Chapter 38

Upon meeting you, he spoke only of the cause of reincarnation, And thus became one of those at the Tathāgata's assembly. In a single thought, he calmly contemplates the Buddhas of the mundane world, And in all ten directions they together behold the descent of awesome might. If you wish to know today's true enlightened lord, You must ask about the person of the lawful mother in those years. Apart from this, there are things in the world never before seen— Each step, each stride, each flower anew. Now to speak of the Crown Prince of the Wuji Kingdom: since he had parted from the Great Sage, not long had passed before he returned to the city. Indeed, he did not head for the court gates, nor did he dare announce the imperial summons; he went straight to the rear palace gate, where he saw several eunuchs standing guard. When they saw the prince approaching, they did not dare to obstruct him and let him enter. What a fine prince! He urged his horse forward and charged inside, until he suddenly arrived beneath the Embroidered Fragrance Pavilion. There he saw the principal royal consort seated upon the pavilion, with several tens of palace ladies on either side holding fans, and the consort was leaning against the carved railing, weeping. Do you ask why she was weeping? It turned out that at the fourth watch she too had had a dream—she remembered half of it, while the other half was muddled, and she was brooding heavily over it. The prince dismounted, knelt beneath the pavilion, and called out, "Mother." The consort forced herself to compose a joyful expression and said, "My child, what joy! What joy! For these two or three years you have been lecturing in the front hall with your father the king, and I have not been able to see you; I have missed you greatly. How is it that today you have found leisure to come and see me? Truly a joy beyond measure! Truly a joy beyond measure! My child, why is your voice so mournful? Your father the king is advanced in years; one day when the dragon returns to the jade sea and the phoenix returns to the crimson sky, you shall inherit the throne—what then could there be to displease you?" The prince kowtowed and said, "Mother, I ask you: who is it that has ascended the dragon throne and claimed sovereignty? Who indeed is the one who styles himself the solitary lord?" When the consort heard this, she said, "Has this child gone mad? The one who is emperor is your father the king—why do you ask?" The prince kowtowed and said, "I beg my mother to pardon your son of any offense before I dare to ask; without pardon, I dare not ask." The consort said, "What offense could there be between mother and son? I pardon you, I pardon you—speak quickly." The prince said, "Mother, I ask you: regarding the matter of the conjugal chamber three years ago, how does it compare with the affection of the three years since?" When the consort heard this, her soul fled and her spirit scattered; she hurried down from the pavilion, lifted him up, and clasped him tightly in her arms, tears falling from her eyes as she said, "My child, you and I have not seen each other for so long—why have you come to the palace today to ask about this?" The prince grew angry and said, "Mother, if you have something to say, say it quickly; if you do not, you will delay a great matter." Only then did the consort dismiss the attendants on both sides, and with tearful eyes she spoke in a low voice: "This matter—had you, my child, not asked, even after I descended to the Nine Springs, I would never have understood it. Since you do ask, listen to me: Three years ago it was warm and tender, Three years later it is cold as ice. By the pillow I pressed him closely with questions, And he said he was old and weary, his vigor gone." When the prince heard this, he let go of her hand, sprang away, and mounted his horse. The consort grabbed him and said, "My child, what business do you have that you cannot finish your words before leaving?" The prince knelt before her and said, "Mother, I dare not speak it. At court this morning, I was dispatched by imperial order to take hawks and hounds and go hunting outside the city. By chance I encountered a holy monk of the Way who had come from the Great Tang in the East, and his senior disciple is Sun Wukong, most skilled in subduing demons. It turns out that my father the king died in the octagonal琉璃 well in the imperial garden, and this imposter has transformed himself into my father the king and usurped the dragon throne. Tonight at the third watch, my father the king appeared in a dream and invited him to come to the city and capture the monster. I, your son, did not dare to fully believe it, so I came especially to ask my mother. Now that you, mother, have spoken such words, it must certainly be an evil spirit." The consort said, "My son, why do you take the words of an outsider as truth?" The prince said, "I still dare not take it as truth—my father left a token with him." The consort asked what it was, and the prince took from his sleeve the gold-mounted