OriginChapter 49
Sun Wukong, having taken leave of Elder Chen together with Eight Rules and Sha Monk, came to the riverbank and said, "Brothers, the two of you decide—which one will go into the water first?" Eight Rules said, "Elder Brother, my skills and yours are not much to speak of; you should go into the water first." Pilgrim said, "To tell you the truth, worthy younger brother, if it were mountain spirits and fiends, I would not need you two to exert yourselves at all; but when it comes to matters in the water, I cannot manage them. Even to go down into the sea or traverse rivers, I must pinch the Water-Avoidance Spell, or else transform into the form of some fish or crab before I can go. But when I must pinch that spell, I cannot wield my iron staff, cannot exercise my divine powers, and cannot strike demons. I have long known that you two are accustomed to water, so I require you both to go down." Sha Monk said, "Elder Brother, although I can go, I do not know what the bottom of the water is like. Let us all go together. Elder Brother, transform into some shape, or let me carry you on my back, part the waterway, find the demon's lair, and you go in first to scout about. If Master has not been harmed and is still there, we can exert ourselves to attack him; if it is not this fiend's trickery, but Master has drowned or been devoured by the demon, then we need not strive so bitterly—let us find another way early on. What do you say?" Pilgrim said, "Worthy younger brother speaks rightly. Which of you will carry me?" Eight Rules secretly rejoiced, thinking, "This monkey has played tricks on me who knows how many times. Now it turns out he cannot swim. Let old Pig carry him and play a trick on him too." The idiot grinned and called out, "Elder Brother, I will carry you." Pilgrim knew at once there was some intention, but he turned the trick back on him and said, "Very well, you have more brawn than Wujing anyway." So Eight Rules carried him on his back.
Sha Monk parted the waterway, and the brothers all entered the Tongtian River together. They traveled underwater for some eighty or a hundred li when the idiot intended to play a trick on Pilgrim. Pilgrim at once plucked out a single hair, transformed it into a false body, and let it lie prone on Eight Rules' back, while his true body changed into a pig-louse and clung tightly inside Eight Rules' ear. As Eight Rules was proceeding, he suddenly stumbled, and with a deliberate motion he flung Pilgrim forward, sending him crashing down with a splash. But that false body, being originally made of a hair, floated up and vanished without trace. Sha Monk said, "Second Brother, what are you doing? If you cannot walk properly and fall in the mud, that is one thing, but you have sent Elder Brother off who knows where." Eight Rules said, "That monkey cannot take a fall—one fall and he dissolves. Brother, don't worry about whether he lives or dies; you and I will go look for Master." Sha Monk said, "No good—we still need him. Although he does not know water-nature, he is cleverer than we are. Without him, I will not go with you." Pilgrim, inside Eight Rules' ear, could not contain himself and called out loudly, "Wujing, old Sun is right here!" When Sha Monk heard this, he laughed and said, "Enough—this idiot is dead meat. How dare you play tricks on him? Now we can hear his voice but cannot see his face—what are we to do?" Eight Rules, frightened, knelt in the mud and kowtowed, saying, "Elder Brother, I was wrong. After we rescue Master, I will go ashore and apologize. Where are you speaking from? You are scaring me to death. Please show your true form and come out—I will carry you and dare not offend you again." Pilgrim said, "You are still carrying me. I am not tricking you. Hurry up, hurry up." The idiot grumbled and mumbled incessantly, reciting apologies, then got up and advanced again with Sha Monk.
After traveling another eighty or a hundred li, they suddenly looked up and saw a tower, with four large characters reading "The Mansion of the Water Turtle." Sha Monk said, "This must be the demon's dwelling. Neither of us knows the actual situation—how shall we go up and challenge him?" Pilgrim said, "Wujing, is there water inside or outside that gate?" Sha Monk said, "There is no water." Pilgrim said, "Since there is no water, you two hide yourselves to either side, and let old Sun go in to scout."
