Chapter 46

So the king, seeing that Sun Wukong had the power to summon dragons and command sages, affixed the precious seal to the travel document and was about to hand it to Tang Sanzang, releasing him on the western road. The three Daoists, in a panic, prostrated themselves in the golden hall and memorialized the throne. The emperor at once descended from the dragon seat, and with his own hand hastily helped them up, saying, "National Teachers, why do you perform such great ceremony today?" The Daoists said, "Your Majesty, we have come here to uphold the state and protect the country, to ensure the people's peace. We have endured hardships for twenty years, yet today this monk uses his magical powers, seizes us and casts us aside, ruining our reputation. Your Majesty, on account of a single rain, you would pardon the crime of killing—would that not slight us? We beg Your Majesty to detain his travel document for a while, and let us brothers gamble with him again, to see what happens." The king was indeed muddled; when told east, he went east, when told west, he went west. He truly withdrew the travel document and said, "National Teacher, how will you gamble with him?" Tiger Strength Great Immortal said, "I will gamble with him in sitting meditation." The king said, "National Teacher, you are mistaken. That monk is of the Chan school; he must first understand Chan principles before daring to accept the imperial decree to seek scriptures. How can you gamble with him in this?" The Great Immortal said, "My sitting meditation is different from the ordinary; it has a special name, called Cloud Ladder Manifesting Sage." The king said, "What is Cloud Ladder Manifesting Sage?" The Great Immortal said, "One hundred tables are needed, fifty for each meditation platform. They are stacked up one by one. One may not climb up with hands, nor use ladders or stools. Each mounts a cloud and sits atop the platform, agreeing not to move for several hours." The king saw that this was somewhat difficult, so he issued a decree and asked, "That monk, my National Teacher wishes to gamble with you in 'Cloud Ladder Manifesting Sage' sitting meditation—can you do it?" When Wukong heard this, he pondered and did not answer. Bajie said, "Brother, why don't you speak?" Wukong said, "Brother, to tell you the truth, if it were kicking the sky and making wells, stirring the sea and overturning rivers, carrying mountains and chasing the moon, shifting stars and exchanging constellations—all such clever deeds, I can do them. Even beheading, chopping brains, slitting bellies, scooping out hearts, and all kinds of transformations—I am not afraid of them. But when it comes to sitting meditation, I lose. Where do I have that sitting endurance? Even if you locked me to an iron pillar, I would still climb up and down; there's no way I could sit still." Sanzang suddenly spoke up, saying, "I can sit in meditation." Wukong was delighted and said, "Good, good. How long can you sit?" Sanzang said, "In my youth, I met a wandering Chan monk who spoke of the Way. On the very foundation of life and nature, fixing the mind and preserving the spirit, even at the gate of life and death, I have sat for two or three years." Wukong said, "Master, if you sit for two or three years, then we need not go fetch the scriptures. At most, two or three hours, then come down." Sanzang said, "Disciple, but I cannot get up there." Wukong said, "Step forward and agree, and I will send you up." That elder indeed pressed his palms together before his chest and said, "This poor monk can sit in meditation." The king ordered the decree to be passed, and the meditation platforms were erected. The state had the strength to overturn mountains; in less than half an hour, two platforms were set up, to the left and right of the golden hall. Tiger Strength Great Immortal descended from the hall, stood in the center of the steps, leaped up, stepped on a mat cloud, and went straight to the western platform to sit down. Wukong plucked a single hair, transformed it into a false likeness to accompany Bajie and Sha Seng, standing below. He himself, riding five-colored auspicious clouds, lifted Tang Sanzang up into the air and brought him straight to the eastern platform to sit down. He then gathered his auspicious light, transformed into a cicada-like insect, and flew to Bajie's ear, saying, "Brother, watch Master carefully, and do not speak with my substitute anymore." That idiot laughed and said, "I understand, I understand." Now Deer Strength Great Immortal had been sitting on an embroidered cushion watching for a long time. The two