OriginChapter 30
But to return to that monster: he bound Sha Seng, yet did not come to kill him, nor did he strike him, nor did he curse him even once. He raised his steel saber, and thought to himself: “Tang Sanzang is a person from the Superior Realm and must surely know rites and propriety. Surely it cannot be that I spare his life, only to have his disciple seize me? Ah! Most likely my wife has sent some letter to his country, and the news has leaked out. Let me go and question her.” The monster suddenly became murderous and wanted to kill the princess.
But the princess knew nothing of this. Having just finished dressing and arranging her hair, she came forward. She saw only that the monster’s eyes were glaring and his brows were knitted, his teeth clenched and gnashing. The princess still greeted him with a smile and said, “My husband, what has made you so troubled?” The monster gave a sharp cry and cursed, “You dog-hearted, base woman, utterly devoid of human relations. When I first brought you here, I never said a single word against you. You wear brocade and gold; whenever you lack anything, I go and seek it for you. In all four seasons you enjoy every comfort, and each day I have treated you with deep affection. How is it that you think only of your parents, without the slightest thought for our feelings as husband and wife?” Hearing this, the princess was so frightened that she knelt upon the ground and said, “My husband, why do you speak today of such words of separation?” The monster said, “It is not I who speak of separation—it is you who have separated yourself. I captured that Tang monk, intending to enjoy him; why did you release him without first informing me? It turns out that you secretly wrote a letter and had him carry it for you. Otherwise, how could these two monks have come again to attack my door and demand that I return you? Was this not your doing?” The princess said, “My husband, you have wrongly accused me. When have I ever sent any letter?” The old monster said, “You still dare to argue! I have an enemy captured here before us—what is he, if not proof?” The princess said, “Who?” The old demon said, “Tang Sanzang’s second disciple, Sha Seng.” As a rule, when a person reaches the point of death, who is willing to admit that he is doomed? She could only deny it to him. The princess said, “My husband, calm your anger, and let us go ask him. If there truly was a letter, then kill me and I shall accept it willingly; but if there was no letter, would that not be the wrongful killing of your poor wife?”
Hearing this, the monster would not hear another word. He swung open one indigo-blue hand as large as a winnowing basket, seized the ten thousand strands of hair of that golden-branch, jade-leaf princess, dragged her forward, and flung her to the ground. Holding his steel saber, he came to interrogate Sha Seng and gave a sharp cry: “Sha Seng, how dare you two presume to attack our door? Did this woman send a letter to her country, and did the king order you to come?” Sha Seng was bound there. Seeing how fiercely the demon had thrown the princess to the ground and was holding a saber with which to kill her, he thought to himself: “Clearly she sent the letter and rescued my master; this is an immeasurable kindness. If I say so outright, he will kill the princess. Would that not be repaying kindness with enmity? Enough, enough! I have followed my master for so long, yet have rendered not the slightest meritorious service. Now that I have been bound, let me offer this life to repay my master’s kindness.” Then he shouted, “You demon, do not be so unreasonable! What letter did she send that you wrong her so and seek her life? We came here to demand the return of the princess, and there is a reason for it. You captured my master and held him in your cave. My master once saw the princess’s appearance and manner. When we reached Baoxiang Kingdom to exchange the official documents, the emperor had a portrait made of the princess and sent people to inquire after her. He asked my master whether he had seen her likeness along the road, and my master then spoke of the princess. He therefore learned that she was his own daughter, bestowed imperial wine upon us, and ordered us to come capture you and bring his princess back to the palace. This is the truth. When did she ever send any letter? If you want to kill someone, kill me, old Sha; do not wrongfully harm an innocent person, lest you greatly offend Heaven’s principles.”
When the demon saw how boldly Sha Seng spoke, he threw down his saber and lifted the princess in both arms, saying, “I was rough and careless for a moment and greatly offended you. Do not blame me, do not blame me.” He then arranged her black hair, supported it into its jeweled coiffure, and, soft, tender, and gentle, with a pleasant face and an amiable expression, coaxed her inside. He also invited her to take the upper seat and offered her an apology. The princess, being a woman whose feelings were as changeable as water, saw that he had shown her mistaken respect and accordingly changed her mind, saying, “My husband, if you remember the affection between husband and wife, could you loosen Sha Seng’s ropes a little?” Hearing this, the old demon immediately ordered his underlings to untie Sha Seng, though they chained him there. When Sha Seng saw that his bonds had been removed but that he was still chained, he rose to his feet and secretly rejoiced, thinking: “As the ancients said: ‘When you make things convenient for others, you make things convenient for yourself.’ If I had not made things convenient for him, how could he have ordered my bonds to be loosened?”
