Chapter 39: One Elixir Obtained from Heaven; The Old Ruler Returns to the World After Three Years

As the Great Sage Sun found the headache unbearable, he pleaded, "Master, stop reciting, stop reciting. Let me heal him." The elder asked, "How will you heal him?" The Pilgrim said, "I must go to the underworld to investigate, and see which King Yama has his soul, then invite it back to save him." Eight Rules said, "Master, don't believe him. He said earlier that he wouldn't need to go to the underworld, that he could revive him in the mortal world, and that would show his skill." Hearing this slander, the elder began reciting the Tight-Band Spell again. Panicking, the Pilgrim quickly agreed, "I'll heal him in the mortal world, I'll heal him in the mortal world." Eight Rules said, "Don't stop, just keep reciting, keep reciting." The Pilgrim cursed, "You stupid beast, you're urging Master to curse me." Eight Rules laughed so hard he nearly fell over, saying, "Brother, oh brother, you only know how to torment me, you never thought I'd torment you back." The Pilgrim said, "Master, stop reciting, stop reciting. Let Old Monkey heal him in the mortal world." Tripitaka asked, "How will you heal him in the mortal world?" The Pilgrim said, "I'll now do a cloud somersault, charge into the Southern Gate of Heaven, not enter the Dipper Palace or the Hall of Universal Light, but go straight up to the thirty-third heaven, to the Palace of the Tushita Heaven in the Region of Separation from Resentment, and see. I'll beg for one of his Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Elixirs, and I guarantee I can revive him." When Tripitaka heard this, he was overjoyed and said, "Go at once, and come back quickly." The Pilgrim said, "It's about the third watch now. By the time I return, it'll be nearly dawn. But having this man lying here all alone and desolate is not a proper sight. He needs someone mourning over him, crying, for this to work." Eight Rules said, "There's no need to say it—this monkey must want me to cry." The Pilgrim said, "What if you don't cry? If you won't cry, I can't heal him." Eight Rules said, "Brother, you go on ahead; I'll cry on my own." The Pilgrim said, "Crying has its ways: if you just open your mouth and shout, that's called howling; if you force out a few tears, that's called sobbing; but to have both tears and heartfelt sorrow, that's genuine wailing." Eight Rules said, "Let me show you a sample." He didn't know where he got a strip of paper, twisted it into a spill, poked it up his nostrils a couple of times, sneezed a few times, and then—what do you know—his eyes streamed with tears, and drool dripped down as he started to cry. He kept up a constant muttering, jabbering all sorts of nonsense, truly as if someone had died. When he reached the most sorrowful parts, even Elder Tang shed tears, his heart aching. The Pilgrim laughed and said, "That's just the kind of grief I need. Don't stop the sound. You idiot might trick me into leaving and then stop crying. I'm still listening; if you cry like this, fine, but if you pause even a little, I'll give you twenty strokes on your shanks." Eight Rules laughed and said, "Go on, go on. Once I start crying like this, I can keep it up for two days." Sha Monk, seeing him ranting, went to find a few sticks of incense to burn as an offering. The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Good, good, good. If the whole family shows some respect, then Old Monkey can get to work."

