OriginChapter 82
But let us now return to Bajie, who leaped down the mountain and found a small path. He followed the path for five or six li when suddenly he saw two female monsters drawing water at a well. How did he recognize them as female monsters? On their heads they wore a kind of bamboo-filigree chignon over a foot tall, quite out of fashion. The idiot drew near and called out, "Monsters!" At this the monsters flew into a rage and said to each other, "This monk is most detestable. We have never met him, nor have we ever bandied words with him before—why should he call us monsters?" Enraged, they seized the carrying pole they used for the water and struck straight at his head.
This idiot had no weapon in hand and could not parry the blows; after they had whacked him several times, he covered his head and ran back up the mountain, saying, "Brother, let's go back. The monsters are fierce." Wukong said, "How are they fierce?" Bajie said, "Two female goblins were drawing water at the well in the hollow. I only called out to them once, and they hit me three or four times with their pole." Wukong said, "What did you call them?" Bajie said, "I called them monsters." Wukong laughed, "You deserved even more blows." Bajie said, "Thank you for your concern. My head is all swollen, and you still say it was too few!" Wukong said, "With gentleness one may go anywhere under heaven; with hardness one cannot move a single step. They are local monsters, we are monks from afar. Though you have hands all over, you should still show a little warmth. If you go and call them 'monsters,' and they don't hit you, will they hit me? Among men, propriety and music come first." Bajie said, "I don't understand at all." Wukong said, "When you were young and ate people in the mountains, did you know there are two kinds of wood?" Bajie said, "No. What wood?" Wukong said, "One is poplar, the other is sandalwood. The poplar is very soft in nature. A skilled craftsman takes it and carves either a holy image or a Tathāgata, gilds it with gold and applies powder, inlays jade and adorns it with flowers; then ten thousand people burn incense and bow in worship, receiving immeasurable blessings. The sandalwood is hard and rigid in nature; the oil pressers take it and make mallets from it, bind the head with iron hoops, and strike it with iron hammers from above—all because of its hardness, and thus it suffers such torment." Bajie said, "Brother, if you had told me all this good advice earlier, I would not have been beaten by them." Wukong said, "You should go back and ask them clearly." Bajie said, "If I go, they will recognize me." Wukong said, "Go in disguise." Bajie said, "Brother, suppose I disguise myself—how then should I ask?" Wukong said, "Go in disguise, approach them, make a bow, and see how old they are. If they are about our age, call them 'young lady'; if they are older than us, call them 'grandma.'" Bajie laughed, "How awkward! So far from home, whom am I to claim as kin?" Wukong said, "It's not about claiming kin—you want to draw out their words. If they have captured the Master, we can act; if not, we would not be wasting our time here when we have business elsewhere?" Bajie said, "That makes sense. Let me go again."
So the good idiot tucked his rake into his belt, went down into the hollow, shook himself, and changed into a dark, plump monk. Swaying and swaggering, he approached the monsters and made a deep bow, saying, "Grandma, this poor monk salutes you." The two were pleased and said, "This monk is good—he knows how to bow and how to address us properly." They asked, "Elder, where do you come from?" He said, "Where do I come from?" They asked again, "Where are you going?" He said again, "Where am I going?" They asked, "What is your name?" He answered, "What is my name?" The monsters laughed, "This monk is fine enough, but he has no background—he only speaks in smooth repetitions." Bajie said, "Grandma, why are you drawing water?" The monsters said, "Monk, you do not know. Our old lady tonight has captured a Tang Monk in her cave and wishes to entertain him. The water in our cave is not clean, so she sent us two to draw this fine water of yin-yang copulation from here, to prepare a vegetarian feast of fruits and vegetables for the Tang Monk to eat, and at night she will marry him."
