Chapter 28: On Flower-Fruit Mountain the Monsters Gather in Righteousness; In the Black Pine Forest Sanzang Meets a Demon

Chapter 28 The Mountain of Flowers and Fruit Gathers a Host of Monsters; In the Black Pine Forest Sanzang Encounters a Demon

Now, although the Great Sage had been driven away by Tang Sanzang, he still brooded and sighed with longing. Already he could see the Eastern Ocean in the distance. "I haven't traveled this road for five hundred years!" he said. Just look at that sea:

Boundless misty waves, endless mighty billows. Boundless misty waves join with the Milky Way; endless mighty billows reach the earth's veins. Surging tides come in with crashing might; the sea spreads and bends in winding curves. The surging tides crash like spring thunder roaring; the sea's winding curves are like a gale blowing in summer. The blessed old men who ride dragons must frown as they pass; the immortal youths who straddle cranes are distressed and anxious. Near the shore there are no villages; by the water there are few fishing boats. The waves roll up thousand-year-old snow; the wind brings the chill of autumn in the sixth month. Wild fowl come and go as they please; sand birds sink and float at will. Before the eyes there are no fishing guests; only the cries of gulls are heard by the ears. The fish at the bottom of the sea are happy; the geese crossing the sky are sad.

The bounded with his body, leaping over the Eastern Ocean, and soon arrived at the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. He pressed down his cloud and opened his eyes to look. On that mountain, all the flowers and plants were gone; the rosy mists were completely vanished. The peaks and rocks were collapsed; the woods and groves were scorched and withered. Do you ask why this was? It was because, after his great rebellion in Heaven, when he was captured and taken to the celestial realm, this mountain was set on fire and burned by the Illustrious Sage Erlang, leading the Seven Brothers of Plum Mountain. The Great Sage became even more desolate. There is a poem about the ruined mountain scene to bear witness. The poem says:

Looking back at the immortal mountain, two tears fall; facing the mountain's desolation, I grieve even more.

In those days I only thought the mountain was unscathed; today I realize the earth has suffered loss.

How I hate Erlang for destroying me; how I resent the lesser sage for bullying others.

In his violence he dug up your ancestors' tombs; without cause he wrecked your ancestral graves.

The mists and clouds that filled the sky have all scattered; the winds and clouds that covered the land are all gone.

From the eastern ridge no striped tiger's roar is heard; from the western mountain where does the white ape cry?

In the northern stream, foxes and hares have left no trace; in the southern valley, the river deer has no shadow left.

The green stones have been burned into thousands of clods; the blue sand has turned into piles of mud.

Outside the cave, the tall pines are all leaning; before the cliff, the green cypresses are all few.

The toon, locust, cedar, and chestnut trees are scorched; the peach, apricot, plum, pear, and jujube trees are gone.

With the mulberry trees destroyed, how can silkworms be raised? The willows are few, the bamboos rare, hard for birds to perch.

The clever stones on the peaks have turned to dust; the springs in the gullies are dry, all overgrown with grass.

Before the cliff the earth is black, no orchids or mushrooms; by the roadside the mud is red, with vines and creepers climbing.

Where have the flying birds of former days gone? To which mountains have the running beasts fled?

The leopard hates the python's lair in this ruined place; the crane avoids the snake's retreat in this decayed spot.

I think that in former days I harbored evil thoughts, which have brought me to this present hardship.