white jade tablet and handed it to the consort. She recognized it as the treasure of the former king, and could not hold back her tears, which gushed forth like a spring. She cried out, "My lord, how could you have been dead for three years without coming to see me, yet first see the holy monk and then see the prince?" The prince said, "Mother, what do you mean by these words?" The consort said, "My son, at the fourth watch I too had a dream. I dreamed that your father the king, dripping wet, stood before me and personally told me that he had died, and that his ghost had gone to entreat Tang Sanzang to subdue the false emperor and save his former body. I remember these words clearly, but half of it is still not clear. I was just puzzling over it here—how could I have known that today you would come and speak of this again, and even produce this treasure? I shall keep it for now. You must go and invite that holy monk to act with all haste. If he can indeed sweep away the demonic aura and distinguish the true from the false, then at last you will repay your father the king's kindness in raising you." The prince hurriedly mounted his horse, left through the rear palace gate, and fled the city. Truly, with tears he kowtowed and took leave of his mother the queen, and with grief he bowed again to Tang Sanzang. Before long, he had left the city gates and went straight to the mountain gate of Baolin Monastery, where he dismounted. The soldiers received the prince, and they saw the red sun was about to set. The prince gave an order: the soldiers were not to move about recklessly. Then he entered the mountain gate alone, straightened his robes and cap, and went to pay his respects and invite Wukong. There he saw the Monkey King swaggering out from the main hall, and the prince knelt on both knees and said, "Master, I have come." Wukong stepped forward, helped him up, and said, "Rise. When you reached the city, did you ask anyone?" The prince said, "I asked my mother." And he related everything that had been said before. Wukong smiled faintly and said, "If it is that cold, I imagine it is something cold and icy that has transformed. No matter, no matter—wait until I, Old Sun, sweep it away for you. But it is late today and not a good time to act. You go back first, and tomorrow morning I will come." The prince knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Master, I shall remain here and wait until tomorrow, then go together with you, Master." Wukong said, "No, no. If I enter the city together with you, the monster will grow suspicious. He will not say that I ran into you by chance, but will say that you invited Old Sun—and that would only provoke him to turn against you." The prince said, "If I go back to the city now, he will blame me anyway." Wukong said, "Blame you for what?" The prince said, "This morning I was dispatched by imperial order, leading a number of men, horses, hawks, and hounds out of the city, and have gone all day without taking a single wild creature—how am I to appear before the throne? If I am charged with the crime of incompetence and imprisoned in Youli, what will you rely upon when you enter the city tomorrow? Moreover, among the ranks of officials there is not a single acquaintance of mine." Wukong said, "What is so difficult about that? If only you had said so earlier, I would have found some game for you." Watch the Great Sage—right before the prince he displayed his powers. He leaped up with a bound and soared into the clouds. Pressing his fingers together in a mudrā, he recited the true incantation "Oṃ Laṅ Jìng Fǎ Jiè," and at once summoned the Mountain God and Earth God, who appeared in midair and saluted him, saying, "Great Sage, what command do you have for us lesser deities?" Wukong said, "I, Old Sun, am escorting the Tang monk here and wish to capture the evil demon. But the prince has gone hunting and caught nothing, so he dares not return to court. I ask you for a favor: quickly find some roe deer, fallow deer, hares, rabbits, beasts of the field, and birds of the air—each of you gather some and send him back with them." When the Mountain God and Earth God heard this, how could they dare not obey? They asked how many of each were needed. The Great Sage said, "No matter how many—just take some and that will do." Each of the deities then summoned the local Yin soldiers of their domains, raised a gust of demonic wind that gathered beasts, and captured wild chickens, mountain pheasants, horned deer, plump roe, foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs, rabbits, tigers, leopards, wolves, and other creatures—over a hundred in all—and presented them to Wukong. Wukong said, "I, Old Sun, do not want them. You must twist their sinews so they cannot move, and arrange them alone along both sides of the forty-li road. Have those men not release their hawks and hounds, but gather them up and take them back to the city; that will count as your merit." The deities obeyed his words, withdrew the demonic wind, and laid them out on both sides. The