The old demon then ordered a banquet arranged, and offered an apology to the princess while calming her fright. When the drinking had reached half its height, the old demon suddenly changed into a fresh and brilliant garment, took up a precious saber, and fastened it at his waist. Turning back, he touched the princess and said, “Wife, stay here and drink, and look after the two children. Do not release Sha Seng. While that Tang monk is in that country, I shall hurry there and go acknowledge my relations.” The princess said, “What relations will you acknowledge?” The old demon said, “Your father the king. I am his son-in-law, and he is my father-in-law. How could I not go and pay him a visit?” The princess said, “You cannot go.” The old demon said, “Why can I not go?” The princess said, “My father’s kingdom was not won through horse-struggle and force of arms; it is the state handed down by his ancestors. From childhood he was the crown prince and then ascended the throne; he has never even gone far beyond the city gate, and he has never seen such a fierce man as you. With your face and appearance, born so ugly as you are, if he saw you, I fear you would frighten him, and that would not be good. It would be better not to go and acknowledge the relationship.” The old demon said, “Since you put it so, I shall simply transform myself into a handsome man and go.” The princess said, “Try transforming yourself, and let me see.”
What a fine monster! There amid the banquet, he shook his body once and transformed himself into a handsome man. Indeed, he was born thus:
His features were elegant, his bearing imposing.
His speech was richly courtly, his conduct in the flower of youth.
With talent like Zijian, composing verse came easily;
With beauty like Pan An, he could lightly win fruit when he cast it.
Upon his head he wore a magpie-tail crown, his black-cloud hair gathered and subdued;
Upon his body he wore a jade gauze pleated robe, its broad sleeves floating and welcoming.
Beneath his feet were black boots with flower-folds, and at his waist a radiant luan sash.
His spirit and bearing truly marked a remarkable man,
Lofty, magnificent, handsome, and outstanding.
The princess was exceedingly delighted when she saw him. The demon laughed and said, “Wife, have I transformed well?” The princess said, “Well indeed, well indeed. Once you enter the court, my father is one whose kinship cannot be extinguished; he will certainly have the civil and military officials detain you for a banquet. If you drink during the feast, be exceedingly careful and take ten thousand precautions; do not reveal your original appearance, or show the cloven hoof, lest the news leak out and you lose all decorum.” The old demon said, “There is no need to instruct me; I have my own way.”
Look at him riding his cloud; before long he had reached Baoxiang Kingdom. He brought down his cloud and went to the outside of the court gate. Addressing the gate chamberlain, he said, “The Third Prince-Consort has come especially to seek an audience with His Majesty. Please transmit my request, transmit it.” The Huangmen reporting official came before the white-jade steps and奏道: “Your Majesty, the Third Prince-Consort has come to seek an audience. He is now outside the court gate awaiting proclamation.” The king was just conversing with Tang Sanzang. Hearing of the Third Prince-Consort, he asked the assembled officials, “I have only two prince-consorts. How is it that there is now a Third Prince-Consort?” The assembled officials said, “The Third Prince-Consort must surely be a demon who has come.” The king said, “Would it be proper to proclaim him inside?” The Elder’s heart trembled, and he said, “Your Majesty, he is a demon! If he were not uncanny, he would not be efficacious. He can know the past and future; he can ride the clouds and drive the mists. Whether you proclaim him in or do not proclaim him in, he will enter anyway. You might as well proclaim him in, which will at least save Your Majesty some words.”
The king granted the memorial and ordered them to announce him, summoning the monster to the Golden Steps. He likewise performed the rites, dancing and calling out “Long live!” The assembled officials saw that he was handsome and elegant, and did not dare recognize him as a demon. They were all fleshly-eyed mortals, yet took him for a good man. The king, seeing him tower above the valleys and rise to the skies, regarded him as a pillar and beam capable of aiding the world, and asked him: “Imperial Son-in-Law, where is your home? Of what region are you a native? When did you become matched with my princess? Why have you only come today to acknowledge the relationship?”
The old monster kowtowed and said: “My lord, I am a resident of Wave-Moon Cave on Bowl Mountain east of the city.”