of them on the high platforms were evenly matched, so this Daoist decided to help his elder brother: he plucked a short hair from the back of his head, rolled it into a ball, flicked it upward, and it went straight to Tang Sanzang's head, where it turned into a large bedbug and bit the elder. At first the elder felt an itch, then pain. Now in sitting meditation one is not allowed to move one's hands; moving one's hands counts as a loss. For a while the pain was unbearable, so he shrank his head and rubbed the itch against his robe. Bajie said, "Oh no, Master is having an epileptic fit." Sha Seng said, "No, it's a headache attack." Wukong heard this and said, "My Master is a man of utmost sincerity. He said he can sit in meditation, so he certainly can sit. If he said he couldn't, then he couldn't. How could a gentleman be wrong? You two say no more; let me go up and have a look." Excellent Wukong—with a buzz he flew to the top of Tang Sanzang's head, where he saw a bedbug the size of a bean biting his Master. He hastily pinched it off with his fingers, and scratched and rubbed for his Master. The elder no longer felt pain or itch, and sat upright at the top. Wukong thought to himself, "A monk's head is smooth; not even a louse can settle on it. How could there be such a bedbug? It must be that Daoist playing tricks to harm my Master. Hah, but there's still no victory or defeat; let Old Sun go and have some fun with him!" So Wukong flew up, landed on the beast-head decoration of the golden hall, shook his body, and transformed into a seven-inch-long centipede, which went straight to the Daoist's nostril and stung him. The Daoist could not sit steady, and with a somersault he tumbled down, nearly losing his life. Fortunately, many officials, great and small, rescued him. The king was greatly alarmed and immediately ordered the attending Grand Preceptor to take him to the Wenhua Hall to wash and clean up. Wukong still rode the auspicious clouds and carried his Master down to the front of the steps. The elder had won. The king was about to order their release. Deer Strength Great Immortal again memorialized, "Your Majesty, my elder brother originally had a wind illness. Because he went up to a high place and was exposed to the heavenly wind, his old ailment flared up, which is why the monk won. Please detain him for now, and let me gamble with him in 'Guessing Through the Partition.'" The king said, "What is called 'Guessing Through the Partition'?" Deer Strength said, "This poor Daoist has a method of knowing objects through a partition—let us see if that monk can do it. If he can guess better than I, let him go. If he cannot guess, then let Your Majesty question and fix a charge, to avenge the resentment of us brothers, and not disgrace the twenty years of service in protecting the state." Indeed, the king was extremely muddled and followed this slanderous advice. He issued a decree: have a vermilion-lacquered cabinet brought by the inner officials to the palace, and order the empress to place a treasure inside. In a moment it was carried out and placed before the white jade steps, and the king told the monks and Daoists, "You two sides each gamble with your magical powers—guess what treasure is inside the cabinet." Sanzang said, "Disciple, how can we know what is inside the cabinet?" Wukong gathered his auspicious light and again transformed into a cicada-like insect, alighting on Tang Sanzang's head, saying, "Master, do not worry; let me go and have a look." Wonderful Great Sage, he gently flew to the cabinet, crawled under its feet, and saw a crack in the board. He drilled inside and saw a red-lacquered cinnabar tray, on which was placed a set of palace garments: a robe of mountains and rivers, and a skirt of heaven and earth. He picked them up with his hands, shook them into disarray, bit his tongue tip, and sprayed a mouthful of blood, calling out, "Change!" It immediately transformed into a tattered, worn-out old bell-shaped robe. Before leaving, he also sprinkled a stream of smelly urine. He then drilled back out through the crack, flew to Tang Sanzang's ear, and said, "Master, just guess 'a tattered, worn-out old bell-shaped robe.'" Sanzang said, "But he told us to guess a treasure—what kind of treasure is a tattered old robe?" Wukong said, "Don't worry about it; just make that guess." Tang Sanzang stepped forward, about to guess, when the Deer Strength Great Immortal said, "I will guess first; inside that cabinet is the Mountain-and-River State-Supporting Jacket and the Heaven-and-Earth Geographic Skirt." Tang Sanzang said, "No, no; inside the