Great Sage, at this time around midnight, took leave of his three master and companions, vaulted up on his cloud somersault, and went straight into the Southern Gate of Heaven. Indeed, he did not go to the Hall of Universal Light or the Dipper Palace, but with a flash of cloud light, he went directly to the thirty-third heaven, the Palace of the Tushita Heaven in the Region of Separation from Resentment. As soon as he entered the gate, there was, sitting in the elixir chamber with his immortal lads, fanning the furnace with palm-leaf fans and refining elixir. When he saw the Pilgrim arrive, he instructed the lads watching the elixir: "Each of you be careful; the elixir thief is here again." The Pilgrim bowed and laughed, saying, "Old sir, this is quite unseemly. Why are you guarding against me? I don't do that sort of thing anymore." The Lord Lao said, "You monkey, five hundred years ago you caused great havoc in Heaven and stole countless of my divine elixirs. Little Sage Erlang captured you and brought you to the upper realm, and I put you in my furnace to refine for forty-nine days, burning who knows how much charcoal. Now you've luckily escaped and converted to the Buddhist faith, protecting the Tang Monk on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. Before, on Flat-Top Mountain, you subdued demons, played tricks, and wouldn't return my treasures. What are you here for today?" The Pilgrim said, "As for that matter the other day, Old Monkey didn't delay a bit. I returned all five of your treasures to you on the spot. Why are you still suspicious and blaming me?" The Lord Lao said, "If you're not passing through, why sneak into my palace?" The Pilgrim said, "After we parted, I encountered a place to the west called the Black Rooster Kingdom. The king there was murdered by a demon who disguised himself as a Taoist, summoning wind and rain, and secretly killed the king. That demon now wears the king's face and sits on the golden throne. My master was reading sutras at night in the Precious Forest Temple when the king's ghost came to pay respects to him, begging Old Monkey to subdue the demon and distinguish right from wrong. Since Old Monkey had no evidence, I went with my junior brother Eight Rules into the garden at night, broke into the flower garden, and found the burial spot. It turned out to be an eight-sided glazed well. We fished out his corpse, and his appearance hadn't changed. When we returned to the temple and saw my master, he took pity and ordered Old Monkey to heal him, forbidding me to seek the soul in the underworld, only to treat him in the mortal world. I thought there was no way to revive him, so I came especially to pay my respects. I earnestly beg the Patriarch to show mercy and lend Old Monkey a thousand pills of the Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Elixir to save him." The Lord Lao said, "You monkey talk nonsense. What's this about a thousand pills or two thousand pills? Are they to be eaten as a meal? Are they lumps of dirt that you can make so easily? Bah! Be off! I have none!" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "A hundred or ten will do." The Lord Lao said, "I don't have those either." The Pilgrim said, "Then ten or so will do." The Lord Lao said angrily, "You impudent monkey are truly annoying. I have none, none. Get out, get out." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "If you truly have none, I'll go beg elsewhere." The Lord Lao shouted, "Go, go, go!" The Great Sage turned and started to leave.

The Lord Lao suddenly thought to himself: "This monkey is a rascal. He says he'll go, and off he goes, but I'm afraid he'll slip back in and steal." So he ordered the immortal lad to call him back, saying, "You monkey, your hands are unsteady. I'll give you one pill of this Soul-Returning Elixir." The Pilgrim said, "Old sir, since you know Old Monkey's skills, hurry up and bring out the golden elixir, and divide it with me sixty-forty, and that will be your good fortune. Otherwise, I'll give you a leaky bamboo strainer—I'll scoop everything clean." That Patriarch took his gourd, turned it upside down, and poured out a single golden elixir pill, handing it to the Pilgrim, saying, "This is all I have. Take it, take it. Giving you this one pill to revive that emperor will count as your merit." The Pilgrim took it and said, "Wait a moment. Let me taste it first. I'm afraid it might be fake, and I don't want to be cheated." He popped it into his mouth. Startled, the Patriarch rushed forward, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, clenched his fist, and cursed, "You impudent monkey, if you swallow that, I'll beat you to death." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "What a face. What a petty manner. Who would eat your thing? What's it worth? So much bluster, so little substance. Isn't it here?" You see, the monkey had a pouch under his chin. He had kept the golden elixir hidden in that pouch. The Patriarch pinched him and said, "Go on, go on. Don't come here to pester me again." Only then did the Great Sage thank the Patriarch and leave the Tushita Heaven.

