OriginChapter 48
It is said that the many worshippers of Chenjiazhuang, along with pigs, sheep, livestock, and wine, together with the Monkey King and Bajie, made a great clamor as they carried them straight to the Temple of Inspiration and arranged them; the boy and girl they placed at the head. Monkey turned his head and saw on the altar table incense, flowers, and candles, and in the center a gold-lettered spirit tablet reading "God of the Great King of Inspiration"; there were no other images. When the worshippers had laid everything out, they all kowtowed upward and said: "Great King Grandfather, in this year, this month, this day, this hour, the chief sacrificers of Chenjiazhuang, Chen Cheng and the other worshippers, though their ages are not all the same, respectfully follow the yearly custom and offer a boy, Chen Guanbao, and a girl, Chen Yichengjin, together with pigs, sheep, livestock, and wine in full measure, for the Great King's enjoyment. May you bless us with timely wind and rain and abundant harvests of the five grains." After the prayer, they burned paper horses and each returned to his own home; no more of that.
When Bajie saw the people disperse, he said to Monkey, "Let us go home." Monkey said, "Where is your home?" Bajie said, "To old Chen's house to sleep." Monkey said, "Idiot, you are raving again. Since we promised them, we must fulfill this vow for them." Bajie said, "You are not the idiot, yet you call me the idiot. It would have been enough to fool them for a while—why take the sacrifice seriously?" Monkey said, "A man must see a thing through. We must wait until the Great King comes and eats, then it is complete from beginning to end; otherwise, he will bring down calamities and cause harm, which would not be good."
As they were speaking, they heard a whistling wind. Bajie said, "Bad news—the wind means that thing is coming." Monkey only said, "Do not speak; let me answer." In a moment, an evil spirit came to the temple gate. See what he looked like:
Golden armor, golden helmet, brilliant and new;
A precious belt around his waist, circled by red clouds.
His eyes were bright as the evening star,
His teeth like repeated rows of saw-teeth apart.
Mists and rosy clouds drifted beneath his feet,
Vapors and haze warmly steamed around him.
As he moved, gusts of chill yin wind;
As he stood, layers of baleful aura warmed.
He resembled the General who rolls up the curtain and supports the chariot,
Like the great door-god who guards a temple.
That monster blocked the temple gate and asked, "Whose household makes the sacrifice this year?" Monkey answered with a smile, "Thanks for asking—the village heads are the households of Chen Cheng and Chen Qing." Hearing this answer, the monster was suspicious and thought, "This boy is bold and quick of speech. In past years, when the offerings were brought, if I asked once, they did not answer; if I asked again, their souls would be frightened; if I reached out to seize them, they were already dead. How is it that today this boy can answer so well?" The monster dared not seize him, and asked again, "What are the boy and girl called?" Monkey smiled and said, "The boy is Chen Guanbao, the girl is Yi Chengjin." The monster said, "This sacrifice follows the old custom of previous years; now that you are offered to me, I should eat you." Monkey said, "I dare not resist; please enjoy at your ease." When the monster heard this, he still dared not make a move, but blocked the gate and shouted, "Do not talk back. In other years I always eat the boy first; this year I will eat the girl first." Bajie was alarmed and said, "Great King, please follow the old custom—do not break the rule."
The monster would not listen, released his hand, and went to seize Bajie. The idiot jumped down with a thud, revealed his true form, drew his rake, and struck with his hand; the monster shrank back his hand and ran forward, and they heard a clang. Bajie said, "I broke his armor." Monkey also revealed his true form and looked; it turned out to be two fish scales the size of ice plates. He shouted, "Pursue him!" The two leaped into the air. The monster, having come to the feast without his weapons, empty-handed in the clouds, asked, "Which monks from where are you, coming here to bully people, ruin my incense-offerings, and damage my reputation?" Monkey said, "You wretched creature, so you do not know. We are disciples of the holy monk Sanzang of the Great Tang in the East, who has been dispatched by imperial order to seek scriptures in the Western Heaven. Last night, lodging at the Chen household, we heard that an evil spirit falsely calling himself Inspiration demands boy and girl sacrifices every year. Out of compassion, we wish to save living beings and capture you, vile creature. Confess now: eating two boys and girls a year, how many years have you been calling yourself Great King here? How many boys and girls have you eaten? Count them all out and repay me, and I will spare you the death penalty." When the monster heard this, he turned and ran; Bajie struck again with his rake but did not hit him, and he transformed into a violent wind and plunged into the Tongtian River.