As the Great Sage was grieving, he heard a sound from before the fragrant grass slope and within the thorny brambles. Seven or eight little monkeys jumped out, rushed forward, surrounded him, and kowtowed. They called out loudly, "Great Sage, Grandfather, have you come home today?" The Handsome Monkey King said, "Why aren't you playing? Every one of you is hiding your tracks. I've been here for a long time and haven't seen a trace of you. Why is that?" When the monkeys heard this, they each shed tears and reported, "Ever since the Great Sage was captured and taken to the celestial realm, we have suffered bitterly from the hunters. We could hardly bear it. How could we withstand their strong crossbows and powerful bows, their yellow hawks and fierce hounds, their nets, snares, and hooks? So each of us treasured our own lives and dared not come out to play. We only hide deep in the caves and flee far from our nests. When hungry, we go to the slope to steal grass to eat; when thirsty, we come to the stream to drink clear spring water. Just now we heard the Great Sage Grandfather's voice and specially came to welcome and pay our respects. We beg for your support." When the Great Sage heard these words, he became even more desolate. He asked, "How many of you are still on this mountain?" The monkeys said, "Old and young, there are only about a thousand." The Great Sage said, "At that time I had forty-seven thousand monster subjects. Where have they all gone?" The monkeys said, "Ever since Grandfather left, this mountain was set on fire by the Erlang Bodhisattva, and more than half were burned to death. We crouched in wells, burrowed into streams, and hid under the Iron Plate Bridge, and so saved our lives. When the fire was out and the smoke cleared, we came out, but there were no flowers or fruits to support us. It was hard to survive, so another half left. As for this half of us, we suffer and live in the mountain. In these last two years, some hunters have captured another half of us." The asked, "What do they capture you for?" The monkeys said, "Speaking of those hunters, they are hateful! Those of us who are hit by arrows or spears, poisoned or beaten to death, they take away to skin and strip the bones, stew in soy sauce and vinegar, fry in oil and salt, and eat as a dish with their rice. Or those who fall into nets or are caught by snares, they take alive and teach us to jump through hoops and do tricks, turn somersaults, stand on our heads, and on the main street they beat gongs and drums, making us do all kinds of mischief without restraint."

When the Great Sage heard this, he became even more furious and said, "Who is in charge in the cave?" The monsters said, "There are still the Marshals Horse and Flow, and the Generals Beng and Ba in charge." The Great Sage said, "Go and report to them that I have come." Those little monsters rushed through the cave entrance and reported, "The Great Sage Grandfather has come home." When Horse, Flow, Beng, and Ba heard the report, they hurried out the door, kowtowed, and welcomed him into the cave. The Great Sage sat in the middle, and the monsters lined up before him to pay their respects. They reported, "Great Sage Grandfather, we have recently heard that you gained your life and are protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to fetch scriptures. Why are you not going westward, but returning to this mountain instead?" The Great Sage said, "Little ones, you do not know. That Tang Sanzang cannot tell the worthy from the foolish. On the road, I used all my life's skills to capture demons and subdue monsters for him, and several times I killed. But he said I acted violently and evilly, and did not want me as his disciple. He drove me away and sent me back. He wrote a letter of dismissal as proof and said he would never employ me again."

All the monkeys clapped their hands and laughed loudly, saying, "What luck, what luck! Why be a monk? Come home for a while and bring us along to play for a few years." They called out, "Quickly prepare some coconut wine to welcome Grandfather." The Great Sage said, "Don't drink wine just yet. Let me ask you: when do those hunters come to my mountain?" Horse and Flow said, "Great Sage, no matter what time, they come here every day to make trouble." The Great Sage said, "Why haven't they come today?" Horse and Flow said, "They are about to come." The Great Sage gave orders: "Little ones, all go out and gather up the crushed stones that have been burned soft on the mountain and pile them up. Either in piles of twenty or thirty, or piles of fifty or sixty. I have a use for them." Those little monkeys, like a swarm of bees, each one scrambled to pile up many heaps. The Great Sage looked and then ordered: "Little ones, all hide inside the cave and let Old Monkey work his magic."

The Great Sage went up to the mountain peak to look, and from the southern side he heard the sound of drums booming and gongs clanging. Over a thousand men and horses appeared, all carrying hawks and hounds, holding spears and swords. The Monkey King carefully watched these men approaching with fierce intent. Fine fellows, truly valiant! Just look:

Fox-skin covers their shoulders and heads; brocade wraps their waists and chests.

