Chapter 90

But to tell of the Great Sage Sun, together with Bajie and Sha Seng, they went out of the city wall and faced them directly. They saw that the gang of demons were all variegated lion spirits: the Yellow Lion Spirit led in front; the Suanni Lion and Tuoxiang Lion were on the left; the Baize Lion and Fuli Lion on the right; the Nao Lion and Xue Lion behind; in the middle was a nine-headed lion. That green-faced monster held a brocaded and embroidered jeweled canopy with clustered flowers, close beside the nine-headed lion; Diao Zuan Gu Guai and Gu Guai Diao Zuan carried two red banners. All were arrayed in the Kan Palace area. Bajie, being rash, went up close and cursed: “Thieving monster who stole the treasure! Where have you gone to bring these few hairy lumps here for what?” The Yellow Lion Spirit gnashed his teeth and cursed: “Vicious and cruel bald rascal! Yesterday three of you fought against one of me; I retreated in defeat and let you have your way, but how can you be so fierce and evil as to burn my cave dwelling, damage my mountain grounds, and harm my kin and kindred? The enmity between you and me is deeper than the great sea—do not flee, and taste your grandfather’s spade!” Good Bajie, raising his rake, met him head-on. The two had just crossed weapons and not yet shown who was superior, when the Nao Lion Spirit whirled an iron caltrop and the Xue Lion Spirit wielded a three-edged mace, both charging straight to strike. Bajie gave a shout: “Well come!” You see on this side, Sha Monk hastily drew his Demon-Subduing Staff and came forward to help. Then the Suanni, Baize, Tuoxiang, and Fuli spirits all rushed forward in a mass. Here the Great Sage Sun used his Golden Cudgel to hold off the host of spirits. Suanni used a cudgel, Baize used copper mallets, Tuoxiang used a steel spear, Fuli used a battle-axe. Those seven lion spirits and these three fierce monks—a fine battle: Cudgels, mallets, spears, axes, three-edged maces, Caltrops, bone-clubs, and four-bright spades. Seven lions with seven weapons, all most sharp, Surrounding the three monks with united shouts. The Great Sage’s Golden Cudgel of iron was fierce, Sha Monk’s jeweled staff rare in the human world. Bajie, wild and wind-borne, displayed his mighty prowess, His nail-rake glittering with a dismal sheen. Front and back, each warded and struck with skill; Left and right, they parried and met, all brave. The prince atop the city wall lent his encouraging wind, Drums and gongs were beaten to bolster their courage. They thrust and grappled, displaying their magic powers, Till the fight grew so dim it turned heaven and earth upside down. That band of demons fought with the Great Sage and his two companions for half a day, and before they knew it, night was falling. Bajie’s mouth drooled with sticky spittle, his legs growing weak; he made a false sweep with his rake and retreated from the battle. Then the Xue Lion and Nao Lion spirits shouted: “Where are you going? Take this!” The idiot could not dodge in time; they struck him on the spine with a mace, and he fell to the ground, crying only: “Enough, enough.” The two spirits seized Bajie by the mane and dragged him by the tail, carrying him off to appear before the nine-headed lion, reporting: “Ancestor, we have captured one.” Before they had finished speaking, Sha Seng and the Great Sage were also defeated, and all the demons gave chase together. The Great Sage plucked a handful of his hair, chewed it up, and spat it out, crying: “Change!” It at once changed into a hundred or more little Great Sages, who surrounded and enclosed the Baize, Suanni, Tuoxiang, Fuli, and the golden-haired lion monster within their midst. Sha Seng and the Great Sage then pressed forward again to attack them together. By nightfall they had captured Suanni and Baize, while Fuli and Tuoxiang escaped. The golden-haired one reported back to the old monster. When the old monster saw that two lions had been lost, he gave orders: “Tie up Zhu Bajie, but do not harm his life. When they return my two lions, I will give them Bajie; if they are reckless and harm my two lions, then kill Bajie in exchange for their lives.” That night the demon host rested outside the city, but no more of that. Now the Great Sage Sun had the two lion spirits carried near the city wall. When the old king saw them, he at once gave orders to open the city gates and sent out twenty or thirty officers with ropes, who dashed out, bound the lion spirits, and carried them into the city. The Great Sage Sun withdrew his magic hairs and went with Sha Seng straight up to the city tower to see Tang Seng. Tang Seng said: “This affair has been most dangerous. I wonder whether Wuneng is alive or dead?” Pilgrim said: “It is nothing. We have captured these two demons, so over