Chapter 33: The Heretic Deludes the True Nature; The Primal Spirit Aids the Original Mind
Now that monster took Bajie into the cave and said, "Elder brother, I've caught one." The old demon said happily, "Bring him here and let me see." The second demon said, "Isn't this him?" The old demon said, "Brother, you've caught the wrong one. This monk is useless." Bajie seized the opportunity and said, "Great king, if this monk is useless, let him go. Sin, sin." The second demon said, "Elder brother, don't let him go. Though he's useless, he's still one of Tang Sanzang's party, named Zhu Bajie. First, soak him in the clean water tank at the back; steep the hair off his hide, salt him, dry him in the sun, and when it's cloudy, use him for wine snacks." When Bajie heard this, he said, "What bad luck! I've run into a monster who sells cured meat." The little demons carried Bajie in and threw him into the water, and we'll say no more of that.
Now Sanzang sat on the hillside, his ears hot and his eyelids twitching, his body ill at ease. He called out, "Wukong, how is it that Wuneng has gone to scout the mountain and been gone so long without returning?" The said, "Master, you still don't know his mind." Sanzang said, "What mind does he have?" The said, "Master, if this mountain has monsters, he wouldn't be able to take half a step; he would certainly make a great show of it and run back to report to me. I suppose there are no monsters, the road is peaceful, and he's just gone straight ahead." Sanzang said, "If he really has gone on, where shall we meet him? This mountain wilderness is vast and open, not like an inn, market, or city." The said, "Master, don't worry. Please mount the horse first. That idiot is somewhat lazy and will certainly walk slowly. Whip the horse on a bit, and we'll surely catch up to him and go together." Tang Sanzang really mounted the horse, Sha Monk shouldered the load, and the led the way up the mountain.
Now that old demon called the second demon again and said, "Brother, since you've caught Bajie, there must be a Tang Sanzang. Go scout the mountain again, and by all means don't miss him." The second demon said, "I'll go, I'll go." Watch as he hastily mustered fifty little demons and went up the mountain on patrol. As they were walking, they saw auspicious clouds drifting and propitious vapors swirling. The second demon said, "Tang Sanzang has come." The monsters said, "Where is Tang Sanzang?" The second demon said, "Good men have auspicious clouds crowning their heads; evil men have black vapors rising to the sky. This Tang Sanzang was originally the Golden Cicada Elder incarnate, a good man who has cultivated for ten lifetimes, so he has these drifting auspicious clouds." The monsters couldn't see anything. The second demon pointed with his finger and said, "Isn't that him?" Then Sanzang, on his horse, gave a shiver; the demon pointed again, and he shivered again. He pointed three times in a row, and Sanzang shivered three times in a row. His mind ill at ease, he said, "Disciples, why am I shivering?" Sha Monk said, "Shivering must be an attack of indigestion." The said, "Nonsense. Master is walking through these deep mountains and steep ridges, so he's bound to be startled and nervous. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Let old Monkey brandish his staff a bit to calm your nerves."
