunch of hairs, chews them up in his mouth, spats the pieces out, calls Change! and turns them all into his own doubles, each wielding a gold-banded cudgel and fighting his way into the cave from the outside. The one or two hundred junior devils, unable to cope with their attacks from all sides, all flee for their lives back into the cave.

The splendid Great Sage turns himself into a winged ant and flies into the main hall, where he sees the junior devils jostling and shouting. He pulls out a handful of hairs, chews them up into little pieces, blows them lightly out of his mouth and silently recites the words of the spell that turns all the pieces into sleep insects. These he throws into the faces of all the devils, and the insects crawl up their noses, gradually making the devils feel sleepy. He then looks all around until he sees a very tiny doorway on one side of it. It is very firmly shut, and when he squeezes through the narrow gap between the doors he finds himself in a big garden. Flying further inside he sees a clump of tall trees at the foot of which were tied two men. One of these is the Tang Priest. Untie me quick, disciple, the venerable elder says. Being roped up like this has been agony. Untie him too, Wukong. Who's he? Monkey asks. He is captured and brought here a day before me, Sanzang replies. He's a woodcutter. He tells me his mother is very old and he is most worried about her. He is a very dutiful son. You must save him too. Doing as he is bid, Monkey unties the other man and takes them both out through the back gate.Chapter 87 When Heaven Is Offended in Fengxian, It Stops the Rain The Great Sage Urges Goodness and Brings a Downpour

Deep and mysterious is the Great Way; What news is there of it?When revealed it will alarm ghosts and divine beings. It controls the universe, Divides darkness and light; In the world of true happiness there is no competition. Before the Vulture Peak Pearls and jewels emerge, Shining with every color. It illuminates all beings that live between heaven and earth; Those who understand it live as long as mountains and seas.Sanzang and disciples reach the prefecture of Fengxian, one of the frontier prefectures of India. Because people have been suffering from drought for years on end, the marquis has put up a notice, calling for masters of the Dharma to pray for rain and save the people. Monkey offers his skills to make rain. When the marquis hears about it, he goes out to meet the visitors. I am Marquis Shangguan of Fengxian Prefecture, and I have bathed and perfumed myself in order to beg you teachers to pray for the rain that will save the people. I implore you in your great mercy to give play to your divine powers and bring us deliverance. Returning his courtesies, Sanzang says, This is no place to talk. We will be able to act when we have gone to a monastery. After the master and disciples are offered a meal, Monkey recites a spell and says the magic words. A dark cloud appears to the East and slowly moves till it is in front of the hall: it is Ao Guang, the ancient dragon of the Eastern Sea. Ao Guang then puts away his cloud feet and turns himself into human form to go up to Monkey, bow low to him with full courtesy and asks, What have you sent for this humble dragon to do, Great Sage? Please rise, Monkey replies.The only reason why I have troubled you to make this long journey is because there has been a drought in this prefecture of Fengxian for years on end. I'd like to ask you if you couldn't send some rain. I must inform you, Great Sage, the dragon replies,that although I can make rain I can only act on the orders of Heaven. I would never dare come here to make rain on my own authority without Heaven's instructions. Monkey goes straight to the Western Gate of Heaven on his somersault cloud and asks permission to obtain rain. The Jade Emperor replies, that three years ago, when inspecting the myriad heavens and travelling through the three worlds, they saw that the marquis was most wicked; he knocked over the vegetarian offerings to heaven to feed to dogs, spoke foully, and was guilty of lese-majeste. "That is why we set up those three things in the Hall of Fragrance. Take Sun Wukong to see them. When those three things have been accomplished we will issue our edict; but if they are not, then do not meddle in what does not concern you. When the four heavenly teachers lead Brother Monkey to the Hall of Fragrance he sees a mountain of rice about a hundred feet high and a mountain of flour about two hundred feet high. Beside the rice mountain is a chicken the size of a fist eating the rice, sometimes with quick pecks, sometimes with slow ones. Beside the flour mountain is a golden-haired Pekinese licking the flour, sometimes with long licks and sometimes with short ones. To the left of it a golden padlock about one foot three or four inches long hangs from an iron frame. The crossbar of the lock is about the thickness of a finger, and under it is a lamp, the flame of which is heating the bar. That place will only be due for rain when the chicken has eaten all the rice, the dog has licked up all the flour, and the lamp has melted the bar of the lock, the heavenly teachers say. When Monkey hears this he goes pale with shock, and he dares make no more memorials to the throne. He leaves the palace hall overcome with embarrassment. Don't take it so badly, Great Sage, says the four heavenly teachers with smiles. This is something that can be resolved through goodness. Once a single kind thought moves Heaven the rice and flour mountains will collapse and the bar of the padlock will be broken. If you can persuade the marquis to return to goodness then blessings will come of themselves.

