Chapter 25: Zhenyuan the Immortal Chases Down the Pilgrim Monks; Sun the Novice Makes a Great Disturbance at Five Villages Temple

As the three brothers reached the hall, they said to their master, "The rice is almost done; what did you call us for?" Tripitaka said, "Disciples, it is not about the rice. In this temple there is a kind of ginseng fruit, shaped like little children; did any of you steal and eat them?" Eight Rules said, "I am honest; I know nothing of it, and I have never seen one." Pure Breeze said, "The one who laughed is the one; the one who laughed is the one." The Great Sage shouted, "I, Old Sun, was born with this smile; just because you lost some fruit, am I not allowed to laugh?" Tripitaka said, "Disciples, do not be angry. We are monks; we should not tell lies or eat what is not rightfully ours. If you truly ate his fruit, just apologize and that will be it; why stubbornly deny it?" When the Great Sage heard his master's reasonable words, he confessed honestly, "Master, it is none of my business. It was Eight Rules who, from next door, overheard those two acolytes talking about eating ginseng fruit. He wanted a taste of something fresh, so he asked Old Sun to fetch three, and we brothers each ate one. Now that we have eaten them, what do you intend to do?" Bright Moon said, "He stole four of ours, and this monk still says he is no thief." Eight Rules said, "Amida Buddha! Since he stole four, why only bring out three to divide? He must have kept one for himself beforehand!" That idiot then started to shout nonsense. The two acolytes, having gotten the truth, cursed even more fiercely. This so enraged the Great Sage that he ground his steel teeth, his fiery eyes blazed wide, and he clenched and unclenched his golden-banded staff, restraining himself again and again, thinking, "If these boys had just scolded me to my face, I could bear their anger. But I'll give them a plan to cut off all descendants, so no one gets to eat." Good! He plucked one of the fine hairs from the back of his head, blew on it with immortal breath, and cried, "Change!" It changed into a false, who stayed with Tang Monk, accompanying Eight Rules and Sand Monk, enduring the acolytes' shouting and cursing. His true form, having left his body, rode on a cloud, leaped up, and went straight to the ginseng garden. He drew out his golden-banded staff, struck the tree with a bang, and using a divine strength that could push over mountains, he pushed the tree down. Pitifully, the leaves scattered, the branches parted, and the roots came out of the earth, cutting off the Taoists' grass-returning elixir. After pushing down the tree, the Great Sage looked among the branches for fruit, but not half a one remained. It turned out that this treasure falls when it meets metal; his staff was wrapped in gold at both ends, and iron is one of the five metals, so a single knock shook them all down. Once down, they met the earth and entered it. Thus, not a single fruit was left on top. He said, "Good, good, good! Let everyone scatter." He put away his iron staff, went straight forward, shook the hair, and retrieved it onto his body. Those people, with their mortal eyes and ordinary bodies, could not see clearly. Meanwhile, the acolytes cursed for a long time. Pure Breeze said, "Bright Moon, these monks can really take a scolding. We've been cursing like we were cursing chickens for half a day, and they haven't replied at all. Perhaps they didn't steal any. If the tree is tall and the leaves thick, we might have miscounted; don't let us curse them wrongly. Let's you and I go and check again." Bright Moon said, "That makes sense." So they indeed went again to the garden, where they saw the tree fallen, branches spread, and no fruit, with leaves scattered all about. In terror, Pure Breeze's legs went weak and he tumbled head over heels, while Bright Moon's waist went limp and he shivered with cold; both their souls fled and their spirits scattered. There is a poem to prove it: The poem says: Tripitaka went west to the Ten-Thousand-Year Mountain; Wukong destroyed the grass-returning elixir. The branches spread, leaves fell, the immortal root was exposed; Pure Breeze and Bright Moon's hearts and gall trembled with fear. They fell to the ground in the dust, speaking in a confused and disordered way, only crying, "What shall we do? What shall we do? We've ruined the elixir head of our Five Villages Temple; we've cut off the posterity of our immortal family. When the master returns, how will we two answer him?" Bright Moon said, "Elder brother, don't shout. Let us first straighten our clothes and caps, and not alarm these monks. This matter has no one else to blame; it must be that hairy-faced, thunder-mouthed fellow. He used his spirit's power and ruined our treasure. If we reason with him, that fellow will certainly deny it, and we'll have to argue; arguing will lead to a fight. How do you think we two can stand against the four of them? It's better to fool him. Let's just say the