Monkey said, "There is no need to pursue him; this monster must be a creature of the river. We will wait until tomorrow to devise a way to catch him and take my master across the river." Bajie agreed, and went straight back to the temple, moved the pigs, sheep, sacrificial wine, and even the table settings to the Chen house. At that time the elder Tang, Sha Wujing, and the Chen brothers were waiting in the hall for news, when suddenly they saw the two of them throw the pigs, sheep, and other things into the courtyard. Sanzang came forward and asked, "Wukong, how did the sacrifice go?" Monkey told the whole story of calling out the names, driving off the monster, and his plunge into the river. The two old men were greatly delighted, and at once ordered the side rooms to be swept and beds made, inviting the master and disciples to retire; no more of that.
But let us speak of that monster, who, having escaped with his life, returned to the water and sat in his palace, silent and wordless. The great and small of his aquatic kindred asked, "Every year when the Great King enjoys the sacrifice, he returns happy; why is he troubled today?" The monster said, "In other years, after the offering, I would bring some leftovers for you to enjoy; today I did not even get to eat. My luck was low, and I ran into an adversary, almost losing my life." The aquatic hosts asked, "Great King, who is it?" The monster said, "It is a disciple of the holy monk of the Great Tang in the East, who is going to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. He disguised himself as a boy and girl and sat in the temple. When he revealed his true form, I nearly lost my life. I have long heard people say that Tripitaka Tang is a good man who has cultivated for ten lifetimes, and that if one can eat a piece of his flesh, one will prolong life and gain immortality. But I did not expect him to have such disciples. He has ruined my reputation and broken my incense-offerings. I wish to capture Tripitaka, but I fear I may not be able."
Then from among the aquatic hosts darted forth a mottled-clothed mandarin fish woman, who made repeated bows to the monster and said with a smile, "If the Great King wishes to capture Tripitaka, what difficulty is there? But I wonder, if you catch him, will you reward me with some wine and meat?" The monster said, "If you have a plan and we work together to capture Tripitaka, I will swear brother-and-sisterhood with you and share the feast with you." The mandarin fish woman bowed and thanked him, and said, "I have long known that the Great King has the supernatural power to summon wind and rain, and the strength to churn seas and overturn rivers; but I do not know—can you make snow fall?" The monster said, "I can make snow fall." She further asked, "Since you can make snow fall, can you make cold and freeze ice?" The monster said, "I can do that even more." The mandarin fish woman clapped her hands and laughed, saying, "In that case, it is extremely easy, extremely easy." The monster said, "Tell me about this extremely easy feat." The mandarin fish woman said, "Tonight, at the third watch, the Great King must not delay. Act early: raise a cold wind, send down a great snow, and freeze the entire Tongtian River solid. Then let those of us who are good at transformation change into several human shapes, stand at the crossroads, carrying packs and holding umbrellas, shouldering loads and pushing carts, walking ceaselessly on the ice. Tripitaka is extremely anxious to obtain the scriptures; seeing such people traveling, he will certainly step onto the ice and cross. The Great King may sit quietly in the middle of the river, and when he hears the sound of their footsteps, burst the cold ice, so that together with his disciples they all fall into the water—you can capture them all in one go." When the monster heard this, his heart was filled with joy, and he said, "Excellent, excellent." He then left the water palace, stepped into the sky, raised wind and made snow, congealed cold and froze ice; no more of that.
So it was that the Tang Monk and his disciples rested at the Chen household. As dawn approached, the covers were cold and the pillows chilled. Bajie coughed and shivered, unable to sleep, and called out, "Elder Brother, it's cold." Wukong said, "You fool, you're really not up to much. We monks are supposed to be immune to heat and cold—how can you be afraid of the cold?" Sanzang said, "Disciples, it is indeed cold. Look, just see:
Layered quilts give no warmth; hands tucked in sleeves feel as if holding ice.