traveler then pressed down his cloud and said to the crown prince, "Your Highness, pray return. There are already things on the road; you may collect them yourself." When the crown prince saw him performing such神通 in midair, how could he not believe? He could only kowtow and take his leave. Going out through the mountain gate, he issued orders for the soldiers to return to the city. They saw that there were indeed countless wild beasts by the roadside. The soldiers, without releasing hawks or hounds, all laid hands on them and caught them, cheering loudly, all saying it was the blessed fortune of His Highness the Thousand-Year Crown Prince—how could they know it was the divine feat of Old Sun? You could hear the triumphant songs sung as they crowded back to the city. This traveler then escorted Tripitaka. When the monks of the monastery saw how intimately they had dealt with the crown prince, how could they fail to show respect? They then arranged vegetarian offerings, entertained the Tang monk, and still let him rest in the meditation hall. When it was nearly the first watch, the traveler had matters on his mind and could not fall asleep. He scrambled up in one swift motion and went to the front of Tripitaka's bed, calling, "Master." At this time the elder had not yet slept; knowing that the traveler was prone to startling people, he pretended to be asleep and did not answer. The traveler felt his bald head, shook it, and said, "Master, how can you be asleep?" Tripitaka said angrily, "You monkey, at this late hour you're still not asleep—what are you yelling about?" The traveler said, "Master, there is a matter I wish to discuss with you." The elder said, "What matter?" The traveler said, "During the day I boasted to the crown prince, saying my skill was higher than the mountains and deeper than the seas, that seizing that monster would be like reaching into a bag to retrieve something—just stretch out my hand and bring it back. But now I cannot sleep, for on reflection, it is rather difficult." Tripitaka said, "If you say it's difficult, then do not seize him." The traveler said, "Seize him I must, but the reasoning is not straightforward." Tripitaka said, "You monkey talk nonsense. A monster has usurped the ruler's throne—how can you say the reasoning is not straightforward?" The traveler said, "You, venerable sir, only know how to recite scriptures, worship the Buddha, sit in meditation, and investigate Chan—you have never seen the laws of Xiao He. As the saying goes: 'To catch a thief, catch him with the stolen goods.' That monster has been emperor for three years, and never once has he shown his hoof or leaked the slightest sound. He sleeps with the three palace consorts and enjoys himself with the civil and military officials in both courts. Even if Old Sun had the ability to capture him, it would be difficult to fix a charge." Tripitaka said, "Why would it be difficult to fix a charge?" The traveler said, "Even if he were a mouthless gourd, he could still roll a few times against you. He would dare say: 'I am the king of Wuji—what treason have I committed that you come to seize me?' What credentials would you produce to argue with him?" Tripitaka said, "How then do you propose to handle it?" The traveler laughed and said, "Old Sun's plan is already formed. But it concerns you, venerable sir, and may seem like I'm shielding you." Tripitaka said, "How am I shielding you?" The traveler said, "Bajie is clumsy and dull, and you tend to favor him somewhat." Tripitaka said, "How do I favor him?" The traveler said, "If you do not favor him, then for now, summon your courage and stay here with Shaseng. Let Old Sun take Bajie and first enter the city of Wuji, find the Imperial Garden, open the Glazed Well, fish out the emperor's corpse, and wrap it in our bundle. Tomorrow, when we enter the city, pay no mind to exchanging the travel permit; the moment we see that monster, draw the staff and strike. If he speaks, we will show him the bones and say: 'The one you killed was this man.' Then let the crown prince come forward and weep for his father, the queen come out and recognize her husband, and the civil and military officials see their true sovereign. Then Old Sun and the brothers will set to work. Only then will there be a proper case to fight." When Tripitaka heard this, he was secretly pleased, but said, "I fear Bajie will not be willing to go." The traveler laughed and said, "See? I said you favor him. How do you know he will not go? Just do as you did when I called you and did not answer—for half an hour, that's all. With my glib tongue, I need not mention Zhu Bajie—even if it were Zhu Jiujie, I'd have the skill to make him follow me." Tripitaka said, "Very well, go and call him then." The traveler left his master and went straight to Bajie's bedside, calling, "Bajie, Bajie." This idiot was a man weary from travel; he flopped down his head and snored heavily, impossible to rouse. The traveler pulled his ear, grabbed his bristles, and yanked him up, calling, "Bajie." The idiot