Chapter 89

But to resume: the several blacksmiths in that courtyard, having worked hard for days on end, had all gone to sleep during the night. When dawn came and they rose to do their forging, the three weapons were nowhere to be seen under the shed. Every one of them stood dumbfounded and terrified, searching all about. Just then the three princes came out of the palace to look on, and the blacksmiths all kowtowed, saying, "Young princes, the divine masters' three weapons have all vanished—no one knows where they have gone." When the young princes heard this, their hearts leaped with fright and their spirits trembled, and they said, "It must be that the masters put them away last night." They hurried to the Pavilion of Brushed Gauze to look, and there they saw the white horse still in the corridor. They could not help calling out, "Are the masters still asleep?" Sha Seng said, "We are up." He then opened the door of the room and let the princes enter to look inside, but the weapons were not to be seen. Flustered, they asked, "Have the masters' weapons all been collected?" Wukong jumped up and said, "We have not collected them." The prince said, "The three weapons were all missing last night." Bajie hastily scrambled up and said, "Is my rake still there?" The young prince said, "Just now when we came out, we saw everyone searching back and forth without finding them. We feared that the masters had put them away, so we came to ask. The masters' treasures can all shrink or grow; perhaps you have hidden them on your persons to tease us." Wukong said, "Truly we have not put them away. Let us all go and look." They then went to the shed in the courtyard and indeed saw not a trace. Bajie said, "It must be that these blacksmiths have stolen them. Bring them out at once; if you delay even a little, I will beat you all to death, to death." The blacksmiths, panic-stricken, kowtowed and wept, saying, "Grandfathers, we have worked hard for days and slept at night; when we rose at dawn, they were gone. We are all ordinary mortals—how could we even lift them? We beg you, grandfathers, to spare our lives, spare our lives." Wukong said nothing, but inwardly resented, "It is still our fault. Since we had shown them the patterns, we should have kept them on our persons. Why did we leave them lying here? The precious weapons emitted a radiant glow; perhaps they startled some villain, who stole them in the night." Bajie would not believe it and said, "Elder brother, what are you saying? In such a peaceful domain, not a wild plain or deep mountain, how could any villain come? Surely the blacksmiths have wicked hearts; seeing the brilliant luster of our weapons, they recognized them as three treasures, and last night they slipped out of the prince's mansion, gathered some accomplices, and hauled and dragged them away. Bring them here and beat them, beat them!" The smiths only kowtowed and swore oaths. While they were still making a ruckus, the old king came out and asked about the matter. His face too lost all color, and after pondering for a long while he said, "The divine masters' weapons are by nature not of common make; even a hundred men could not budge them. Moreover, I have ruled this city for five generations now, and though I dare not boast, I do have some reputation for virtue abroad. The soldiers, civilians, smiths, and workmen in this city all greatly fear my laws and decrees; they would never dare to harbor such wicked intent. I beg the divine masters to think again." Wukong laughed and said, "No need to think again, nor to falsely accuse the blacksmiths. I ask you, prince: around your prefectural city in all four directions, are there any mountain forests or demons?" The prince said, "Your question, divine master, is most reasonable. To the north of this city there is a mountain called Baotou Mountain, and in that mountain there is a cave called Hukou Cave. It is often said among the people that there are immortals in the cave, and also that there are tigers and wolves, and also that there are demons. I have never been able to verify the truth; I do not know what they really are." Wukong laughed and said, "No more need be said. It must be that some villain from that quarter, knowing they were treasures, stole them away in the night." He called out, "Bajie, Sha Seng, you both stay here to protect the master and guard the city; let old Sun go and investigate." He also told the smiths not to let the furnace fires go out but to continue forging one by one. This splendid Monkey King took leave of Sanzang, gave a whistle, and his form vanished; in a moment he had already arrived at Baotou Mountain. The city was only thirty li away, so he reached it in an instant. He went straight up the peak to look, and truly there was some demonic aura. Indeed: The dragon vein stretched long, the terrain vast and distant. Sharp peaks rose sheer, piercing the sky high; steep ravines, deep and gloomy, rushed with rapid water. Before the mountain, fairy grasses spread like a mat; behind the mountain, strange flowers were embroidered like brocade. Lofty pines and ancient