The king said: “How far is that mountain from here?”
The old monster said: “It is not far, only three hundred li.”
The king said: “Three hundred li of road—how could my princess have reached that place and become matched with you?”
The monster, with clever words and flowery speech, answered with false feeling and feigned sincerity: “My lord, your humble minister has enjoyed practicing archery and horsemanship since childhood, making a living by hunting. Thirteen years ago, I led several dozen household retainers, released hawks and set hounds after game, when suddenly I saw a striped fierce tiger carrying a woman on its back and going down the mountainside. Your humble minister bent his bow and shot an arrow, felling the fierce tiger, then carried the woman back to my manor. I poured warm water and warm broth into her until she awoke, and thus saved her life. I then asked what household she belonged to, but she never once mentioned the word ‘princess.’ Had she said at once that she was His Majesty’s Third Princess, how would I have dared deceive my heart and presume to become matched with her? I would have had to bring her up before the Golden Hall and seek an official position, great or small, to honor my person. Since she said she was a daughter of a common household, your humble minister therefore kept her at the manor. The woman was beautiful and the man talented; both were willing, and so they became matched and have lived thus for many years. After we were matched, we wished to butcher that tiger and invite all our relatives, but Her Ladyship the Princess told us not to kill it for the time being. The reason she gave for not killing it was expressed in several lines, which were very well spoken:
Entrusted to Heaven and Earth, we became husband and wife;
Without go-between or proof, we joined in marriage.
In a former life, the red cord once bound our feet;
In this life, we made the old tiger our matchmaker.
“Because of these words, your humble minister untied the tiger’s bonds and spared its life. With the arrow wound upon it, the tiger ran away, clipping its tail as it went. I did not know that, after preserving its life, it had spent these years in the mountains, refining its body until it became a demon, wholly devoted to beguiling and harming people. Your humble minister has heard that in former years there were several parties who went to obtain the scriptures, and all were said to have come from Great Tang and to be called Tang Monk. I suppose this tiger harmed Tang Monk, obtained his passport, and transformed itself into the appearance of the scripture pilgrim, now deceiving Your Majesty in court. My lord, the one sitting on that embroidered stool is precisely the fierce tiger that carried the princess thirteen years ago; he is not the true scripture pilgrim.”
You see, that weak and deluded king, with his mortal eyes, failed to recognize the demon and instead took his stream of empty words for truth. He said: “Worthy Imperial Son-in-Law, how do you know that this monk is the old tiger that carried the princess?”
The demon said: “My lord, in the mountains I ate tigers and wore tigers; I slept and rose together with him. How could I fail to recognize him?”
The king said: “Since you recognize him, can you make him show his true form for us to see?”
The monster said: “Lend me half a cup of pure water, and your humble minister will make him reveal his true form.”
The king ordered an official to fetch water and hand it to the Imperial Son-in-Law.
The monster took the water in his hand, sprang to his feet, and came forward, using the “Black-Eye Body-Fixing Method.” He recited an incantation, then sprayed a mouthful of water toward Tang Monk and shouted: “Transform!”
The Elder’s true body, hidden in the hall, truly changed into a striped fierce tiger. At that moment, the king and his ministers, with their mortal eyes, looked upon the tiger. It had:
A white forehead and round head, a flowered body and lightning eyes.
Four hooves, straight and tall, rugged and imposing; twenty claws, hooked, curved, sharp, and keen.
Sawlike teeth enclosing its mouth, pointed ears joined to its brows.
Ferocious and sturdy, shaped like a great cat; fierce and mighty, resembling a yellow calf.
Rigid whiskers stood straight like silver rods; a barbed red tongue sprayed evil breath.
Indeed it was a fierce striped tiger, and gust after gust of awe-inspiring wind swept through the treasure hall.
The king, seeing it, was scattered in spirit and flown from his soul. The assembled officials were so terrified that they all hid themselves. Several bold military commanders led generals and military officers in a rush forward, wielding every kind of weapon to hack wildly at it. In that bout, had Tang Monk not been fated to live, or had there been twenty monks in his place, they would all have been beaten into mincemeat. Fortunately, Dingjia, Jiedi, Gongcao, the Dharma-Protecting gods, and the other deities secretly guarded and protected him from the air, and so none of the weapons could injure him. The ministers shouted until nightfall, and only then managed to capture the tiger alive. They bound it with iron ropes, placed it in an iron cage, and stored it inside the court offices.