The splendid Great Sage crawled out of Eight Rules' ear, then shook his body and changed into a long-legged shrimp-woman, hopping in a few bounds through the gate. When he opened his eyes to look, he saw the fiend sitting above, with all the water creatures arrayed on both sides, and a mottled-robed mandarin fish woman seated at his side; they were all discussing eating Tang Sanzang. Pilgrim kept watch carefully, searching both sides but finding nothing. Suddenly he saw a big-bellied shrimp-woman approaching, who went straight to the western corridor and stood there. Pilgrim hopped before her and addressed her, saying, "Auntie, the Great King and the assembly are discussing eating Tang Sanzang—where is Tang Sanzang?" The shrimp-woman said, "Tang Sanzang was captured by the Great King, who caused snow to fall and ice to form. Yesterday he was taken and placed in a stone casket behind the palace. They are only waiting until tomorrow—if his disciples do not come to make a disturbance, they will play music and enjoy him."
When Pilgrim heard this, he pondered for a moment, then went straight to the back of the palace to look. There indeed was a stone casket, shaped like the pig trough in a household's shed, or like a stone coffin among men—measuring a full six feet in length. He lay on top of it and listened for a while, hearing only Sanzang inside weeping softly. Pilgrim said nothing, but listened more intently. The master was grinding his teeth in anguish and gave a sigh, saying:
"I grieve that River Float's fate is marred by sin,
From birth how many water-disasters hemmed him in.
From mother's womb he tumbled through the waves,
To worship Buddha in the West he plunged to watery graves.
First on the Black River he met with harm,
Now ice dissolves and life returns to the spring of death.
I know not if my disciples can come at last,
And gain the true scriptures to return home fast."
Pilgrim could not contain himself and called out, "Master, do not grieve over water-disasters. The scriptures say: 'Earth is the mother of the Five Phases, water is the source of the Five Phases. Without earth nothing is born, without water nothing grows.' Old Sun is here." When Sanzang heard this, he said, "Disciple, save me!" Pilgrim said, "Set your mind at ease. Once we capture the fiend, I guarantee you will escape your ordeal." Sanzang said, "Act quickly—if we wait another day, I shall be stifled to death." Pilgrim said, "No matter, no matter. I am off!"
He whirled around, leaped out, and outside the gate reappeared in his true form, calling, "Eight Rules." The idiot and Sha Monk came near and said, "Elder Brother, how goes it?" Pilgrim said, "It is precisely this fiend who has deceived Master. Master has not been harmed—he is covered under a stone casket by the monster. The two of you must quickly go forward and challenge him, while old Sun first emerges from the water. If you can capture him, capture him; if not, feign defeat and lure him out of the water, so I can strike him." Sha Monk said, "Elder Brother, go ahead with confidence—your younger brothers will watch the signs and act accordingly." Pilgrim pinched the Water-Avoidance Spell, bored out of the river, and stood waiting on the bank—but we shall not dwell on that.
Now watch Zhu Eight Rules commit violence, as he charges to the gate and cries out in a stern voice, "Vile monster! Give me back my master!" The little fiends inside the gate, alarmed, hastily reported, "Great King, there is someone outside the gate demanding the master." The fiend said, "This must be that accursed monk come." He ordered, "Quickly bring my armor and weapons." The little fiends hurriedly brought them out. The fiend donned his gear, took his weapon in hand, ordered the gate opened, and strode forth. Eight Rules and Sha Monk stood flanking him left and right. How was the fiend equipped? What a fine monster—look at him:
On his head a golden helmet gleamed and blazed,
His body clad in golden mail that rainbow rays amazed.
A jeweled belt with clustered pearls and greenstone round his waist,
And strange-hued smoke-yellow boots his feet did grace.
His nose rose high like a peak upthrust,
His forehead broad as a dragon's august trust.
His eyes flashed round and fierce, his teeth
Like steel blades sharp and set complete.
His short hair wild as flaming fire spread,
His long beard flowing, golden cones outthrust from his head.
In his mouth he held a single tender green weed,
In his hand a nine-petaled red-bronze mace indeed.