cypresses, old trees and tall bamboos. Mountain crows and magpies flew about crying wildly; wild cranes and gibbons all howled and shrieked. Beneath the overhanging cliffs, pairs of deer; before the sheer precipices, pairs of badgers and foxes. Rise and fall, the distant dragon came winding; nine turns and nine bends, the earth's veins lay hidden. The ridge's head joined Yuhua Prefecture—a place of splendor for myriad ages. As Wukong was thus looking, he suddenly heard voices behind the mountain. He swiftly turned his head and saw two wolf-headed demons, talking loudly as they walked toward the northwest. Wukong reasoned, "These must be monsters on patrol. Let old Sun follow them and listen to what they say." He made a hand-seal, recited a spell, shook his body, and changed into a butterfly, spreading its wings and fluttering lightly, chasing straight after them. And indeed the transformation was well formed: A pair of powdery wings, two silver antennae. Riding the wind, it flew swiftly; in the sunlight, it danced slowly. Crossing water and passing walls, it was quick and clever; stealing fragrance and playing with willow fluff, it was most joyous. Its light body especially loved the scent of fresh flowers; with elegant bearing and amorous feeling, it could curl and unfold at will. He flew above the head of that monster, wafting to and fro, and listened to their talk. The monster suddenly called out, "Second brother, our Great King has been lucky these past days: last month he got a beauty and has been lingering in the cave, most happy; and last night he got three weapons, truly priceless treasures. Tomorrow he will hold a feast to celebrate the Rake Banquet, and we shall all have our share." The other said, "We too have some luck: we are taking these twenty taels of silver to buy pigs and sheep. Now when we get to the Ganfang Market, we'll first have a few jugs of wine. We'll pad the account for the goods and skim off two or three taels to buy some cotton clothes against the cold—won't that be fine?" The two monsters chatted and laughed as they hurried swiftly along the main road. When Wukong heard that they were going to celebrate the Rake Banquet, he was secretly delighted. He wanted to kill them, but since they had done him no wrong and he had no weapon at hand, he flew ahead, revealed his true form, and stood still at the crossroads. When the monsters drew near, he spat a mouthful of magical spittle at them, recited "Om hum zha li," and cast the Body-Fixing Spell, immobilizing the two wolf-headed spirits. Their eyes stared wide, unable to open their mouths; stiff and straight, they stood on both feet. Then he turned them over, searched their clothes, and indeed found twenty taels of silver, tied in a carry-bag at their waist sashes; each also wore a painted plaque, one inscribed "Crafty and Eccentric," the other "Eccentric and Crafty." The great Sage took their silver, untied their plaques, turned back, and strode to the prefectural city. He entered the prince's mansion and told the whole matter to the prince, Tang Sanzang, and all the officials, craftsmen, and workmen. Bajie laughed and said, "It must be that old Pig's treasure is so brilliant and bright that they are buying pigs and sheep to prepare a feast in celebration. But now how shall we get it back?" Wukong said, "All three of us brothers will go. This silver is for buying pigs and sheep; let us give this silver to the craftsmen as reward, and tell the prince to find some pigs and sheep. Bajie, you change into Crafty and Eccentric; I will change into Eccentric and Crafty; Sha Seng will pretend to be a merchant selling pigs and sheep. We will enter that Hukou Cave, and when it is convenient, each of us will take our weapons, exterminate those demons, and then come back to pack up and leave." Sha Seng laughed and said, "Wonderful, wonderful! Do not delay—let us go quickly." The old king indeed followed this plan and ordered his steward to buy seven or eight pigs and four or five carcasses of mutton. The three of them took leave of their master and, once outside the city, displayed their great supernatural powers. Bajie said, "Elder Brother, I have never seen that Diaozuan Gugua—how am I to take on his appearance?" Xingzhe said, "That monster has been fixed in place by my Body-Freezing Spell and will not wake until this time tomorrow. I remember his features. Stand still, and I will teach you how to change. … Thus, and thus, and that will be his likeness." The Idiot indeed recited the incantation in his mouth, while Xingzhe blew a breath of immortal air, and in an instant he became exactly like Diaozuan Gugua, with a small white tablet fastened at his waist. Xingzhe then changed into Gugua Diaozuan, also wearing a tablet at his waist. Sha Seng dressed himself up like a merchant dealing in pigs and sheep. All together they drove the pigs and sheep along the high road, heading straight for the mountain. Before long, they entered the mountain hollow and encountered another little monster. His face and features were truly hideous! Look at him: His two round rolling eyes blazed like