Look at him: a thousand streaks of auspicious vapors left the Jade Palace, and ten thousand wisps of blessed clouds descended to the mortal world. In a moment, he came down from the Southern Gate of Heaven, returned to the Eastern View, and soon saw the sun star rising. He pressed down his cloud and went straight to the outer gate of the Precious Forest Monastery, where he could still hear Bajie crying. Suddenly he approached and called out, "Master." Sanzang, delighted, said, "Wukong is here. Do you have the elixir?" Pilgrim replied, "I do." Bajie said, "How could he not have it? He would steal some if he had to." Pilgrim laughed and said, "Brother, step aside; you're no longer needed. Wipe your tears and go cry somewhere else." He called to Sha Monk, "Fetch some water for me." Sha Monk hurried to the well in the back, found a convenient bucket, and brought half a gourd of water to Pilgrim. Pilgrim took the water, spat the elixir from his mouth, and placed it on the lips of the emperor. He used both hands to pry open his teeth and, with a mouthful of clear water, washed the golden elixir down his throat. After half an hour, they heard a rumbling noise in his belly, but his body could not move. Pilgrim said, "Master, if my golden elixir can't revive him, is this going to be too hard for Old Sun?" Sanzang said, "How could it not work? A corpse that has been dead so long—how could it swallow water? This is the immortal power of the elixir. Once the golden elixir entered his belly, his intestines began to rumble; that rumble means the blood and veins are stirring, but the breath is too exhausted to return. Don't say he was soaked in the well for three years; even raw iron would have rusted. It's just that his primal breath is completely gone—someone needs to breathe a breath of life into him." Bajie stepped forward to breathe, but Sanzang grabbed him and said, "That won't do; let Wukong do it." The master had good judgment: since his youth, Zhu Bajie had harmed life and eaten people, so his breath was foul. Only Pilgrim, who had cultivated since childhood, eating pine and cypress and living on fruits and peaches, had a pure breath. The Great Sage stepped forward, put his thunder-god mouth against the emperor's lips, and with a whoosh blew a breath into his throat, sending it down through the layered chambers, turning through the Bright Hall, straight to the Cinnabar Field, and from the Bubbling Spring back up to the Mud Ball Palace. With a loud crack, the king's energy gathered and his spirit returned. He turned over, clenched his fists, curled his feet, and called out, "Master." Kneeling in the dust, he said, "I remember last night my ghost paid homage, but how did I know that by dawn I would return to yang spirit?" Sanzang hurriedly helped him up and said, "Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with me; you should thank my disciple." Pilgrim laughed and said, "Master, what are you saying? As the saying goes, 'A house has no two masters.' It's not wrong for him to bow to you once."

Sanzang felt very uneasy. He helped the emperor up and together they entered the meditation hall. After bowing to Bajie, Pilgrim, and Sha Monk, they took their seats. The monks of this monastery had prepared the morning meal and were about to present it when they suddenly saw the emperor in his water-soaked robes. Everyone was alarmed and suspicious. Sun Pilgrim jumped out and said, "You monks, don't be alarmed or suspicious. This is the king of the Crowcock Kingdom, your true lord. Three years ago, he was killed by a monster, and Old Sun revived him tonight. Now we are going into his city to distinguish right from wrong. If you have any vegetarian food, set it out; after we eat, we'll be on our way." The monks then offered hot water, so he could wash his face and change clothes. They took off the emperor's ochre-yellow robe, and the monastery's abbot gave him two linen robes to wear. They removed his blue-field belt and tied a yellow silk cord around him. They took off his Carefree Boots and gave him a pair of old monk's shoes. Only then did they all eat the morning meal and saddle the horses.

Pilgrim asked, "Bajie, how heavy is your luggage?" Bajie said, "Elder Brother, I carry this luggage every day, but I don't know how heavy it is." Pilgrim said, "Divide that load into two bundles: you carry one bundle, and let this emperor carry the other. We'll enter the city early to take care of business." Bajie was delighted and said, "Lucky, lucky. Back then, I carried him here, not knowing how much effort it took. Now that he's revived, he turns out to be a stand-in." That idiot then got clever, divided the luggage, and asked the monastery for a carrying pole. He took the lighter load himself and gave the heavier one to the emperor. Pilgrim laughed and said, "Your Majesty, dressing you up like this and having you carry a load with us—is that too much to ask?" The king hurriedly knelt and said, "Master, you are like my reborn parents. It's not just carrying a load—I would willingly hold your whip and attend to your stirrups, serving you all the way to the Western Heaven." Pilgrim said, "You don't need to go to the Western Heaven; there's a reason for this. You only need to carry it forty miles into the city. Once we catch the monster, you can still be your emperor, and we will continue our quest for scriptures." When Bajie heard this, he said, "So that means he only carries it for forty miles, and I, Old Pig, am still the long-term laborer." Pilgrim said, "Brother, don't talk nonsense. Hurry up and lead the way outside."

