Chapter 50

The verse says: The mind-ground must be swept again and again, The dust of mundane feelings carefully removed. Let not pits and trenches trap Vairocana. Only when the original substance is constantly pure May one discourse on the primal beginning. The nature-candle must be picked and trimmed, At Caoxi, let inhalation and exhalation be free. Do not let the ape and horse make their breath coarse. Day and night, continuous and fine breathing— Only then does one reveal true accomplishment. This verse, of the tune "Nan Ke Zi," speaks solely of how the Tang Monk escaped the calamity of the icy cold of the Tongtian River and stepped upon the white turtle to reach the opposite shore. The master and his four disciples, following the main road, gazed westward and advanced. They were just encountering the scene of deep winter; one could see only the forest light dim and faint amid the mist, and the mountain ridges sharp and clear beyond the waters. As the master and disciples were proceeding, they suddenly came upon another great mountain, blocking the way. The path was narrow, the cliffs high, the rocks many, the ridges steep—men and horses could hardly advance. Sanzang, on his horse, pulled taut the reins and called out, "Disciples." At that moment, Sun Wukong led Zhu Bajie and Sha Seng to step forward and stand in attendance, saying, "Master, what instructions have you?" Sanzang said, "Look at that high mountain ahead; I fear there may be tigers and wolves making mischief, or monstrous beasts that harm men. This time we must be especially careful!" Wukong said, "Master, set your mind at ease and do not worry. We three brothers are of one heart and one will, turning to the true and seeking the real; if we employ our arts of subduing monsters and overcoming demons, what need is there to fear tigers, wolves, or monstrous beasts?" When Sanzang heard this, he could only relax his mind and press forward. When they reached the mouth of the valley, they urged the horses up the cliff; raising their heads to look carefully, they saw a fine mountain: Towering and steep, abrupt and lofty. Towering and steep, piercing the Milky Way; Abrupt and lofty, obstructing the azure void. Strange rocks piled in chaos like seated tigers; Green pines slanting hang like flying dragons. On the ridge, birds call with delicate and lovely notes; Before the cliffs, plum blossoms release an exotic rich fragrance. The stream water gurgles, sending forth cold; The summit clouds are dim and somber, coming fierce. Again they saw the drifting snow, The biting wind, Roaming hungry tigers bellowing in the mountains. Cold crows seek trees but find no place to rest; Wild deer search for dens but have no fixed trace. Alas for the traveler, it is hard to advance— Frowning and with sorrowful face, they cover their heads. The master and his four disciples, braving the snow and facing the cold, shivering and chilled, made their way over those towering peaks and steep ridges. Gazing into the distance, they saw within the mountain hollow tall towers and pavilions, and quiet, secluded dwellings. Tang Sanzang, delighted on his horse, said, "Disciples, this day we are both hungry and cold. Fortunately, there are towers and dwellings in that mountain hollow—surely they are farmhouses, hermitages, or monasteries. Let us go and beg some vegetarian meal, and after eating we can continue." When Wukong heard this, he quickly opened his eyes wide and looked, only to see that on that side there were dim ominous clouds and swirling malevolent vapors. Turning his head, he said to Sanzang, "Master, that place is not good." Sanzang said, "I see towers, pavilions, and dwellings—how can it not be good?" Wukong laughed and said, "Master, you do not know. Along the western road there are many monsters and evil spirits, skilled in conjuring up estates and houses. Regardless of towers, dwellings, pavilions, or halls, they can all be conjured to fool people. You know that 'the dragon begets nine kinds,' and among them there is a kind called the shen. The shen's breath emits light, just like towers and pavilions in shallow pools. If one encounters a great river and is lost in confusion, the shen displays this appearance. Should birds or crows fly up, they will surely come to rest their wings. Even if there are tens of thousands of them, all are swallowed in one breath by it. This malice does the greatest harm to men. The aspect on that side is fierce and evil—we must not enter." Sanzang said, "Since we cannot enter, I am truly hungry." Wukong said, "If Master is truly hungry, please dismount for