lanterns; His shock of red bristling hair flamed like fire. His pockmarked nose, his gaping maw, his sharp protruding fangs; His jagged ears, his receding forehead, his bloated greenish face. He wore a light yellow coat and a pair of rush sandals on his feet. Fierce and menacing as a murderous god, hasty and frantic as a vicious ghost. Under his left arm the monster clutched a lacquered invitation box, and he called out to Xingzher, "Gugua Diaozuan, so you two have come? How many pigs and sheep did you buy?" Xingzhe said, "Aren't these the ones we are driving?" The monster said to Sha Seng, "And who is this?" Xingzhe said, "He is the merchant selling the pigs and sheep. We still owe him a few taels of silver, so we brought him home to collect it. Where are you off to?" The monster said, "I am going to Bamboo Joint Mountain to invite the Great King to come early tomorrow to the feast." Xingzhe picked up on his tone and asked, "How many people are being invited in all?" The monster said, "The Great King is to occupy the seat of honor, and together with our own mountain king and the various chieftains, there will be about forty and more." Just as they were speaking, Bajie said, "Let's go, let's go—the pigs and sheep are all scattering." Xingzhe said, "You go round them up, while I ask to see his invitation." The monster, seeing that they were his own people, immediately opened the box, took out the invitation, and handed it to Xingzhe. Xingzhe opened it and read. It said: "Tomorrow at dawn we shall humbly prepare a modest feast of wine and dishes to celebrate the Rake-Forging Banquet, and we presume to beg your noble presence to grace our mountain for a gathering. We trust you will not stand on ceremony; we are deeply moved. This is respectfully submitted before our ancestral grandfather, the Most Venerable Nine-Spirited Primordial Sage. Your disciple at the gate, Yellow Lion, bows his head a hundred times in obeisance." After reading it, Xingzhe handed it back to the monster. The monster placed it back in the box and headed straight off toward the southeast. Sha Seng asked, "Elder Brother, what did the invitation say?" Xingzhe said, "It is an invitation to the Rake-Forging Banquet. The signature reads: 'Your disciple at the gate, Yellow Lion, bows his head a hundred times in obeisance.' It is addressed to his ancestral grandfather, the Most Venerable Nine-Spirited Primordial Sage." Sha Seng laughed and said, "Yellow Lion must surely be a golden-haired lion who became a spirit. But I wonder what the Nine-Spirited Primordial Sage is." When Bajie heard this, he laughed and said, "He's my goods." Xingzhe said, "How do you make him out to be your goods?" Bajie said, "The ancients say, 'A mangy sow is specially suited to drive a golden-haired lion.' Therefore you know he is my goods." The three of them chatted and laughed as they drove the pigs and sheep along, and soon they could see the gate of Tiger-Mouth Cave. Outside the gate, they beheld: Round about, green mountains encircled with jade; One single pulse of energy linked the peaks. Sheer cliffs were draped with green vines; Lofty crags hung with purple brambles. Birdsong filled the deep groves, Flower shadows greeted the cave gate. No less than the Peach Blossom Spring, A fit place to flee the worldly cares. As they drew near the gate, they saw a swarm of large and small miscellaneous monsters playing beneath the flowering trees. Suddenly hearing Bajie drive the pigs and sheep up with a "he-he," they all came to welcome them. At once they set about seizing pigs and seizing sheep, trussing them all up. The commotion soon roused the monster king inside, who came out leading a dozen or so little monsters and asked, "You two have come? How many pigs and sheep did you buy?" Xingzhe said, "We bought eight pigs and seven sheep—fifteen head in all. The pork comes to sixteen taels of silver, the mutton to nine taels. Earlier we received twenty taels of silver, so we still owe five taels. This is the merchant, who has come with us to collect the silver." When the monster king heard this, he called out, "Little ones, take five taels of silver and send him on his way." Xingzhe said, "This merchant has come not only to collect his silver, but also to have a look at the grand feast." The monster grew angry and cursed, "You impudent Diaozuan, you are too exasperating! You need only do your purchasing—why speak to anyone about feasts or no feasts?" Bajie stepped forward and said, "Our master has obtained a treasure, truly a rare wonder of the world. What harm is there in letting him have a look?" The monster gave a loud "Hmph!" and said, "You Gugua are detestable too! This treasure of mine was obtained from the city of Yuhua Prefecture. If this merchant sees it and spreads the word through the prefecture, and the prince should come seeking it, what then?" Xingzhe said, "My lord, this merchant is from the rear of Qianfang Market, far from the prefecture. He is not even a man of that city, so how could he spread tales? Besides, his belly is empty, and we two have not eaten either. There is prepared wine and