Indeed, Bajie led the emperor forward, Sha Monk attended to the master as he mounted the horse, and Pilgrim followed behind. The five hundred monks of the monastery stood in neat rows, playing soft music, and escorted them out beyond the mountain gate. Pilgrim laughed and said, "Monks, there's no need to see us off further. I'm afraid someone from the officials might find out and leak my plans, which would be unfortunate. Go back quickly, go back quickly. Just prepare the emperor's clothes and crown, clean and tidy, and deliver them to the city either tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll ask for some rewards and gifts to thank you." The monks obeyed and each returned. Pilgrim took long strides, caught up with the master, and they continued forward. Truly:

In the West there is a formula for seeking truth,

Gold and wood united to refine the spirit.

The Elixir Mother vainly dreams in confusion,

The Infant forever hates the stump-like body.

One must seek the true lord at the bottom of the well,

And also visit the Old Lord in Heaven.

Awakening to form and emptiness, returning to original nature,

Sincerely, the Buddha saves those with affinity.

The were on the road, and in less than half a day, they soon saw the city walls approaching. Sanzang said, "Wukong, ahead must be the Crowcock Kingdom." Pilgrim said, "Exactly. Let's hurry into the city to take care of business." As the entered the city, they saw the streets full of orderly crowds and lively scenes. Soon they saw phoenix towers and dragon pavilions, extremely magnificent. A poem attests:

The palace towers abroad rival a great realm,

The songs and dances of the mortal world resemble the former Tang.

Flowers greet jeweled fans amid red clouds,

Sunlight shines on bright robes with emerald mist.

Peacock screens open, fragrant vapors emerge,

Pearl curtains roll up, colorful banners unfurl.

The peaceful scene is truly worth celebrating,

The many officials stand silently, no memorials presented.

Sanzang dismounted and said, "Disciples, let us enter the court directly to exchange the travel documents, so we don't have to trouble looking for some other office." Pilgrim said, "That makes sense. Let all of us brothers go in; the more people, the easier it will be to talk." Tang Monk said, "If we all go in, don't be unruly. First perform the rites of ruler and subject, then we'll talk." Pilgrim said, "Performing the rites of ruler and subject means bowing down." Sanzang said, "Exactly, we must perform the great ritual of five prostrations and three kowtows." Pilgrim laughed and said, "Master, you're not up to the task. If we bow to him, it would be unwise. Let me go inside first; I'll handle things. If he speaks, let me answer. If I bow, you bow; if I squat, you squat." Look at that troublemaking Monkey King as he led them to the court gates and said to the gate attendant, "We are envoys sent by the Great Tang of the East, going to the Western Heaven to pay homage to the Buddha and seek scriptures. We have come here to exchange the travel documents. Please, sir, report this for us, so that our good work is not delayed." The gate official immediately entered the main gate, knelt in the crimson courtyard, and reported, "Outside the court gates are five monks, who say they are imperial envoys from the Great Tang of the East, going to the Western Heaven to pay homage to the Buddha and seek scriptures. They have come here to exchange the travel documents and dare not enter without permission; they are now outside, awaiting your summons." That demon king ordered them to be summoned.

Tang Monk then entered the court gates together with the others, and the revived king followed. As he walked, he couldn't help but shed tears, thinking to himself, "Alas! My bronze-bucket rivers and mountains, my iron-encircled state—who knew he would secretly take them over." Pilgrim said, "Your Majesty, do not be so sad, lest we leak the news. This rod is jumping in my ear right now. I am determined to make it work this time, to kill the demon and sweep away the evil. This state will soon be returned to you." The king dared not disobey; he only wiped his tears with his sleeve and followed, risking death, straight to the Golden Chimes Hall. There he saw the two rows of civil and military officials, four hundred courtiers, each dignified and solemn, with imposing appearances.