When the idiot heard these words, he hastily turned and ran up the mountain, shouting, "Sha Heshang, quickly bring the luggage—let us divide it!" Sha Seng said, "Second Brother, divide it again for what?" Bajie said, "Divide it, and you go back to the Flowing Sands River to eat people, I go to Gao Village to visit my family, Brother goes to Flower-Fruit Mountain to claim his sagehood, and the White Dragon Horse returns to the Great Ocean to become a dragon. The Master is already in this goblin's cave getting married—let each of us go our own way and make a living." Wukong said, "This idiot is talking nonsense again." Bajie said, "Your son is talking nonsense! Just now those two water-carrying goblins said they are preparing a vegetarian feast for the Tang Monk to eat, and then he will marry." Wukong said, "That goblin has trapped the Master in the cave, and the Master is staring anxiously for us to rescue him—yet you speak such words here." Bajie said, "How can we rescue him?" Wukong said, "You two lead the horse and carry the load. We will follow those two female monsters as our guide, follow them to the entrance, and attack together."
So the idiot had no choice but to go along. Wukong kept the two monsters in sight from afar as they gradually entered the deep mountains. After some ten or twenty li, they suddenly vanished. Bajie exclaimed in alarm, "The Master has been taken by a daylight ghost!" Wukong said, "What sharp eyes you have—how did you see their true forms?" Bajie said, "Those two monsters were carrying water when they suddenly disappeared—are they not daylight ghosts?" Wukong said, "They must have drilled into the cave. Let me go look."
The great Sage at once opened his fiery golden eyes and scanned the whole mountain—indeed, he saw no movement. But there, before a steep cliff, stood an exquisite, translucent, delicately flowered, multicolored, triple-eaved, four-clustered archway. He and Bajie and Sha Seng drew near and saw six large characters on it: "Bottomless Cave of Trapping-Empty Mountain." Wukong said, "Brothers, this goblin has set up this framework here, but we still do not know where the cave door opens." Sha Seng said, "It cannot be far—search carefully." As they turned to look, beneath the archway and at the foot of the mountain there was a great rock about ten li in circumference, and right in its center was a hole as wide as a jar mouth, worn smooth and shiny. Bajie said, "Brother, this is where the goblin enters and leaves." Wukong looked and said, "Strange! I, Old Sun, have escorted the Tang Monk—I do not hide it from you two—I have captured many goblins, but I have never seen such a cave. Bajie, you go down first and try it, to see how deep it is, so I can enter and rescue the Master." Bajie shook his head, "This is hard, this is hard. Old Pig's body is heavy and clumsy—if I lose my footing and fall in, who knows whether I would reach the bottom in two or three years." Wukong said, "Is it really that deep?" Bajie said, "Look." The great Sage lay down by the edge of the cave and peered carefully downward. Ah! So deep—its circumference was fully three hundred li. He turned back and said, "Brothers, it is indeed terribly deep." Bajie said, "Then you might as well go back—the Master cannot be saved." Wukong said, "What are you saying? Do not grow lazy or slack. Set down the luggage and tether the horse to the archway pillar. You take your rake and Sha Seng his staff, and block the cave mouth. Let me go in to scout. If the Master is indeed inside, I will drive the goblin out with my iron staff, and as I run to the entrance, you two block from outside—this is a coordinated attack from within and without. We will kill the goblin and then save the Master." The two obeyed his orders.
The Monkey King then gave his body a leap and jumped into the cave. Beneath his feet, myriad beams of colored cloud arose, and about him a thousand layers of auspicious vapor guarded him. Before long, he reached a deep and distant place, where it was bright and clear, with sunlight, wind, and flowers, grass, fruits, and trees. The Monkey King rejoiced, saying, "What a fine place! I think when old Sun came into the world, Heaven bestowed upon me the Water Curtain Cave; this too is a cave heaven and blessed earth." As he was looking around, there was another gate-tower with dripping water, surrounded by pines and bamboos, and within were many houses. He then thought, "This must surely be the demon's dwelling. I'll go inside and make some inquiries. Wait. If I go like this, she will recognize me. I'd better change my appearance before going." He shook his body and made a hand-sign, transforming himself into a housefly, and gently flew onto the gate-tower to listen.