food in your house—let us give him some to eat, and then send him off." Before he finished speaking, a little monster fetched five taels of silver and handed them to Xingzhe. Xingzhe passed the silver to Sha Seng and said, "Merchant, take your silver, and let me take you to the rear to have some food." Sha Seng plucked up his courage and, together with Bajie and Xingzhe, entered the cave. When they reached the hall on the second level, they saw, squarely in the middle of the table, a nine-toothed rake set high on display—truly dazzling to the eye. Leaning against the eastern wall was a golden cudgel, and against the western wall a demon-subduing staff. The monster king followed them in and said, "Merchant, that shining object in the center is the rake. You may look at it, but when you leave, by all means tell no one." Sha Seng nodded and thanked him. Ah! It is just as they say: when a thing sees its master, it must be retrieved. Bajie had all his life been a rough and boorish fellow. When he saw that rake, he wasted no time on pleasantries. He dashed up, snatched it down, swung it in his hands, revealed his true form, went through a few forms, and smashed it straight at the monster's face. Xingzhe and Sha Seng also rushed to the two walls, each seized his own weapon, revealed his original body, and the three brothers laid about them in a wild melee. The monster king, startled, dodged aside and slipped to the rear, where he seized a four-brightness spade with a long shaft and sharp blade, rushed into the courtyard, and parried the three weapons, crying out in a stern voice, "Who are you, to dare play such deceitful tricks and cheat me of my treasures?" Xingzhe cursed, "You thieving hairy beast! You do not recognize us. We are disciples of the holy monk Tripitaka of the Great Tang in the East. We came to Yuhua Prefecture to exchange our travel credentials, and by the grace of the worthy prince, his three sons became our disciples to learn martial arts, using our treasures as models to forge weapons of the same pattern. We left them in the courtyard, but in the dead of night, you, you thieving hairy beast, sneaked into the city and stole them—and now you accuse me of playing tricks and cheating you of your treasures? Do not run! Let us give you a taste of all three of our weapons." The monster raised his spade to meet them. This bout, which began in the courtyard and burst out through the front gate, was a fight of three monks ganging up on one monster—a fine slaughter: Whistling, the staff was like wind; Rolling, the rake was like rain. The demon-subduing staff rose, filling the sky with rosy clouds; The four-brightness spade thrust forth, spreading mist like brocade. It was like three immortals refining a great elixir— The blazing firelight startled gods and ghosts. Xingzhe wielded his might with great ability, The monster, stealing treasures, was utterly without courtesy. Marshal Tianpeng, Bajie, displayed his magic powers; General Sha Seng was even more handsome in his valor. The brothers, of one mind, laid their plans, Rousing the fight within Tiger-Mouth Cave. The monster, fierce and strong, played his crafty tricks, Yet the four heroes made a worthy match. They fought until the sun slanted west; The monster's strength waned, and he could no longer hold his ground. They fought for a long time at Leopard-Head Mountain, and the demon, unable to hold his own against them, shouted at Sha Wujing, "Look out for my spade!" Sha Wujing dodged aside. The demon seized the opening and fled, riding the wind toward the southeast, in the direction of the Xun trigram. Bajie was about to give chase when Wukong said, "Let him go for now. As the old saying goes, 'Do not pursue a desperate foe.' Let us first cut off his route of return." Bajie heeded his words. The three went straight to the mouth of the cave and beat to death all the hundred-odd demons, both large and small. They turned out to be tigers, wolves, leopards, bears, horses, deer, and goats. The Great Sage then used his magic to bring out all the valuable articles inside the cave, along with the carcasses of the miscellaneous beasts he had killed and the pigs and sheep that had been driven there. Sha Wujing brought out dry firewood and set a fire, while Bajie fanned the flames with his two ears, and in a moment the whole lair was burned clean. They then took all the goods they had brought out and returned to the prefectural city. At that hour the city gates were still open, and the people had not yet gone to sleep. The old king, his sons, and Tang Sanzang were all waiting anxiously in the Leopard-Silk Pavilion when they saw a whole courtyard full of dead beasts, pigs, sheep, and valuable objects come tumbling down with a great clatter. They all called out, "Master, we have returned victorious!" The crown prince bowed repeatedly in thanks. Elder Tang was overjoyed. The three young princes knelt on the ground, but Sha Wujing helped them up and said, "Do not thank us yet—come closer and look at these things." The princes asked, "Where did all these things come from?" Wukong laughed and said, "The