cabinet is a tattered, worn-out cassock." The king said, "This monk is rude; he dares to mock that our country has no treasures, guessing some 'worn-out cassock'?" He ordered, "Seize him!" The two rows of officers were about to act. Alarmed, Tang Sanzang pressed his palms together and called out loudly, "Your Majesty, please spare me for a moment; let the cabinet be opened and inspected. If it is indeed a treasure, I will accept punishment; if it is not a treasure, would that not be unjust to me?" The king ordered it opened. The attending officials opened it at once and brought out a red tray to look; indeed it was a tattered, worn-out cassock. The king was furious and said, "Who placed this thing in there?" From behind the dragon throne, the empress of the three palaces stepped forward and said, "My lord, it was I, your consort, who personally placed the Mountain-and-River State-Supporting Jacket and the Heaven-and-Earth Geographic Skirt—how it turned into this thing I do not know." The king said, "My queen, retire; I understand. The things used in the palace are nothing but silks, satins, and brocades; where would there be such a tattered thing?" He ordered, "Bring the cabinet up again; I will personally hide a treasure inside and try once more." That emperor then went to the rear palace, plucked a large peach, about the size of a bowl, from the immortal peach tree in the imperial garden, placed it in the cabinet, had it carried down again, and called for a guess. Tang Sanzang said, "Disciple, we have to guess again." Pilgrim said, "Don't worry; let me go and have another look." With a buzzing sound, he flew off, again slipped through the cracks of the boards, and saw a peach—just to his liking. He then revealed his original form, sat in the cabinet, and devoured the peach entirely with his mouth, even eating clean the hollows on both sides of his cheeks, and placed the pit inside. He again changed into a cicada-like insect, flew out, and perched on Tang Sanzang's ear, saying, "Master, just guess it's a peach pit." The elder said, "Disciple, don't toy with me. Earlier I was too quick with my words and nearly got taken to execution. This time I must guess a treasure; what kind of treasure is a peach pit?" Pilgrim said, "Don't be afraid; just make sure we win." Sanzang was about to speak when he heard the Goat Strength Great Immortal say, "I, the poor Daoist, will guess first; it is an immortal peach." Sanzang guessed, "It is not a peach; it is a bare peach pit." The king shouted, "It was I who placed an immortal peach; how could it be a pit? The third state preceptor has guessed correctly." Sanzang said, "Your Majesty, have it opened and see." The attending officials again carried it up, opened it, and brought out the red tray; indeed it was a pit, without any flesh or skin. When the king saw it, he was startled and said, "State preceptors, stop gambling with him; let him go. I personally hid an immortal peach, and now there is only a pit—who ate it? It must be that spirits and gods are secretly helping him." When Eight Rules heard this, he and Sand Monk gave a slight cold smile and said, "He still doesn't know that this one is an old hand at eating peaches." While they were speaking, the Tiger Strength Great Immortal, having washed and dressed in the Wenhua Hall, came up to the hall and said, "Your Majesty, these monks have the art of substitution and misdirection. Have the cabinet brought up; I will break his magic and guess again with him." The king said, "State preceptor, what do you still want to guess?" Tiger Strength said, "Magic arts can only substitute for objects, not for a human body. Let this little acolyte be hidden inside, and I guarantee he cannot be exchanged." This little acolyte was indeed hidden in the cabinet, the lid was closed, and it was carried down. They called, "Let that monk guess again; this third time, what treasure is it?" Sanzang said, "Again!" Pilgrim said, "Let me go and see again." With a buzz he flew off again, drilled inside, and saw it was a little boy. Oh, Great Sage, how perceptive he was! Truly, his skill in transformation was rare in all the world, and such cleverness was seldom seen under heaven. He shook his body and changed into the appearance of an old Daoist, entered the cabinet, and called out, "Disciple." The boy said, "Master, from where have you come?" Pilgrim said, "I came by the art of teleportation." The boy said, "What instruction do you have for me?" Pilgrim said, "That monk saw you come into the cabinet; if he guesses 'a Daoist boy,' wouldn't he lose again? I have come specifically to discuss this