In their pouches are wolf-tooth arrows; at their hips hang precious carved bows.

The men are like tigers searching the hills; the horses like dragons leaping the streams.

In groups they lead their hounds; on their arms they carry their hawks.

Baskets of thorn wood carry fire-cannons; they bring along sea eagles.

Hundreds of poles with sticky lime; thousands of rabbit spears.

Ox-head nets to block the road; King Yan's rope snares.

All shout together in chaos; they scatter like stars all over the sky.

When the Great Sage saw these men spreading over his mountain, he became furious in his heart. He made a hand seal, muttered incantations to himself, drew in a breath of air from the Xun direction, and blew it out with a whoosh. It became a violent wind. What a wind! Just see:

It raises dust and scatters earth; it topples trees and destroys forests. The sea waves rise like mountains; turbid billows surge in layers. Heaven and earth are hazy and dim; the sun and moon are dark and gloomy. A gust shakes the pines like a tiger's roar; suddenly it enters the bamboos like a dragon's moan. Ten thousand hollows howl as Heaven's breath sighs; flying sand and rolling stones wildly wound people.

The Great Sage raised this great wind, and those crushed stones, carried by the wind, flew and danced wildly. What a pity that those thousand men and horses, every one of them:

Stones smash the black-heads to powder; flying sand wounds the sea-horses. Ginseng and official cinnamon rush by the ridge; blood stains the cinnabar ground. The aconite cannot return to its homeland; the betel nut cannot go back to its village. Corpses and skeletons lie lightly powdered on the mountain field; the red lady waits at home in vain.

A poem says:

Men dead and horses gone, how can they return home? Wild ghosts and lonely spirits, tangled like hemp.

What a pity the heroic generals who shook themselves; unable to tell the worthy from the foolish, their blood stains the sand.

The Great Sage brought his cloud down to land, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily, saying, "What luck, what luck! Ever since I submitted to Tang Sanzang and became a monk, he’s always been advising me: 'Do good for a thousand days, and still it’s not enough; do evil for one day, and there’s plenty to spare.' Those words are true. When I followed him and killed a few demons, he would blame me for being violent. Now that I’ve come home today, I’ve finished off all these hunters." He called out, "Little ones, come out!" The troop of monkeys, once the fierce wind had passed, heard the Great Sage’s summons and leaped out one by one. The Great Sage said, "Go to the southern foot of the mountain, strip the clothes off those dead hunters and bring them home, wash off the bloodstains, and wear them for warmth. Push all the corpses into the deep abyss. Drag the dead horses over, skin them to make boots, salt the meat, and eat it slowly. Take those bows, arrows, spears, and swords for you to practice your martial arts with. Gather up all those mixed-color banners and bring them to me for my use." The monkeys each received their orders.

The Great Sage then took the banners, tore them apart and washed them clean, and assembled them into a single multi-colored flag, upon which he wrote the fourteen characters: "Rebuild Mount Huaguo, Restore the Water Curtain Cave, Great Sage Equal to Heaven." He erected a flagpole and hung the flag outside the cave. Day after day, he summoned demons and wild beasts, stockpiling grass and grain, and never once mentioned the word "monk." With his wide connections and great abilities, he even went to the Four Dragon Kings to borrow some sweet rain and immortal dew, washing the mountain until it was lush and green. In front, he planted elm and willow trees; behind, he planted pines and camphor trees. Peaches, plums, jujubes, and apricots—nothing was lacking. There he lived in freedom and ease, content in his peaceful dwelling, and we say no more of this.