He saw the monster sitting high up in a thatched pavilion. Her appearance was quite different from when he had rescued her in the pine forest or captured her in the monastery; she had dressed herself up even more handsomely:
Her coiled cloud-tresses were piled like a crow's feathers,
She wore a green velvet flower-trimmed jacket.
A pair of golden lotuses just half a span,
Her ten fingers like spring bamboo shoots in their glow.
Her round, powdered face was like a silver basin,
Her vermilion lips were smooth as cherries.
A perfectly proper beauty's pose,
Even the moon's Chang'e would be happy to see.
Today she has captured the monk who seeks scriptures,
And means to enjoy him in pleasure on bed and pillow.
The Monkey King kept silent and listened to what she said. In a moment, she parted her cherry lips and called out cheerfully, "Little ones, quickly set out a vegetarian feast. I will eat with Elder Brother Tang and become man and wife." The Monkey King laughed to himself, "So there really is such talk! I thought it was just Bajie joking and babbling. Let me fly inside and look for where the Master is. I wonder what his heart and nature are like? If she manages to sway him, I suppose we could leave him here." He then spread his wings and flew inside to look. There, in the eastern corridor, inside red paper lattice windows that were bright above and dark below, sat Tripitaka.
The Monkey King bumped through a lattice hole and flew onto Tripitaka's bare head, calling out, "Master." Tripitaka recognized the voice and called back, "Disciple, save my life!" The Monkey King said, "Master, you're not handling this well. That demon has arranged a feast to marry you after you eat. If she bears a son or a daughter, they would be your monk's descendants. Why worry?" The elder gnashed his teeth at these words and said, "Disciple, ever since I left Chang'an and took you in at the Two-Boundary Mountain, traveling westward all this while, at what hour have I touched meat? On what day have I had any improper thoughts? Now I am captured by this demon and forced to become her mate. If I lose my true yang, I shall fall into the cycle of reincarnation and be cast behind the Mountain of Darkness, never to turn over again for ages." The Monkey King laughed, "Don't swear oaths. Since you truly have the heart to go west for the scriptures, old Sun will take you out." Tripitaka said, "I've completely forgotten the way I came in." The Monkey King said, "No wonder you forgot. This cave is not like one you can walk in and out of; it's entered by boring down from above. Now to save you, we have to bore up from below. If we're lucky and hit the cave mouth, we'll get out; if we're unlucky and miss it, there'll be days of suffocation ahead." Tripitaka's eyes filled with tears and he said, "With such difficulty, what shall we do?" The Monkey King said, "No problem, no problem. That demon is preparing wine for you to drink. Since you can't avoid it, take a cup from her. Just make sure she pours quickly, so that a froth forms, and I'll turn into a tiny insect and hide under the wine bubbles. When she swallows me in one gulp, I'll tear her heart and liver to pieces, rip apart her guts, and kill that demon — then you'll be able to escape." Tripitaka said, "Disciple, speaking like that is most improper." The Monkey King said, "If you go on being merciful, your life is lost. Demons are the root of harm — why pity her?" Tripitaka said, "Very well, very well. But you must stay close to me." Thus:
The Great Sage Sun guarded Tripitaka securely,
The scripture-seeking monk relied wholly on the Handsome Monkey King.