now and sit down in this level place. Wait for me to go elsewhere and beg some food for you to eat." Sanzang, following his words, dismounted; Bajie took hold of the reins. Sha Seng put down the luggage, then went to open the bundle, took out the alms bowl, and handed it to Wukong. Wukong took the bowl in his hand and instructed Sha Seng, "Worthy younger brother, you must not advance. Take good care and protect Master, sitting securely here. Wait for me to return from begging food, and then we shall go west again." Sha Seng acknowledged the order. Wukong then said to Sanzang, "Master, this place bodes little good and much ill; by all means do not move and go elsewhere. Old Sun will go beg food." Tang Seng said, "Do not speak more; only be quick and return quickly. I shall wait for you here." Wukong turned to go, but then came back and said, "Master, I know you have little patience for sitting still. I will give you a way to secure yourselves." He then took out the Golden Cudgel, waved it once, and drew a circle on the level ground around them, inviting Sanzang to sit in the middle; he had Bajie and Sha Seng stand in attendance on left and right, and placed the horse and the luggage close by. With palms together, he said to Sanzang, "This circle Old Sun has drawn is stronger than walls of bronze and iron. No matter what tigers, leopards, wolves, insects, demons, or monsters—none dare approach. Only you must not step outside the circle; just sit securely in the middle, and I guarantee you will be safe. But if you leave the circle, you will surely meet with poisonous harm. A thousand, ten thousand times—my utmost wishes." Sanzang, following his words, and the disciples all sat down properly. Wukong rose on his cloud and sought a village to beg food, heading straight south. Suddenly he saw ancient trees reaching to the sky—it was a village hamlet. He lowered his cloud and looked carefully, seeing only: Snow mocks the withered willows, Ice seals the square pond. Sparse bamboo sway and toss their green; Lush tall pines congeal their emerald hue. A few thatched cottages half dressed in silver, A small bridge slanted, paved in powder. At the hedge, narcissus flowers faintly bloom; Beneath the eaves, long icicles hang like chopsticks. The chill wind carries an exotic fragrance; The snow is thick, and one cannot see where the plum blossoms open. Wukong followed his steps to view the village scenery, when he heard a creak—the gate of a wicker fence opened, and out came an old man, dragging a staff of thornwood, wearing a goat-fur cap on his head, a tattered monk's robe on his body, and straw sandals on his feet. Leaning on his staff, he looked up to the sky and said, "The northwest wind rises; tomorrow will be clear." Before he finished speaking, a little pug dog ran out from behind and, facing Wukong, barked wildly in a frenzy. Only then did the old man turn his head, and seeing Wukong holding an alms bowl, he made a gesture of greeting and said, "Elderly benefactor, I am a monk sent as imperial envoy from the Great Tang in the East, bound for the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures. I chanced to pass by your noble domain, and my master's belly is hungry; I have specially come to your honored house to beg a vegetarian meal." When the old man heard this, he nodded and tapped his staff, saying, "Elder, do not beg a meal for now—you have taken the wrong road." Wukong said, "I am not wrong." The old man said, "The great road to the Western Heaven lies straight to the north. From here to there is over a thousand li. Why do you not go and take the main road?" Wukong laughed and said, "It is indeed straight to the north. My master is now sitting at the end of the main road, waiting for me to beg food." The old man said, "This monk speaks nonsense. If your master is on the main road waiting for you to beg food, with a distance of over a thousand li, even if he could walk, it would take six or seven days to go back, and another six or seven days to return—would he not starve to death?" Wukong laughed and said, "To tell you the truth, good benefactor, I only just left my master not even the time it takes to drink a cup of hot tea, and I have already arrived here. Now that I have begged food, I must still hurry back to make the midday meal." The old man, hearing this, was terrified and thought, "This monk is a ghost, a ghost." He hurriedly turned and ran inside. Wukong grabbed him and said, "Where are you going, benefactor? Quick, give us some alms." The old man said, "Inconvenient, inconvenient. Go to another house." Wukong said, "You