Now, as for Tang Sanzang: he had trusted in his cunning nature and let loose the monkey of his mind. He mounted his horse, with Bajie clearing the way ahead and Sha Monk carrying the luggage as they journeyed westward. After crossing White Tiger Ridge, they suddenly came upon a stretch of wooded hills, truly a tangle of vines and creepers, with cypresses green and pines lush. Sanzang called out, "Disciples, the mountain paths are rugged and very hard to travel, and moreover, the pine forest is dense and the trees thick. Be extremely careful, for I fear there may be evil spirits and monsters." See how that idiot roused his spirits, telling Sha Monk to hold the horse while he wielded his rake to clear the path, leading the elder straight into the pine forest. As they walked, the elder reined in his horse and said, "Bajie, I’ve been hungry all day. Where can I find some vegetarian food to eat?" Bajie replied, "Master, please dismount and wait here while old Pig goes to look for some." The elder dismounted, and Sha Monk set down the load, took out the alms bowl, and handed it to Bajie. Bajie said, "I’m off." The elder asked, "Where are you going?" Bajie said, "Don’t worry about that. On this trip, I’ll bore through ice to find a fire for food, and press oil from snow to get a meal."

See him leave the pine forest and head west for over ten miles, yet he didn’t encounter a single household—truly a place of wolves and tigers with no human smoke. That idiot, tired from walking, mused to himself, "When Pilgrim was around, whatever the old monk wanted, he got it. Now it falls on me, and it’s just like they say: 'Only when you manage a household do you know the price of firewood and rice; only when you raise a child do you understand your parents’ kindness.' There’s really no place to beg for food." But then drowsiness overcame him, and he thought, "If I go back like this and tell the old monk there’s no place to beg, he won’t believe I’ve walked so far. I have to waste another hour before I can return and report. Oh well, oh well, let me just sleep for a while in this grass." The idiot then stuck his head into the grass and lay down to sleep. At first, he meant to get up after dozing off, but little did he know that a man tired from walking, once he lays his head down, just snores away soundly.

Let us leave Bajie sleeping here for now. Meanwhile, within the forest, the elder felt his ears burning and his eyelids twitching, restless and uneasy. He hurriedly turned and called to Sha Monk, "Wuneng went to beg for food—why is he taking so long to return?" Sha Monk said, "Master, you don’t understand yet. Seeing how generous the people in these western lands are with alms, and with his big appetite, do you think he’d care about you? He won’t come back until he’s full." Sanzang said, "Exactly! If he’s there greedily eating alms, where will we find him? It’s getting late, and this isn’t a place to stay. We must find a proper lodging." Sha Monk said, "No problem, Master. You sit here for now, and let me go find him." Sanzang said, "Right, right. Whether there’s food or not is secondary; finding a place to stay is what matters." Sha Monk took his staff and strode straight out of the pine forest to look for Bajie.

The elder sat alone in the forest, feeling utterly bored and weary. Forcing himself to rouse his spirits, he jumped up, piled the luggage in one spot, and tied the horse to a tree. He took off his conical hat, set down his staff, adjusted his monk’s robe, and walked slowly into the quiet depths of the forest to dispel his gloom for a while. The elder looked over the wild grass and mountain flowers, but could not bear the calls of birds returning to their nests. The forest was a place of deep grass and narrow paths, and because his mind was troubled, he lost his way. On one hand, he wanted to relieve his boredom; on the other, he sought to find Bajie and Sha Monk. But those two had gone straight west, while the elder, after wandering a while, turned southward. As he emerged from the pine forest, he suddenly looked up and saw a golden light flashing and colorful vapors rising. Looking closely, he saw it was a precious pagoda, its golden top gleaming. This was the setting sun reflecting off the golden summit. He said, "I, this disciple, have no luck. Since leaving the East, I’ve vowed to burn incense at every temple, bow to every Buddha I see, and sweep every pagoda I encounter. Isn’t that gleaming object a golden pagoda? Why didn’t I take that path? Beneath the pagoda there must be a monastery, and in the monastery there must be monks. Let me go and see. As for the luggage and the white horse, I suppose no one travels here, so they should be safe. If there’s a convenient place there, when my disciples arrive, we can all lodge together."

Alas! The elder’s ill fortune had arrived. See him stride straight up to the pagoda. And what did he see?