there they dare not harm him for sure. Keep these two spirits firmly bound, and tomorrow morning we will exchange them for Bajie.” The three young princes kowtowed to Pilgrim and said: “Master, earlier when you fought, we saw only one body; then after you pretended to be defeated and came back, how was it that there were a hundred or more master-bodies? And when the demons were captured and you neared the city, you were once again a single body. What kind of magic power is this?” Pilgrim laughed and said: “I have eighty-four thousand hairs on my body; one transforms into ten, ten into a hundred, and a hundred into a thousand and ten thousand—these are transformations of the body-external body method.” The princes all made obeisance, and then vegetarian fare was laid out, which they ate on the city tower. At every battlement were lanterns and banners, clappers and bells, gongs and drums, night watches and signal arrows, with cannon fire and shouting. Soon it was dawn again. The old monster at once summoned the Yellow Lion Spirit to devise a plan, saying: “Today you must all put your minds to capturing Pilgrim and Sha Seng; I will secretly fly through the air to the city and seize his master and the old king and his sons, taking them first back to the Nine-Bend Winding Cave. Then when you return victorious, report to me.” The Yellow Lion took the plan and led the Nao Lion, Xue Lion, Tuoxiang, and Fuli spirits, each bearing weapons, to the city side, raising wind and brewing mist to challenge battle. Here Pilgrim and Sha Seng leaped out of the city wall and cursed in loud voices: “Vile demon spawn! Quickly return my junior brother Bajie to me, and I will spare your lives; otherwise, I will grind you all to powder and bone.” The demons would not allow any argument but swarmed forward together. These two elder brothers, each using their wits, held off the five lions. This fight was even more different from the day before: Howling fierce winds, evil and wild, scraped the ground; Dark clouds covered all, heavy and dense. Flying stones and whirling sand frightened ghosts and gods; Toppled trees and leveled forests made tigers and wolves start. Steel spears, fierce axes, and bright blades— Caltrops, maces, spades, too cruel and fell. They wished they could swallow Pilgrim whole, And seize little Sha Monk alive and lively. The Great Sage’s one Ruyi Staff, So skillful in coiling, spreading, drawing back, and releasing. Sha Monk’s Demon-Subduing Staff, Had fame outside the Lingxiao Hall. Today their magic powers were widely displayed, In the Western Regions they exerted their skill to sweep away the demons. While these five variegated lion spirits were fighting fiercely with Pilgrim and Sha Seng, the old monster rode a black cloud straight up to the city tower. He gave his head a shake, and all the civil and military officials, great and small, and the city guards rolled down from the wall in terror. He rushed into the tower, opened his mouth, and seized Tripitaka and the old king and his sons in one gulp; then he went back to the Kan Palace area and also took Bajie in his mouth. Now his nine heads had nine mouths. One mouth held Tang Seng, one held Bajie, one held the old king, one held the eldest prince, one held the second prince, and one held the third prince: six mouths held six people, leaving three mouths empty. He gave a shout: “I go first!” When these five young lion spirits saw that their ancestor had won, each one displayed his fierce talents all the more. When the traveler heard the people on the city wall shouting, he knew he had fallen into their scheme, and urgently called for Sha Monk to be careful. He then pulled out all the fine hairs from his arms, put them in his mouth, chewed them up, and sprayed them out, transforming them into hundreds and thousands of small travelers, who swarmed forward in attack. At that time they dragged down the Ape Lion, captured alive the Snow Lion, seized the Elephant-Grasping Lion, toppled the Crouching Fox Lion, and beat the Yellow Lion to death, raising a great clamor as they surged to the foot of the prefectural city. They inadvertently let slip away the Blue-Faced One and the three monsters, Crafty and Unusual, Unusual and Crafty. When the officers on the city wall saw this, they opened the gates again, bound the five lion spirits with ropes, and carried them into the city. Before they could be dealt with, the princess-consort came weeping and bowed to the traveler, saying, "O divine master! My lord the prince, his sons, and your master — their lives are lost. What is to become of this lone city?" The Great Sage withdrew his dharma hairs, returned the bow to the princess-consort, and said, "Worry not, worthy queen. Because I captured those seven lion spirits, the ancient monster used his