benefactor are so unreasonable. You said I am a thousand li from here; if I go to another house, wouldn't that be another thousand li? That would truly starve my master." The old man said, "To tell you the truth, my household has six or seven people, and we just put three sheng of rice in the pot; it hasn't cooked yet. You'd better go elsewhere and come back later." Wukong said, "The ancients said: 'Walking to three houses is not as good as sitting in one.' I, this poor monk, will wait here." The old man, annoyed by the persistent pestering, grew angry and raised his staff to strike. Wukong showed no fear; he let him strike his bald head seven or eight times, only as if scratching an itch. The old man said, "This is a head-bumping monk." Wukong laughed and said, "Old sir, strike as you will, just remember the count clearly: one stroke, one sheng of rice; measure it out slowly." Hearing this, the old man threw down his staff, ran inside and shut the door, shouting, "A ghost! A ghost!" The whole family was so frightened that they trembled and closed all the front and back doors. Seeing him shut the door, Wukong thought to himself, "This old thief said he put rice in the pot; I wonder if it's true or false? As the saying goes: 'Dao converts the worthy, Buddhism converts the foolish.' Let me, Old Sun, go in and see." The Great Sage, making a hand seal, used the invisibility遁法 and went straight into the kitchen to look. Sure enough, the pot was steaming and half a pot of dry rice was cooked. He pressed his alms bowl into it, filled it to the brim, and then mounted a cloud and returned, leaving that matter. Meanwhile, Tang Sanzang sat inside the circle, waiting for a long time. When he did not see Wukong return, he leaned forward and looked around anxiously, saying, "Where has that monkey gone to beg for food?" Bajie laughed beside him and said, "Who knows where he has gone to play? What alms? He's made us sit in prison here." Sanzang said, "What do you mean by 'sit in prison'?" Bajie said, "Master, you don't know. The ancients drew a circle on the ground as a prison. He drew a circle with his staff, stronger than iron walls and bronze ramparts. But if a tiger, wolf, or demon comes, how can it be stopped? We'd just be given to it to eat for nothing." Sanzang said, "Wuneng, what do you think we should do?" Bajie said, "This place doesn't shelter from wind or cold. If it were up to me, Old Pig, we should just follow the road and head west. Once the senior brother has got alms, he'll come quickly on his cloud; let him catch up. If there is food, we eat and then go. Now we've sat here so long, my feet are terribly cold!" Hearing these words, Sanzang felt as if an unlucky star had arrived. So he followed the idiot and they all stepped out of the circle. Bajie led the horse, Sha Seng shouldered the load, and the elder walked along the road. Before long, they came to a building complex, which turned out to be a house facing south from the north. Outside the gate was a white wall in the shape of the character "eight", and there was an ornate gate tower with a hanging lotus and rising bucket arches, all decorated in five colors. The gate was half open and half closed. Bajie tied the horse to the stone drum at the doorstep; Sha Seng put down his load; Sanzang, fearing the wind, sat on the threshold. Bajie said, "Master, this place must be the residence of a duke or marquis, a minister's home. No one is at the front gate; they must all be inside warming themselves by the fire. You sit here, let me go in and have a look." Tang Sanzang said, "Be careful, don't offend the household." The idiot said, "I know. Since I turned to the Buddhist path, I've learned some manners recently; I'm not like those boorish country folk." The idiot tucked his rake into his belt, straightened his green brocade robe, and walked in with an air of refinement. He saw three main halls with curtains raised high, all quiet and completely devoid of people, with no furniture or tables. Passing through a screen door and going further in, he came to a corridor. Behind the corridor was a large building with windows half open, and he vaguely saw a yellow silk canopy inside. The idiot thought, "Perhaps someone is afraid of the cold and still sleeping." He paid no heed to inside or outside, and strode straight up the stairs. When he lifted the curtain to look, he was so startled that he staggered back. It turned out that on the ivory bed inside the curtain was a heap of white bones, the skull as big as a bushel, and the thigh bones four or five feet long. The idiot steadied