with you: let's shave your head, and we'll have him guess 'a monk' instead." The boy said, "Whatever you say, Master, as long as we win against him; if we lose to him again, not only will our reputation be lowered, but I fear the court will no longer respect us." Pilgrim said, "Well said. My boy, come here; if we win, I will reward you handsomely." He changed his Golden Cudgel into a razor, embraced the boy, and said in his mouth, "Dearie, bear the pain, don't make a sound, let me shave your head." In a moment, he shaved off the hair, gathered it into a ball, and stuffed it into the crevice of the cabinet's leg. He put away the knife, felt the boy's bald head and said, "My boy, your head looks like a monk's, but your clothes don't match. Take them off, and I'll change them for you." That Daoist boy wore a crane cape of greenish-white with cloud patterns, embroidered with flowers and silk borders; he indeed took it off. Pilgrim blew a breath of immortal air on it and cried, "Change!" It immediately changed into a coarse brown robe, which he put on him. He then plucked two hairs, changed them into a wooden fish, and handed it to him, saying, "Disciple, listen well: if they call out 'Daoist boy,' by no means come out; if they call out 'monk,' then you push open the cabinet lid, strike the wooden fish, recite a Buddhist scripture, and come out—then we will succeed." The boy said, "I only know how to recite the Scripture of the Three Officials, the Scripture of the Northern Dipper, and the Scripture of Eliminating Calamities; I don't know any Buddhist scriptures." Pilgrim said, "Do you know how to recite the Buddha's name?" The boy said, "Amitabha—who doesn't know how to recite that?" Pilgrim said, "Very well, very well; just recite that, to save me from teaching you. Remember well; I'm off." He again changed into the cicada-like insect, drilled out, flew beside Tang Sanzang's ear, and said, "Master, just guess it's a monk." Sanzang said, "This time he will surely win." Pilgrim said, "How can you be so sure?" Sanzang said, "The scriptures say, 'The Three Jewels are Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.' A monk is also a jewel." While they were speaking, the Tiger Strength Great Immortal said, "Your Majesty, the third time it is a Daoist boy." He kept calling, but the boy would not come out. Sanzang pressed his palms together and said, "It is a monk." Eight Rules shouted as loud as he could, "Inside the cabinet is a monk." Suddenly the boy pushed open the cabinet lid, struck the wooden fish, recited the Buddha's name, and came out. This delighted the two rows of civil and military officials, who all cheered in unison. It terrified the three Daoists so that they were struck dumb and speechless. The king said, "This monk has spirits and gods to aid him. How is it that when a Daoist enters the cabinet, he turns into a monk? Even if a barber followed him in, he could only shave his head—how could his clothes also fit, and how could he recite the Buddha's name? State preceptors, let him go." Tiger Strength Great Immortal said, "Your Majesty, after all, it is a match between equals, a meeting of worthy adversaries. I, the poor Daoist, will simply stake the martial arts I learned in my youth on Mount Zhongnan and gamble with him." The king said, "What martial arts?" Tiger Strength said, "We three brothers all have some supernatural powers: we can cut off our heads and reattach them; cut open our bellies and gouge out our hearts and have them grow back whole; and in a cauldron of boiling oil, we can bathe." The king was greatly shocked and said, "These three things are all roads to death." Tiger Strength said, "We have such magical powers; that is why we dare to make such bold claims. We must certainly gamble with him before we stop." That king called out, "Monk from the East, my state preceptors will not let you go; they wish to gamble with you in beheading, belly-slicing, and bathing in a boiling oil cauldron." The Pilgrim had just transformed into a Jiaoliao insect and was flying to and fro reporting on matters, when he suddenly heard these words. He immediately withdrew his hairs, revealed his true form, and laughed heartily, saying, "Good fortune! Good fortune! Business has come to our door." Bajie said, "These three things are all matters that cost one's life—how do you call it business coming to our door?" The Pilgrim said, "You still don't know my abilities." Bajie said, "Elder Brother, it is already enough that you can transform and somersault like this; how can you have such abilities beyond that?" The Pilgrim said: "Chop off my head, I can