At this time withered leaves hang with frosty stamens, while green pines wear frozen bells.
The ground cracks from the extreme cold; the pond is level because the water has frozen.
No old fisherman appears on the boats; how could a mountain temple meet a monk?
The woodcutter frets over scarce firewood; the rich delight in increased charcoal.
The traveler's beard is like iron; the poet's brush is like a water caltrop.
Fur coats are still deemed too thin; sable robes are still regretted as light.
Cushions stiffen the old mendicant; paper screens startle the wandering soul.
With brocaded quilts and layered mattresses, the whole body trembles like a bell."
None of the master and disciples could sleep; they got up and put on their clothes. When they opened the door and looked out—ah! Outside was all white and blank; it had begun to snow. Wukong said, "No wonder you all felt cold—it's because of this heavy snow." The four watched together. What fine snow! Just see:
Dense dark clouds gathered thickly, and dismal fog lay heavy. Dense dark clouds gathered—the north wind howled fiercely through the void; dismal fog lay heavy—great snowflakes fell thickly, covering the earth. Truly: six-petaled flowers, each flake flying like fine jade; a thousand groves, every tree bearing jade. In an instant they accumulated like powder; in a moment they became like salt. White parrots lost their whiteness; the plumage of the white crane became the same. They added to the thousand rivers of Wu and Chu, and weighed down several plum trees in the southeast. It was as if three million jade dragons had been routed—truly like broken scales and tattered armor flying all over the sky. Where could one find the shoes of Dongguo, the lying-in of Yuan An, or Sun Kang's reading by reflected light? Nor were seen Zi You's boat, Wang Gong's fur coat, or Su Wu chewing felt. Only a few village houses were as if built of silver, and ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains like balls of jade. Fine snow: willow catkins spread over the bridge; pear blossoms cover the roofs. Willow catkins spread over the bridge—by the bridge an old fisherman hangs his straw cloak; pear blossoms cover the roofs—under the roofs a countryman roasts tree roots. Travelers find it hard to buy wine; servants bitterly seek plum blossoms. Drizzling and sweeping, they shape butterfly wings; drifting and tossing, they cut goose-feather robes. Rolling and tumbling with the wind; layered and heaped, they confuse the roads. Gusts of cold pierce through small curtains; moaning cold air penetrates secluded bed curtains. Auspicious omens of a bountiful year descend from heaven—truly worthy of congratulation for the good things among men.
That snow, fluttering and scattering, was indeed like cut jade and flying cotton.
The master and disciples gazed and enjoyed it for a long time, when the Elder Chen sent two servant boys to clear the path, and two more brought hot water for washing faces. Soon after, they brought boiling tea, milk cakes, and carried out charcoal fires. All were brought to the side room, where they sat with the master and disciples. The elder asked, "Old patron, in your honored region, the seasons—are they divided into spring, summer, autumn, and winter?" Elder Chen laughed and said, "Though this place is out-of-the-way, its customs and people are different from those of the superior land; but as for all grains, seedlings, and livestock, they share the same sky and sun—how could there be no division into four seasons?" Sanzang said, "Since there are four seasons, how is it that now there is such heavy snow and such bitter cold?" Elder Chen said, "Though this is now the seventh month, yesterday was already the White Dew—that is the eighth month festival. Here we often have frost and snow in the eighth month." Sanzang said, "How different this is from our Eastern Land—there we only have it after the Winter Solstice."