still stumbled groggily. The traveler called again, and the idiot said, "Go to sleep, stop playing—we have to walk tomorrow." The traveler said, "This is no game. There's a piece of business I want to do with you." Bajie said, "What business?" The traveler said, "Did you hear what the crown prince said?" Bajie said, "I didn't see him, and I didn't hear him say anything." The traveler said, "The crown prince told me that the monster has a precious treasure, with valor unmatched by ten thousand men. Tomorrow we enter the city, and we will inevitably have to contend with him. If that monster wields his treasure and overcomes us, wouldn't that turn out badly? I thought that since we cannot outfight him, we might as well strike first. You and I go steal it—wouldn't that be good?" Bajie said, "Brother, you're tricking me into being a thief. I could go along with this business. But if you truly know the details and can give me a real share, let me make this clear to you: after we steal the treasure and subdue the monster, I can't be bothered with petty squabbling over the spoils—I want it all." The traveler said, "What would you do with it?" Bajie said, "I am not as clever and smooth-tongued as you, able to beg for vegetarian offerings in public. Old Pig is clumsy and coarse in speech, unable to recite scriptures. When I find myself in a place with no resources, wouldn't it be good to exchange it for food?" The traveler said, "Old Sun only seeks fame—what do I care for treasures? I'll give it all to you then." When the idiot heard that it would all be his, he was filled with joy, scrambled up in one motion, put on his clothes, and set off with the traveler. Truly, clear wine reddens a man's face, and gold moves the heart of the Way. The two quietly opened the door, slipped away from Tripitaka, summoned their auspicious light, and headed straight for the city. In no time they arrived, descended from the clouds, and heard that it was just the second watch from the tower. The traveler said, "Brother, it's already the second watch." Bajie said, "Perfect, perfect—everyone is in the first deep sleep of the night." The two did not head for the Zhengyang Gate but went straight to the back gate, where they heard the sound of watchmen's rattles and bells. The traveler said, "Brother, both the front and back gates are tightly guarded—how do we get in?" Bajie said, "Have you ever seen a thief enter through the gate? Just climb over the wall." The traveler followed his words, leaped up, and jumped onto the inner wall of the city. Bajie jumped up as well. The two slipped inside, found their way, and went straight to locate the Imperial Garden. As they walked, they saw a three-eaved white clustered gate-tower, with three bright, gleaming large characters reflecting the light of the stars and moon—they read "Imperial Garden." The traveler stepped closer and examined it; there were several layers of seals, and the lock on the door was clearly rusted shut. He immediately ordered Bajie to act. The idiot drew his iron rake, put all his strength into one blow, and smashed the gate to pieces. The traveler first stepped in, then could not help leaping up and shouting loudly. Startled, Bajie rushed forward and grabbed him, saying, "Brother, you're killing me! Have you ever seen a thief shout like this? If you wake people up and they capture us, and we're sent to the authorities, even if we don't get the death penalty, we'll still be deported back to our original place and forced into military service." The traveler said, "Brother, do you know why I'm frantic? Look at this—" The painted railings and carved balustrades were in sorry disarray; the jewel-adorned pavilions and kiosks stood tilted and askew. The sandy islets and reed-covered banks were all buried in dust; the peonies and roses had all withered. The jasmine and roses gave off a faint fragrance, but the peonies and lilies bloomed in vain. The hibiscus and tree mallow were lost in a thicket of weeds; the exotic flowers and rare plants were choked and ruined. The ornamental rockeries and miniature peaks had all toppled; the pond was dry and the fish were failing. The green pines and purple bamboos were like dead firewood, and the path was overgrown with thick mugwort and wormwood. The branches of the red cassia and green peach were damaged; the roots of the crabapple and kerria were crooked. The winding path by the bridge was covered with green moss—a desolate garden realm indeed." Bajie said, "Why sigh over it? Let's quickly get on with our business." Although the Monkey King was moved to reflection, he then recalled Tang Sanzang's dream—that the well was beneath the banana tree. As they walked, they indeed saw a banana tree, growing lush and flourishing, unlike all the other flowers and trees. Truly: A single sprout of wondrous stock, By nature formed with hollow heart. Each branch puts forth a sheet of paper, Each leaf rolls up a fragrant scroll. A thousand fine threads of emerald green, One speck of crimson at the core. Forlorn, it grieves in rainy