The king then issued an edict ordering the Court of Imperial Banquets to lay out a grand feast, in gratitude for the Imperial Son-in-Law’s kindness in saving and delivering him; otherwise, he had nearly been harmed by that monk. That evening, when the assembled ministers had dispersed from court, the demon entered the Silver Peace Hall. He also selected eighteen palace women and colored-clad ladies, who played instruments, sang, and danced, urging the demon to drink wine and enjoy himself. The monster sat alone in the seat of honor, with all those lovely faces and delicate figures arranged on either side. You see, he indulged himself in drinking, and when it came to the second watch, intoxication rose upon him and he could no longer restrain his wantonness: he sprang to his feet, gave a great laugh, revealed his true form, and suddenly gave free rein to his vicious heart. Stretching out his dustpan-sized hand, he seized one of the women playing the pipa and dragged her over, then bit off a mouthful of her head with a crunch. The seventeen palace women were so terrified that they ran and hid in every direction for their lives. You see:
The palace women trembled in fear; the colored-clad ladies hurried in alarm.
The palace women trembled in fear, like hibiscus beneath rain, caged beneath the night rain;
The colored-clad ladies hurried in alarm, like peonies blown by wind, dancing in the spring breeze.
They smashed the pipas and fled for their lives; they fell and injured themselves, escaping with their lives.
Once out the door, they knew neither south nor north; away from the hall, they cared neither east nor west.
They bruised their jade faces and smashed their delicate features.
Every one fled to save her life; each and all ran to preserve what life remained.
After those people got out, they still did not dare call out. As the night deepened, they likewise did not dare disturb the royal presence. They all hid beneath the eaves of the low wall, trembling and shaking, and no more need be said of them.
Now the monster sat above, pouring and drinking by himself. After drinking a cup, he would pull a person over and gnaw two bloody mouthfuls. While he enjoyed himself inside, the people outside all passed the word around: “Tang Monk is a tiger demon.” They spread and shouted it wildly, shouting as far as the Golden Pavilion Post Station. At that time no one was in the station; only the White Horse was eating grass and fodder in the manger. He was originally the Little Dragon King of the Western Sea, but because he had violated the laws of Heaven, his horns were sawed off and his scales stripped away, and he was transformed into a white horse to carry Tang Monk westward to obtain the scriptures. Suddenly he heard people saying that Tang Monk was a tiger demon, and he thought to himself: “My master is plainly a good man. He must have been transformed into a tiger demon by the monster, and my master has been harmed. What is to be done? What is to be done? The Great Elder Brother has been gone a long time, and Bajie and Sha Monk have given no news.”
He endured only until the second watch, then sprang up and said: “If I do not save Tang Monk now, this merit and fruition are finished—finished!”
Unable to bear it any longer, he suddenly snapped the reins, shook loose the saddle and bridle, leaped up in haste, and quickly manifested himself, once more transforming into a dragon. He mounted dark clouds and went straight up into the empty reaches of the Nine Heavens to look down. A poem bears witness; the poem says:
The Three Baskets came west to pay homage to the World-Honored One;
Along the road, evil demon vapors appeared everywhere.
Tonight, transformed into a tiger, he cannot escape disaster;
The White Horse lets down his reins to save his master.
The Little Dragon King, high in midair, saw that within the Silver Peace Hall the lamps and candles shone brilliantly. It turned out that eight candles had been placed atop the eight full-hall red lanterns. Lowering the cloud-head and looking carefully, he saw the demon alone above, brazenly drinking wine and eating human flesh. The Little Dragon laughed and said: “This fellow is no good—he has revealed his horse’s feet, his disguise has been seen through, and he has been exposed. Is eating people some kind of advancement? Yet I do not know what has become of my master or where he is; instead, he has encountered this reckless monster. Let me go and play a trick on him. If I succeed, I will seize the demon; afterward it will not be too late to save my master.”