still speak; Cut off my arms, I can still strike men. Sever my legs and feet, I can still walk; Slit my belly, it heals back, marvelously unparalleled. Just like making dumplings at home, Pinch one and it's whole again. Bathing in a cauldron of oil is even easier, It's just like warm water washing away dirt and grime." When Bajie and Sha Seng heard this, they laughed heartily. The Pilgrim stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this little monk knows how to have his head cut off." The king said, "How can you know how to have your head cut off?" The Pilgrim said, "When I was cultivating in the monastery in former years, I once met a wandering Chan master who taught me a method of head-cutting. I don't know whether it is good or not, but now I shall try it out for novelty." The king laughed and said, "That young monk does not understand things—how can head-cutting be tried for novelty? The head is the foremost of the six yang; once cut off, one dies immediately." Tiger Strength said, "Your Majesty, this is precisely what we want—only thus can our anger be vented." The deluded ruler believed his words and immediately issued an edict to set up the execution ground. As soon as the edict was given, three thousand Imperial Guard soldiers were arrayed outside the court gate. The king ordered, "Let the monk go first to have his head cut off." The Pilgrim cheerfully responded, "I'll go first, I'll go first." He cupped his hands and called out loudly, "National Teacher, forgive my boldness in taking the lead." He turned his head and walked out. Tang Sanzang grabbed him and said, "Disciple, be careful—this is no place for play." The Pilgrim said, "Why fear him? Let go of your hand and let me go." The Great Sage went straight to the execution ground, where the executioners seized him, bound him into a bundle, and pressed him down on the high earthen mound. They heard the cry, "Strike!" and with a swoosh, his head was cut off. Then the executioner kicked it away with a foot, and it rolled like a watermelon for thirty or forty paces. No blood came from the Pilgrim's trunk. Only a voice from his belly was heard calling, "Head, come back!" This alarmed Deer Strength Great Immortal, who, seeing such skill, immediately recited a spell and commanded the local earth gods and spirits: "Hold the man's head fast. When I have won against the monk and reported to the king, I will have your small shrine rebuilt into a large temple, and your clay statues remade into true golden bodies." Now these earth gods and spirits, because he possessed the Five Thunder Method, obeyed his summons, and indeed they secretly held the Pilgrim's head down. The Pilgrim called again, "Head, come back!" But that head seemed rooted to the spot and would not move. The Pilgrim grew anxious, clenched his fists, gave a mighty heave, and snapped all the binding ropes. He shouted, "Grow!" and with a swoosh, a head grew out from his trunk. This so terrified the executioners that each was stricken with fear, and the Imperial Guard soldiers all trembled with fright. The supervising execution official hurried into court and reported, "Your Majesty, that young monk had his head cut off, and another one grew out." Bajie said with a cold laugh, "Sha Seng, you see—Elder Brother has such skills." Sha Seng said, "He has seventy-two transformations, so he has seventy-two heads." Before they finished speaking, the Pilgrim came over and called out, "Master." Sanzang was overjoyed and said, "Disciple, were you wearied?" The Pilgrim said, "Not wearied—quite fun, actually." Bajie said, "Elder Brother, do you need any medicine for the knife wound?" The Pilgrim said, "Feel and see—is there any scar?" The idiot stretched out his hand and felt, then laughed with wide-eyed astonishment: "Wonderful! Wonderful! It has grown back completely, not even a scar." The brothers were all rejoicing when they heard the king order that the travel document be given: "I pardon your offenses. Go quickly, go quickly." The Pilgrim said, "Though I receive the travel document, the National Teacher must also go to the execution ground and have his head cut off, to try it for novelty as well." The king said, "Great National Teacher, that monk will not let you off either. You must compete with him—do not frighten me." Tiger Strength had no choice but to go. He was bound by several executioners, thrown to the ground, and with a shake, his head was cut off and kicked away, rolling more than thirty paces. No blood came from his trunk either, and he also called out, "Head, come back!" The Pilgrim immediately plucked out a hair, blew on it