nights, Withered, it shrinks from autumn winds. Nurtured by the primal force of heaven, Cultivated by the art of creation. Sealed letters serve its wondrous use, Splashed ink performs its magic feat. How could the phoenix plume compare? The simurgh tail is much the same. Thin dew drips down in glistening drops, Light mist enshrouds in faint haze. Green shade covers the doors and windows, Blue shadows fall upon the curtains. It will not harbor geese or swans, How could it tether a fine steed? In frosty sky it stands gaunt and sere, In moonlit night its form is dim. It only serves to cool the summer heat, And still is fit to shun the blazing sun. Ashamed it lacks the peach and plum's bright hue, Neglected by the whitewashed eastern wall. The Monkey King said, "Bajie, shall we begin? The treasure is buried beneath the banana tree." The idiot raised his rake with both hands and knocked down the banana tree. Then he used his snout to root around, and after digging three or four feet deep, he saw a stone slab covering something. The idiot joyfully said, "Brother, what luck! There truly is a treasure, covered by a stone slab. I wonder if it's held in a jar or stored in a chest?" The Monkey King said, "Lift it up and have a look." The idiot again used his snout to pry it open, and when he looked, he saw shimmering rosy light and a bright white glow. Bajie laughed, "What luck, what luck—the treasure is shining!" When he drew closer and looked carefully, ah! It was the light of the stars and moon reflecting off the water in the well. Bajie said, "Brother, every time you set about a task, you always leave something undone." The Monkey King said, "How have I left something undone?" Bajie said, "This is a well. If you had said earlier in the monastery that there was a treasure in the well, I would have brought two ropes for bundling our luggage. How can we rig something to lower old Pig down? Now we have nothing—how am I to go down and retrieve what's inside?" The Monkey King said, "Are you going down?" Bajie said, "Yes, I want to go down, but we have no rope." The Monkey King laughed, "Take off your clothes, and I'll give you a means." Bajie said, "What fine clothes do I have? Just taking off this cassock will do." The mighty Great Sage produced his Golden Cudgel, pulled it at both ends, and commanded, "Grow!" It reached a full seven or eight zhang in length. He said, "Bajie, hold onto one end, and I'll lower you into the well." Bajie said, "Brother, lower me down by all means, but stop when I reach the water's edge." The Monkey King said, "I understand." The idiot grasped the iron staff, and the Monkey King gently lifted him up and lowered him down. After a short while, he reached the water. Bajie said, "I've reached the water." When the Monkey King heard him say this, he pushed the staff down with a shove. The idiot plunged headfirst with a splash, let go of the iron staff, and swallowed water, sputtering and shouting, "You accursed wretch! I told you not to lower me past the water, yet he shoved me down!" The Monkey King withdrew the staff and laughed, "Brother, is there a treasure?" Bajie said, "What treasure do I see? There's nothing but well water." The Monkey King said, "The treasure is sunk at the bottom—go down and feel around for it." The idiot, truly knowledgeable in watercraft, dove down with a great plunge. Ah! The bottom of the well was extremely deep. He dove down once more, and suddenly opening his eyes, he saw a memorial archway with the words "Crystal Palace" on it. Bajie was greatly startled and said, "Oh no, oh no, I've taken the wrong path and blundered into the sea! There's a Crystal Palace in the sea—how could there be one in a well?" Bajie did not know that this was the Well Dragon King's Crystal Palace. While Bajie was muttering to himself, a patrolling night yaksha opened the gate, saw his appearance, and quickly withdrew to report, "Great King, disaster! A long-snouted, big-eared monk has fallen into the well, dripping wet and without a stitch of clothing. He's not dead yet and is babbling away!" The Well Dragon King, upon hearing this, was greatly startled and thought, "This must be Marshal Tianpeng. Last night the Night-Wandering Deity received the Jade Emperor's decree to take the soul of the King of Wuji Kingdom to pay respects to Tang Sanzang and ask the Great Sage Equal to Heaven to subdue the demon. This is likely the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Marshal Tianpeng—I must not be remiss. Quickly, receive him." The Dragon King straightened his robes and cap, led his aquatic subjects, and came out of the gate, calling out loudly, "Marshal Tianpeng, please come inside and be seated." Bajie was then delighted and said, "So he's an old acquaintance." The idiot, regardless of courtesy, strode straight into the Crystal Palace. Not knowing the proper order of things, he sat himself right up on the dais, still dripping wet. The Dragon King said, "Marshal, I have heard that recently you regained your life, converted to the Buddhist faith, and are