Monkey accepts their advice, and instead of going back to the Hall of Miraculous Mist to take his leave of the Jade Emperor he heads straight down to the lower world and its ordinary mortals. When the marquis, Sanzang, Pig, Friar Sand and the officials high and low all welcom him back they crowd round him asking questions and Monkey tells them what he had found out. As I was leaving the four heavenly teachers said to me that this could only be solved through goodness, monkey says. At this the marquis is so alarmed that he falls to his knees, prostrates himself on the ground and says imploringly, I will do just as you tell me, teacher. If your heart can turn back to goodness, Monkey replies, I hope that you'll at once start invoking the Buddha and reciting scriptures. Then I'll be able to help you. If you persist in refusing to reform there'll be nothing I can do to get you off. It won't be long before Heaven executes you, and your life will be beyond saving. The marquis kowtows in worship, swearing to return to the faith. At once he summons all the Buddhist and Taoist clergy in the city and orders that a site be prepared for religious ceremonies. They are all to write out documents and memorials for three days. The marquis leads his followers in burning incense and worshipping, thanking Heaven and Earth and repenting of his sins. The splendid Great Sage set his cloud off once more and goes straight to the gate of Heaven, where he meets Heavenly King Lokapala again. What have you come for now? Lokapala asks. The marquis has mended his ways, Monkey replies, which pleases the Heavenly King. As they are talking the Straight Spell Messenger arrives at the gate of Heaven to deliver letters and documents written by Taoist and Buddhist clergy. When the Jade Emperor sees them he says, As that wretch has had some virtuous thoughts, see what has happened to the three things. Just as he is speaking the official in charge of the Hall of Fragrance comes in to report, The rice and flour mountains have collapsed: the rice and flour all disappeared in an instant. The bar of the lock has also been broken. Before he can finish submitting this memorial the heavenly official in attendance leads in the local deity, the city god and the gods of the altars from Fengxian, who all bowed and report, The lord of our prefecture and every member of every household, high and low, of the people have been converted to the true achievement and are worshipping the Buddha and Heaven. We now beg you in your compassion to send a widespread fall of timely rain to deliver the common people. When the Jade Emperor hears this he is very pleased, so he issues an edict: Let the departments of wind, cloud and rain go to the lower world in accordance with orders. At this hour on this day the clouds are to be spread, the thunder shall roar, and three feet and forty-two drops of rain shall fall. That day three feet and forty-two drops of rain falls. After long drought the fields received sweet rain Merchants were traveling along all watercourses. They were deeply moved by the monks who had come to the city, And by the Great Sage who had gone up to Heaven. Evil was removed from the three things; One thought had brought all back to the good. From now on all longed for a new golden age With ten thousand years of abundant harvests Through the five winds and ten kinds of rain. Chapter 88 When the Dhyana Reaches Yuhua, a Display of Magic Is Given The MindApeand the Mother of Wood Take Their Own Disciples

When the four of them have been travelling for a long time they see the towering shape of a city wall in Yuhua County, one of the prefectures of India. The lord of the city is a member of the king of India's royal family who has been made prince of Yuhua. When they enter the city Sanzang goes to the palace so the prince can inspect their passport and they can continue their journey. The prince`s three sons, and when they hear about the visitors, they go up to meet them. Impressed by the weapons and skills of Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand they ask them to be their teachers and teach them their skills to protect the country with. Teaching you wou