Good! He straightened his staff and performed a few feats in front of the horse: up three, down four, left five, right six, all according to the Six Arts of War and Three Strategies, displaying his divine powers. The elder watched from the horse; it was truly rare in the world, unique under heaven. He cut a path and went straight ahead, nearly scaring the monster to death. The demon, watching from the mountain top, was so terrified his soul flew and his spirit scattered. Suddenly he lost his voice and said, "I've heard of Sun the Novice for years, but today I know the tales are no lie—they're truly true." The monsters came forward and said, "Great king, why exalt others and belittle yourself? Who are you praising?" The second demon said, "Sun the Novice's divine powers are vast; we can't eat Tang Sanzang." The monsters said, "Great king, if you lack the skill, let us send a few to report to the great great king, telling him to muster all the troops of our cave, draw up in battle formation, and join forces with one heart. What fear that he'll escape?" The second demon said, "You haven't seen his iron staff; it has the strength to withstand ten thousand foes. In my cave there are only four or five hundred soldiers; how could they withstand a single blow from that staff?" The monsters said, "If that's so, then we can't eat Tang Sanzang. Did we catch Zhu Bajie by mistake? Then we should return him now." The second demon said, "Catching him wasn't a mistake, but returning him can't be done lightly. Ultimately, Tang Sanzang must be eaten, but not just now." The monsters said, "If that's so, will it take several years?" The second demon said, "It won't take several years. I see that Tang Sanzang can only be taken by gentle means, not by violent seizure. If we try to seize him by force, we won't even get a whiff of him. We can only move him with kindness, trick him into making his heart match mine, and then take advantage of the kindness to plot against him." The monsters said, "Great king, if you devise a plan to catch him, can you use us?" The second demon said, "You all go back to your posts, but don't report this to the great king; if you alarm him, word will leak out and ruin my plan. I have my own divine transformations and can catch him." The monsters dispersed.
He alone leaped down from the mountain, and by the roadside, he shook himself and changed into an old Taoist. How was he dressed? Just see:
His starry crown was bright, his crane-white hair disheveled.
Feather garments circled with embroidered belts, cloud shoes trimmed with yellow palm.
His spirit was clear, his eyes bright, like an immortal guest;
His body was healthy and light, like a long-lived elder.
Say what you will of the Black Ox Taoist,
He was also better than the Plain Voucher Gentleman.
He fashioned a false likeness as if it were true,
And fabricated false feelings as if they were real.
By the roadside, he pretended to be a Taoist with a broken leg, blood dripping from his foot, groaning and calling out, "Save me! Save me!"
Now Sanzang, relying on the Great Sage Sun and Sha Monk, came forward joyfully. As he walked, he heard a cry: "Master, save me!" Sanzang heard it and said, "Excellent! Excellent! In this wilderness and mountain, with no villages around, who is that calling? It must be someone frightened by a tiger, leopard, wolf, or snake." The elder reined in his fine horse and called out, "Who is it in trouble? Come out." The monster crawled out from the thick grass, went before the elder's horse, and kowtowed repeatedly with a thumping sound. Sanzang, seeing from the horse that he was a Taoist and also quite old, felt very sorry. He quickly dismounted and helped him up, saying, "Please rise, please rise." The monster said, "It hurts, it hurts." When he let go of his hand and looked, he saw blood flowing from the monster's foot. Sanzang asked in alarm, "Sir, where have you come from? What injured your honored foot?" The monster, with glib words and false feelings, said, "Master, west of this mountain there is a quiet and pure Taoist temple, and I am a Taoist from that temple." Sanzang said, "Why aren't you in your temple attending to the incense and studying the scriptures? Why are you idly walking here?" The demon said, "The day before yesterday, a benefactor south of the mountain invited us Taoists to perform a star-exorcising ritual, and we were late in dispersing. My master and I walked together. When we reached a deep part of the road, we suddenly met a striped fierce tiger that grabbed my disciple and carried him off. I, poor Taoist, trembling with fear, had no place to flee, and fell into a rocky slope, injuring my leg and foot. I don't know the way back. Today, by great heavenly fate, I have encountered you, Master. I earnestly beg you, Master, to show great compassion and save my life. If I can get back to the temple, I will pawn my body and sell my life, and certainly repay your deep kindness generously." Sanzang heard this and believed it to be true. He said, "Sir, you and I are both living beings. I am a monk, you are a Taoist. Our robes and caps differ, but the principle of cultivation is the same. If I don't save you, I would not be one who has left the household life. I will save you, but you cannot walk." The monster said, "I can't even stand up; how can I walk?"