himself, but could not stop tears from falling from his cheeks. He nodded at the skeleton and sighed, saying, "You do not know: What dynasty's marshal's body, what state's general? In former times heroes vied for supremacy, today desolate, exposed bones and sinews. No wife or children come to serve, no soldiers burn incense. Truly this sight is lamentable, pity this man who once established a kingdom." Just as Bajie was sighing, he saw a flash of firelight behind the canopy. The idiot said, "There must be someone tending the incense behind there." He quickly turned and went past the canopy to look, but it was only light coming through a window of the connecting building. On that side was a painted lacquer table, on which were carelessly draped several brocade and embroidered garments. When the idiot picked them up to look, they turned out to be three brocade-lined waistcoats. He didn't care about good or bad, and carried them downstairs, out of the hall, and straight to the door, saying, "Master, there's no one here at all; it's a house of the dead. Old Pig went inside, up to the high building, and under the yellow silk canopy there was a heap of bones. Beside the connecting building there were three brocade waistcoats, which I've brought. It's our good fortune on this journey. The weather is cold now, so they'll be useful. Master, take off your outer robe and put one on underneath; enjoy it, so you don't catch cold." Sanzang said, "No, no. The law says: 'Taking openly or secretly is both theft.' If someone finds out and catches up to us, and we go before an official, it will certainly be a crime of theft. You should return them and put them back where they were. We'll sit here out of the wind and wait for Wukong to come, then go. A monk should not be so petty." Bajie said, "Looking around, there's no one; even chickens and dogs don't know. Only we know; who would report us? What evidence is there? It's like finding something; how can you talk about open or secret taking?" Sanzang said, "You are doing wrong. Though men may not know, heaven covers all? The Dark Lord's teaching says: 'In a dark room, if you wrong your conscience, the gods' eyes are like lightning.' Take them back quickly, do not covet improper things." The idiot would not listen, and said with a laugh to Tang Sanzang, "Master, in my life I've worn several waistcoats, but never such brocade ones. If you won't wear one, let Old Pig try one on, test the newness, warm my back. When senior brother comes, we'll take them off and return them and go." Sha Seng said, "If that's the case, I'll wear one too." The two both took off their outer robes and put on the waistcoats. But as soon as they tightened the belts, they somehow lost their balance and tumbled down. It turned out that these waistcoats were better than any binders; in an instant they were bound with their hands behind their backs, tightly to their bodies. Sanzang was so frightened that he stamped his feet and complained, and hurriedly tried to untie them, but could not. The three of them kept shouting without cease, and soon alarmed the demon chief. Originally that building was indeed a transformation conjured by an ogre, who daily seized people there. He was sitting aright in his cave when suddenly he heard sounds of resentment and wrath. He hurried out to look and indeed saw several people bound. The demon at once called his little demons and went with them to that place, where he withdrew the appearance of the tower and chambers. He took hold of Tang Sanzang, led the white horse, carried the luggage, and had Bajie and Sha Seng captured together and brought into the cave. The old demon ascended the high dais and sat down, while the little demons pushed Tang Sanzang near the dais and made him kneel prostrate on the ground. The demon asked, "What monk are you from where? How dare you be so bold as to steal my clothes in broad daylight?" Sanzang, shedding tears, replied, "Your poor monk is a priest sent by the Great Tang of the East on a mission to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. Because my belly was hungry, I sent my eldest disciple to beg for alms and he has not yet returned. I did not follow his words and inadvertently wandered into this immortal court to take shelter from the wind. Unexpectedly, these two disciples of mine were greedy for small gains and brought out these garments. I myself would never dare to harbor evil intentions and indeed urged them to return the things to their proper place. But they did not listen to my words and wanted to put them on to warm their backs. Little did we