fruit is all there, that we miscounted, and apologize to him instead. Their rice is already cooked; when they eat, we'll add some side dishes. When each of them has a bowl, you stand on the left of the door, I on the right; with a clap, close the door, lock it up, lock all these gates, and don't let them go. Wait for the master to come back, and let him handle it as he sees fit. Since he is an old acquaintance of the master, if the master forgives them, it's his kindness; if not, we'll have caught a thief in our hands. Perhaps this can save us from punishment." Pure Breeze heard this and said, "Reasonable, reasonable." They forced themselves to muster their spirits, barely putting on a happy face, and went straight from the back garden to the hall. They bowed to Tang Monk and said, "Master, just now our words were crude and offensive; please do not take offense, please do not take offense." Tripitaka asked, "What do you mean?" Pure Breeze said, "The fruit is not missing. It was just that the leaves were thick and the tree tall, so we didn't see clearly. We went to check again just now, and the count is still the same." Eight Rules then took the chance to stamp his foot and say, "You little acolytes, young and ignorant, you come and curse us for no reason, slandering us falsely. It really wasn't right." The Great Sage understood in his heart but said nothing, thinking to himself, "That's a falsehood, a falsehood. The fruit is already gone; why say such words? They must have some plan to bring the dead back to life." Tripitaka said, "Since that's the case, bring the rice; we'll eat and be on our way." Eight Rules then went to bring the rice, while Sand Monk set the table and chairs. The two acolytes hurriedly fetched side dishes—some pickled melon, pickled eggplant, pickled radish in lees, vinegar beans, pickled lotus root, and boiled mustard greens—setting out seven or eight small plates for the master and disciples to eat. They also brought a pot of fine tea and two teacups, attending to them left and right. Just as the four masters and disciples picked up their bowls, the two acolytes, one on each side, slammed the door shut and fastened it with a double-pronged copper lock. Eight Rules laughed and said, "These acolytes have made a mistake. Your customs here are not good—why do you close the door to eat?" Bright Moon said, "Indeed, indeed; at least finish your meal before opening the door." Pure Breeze cursed, "I'll get you, you greedy, thieving bald thieves! You stole my immortal fruit, which alone deserves the crime of stealing from a garden; and then you pushed down my immortal tree, ruining the immortal root of my Five Villages Temple. And you still dare to boast! If you ever expect to see the Buddha face in the West, you'll have to turn around, shake a rattle, and be reborn first." When Tripitaka heard this, he dropped his rice bowl, his heart heavy as if weighted with a stone. The acolytes locked the front gate and the second gate, then came to the main hall door, cursing with evil words, calling them thieves over and over, until the sky grew dark. Only then did they go to eat. After eating, they returned to their rooms. Tang Monk blamed the Great Sage and said, "You monkey, you always cause trouble. You stole and ate his fruit; you could have just put up with his anger and let him curse a few times, and that would have been that. But why did you push over his tree? If this matter were taken to court, even if your father were the magistrate, he couldn't justify it." The Great Sage said, "Master, don't fuss. The acolytes have all gone to sleep. Just wait until they are asleep, and we'll leave tonight." Sand Monk said, "Elder brother, all the gates are locked tight; how can we leave?" The Great Sage laughed and said, "Don't worry, don't worry; Old Sun has his ways." Eight Rules said, "I'm just afraid you have no way! When you change, you can turn into some insect and fly out through a crack in the door. It's just hard on us who can't change; we have to stay here and take the blame." Tang Monk said, "If he dares to do such a thing and doesn't take you and me out, I'll start reciting that old scripture; how could he bear it?" When Eight Rules heard this, he was both worried and amused, saying, "Master, what scripture are you talking about? I've only heard of the Surangama Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, the Peacock Sutra, the Guanyin Sutra, and the Diamond Sutra in Buddhism; I've never heard of any 'old scripture.'" The Great Sage said, "Brother, you don't understand. This hoop on my head was given to my master by Guanyin Bodhisattva. My master tricked me into putting it on, and it's as if it grew there; don't think of taking it off. It's called the Tight-Band Spell, also called the Tight-Band Sutra. What he calls the 'old scripture' is that. As soon as he recites it, my head aches. So this is the method he uses to control me. Master, don't recite it. I will never fail you; I guarantee that all of us will leave together."