with immortal breath, and said, "Change!" It changed into a yellow dog, which ran into the ground, seized the Daoist's head in its mouth, and ran straight to the Imperial River, where it dropped it—no more of that. Now that Daoist called three times, but his head did not come. Unlike the Pilgrim's skill, it could not grow back. From his trunk, gurgling red light burst forth. Alas, though he had the art of summoning rain and wind, how could he compare to the true immortal of the long-life fruit? In a moment, he collapsed in the dust. The crowd looked and saw it was a headless yellow-haired tiger. The supervising execution official again reported, "Your Majesty, the Great National Teacher had his head cut off, but it could not grow back. He died in the dust and is a headless yellow-haired tiger." When the king heard this report, he turned pale with shock and stared fixedly at the other two Daoists. Deer Strength rose and said, "My senior martial brother has already reached the end of his life and fortune—how could he be a yellow tiger? This is all that monk's perverse trickery, using some deceptive art to turn my senior brother into a beast. I will certainly not spare him now; I must compete with him in disemboweling and cutting out the heart." When the king heard this, he finally regained his composure and his wits. He again called out, "Little monk, the Second National Teacher still wants to compete with you." The Pilgrim said, "This little monk has long abstained from cooked food. A few days ago, when coming from the west, I happened to meet a vegetarian household who urged me to eat, and I ate too many steamed buns. These past days my belly has been aching—I think worms are breeding inside. I was just about to borrow Your Majesty's knife to open my belly, take out my internal organs, and wash my stomach and intestines clean, so that I can properly go west to see the Buddha." When the king heard this, he ordered, "Take him to the execution ground." Many people supported and pulled him. The Pilgrim shook free his hands and said, "No need for support—I'll walk myself. But one thing: do not bind my hands, so I can use them to wash my internal organs." The king issued an edict: "Do not bind his hands." The Pilgrim swaggered straight to the execution ground. He leaned his body against the great stake, loosened his belt, and exposed his belly. The executioner put a rope around his neck and another around his legs and feet, then brandished a short ox-ear knife and, aiming at his belly, cut a hole. This Pilgrim then used both hands to rip open his belly, took out his intestines, and after arranging them for quite a while, placed them back inside and coiled them as before. He pinched his belly skin, blew on it with immortal breath, and said, "Grow!" It healed back together. The king was greatly startled, took his travel document in his hands, and said, "Holy monk, do not delay your western journey—take your travel document and go." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "The travel document is a small matter—I also ask the Second National Teacher to be disemboweled and cut open—what do you say?" The king said to Deer Strength, "This has nothing to do with me—you are the one who made yourself his adversary. Go ahead, go ahead." Deer Strength said, "Rest easy—I am certain I will not lose to him." He too looked like the Great Sage Sun, swaggering straight into the execution ground. The executioner put a rope around him and with a swish of the ox-ear short knife slashed open his belly. He too pulled out his liver and guts and arranged them with his hands. Pilgrim Sun thereupon plucked out a single hair, blew on it a breath of immortal energy, and cried, "Change!" It at once changed into a hungry eagle, which spread its wings and claws, and with a swoop seized all his five viscera, heart, and liver, then flew off—no one knew where it went to enjoy its meal. This Daoist was now a ghost with an empty chest and split belly, dripping gore, a wanton soul with no guts or bowels. The executioner kicked over the stake, dragged the corpse over to look—and lo! It was a white-horned deer. The execution supervisor, greatly alarmed, again memorialized: "Your Majesty, the Second National Master has met with ill luck. Just as his belly was being cut open, a hungry eagle snatched away his innards, liver, and guts, and he died there. His original body was a white-horned deer." The king, frightened, said, "How could it be a horned deer?" Then the Goat Strength Great Immortal again memorialized: "Now that my elder brother is dead, how could he appear in animal form? This