tigers, wolves, leopards, bears, horses, deer, and goats were all demons who had become spirits. We seized our weapons and drove them out of the cave. The old demon is a golden-haired lion; he wields a four-brilliant-spade and fought with us until dusk, then fled in defeat toward the southeast. We did not pursue him, but instead swept away his path of return, killed these lesser demons, and searched out these goods to bring back." When the old king heard this, he was both pleased and worried: pleased at their victorious return, but worried that the demon might seek revenge another day. Wukong said, "Your Highness, set your mind at ease. I have thought this through thoroughly and have made proper arrangements. I will surely sweep them away completely before we depart, and I will never leave behind a future affliction. When I went out at noon, I ran into a small demon with a green face and red hair carrying an invitation. I read the note, which said: 'Tomorrow morning I shall respectfully prepare a feast to celebrate the Rake Banquet. May I presume to invite you to honor my mountain with your presence. I pray you will not stand on ceremony; I would be most grateful. To my revered grandfather, the Most Sage Nine-Ling Yuan-Sheng, before your noble presence. Signed: your disciple, Yellow Lion, with utmost reverence.' Just now, when that demon fled in defeat, he surely went to his grandfather's place to discuss matters. Tomorrow morning he will certainly come looking for us to seek revenge. I will then sweep him cleanly away for you." The old king thanked him and had the evening meal laid out. After the master and disciples had eaten, they each retired to their quarters—no more of that for now. Now it is said that the demon indeed fled to the southeast, to Bamboo-Joint Mountain. On that mountain there was a cave-heaven called Nine-Bend Coiled-Cave, and the Nine-Ling Yuan-Sheng within was his grandfather. That night he traveled without stopping, carried by the wind, and arrived at the mouth of the cave at the fifth watch. He knocked and entered. When the lesser demons saw him, they said, "Great King, last night Green-Face came with an invitation. The Old Lord kept him here until this morning and was about to bring him along to attend your Rake Banquet. Why have you come in person so early?" The demon said, "It is hard to say, hard to say—the banquet is undone." Just then Green-Face came out from inside and said, "Great King, why have you come? The Old Lord Grandfather was just getting up to go with me to the banquet." The demon, flustered, only waved his hands and said nothing. After a short while, the old demon arose and summoned him in. The demon dropped his weapon, threw himself to the ground, and could not stop the tears streaming down his cheeks. The old demon said, "Worthy grandson, you sent your invitation yesterday, and this morning I was just about to come to your banquet. Now you have come in person—why are you so grieved and distressed?" The demon kowtowed and said, "The night before last, your grandson was walking idly under the moon when he saw a radiant light soaring into the sky from within the city of Jade-Hua Prefecture. I hurried over to look and found that it was three weapons in the royal palace courtyard shining forth: one was a nine-toothed gold-penetrating rake, one was a precious staff, and one was a golden-banded cudgel. Your grandson used his magic to seize them and named the gathering the 'Rake Banquet.' I sent my underlings to buy pigs, sheep, fruits, and other things, and prepared a feast to celebrate it, inviting Grandfather to enjoy it as a pleasure. After I sent Green-Face with the invitation yesterday, I saw that the crafty ones I had earlier sent to buy pigs and sheep were driving several pigs and sheep and had brought along a merchant looking for his silver. He insisted on seeing the banquet, but your grandson, fearing he would spread word outside, would not let him see. He then said he was hungry and asked for some food, so I had him go to the back to eat. Once inside, he saw the weapons and claimed they were his. The three of them each snatched one back and revealed their true forms: one was a monk with a hairy face like a thunder god and a beak, one was a monk with a long snout and big ears, and one was a monk with a face of unlucky pallor. Without distinguishing right from wrong, they set up a shout and began to fight wildly. Your grandson hastily took up his four-brilliant-spade and went out to engage them, demanding to know who they were who dared to play such tricks. They said they were disciples of the Tang monk sent from the Great Tang in the East to the Western Heavens, and that they had passed through the prefectural city to exchange their travel documents, had been detained by the prince to teach martial arts, and had used these three weapons as models for forging new ones, placing them in the courtyard—and that I had stolen them. Thus they fought in anger. I do not know the names of those three monks, but they all have remarkable skill. Your grandson alone could not overcome the three of them, so I fled