Before the master and disciple had finished their discussion, the demon had already made her preparations. She approached the eastern corridor, opened the lock on the door, and called out, "Elder." Tripitaka dared not answer. She called again, and again he dared not answer. Why did he not answer? He thought: "When the mouth opens, the spirit and energy scatter; when the tongue moves, troubles arise." Yet another thought crossed his mind: "If I stubbornly refuse to open my mouth, I fear she may be cruel and in an instant take my life." He was indeed in that dilemma of advance and retreat, his mind questioning his mouth, and after much endurance his mouth questioning his mind. While he was still hesitating, the demon called once more, "Elder." Tripitaka, having no way out, answered her, "Madam, I am here." In uttering these words, the elder felt as though ten thousand catties had fallen from his flesh. People all say Tripitaka is a sincere monk who went west to worship Buddha and seek scriptures — how could he answer a female demon? But at this moment of life-and-death crisis, it was wholly out of desperation. Though outwardly he responded, inwardly he had no desire. When the demon heard the elder answer, she pushed open the door, helped Tripitaka up, and took his hand, leaning close to him, whispering in his ear. See how she made every thousand coquettish poses and ten thousand amorous charms. But Tripitaka's heart was filled only with vexation. The Monkey King laughed secretly, "My master is being so seduced by her that I fear he might be moved for a moment." Thus:
The true monk, tormented by demons, met a lovely maid;
The monster, graceful and fair, was truly admirable.
Her pale green brows parted like willow leaves,
Her rosy cheeks shone with peach-blossom hue.
Her embroidered shoes half-revealed pair of phoenix hooks,
Her cloud-tresses high-coiled, two raven temples.
Smiling, she took the master's hand and led him along,
Fragrance of musk and orchid filled his cassock.
The demon led Tripitaka and approached the thatched pavilion, saying, "Elder, I have prepared a cup of wine for you to drink with me." Tripitaka said, "Madam, this poor monk does not take meat." The demon said, "I know you don't eat meat. Since the water in the cave is not clean, I specially had them fetch pure water of yin-yang intercourse from the mountain top to make a vegetarian feast of fruits and vegetables, so we can enjoy ourselves." Tripitaka followed her inside and saw, indeed:
At the gate, embroidered hangings and colorful knots;
In the courtyard, fragrance from golden lion censers.
Spread out were black-lacquered inlaid tables and black-lacquer bamboo-woven trays.
On the inlaid tables were rare and exotic delicacies;
In the bamboo trays were arrayed uncommon vegetarian foods.
Apples, olives, lotus seeds, grapes,
Torreya nuts, crabapples, hazelnuts, pine nuts,
Lychees, longans, mountain chestnuts, water chestnuts,
Jujubes, persimmons, walnuts, ginkgo nuts,
Kumquats, fragrant oranges — fruits abundant from the mountains;
And vegetables even fresher:
Tofu, wheat gluten, wood ear fungus, fresh bamboo shoots,
Mushrooms, fragrant mushrooms, Chinese yam, polygonatum.
Stone flower fungus and daylilies, fried in green oil;
Flat beans and cowpeas, seasoned with cooked sauce.
Cucumbers, bottle gourds, ginkgo nuts, turnips.
Skinned eggplants made like quail dishes,
Peeled winter melons named after Fangdan.
Stewed taro roots, sweetened with sugar;
Boiled white radishes, dressed with vinegar.
Pepper and ginger gave piquant flavors, all excellent;
Salt and seasonings were balanced, every dish harmonious.