summoning dharma and must have taken my master and the prince and his sons away. I expect they are unharmed. At first light tomorrow, my brother and I will go into those mountains, and I guarantee we shall capture the ancient monster and return your four princes to you." When the princess-consort and the cluster of ladies-in-waiting heard these words, they all bowed to the traveler and said, "We beg that the prince and his sons may be restored alive, and that the royal line remain secure." After bowing, each returned to the palace with tears. The traveler instructed the various officials: "Flay the skin from the slain Yellow Lion spirit; keep the six living lion spirits firmly tied and locked. Bring us some vegetarian food, and after we eat we shall sleep. All of you rest assured — I guarantee nothing will happen to you." The next day, the Great Sage took Sha Monk and rode the auspicious clouds aloft. In no time they arrived at the summit of Bamboo Section Mountain. They lowered their cloud-heads and surveyed the scene — it was a fine, lofty mountain. Indeed: Peaks reared in jagged array, Ridges steep and rugged. Deep ravines where gurgling waters washed, Sheer cliffs before which brocade flowers scented the air. Twisting ridges piled one upon another, Ancient paths winding in curves. Truly cranes came, for pines had companions; Surely clouds departed, for rocks had no support. Dark apes sought fruits in the sunny glow, Dappled deer chased blossoms, delighting in the warm day. Green phoenixes sang with crisp notes, Yellow orioles warbled in soft sweetness. Spring brought peach and plum vying in beauty, Summer came with willows and locusts flourishing in splendor, Autumn arrived with golden chrysanthemums spreading brocade, Winter approached with white snow flying like floss. Through the four seasons and eight festivals, fine scenery reigned, No less than the fairy vistas of Yingzhou. The two of them were admiring the view from the mountaintop when suddenly they saw the Blue-Faced One, holding a short staff in his hand, dashing out from the cliff valley. The traveler shouted, "Where are you going? Old Sun is here!" Startled, the little monster tumbled and rolled as he fled down the cliff valley. The two of them gave chase straight ahead, but the trace vanished. Moving forward a few more paces, they found a cave dwelling, its two mottled stone doors tightly shut. Across the lintel was set a stone plaque, on which ten large characters were carved in regular script: "The Myriad Spirits' Bamboo Section Mountain, Nine-Crooked Coiled-Twist Cave." The little monster had run straight into the cave and shut the cave doors. When he reached the interior, he said to the ancient monster, "Grandfather, two more monks have come from outside." The ancient monster said, "Have your great king and the Ape Lion, Snow Lion, Elephant-Grasping Lion, and Crouching Fox Lion come back?" The little monster said, "I didn't see them, didn't see them. There were only two monks gazing into the distance from the high peak. When I spotted them, I turned and ran. They gave chase, but I closed the doors." Hearing this, the ancient monster lowered his head and fell silent. After a long while, tears suddenly dropped from his eyes, and he cried out, "Bitter! My Yellow Lion grandson is dead, and the Ape Lion and the rest have all been taken by the monks into the city. How shall this grievance ever be avenged?" Bajie, bound nearby, huddled together with the king, his sons, and Tang Monk in one place, suffering in misery and dread. When he heard the ancient monster say that the multitude of grandsons had been taken by the monks into the city, he secretly rejoiced and said, "Master, do not fear. Your Highness, do not grieve. My elder martial brother has won the victory, captured all those monsters, and has come here to rescue us." As he finished speaking, they heard the ancient monster give the order: "My little ones, keep close watch here. I am going out to capture those two monks and bring them in for proper punishment." Look at him — without armor or weapon, he strode forward with great steps to the front, where he heard Sun the Traveler shouting. He flung open the cave doors wide, and without a word, charged straight at the traveler. The traveler raised his iron staff and blocked him head-on. Sha Monk swung his treasure staff and struck. The ancient monster shook his head, and all eight of his heads opened their mouths at once, gently taking the traveler and Sha Monk into their jaws and carrying them into the cave. He ordered, "Bring ropes." Crafty and Unusual, Unusual and Crafty, and the Blue-Faced One — those who had escaped the night before — immediately brought two ropes and bound the two of them tightly. The ancient monster asked, "You wanton monkey, you captured