The stone cliffs were ten thousand fathoms high, the mountain peaks touching the blue sky. Their roots were deep in the earth, their summits piercing the heavens. On both sides were thousands of tangled trees, and creepers entwined for over a hundred miles. Flowers and grass shimmered in the wind with shadows; water flowed through clouds and the moon’s reflection had no root. Fallen logs spanned the deep ravines; withered vines clung to the shining cliffs. Beneath the stone bridge, a clear spring flowed; on the terrace, bright white blossoms grew. From afar, it looked like the Three Isles of Paradise; up close, it resembled the Penglai Realm. Fragrant pines and purple bamboos encircled the mountain streams; crows, magpies, and monkeys darted through the lofty peaks. Outside the cave gate, beasts came and went in lines; within the groves, flocks of birds flew in and out. The lush green grass was beautiful; the bright wild flowers bloomed. This place was clearly an evil domain, yet the elder’s ill fortune led him there.

The elder stepped forward and arrived at the pagoda’s gate, where a bamboo curtain hung inside. He entered the gate, lifted the curtain, and went in. Suddenly looking up, he saw on a stone bed a demon sleeping on its side. And what do you think it looked like?

A face of indigo blue, white fangs protruding, a great wide-open mouth. The hair on its temples hung in disarray, dyed with rouge; three or four purple whiskers stood stiffly, like lychee sprouts. Its nose was hooked like a parrot’s beak, and its eyes glittered like morning stars. Its two fists were like a monk’s alms bowl; its blue feet were like gnarled tree roots. It wore a pale yellow robe thrown loosely over its shoulders, surpassing a brocade cassock. It carried a sword whose blade shone brightly; it slept on a stone that was fine and flawless without blemish. It had once commanded a swarm of little demons in battle array, and it had sat in state like an old monster in a beehive court. See its imposing, awe-inspiring manner, as everyone shouted and hailed it as "Lord." It had once drunk wine by moonlight with three companions, and sipped tea with the wind beneath its arms. See its vast supernatural powers; half-closing its eyes, it roamed the ends of the earth. The wild forest was noisy with birds; the deep thickets harbored dragons and snakes. Immortals planted fields that grew white jade; Taoists subdued fire to refine cinnabar. This small cave gate, though not comparable to the Avici Hell, this hideous monster was indeed a bull-headed rakshasa.

When the elder saw him in that state, he was so frightened that he staggered backward, his whole body numb, his legs weak and trembling. He hastily turned to flee. But just as he turned, the demon, whose spiritual perception was extremely sharp, opened wide his golden, piercing ghostly eyes and called out, "Little ones, look and see who that is outside the gate." One little demon stretched its head out to look, and seeing it was a bald-headed elder, it ran back inside at once to report: "Great King, it's a monk outside. He has a round head and a big face, with ears that hang down to his shoulders; his flesh is tender and smooth, his skin delicate and soft—he's a fine monk indeed." When the demon heard this, he laughed aloud and said, "This is what they call 'a fly on a snake's head—food and clothing that come of their own accord.' You little ones, hurry up and chase after him, capture him for me, and I will reward you handsomely." Those little demons swarmed out like a nest of bees, all crowding forward together. When Sanzang saw them, though his mind was as swift as an arrow and his feet ran as fast as flying, his heart was pounding with fear, his legs weak and numb; moreover, the mountain path was rugged, the forest deep, and the sun setting—how could he move his steps? He was carried off bodily by those little demons. Truly:

When a dragon swims in shallow water, he is teased by shrimps;

When a tiger falls onto the plain, he is bullied by dogs.

Though good deeds are always beset by obstacles,

Who else has suffered like Tang Sanzang on his westward journey?