The demon exposed her pointed jade fingers, held up a gleaming golden cup, filled it to the brim with fine wine, and handed it to Tang Sanzang, saying, "Elder Brother, lovely one, pray drink a cup of bridal wine." Sanzang bashfully took the wine, sprinkled it as an offering to the sky, and made a secret vow in his heart: "Dharma-protecting devas, the Five Directions' Jiedi, the Four Duty Officers: your disciple Chen Xuanzang, since leaving the Eastern Land, has been commanded by Guanshiyin Bodhisattva to have you various deities protect me in secret. I go to worship at Leiyin, see the Buddha, and seek the scriptures. Now on the way, I have been captured by a demon and forced into marriage; she has offered me this cup of wine to drink. If this wine is truly vegetarian wine, I will reluctantly drink it and may still see Buddha and succeed; if it is meat-wine, it will break my precept, and I shall forever fall into the misery of reincarnation." Sun Dasheng, having made himself small, hid behind his master's ear, like an ear-report spirit; but when he spoke, only Sanzang could hear him, no one else. He knew that his master usually liked vegetarian wine made from grapes, so he told him to drink a cup. The master had no choice but to drink it, then quickly filled another cup to return to the demon. Indeed, when poured, a happy-flower pattern appeared on the surface. The Pilgrim changed into a tiny cicada-like insect and gently flew under the happy-flower. The demon took the cup in hand, but did not drink; she set it down, bowed twice to Sanzang, and softly and shyly spoke a few tender words. Then she raised the cup—but the flower had already scattered, revealing the insect. The demon did not recognize it as the Pilgrim's transformation; she thought it only an insect, flicked it off with her little finger, and tossed it away.
Seeing that the situation was not working out, and that he could hardly enter her belly, the Pilgrim changed into a hungry old eagle. Truly:
Jade claws, golden eyes, iron feathers,
Mightily poised, fierce spirit sweeping the clouds.
Foxes and crafty hares flee at his approach,
For a thousand leagues of hills and rivers they vanish in an instant.
Hungry, he chases sparrows against the wind;
Full, he clings high to the gates of heaven.
His old talons, hard as steel, most deadly,
He soars to the zenith, finding the sky too near.
He flew up, spread his jade claws, and with a loud crash overturned the table and seats, smashing all the vegetarian fruits and dishes, plates, cups, and vessels, and leaving Sanzang behind, flew out. The demon was so frightened her heart and gall split; Sanzang too felt his bones and flesh turn to jelly. Trembling, the demon embraced Sanzang and said, "Elder Brother, where did that creature come from?" Sanzang said, "This poor monk does not know." The demon said, "I went to so much trouble to prepare this vegetarian feast for your pleasure, but I don't know where that feathered brute flew in from and broke all my things." The little demons said, "Madam, breaking things is one thing, but the vegetarian dishes are all spilled on the ground and soiled—how can they be used?" Sanzang knew perfectly well that it was the Pilgrim's doing, but he dared not say so. The demon said, "Little ones, I understand: it must be that because I have trapped Sanzang, heaven and earth cannot tolerate it, so they sent this creature. You pick up the broken pieces and take them out, then prepare other wine and dishes, regardless of vegetarian or meat. I shall take heaven as my matchmaker and earth as my engagement, and then I shall wed Sanzang." She still had the elder sent to sit in the east corridor; of that no more.
Now the Pilgrim flew out, revealed his true form, reached the mouth of the cave, and called out, "Open the gate!" Bajie laughed and said, "Sha Seng, Elder Brother is here." The two of them put away their weapons. The Pilgrim leaped out, and Bajie pulled him over and asked, "Is there a demon? Is there a master?" The Pilgrim said, "There is, there is, there is." Bajie said, "Is the master suffering inside? Is he tied up or bound? Are they going to steam him or boil him?" The Pilgrim said, "That sort of thing is not happening; rather, they have prepared a vegetarian feast and want to do that business with him." Bajie said, "You are lucky, you are lucky—so you have drunk the wedding wine?" The Pilgrim said, "Idiot, our master's life is hard to save—how could I drink any wedding wine?" Bajie said, "Then how did you come back?" The Pilgrim told them the whole story of how he had met Sanzang and used his transformations, and said, "Brothers, stop having wild thoughts. The master is here; this old Sun is going back now, and I will certainly rescue him."