After they spoke, the sky had already grown dim, and before they knew it, the moon had risen in the east. Pilgrim said, "At this hour, all is silent and the moon is bright—perfect for leaving." Eight Rules said, "Elder Brother, don't play tricks. The gates are all locked; where can we go?" Pilgrim said, "Watch my skill." He grasped his Golden-Banded Staff in his hand, used a "Lock-Opening Spell," and pointed it at the gate. With a loud "click," the double locks of the several gates fell off, and with a "crash," the gate doors swung open. Eight Rules laughed and said, "What a skill! Even a locksmith with his picks couldn't do it so smoothly." Pilgrim said, "This gate is nothing special; even the Southern Heavenly Gate, I could open it with a point of my finger." So he invited the master to go out the gate, mount the horse; Eight Rules carried the load, Sha Monk led the horse, and they headed straight west along the road. Pilgrim said, "You all go slowly first; let old Monkey go take care of those two lads and put them to sleep for a month." Tripitaka said, "Disciple, do not harm their lives; otherwise, it will be another crime of taking goods and injuring people." Pilgrim said, "I know." Pilgrim went back in and arrived outside the door of the room where the lads were sleeping. He carried sleep-insects at his waist, originally won while gambling on finger-guessing with the Growth-Enhancing Heavenly King at the Eastern Heavenly Gate. He took out two, flicked them through the window crack, and they flew straight onto the lads' faces. The two of them then snored deeply in sleep, never to wake again. Only then did he mount his cloud steps, catch up with Tang Monk, and rush westward along the main road.

That night the horse did not stop, and they traveled until dawn. Tripitaka said, "This monkey-head is really tormenting me to death! Because of your gluttony, you've made me go without sleep all night." Pilgrim said, "Stop your constant complaining. It's dawn now; you can rest a bit by the roadside woods here, regain your spirits, and then go on." The elder had no choice but to dismount, sit down by a pine tree root, using it as a makeshift meditation couch; Sha Monk put down the load and dozed off; Eight Rules pillowed his head on a stone and slept. Great Sage Sun, however, was full of mischief; look at him—he jumped up into a tree, swinging from branch to branch, amusing himself. The four rested, and we say no more of that.

Now, the Great Immortal, having dispersed from the Primordial Beginning Palace assembly, led his many junior immortals out of the Tushita Palace, descended straight from the Jade Heaven, and riding auspicious clouds, soon arrived at the gate of the Five Villages Temple on the Long Life Mountain. Looking, they saw the temple gate wide open and the ground clean. The Great Immortal said, "Pure Breeze and Bright Moon—they are quite capable. Usually, when the sun is three poles high, they won't even stretch their backs; today, when we are away, they actually got up early, opened the gate, and swept the ground." All the junior immortals were very pleased. When they reached the main hall, there was no incense or fire, and not a trace of anyone; where were Bright Moon and Pure Breeze? The immortals said, "The two of them, perhaps because we were away, have taken things and fled." The Great Immortal said, "How absurd! Cultivators of immortality—how could they have such evil hearts? They likely forgot to close the gate last night and went to sleep, and haven't woken up yet this morning." When the immortals went to look at their room door, it was indeed closed, and they were snoring deeply in sleep; no matter how loudly they banged on the door and called, they could not wake them. The immortals pried open the door panels, reached in, and pulled them out of bed, but still they did not wake. The Great Immortal laughed and said, "Fine immortal lads! Those who have achieved immortality are full of spirit and no longer feel sleepy—how can they be so lethargic? Could someone have tricked them? Quickly bring water." One lad hurriedly took half a cup of water and handed it to the Great Immortal. The Great Immortal recited a spell, spat a mouthful of water onto their faces, and immediately dissolved the sleep demon.