my seven children and grandchildren. Now I have taken four monks and four princes — that is enough to repay the lives of my descendants. Little ones, choose some bramble switches and willow rods, and give this monkey a beating first, to avenge my Yellow Lion grandson." The three little monsters each took willow rods and set about beating the traveler. Now the traveler's body had long been tempered and refined; those willow rods were good only for tickling him. He made no sound and cared not at all how they struck — no matter how they pounded, he was entirely indifferent. Bajie, Tang Monk, and the princes saw this, and every hair on their bodies stood on end. In a short while, the willow rods broke. The beating went on until evening, with countless blows delivered. Sha Monk, seeing how many blows had been given, was deeply distressed and said, "Let me take a hundred or so strikes in his place." The ancient monster said, "Do not rush. Tomorrow it will be your turn. Each will be beaten in turn." Bajie, now alarmed, said, "The day after tomorrow, it will be old Pig's turn!" After they had beaten for a while, the sky gradually darkened. The ancient monster called out, "Little ones, stop for now. Light the lamps and have some food and drink. I am going to the Brocade Cloud Lair to rest for a while. You three have all suffered harm before, so keep careful watch, and at dawn we will resume the beating." The three little monsters moved the lamp over, took up willow rods, and beat the traveler's crown again, like striking a wooden clapper — tick-tock, tock-tick, quick strokes and slow strokes. As the night deepened, they all dozed off. The traveler then used an escape dharma, shrinking his body small and slipping free of his ropes. He shook his fur, straightened his clothes, drew his staff from his ear, waved it once, and it became as thick as a bucket and twenty feet long. Facing the three little monsters, he said, "You cursed beasts, you gave your old master so many blows. Your old master is still just as before. Now your old master will give you a little squeeze with this staff — let's see how you like it!" He gently squeezed the three little monsters, and they were crushed into three meat patties. Then he brightened the lamp again and freed Sha Monk. Bajie, frantic from his bonds, could not contain himself and shouted loudly, "Brother, my hands and feet are all swollen from the ropes — why don't you come free me first?" As soon as this fool shouted, he alarmed the ancient monster. The ancient monster scrambled up in one roll and demanded, "Who set them free?" Hearing this, the traveler blew out the lamp with one breath, and disregarding Sha Monk and the others, he took his iron staff and smashed through several doors, escaping. The ancient monster went to the main hall and called out, "Little ones, why is the lamp out? Have any of the prisoners escaped?" He called once; no one answered. He called again; still no one answered. When he brought a light to look, he saw three bloody meat patties on the ground. The old king and his sons, Tang Monk, and Bajie were still there — only the traveler and Sha Monk were missing. Lighting a torch, he searched front and back, and saw Sha Monk still standing with his back pressed against the corridor wall. He seized him with one hand, threw him down, and bound him as before. Then he searched for the traveler, but saw that several layers of doors had all been broken — he knew the traveler had smashed his way out and fled. He did not give chase, but had the broken doors mended and covered, and set about securing his household — but no more of that. But to return to the Great Sage Sun. He left that Nine-Bend Winding Cave, mounted an auspicious cloud, and went straight back to Yuhua Prefecture. When he reached the city wall, he saw the local earth spirits, the various gods, and the city god all bowing to him in midair. "Why do you only show yourselves tonight?" said the Pilgrim. "We knew that Your Greatness had come down to Yuhua Prefecture," said the city god, "but because the worthy king was entertaining you so well, we did not dare appear. Now that we know the king has encountered monsters and Your Greatness is subduing demons, we have come especially to pay our respects." While the Pilgrim was still fuming at them, he saw the Golden-Headed Revealer and the Six Jia and Six Ding divine generals escorting an earth spirit, who knelt before him and said, "Great Sage, we have captured this earth demon." "Why are you not at Bamboo-Joint Mountain protecting my master," shouted the Pilgrim, "instead of making all this racket here?" "Great Sage," said the Ding and Jia gods, "after you escaped from that monster, he recaptured the Curtain-Raising General and tied him up again. When we saw how great his magic power