When with a creak the gate swung wide,
His voice like spring thunder startled the countryside.
Such a form was rarely seen in all the human race—
He dared to claim the majesty of the Spirit Manifest Great King's grace.
The fiendish demon emerged from the door, followed by a hundred or so lesser demons, each brandishing spears and wielding swords, forming two ranks. He said to Bajie, "You there, a monk from which temple? Why have you come here to raise such a clamor?" Bajie roared, "You deathless, obstinate wretch! You mouthed off to me the night before last—why today do you pretend not to know and come asking me? I am a disciple of the holy monk from the Great Tang in the East, on a pilgrimage to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. You practice deceit, falsely styling yourself the Great King of Inspiration, and have made a specialty of devouring boys and girls in the Chen Family Village. I am none other than One-Catty-of-Gold from Chen Qing's household—do you not recognize me?" The fiend said, "You monk, you are utterly unreasonable. You transformed yourself into One-Catty-of-Gold—that alone is a crime of imposture. I had not yet eaten you, and instead you wounded the back of my hand. I already yielded to you—why then do you come seeking trouble at my door again?" Bajie said, "If you yielded to me, then why did you conjure cold winds, bring down heavy snow, freeze the river into solid ice, and harm my master? Quickly send my master out, and all is forgiven; but if you so much as utter half a word of 'no,' just look at the rake in my hand—I will never spare you."
When the fiend heard this, he gave a faint cold laugh and said, "This monk boasts with a long tongue and speaks in wild exaggeration. It was indeed I who made the cold, brought down the snow, froze the river, and captured your master. Now you come clamoring at my door, thinking to demand him back—but I fear this bout will not be like the last. At that time, because I was going to a feast, I had not brought my weapon and was wounded by you by mistake. Now do not think of fleeing—I will match you for three rounds. If you can withstand me for three rounds, I will return your master; if not, I will devour you along with him."
Bajie said, "Good obedient son, that's exactly the right talk. Now watch my rake carefully." The fiend said, "So you are a monk who took orders midway in life." Bajie said, "My son, you do have some inspiration indeed—how did you know I took orders midway?" The fiend said, "You know how to use a rake—I suppose you were hired to tend a garden somewhere and stole that iron rake of yours." Bajie said, "Son, this rake of mine is no garden hoe. Look:
Its great teeth cast like dragon claws,
With gold inlaid like python's form.
When meeting foes, cold wind it sprays;
When clashing, blazing flames arise.
It aids the holy monk to slay strange beasts,
And on the Western Road catches sprites.
Whirled round, its mist and smoke eclipse the sun and moon;
Swung out, its rosy glow shines clear and bright.
It topples Mount Tai—a thousand tigers fear;
It overturns the sea—ten thousand dragons start.
Though your might and skills be great,
One stroke will bore nine holes in you."
That fiend would not believe it; he raised his copper mallet and struck straight at Bajie's head. Bajie blocked it with his rake and said, "You vile thing, so you too are a demon who took shape midway in life." The fiend said, "How do you know I took shape midway?" Bajie said, "You know how to use a copper mallet—I suppose you were hired to tend a furnace at some silversmith's, got your hands on it, and stole it away." The fiend said, "This is no silversmith's hammer. Look:
Nine petals gathered into a flower bud,
One hollow shaft like evergreen age-old.
Truly it is no common earthly thing—
Its origin bears a name from immortal gardens.
Green calyx, purple pistil, by the Jade Pool aged;
Pure form, clear fragrance, on the green marsh born.
Because I labored to forge and temper it,
Hard as fine steel, translucent and divine.
Spears, swords, halberds—none can match it;
Axes, polearms, lances dare not cross it.
Though his rake be sharp-edged,
Striking my mallet will snap its tines."