The two then woke up, suddenly opened their eyes, wiped their faces, looked up, and recognized their master, the Equal of Heaven, and their fellow immortals. Startled, Pure Breeze bowed his head, and Bright Moon kowtowed, saying, "Master, your old acquaintance turned out to be a monk from the east, a band of robbers, extremely vicious." The Great Immortal laughed and said, "Don't panic; speak slowly." Pure Breeze said, "Master, not long after we parted that day, there indeed came a Tang Monk from the Eastern Land, a group of four monks, and a horse making five. Your disciple, not daring to disobey your command, asked their background and took two human-fruit fruits to present to them. That elder, with his common eyes and foolish heart, did not recognize our immortal treasure. He said they were children not yet three days old and repeatedly refused to eat. Your disciples each ate one. Unexpectedly, his three disciples included one surnamed Sun, named Wukong the Pilgrim, who first stole four fruits and ate them. Your disciples reasoned with them and spoke a few honest words. But he would not tolerate it and secretly used a spirit-escape technique. Alas!" When the two lads reached this point, they could not stop tears from streaming down their cheeks. The immortals said, "Did those monks beat you?" Bright Moon said, "They did not beat us; they only knocked down our ginseng tree." When the Great Immortal heard this, he was not angry at all, and said, "Do not cry, do not cry. You do not know that this Sun is also a loose immortal of the Great Monad; he once caused great havoc in the Heavenly Palace and has vast supernatural powers. Since he has knocked down the precious tree, can you recognize those monks?" Pure Breeze said, "I recognize them all." The Great Immortal said, "Since you recognize them, come with me.—All disciples, prepare the instruments of punishment; wait for me to return and beat him." All the immortals received the order.

The Great Immortal, with Bright Moon and Pure Breeze, mounted auspicious light to pursue Tripitaka, and in an instant, they traveled a thousand miles. The Great Immortal looked westward from the clouds, but did not see Tang Monk. When he turned to look eastward, he had instead overshot by over nine hundred miles. It turned out that the elder, traveling all night without stopping the horse, had only covered one hundred and twenty miles; the Great Immortal's cloud, with one leap, had gone over nine hundred miles. The immortal lads said, "Master, the one sitting under the tree by the road is Tang Monk." The Great Immortal said, "I have already seen him. You two go back and prepare ropes; wait for me to capture him personally." Pure Breeze and Bright Moon returned first, and we say no more of that.

The Great Immortal pressed down his cloud, shook himself, and transformed into a wandering Quanzhen Daoist. Do you know how he was dressed?

He wore a robe of a hundred patches,

And tied a Lü Gong sash around his waist.

In his hand he shook a horsetail whisk,

And lightly tapped a fish-drum.

Three-eared straw sandals on his feet,

A Nine-Yang scarf wrapped around his head.

Fluttering, the wind filled his sleeves,

As he sang the tune "Moon on High."

He came straight to the tree and called out loudly to Tang Monk, "Elder, this poor Daoist greets you." The elder quickly returned the greeting, saying, "I failed to welcome you, I failed to welcome you." The Great Immortal asked, "Elder, where have you come from? Why are you sitting in meditation along the road?" Tripitaka said, "This poor monk has been sent from the Great Tang of the East to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. Passing this way, I rest a while." The Great Immortal feigned surprise and said, "Elder, coming from the east, have you passed by this humble mountain?" The elder said, "I do not know what precious mountain you, Immortal Officer, refer to." The Great Immortal said, "The Five Villages Temple on the Long Life Mountain is where this poor Daoist dwells."

When Pilgrim heard this, being someone who understood, he quickly replied, "No, no, we came by the main road." The Great Immortal pointed at him and laughed, saying, "You rogue monkey! Whom do you think you can fool? You were in my temple, knocked down my ginseng fruit tree, and fled here overnight. You still won't confess? What are you covering up? Don't try to run; you'd better go back and return my tree right away." When Pilgrim heard this, he was enraged, drew out his iron staff, and without another word, struck at the Great Immortal's head. The Great Immortal sidestepped to avoid it, stepped on auspicious light, and rose straight into the air. Pilgrim also mounted a cloud and quickly gave chase. The Great Immortal revealed his true form in mid-air. Do you know how he was dressed?

He wore a purple-gold crown,

And a carefree crane-feather robe.

Shoes on his feet,

And a silk belt around his waist.

His form was like a lad's,

His face like a beauty's.

Three strands of beard hung beneath his chin,

And crow-feathers lay folded at his temples.

Meeting Pilgrim without weapons,

He only twirled his jade whisk in his hand.