Sanzang said, "Well, well, I can still walk. I'll let you ride my horse for a stretch, and when you reach your temple, you can return the horse to me." The monster said, "Master, I am deeply grateful for your kindness, but my thigh and hip are injured from the fall, and I cannot ride a horse." Sanzang said, "That's true." He called Sha Monk: "Put the luggage on my horse, and you carry him for a stretch." Sha Monk said, "I'll carry him." The monster quickly turned his head, glanced at him, and said, "Master, I was so terrified by that fierce tiger that when I see this master with a face of bad luck, I'm even more frightened. I dare not let him carry me." Sanzang called out, "Wukong, you carry him." The repeatedly agreed, saying, "I'll carry him, I'll carry him." The demon then fixed on the and willingly let him carry him, saying nothing more. Sha Monk laughed and said, "This old Taoist has no eyesight. It's no good for me to carry him, but he insists on having him carry him. If he doesn't see the master properly, on some three-pointed rock, he'll break every tendon in your body."
When the Great Sage heard this, he laughed and said, "You damnable fiend, how dare you provoke me? Have you ever asked how many years Old Sun has been around? Such ghostly talk might fool Tang Sanzang, but you think you can fool me? I recognize you as a monster from these mountains, and you’re trying to eat my master, aren’t you? My master is no ordinary person—do you think he’s someone you can just devour? If you want to eat him, you’ll have to share more than half with Old Sun." When the fiend heard the Great Sage muttering, he said, "Master, I am the descendant of a good family, a Taoist priest. Today, in misfortune, I have encountered the calamity of tigers and wolves—I am no monster." The Great Sage said, "If you’re afraid of tigers and wolves, why don’t you recite the Beidou Sutra?" Sanzang, just about to mount his horse, heard this and scolded, "You damned ape! ‘Saving one life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda.’ Just carry him a while and be done with it—why go on about the ‘Beidou Sutra’ or the ‘Nandou Sutra’?" Hearing this, the Great Sage thought, "This creature is lucky. My master is a compassionate and good-hearted man, but he’s also stubborn on the outside while being soft inside. If I don’t carry you, he’ll blame me. Fine, I’ll carry you, but I must make this clear: if you need to relieve yourself, tell me first; if you piss down my back, the stench will be unbearable and it will stain my clothes, and no one will wash them." The monster said, "At my age, do you think I don’t understand what you’re saying?" The Great Sage then hauled him up, put him on his back, and, together with the elder and Sha Monk, headed west along the main road. On the uneven mountain paths, the Great Sage walked carefully and slowly, letting Tang Sanzang go ahead.
After walking no more than three or five li, the master and Sha Monk descended into a hollow in the mountain, and the Great Sage could no longer see them. He grumbled to himself, "Master is so old, yet he doesn’t understand things. On such a long road, even carrying nothing feels heavy, and I’d love to throw this off, yet he makes me carry this monster. Even if he weren’t a monster, at his age, he’d be dead soon anyway. I’ll just smash him to death—why carry him?" Just as the Great Sage was planning to throw him off, the monster sensed it and knew how to move mountains. He performed a spell called "Shifting Mountains and Overturning Seas," making a hand seal on the Great Sage’s back and reciting a true incantation, summoning Mount Sumeru into the air to crush the Great Sage head-on. The Great Sage hurriedly tilted his head, and the mountain landed on his left shoulder. He laughed, "My boy, what kind of weighty technique are you using to crush Old Sun? I’m not afraid of this, but a balanced load is easy to carry, while an unbalanced one is hard to bear." The monster said, "One mountain can’t hold him down." He then recited another spell, summoning Mount Emei into the air to press down. The Great Sage tilted his head again, and it landed on his right shoulder. Look at him carrying two great mountains as he sped like a shooting star to catch up with the master. When the monster saw this, he broke out in a cold sweat all over and said, "He can carry mountains." Regaining his composure, he recited the true incantation again and summoned Mount Tai into the air, crushing the Great Sage head-on. The Great Sage, his strength drained and his sinews limp, was overwhelmed by this Mountain Tai crushing technique, so that his three corpses cried out and blood spurted from his seven orifices.