When Sha Heshang saw the two of them exchanging words, he could not refrain from stepping forward and shouting loudly, "Monster, do not speak so arrogantly. As the ancients say, 'Words alone are no proof—action shows the truth.' Do not flee—take my staff!" The fiend blocked with his mallet shaft and said, "You too are a monk who took orders midway." Sha Seng said, "How do you know?" The fiend said, "With that appearance of yours, you look like a miller." Sha Seng said, "How do you recognize me as a miller?" The fiend said, "If you are not a miller, why do you know how to wield a rolling pin?" Sha Seng cursed, "You fiend, you have never seen—
This sort of weapon is rare in the mortal world,
Thus hard it is to know its precious name.
From the moon's palace, where no shadow falls,
Of Suoluo immortal wood it was made.
Outset inlaid with gems that shine like rosy clouds,
Within wrought with gold, auspicious vapors congeal.
In days past it attended imperial feasts;
Now it upholds the righteous way and guards the Tang monk.
On the Western Road few recognize it,
But in the upper realms its great fame is known.
It is called the Precious Staff That Subdues Demons—
One stroke will shatter the skull."
The fiend would not allow further talk; all three changed countenance, and this fight beneath the water was fierce indeed:
Copper mallet, precious staff, and iron rake—
Wuneng and Wujing battle the fiend.
One is the Heavenly Marshal come to the world,
One is a great general descending the horizon.
The two of them together press the water monster with might;
This one alone withstands the holy monks—worthy of praise.
By fate and affinity they achieve the Great Way;
Mutual production and conquest follow the Ganges sand.
Earth conquers water—water dries to the bottom;
Water produces wood—wood thrives and blooms.
Zen meditation cultivated, returning to the One;
Refined elixir subdues the Three Families.
Earth is the mother, producing gold sprouts;
Gold produces sacred water, giving birth to the infant child.
Water is the root, moistening wood's glory;
Wood has splendid flames like rosy clouds.
The Five Elements are gathered, all distinct—
Thus they change expressions, each vying in strife.
See his copper mallet, nine-petaled, bright and fine;
The precious staff, thousand-threaded, with lovely brocade.
The rake accords with Yin and Yang, matching the Nine Luminaries—
Their obscure techniques weave a tangled chaos.
They risk their lives and abandon fate because of the monk's ordeal;
They forget death and cast aside life for the sake of Shakyamuni.
So the copper mallet never stays its swing—
Left it wards off the staff, right it wards off the rake.
The three fought beneath the water for two double-hours, neither gaining victory. Zhu Bajie reckoned they could not win, and gave Sha Seng a wink. The two feigned defeat, dragged their weapons, and turned back in retreat. The monster ordered, "Little ones, hold your positions here while I chase these wretches down and catch them for you to eat." You see him like wind scattering withered leaves, like rain beating on fading flowers—he drove them both out of the water.
Now the Great Sage Sun, on the eastern bank, watched unblinkingly at the river's currents. Suddenly he saw waves churning and heard shouts—Bajie leaped ashore first, crying, "He's coming, he's coming." Sha Seng also reached the bank saying, "He's coming, he's coming." The fiend called after them, "Where do you think you're going?" The moment his head emerged, the Great Sage yelled, "Take my staff!" The fiend dodged aside and hastily parried with his copper mallet. One churned waves by the riverbank, the other showed his might on the shore. They had not exchanged three rounds before the fiend could not withstand the assault; he made a dive and plunged back into the water. Thereupon the wind subsided and the waves calmed.
The Great Sage returned to the high cliff and said, "Brothers, hard labor indeed." Sha Seng said, "Elder brother, this fiend is inept on land, but underwater he is quite formidable. Second brother and I attacked him from both sides, yet only managed a draw. What are we to do, to save our master?" The Great Sage said, "Do not delay—we fear he may harm our master." Bajie said, "Brother, this time I will go and lure him out. You keep silent and wait only in midair. When you judge he has stuck his head out, then deliver a pounding blow, squarely on his crown, with all your might. Even if you do not kill him, he will at least be stunned by the pain. Then Old Pig will rush in with his rake and finish him off." The Great Sage said, "Exactly, exactly—this is called 'inner luring and outer meeting,' and only then can we succeed." The two of them then re-entered the water—but let us leave that aside.