was, we brought the earth spirit of Bamboo-Joint Mountain here under guard. He knows the origin of that monster, and we beg Your Greatness to question him, so that you may devise a plan to rescue the holy monk and the worthy king from their suffering." The Pilgrim was delighted to hear this. The earth spirit kowtowed tremblingly and said, "That old monster came down to Bamboo-Joint Mountain the year before last. The Nine-Bend Winding Cave was originally the lair of six lions, and when these six lions saw the old monster arrive, they all acknowledged him as their grandsire. This grandsire is a nine-headed lion, known as the Nine-Spirit Primal Sage. If you wish to destroy him, you must go to the Eastern Paradise's Wondrous Rock Palace and invite his master to come; only then can he be subdued. No one else can capture him." When the Pilgrim heard this, he thought for a long while and said, "The Eastern Paradise's Wondrous Rock Palace belongs to the Heavenly Lord of Universal Salvation — and seated beneath him is precisely a nine-headed lion. So that's it." He then instructed, "Revealer, Golden Armor — you shall return with this earth spirit and secretly guard my master, my younger brothers, and the prince and his sons of this prefecture. Let the city god guard the city walls." All the gods acknowledged the order and departed. The Great Sage then mounted his somersault cloud and traveled through the night. At about the hour of Yin (3–5 a.m.), he arrived outside the Eastern Heavenly Gate, where he happened to run into the Broad-Eyed Heavenly King with his retinue of celestial soldiers and mighty warriors. They all halted, bowed, and asked, "Where is the Great Sage going?" After returning their bows, the Pilgrim said, "I am going to pay a call at Wondrous Rock Palace." "You're not taking the Western Road," said the Heavenly King, "so why have you come east?" The Pilgrim replied, "When I arrived at Yuhua Prefecture, the king there received me with great courtesy and had his three sons acknowledge me and my brothers as their masters to learn martial arts. Unexpectedly, we ran into a band of lion monsters. I have now learned that the Heavenly Lord of Universal Salvation of Wondrous Rock Palace is the master of that monster, and I wish to invite him to come and subdue it and rescue my master." "Because you wanted to become someone's teacher," said the Heavenly King, "you stirred up this whole den of lions." The Pilgrim laughed and said, "Exactly, exactly." The celestial soldiers and mighty warriors all bowed to let him pass. The Great Sage entered the Eastern Heavenly Gate and before long arrived before Wondrous Rock Palace. There he saw: Layered rainbow clouds, And purple vapors dense and lush. Tiles rippled with golden flames, The gate flanked by jade beasts in majesty. Flowers filled the paired towers, wrapped in rosy haze, The sun lit the cedar grove in a veil of emerald mist. Truly, ten thousand truths circled in attendance, A thousand sages flourished in glory. Hall upon hall in layered splendor, Windows and galleries opening everywhere. Azure dragons coiled in divine radiance, Yellow light suffused with auspicious aura. This was the Azure Flower Eternal Joy Realm, The Eastern Paradise's Wondrous Rock Palace. At the palace gate stood a youthful attendant in rainbow-feathered robes. When he suddenly saw the Great Sage Sun, he went in and reported, "Grandfather, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who caused havoc in Heaven is here." When the Heavenly Lord of Universal Salvation heard this, he summoned his attending immortals to welcome the visitor. Once the Pilgrim was received into the palace, he saw the Heavenly Lord seated high upon a nine-colored lotus throne amidst a hundred billion rays of auspicious light. The Lord descended from his seat to greet the Pilgrim, who made a bow toward the dais. The Lord returned the greeting and said, "Great Sage, I have not seen you for several years. I heard earlier that you had abandoned the Dao to return to the Buddha and were escorting the Tang Monk on his pilgrimage to the Western Heaven. Has your mission been accomplished?" "It is not yet complete," replied the Pilgrim, "but we are drawing near. Now, as we were escorting the Tang Monk to Yuhua Prefecture, the prince there had his three sons acknowledge old Monkey and the others as their masters to learn martial arts. He had copies made of our three divine weapons, but during the night they were stolen. When we searched at dawn, we found that a golden-haired lion spirit from Tiger-Mouth Cave on Leopard-Head Mountain north of the city had stolen them. Old Monkey used a stratagem to retrieve them, but that spirit then gathered many other lion spirits and fought with us. Among them was a nine-headed lion of vast supernatural