is all a trick of that monk's magic to harm us. Let me avenge my elder brother." The king said, "What magic power do you have to defeat him?" Goat Strength said, "I will compete with him in bathing in a cauldron of boiling oil." The king then ordered a large cauldron be brought, filled with sesame oil, and had the two of them compete. Pilgrim said, "Many thanks for the favor. This little monk has not bathed for some time; these past two days my skin has been itchy and dry—I might as well give it a good soak." The carriage officer indeed set up the oil cauldron, piled on dry firewood, lit a blazing fire, and brought the oil to a rolling boil. They ordered the monk to go down first. Pilgrim pressed his palms together and said, "I do not know—is it a civil bath or a martial bath?" The king said, "What is a civil bath, and what is a martial bath?" Pilgrim said, "For a civil bath, one does not remove the clothes. Just fold one's arms like this, jump in, roll over once, and come out—the clothes must not be soiled; if there is even a spot of oil, that counts as a loss. For a martial bath, one takes a clothes rack and a towel, removes the clothes, leaps in, and freely turns somersaults and stands on one's head—it's a playful bath." The king said to Goat Strength, "Do you want a civil bath or a martial bath with him?" Goat Strength said, "For a civil bath, I fear his clothes may have been treated with medicine to repel oil. Let it be a martial bath." Pilgrim again stepped forward and said, "Forgive my boldness—I have taken the lead several times." Watch him take off his coarse cloth robe and his tiger-skin kilt, spring up with a leap, and jump into the cauldron, where he churned the waves and splashed about, playing just like a swimmer. When Eight Rules saw this, he bit his finger and said to Sha Monk, "We have misjudged this monkey. Usually we mock and tease him for fun—who knew he had such real ability?" The two of them muttered and praised him without end. Pilgrim saw this and thought with suspicion, "That fool is laughing at me. It is just as they say: 'The clever are overworked, the dull are idle.' Old Sun is putting on this show, while he takes his ease. Let me fix him up with a rope and see if he is still so carefree." While bathing, he made a splash, dove to the bottom of the oil cauldron, and changed into a date-stone nail, after which he did not come up again. The execution supervisor then approached and memorialized: "Your Majesty, the little monk has been boiled to death in the oil." The king was overjoyed and ordered the bones be fished out for inspection. The executioner took an iron skimmer and scooped about in the oil cauldron. But the skimmer had wide holes; since Pilgrim had changed into such a small nail, it slipped through the holes again and again and sank to the bottom—how could it be caught? The supervisor again memorialized: "The monk's body was slight and his bones tender—they have all fried away." The king ordered, "Take the other three monks down." The guards on both sides, seeing Eight Rules' fierce appearance, first seized him, turned him over, and bound his back. The greatly alarmed Tripitaka cried out, "Your Majesty, grant this poor monk a moment's reprieve. That disciple of mine, ever since he took the faith, has rendered repeated services. Today he offended the National Master and died in the oil cauldron—but the dead first become spirits. How could I, a poor monk, covet life? It is said that the officials of the realm govern the people of the realm. If Your Majesty commands me to die, how would I dare not to die? I only beg for your generous mercy: grant me half a cup of cold gruel, three paper horses, and allow me to go to the oil cauldron and burn this paper offering, to show the bond between master and disciple. Then I shall accept my punishment." When the king heard this, he said, "That is reasonable—men from the Central Kingdom are ever loyal." He ordered that gruel and hell-bank paper be given to him. They were indeed fetched and handed to Tripitaka. Tripitaka bade Sha Monk accompany him. They walked to the foot of the steps, where several guards had Eight Rules by the ears and were pulling him to the edge of the cauldron. Tripitaka faced the cauldron and recited this verse of offering for his disciple Sun Wukong: "Since taking vows and worshipping in the Zen grove, You guarded me westwards with deep loving-kindness. We hoped together to achieve the great Way; Who would have thought that today you would go to yin. In life your will was only to seek the scriptures; In death you still retain the mind that recites the