expect that we would fall into Your Majesty's trap and be captured by you. I beg for your compassion and mercy, to spare my wretched life so that I may obtain the true scriptures, and I shall forever remember Your Majesty's kindness and proclaim it for ages when I return to the East." The demon laughed and said, "I have often heard people say here: if anyone eats a piece of Tang Sanzang's flesh, his white hair will turn black again and his lost teeth will grow anew. Fortunately today you have come of your own accord, and you still hope I will spare you? What is the name of your eldest disciple, and where has he gone to beg?" Upon hearing this, Bajie immediately opened his mouth and praised, saying, "My elder brother is Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who made havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago." When that demon heard it was Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, he felt some considerable fear. He said nothing aloud but thought to himself, "I have long heard that fellow is vastly powerful and that we would meet unexpectedly today." He ordered, "Little ones, bind Tang Sanzang; take the treasures off those two, change them for two ropes, and bind them too. Carry them to the rear for now. Once I have captured his eldest disciple, we can wash them all together and they will be just right for steaming in the steamer." The little demons acknowledged and bound all three together, carrying them to the rear. The white horse was tethered at the trough and the luggage carried into the house. All the demons sharpened their weapons and prepared to capture the Traveler; but we shall not speak of that for the moment. Now Sun Wukong, having taken a begging bowl of alms from the South Village household, rode the clouds back along his former path and arrived directly at the level spot on the mountain slope. He lowered his cloud—but Tang Sanzang was nowhere to be seen, and he did not know where they had gone. The circle he had drawn with his staff was still there, but the people and the horse had all vanished. He looked back at the place where the tower and chambers had been—they too were gone; only jagged rocks were visible at the mountain's base. Wukong was alarmed and said, "No need to say more—they must have fallen into that fiend's clutches." He hurried along the path, following the hoofprints of the horse, and gave chase toward the west. After traveling five or six li, while he was still in distress, he heard voices speaking beyond the northern slope. He looked and saw an old man, clad in felt garments, with a warm cap on his head, wearing a pair of half-old, half-new oiled boots on his feet, holding a dragon-headed staff in his hand; behind him followed a young servant boy, who had broken off a branch of plum blossoms and was walking along singing a song before the slope. Wukong put down his bowl, faced him directly, gave a salute, and said, "Elderly gentleman, I greet you." That old man returned the salute and said, "Where does the elder come from?" Wukong said, "We come from the East, on a journey to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and seek scriptures—a party of four masters and disciples. Because my master was hungry, I went specially to beg for alms and told the three of them to wait for me on that level spot on the slope. When I returned, they were gone, and I do not know which road they took. May I ask you, good sir, have you seen them?" Hearing this, the old man gave a cold laugh and said, "Among those three of yours, is there one with a long snout and large ears?" Wukong said, "Yes, yes, yes." "And also one with a sallow, ill-omened face, leading a white horse, and escorting a fat, pale-faced monk?" Wukong said, "Yes, yes, yes." The old man said, "You have taken the wrong road. Do not seek them; each of you should rather save his own life." Wukong said, "That pale-faced one is my master, and those strange-looking ones are my juniors. We all made a sincere vow together to go to the Western Heaven for scriptures—how can I not seek them out?" The old man said, "I just passed by here a moment ago and saw that they had taken the wrong path and blundered into the mouth of a demon." Wukong said, "I beg you, good sir, to instruct me: what sort of demon is it, and where does he dwell, so that I may go to demand them back and then continue to the Western Heaven?" The old man said, "This mountain is called Jindou Mountain. In front of the mountain is Jindou Cave, and in that cave is the Great King Single-horned Rhinoceros. That king possesses vast supernatural powers