Now look at those little demons carrying the elder and setting him down outside the bamboo curtain, joyfully reporting: "Great King, we have captured the monk." The old demon also took a stealthy look and saw that Sanzang had a dignified head and a stately appearance, indeed a fine monk. He thought to himself: "Such a fine monk must surely be a figure from the upper realms; I cannot treat him lightly. If I don't put on a show of power, how could he ever be willing to submit and surrender?" Suddenly, he put on a fierce front, his red beard bristling upright, his blood-red hair standing on end, his eyes glaring so wide they seemed to crack, and he roared: "Bring that monk in!" The host of demons loudly answered: "Yes!" and shoved Sanzang inside. This was indeed: "Since one is under the low eaves, how dare one not bow one's head?" Sanzang could only press his palms together and make a bow to him. The demon said: "Where are you from, monk? Where have you come from? Where are you going? Tell me quickly and clearly!" Sanzang said: "I am a monk of the Tang dynasty, sent by the command of the Great Tang Emperor to journey to the West to seek Buddhist scriptures. Passing through your noble mountain, I came especially to the pagoda to pay homage to the holy images, never expecting to disturb Your Majesty's dignity. I humbly beg your forgiveness. When I have obtained the true scriptures in the West and returned to the Eastern Land, I will surely remember your great name forever." When the demon heard this, he laughed heartily and said: "I said you were a personage from the upper realm, and indeed you are. I was just wanting to eat you, and you come at just the right time, just right—otherwise, wouldn't I have missed the chance? You are meant to be the food in my mouth, and you come right to my door; even if I let you go, you couldn't get away, and if you ran, you couldn't escape!" He called to the little demons: "Take that monk and bind him." Sure enough, those little demons rushed forward all at once, took the elder, tied him up with ropes and cords, and bound him to the soul-fixing stake.

The old demon, holding his blade, asked again: "Monk, how many people are in your party? Would you dare to go to the Western Heaven all alone?" Sanzang, seeing him holding the knife, answered honestly: "Great King, I have two disciples, named Zhu Bajie and Sha Heshang, who have both gone out of the pine forest to beg for alms. There is also a load of luggage and a white horse, all left in the pine forest." The old demon said: "How convenient. Two disciples, plus you, makes three, and with the horse, four—enough for one meal." A little demon said: "Let's go capture them." The old demon said: "Don't go out. Close the front gate. When those two come back from begging for alms, they will surely look for their master; if they don't find him, they will surely come to my door. As the saying goes: 'Business that comes to the door is easy to do.' Let's wait and capture them slowly." The host of little demons closed the front gate.

Let us set aside for now Sanzang's ordeal. Instead, let us speak of Sha Heshang, who left the forest to look for Bajie. He searched for over ten miles in every direction, but saw no village. He stood on a high slope and was looking around when he heard someone talking in the grass. Hastily using his staff to push aside the thick grass, he saw that it was the idiot talking in his sleep inside. Sha Heshang grabbed him by the ears and woke him up. He said: "You idiot! The master sent you to beg for alms—did he give you permission to sleep here?" The idiot woke up in a daze and said: "Brother, what time is it?" Sha Heshang said: "Get up quickly. The master said it doesn't matter whether you get alms or not; he wants us to find a place to stay."

The idiot, still muddle-headed, carried his alms bowl, took his nine-toothed rake, and together with Sha Heshang, went straight back. When they reached the forest, they saw that the master was gone. Sha Heshang complained: "It's all because of this idiot not coming back with the alms; there must be a demon who has captured the master." Bajie laughed and said: "Brother, don't talk nonsense. That forest is a pure and quiet place; there are definitely no demons. Most likely the old monk couldn't sit still and went somewhere to look at the scenery. Let's go find him." The two had no choice but to lead the horse and carry the load, gathering up the bamboo hat and the priestly staff, and left the pine forest to search for their master.