He turned around and went back inside, changing once more into a housefly, and alighted on the gate-tower to listen. He heard the demon, huffing and puffing, giving orders from the pavilion: "Little ones, bring whatever you have, vegetarian or meat, and prepare the offerings. I shall borrow heaven and earth as matchmakers and engagement, and I must have him as my husband." The Pilgrim heard and laughed secretly: "This demon has not a shred of shame—in broad daylight she has locked a monk up in her house to play with him. No need to hurry; let this old Sun go in again and have a look." With a buzz he flew under the east corridor, where he saw the master sitting inside, tears streaming down his cheeks. The Pilgrim slipped in, alighted on his head, and called out, "Master." The elder recognized the voice, jumped up, and gnashed his teeth, saying angrily, "Monkey, others may be bold, but their boldness is contained within their body; your boldness is such that your body is contained within your boldness. You use your powers of transformation to break the utensils—how much is that worth? You have only provoked the demon's lustful desires; now she prepares all without distinction of vegetarian or meat, determined to mate with me—how is this to be settled?" The Pilgrim chuckled secretly and said, "Master, do not be angry; there is a way to save you." Sanzang said, "How can you save me?" The Pilgrim said, "Just now when I flew up, I saw a garden behind her. Lure her into the garden to play, and I will save you." Sanzang said, "How will you save me in the garden?" The Pilgrim said, "When you go to the garden with her, walk to the peach tree and stop. Wait until I fly onto a branch and change into a red peach. You must ask to eat some fruit, and first pick the red one—that red one will be me. She will certainly want to pick one too; you must let her have the red one. If she eats it in one bite, I shall be inside her belly, and I will burst her hide, tear her liver and guts, and kill her, and then you will be free." Sanzang said, "If you have the skill, why not just fight her outright? Why must you get inside her belly?" The Pilgrim said, "Master, you do not understand. If this cave were easy to get in and out of, I could fight her; but because the entrance is difficult and the winding paths are hard to traverse, if I used force, this whole den of hers, old and young, would seize me too—then what? This way we can finish the job cleanly, and everyone will be safe." Sanzang nodded and trusted him, saying only, "Stay close to me." The Pilgrim said, "I know, I know—I am on your head."
The master and disciple having settled their plan, Sanzang rose slightly, supporting himself on the lattice with both hands, and called out, "Wife, wife." The demon heard and ran over laughing, saying, "Lovely one, what have you to say?" Sanzang said, "Wife, since I left Chang'an and journeyed westward, not a day has passed without mountains, not a day without waters. Yesterday I lodged at Zhenhai Monastery and caught a severe cold; today, after sweating, I am a little better. And now I have been graciously brought by you, wife, into your immortal abode. Yet after sitting all day, I feel my spirit uneasy. Will you take me somewhere to walk a little and ease my mind, to play a while?" The demon was delighted and said, "My lovely one, you do have some interest. I will take you to the garden for some play." She called, "Little ones, bring the keys and open the garden gate, and sweep the path." All the little demons ran off to open the gate and make it ready.
The demon opened the lattice gate and helped Tang Sanzang out. You see those many little demons, all with sleek hair and powdered faces, graceful and delicate, crowding and thronging, and they went straight with Tang Sanzang into the garden. What a worthy monk! Amidst this train of silks and finery he had no other thought; among these brocaded crowds he played the deaf and mute. Were it not for this iron-hard heart bent on reaching the Buddha, no second worldly man of wine and lust could ever have fetched the scriptures. The whole company arrived outside the garden; the demon, in a soft, low voice, called out, "Fair brother, let us play here—truly it will ease your heart and dispel your gloom." Tang Sanzang, hand in hand with her, entered the garden together. He raised his head and looked about—truly a fine place. One could see:
Winding and twisting paths, everywhere dappled with green moss; delicate and lovely lattice windows, everywhere veiled with embroidered curtains. A gentle breeze first stirred, lightly unfurling brocades of Shu and silks of Wu; the fine rain had just ceased, delicately revealing ice-white skin and jade-like flesh. The sun blazed on fresh apricots, red as immortal maidens displaying their rainbow garments; the moon shone on plantains, green as the Royal Consort Yang waving her feather fan. On all sides of the whitewashed walls, myriads of willows echoed with orioles' songs; around the quiet pavilions, the whole courtyard of crabapple trees sent forth powder-white butterflies. Further one saw the Pavilion of Condensed Fragrance, the Pavilion of Green Eyebrows, the Pavilion of Sobering, the Pavilion of Longing—each with layered reflections, the red curtains hooked up by tasselled cords. Again one saw the Arbour of Nurturing Sourness, the Arbour of Spreading Whiteness, the Arbour of Painted Eyebrows, the Arbour of Four Rains—each imposing and lofty, their ornate plaques inscribed with bird-seal script. Look at the Pond of Bathing Cranes, the Pond of Washing Cups, the Pond of Delighting in the Moon, the Pond of Rinsing Tassels—green duckweed and emerald algae shimmering with golden-scaled fish; there were also the Studio of Ink Flowers, the Studio of Rare Chests, the Studio of Suiting Pleasure, the Studio of Yearning for the Clouds—jade cups and amber goblets floating with green-ant wine. Above and below the ponds and pavilions, there were Taihu stones, Purple-Gem stones, Parrot-Falling stones, Brocade-River stones, all verdant with planted tiger-whisker rushes; east and west of the studios and pavilions, there were wooden rockeries, Emerald-Screen hills, Wind-Whistling hills, Jade-Fungus hills—everywhere thickets of phoenix-tail bamboos. The trellises of climbing roses and trellises of rambler roses, near the swing frames, were like brocade curtains and silken canopies; the arbours of pine and cypress, and arbours of magnolia, facing the arbour of woody fragrance, were like jade-walled cities and embroidered screens. The peony terraces, the tree-peony clumps—purple and crimson vying in luxuriant beauty; the platform of night-blooming jasmine, the rails of jasmine—year after year growing in charm. Gently dripping dew on purple smiling flowers—worthy of painting and sketching; vividly burning the sky with red hibiscus—fit for verse and rhapsody. As for scenery, one need not boast of the Isle of the Blest or Penglai; comparing fragrant beauty, one cannot rank the Yao Yellow or Wei Purple. If in spring one idly played at gathering grasses, the garden would only lack the Jade-Spot flower.
The elder, holding the demon by the hand, strolled through the garden, gazing at endless rare and exotic blooms. After passing many pavilions and arbours, truly he entered ever finer prospects. Suddenly raising his head, he arrived at the edge of a peach grove. Pilgrim pinched the top of the master's head, and the elder understood. Pilgrim flew onto a peach branch, shook himself, and changed into a red peach, truly red and lovely. The elder said to the demon, "Lady, within your garden the flowers are fragrant, and on the branches the fruit is ripe. Within the garden the bees race to gather the fragrant flowers; on the branches the birds vie to peck the ripe fruit. Why is it that on this peach tree the fruits are unevenly green and red?" The demon laughed and said, "If heaven lacks yin and yang, the sun and moon do not shine; if earth lacks yin and yang, plants do not grow; if man lacks yin and yang, he does not distinguish male and female. On this peach tree, the fruits on the sunny side, warmed by the sun's rays, ripen first, hence they are red; those on the shady side, without sun, are still raw, hence they are green—this is the principle of yin and yang." Sanzang said, "I thank you, lady, for your instruction—truly this poor monk did not know." He then stepped forward and reached out to pick a red peach. The demon also picked a green peach. Sanzang bowed and presented the red peach to the demon, saying, "Lady, you love colour—please eat this red peach, and give me the green one." The demon indeed exchanged them, and secretly thought with delight, "What a good monk! Truly a true man. Though we have not yet been husband and wife for a single day, already there is such affection!" The demon joyfully treated Tang Sanzang with close respect. Tang Sanzang took the green peach and ate it. The demon, happily accompanying him, opened her mouth to bite into the red peach. She parted her vermilion lips and revealed her silver teeth, but before she could take a bite—now Sun Wukong was extremely impatient—with a somersault he tumbled straight down her throat and into her belly. The demon grew frightened and said to Sanzang, "Elder, this fruit is formidable: how could it roll down without even being bitten open?" Sanzang said, "Lady, the fruits from the newly opened garden are so delicious that they go down quickly." The demon said, "Without even spitting out the pit, it plunged right down." Sanzang said, "Your heart is so full of affection and delight, and you were so eager to eat, that you had no time to spit out the pit, so it went down."