That fine demon, having used his divine power to crush the Great Sage, swiftly rode the wind to catch up with Tang Sanzang. Reaching down from the clouds, he grabbed for the man on the horse. Sha Monk, startled, dropped the luggage and drew his demon-subduing staff to block him head-on. The demon raised his Seven Stars Sword and met him face to face. This was a fine battle:
The Seven Stars Sword and the demon-subduing staff,
Their ten thousand rays of golden light flashed like lightning.
This one’s round eyes were fierce as the Black Murder God,
That one’s iron face truly belonged to the Curtain-Raising General.
The monster, before the mountain, displayed great power,
His one mind set on capturing Tang Sanzang.
This one struggled to protect the true monk,
His one mind resolved to die rather than let go.
They spat clouds and breathed mist, darkening the Heavenly Palace,
Kicked up dust and dirt, obscuring the stars and constellations.
They fought until the red sun grew dim and lost its light,
And heaven and earth became murky and confused.
They clashed back and forth for eight or nine rounds,
Until Sha Monk was unexpectedly defeated.
The demon was ferocious; wielding his sword with meteor-like skill, he drove Sha Monk to such weakness that he couldn’t hold his ground and turned to flee. The demon quickly blocked his staff, reached out with his large hand, grabbed Sha Monk, and tucked him under his left arm. With his right hand, he seized Sanzang from the horse, hooked the luggage with his toes, opened his mouth to bite the horse’s mane, and using a capture technique, swept them all up in a gust of wind and brought them to the Lotus Flower Cave. He shouted loudly, "Elder Brother! These monks are all captured!"
When the Old Demon heard this, he was overjoyed and said, "Bring them here for me to see." The Second Demon said, "Aren’t they here?" The Old Demon said, "Worthy brother, you’ve caught the wrong ones again." The Second Demon said, "You said to capture Tang Sanzang." The Old Demon said, "This is indeed Tang Sanzang, but we haven’t yet caught that capable Sun Xingzhe. We must capture him before we can eat Tang Sanzang. If we haven’t caught him, don’t touch his people. That Monkey King has vast divine powers and many transformations. If we eat his master, would he take it lying down? He’d come making a racket at the gate, and we’d have no peace." The Second Demon laughed, "Elder Brother, you really exaggerate his abilities. According to your praise, he’s rare in heaven and unique on earth. But as I see it, he’s nothing special and has no great skill." The Old Demon said, "Have you caught him, then?" The Second Demon said, "I’ve already used three mountains to press him down at the mountain’s base; he can’t move an inch. That’s why I captured Tang Sanzang, Sha Monk, the horse, and the luggage and brought them all here." Hearing this, the Old Demon was filled with joy and said, "Fortune, fortune! With this fellow caught, Tang Sanzang is truly food for our mouths." He called for the little demons, "Quickly prepare wine, so I can offer your Second Great King a cup to celebrate his merit." The Second Demon said, "Elder Brother, don’t drink yet. Order the little ones to fish Zhu Bajie out of the water and hang him up." So they hung Bajie in the eastern corridor, Sha Monk in the western one, and Tang Sanzang in the middle. The white horse was sent to the trough, and the luggage was stored inside.
The Old Demon laughed, "Worthy brother, fine work—you’ve captured three monks in two tries. But though Sun Xingzhe is pressed under the mountain, we still need to devise a method to bring him here and steam him properly." The Second Demon said, "Elder Brother, please sit. To capture Sun Xingzhe, we don’t need to go ourselves. Just send two little demons with two treasures to bag him and bring him back." The Old Demon said, "Which treasures should they take?" The Second Demon said, "Take my Purple-Gold Red Gourd and your Sheep-Fat Jade Vase." The Old Demon took out the treasures and asked, "Who should we send?" The Second Demon said, "Send Fine Ghost and Clever Worm." He instructed them, "You two take these treasures straight to the highest peak of the mountain. Turn the bottom up and the mouth down, and call out, ‘Sun Xingzhe.’ If he answers, he’ll be sucked inside. Then immediately paste on the charm reading ‘By Imperial Command of the Most High Lord Lao, Urgent as the Law,’ and he’ll turn to pus within three hours." The two little demons kowtowed, took the treasures, and went to capture Sun Xingzhe.