But to tell, that fiend, defeated in battle, fled for his life and returned to his own dwelling. All the demons received him into the palace. The mandarin fish dame stepped forward and asked, "Great King, to what place did you pursue those two monks?" The fiend said, "Those monks turned out to have a helper. The two of them jumped ashore, and that helper whirled an iron staff at me. I dodged and fought with him. I don't know how many catties his staff weighs—my copper mallet simply could not withstand it. Before we had fought three rounds, I was defeated and came back." The mandarin fish dame said, "Great King, do you remember what that helper looked like?" The fiend said, "He is a monk with a hairy face, a beak like the Thunder God's, protruding ears, a broken nose bridge, and fiery golden eyes." When the mandarin fish dame heard this, she shivered and said, "Great King, it is fortunate that you knew enough to retreat and save your life; if you had fought another round or two, you would certainly not have survived. I recognize that monk." The fiend said, "Who do you recognize him to be?" The mandarin fish dame said, "In former years, while in the Eastern Ocean, I once heard the Old Dragon King speak of his reputation. He is the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, the Handsome Monkey King, the Primordial Unity One-Pivot Supreme Great Immortal of the Upper Realm, who made havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago. Now he has taken refuge in Buddhism and is escorting the Tang Monk to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven; he has changed his name to Sun Wukong the Pilgrim. His supernatural powers are vast, and his transformations are countless. Great King, how could you provoke him? From now on, do not fight him anymore."
Before he finished speaking, a little demon from inside the gate came to report, "Great King, those two monks have come again to the gate to challenge us." The fiend said, "Wise sister, your view is very sound. We will not go out again and see what he can do." He quickly gave orders: "Little ones, bolt the gate tightly. As the saying goes, 'Let them shout outside the gate, we simply will not open it.' Let them pester for two days; when they lose spirit and go back, then won't we have the Tang Monk at our ease?" The little demons all together moved stones and plugged with mud, shutting the gate tight.
Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing called out repeatedly but got no response. The idiot grew anxious and used his rake to smash the gate. The gate was tightly shut and firmly barred; there was no way to open it. After seven or eight strikes with his rake, he broke through the door leaves, but inside were all earth and stones, piled up in thousands of layers. Sha Wujing saw this and said, "Second Brother, this monster is so frightened that he keeps the gate shut and will not come out. You and I should return to the riverbank and discuss with Elder Brother." Bajie agreed, and they turned straight back to the east bank.
Now the Pilgrim, half in cloud and half in mist, was holding his iron staff and waiting. Seeing the two of them coming up without the monster, he lowered his cloud and greeted them at the bank, asking, "Brothers, why hasn't that creature come up?" Sha Wujing said, "The monster has shut his gate tight and will not come out to meet us. When Second Brother broke the door leaves to look, inside were all earth and stones, solidly piled up. Therefore we could not fight, so we came to discuss with you, Elder Brother, how to rescue Master." The Pilgrim said, "In that case, there is no way to deal with him. You two just patrol the riverbank and do not let him escape elsewhere. I will go." Bajie said, "Brother, where are you going?" The Pilgrim said, "I will go to Mount Potalaka to pay my respects and ask the Bodhisattva about this monster: where he comes from, what his name and surname are. I will find his ancestral home, seize his family, capture his neighbors, and then come back to capture the monster and save Master." Bajie laughed and said, "Brother, doing that is too much trouble and will delay us." The Pilgrim said, "I assure you it will not be trouble or delay; I will go and come back."
The splendid Great Sage quickly mounted his auspicious light, left the river mouth, and headed straight for the Southern Sea. In less than half an hour, he saw Mount Potalaka not far off. He lowered his cloud and went directly to the Potalaka cliff. There he saw the twenty-four devas, the Mountain Guardian God, the novice Moksa, the Sudhana boy, and the pearl-holding dragon girl, all coming forward to greet him with a bow, saying, "Great Sage, why have you come?" The Pilgrim said, "I have business and wish to see the Bodhisattva." The gods said, "The Bodhisattva left her grotto this morning, allowing no one to follow, and went alone into the bamboo grove to enjoy the view. She knew that the Great Sage would certainly come today, so she instructed us to wait here to receive the Great Sage, but not to let you see her immediately. Please sit for a while before the Green Cliff until the Bodhisattva comes out."