Good Dragon King, he immediately shook his body and transformed himself into a palace maid as well. Truly, his body was light and graceful, and his appearance charming and alluring. He hurriedly moved inside, and addressed the demon with a formal greeting: “Prince Consort, please do not take my life. I have come to pour you wine.” The demon said, “Pour it.” The Little Dragon took the flask, poured the wine into his cup, and the wine rose three to five fractions above the rim, without spilling over at all. This was the Little Dragon’s “Water-Forcing Method.” Seeing it, the monster did not understand it, but rejoiced inwardly: “You possess such skill?” The Little Dragon said, “I can even pour it several fractions higher.” The monster said, “Pour it higher, higher still.” He raised the flask and poured continuously; the wine continued to rise, just like a thirteen-tiered jeweled pagoda, pointed and filled to the brim, without spilling the slightest bit. The monster leaned forward and drank a cup; then he seized a dead man and took a bite. He said, “Can you sing?” The Little Dragon said, “I know a little.” In keeping with the tune and rhyme, he sang a short song, then offered another cup. The monster said, “Can you dance?” The Little Dragon said, “I know a little, but I have only bare hands, and my dancing will not be pleasing to watch.” The monster lifted his robe, unfastened the precious sword worn at his waist, drew it from its sheath, and handed it to the Little Dragon.
The Little Dragon took the blade and kept his attention fixed. Before the wine feast, he moved up three and down four, left five and right six, casting off the Flourishing Blade technique. The monster watched, his eyes bulging. The Little Dragon abandoned the flourishes and slashed a blade toward the demon. What a monster! He turned aside and dodged it, flustered, then raised a Full-Hall Red to block the precious blade. That Full-Hall Red had originally been forged from wrought iron and, including its handle, weighed eighty or ninety jin. The two of them left the Silver Peace Hall. The Little Dragon revealed his true form, mounted a cloud, and battled the demon in midair. This was a fierce battle in the dark. How was it?
One was a monster born from Bowl Mountain; the other was a true dragon punished beneath the Western Ocean.
One radiated dazzling light, as though spitting white lightning; the other gave birth to sharp qi, as though crimson clouds were bursting forth.
One was like an old white-tusked elephant walking among men; the other was like a golden-clawed civet cat flying down into the lower world.
One was a jade pillar supporting Heaven; the other was a golden beam propping up the sea.
The silver dragon flew and danced; the yellow demon turned and surged.
The precious blade on one side and the Full-Hall Red on the other never slackened, coming and going without pause.
The two of them fought eight or nine bouts in the clouds. The Little Dragon’s hands grew weak and his sinews numb, while the old demon was strong in body and vigorous in force. The Little Dragon could not withstand him. He flung up his blade and hacked at the demon. The demon had a method for catching blades: with one hand he caught the precious blade, while with the other he cast down the Full-Hall Red and struck. The Little Dragon was caught unprepared, and the demon struck him once on the back leg. In great panic, he pressed down the head of his cloud. Thanks to the Imperial Water River, he preserved his life, and the Little Dragon plunged headfirst into the water. The demon came searching for him but could not find him. He took the precious blade, picked up the Full-Hall Red, and returned to the Silver Peace Hall, where he continued drinking wine and sleeping as before. But enough of that.
Now, the Little Dragon lurked beneath the water. For half an hour he heard no sound or movement, and only then, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain in his leg, leaped up. Treading dark clouds, he went straight back to the lodging station, once again changed into his former horse shape, and lay beneath the manger. Pitifully, his whole body was soaked, and his leg bore an injury. At that time:
The mind-horse and heart-ape had all scattered,
The Metal Lord and Wood Mother had withered away.
The Yellow Dame was injured, harming all connection and distinction;
When morality and righteousness grow lax, how can anything be accomplished?
But let us not speak of Tripitaka meeting disaster and the Little Dragon losing the battle. Now, after Zhu Bajie had parted from Sha Seng, he plunged headfirst into a patch of grass and rooted out a muddy pig wallow. He slept straight through until midnight before awakening. When he awoke, he again did not know what place it was. He rubbed his eyes, settled his thoughts, and only then listened with his head cocked to one side. Ah! It was indeed a deep mountain where no dog barked, a wild expanse where few chickens crowed. Seeing the stars shift and the Dipper turn, he reckoned that it was about the third watch. He thought to himself: “If I return to rescue Sha Seng, truly it will be ‘A single thread cannot make a line; one palm cannot make a sound.’ Enough, enough, enough. I shall go into the city, see the master, report to the present Emperor, and select some more valiant men and horses. Then tomorrow Old Pig will come to rescue Sha Seng.”