Pilgrim, inside her belly, resumed his true form and called out, "Master, do not bandy words with her; Old Sun has already got the upper hand." Sanzang said, "Disciple, be a little gentle." The demon heard this and said, "To whom are you speaking?" Sanzang said, "I am speaking with my disciple Sun Wukong." The demon said, "Where is Sun Wukong?" Sanzang said, "Inside your belly—wasn't that red peach you just ate him?" The demon was panic-stricken and said, "Alas, alas! This monkey has burrowed into my belly—I am dead! Sun Wukong, why have you used every possible means to burrow into my belly?" Pilgrim inside said hatefully, "Nothing special—I have merely eaten your six-lobed liver and lungs, your three-furrowed seven-orifice heart, and scoured clean your five viscera, making you into a gourd-shell spirit." When the demon heard this, she was so terrified that her soul fled and her spirit scattered; trembling, she clung to Tang Sanzang and said, "Elder, I thought only:
That fate's red cord had bound us from former lives,
Like fish and water, our two hearts in harmony.
But now the mandarin ducks are broken apart,
And the phoenix pair must part east and west.
The waters of Blue Bridge have risen—our affair cannot succeed;
The Buddha's temple smoke sinks—our joyous meeting is void.
With all my heart I planned this, yet now we part again—
What year shall I meet you once more!"
When Pilgrim inside her belly heard this, he feared the elder's compassionate heart might be fooled again, so he at once brandished his fists, kicked his feet, set up his stance, and squared his four limbs—nearly breaking that leather sack apart. The demon could not bear the pain and fell to the ground, unable to speak for a long while. When Pilgrim saw she was silent, he thought she was dead, so he relaxed his hands a little. She then caught her breath again and called out, "Where are my little ones?" Now those little demons, ever since entering the garden gate, each knowing his own place, had not stayed together; each had gone off to pick flowers and play with grasses, amusing themselves as they pleased, leaving the demon and Tang Sanzang alone to enjoy their intimacy. Hearing her call, they all came running back. They saw the demon lying on the ground, her complexion changed, groaning and unable to move; they quickly helped her up and gathered around, saying, "Madam, what is wrong? Could it be a sudden heart attack?" The demon said, "No, no. Do not ask—I now have a person inside my belly. Quickly send this monk out, to spare my life." Those little demons all came to carry him out. Pilgrim shouted from inside, "Who dares carry him? If you want to live, you yourself must carry my master out; once we are outside, I will spare your life." The demon, with no other choice, clung to her love of life. She struggled up, put Tang Sanzang on her back, strode forward, and went out. The little demons followed, asking, "Old Madam, where are you going?" The demon said, "Keep the bright moon over the five lakes—why fret about nowhere to cast a golden hook? I'll send this fellow out and find another head elsewhere."
The good demon sprang up on a cloud-light and went straight to the cave mouth. There she heard the clanging and clashing of weapons. Sanzang said, "Disciple, outside there is the sound of weapons." Pilgrim said, "That is Bajie polishing his rake. Call out to him." Sanzang then called out, "Bajie." Bajie heard and said, "Sha Wujing, the master is out!" The two of them drew apart their rake and staff, and the demon carried Tang Sanzang out. Truly:
The Mind-Monkey within subdued the evil fiend,
While Earth and Wood at the gate received the holy monk.
After all, we do not know what will become of that demon's life—let us hear the explanation in the next chapter.