The Pilgrim did as he was told, but before he sat down, he saw the Sudhana boy step forward and bow, saying, "Sun the Great Sage, previously I received your great kindness; fortunately the Bodhisattva did not reject me but took me in. Day and night I never leave her side, serving beneath her lotus throne, and I have received much compassion." The Pilgrim knew it was Red Boy and laughed, saying, "At that time you were infatuated with demonic delusion; today you have achieved the true fruit, and now you know that Old Sun is a good man."
The Pilgrim waited a long time but saw no one. He grew anxious and said, "Gentlemen, please report for me; if we delay too long, I fear my master's life may be endangered." The devas said, "We dare not report; the Bodhisattva has ordered that we wait only for her to come out on her own." The Pilgrim was impatient and could not wait; he rushed inside and walked in. Alas!
This Handsome Monkey King, impatient and quick,
The devas could not hold him; he pushed his way in.
He strode into the deep grove and stealthily peered.
From afar he saw the Savior from Suffering,
Sitting cross-legged on a mat of withered bamboo leaves.
Lazy and careless, she had not bothered to dress;
Her appearance was graceful and lovely.
Her hair was loosely gathered in a coil,
Without a jeweled necklace adorning her.
She wore not a plain blue robe,
But a close-fitting little jacket.
A brocade skirt was tied loosely at her waist,
And her feet were bare.
No embroidered sash hung over her shoulders;
Her two arms were bare and gleaming.
Her jade-like hand held a steel knife,
And she was paring the skin of bamboo.
When the Pilgrim saw this, he could not contain himself and called out loudly, "Bodhisattva, your disciple Sun Wukong pays his sincere respects." The Bodhisattva said, "Wait outside." The Pilgrim kowtowed and said, "Bodhisattva, my master is in trouble; I have come especially to ask about the origin of the monster of the Tongtian River." The Bodhisattva said, "You go out first; wait until I come out."
The Pilgrim did not dare to insist, so he walked out of the bamboo grove and said to the devas, "The Bodhisattva is again attending to household affairs today. Why is she not sitting on the lotus throne, not dressed up, not in a cheerful mood, and in the grove paring bamboo strips?" The devas said, "We do not know. This morning she left the grotto without dressing and went into the grove. She also instructed us to wait here to receive you, Great Sage; it must be because of some business of yours." The Pilgrim had no choice but to wait.
Before long, the Bodhisattva came out of the grove carrying a purple bamboo basket in her hand and said, "Wukong, I will go with you to save Tang Sanzang." The Pilgrim hurriedly knelt and said, "Your disciple dares not urge you; please, Bodhisattva, put on your robes and ascend the throne." The Bodhisattva said, "No need to put on robes; we go like this." She then left the devas behind, mounted her auspicious cloud, and soared into the sky. Sun the Great Sage had no choice but to follow.
In a moment they reached the border of the Tongtian River. Bajie and Sha Seng saw this and said, "Elder Brother is too impatient. Who knows how he clamored and shouted in the South Sea, forcing a Bodhisattva who had not yet finished her toilet to come here!" Before they finished speaking, they arrived at the riverbank. The two bowed and said, "Bodhisattva, we have presumed upon you without leave—we are guilty, we are guilty." The Bodhisattva at once untied a silk cord from her jacket, fastened the basket to it, and holding the cord, with half her step on the clouds, cast it into the river. Pulling it upstream, she recited this gatha: "The dead go, the living stay. The dead go, the living stay!" After reciting it seven times, she lifted up the basket, and there inside was a glittering golden fish, still blinking its eyes and moving its scales. The Bodhisattva called out, "Wukong, quickly go into the water and rescue your master." The Pilgrim said, "If we have not yet captured the fiend, how can we rescue the master?" The Bodhisattva said, "Isn't this in the basket?" Bajie and Sha Seng bowed and asked, "How could this fish have such powers?" The Bodhisattva said, "He was originally a golden fish reared in my Lotus Pool. Every day he would float to the surface and listen to the scriptures, thereby cultivating his powers. That nine-petaled bronze hammer is actually a lotus bud that had not yet opened, which he refined into a weapon. I do not know on what day the tide rose and brought him here. This morning, while leaning on the railing to look at the flowers, I noticed that this creature did not come forth to pay homage. I calculated with my fingers and divined that he had become a spirit here and was harming your master. That is why I had no time to dress, but employed my divine powers to weave this bamboo basket to capture him."