The Idiot hurriedly set his cloud in motion and went straight back into the city. In a short while, he reached the lodging station. At that moment, the people were quiet and the moon bright. Beneath the two corridors he could not find the master; he saw only the white horse sleeping there, its whole body wet, with a bluish mark the size of a basin on its hind leg. Bajie cried out in alarm: “Double ill luck! This dead fellow has not even been on the road, so how can there be sweat on his body and a bluish mark on his leg? I suppose evil men robbed the master and beat the horse badly.” The white horse recognized Bajie and suddenly spoke with a human voice, calling, “Elder Brother.” The Idiot was so frightened that he fell backward, then scrambled up and tried to leave. The white horse stretched out its head, seized his black robe in its teeth, and said, “Brother, do not fear me.” Bajie said tremblingly, “Brother, how is it that you have begun speaking today? Whenever you speak, there must be some great misfortune.” The Little Dragon said, “Do you know that the master is in danger?” Bajie said, “I do not know.” The Little Dragon said, “You do not know. You and Sha Seng displayed your abilities before the Emperor, thinking to capture the demon, receive merit, and seek reward. You did not expect the demon’s powers to be great and your skills insufficient; you were unable to restrain him. It would have been good if even one of you had returned to bring word, but afterward there was not even a sound. That demon transformed himself into a handsome young scholar, entered the court, and acknowledged kinship with the Emperor. He transformed my master into a mottled fierce tiger, which was seen and captured by the assembled ministers and locked inside an iron cage in the offices of the court. When I heard of such suffering, my heart was cut as by a knife. You had also been gone for two days, unaware of anything. Fearing that his life might be taken at any moment, I had no choice but to transform into dragon form and go to rescue him. Unexpectedly, when I reached the court, I could not find the master either. When I arrived outside the Silver Peace Hall, I encountered the demon. I again transformed into the appearance of a palace maid and deceived the monster. The monster ordered me to dance with the blade for him to watch, so I took the opportunity and slashed him once. He quickly dodged it, raised a Full-Hall Red with both hands, and defeated me in battle. I then flew up and hacked at him with the blade, but he caught the blade, flung down the Full-Hall Red, and struck me once on the back leg. Therefore I plunged into the Imperial Water River and escaped with my life. The blue mark on my leg was made by his Full-Hall Red.”
Hearing this, Bajie said, “Did such a thing truly happen?” The Little Dragon said, “Would I have deceived you?” Bajie said, “What is to be done? What is to be done? Can you still move?” The Little Dragon said, “What if I can move?” Bajie said, “If you can move, then go down to the sea. Let Old Pig carry the luggage to Gao Family Village, return to the furnace, and go be the son-in-law again.” Hearing this, the Little Dragon seized his straight robe in his teeth and refused to let go. Tears could not help falling from his eyes as he said, “Elder Brother, please, whatever happens, do not become lazy.” Bajie said, “What does it matter if I am not lazy? Brother Sha has already been captured by him, and I cannot defeat him. If I do not take this opportunity to disperse and quit, what am I waiting for?”
The Little Dragon pondered for quite a while, then shed tears and said: “Elder Brother, do not speak of abandoning the fire. If we are to save Master, you need only go invite someone.” Bajie said: “Whom do you want me to invite?” The Little Dragon said: “Hurry and ride the clouds back to Flower-Fruit Mountain, and invite Elder Brother Sun Wukong. He still possesses great power for subduing demons; he will certainly save Master, and he can also help you and me avenge the defeat we suffered.” Bajie said: “Brother, let us invite someone else and be done with it. That monkey and I are somewhat at odds. Previously, on White Tiger Ridge, he beat Lady White Bone to death, and he blamed me for urging Master to recite the Tightening-Crown Spell. I only meant it as a joke; I did not expect that old monk to recite it in earnest and drive him away. He does not know how angry I made him. He certainly will not come. If our words happen not to suit him, his mourning staff is heavy; if he strikes me a few times without knowing his own strength, how could I stay alive?” The Little Dragon said: “He certainly will not strike you. He is a monkey king possessed of benevolence and righteousness. When you see him, do not yet say that Master is in trouble; only say: ‘Master misses you.’ Coax him into coming. Once he reaches this place and sees such a situation, he will certainly be indignant and will absolutely insist on matching himself against that demon. He will surely capture that demon and save my master.” Bajie said: “Very well, very well. You are taking such pains; if I do not go, it will seem that I am not taking pains. If I go there and Wukong is willing to come, I shall return with him; if he will not come, then do not expect me—I will not come back either.” The Little Dragon said: “Go, go; I guarantee that he will come.”