Buddha. Your heroic soul, for ten thousand miles, must wait— As a ghost in the underworld, still ascend to Thunderclap." When Eight Rules heard this, he said, "Master, that is not the way to offer. Sha Monk, you pour the gruel for me, and let me pray." The fool, bound on the ground, gasped and cursed: "You mischief-making rogue monkey, ignorant弼马温—damned rogue monkey, oil-boiled弼马温. Monkey's done for, Horse-stable's uprooted." Sun Pilgrim, at the bottom of the oil cauldron, heard the fool cursing and could not restrain himself—he revealed his true form and stood dripping with oil at the bottom, saying, "You gluttonous brute! Who are you cursing?" When Tripitaka saw him, he said, "Disciple, you have frightened me to death!" Sha Monk said, "Elder Brother is an old hand at pretending to be dead." The two rows of civil and military officials hurried forward to memorialize: "Your Majesty, that monk is not dead—he has come out of the oil cauldron again." The execution supervisor, fearing deception of the court, again memorialized: "He was dead, but the day is inauspicious—the little monk has returned as a ghost to show himself." When Pilgrim heard this, he flew into a rage, leaped out of the cauldron, wiped off the oil, put on his clothes, drew his staff, seized the execution supervisor, and cracked his head with one blow, smashing him into a ball of flesh, saying, "What ghost do I show?" The terrified officials quickly untied Eight Rules and knelt on the ground, pleading, "Spare us, spare us." The king stepped down from his dragon throne, but Pilgrim went up to the hall and grabbed him, saying, "Your Majesty, do not leave. Let your Third National Master also take a turn in the oil cauldron." The emperor trembled and said, "Third National Master, save my life—quickly get into the cauldron, do not let the monk strike me." Goat Strength descended from the hall, imitated Pilgrim by removing his clothes, and leaped into the oil cauldron, splashing about just as before. Pilgrim released the king, approached the cauldron, and told the fire-tenders to add more fuel. Then he reached in and felt the oil—lo! The boiling oil was completely cold. He thought to himself, "When I bathed, it was boiling hot; when he bathes, it is cold. I know—some Dragon King must be here protecting him." He at once leaped into the air, recited the syllable "Hum" spell, and summoned the Dragon King of the North Sea: "You horned earthworm, you scaly loach! How dare you assist this Daoist and keep the bottom cold with a cold dragon, letting him show off his power and defeat me?" The terrified Dragon King repeatedly bowed and said, "Ao Shun would not dare to assist him. Great Sage, you do not know—this vile creature has painfully cultivated for a long time and shed his original shell, but he truly received only the Five Thunder Method; all the rest are deviant arts, hard to attain the immortal Way. This 'Great Flaying' he learned at Little Mao Mountain. The other two had their arts broken by the Great Sage and revealed their true forms. This one's cold dragon was also refined by himself; it can only fool common folk for sport—how could it deceive the Great Sage? Your little dragon will now take away his cold dragon, and I guarantee his bones will shatter and his skin scorch." Pilgrim said, "Take it away at once, and avoid a beating." The Dragon King transformed into a whirlwind, went to the edge of the oil cauldron, seized the cold dragon, and carried it down to the sea—no more of that. Xingzhe came down and stood with Sanzang, Bajie, and Shaseng before the hall, and saw that Daoist struggling in the boiling oil cauldron, unable to climb out. He slipped and fell, and in an instant his bones parted, his skin scorched, and his flesh rotted. The execution supervisor again came to report: "Your Majesty, the third national preceptor has been melted away." That king, tears streaming from his eyes, pounded the imperial table and wailed loudly: "Rare is the human body, indeed truly rare; Without true transmission, do not refine elixirs. In vain you have arts to command spirits and charm waters, Yet lack the pills that prolong life and preserve existence. When primal brightness is confounded, how can one attain nirvana? In vain you scheme — your life finds no peace. Had you known earlier of such light frustration, Better to eat in secret and dwell securely in the mountains?" This is exactly: What use is it to transmute gold and refine mercury? Calling rain and summoning wind — all is in vain! After all, one does not know how the master and disciples will manage; listen to the next chapter for the resolution.