The Pilgrim said, "Bodhisattva, since that is so, please wait a moment while we call the faithful of Chen Family Village to come see your golden countenance: first, to leave them a token of your grace; second, to tell them of this matter of subduing the monster, so that ordinary people may gain faith and make offerings." The Bodhisattva said, "Very well, go quickly and summon them." Bajie and Sha Seng flew back to the village and called out loudly, "Come, all of you, to see the living Guanyin Bodhisattva! Come, all of you, to see the living Guanyin Bodhisattva!" The whole village, young and old, men and women, all rushed to the riverbank. Heedless of mud and water, they knelt there, knocking their heads in worship. Among them there were those skilled in painting, who handed down a portrait—this was the manifestation of the Fish-Basket Guanyin. Then the Bodhisattva returned to the South Sea.
Bajie and Sha Seng parted the waters and went straight to the dwelling of the water-turtle to look for their master. Inside, all the water monsters and fish spirits were dead and rotting. They entered the rear palace, opened the stone casket, and carried Tang Seng out, emerging from the waves to meet the others. Chen Qing and his brother kowtowed and gave thanks, saying, "My lord, you did not follow our advice to stay, which caused you to suffer thus." The Pilgrim said, "Say no more. From now on, your households here need not make any more sacrificial offerings—that Great King has been uprooted forever and will harm you no more. Old Chen, now we must trouble you again: quickly find us a boat to ferry us across the river." Chen Qing said, "We have one, we have one." He ordered planks to be taken and a boat built. When the villagers heard this, they all gladly contributed. One said, "I will buy the mast and sail." Another said, "I will provide the poles and oars." Some said, "I will supply the ropes." Others said, "I will hire the boatmen."
While they were all busily clamoring on the riverbank, suddenly a voice called out from midstream: "Great Sage Sun, do not build the boat and waste people's property. I will carry you and your disciples across." When the crowd heard this, every heart was terrified; the timid fled home, while the bolder ones trembled with fear yet stayed to watch. In a moment, a monster emerged from the water. Do you know how he looked?
A square-headed divine creature, no common thing,
With nine-fold spiritual powers, called Water Immortal.
Dragging his tail, he could prolong a thousand years of life;
Hiding his form, he quietly rested in the depths of all streams.
He churned the waves and leaped the currents, dashing against the riverbanks;
Facing the sun and lying in the wind, he rested by the sea.
Nourishing his breath and harboring spirit, truly he possessed the Dao—
For many years a white-shelled soft-shelled turtle.