This Pilgrim led the Tang Monk to stand before the white jade steps, his body straight and motionless. The many officials below the steps were all terrified, saying, "This monk is utterly foolish and muddled; how can he see our great king and not bow? He does not even offer congratulations or utter a single greeting? Truly he is extremely bold and discourteous." Before they finished speaking, they heard the demon king open his mouth and ask, "Where does that monk come from?" The Pilgrim replied boldly, "I am from the Eastern Land of the Great Tang in the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa, sent by imperial commission to the Great Thunderclap Monastery in the Western Region of India to worship the Living Buddha and seek the true scriptures. Now that we have arrived here, we dare not pass through empty-handed, and have come specially to exchange the travel documents." When the demon king heard this, he grew angry in his heart and said, "What is your Eastern Land to me? I do not pay tribute to your court, nor do I have dealings with your country. How dare you stand before me in defiance and refuse to pay homage?" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Our Eastern Land has from ancient times established a Celestial Court, long known as the Superior Nation, while you are a border state of the lower regions. From of old it is said: 'The emperor of the Superior Nation is like a father and lord; the emperor of the lower nation is like a subject and son.' You have not even come to greet me, yet you dare argue about my not bowing?" The demon king flew into a great rage and commanded the civil and military officials, "Seize this wild monk!" At the cry "Seize!", look how all the officials leaped forward together. The Pilgrim gave a shout, pointed with his hand, and said, "Stop!" With that finger, he used the Body-Fixing Spell, and none of the officials could move. Truly, the captains before the steps were like wooden puppets, and the generals in the hall were like clay statues.

When the demon king saw that he had immobilized the civil and military officials, he swiftly leaped up, jumped down from the dragon throne, and came to seize him. The monkey king secretly rejoiced, thinking, "Good, this suits Old Sun's purpose exactly. If he comes, even a head cast from raw iron, when it meets my staff, will get a hole knocked into it." He was about to move when unexpectedly a life-saving star appeared at his side. Who do you think it was? It was the crown prince of the Black Rooster Kingdom, who hurried forward, tugged at the demon king's court robes, knelt before him, and said, "Father King, calm your anger." The fiend asked, "My child, what do you have to say?" The prince said, "I report to Father King: Three years ago, I heard someone say that an imperial envoy, a holy monk from the Great Tang of the Eastern Land, was going to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. Unexpectedly, he has only now arrived in our country. Father King's nature is stern and fierce; if you take this monk and behead him, I fear that one day the Great Tang may learn of this news and surely become enraged. Imagine that Li Shimin, calling himself king and unifying the rivers and mountains, is still unsatisfied at heart and has even crossed the seas on campaigns. If he learns that our great king has harmed his imperial brother, the holy monk, he will certainly raise troops and send horses to contend with our great king. But we have few soldiers and weak generals; then it will be too late for regrets. Father King, follow your son's advice: for now, detain those four monks, interrogate their origins, first fix a crime of failing to pay homage to the king, and only then can you judge their offense."