The Idiot truly gathered up his muckrake, adjusted his straight robe, leaped up, stepped upon the clouds, and headed straight east. This time, too, Tang Sanzang’s destiny was at work. The Idiot happened to meet a favorable wind. He spread his two ears like sails, and soon passed over the Eastern Ocean and lowered the clouds. Before he knew it, the sun was high; he entered the mountains and searched for a path.
As he was proceeding, he suddenly heard people speaking. When Bajie looked carefully, he saw that Wukong was in a mountain hollow, gathering a host of demons. He sat upon a rocky cliff, and before him were more than twelve hundred monkeys, arranged in ranks and classes, calling out: “Long live, Grand Sage Grandpa.” Bajie said: “What enjoyment he has, what enjoyment he has! No wonder he refused to remain a monk and insisted on returning home. So this is what he has: such a vast estate, and so many little monkeys to attend him. If old Pig had a mountain domain like this, I would not be a monk either. Now that I have come here, what should I do? I must certainly see him.” The Idiot was somewhat afraid of him and did not dare show himself openly. Instead, he slipped along the edge of the grassy cliff, edging and edging his way into the midst of those twelve or thirteen hundred monkeys, and kowtowed along with them.
Little did Sun the Great Sage know that he sat high up and that his eyes were sharp and shrewd; he saw Bajie clearly and asked: “The barbarian bowing about confusedly in that group—where did he come from? Bring him up.” Before he had finished speaking, the little monkeys swarmed over, pushed Bajie forward, and pressed him down upon the ground. Wukong said: “Where did you come from, barbarian?” Bajie lowered his head and said: “I would not dare; thank you for asking. I am not a barbarian, but an acquaintance, an acquaintance.” Wukong said: “All the monkeys under my Great Sage’s command have the same general appearance. Your face has a different cast, and your features are somewhat lumpish; you must be a demon from somewhere else. Since you have come from somewhere else, if you wish to join my ranks, first submit a credentials slip and report your name, so that I may keep you here and enter you on the roster. If I do not keep you, how dare you bow about here?” Bajie lowered his head and pushed out his snout, saying: “No shame—I have brought out this very face. I have been your brother for several years, yet you pretend not to recognize me and call me some barbarian.” Wukong laughed and said: “Raise your head and let me look at you.” The Idiot stretched his snout upward and said: “Look, then. You cannot recognize me, but surely you recognize the snout.” Wukong could not restrain his laughter and said: “Zhu Bajie.” Hearing himself called, he sprang up with a somersault and said: “That is right, that is right, I am Zhu Bajie.” He then thought: “Once he recognizes me, things will be easy to say.”
Wukong said: “You did not go with Tang Sanzang to fetch the scriptures, so what brings you here? I suppose you offended Master, and Master demoted you and sent you back. If you have a dismissal letter, bring it for me to see.” Bajie said: “I did not offend him. He has no dismissal letter, nor did he drive me away.” Wukong said: “If there is no dismissal letter and he did not drive you away, what brings you here?” Bajie said: “Master misses you and sent me to invite you.” Wukong said: “He does not invite me, nor does he miss me. That day he swore an oath before Heaven and personally wrote a dismissal letter. How could he now be willing to miss me, or send you from so far away to invite me? I certainly will not go.” Bajie immediately told a lie on the spot and hastily said: “He truly misses you, truly misses you.” Wukong said: “How does he happen to miss me?” Bajie said: “Master was proceeding on horseback when he called out, ‘Disciple.’ I did not hear him, and Sha Monk pretended to be deaf. Master then thought of you and said that we were no good, while you were still an intelligent and clever person who would always answer when called and reply to ten questions when asked one. Because he missed you in this way, he specifically sent me to invite you. I earnestly beg you to go and pay him a visit: first, so as not to disappoint his longing for you; and second, so as not to let down my intention in coming from so far away.” Hearing this, Wukong leaped down from the cliff and took hold of Bajie’s arm, saying: “Worthy younger brother, I have made you travel so far. Come, let us have some fun together.” Bajie said: “Brother, this place is far from the road. I fear that if Master waits for us, we will be late. I will not play.” Wukong said: “Since you have come all this way, will you not look at my mountain scenery?” The Idiot did not dare refuse too strenuously and had no choice but to accompany him for a look.