escorting Tang Sanzang on his journey to the Western Heavens to fetch scriptures. How is it that you have come here?" Bajie said, "That's exactly what I've come about. My elder brother Sun Wukong sends his many respects and has told me to ask you for some treasure." The Dragon King said, "Alas, how could I possibly have a treasure here? I cannot compare to the Dragon Kings of the Yangtze, Yellow River, Huai, and Ji—they can soar and transform, and so they have treasures. I have long been trapped here, unable even to see the sun and moon regularly—how could a treasure possibly come from me?" Bajie said, "Don't make excuses. If you have one, bring it out." The Dragon King said, "I do have one treasure, but I cannot bring it out. If the Marshal would come and see it for himself, what do you say?" Bajie said, "Excellent, excellent, excellent—we must go and see it." The Dragon King led the way, and the idiot followed. After passing through the Crystal Palace, they saw lying crosswise beneath the corridor a body six feet long. The Dragon King pointed and said, "Marshal, over there is the treasure." Bajie stepped forward and looked—ah! It was a dead emperor, wearing a sky-soaring crown, a yellow robe, worry-free boots, and a blue-field jade belt, lying stiff and straight in that place. Bajie laughed, "No, no, no—that's hardly a treasure. Back when old Pig was a demon in the mountains, I often used such things as food. Not to mention how many I've seen—I've eaten countless of them. How could you call that a treasure?" The Dragon King said, "Marshal, you are unaware. This is the corpse of the King of Wuji Kingdom. Ever since it came into the well, I have used a life-preserving pearl to keep it intact, so it has not decayed. If you are willing to carry it out and see the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, should he have any intention of restoring the dead to life—then not only a treasure, but anything you desire may be yours." Bajie said, "If that's the case, I'll carry it out for you. But tell me, how much burial money will you give me?" The Dragon King said, "I truly have no money." Bajie said, "So you want to make me work for nothing? If you really have no money, I won't carry it." The Dragon King said, "If you won't carry it, then please go." Bajie started to leave. The Dragon King dispatched two powerful night yakshas to carry the corpse out, deliver it outside the Crystal Palace gate, dump it there, and remove the water-repelling pearl, whereupon the sound of water arose. Bajie hurriedly turned his head back and could not see the Crystal Palace gate. He groped and touched the emperor's corpse, and was so frightened that his legs went weak and his sinews numb. He burst out of the water, grabbed the wall of the well, and called out, "Elder Brother, lower your staff and save me!" Wukong said, "Is there any treasure?" Bajie said, "There is none. It's only that under the water there is a Dragon King of the Well who told me to carry a dead man on my back. I would not carry him, so he sent me out through the gate, and then I could no longer see that Crystal Palace. I only felt that corpse. I was so scared that my hands were weak and my sinews numb, and I cannot struggle free. Oh, Brother, at least save me!" Wukong said, "That is the treasure—why did you not carry him up?" Bajie said, "Who knows how long he has been dead? What would I carry him for?" Wukong said, "If you do not carry him, I am going back." Bajie said, "Where are you going back to?" Wukong said, "I am going back to the monastery to sleep with the Master." Bajie said, "Then I will not go?" Wukong said, "If you can climb up, I will take you along; if you cannot climb up, then forget it." Bajie panicked: "How can I climb? Just think—even the city wall is hard to climb. This well has a large belly but a small mouth, with sheer circular walls, and it is a well that has not been drawn from for years. All around it is covered with moss—so slippery! How can I climb? Brother, do not break the harmony among us brothers. Let me carry him up." Wukong said, "Exactly. Carry him up quickly, and I will go back with you to sleep." The idiot then took another deep dive, plunged down, felt for the corpse, dragged it over, put it on his back, burst out of the water, propped himself against the well wall, and said, "Brother, I have carried him up." Wukong opened his eyes and looked—indeed, he was carrying it on his back. Only then did he lower his Golden Cudgel down to the bottom of the well. The idiot, being one who had been provoked, opened his mouth, bit onto the iron staff, and Wukong gently lifted him out. Bajie put down the corpse and fished out his clothes to put on. When Wukong looked, the emperor's countenance was still the same, unchanged in the slightest from when he was alive. Wukong said, "Brother, this man has been dead for three years—how is it that his countenance has not decayed?" Bajie said, "You do not know. The Dragon King of the Well told me that he used a Fixed-Appearance Pearl to fix it, so the corpse has not