The old turtle called out again, "Great Sage, do not build the boat; I will carry you and your disciples across." The Pilgrim brandished his iron staff and said, "You beast! If you come near, one blow of this staff will kill you." The old turtle said, "I am grateful for the Great Sage's kindness and sincerely wish to carry you and your master across. Why would you strike me instead?" The Pilgrim said, "What kindness have I shown you?" The old turtle said, "Great Sage, you do not know that the Water-Turtle Dwelling down below is my residence. It has been passed down through generations from my ancestors to me. I, having awakened to my true nature and nurtured my spiritual energy, cultivated myself here. I rebuilt my ancestral home and made it the Water-Turtle Dwelling. That fiend, nine years ago, when the sea surged and waves rolled, rode the tide here and, relying on his violence, fought with me. He injured many of my children and seized many of my kin. I could not overcome him, and so my lair was taken from me. Now, thanks to the Great Sage's arrival to rescue Master Tang, and to your inviting the Guanyin Bodhisattva to sweep away the evil aura and remove the monster, my dwelling has been restored to me. Now I can gather my old and young together again, and no longer must I crawl through mud and earth—I can live in my old home. This favor is as heavy as a mountain and as deep as the sea. And it is not only we who have received this benefit—the people of this whole village are spared the yearly sacrifices, and how many children have been saved! This is truly a grace that achieves two ends at once—how could I not repay it?" Hearing this, the Pilgrim was secretly pleased, and putting away his iron staff, he said, "Is this truly your sincere intention?" The old turtle said, "How would I dare to be false, when the Great Sage's virtue and kindness are so profound?" The Pilgrim said, "If it is sincere, then swear it to heaven." The old turtle opened his red mouth and swore to heaven: "If I do not truly carry Tang Seng across this Tongtian River, may my body be turned to blood and water." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Come up, come up."
Then the old turtle swam close to the bank, and with a spring, climbed up the riverbank. The people crowded forward to look—it was a great white shell four spans around. The Pilgrim said, "Master, let us mount him and cross over." Sanzang said, "Disciple, even that thick layer of ice was difficult to traverse—how much more so this turtle's back? I fear it will not be steady." The old turtle said, "Master, be at ease. I am far steadier than that thick ice—if I tilt even a little, may I not achieve my fruits." The Pilgrim said, "Master, any being that can speak human words will certainly not lie." He then said, "Brothers, quickly bring the horse."
When they reached the riverbank, the whole village of Chen Family Villa, old and young, men and women, all came to bow and see them off. The Pilgrim had the horse led onto the white turtle's shell, and asked Tang Seng to stand on the left side of the horse's neck, Sha Seng on the right, Bajie behind the horse, and he himself in front. Fearing that the turtle might prove unruly, he untied his tiger-sinew cord and threaded it through the old turtle's nostrils, pulling it like a halter. Then he set one foot on the shell and one on the turtle's head; with one hand he held his iron staff, and with the other he pulled the halter. He called out, "Old turtle, go slowly! If you tilt even a little, I will strike you on the head." The old turtle said, "I dare not, I dare not." Then he stretched out his four feet and trod the water as if walking on level ground. Everyone on the bank burned incense and kowtowed, all chanting "Namo Amitabha." Truly, this was an Arhat descending to the mortal world, a living Bodhisattva appearing. The crowd only withdrew after they could no longer see his form in the distance. But of that no more.
But to tell of the Master, riding on the white yuan, in less than a day they crossed the eight-hundred-li breadth of the Tongtian River, and he disembarked dry-handed and dry-footed. Sanzang went up the bank, joined his hands, and expressed his thanks, saying, "Old Yuan, I have put you to trouble, and I have nothing to give you. Wait until I fetch the scriptures and return, then I will thank you." The old yuan said, "Do not trouble yourself, Master, to give thanks. I have heard that the Buddha of the Western Heaven is beyond extinction and beyond birth, and can know all matters of the past and the future. I have been cultivating here for over one thousand three hundred years. Although I have prolonged my life and made my body light, and can speak human language, I still find it hard to shed my original shell. I earnestly beg you, aged Master, when you reach the Western Heaven, to ask the Buddha for me, to see when I may shed my original shell and attain a human body." Sanzang promptly agreed, saying, "I will ask, I will ask." Only then did the old yuan plunge into the water and depart.
Wukong then helped Tang Sanzang mount his horse, Bajie carried the luggage, and Sha Monk followed on either side. The master and disciples found the main road and headed straight west. This is indeed:
The holy monk, by imperial decree, pays homage to Amitabha;
Waters distant, mountains far, many are the calamities.
With resolute will and sincere heart, he fears not death;
The white yuan carried him across the Heavenly River.
After all, we do not know how much road lies ahead from here, and what fortunes or misfortunes there may be. Let us listen to the explanation in the next chapter.