While they were speaking, another servant came to set the table and invited them to eat porridge. After the porridge, the snow was even heavier than in the morning; in an instant, the flat ground was over two feet deep. Sanzang grew anxious and shed tears. Elder Chen said, "Do not worry, Master—do not be distressed just because the snow is deep. My humble home has quite a few measures of grain, enough to support you masters for half a lifetime." Sanzang said, "Old patron, you do not know my suffering. In those years I received the imperial decree, and the Tang Emperor himself escorted me out of the pass, holding a cup in his own hand to see me off, and asked, 'When may you return?' Not knowing the perils of mountains and rivers, I answered rashly: 'It will take only three years to fetch the scriptures and return to the kingdom.' Since I left, now seven or eight years have passed, and I have yet to see the face of the Buddha—I fear I will exceed the imperial limit; and I also dread the ferocity of demons. That is why I am anxious. Today, by good fortune, I have been able to stay in your mansion; last night my foolish disciples rendered a small service in return, truly hoping to obtain a boat to cross the river. But unexpectedly heaven has sent this heavy snow, obscuring the roads—I do not know when I will succeed and return to my homeland." Elder Chen said, "Rest assured, Master. Many days have already passed—why worry about these few? Wait until the sky clears and the ice melts, and though I exhaust my family's wealth, I will surely arrange to send you masters across the river."
Just then a servant came again to invite them to the morning meal. They went to the hall and ate. They had not talked long before the midday meal followed in succession. Sanzang, seeing the abundance of provisions, felt uneasy and said repeatedly, "Since you have been kind enough to keep us, you need only treat us with ordinary fare." Elder Chen said, "Master, I am deeply grateful for your deliverance from the sacrifice and for saving my life. Even if I spread feasts every day in your honor, I could hardly repay you."
After that, when the heavy snow stopped, people began to walk about. Elder Chen, seeing that Sanzang was not in good spirits, had the garden swept, set up a large brazier with fire, and invited them to go into the snow grotto to relax and dispel their gloom. Bajie laughed and said, "That old fellow has no sense. In the second or third month of spring it would be fine to enjoy the garden—but in such heavy snow, and so cold, what is there to enjoy?" Wukong said, "You fool, you don't understand. A snowy scene is naturally quiet and secluded: first, it is for sightseeing; second, it is to cheer up the master." Elder Chen said, "Exactly, exactly." Thereupon he invited them into the garden. There was to be seen:
The scene was in the third autumn, yet the scenery was like the twelfth month. Green pines bore jade stamens; withered willows hung silver flowers. Below the steps, jade moss heaped up like powdered dust; before the windows, emerald bamboos sprouted jade buds. By the artfully arranged rockery, and within the fish pond—by the artfully arranged rockery, sharp, pointed peaks stood like jade bamboo shoots; within the fish pond, clear, living water became a plate of ice. By the bank, hibiscus showed pale and delicate colors; by the cliff, the young branches of the rose of Sharon hung down. The autumn crabapple was utterly overwhelmed; the winter plum tree sent out a few new twigs. The Peony Pavilion, the Pomegranate Pavilion, the Osmanthus Pavilion—every pavilion was piled with goose feathers; the places for relaxation, for receiving guests, for dispelling cares—everywhere were spread with butterfly wings. The two hedges of yellow chrysanthemums were like jade silk and gold; several maple trees were red mixed with white. Countless idle courts were too cold to visit, but they looked at the snow grotto, which was cold as ice. Inside was placed a bronze brazier with beast faces and elephant feet, with blazing charcoal fire newly kindled; above and below were several lacquered armchairs covered with tiger skins, with soft, warm paper window coverings.
On the four walls hung several ancient paintings by famous masters, which were these:
The Seven Worthies Crossing the Pass, Fishing Alone on the Cold River, Layered Peaks and Ranges Enveloping the Snow Scene; Su Wu Chewing Felt, Encountering a Messenger While Breaking a Plum Branch, and the Jeweled Forest and Jade Trees Portraying the Cold—there is no end to them. As the saying goes: Near the water pavilion, fish are easily bought; when snow baffles the mountain paths, wine is hard to purchase. Truly it was a place that could well hold one; why need one seek the Isle of the Immortals?
The party looked about for a long time, then sat down in the snow grotto, spoke with the neighboring elders about the scripture-fetching journey, and after drinking fragrant tea, Elder Chen asked, "Honored masters, do you drink wine?" Sanzang said, "I, the poor monk, do not drink; my young disciples may take a few cups of plain wine." Elder Chen was greatly pleased and ordered: "Bring out plain fruits and warm the wine, to warm you masters against the cold." The servants then brought out a table and gathered around the brazier, and together with the two neighboring elders, each drank a few cups. Then the utensils were cleared away.