to Grandfather's place. I beg you to lend your aid, capture those monks, and avenge me—so that it may be seen that my grandfather has love for his grandson." When the old demon heard this, he pondered for a moment, then laughed and said, "So it is they. My worthy grandson, you have picked a quarrel with the wrong one." The demon said, "Grandfather, do you know who they are?" The old demon said, "The one with the long snout and big ears is Zhu Bajie; the one with the unlucky pallor is Sha Wujing—these two are tolerable. But the one with the hairy face like a thunder god and a beak is called Sun Wukong. This man's powers are truly vast: five hundred years ago he caused great havoc in the Heavenly Palace, and even a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers could not capture him. He makes a specialty of seeking out men—he is the very chieftain of those who ransack mountains, overturn seas, break caves, and storm cities. How could you provoke him? Very well, I shall go with you and capture that fellow, together with the prince of Jade-Hua, to vent your anger." When the demon heard this, he kowtowed and gave thanks. Thereupon the old demon mustered his grandsons—the Macaque Lion, the Snow Lion, the Suan-ni, the Bai-ze, the Fu-li, and the Tuan-xiang—each bearing sharp weapons, with Yellow Lion leading the way. They all rode fierce winds straight to Leopard-Head Mountain. As they approached, they smelled smoke and fire and heard sounds of weeping. Looking closely, they saw it was Crafty and Odd crying there, calling out for their master. The demon drew near and shouted, "Are you the real Crafty or a fake Crafty?" The two demons knelt down and, with tears streaming, kowtowed and said, "How could we be fakes? Yesterday at about this time we were sent with the silver to buy pigs and sheep. On the main road west of the mountain, we met a monk with a hairy face like a thunder god and a beak. He spat at us, and we grew weak in the legs and stiff in the mouth—we could not speak or move. He pushed us over, took the silver, and took the tokens. We two lay in a daze until just now, when we woke up. When we got home, we saw the fires were still smoldering and the buildings were all burned down. We saw neither the master nor any of the chiefs or underlings. That is why we are weeping here in grief and pain. We do not know how this fire started." When that fiend heard these words, he could not stop tears gushing like a fountain; his feet stamped together, his cries shook the heavens, and he raged: "Bald villain! Most atrocious! How could you commit such a poisonous deed? You have burned my cave-fortress to ashes, burned my fair ones to death, and left my household and possessions utterly void. It enrages me to death, it enrages me to death!" The old monster called the Nao Lion to drag him over and said: "Worthy grandson, since matters have come to this, vain anger is of no avail. Rather, preserve your full spirit, and go to the prefectural city to seize that monk." Yet that fiend still would not stop weeping, saying: "Venerable Sir, that mountain territory of mine was not built in a single day; now that this bald villain has entirely destroyed it, what use have I for this life?" He struggled up and dashed his head against the stone cliff, but was restrained only after much earnest persuasion by the Snow Lion, the Nao Lion, and others. Thereupon they abandoned that place and all rushed toward the prefectural city. Soon could be heard the rolling wind and surging mist drawing very near. The people in the various suburbs and outposts outside the city, frightened, dragged their sons and led their daughters, heedless of their belongings, and all fled into the prefectural city; they entered the city gates and had them closed. Someone reported into the royal residence, saying: "Calamity! Calamity!" The prince, Tang Monk, and the others were just taking their morning meal in the Bower of Violent Gauze when they heard the report of calamity and came out to ask. The crowd said: "A host of fiends, hurling sand and stones, spewing mist and blasting wind, are approaching the city!" The old king was greatly alarmed and said: "What is to be done?" Pilgrim laughed and said: "All be at ease, all be at ease. These are the fiends from Tiger Mouth Cave who were defeated yesterday and have gone to the southeast to join forces with that so‑called Nine‑Ling Yuan Sheng and his brood. Let me go out with my brothers. Give orders to close the four gates, and you must muster men to guard the city walls." The prince indeed gave the order to close the four gates and called up men to mount the walls; he, his sons, and Tang Monk took their posts on the gate‑towers, where banners obscured the sun and cannon fire reached the heavens. Pilgrim and the other two, half in cloud and half in mist, went out of the city to meet the foe. This is truly: Losing the wise soldiers through lack of caution, Straightway gives rise to demons and all evil fierceness. But after all, we do not know how this battle will end in victory or defeat; let us listen to the next chapter for its resolution.