As for the Great Sage, crushed by the demon’s magic at the mountain’s base, he thought of Sanzang in his suffering and recalled the holy monk in his calamity. He cried out loudly, "Master! I remember when you came to the Double Boundary Mountain and tore off the sealing charm, freeing Old Sun from great disaster and leading him to join the Buddhist faith. I was grateful for the Bodhisattva’s decree, and we lived and cultivated together, shared the same fate and form, saw and knew the same things. Who would have thought that here, I’d encounter demonic obstacles and be crushed by a mountain again? Pitiful, pitiful! Your death would be deserved, but it’s hard on Sha Monk, Bajie, and that little dragon turned into a horse. This is truly: ‘A tall tree catches the wind, and the wind shakes the tree; a man’s fame brings him high renown, and fame destroys him.’" After this lament, his tears fell like rain.
This startled the mountain god, the earth spirit, and the gods of the Five Directions, who gathered with the Gold-Headed Guardian and asked, "Whose mountain is this?" The earth spirit said, "Ours." "Who is pressed under your mountain?" The earth spirit said, "We don’t know." The Guardian said, "You don’t know, then. The one pressed here is Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who caused havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago. He has now returned to the true path and become Tang Sanzang’s disciple. How could you lend your mountain to a demon to crush him? You’re dead men! If he ever gets free, do you think he’ll spare you? Even at the lightest, the earth spirit would be sentenced to exile, the mountain god to military service, and we’d face a grave punishment for neglect." The mountain god and earth spirit were then terrified and said, "We truly didn’t know, didn’t know. We only heard the demon recite the mountain-moving spell, and so we moved the mountain here. Who knew it was the Great Sage?" The Guardian said, "Don’t be afraid. The law says: ‘He who does not know is not guilty.’ Let’s figure out how to release him without letting him strike us." The earth spirit said, "That’s nonsense. If we release him, he’ll still hit us." The Guardian said, "You don’t understand. He has a compliant golden-banded staff that is extremely deadly: those struck die, those touched are wounded; a bump breaks bones, a scrape tears skin."
The local deity and mountain god, trembling with fear, consulted with the Five Directional Revealers, then came to the gate of Three Mountains and called out, "Great Sage, the mountain god, local deity, and Five Directional Revealers have come to see you." Truly, this was a worthy; though lean as a tiger, his ambition remained, and his spirit was naturally lofty. In a clear, ringing voice he said, "Why do you seek me?" The local deity replied, "We inform the Great Sage: we have moved the mountain aside, beseeching the Great Sage to come out and pardon our discourtesy." The said, "Move the mountain aside, and I won't strike you." He shouted, "Rise!" As if issuing an official decree, the gods recited their true incantations, returning the mountain to its original position, releasing the. The sprang up, shook off the dust, tightened his skirt, drew his staff from behind his ear, and ordered the mountain god and local deity, "Stretch out your shins; I'll give each of you two strokes to relieve my boredom." The gods were greatly alarmed, saying, "Just now the Great Sage commanded that our offenses be forgiven; why, upon emerging, have you changed your words and wish to beat us?" The said, "Fine local deity, fine mountain god! You claim not to fear me, but do you fear the demon?" The local deity replied, "That demon's powers are vast, his magic arts superior. He recites his incantations, summoning us into his cave, where we take turns on duty, one each day."