This speech was actually the prince's caution, fearing harm to the Tang Monk, and he deliberately held back the demon, not knowing that the Pilgrim was preparing to strike. The demon king indeed believed his words, stood before the dragon throne, and roared, "You monk, when did you leave the Eastern Land? For what reason did the Tang king send you to seek scriptures?" The Pilgrim answered boldly, "My master is the Tang king's imperial brother, named Tripitaka. Because the Tang king had a prime minister, named Wei Zheng, who, following the celestial laws, beheaded the Jing River Dragon in a dream. After the Great Tang king wandered through the underworld and returned to life, he held a great Water and Land Assembly to liberate all wronged souls and ghosts. Because my master expounded the scriptures and spread compassion, he suddenly received guidance from the Bodhisattva Guanyin from the Southern Sea to go to the Western Heaven. My master made a great vow, his heart joyful, and to repay the country and show loyalty, he was granted the travel documents by the Tang king. At that time, it was the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang, three days before the full moon of the ninth month, when we left the Eastern Land. We first reached the Double Boundary Mountain, where I was taken as the eldest disciple, surnamed Sun, named Wukong, the Pilgrim; then we reached the Gao Family Village in the Kingdom of Wusi, where the second disciple was taken, surnamed Zhu, named Wuneng, Bajie; at the Flowing Sands River, the third disciple was taken, surnamed Sha, named Wujing, the monk; the day before yesterday, at the Imperially Built Precious Wood Temple, we newly took on a young porter, a Taoist." When the demon king heard this, he still had no way to interrogate the Tang Monk, so he used artful words to question the Pilgrim, glaring and asking, "Monk, at first you left the Eastern Land alone, then took four disciples. The three monks are acceptable, but this Taoist is hard to tolerate. That young porter must have been abducted. What is his name? Does he have a certificate of ordination or not? Bring him forward for interrogation." This so frightened the emperor that he trembled, saying, "Master! What am I to say?" Sun Wukong pinched him and said, "Don't be afraid; let me confess for you."

Great Sage, moving swiftly forward, spoke sternly and loudly to the monster: "Your Majesty, this old Taoist is mute and somewhat deaf. Because in his youth he once traveled to the Western Heaven and knows the road. I know the whole story of his background; I beg Your Majesty to be lenient and let me confess for him." The demon king said, "Confess for him quickly and honestly, to avoid bringing guilt upon yourself." The Pilgrim said:

"The culprit youth porter, aged now,

Stupid, deaf, and mute, his estate ruined.

His ancestral home was originally here,

Five years ago, disaster struck.

No rain fell, the people withered,

The king and commoners all fasted.

Burning incense and bathing, they prayed to Heaven,

For ten thousand miles, not a cloud appeared.

The people starved as if hanging upside down,

When from Zhongnan Mountain suddenly descended a Quanzhen freak.

Summoning wind and rain, displaying his powers,

Then secretly took the king's life.

Pushed into the garden's heavenly well,

The dark usurpation of the dragon throne was hard to fathom.

Thanks to my arrival, with great merit,

I revived the dead, with no hindrance.

Willingly he converted to be a porter youth,

To journey with the monk to the Western Borders.

The false king is the Taoist,

The Taoist is the true king in his place."

When the demon king heard this speech in the Golden Bells Hall, his heart pounded like a deer, and his face flushed red. He quickly turned to flee, but had no weapon in hand. Turning his head, he saw a palace-guarding general with a precious sword at his waist, who, immobilized by the Pilgrim's spell, stood there like a mute. He approached, seized the precious sword, mounted a cloud, and fled into the air. This so enraged Sha Monk that he fumed, and Zhu Bajie shouted loudly, blaming the Pilgrim for being an impatient monkey: "Couldn't you have spoken more slowly and steadied him? Now he has fled on a cloud; where will we chase him?" The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Brothers, don't shout yet. Let us call the prince down to bow to his father, and the consorts and queen to bow to their husband," and then he recited a spell to release the Body-Fixing Spell, "and tell the officials to awaken and pay homage to the king, so they will know he is the true emperor. Let them recount the past events, and then the truth will be clear. I will go find him." The Great Sage instructed Bajie and Sha Monk, "Take good care of their king and subjects, father and son, consorts and queen, and my master." With only a sound of "Go!", his form vanished.