Pilgrim struck wildly with his staff, without any regard for height or depth. The Great Immortal parried left and right with his jade whisk, blocking for two or three rounds. He then used a "Sleeve Containing the Universe" technique; in the clouds, he gently spread his robe sleeve against the wind, and with a "swoosh," he swept the four monks and the horse together into his sleeve. Eight Rules said, "Oh no, we're all stuffed into a bag!" Pilgrim said, "Idiot, it's not a bag; we're trapped in his sleeve." Eight Rules said, "That's no problem; let me give it a few whacks with my rake, make a hole, and slip out. We'll say he wasn't careful, didn't hold it tight, and dropped us." That idiot struck wildly with his rake, but he couldn't break it: though it felt soft when pinched, when struck, it was harder than iron.

The Great Immortal turned around on his auspicious cloud and descended straight into Five Villages Temple, where he sat down and called for his disciples to bring ropes. The lesser immortals all attended to him. Watch as he took Tang Sanzang out of his sleeve like a puppet, binding him to the eaves pillar of the main hall. Then he took out the other three, binding one to each pillar. He also brought out the horse, tied it in the courtyard, and gave it some fodder. The luggage was thrown down in the corridor. He then said, "Disciples, these monks are men of religion; we must not use swords or spears, nor axes or battle-axes. Go fetch me a leather whip and give them a beating, to vent my anger over the ginseng fruits." The immortals quickly fetched a whip—it was not made of oxhide, sheepskin, deerskin, or calfskin, but of dragonhide, a Seven-Star Whip, which they soaked in water. He ordered a strong immortal to take the whip and said, "Master, who shall we strike first?" The Great Immortal said, "Tang Sanzang, being the senior, showed no respect; strike him first."

When Pilgrim heard this, he thought to himself, "That old monk of mine cannot withstand a beating. If a few lashes cripple him, won't it be my fault?" Unable to hold back, he spoke out, "Sir, you are mistaken. I was the one who stole the fruits, I was the one who ate them, and I was the one who knocked down the tree. Why not strike me first instead of hitting him?" The Great Immortal laughed and said, "This brazen monkey speaks with some boldness. Then strike him first." The lesser immortal asked, "How many lashes?" The Great Immortal said, "According to the number of fruits, strike him thirty times." The lesser immortal raised the whip and struck. Pilgrim, fearing the power of the immortal's arts, stared wide-eyed to see where he was being hit. It turned out to be his legs. Pilgrim twisted his waist and called out, "Change!" turning his legs into two bars of wrought iron, to see how the whip would fare. The lesser immortal struck thirty times, and by then it was nearly noon. The Great Immortal then ordered, "We must also punish Sanzang for failing to teach properly, for indulging his unruly disciples in their mischief." The immortal raised the whip again to strike. Pilgrim said, "Sir, you are mistaken again. When the fruits were stolen, my master knew nothing of it; he was in the hall talking with your two lads, while my brothers and I did the deed. Even if there is a crime of lax teaching, I, as his disciple, should take the beating in his stead. Strike me again." The Great Immortal said, "This brazen monkey, though sly and cunning, does show some filial piety. Since it is so, strike him again." The lesser immortal struck another thirty times. Pilgrim lowered his head to look and saw his legs shining like mirrors, all polished bright, and he felt neither pain nor itch. By then it was getting dark, and the Great Immortal said, "First soak the whip in water, and we will torture him again tomorrow." The lesser immortal took the whip away to soak it, and everyone returned to their rooms. Evening meal was finished, and all went to sleep without further mention.

The elder, with tears streaming from both eyes, blamed his three disciples, saying, "You have stirred up trouble and implicated me in suffering here—how did it come to this?" Pilgrim said, "Stop complaining. If there's a beating, they'll strike me first. You weren't even hit, so why sigh?" Tang Sanzang said, "Though I wasn't beaten, being bound like this makes my whole body ache." Sha Monk said, "Master, there are others bound alongside you here." Pilgrim said, "None of you shout. Wait a while, and we'll be on our way." Eight Rules said, "Elder Brother is up to his tricks again. Here we are bound tightly with ropes soaked in water, even worse than being locked in the hall, where you could use your unlocking spell to shove the door open and escape." Pilgrim said, "I'm not boasting—even if they used three-ply hempen ropes soaked in water, or palm cables as thick as a bowl, they'd be no more than autumn wind to me."