The two took each other by the hand and supported each other, while all the little demons followed behind them, up to the highest summit of Flower-Fruit Mountain. What a mountain! Since the Great Sage had returned home, in these few days he had restored it, making it as fresh as new. One saw only this:
Green as carved jade, lofty as though rubbing against the clouds. All around were crouching tigers and coiling dragons; on the four sides were many cries of apes and calls of cranes. At dawn, clouds emerged and sealed the mountain summit; at dusk, one watched the sun hanging among the woods. Flowing water murmured like the ringing of a jade pendant; mountain springs dripped drop by drop, playing a jade zither. Before the mountain were precipitous cliffs and steep peaks; behind the mountain were luxuriant flowers and flourishing trees. Above, it joined the Jade Maiden’s hair-washing basin; below, it received the branch waters of the Celestial River. Heaven and earth had gathered its beauty, surpassing Penglai; purity and turbidity had nurtured it into a true immortal grotto. Even a marvelous painter’s brush would find it difficult to portray; the celestial artistry of an immortal could not fully depict it. Exquisite were the strange rocks, and exquisitely rocky the peaks cresting the ridges. Sun shadows moved, sending forth a thousand streaks of purple radiance; auspicious vapors swayed, giving rise to ten thousand paths of red cloud. A blessed grotto and auspicious land existed in the human realm, with new trees and new flowers spread across the mountains.
Bajie could not take in all he saw and was filled with delight. He said: “Brother, what a fine place! It truly is the foremost famous mountain under Heaven.” Wukong said: “Worthy younger brother, have you been getting by?” Bajie laughed and said: “Listen to what Elder Brother says! The Precious Mountain is a place of blessed grottoes and auspicious lands—how can you speak of merely passing the days?”
After the two had chatted and laughed for a long while, they descended the mountain. By the roadside, they saw several little monkeys holding purple-hued grapes, fragrant pears and jujubes, yellow-golden loquats, and bright-red bayberries. Kneeling by the roadside, they called out: “Great Sage Grandpa, please come in for an early meal.” The Pilgrim laughed and said: “My Pig brother has a great appetite, and does not take fruit for a meal. Still, still—do not disdain its meagerness; make do with a little for a snack.” Bajie said: “Although my appetite is great, I can also follow local customs when in another land. Bring it, bring it! I too will eat a few and taste something new.”
The two ate the fruit, and gradually the sun rose higher. The Fool feared that they would delay the rescue of Tang Sanzang, and kept urging him: “Brother, Master is waiting there for you and me. I beg you, let us go early.” The Pilgrim said: “Worthy brother, please go into the Water-Curtain Cave and amuse yourself for a while.” Bajie firmly declined: “I am deeply grateful for your generous intention, elder brother, but Master has been waiting a long time. There is no need to trouble you by entering the cave.” The Pilgrim said: “Since that is so, I dare not keep you longer. Let us take leave here.” Bajie said: “Brother, you are not going?” The Pilgrim said: “Where would I go? Here, Heaven does not take me in, and Earth does not govern me; I am free and at ease. If I do not amuse myself, what sort of monk would I be? I am not going—you go by yourself. But give Tang Sanzang this message: since he drove me away, he should never think of me again.” Hearing this, the Fool did not dare press him, fearing that he would provoke his temper and, in an instant, receive a couple of blows from his staff. Helplessly, he could only submissively bid him farewell and set off, searching for the road.
When the Pilgrim saw him leave, he immediately sent two nimble little monkeys to follow Bajie and listen to what he might say. Indeed, after the Fool had descended the mountain and gone no more than three or four li, he turned around, pointed at the Pilgrim, and cursed aloud: “This monkey! Instead of being a monk, he has become a demon. This macaque! I came to invite him out of good will, yet he would not come. If you will not come, then so be it.” After walking a few steps, he cursed again several times. The two little monkeys hurried back and reported: “Great Sage Grandpa, that Zhu Bajie is not behaving himself. As he walks along, he curses every so often.” The Pilgrim flew into a great rage and shouted: “Seize him and bring him here!” The whole troop of monkeys came flying over the ground, caught up with Bajie, hoisted him up and knocked him down, seized his bristles and pulled his ears, dragged him by the tail and clutched his fur, and captured him and brought him back.
As for how he was to be dealt with, and whether his life or death would turn out one way or another, listen to the explanation in the next installment.