Upon hearing the words "on duty," the was startled. Looking up to heaven, he cried out in a loud voice, "Heavens, heavens! Since the beginning of chaos, when heaven and earth parted, I was born on Mount Flower-Fruit. I have traveled far to seek a wise teacher, who transmitted to me the secret of eternal life. I have changed with the wind, subdued tigers and dragons, caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, and been called the Great Sage. Never did I oppress the mountain gods and local deities by forcing them into servitude. Yet this despicable demon dares to summon the mountain god and local deity as slaves, making them take turns on duty! O Heaven! Since you gave birth to me, why did you also create such a being?"
As the Great Sage was lamenting, he saw a radiant light blazing from the mountain hollow. The said, "Mountain god, local deity, since you are on duty in this cave, what is that shining object?" The local deity replied, "That is the demon's treasure shining. It seems some goblin is bringing the treasure to subdue you." The said, "This will be a bit of fun! Let me ask you, who in this cave has dealings with him?" The local deity said, "He delights in alchemy and pill-making, and favors Quanzhen Daoists." The said, "No wonder he disguised himself as an old Daoist and tricked my master into going with him. Since that's the case, you may all remember your beating and go back. Let me capture him myself." The gods then rose into the air and dispersed.
The Great Sage then shook himself and transformed into an old Quanzhen Daoist. How was he dressed? His hair was coiled in twin topknots, he wore a robe of a hundred patches. In his hand he carried a fisherman's drum and castanets, and his waist was bound with a Lü Dongbin sash. He lounged by the roadside, waiting specifically for the little demon goblins. Soon the goblins arrived. The stretched out his golden-banded staff; the goblins, unprepared, tripped over it and fell with a thud. Rising, they saw the and cried, "Annoying, annoying! If our king didn't respect people of your sort, I'd fight you right now." The smiled apologetically, "Fight over what? A Daoist seeing another Daoist—we are all one family." The goblin said, "Why are you lying here to trip me up?" The said, "Young Daoist, when you see this old Daoist, a fall is the fee for meeting." The goblin said, "Our king's meeting fee is only a few taels of silver. How can a fall be a fee? You must be from a different region; you are certainly not a Daoist from here." The said, "I truly am not; I come from Penglai Mountain." The goblin said, "Penglai Mountain is a realm of immortals." The said, "If I am not an immortal, who is?" The goblin then turned from anger to joy, stepped forward, and said, "Elder Immortal, Elder Immortal! We are but common mortals with fleshly eyes, unable to recognize you. We spoke rashly; please forgive us." The said, "I forgive you. As the saying goes, 'An immortal's body does not tread on mortal ground.' How could you know? Today I came to your mountain to save a good person who wishes to become an immortal. Who would be willing to follow me?" Fine Ghost said, "Master, I'll go with you." Clever Worm said, "Master, I'll go with you."
The, knowing full well, asked, "Where do you two come from?" The goblins said, "From Lotus Flower Cave." "Where are you going?" The goblins said, "Following our king's orders, we are going to capture Sun the Novice." The said, "Capture whom?" The goblin said again, "Sun the Novice." Sun the Novice said, "Is that the Sun the Novice who is accompanying Tang Sanzang on his quest for scriptures?" The goblin said, "Exactly, exactly. Do you know him?" The said, "That monkey is somewhat rude. I know him, and I'm somewhat annoyed with him. I'll go with you to capture him, as a way to help you." The goblin said, "Master, we don't need your help. Our Second King has certain spells; he set three mountains on top of him, crushing him so he can't move an inch. He ordered us to take the treasures to capture him." The said, "What treasures?" Fine Ghost said, "Mine is the red gourd; his is the jade pure vase." The said, "How do they capture him?" The little goblin said, "You turn the treasure's bottom up and mouth down, call him once, and if he answers, he's sucked inside. Then you paste on a slip reading 'By the command of the Most High Lord Lao, hasten, hasten, as the law commands!' and in three hours, he will turn to pus." On hearing this, the was secretly alarmed, thinking, "Dangerous, dangerous! The Day Duty Revealer once reported five treasures; these are two. I wonder what the other three are." The smiled and said, "You two, let me borrow the treasures for a look." The little goblins, unaware of any trick, took the two treasures from their sleeves and handed them over with both hands. The, seeing them, was secretly delighted, thinking, "Fine things, fine things. If I just twist my tail and leap away, it will be like giving me a present." But then he thought, "Not good, not good. If I snatch them, it will ruin my reputation. This would be daylight robbery." So he handed them back, saying, "You haven't seen my treasure yet." The goblin said, "Master, do you have a treasure? Show it to us mortals to ward off disaster."