Just as they were speaking, all sounds had ceased, and it was quiet on the heavenly streets. Good Pilgrim! He shrank his body a little, slipped out of the ropes, and said, "Master, let's go." Sha Monk panicked and said, "Elder Brother, save us too." Pilgrim said, "Quiet, quiet." He then untied Sanzang, released Eight Rules and Sha Monk, straightened their robes, saddled the horse, took the luggage from the corridor, and together they left the temple gate. He then told Eight Rules, "Go cut down four willow trees from the cliffside." Eight Rules asked, "What for?" Pilgrim said, "They'll be useful. Fetch them quickly." That dullard had some brute strength; he went over, uprooted four trees with his snout, and carried them back in an armful. Pilgrim broke off the branches and told the two brothers to go back inside and tie the original ropes around the pillars just as before. The Great Sage then recited a spell, bit the tip of his tongue, spat blood onto the trees, and called out, "Change!" One tree turned into the elder, another into himself, and the other two into Sha Monk and Eight Rules; all looked exactly alike in appearance and features. If asked, they could speak; if called by name, they would answer. The two brothers then hurried their steps to catch up with the master. That night they traveled without stopping, fleeing far from Five Villages Temple.

When dawn came, the elder was nodding off on the horse. Pilgrim saw this and called out, "Master, you're no good. How can a monk be so weary? I, Old Sun, can go a thousand nights without sleep and not feel tired. First dismount, so passersby won't see you and laugh. Let's rest for a while in a sheltered, windproof spot on the hillside before moving on."

Let us leave the master and his disciples resting on the road. Now, the Great Immortal rose at daybreak, ate his morning meal, and came to the hall, saying, "Bring the whip. Today it's Tang Sanzang's turn for a beating." The lesser immortal raised the whip, faced the supposed Tang Sanzang, and said, "I'm striking you." The willow tree answered, "Strike away." Whack, whack, whack—thirty lashes were given. He then raised the whip, faced Eight Rules, and said, "I'm striking you." The willow tree answered, "Strike away." When he struck Sha Monk, the tree also answered with the same. When it came to striking Pilgrim, Pilgrim, who was on the road, happened to shiver and said, "Trouble!" Sanzang asked, "What do you mean?" Pilgrim said, "I transformed four willow trees into the four of us. I thought that since he beat me twice yesterday, he might not beat me today, but he struck my substitute instead, so my real body shuddered. I'll have to withdraw the spell." Pilgrim hurriedly recited the spell to retract it.

Watch as those acolytes, terrified, dropped the whip and reported, "Master, the first time we struck was the Tang monk, but this time we struck willow roots." When the Great Immortal heard this, he laughed coldly and praised profusely, saying, "Sun Pilgrim, truly a fine monkey king. I've heard of his havoc in Heaven, how they spread nets and snares and couldn't capture him—it's true. —You may have escaped, that's fine, but why bind these willow trees here to impersonate you? I cannot forgive him. I must go after him."

As soon as the Great Immortal said "pursue," he rose into the clouds and looked west, where he saw the monks shouldering packs and leading the horse, walking along. The Great Immortal lowered his cloud and called out, "Sun Pilgrim, where are you going? Return my ginseng tree." When Eight Rules heard this, he said, "Alas, our enemy is here again." Pilgrim said, "Master, first put away your kindness. Let us use some ferocity and finish him off in one blow, then we can escape." Tang Sanzang, trembling with fear, had not yet answered. Sha Monk drew his treasure staff, Eight Rules raised his muckrake, and the Great Sage wielded his iron staff; all three rushed forward together, surrounding the Great Immortal in midair, wildly striking and pounding. This fierce battle is attested by a poem. The poem says:

Wukong knew not Zhenyuan the Immortal,

Peerless with the world, more wondrous and profound.

Three divine weapons raged with violent force,

While one deer-tail whisker drifted calmly 'round.

To left and right they blocked, coming and going,

Behind and before they parried, turning and spinning.

From night till dawn they could not break away—

What day would they reach the Western Heaven?