He leaped into the clouds of the ninth heaven, opened his eyes, and looked all around for the demon king. He saw that the beast had indeed escaped with his life, heading straight northeast. As the Pilgrim drew near, he shouted, "Monster, where are you going? Old Sun is here." The demon king quickly turned his head, drew his precious sword, and yelled, "Sun Wukong, you are utterly reckless. I have usurped another's throne, which has nothing to do with you; why do you meddle and expose my secret?" The Pilgrim laughed heartily and said, "I'll deal with you, you bold monster! Is it for you to play the emperor? Since you know I am Old Sun, you should have fled far away; instead, you tormented my master and demanded a confession. Was that confession just now correct or not? Don't run away; if you are a true man, take this blow from Old Sun's staff." The demon dodged to the side, drew his precious sword, and met him face to face. They engaged, and this was a fine fight, truly:

The monkey king fierce, the demon king strong,

Sword meets staff, daring to match.

Clouds and mist fill the three realms,

All for the establishment of a king in the present court.

They fought several rounds, and the demon, unable to withstand the Monkey King, hurriedly turned back along the old path and leaped into the city. He dashed among the two rows of civil and military officials before the white jade steps, shook himself, and changed into a form exactly like Tang Sanzang. Arm in arm, the two stood side by side before the steps. The Great Sage caught up and was about to raise his staff to strike. The fiend said, “Disciple, don’t hit me; it’s me.” He quickly drew his staff to strike the other Tang Sanzang, who also said, “Disciple, don’t hit me; it’s me.” With two identical Tang Sanzangs, it was truly impossible to tell them apart: “If I strike and kill the demon disguised as Tang Sanzang, that would be a success; but if I strike and kill my real master, what then?” So he had to stop, calling out to Eight Rules and Sha Monk, “Ask them: which one is the fiend, and which one is my master? Point him out to me, so I can hit him.” Eight Rules said, “While you were fighting and shouting in midair, I caught a glimpse of two masters, and I don’t know which is real and which is false.”

When Sun Wukong heard this, he made a hand seal, recited a spell, and summoned the Dharma-protecting gods, the Six Ding and Six Jia spirits, the Five-Fang Revealers, the Four Duty-Deities, the Eighteen Guardian Arhats, the local Earth Spirit, and the mountain god of this region, saying, “Old Monkey came here to subdue the demon, and the fiend has taken on my master’s form, with the exact same bearing and breath—truly hard to tell apart. You, in secret, inform me and have my master come up to the hall, so I can capture the demon.” Now, that fiend was skilled in riding clouds and mist. Hearing Sun Wukong’s words, he quickly let go and leaped onto the Golden Throne Hall. Sun Wukong raised his golden-banded staff and struck at Tang Sanzang. How pitiful! If not for summoning those immortals, that blow would have turned even twenty Tang Sanzangs into meat paste! Thanks to the gods catching the iron staff and saying, “Great Sage, that fiend knows cloud-riding and has already gone up to the hall.” Sun Wukong rushed to the hall, but the fiend leaped down again, grabbed Tang Sanzang, and mingled once more among the crowd, making it still impossible to distinguish them.

Sun Wukong grew displeased, and seeing Eight Rules sneering on the side, he flew into a rage and said, “You blockhead, what are you thinking? Now there are two masters—you get to call out, get a response, and have someone to serve—are you so happy about it?” Eight Rules laughed and said, “Brother, you call me dull, but you’re even duller than me. Since the master can’t be recognized, why waste effort? First, bear with your headache for a while, and let our master recite the Tight-Band Spell. Sha Monk and I will each hold one and listen. If one can’t recite it, that one must be the demon. What’s so hard about that?” Sun Wukong said, “Brother, thanks for coming up with this idea. Indeed, only three people know the Tight-Band Spell. It originated from the heart of our Buddha Tathagata, was passed to Guanyin Bodhisattva, and she passed it to my master—no one else knows it. Alright, Master, you recite it.” Tang Sanzang then began to recite it. How could the demon king know it? He just mumbled nonsense in his mouth. Eight Rules said, “This one mumbling is definitely the demon.” He let go, raised his rake, and struck. The demon king leaped up, mounted the clouds, and fled.