and is awe-inspiringly mighty. Those three this time have surely lost their lives. If you go to seek them, I fear even you will not be safe. It would be better not to go. I dare not stop you, nor dare I keep you—I only leave it to your own judgment." The Pilgrim bowed again and thanked him, saying, "I am deeply grateful for your instruction, venerable one. How could I not go to find him?" He then poured out the vegetarian meal to the old man and put away the empty alms bowl himself. The old man set down his staff, took the bowl, handed it to the servant boy, then revealed his true form, and both knelt down and kowtowed, calling out, "Great Sage, we petty gods dare not conceal anything. We two are the Mountain God and Earth Spirit of this mountain, and we have been waiting here to receive you, Great Sage. We will accept this vegetarian meal together with the alms bowl, so that you may be light of body and better able to exercise your magical powers. When you have rescued the Tang Monk from his ordeal, we will return this meal to him, thus displaying your utmost reverence and filial piety." The Pilgrim shouted, "You hairy ghosts deserve a beating! Since you knew I was coming, why did you not greet me earlier, but instead hid your heads and showed your tails like this—what is the meaning of that?" The Earth Spirit said, "Great Sage, you are quick to anger; we petty gods dared not be rash, for fear of offending your majestic countenance. Therefore we concealed our forms to inform you." The Pilgrim calmed his anger and said, "I'll let you off for now. Take good care of my alms bowl for me, and wait while I go and capture that demon." The Earth Spirit and Mountain God obeyed. Then the Great Sage tightened his tiger-sinew belt, hitched up his tiger-skin kilt, grasped his Golden Cudgel, and went straight to the front of the mountain to search for the demon's cave. Turning around the rocky cliff, he saw jagged rocks piled high, and by the green precipice stood two stone gates. Outside the gates many lesser demons were brandishing spears and flourishing swords. Truly: Misty clouds gathered in auspicious hues, Moss and lichen piled up in green. Towering strange rocks stood in ranks, Winding and rugged paths meandered. Apes cried and birds sang in the lovely scenery, Phoenixes soared and danced as if on Penglai. By the sun-facing slopes a few plum trees were beginning to bloom, In the warming air a thousand bamboo stalks stood green. Beneath the steep cliff, within the deep ravine— Beneath the steep cliff snow piled like powder, Within the deep ravine water had frozen to ice. Two groves of pines and cedars flourished through a thousand autumns, A few clusters of camellias burned as red as one. The Great Sage could not take in all the view, but strode up to the gate and shouted in a loud voice, "You little demons! Go quickly and tell your cave master that I am Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, disciple of the holy monk of Tang. Tell him to send my master out at once, so that you may not lose your lives." Those little demons rushed into the cave and reported, "Great King, there is a monk with a hairy face and a hooked beak outside, who claims to be Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and he has come to demand his master." When the Demon King heard this, he was filled with joy and said, "I was just wanting him to come. Since I left my original palace and descended to the mortal world, I have never yet tried my martial arts. Today he comes—he must be a worthy opponent." He immediately ordered the little demons to bring out his weapons. All the demons in the cave, great and small, perked up their spirits and promptly carried out a twelve-foot-long steel-tipped spear and handed it to the old monster. The old monster gave the command: "My little ones, all must be in good order. Those who advance will be rewarded; those who retreat will be executed!" All the demons obeyed the order and followed the old monster out of the gate, calling out, "Which one is Sun Wukong?" The Pilgrim stepped aside and saw that the Demon King was hideously ugly: A single horn stood unevenly, Two eyes blazed bright. On his crown rough hide bulged, Around his ears black flesh shone. His tongue, when long, licked his nose, His wide mouth showed yellow teeth. His fur was green as indigo, His sinews hard as steel. Unlike the rhinoceros, he did not gaze at water, Like a bull, but he would not plough the wasteland. He had no use for moon-gazing or cloud-ploughing, But rather had strength to shake heaven and earth. His two sinewy hands were