The three brothers each raised their divine weapons and attacked together; the great immortal only parried with his fly whisk. Before half an hour had passed, he spread his sleeves and once again scooped up the four monks, the horse, and the luggage all together in one sleeve. He returned on his cloud to the temple, where the assembled immortals greeted him. The immortal master sat in the hall and then brought them out one by one from his sleeve: Tang Sanzang was tied to a low locust tree below the steps; Zhu Bajie and Sha Heshang were each tied to trees on either side; Sun Wukong was bound and laid flat. Wukong said: "I suppose they want to interrogate us." In a short while, they were all bound securely, and the immortal ordered ten bolts of long cloth to be brought. Wukong laughed and said: "Bajie, this gentleman is quite generous—bringing out cloth to make us long sleeves. Let's be thrifty and make a single large gown instead." The lesser immortals brought out the household cloth. The great immortal said: "Wrap Tang Sanzang, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Heshang all in cloth." The immortals came forward together and wrapped them. Wukong laughed and said: "Good, good, good—they're already preparing the burial shroud for the living!" In a little while, the wrapping was complete. He then ordered lacquer to be brought out. The immortals hastily fetched some self-dried raw and cooked lacquer and lacquered the three all over their cloth-wrapped bodies, leaving only their heads and faces exposed. Bajie said: "Sir, it's no matter about the top, but leave a hole at the bottom so we can relieve ourselves." The great immortal then ordered a large cauldron to be brought out. Wukong laughed and said: "Bajie, we're in luck—they're bringing out the cauldron, probably to cook us some food." Bajie said: "Well, let them feed us a meal; it's better to die a full belly and look decent." The immortals indeed brought out a large cauldron and set it up below the steps. The great immortal ordered dry firewood to be piled up and a fierce fire lit, and said: "Pour a cauldron of clear oil, heat it to a rolling boil, and fry Sun Wukong in the oil to avenge my ginseng tree."

Hearing this, Wukong secretly rejoiced and thought: "This suits Old Sun perfectly—I haven't bathed in a while, and my skin is itchy; a good scalding will do nicely, and I'm deeply grateful for the favor." In a little while, the oil was about to boil. The Great Sage, however, remained cautious, fearing the immortal's magic was unpredictable and that maneuvering in the oil cauldron would be difficult. He quickly turned his head to look around and saw that east of the platform was a sundial, and west of it was a stone lion. Wukong leaped up, rolled to the west, bit the tip of his tongue, spat a mouthful of blood on the stone lion, and shouted: "Change!" It transformed into his own likeness, bound in the same manner. He then released his primordial spirit, rose to the clouds, and looked down at the Daoist.

Just then, the lesser immortal boy reported: "Master, the oil cauldron is boiling furiously." The great immortal ordered: "Carry Sun Wukong down." Four immortal boys tried to lift him but could not; eight came and still could not; four more were added, and still they could not. The immortal boys said: "This monkey clings to his native soil and is hard to move—though small, he's quite solid." So they called twenty lesser immortal boys to carry him up and toss him into the cauldron. With a loud "sizzle," splashes of boiling oil flew up, raising large blisters on the faces of the young Daoists. Then the boy tending the fire shouted: "The cauldron is leaking! The cauldron is leaking!" Before he finished speaking, the oil had drained completely, and the bottom of the cauldron was broken open—it turned out a stone lion was inside.

The great immortal was furious and said: "This wretched monkey is truly insolent, making his escape right before my eyes. If you run away, so be it, but why destroy my stove? This wretched monkey cannot be caught in vain; even if caught, it's like kneading sand or handling quicksilver, or chasing shadows and catching the wind. Enough, enough—let him go. For now, untie Tang Sanzang, change to a new cauldron, and fry him to avenge the ginseng tree." The lesser immortal boys set to work, dismantling the cloth and lacquer.

Wukong, hovering in midair, heard all this clearly and thought: "If they do this to my master, once he enters the oil cauldron, one roll will kill him, two rolls will scorch him, and three to five rolls will turn him into a pulverized monk. I must go save him." Good Great Sage, he descended on his cloud, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said: "Don't ruin the cloth and lacquer—if you fry my master, it's better to let me go into the oil cauldron instead." The great immortal, startled and enraged, cursed: "You damned monkey! How dare you use your tricks to destroy my stove?" Wukong laughed and said: "You ran into me, so your stove was bound to collapse—what has it to do with me? I was just now willing to accept your kindness of some oil soup and oil water, but I was in urgent need of relieving myself; if I had opened my bowels in the cauldron, I feared I would spoil your clean oil, unfit for seasoning dishes. Now that I've relieved myself completely, I'm ready for the cauldron. Don't fry my master—fry me instead." Hearing this, the great immortal gave a cold, mocking laugh, walked out of the hall, and grabbed hold of him.

As to what words were spoken and how he finally escaped, that shall be told in the next chapter.