Good Eight Rules! With a loud shout, he also mounted the clouds and gave chase. In haste, Sha Monk dropped Tang Sanzang, drew his staff, and struck as well. Tang Sanzang then stopped the spell. The Great Sage Sun, enduring his headache, gripped his iron staff and rushed into the air. Oh! What a fight! Three fierce monks surrounded one raging demon. The demon king, trapped by Eight Rules and Sha Monk with their rake and staff attacking from both sides, was cornered. Sun Wukong laughed and said, “If I go in and strike him face to face, he’s somewhat afraid of me, and he might run again. Let Old Monkey rise higher and give him a pounding strike to finish him off.”

The Great Sage soared up on an auspicious cloud to the ninth heaven, about to strike, when suddenly from a multicolored cloud in the northeast, someone called out sternly, “Sun Wukong, hold your hand.” Sun Wukong looked back and saw it was Manjushri Bodhisattva. He quickly withdrew his staff, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, “Bodhisattva, where are you going?” Manjushri said, “I’ve come to help you subdue this demon.” Sun Wukong thanked him, saying, “I’m much obliged.” The Bodhisattva took a demon-revealing mirror from his sleeve, shone it on the fiend’s original form, and Sun Wukong then called Eight Rules and Sha Monk to come and pay homage to the Bodhisattva. Looking into the mirror, the demon king appeared extremely ferocious:

Eyes like crystal cups, head like a frying vat. Body the indigo of midsummer, four claws like autumn frost. Drooping two ears, a tail like a broomstick long. Green fur giving off sharp energy, red eyes blazing golden light. Flat teeth arrayed like jade plates, round whiskers stiff as hard spears. In the mirror, his true form was revealed—it turned out to be a lion-king from Manjushri Bodhisattva’s mount.

Sun Wukong said, “Bodhisattva, this is a green-haired lion from under your seat. How did it escape and become a spirit, and you didn’t subdue it?” The Bodhisattva said, “Wukong, he didn’t escape; he was sent here on the Buddha’s decree.” Sun Wukong said, “This beast became a spirit, usurped the throne, and you still say he was sent on the Buddha’s decree? If Old Monkey, suffering to protect Tang Sanzang, should have gotten several imperial decrees.” The Bodhisattva said, “You don’t know. In the past, the king of Wuji Kingdom was fond of charity and fed monks. The Buddha sent me to guide him to the West and early attain the Golden Arhat body. Because I couldn’t appear in my true form, I changed into an ordinary monk and asked him for some alms. He was stumped by a few words from me, didn’t recognize me as a good person, tied me up with a rope, and threw me into the Imperial River, soaking me for three days and three nights. Thanks to the Six Jia golden bodies rescuing me back to the West, I reported it to Tathagata. Tathagata then sent this fiend here to push him into the well and soak him for three years, to repay my three-day water disaster grudge. ‘Every drink and every bite is predestined.’ Now that you’ve come here, you’ve accomplished this merit.” Sun Wukong said, “You may have avenged this ‘every drink and every bite’ private grudge, but that fiend has harmed who knows how many people.” The Bodhisattva said, “He hasn’t harmed anyone. Since he arrived, for these three years, the winds and rains have been timely, the country peaceful and the people safe—how has he harmed anyone?” Sun Wukong said, “That may be so, but the three palace consorts slept and rose with him, defiling their bodies and breaking much of the ethical code—do you still say he hasn’t harmed anyone?” The Bodhisattva said, “He couldn’t defile them; he’s a castrated lion.” When Eight Rules heard this, he stepped forward and felt him with his hand. Laughing, he said, “This fiend is truly like ‘a rotten nose not drinking wine—bearing the name in vain.’” Sun Wukong said, “In that case, take him away. If not for the Bodhisattva coming in person, I would never spare his life.”

Then the Bodhisattva recited a spell and shouted, “Beast, won’t you return to the right path? What are you waiting for!” The demon king then revealed his true form. The Bodhisattva released a lotus flower to cover the demon, sat on his back, mounted an auspicious cloud, and took his leave of Sun Wukong. Alas!

Straight back to Mount Wutai he went, to listen to sutras under the lotus seat.

As to how the Tang Monk and his disciples left the city, that will be told in the next chapter.