Before they knew it, the day was drawing to a close, and they were again invited to the hall for the evening meal. They heard people in the street all saying, "What a bitterly cold day—it has frozen the Tongtian River solid." When Sanzang heard this, he said, "Wukong, if the river is frozen, what shall we do?" Elder Chen said, "The sudden cold—it must be that the shallow water near the banks has frozen." But the passersby said, "All eight hundred li have frozen like the surface of a mirror; there are people walking on the road at the crossing." When Sanzang heard that people were walking, he wanted to go and see. Elder Chen said, "Do not be in a hurry, Master; it is late today. Go and look tomorrow." Thereupon they took leave of the neighboring elders. After the evening meal, they again lodged in the side room.
And when the next day came, Bajie got up and said, "Elder Brother, last night it was even colder; the river must have frozen over." Sanzang went to the door, faced the sky, and bowed in worship, saying, "All ye holy protectors of the Faith, your disciple has come all the way from the West, reverently seeking the Buddha, enduring bitter mountains and streams, without a single complaint. Now that I have reached this place, I am grateful that Heaven has aided me and frozen the river waters. Your disciple offers this empty thanks for now; when I have obtained the scriptures and returned, I will memorialize the Tang Emperor and repay your kindness with utmost sincerity." After finishing his worship, he bade Wujing to lead the horse and cross the river on the ice. Elder Chen again said, "Do not hurry. Wait a few days until the snow melts and the ice thaws, and I, old fool, will have a boat prepared to see you across." Sha Seng said, "To go now is not right, but to stay is also not right. Words are no proof; hearing is not as good as seeing. I will carry the horse and invite our master to go take a look." Elder Chen said, "That is reasonable." He ordered, "Lads, quickly bring our six horses here, but do not carry Master Tang's horse."
Thereupon six servants followed, and the whole company went straight to the riverbank to look. Truly:
Snow heaped like mountains towering,
Clouds withdrawn, dawn broke clear.
Cold congealed on the peaks of Chu, thinning them;
Ice bound the rivers and lakes in one level sheet.
The north wind blew fierce and biting,
Slippery frost lay sharp and jagged.
Pool fish nestled close to thick weeds,
Wild birds clung to withered branches.
Beyond the passes, soldiers' fingers froze and fell;
At the river head, boatmen gnashed their chattering teeth.
It cracked the snake's belly, snapped the bird's feet—
Truly icebergs hundreds of feet high.
Ten thousand ravines gleamed cold with silver,
One great river was steeped in icy jade.
In the east, the silkworms must surely stiffen;
In the north, indeed the mice have their burrows.
Wang Xiang lay on the ice, Emperor Guangwu crossed—
In one night, bridges and streams were frozen to the bottom.
Curved ponds built layer upon layer of ice,
Deep abysses congealed in overlapping folds.
The wide Tongtian River had no waves at all,
Only a pure white expanse of ice like a land road.
Sanzang and his party reached the riverbank, reined in their horses, and looked. Truly, at the crossing there were people walking on the ice. Sanzang asked, "Benefactor, where are those people on the ice going?" Elder Chen said, "Beyond the river lies the Women's Kingdom of Western Liang. These people are all merchants. Goods worth a hundred coins on this side are worth ten thousand on that side; goods worth a hundred coins on that side are likewise worth ten thousand here. The profit is great and the capital small, so people risk life and death to go. In ordinary years, five to seven people take a boat, or ten or more, and cross the ocean-like expanse. Now that the river is frozen, they risk their lives and walk across." Sanzang said, "Among the affairs of this world, nothing is weightier than fame and profit. Like these people seeking profit, they forget death and risk their lives; your disciple, by imperial decree, seeks only to fulfill his loyalty—that too is for fame. How different am I from them?" He called out, "Wukong, hurry back to the benefactor's house, pack our luggage, and saddle the horse. While this ice lasts, let us press on toward the West." Wukong answered with a smile.