blue-black, And he held upright his steel-tipped spear with fierce majesty. Looking closely at this ferocious appearance, He was worthy of the name "King of the Si." The Great Sage Sun stepped forward and said, "Your grandfather Sun is here! Hurry up and return my master, and both sides shall suffer no harm. If you utter so much as a 'no,' I will make you die without a burial place!" The demon shouted, "You insolent monkey-spirit! What skills do you have to utter such big words?" The Pilgrim said, "You brute! You have never seen old Sun's abilities." The demon said, "Your master stole my clothes—indeed I have captured him, and now I am about to steam and eat him. What kind of hero are you, to dare come to my door and demand him back?" The Pilgrim said, "My master is a loyal, upright, and righteous monk—how could he possibly have stolen any of your demon things?" The demon said, "I conjured a fairy manor by the mountain path, and your master sneaked inside, his heart moved by desire. He stole three of my brocade-lined vests and wore them on his body—there is clear evidence, and that is why I captured him. Now if you truly have skill, then match your strength with mine: if you can hold me for three rounds, I will spare your master's life; if you cannot match me, I will send you to the land of the dead." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "You brute! No need for talk. Since you propose a contest of strength, that suits old Sun perfectly. Come on, taste my staff!" The monster, not fearing any duel, raised his steel spear and met him head-on. What a fine battle! See: The Golden Cudgel rose, The long-shafted spear met it. The Golden Cudgel rose—bright and flashing, like lightning splitting a golden serpent; The long-shafted spear met it—gleaming and dazzling, as a dragon leaving the dark sea. The lesser demons before the gate beat drums and arrayed their ranks to boost their might; On this side the Great Sage exerted his power, displaying his prowess in all directions. There, with one spear, he was full of spirit; Here, with one staff, his martial skill was supreme. Truly heroes met heroes, And worthy opponents encountered worthy opponents. The Demon King spat purple vapors that coiled like mist and smoke; The Great Sage shot brilliant light that wove into embroidered clouds. All because the Tang monk was in distress, These two, without righteousness, fought bitterly. They fought for thirty rounds without deciding victory or defeat. Seeing Sun Wukong's staff-play orderly and regular, each thrust and parry flawless, the Demon King was so delighted that he called out in admiration, "Fine monkey! Fine monkey! Truly you have the skill that made havoc in Heaven." The Great Sage also admired his spear-play for being not chaotic, covering left and warding off right, with much technique, and he also called out, "Fine demon! Fine demon! Truly a monster who stole elixirs." They fought another ten or twenty rounds, and then the Demon King touched the spear-point to the ground and ordered the little demons to attack all at once. Those unruly monsters each took up knives, clubs, swords, and spears and surrounded the Great Sage in their midst. The Pilgrim showed no fear at all, but only shouted, "Well come, well come! This is just what I wanted." He wielded his Golden Cudgel, meeting the front and warding off the rear, blocking the east and clearing the west. But the horde of demons showed no sign of retreating. The Pilgrim could not bear his impatience; he threw the Golden Cudgel up into the air and shouted, "Change!" It at once transformed into hundreds and thousands of iron staves, like flying serpents and darting pythons, raining down from the empty sky. When those demons saw this, their souls fled and their spirits scattered; they clutched their necks and shrank their heads, all fleeing for their lives into the cave. The old Demon King gave a cold sneer and said, "Monkey, do not be rude—watch my move!" He quickly took from his sleeve a shiny, dazzling white ring, tossed it into the air, and shouted, "Strike!" With a whir, it gathered the Golden Cudgel into one and carried it away. This left the Great Sage with empty hands, so he turned a somersault and fled to save his life. The demon returned to his cave in triumph, while the Pilgrim was dazed and at a loss. Truly: When the Way rises one foot, the demon rises ten; His nature confused, his feelings disordered, he mistook his home. Alas, the Dharmakaya had no seat; At that moment his thoughts went astray. But what was the outcome of this affair? Hear the explanation in the next chapter.