Good, he reached down, plucked a hair from his tail, pinched it, and said, "Change!" It turned into a large purple-gold red gourd, one foot seven inches long. He took it from his waist and said, "Look at my gourd." Clever Worm took it in hand, examined it, and said, "Master, your gourd is large and has a nice shape, but it's useless." The said, "Why useless?" The goblin said, "These two treasures of mine can each hold a thousand people." The said, "Your kind that holds people is nothing special. My gourd can even hold the sky inside." The goblin said, "Can it hold the sky?" The said, "It truly can hold the sky." The goblin said, "I'm afraid you're lying. Show us by holding the sky; then we'll believe. Otherwise, we won't believe you at all." The said, "If the sky offends me, I often hold it seven or eight times a month. If it doesn't offend me, I might not hold it even once in half a year." Clever Worm said, "Brother, let's trade for that sky-holding treasure." Fine Ghost said, "His holds the sky; why would he trade with ours that holds people?" Clever Worm said, "If he won't, we can add the pure vase to the deal." The secretly rejoiced, thinking, "Gourd for gourd, with the pure vase as extra: one item for two, a very good deal." He stepped forward and grabbed Clever Worm, saying, "Will you trade for the sky-holding one?" The goblin said, "If you can hold the sky, we'll trade. If not, I'm not your son." The said, "Alright, alright. Let me show you."
Great Sage, he lowered his head, made a gesture, and recited a spell, calling on the Day Roaming God, Night Roaming God, and the Five Directional Revealers: "Go at once and report to the Jade Emperor, saying that I, Old Sun, have converted to the true fruit, protecting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. We are blocked by a high mountain, and my master has met with calamity. The demon has a treasure, and I intend to trick him into trading it. With a thousand bows, I beg to borrow the sky from the Jade Emperor for half an hour, to aid my success. If he refuses a single word, I will go straight to the Lingxiao Hall and start a war."
The Day Patrol Spirit went straight to the Hall of the Milky Way beneath the Southern Heavenly Gate and presented a memorial to the Jade Emperor, reporting the previous events in full detail. The Jade Emperor said, “This impudent monkey speaks without any measure. Previously, Guanyin came and said to release him, allowing him to protect Tang Sanzang, and I further dispatched the Five Directional Revealers and the Four Duty Officers to take turns guarding him. Now he comes again to borrow the sky to be contained; can the sky be contained?” Just as he said it could not be contained, Nezha, the Third Prince, stepped forward from the ranks and memorialized, “Your Majesty, the sky can indeed be contained.” The Jade Emperor asked, “How can the sky be contained?” Nezha said, “Since the chaos first parted, the light and pure essence rose to form the sky, while the heavy and turbid essence sank to form the earth. The sky is a mass of pure air supporting the celestial palaces of the Yao Heaven; in principle, it is truly difficult to contain. But now Sun Xingzhe is accompanying the Tang Monk westward to fetch the scriptures—this is indeed a blessing as great as Mount Tai and a merit as deep as the sea. Today, we ought to aid him in his success.” The Jade Emperor asked, “What do you have to aid him?” Nezha replied, “Please issue an imperial decree to go to the Northern Heavenly Gate and borrow the Black Embroidered Banner from Zhenwu. Unfurl it at the Southern Heavenly Gate, and it will obscure the sun, moon, and stars. People will not see each other face to face; catching white will not reveal black. Deceive that demon into believing the sky has been contained, and thus assist the in achieving success.” The Jade Emperor, hearing this, said, “Let it be as you have proposed.” The prince, bearing the decree, went to the Northern Heavenly Gate, met with Zhenwu, and recounted the previous matter in detail. That patriarch then handed the banner over to the prince.