Sha Seng said, "Master, as the saying goes, 'In a thousand days one eats a thousand pints of rice.' We have already relied on Elder Chen's household. Let us stay a few more days until the sky clears and the ice thaws, then take a boat across. In haste, there may be mistakes." Sanzang said, "Wujing, why are your views so dull? If it were the first or second month, each day warmer than the last, we could wait for the thaw. But this is the eighth month—each day is colder than the last. How can we hope for a thaw anytime soon? Would that not delay our journey another half a year?"
Bajie jumped down from his horse and said, "All of you, stop your idle talk. Let old Pig test how thick or thin the ice is." Wukong said, "You idiot, the night before last when you tested the water, you could throw stones. But now the ice has spread thickly—how can you test it?" Bajie said, "Elder Brother, you do not understand. Let me strike it once with my rake. If it breaks, the ice is thin, and we dare not cross. If it does not break, the ice is thick—why should we not cross?" Sanzang said, "Exactly, that is reasonable." The idiot tucked up his robe, strode to the riverbank, raised his rake with both hands, and struck with all his might. There was a thud, and he left nine white marks, his hands stinging from the shock. The idiot laughed and said, "We can go, we can go—even the bottom is frozen solid."
When Sanzang heard this, he was delighted and returned with the others to Elder Chen's house, ordering them to pack for the journey. The two old men could not persuade them to stay, so they had to prepare some dried provisions, roasted grain, baked cakes, and steamed buns as gifts. The whole family kowtowed and made obeisance, and then brought out a plate of loose gold and silver, kneeling before them, saying, "We are deeply grateful for your grace in saving our son; please accept this small token for a meal along the way." Sanzang waved his hands and shook his head, refusing, saying, "Your poor monk is a renunciant—what use have I for gold and silver? Even along the road I dare not carry them; I take begging for alms as my proper business. It is enough that I accept the dried provisions." The two elders pleaded repeatedly, and Wukong, with the tip of his finger, pinched off a small piece about four or five qian in weight, handed it to Tang Seng, and said, "Master, consider it as a little donation; do not let the elders' kindness go for nothing."
Thus they took their leave and went straight to the ice on the river. The horse's hooves slipped, nearly throwing Sanzang from his saddle. Sha Seng said, "Master, it is difficult to walk." Bajie said, "Wait—let me ask Elder Chen for some straw to use." Wukong said, "What use is straw?" Bajie said, "How would you know? We need straw to wrap the horse's hooves so they do not slip and cause Master to fall." When Elder Chen on the bank heard this, he urgently ordered someone to bring a bundle of straw from the house, and invited Tang Seng to dismount on the bank. Bajie wrapped the horse's hooves with straw, and then they stepped onto the ice.
After leaving Elder Chen and the riverbank, they had gone about three or four li when Bajie handed the nine-ringed monastic staff to Tang Seng, saying, "Master, hold this horizontally across your horse." Wukong said, "This idiot is crafty. The staff was your burden—why make Master carry it?" Bajie said, "You have never walked on ice, so you do not know. On any frozen surface there must be air holes; if you step on one and fall through, without something horizontal to brace across the hole, you will plunge straight down like a great pot lid sealing over you—how could you climb back up? One must have such a brace." Wukong laughed to himself, "This idiot is truly an old hand at walking on ice." And indeed they all followed his advice: the elder carried the staff horizontally, Wukong carried his iron cudgel horizontally, Sha Seng carried his demon-subduing precious staff horizontally, and Bajie shouldered the luggage with his rake tucked horizontally at his waist. The master and disciples proceeded with confidence. They walked all the way until nightfall, ate some dried provisions, and dared not stop long. By the light of the stars and moon, they saw the ice gleaming bright and white, and kept on running—truly the horse never stopped its hooves. The master and disciples could not sleep at all, and walked the whole night. At dawn they ate more dried provisions and continued westward.