decayed." Wukong said, "What fortune, what fortune. One reason is that his grievance has not yet been avenged, and another is that we are destined to succeed. Brother, carry him there quickly." Bajie said, "Carry him where?" Wukong said, "Carry him to see the Master." Bajie muttered to himself, "What is this? What is this? I was sleeping soundly, and that ape tricked me with smooth talk into going on some business, and now I end up doing this—carrying a dead man. Carrying him, his filthy water drips down and soils my clothes, and no one will wash them for me. There are several patches on them, and when the weather is damp they get musty—how can I wear them?" Wukong said, "Just carry him there. When we get to the monastery, I will trade clothes with you." Bajie said, "Shameless—you don't even have clothes to wear yourself, and yet you say you'll trade with me?" Wukong said, "If you keep up this jabber, then don't carry him?" Bajie said, "I won't." Wukong said, "Then stick out your shank—I'll give you twenty strokes of the staff." Bajie panicked and said, "Brother, that staff is heavy. If you hit me twenty times, I will be just like this emperor." Wukong said, "If you are afraid of the beating, then hurry up and carry him along." Bajie was indeed afraid of the beating and, in a bad temper, dragged the corpse over, put it on his back, and strode out of the garden. The Great Sage, skillfully making a mudra and reciting a spell, drew a breath from the Xun direction and blew it out, which turned into a fierce gust of wind that whisked Bajie out of the imperial palace and away from the city. Then he stopped the wind, and the two landed and slowly walked on. The idiot secretly fumed and plotted to get back at Wukong: "This monkey has made a fool of me. When I get to the monastery, I will make a fool of him too: I will incite the Master to say that he can cure the emperor back to life; if he cannot cure him, I will get the Master to recite the Tightening-Band Spell and squeeze the brains out of this monkey's head—that will satisfy me." As he walked, he thought again and said, "No, that's no good. If he is told to cure a man, it would be easy for him: he would go to King Yama's court and fetch the soul, and then cure him alive. I must say that he is not allowed to go to the Underworld, but must cure him in the living world—that would be the right way." Before he finished speaking, they arrived at the mountain gate and went straight in, throwing the corpse in front of the meditation hall door. He called out, "Master, get up and look at this!" Tang Sanzang had not been able to sleep and was just talking with Sha Wujing about how Wukong had coaxed Bajie away and had not returned for a long time. Suddenly he heard Bajie call out, and the elder quickly rose and said, "Disciple, look at what?" Bajie said, "Wukong's maternal grandfather—Old Pig has carried him here." Wukong said, "You gluttonous idiot! What maternal grandfather do I have?" Bajie said, "Brother, if he is not your grandfather, then why did you tell Old Pig to carry him here? I don't know how much effort I spent." Tang Sanzang and Sha Wujing opened the door and looked. The emperor's countenance was unchanged, as if alive. The elder suddenly lamented sadly, "Your Majesty, you do not know in which life you were his enemy, but in this life you encountered him and lost your life in secret, abandoning your wife and children, so that neither the civil nor military officials know. How pitiful that your queen is in the dark—who has ever seen her burn incense and offer tea?" Suddenly he broke into tears that fell like rain. Bajie laughed and said, "Master, he is dead—what has that to do with you? He is not your father or grandfather. Why weep over him?" Sanzang said, "Disciple, we monks take compassion as our root and expedience as our gate. How can you be so hard-hearted?" Bajie said, "It is not hard-heartedness. Elder Brother told me that he can cure him back to life. If he could not cure him, I would not have carried him here." Now the elder was one who could be swayed either way, and the idiot had stirred him up, so he called out, "Wukong, if you truly have the skill to cure this emperor back to life, that would be 'saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.' We would be better off than going to Lingshan to worship the Buddha." Wukong said, "Master, how can you believe the nonsense of this idiot? When a man dies, after either twenty-one days, thirty-five days, or a full seven hundred days, when he has finished his retribution in the yang world, he is reborn. Now he has been dead for three years—how can he be saved?" When Sanzang heard these words, he said, "Then let it be." Bajie, burning with resentment, said, "Master, do not be fooled by him—he has a screw loose. You just recite that thing, and I guarantee he will return a living man to you." So indeed Tang Sanzang recited the Tightening-Band Spell, which made the monkey's eyes swell and his head ache. As to how he was finally cured, that must be told in the next chapter.