Soon, a wandering spirit quickly descended and whispered into the’s ear, “Prince Nezha has come to aid your success.” The looked up and saw auspicious clouds swirling; indeed, there was a deity. He turned his head and said to the little demon, “Let’s contain the sky.” The little demon said, “If we’re going to contain it, then contain it—why dawdle?” The said, “I was just reciting a spell with my divine power.” The little demons all stared wide-eyed, watching how he would contain the sky. The tossed a fake gourd upward. Now, think—this was transformed from a single hair; how heavy could it be? Blown by the wind atop the mountain, it drifted and floated, taking fully half an hour before falling back down. Just then, at the Southern Heavenly Gate, Prince Nezha unfurled the black banner with a rustling sound, obscuring the sun, moon, and stars. Truly, it was as if the cosmos were dyed with ink and the universe adorned with indigo. The two little demons were greatly startled and said, “Just a moment ago when we were speaking, it was only noon; how has it become dusk?” The said, “Since the sky is contained, there’s no distinction of hours; why wouldn’t it be dusk?” The little demon asked, “Then why is it so dark?” The said, “The sun, moon, and stars are all contained inside; outside there is no light—why wouldn’t it be dark?” The little demon said, “Master, where are you speaking from?” The said, “Am I not right in front of you?” The little demon reached out and felt around, saying, “I can hear your voice, but I can’t see your face. Master, what place is this?” The deceived him again, saying, “Don’t move your feet; this is the shore of the Bohai Sea. If you tread and collapse the ground, falling down, you’d need seven or eight days to reach the bottom.” The little demon, greatly alarmed, said, “Enough, enough—release the sky! We know how it’s contained. If we dawdle any longer and fall into the sea, we won’t be able to go home.”
Good, seeing that they truly believed, recited the spell again, startling the prince into rolling up the banner, and soon the sunlight was seen at high noon. The little demon laughed, saying, “Wonderful! Wonderful! Such a fine treasure—if we don’t exchange for it, we’re truly not sons worth keeping at home.” That Fine-Sense one handed over the gourd, and the Clever-Wit one brought out the pure vase, both giving them to the. The then handed the fake gourd to the little demon in exchange. After swapping the treasures, he went even further: he plucked a hair from below his navel, blew on it with divine breath, and transformed it into a copper coin. He called out, “Little lads, take this coin and buy a sheet of paper.” The little demon asked, “What for?” The said, “I’ll write a contract with you. You’ve exchanged these two treasures for containing people for my one treasure for containing the sky; I fear people’s hearts may not be at ease, and as days pass and years lengthen, there might be regrets or inconveniences. So I’ll write this to hold as evidence for each party.” The little demon said, “There’s no brush or ink here; what contract can be written? Let’s just swear an oath.” The said, “How shall we swear?” The little demon said, “I exchange two treasures for containing people for your one treasure for containing the sky; if I ever regret it, may I suffer a plague in all four seasons.” The laughed, saying, “I will never regret it; if I do, may I likewise suffer a plague in all four seasons as you said.”
Having sworn the oath, the gave his body a leap, flicked his tail, and sprang up to the Southern Heavenly Gate, where he thanked Prince Nezha for his merit in waving the banner to assist. The prince returned to the palace to report his decree and sent the banner back to Zhenwu; this is not elaborated further. This stood among the clouds, watching those little demons.
As to what transpired afterward, we know not; listen to the next chapter for the resolution.