As they were going along, they suddenly heard a loud crack from beneath the ice, nearly frightening the white horse into falling. Sanzang was greatly alarmed and said, "Disciples! What was that noise?" Bajie said, "The river is frozen quite solid—that was the ice settling. Perhaps in the middle the bottom is frozen through as well." Hearing this, Sanzang was both startled and pleased; he spurred his horse forward and pressed on.
Now the demon, since returning to his watery palace, had led his host of spirits under the ice. After waiting for some time, he heard the sound of horse hooves and worked his magic, splitting the ice with a great crash. In panic, the Great Sage Sun leaped into the air; but the white horse had already fallen into the water, and all three of them were plunged in as well.
That evil demon captured Sanzang and led the host of spirits straight back to the water palace, shouting loudly: "Where is Sister Gui?" The old Madam Gui came to the door and saluted, saying: "Great King, I dare not, I dare not." The demon said: "Worthy sister, why do you speak thus? 'A word once spoken cannot be overtaken even by a team of four horses.' Originally we agreed that if I followed your plan and captured Tang Seng, I would swear brotherhood with you. Today the plan has indeed succeeded and we have captured Tang Seng—should I then go back on my word?" He ordered: "Little ones, bring forward the table, sharpen the knives, and slit open this monk's belly, cut out his heart, flay his skin, and slice his flesh; meanwhile, let music be played: I will share the feast with my worthy sister, to prolong our lives and attain longevity." Madam Gui said: "Great King, do not eat him yet, for fear that his disciples might come looking and make a disturbance. Let us wait patiently for two days, and if those fellows do not come looking, then we may cut him open, invite the Great King to take the seat of honor, with all the relatives arrayed around, while flutes and zithers play, songs and dances perform, and we present him to the Great King for leisurely and carefree enjoyment—would that not be better?" The monster heeded her words and hid Tang Seng behind the palace, covering him with a six-foot-long stone casket, and we shall not speak of it further.
Now we must tell of Bajie and Sha Seng, who retrieved the luggage from the water, loaded it onto the white horse, parted the watery paths, churned waves and overturned billows, and emerged carrying the water. They saw the Pilgrim in midair, who asked: "Where is the Master?" Bajie said: "The Master's surname is Chen, and his given name is Daodi (To the Bottom). Now there is no place to look for him; let us first go ashore and then decide what to do." Originally, Bajie was the Marshal Tianpeng descended to earth—in former days he had commanded the eighty thousand aquatic soldiers of the Heavenly River; Sha Heshang was born in the Flowing Sands River; and the white horse was originally a dragon grandson of the Western Sea—thus they all knew water-nature. The Great Sage directed them from the air, and in a moment they returned to the eastern cliff, where they dried and brushed the horse and wrung out their clothes. The Great Sage lowered his cloud and together they arrived at the Chen family village. Soon someone reported to the two elders: "Of the four masters who went to fetch scriptures, only three have come back now." The brothers hurried out to greet them and indeed saw their clothes still wet, and said: "Masters, we tried so hard to keep you, but you would not stay, and now it has come to this. Why do we not see Master Sanzang?" Bajie said: "He is no longer called Sanzang; he has changed his name to Chen Daodi." The two elders wept tears, saying: "Pitiful! Pitiful! We said we would wait for the snow to melt and prepare a boat to see you across, but you stubbornly refused, and thus you have lost your life." The Pilgrim said: "Old man, do not grieve for the ancients. My master is surely not dead; he will live long. Old Sun knows that it must be that King Linggan used his magic to scheme and take him away. Rest assured, help us starch our clothes, dry the passport, and fetch fodder to feed the white horse. Let my brothers and me find that fiend and rescue the master, and then we will uproot the grass and remove the roots, eliminating the future trouble for your whole village, so that you may enjoy peace forever." Old Chen heard this, was overjoyed, and at once ordered vegetarian offerings to be prepared.
The three brothers ate their fill, entrusted the horse and luggage to the Chen family for safekeeping, each prepared his weapon, and went straight to the riverbank to seek their master and capture the monster. Thus it is said:
By wrongly treading upon layered ice, they harmed their true nature;
With the Great Elixir leaking away, how could they be made whole?
After all, we do not know how they would rescue Tang Seng; hear the next chapter for its explanation.