This time, it was also because it was not yet time for Tang Sanzang to die. The two searched for a while but found nothing. Suddenly they saw a golden light flashing in the south. Bajie said: "Brother, those who are blessed are always blessed. Look, the master has gone to someone's house. That shining thing is a precious pagoda; who would dare to treat him lightly? They will surely prepare a meal and keep him there to enjoy it. We should hurry up and go there too, to get some food." Sha Heshang said: "Brother, we don't know yet whether it's good or bad. Let's go and have a look first."

The two marched boldly up to the gate: "Ah! The gate is closed." They saw that on the gate was a horizontal slab of white jade, inscribed with six large characters: "Wanzi Mountain, Boyue Cave." Sha Heshang said: "Brother, this is not a temple at all; it's the lair of a demon. If our master is here, we won't be able to see him again." Bajie said: "Brother, don't be afraid. First, tie up the horse and watch the luggage. Let me go and ask for news of him." The idiot raised his rake, went forward, and called out loudly: "Open the gate! Open the gate!" In the cave, the little demon guarding the gate opened it, and suddenly seeing their appearance, he hastily turned around and ran back inside to report: "Great King, business has come." The old demon said: "What business?" The little demon said: "Outside the cave gate, there is a monk with a long snout and big ears, and another monk with a gloomy complexion, calling at the gate." The old demon was overjoyed and said: "It's Zhu Bajie and Sha Heshang looking for their master. Eh, they know how to look too—how did they find their way to my door? Since their faces are fierce and savage, we must not treat them lightly." He called: "Bring my armor." The little demons brought it, and he put it on, took his blade in hand, and went straight out the gate.

Now, as for Bajie and Sha Heshang waiting at the gate, they saw the demon coming out, looking truly fierce. Do you know how he was dressed?

A green face, red beard, and red hair flying,

A suit of golden armor, brightly shining.

A belt of agate bound his waist and belly,

A cloud-treading sash held his armor tightly.

When idle, he stood before the mountain, wind roaring;

When bored, he roamed the seas, the waves billowing.

A pair of indigo-blue, sinewy hands

Grasped a soul-chasing, life-taking blade.

If you want to know this creature's name and surname,

He was called the Yellow-Robed Demon, renowned far and wide.

The Yellow-Robed old demon came out of the gate and asked: "Which monastery are you monks from, shouting at my gate?" Bajie said: "My son, don't you recognize me? I am your grandfather. I am sent by the Great Tang to journey to the Western Heaven. My master is the imperial younger brother, Sanzang. If he is in your house, send him out quickly, to spare me the trouble of raking your door down with my rake." The demon laughed and said: "Yes, yes, yes, there is a Tang Sanzang in my house, and I have not treated him badly. I have prepared some human-meat buns for him to eat. Why don't you come in and have one too, what do you say?"

This idiot was really about to go in. Sha Heshang grabbed him and said: "Brother, he is tricking you. When did you ever eat human flesh?" The idiot then came to his senses, pulled out his rake, and struck at the demon's face. The demon twisted aside to dodge, and using his steel blade, hastily parried the blow and engaged him. Both displayed their divine powers, leaping onto the clouds and fighting in midair. Sha Heshang set down the luggage and the white horse, raised his precious staff, and hurriedly joined the attack. Now there were two fierce monks and one vicious demon on the clouds—a truly great battle. Truly:

The staff rose, the blade met it;

The rake came, the sword parried.

One demon general showed his might,

Two holy monks displayed their transformations.

The nine-toothed rake was truly heroic,

The demon-subduing staff was indeed ferocious.

They struck from front and back, left and right together,

But the Yellow-Robed one was utterly unafraid.

Look at his tempered steel blade, bright as silver;

Truly his divine powers were also vast.

The fight filled the sky with mist and clouds,

Half the mountain crumbled, cliffs roared.

One fought for his reputation, unwilling to stop;

The other fought for his master, utterly fearless.

The three of them, coming and going in midair, fought for several dozen rounds without either side gaining the upper hand. Since each valued his life, the battle was truly hard to resolve.

After all, we do not know how Tang Sanzang will be rescued; let us listen to the explanation in the next chapter.