powers, who seized my master, Bajie, and the prince and his three sons in his mouth and carried them off to the Nine-Bend Winding Cave on Bamboo-Joint Mountain. The next day, Sha Monk and I tracked them there, but we too were seized. Old Monkey was tied up and beaten countless times, but I managed to escape by a ruse. They are still there suffering. After questioning the local earth spirit, I learned that Your Lordship is the master of that monster, and I have come especially to invite you to subdue him and rescue them." When the Heavenly Lord heard this, he ordered his celestial generals to go to the lion house and summon the lion keeper. The keeper was fast asleep; the generals shook him awake and dragged him into the main hall. "Where is the lion beast?" demanded the Heavenly Lord. The servant wept, kowtowed, and cried only, "Spare my life, spare my life." "The Great Sage Sun is here," said the Heavenly Lord, "and for the moment I will not punish you. Tell me quickly how you were so careless as to let the nine-headed lion escape." "Grandfather," said the servant, "the day before yesterday I saw a bottle of wine in the Great Nectar Hall. I stole some and drank it, not knowing what it was. I became drunk and fell asleep, and because I had failed to fasten the chain properly, he fled." "That wine was a gift from Lord Laozi," said the Heavenly Lord, "called Reincarnation Jade Liquid. If you drank it, you should be drunk and unconscious for three days. How many days has the lion beast been gone?" "According to the earth spirit," said the Great Sage, "he came down the year before last — it has been two or three years now." The Heavenly Lord laughed and said, "Of course, of course — one day in the celestial palace equals one year in the mortal world." He then said to the servant, "Rise now. Your death sentence is remitted. Follow me and the Great Sage down to the lower world to bring him back. All you immortals may return to your posts; no need to accompany us." The Heavenly Lord then traveled with the Great Sage and the lion keeper on clouds straight to Bamboo-Joint Mountain. There the Five Direction Revealers, the Six Ding and Six Jia, and the mountain's earth spirit all knelt to receive them. "Did you protect them well?" asked the Pilgrim. "Were any injuries inflicted on my master?" "The monster went to sleep in a rage," said the gods, "and never applied any torture at all." "My Primal Sage child," said the Heavenly Lord, "is a true spirit who has cultivated the Dao for a long time. When he roars, his voice reaches the Three Sages above and the Nine Springs below. Usually, he does not kill living beings. Great Sage Sun, go to his door and challenge him to battle, lure him out, and I will subdue him." Hearing this, the Pilgrim indeed drew his iron staff, leaped to the cave entrance, and shouted loudly, "Wretched monster, give me back my men! Wretched monster, give me back my men!" He called out several times, but the old monster was asleep and no one answered. Growing impatient, the Pilgrim raised his iron staff and charged inside, shouting curses without stopping. Only then did the old monster awake. Furious, he rose and bellowed, "To battle!" Then he shook his head and opened his mouth to bite. The Pilgrim turned and leaped back out. The monster pursued him outside and cursed, "Thieving ape, where do you think you're going?" The Pilgrim stood on a high cliff and laughed, "You still dare to be so insolent? You don't even know if you'll live or die! Isn't that your lord and master right here?" As the monster rushed to the cliff, the Heavenly Lord recited a spell and called out, "Primal Sage child, I am here." Recognizing his master, the monster dared not struggle; he dropped to the ground on all fours and only knocked his head on the ground. The lion keeper ran up, seized him by the mane, and punched him on the neck a hundred times or more, cursing, "You beast, how could you run away and make me suffer for it?" The lion beast shut his mouth and dared not move. Only when the keeper's hands grew tired did he stop. He then placed a brocade saddle upon him. The Heavenly Lord mounted the beast, gave a command to depart, and rose on rainbow clouds straight back to Wondrous Rock Palace. The Great Sage looked up into the void and gave thanks, then entered the cave. First he released the King of Yuhua, next he released Tang Sanzang, and then he released Bajie, Sha Seng, and the three princes. Together they searched through the things in the cave, then leisurely and unhurriedly led the multitude out the door. Bajie then gathered a good amount of dry firewood, piled it up in front and behind, and set it ablaze, burning the Nine-Bend Winding Cave into a blackened, broken-tiled kiln. The Great Sage then dismissed the various spirits and also instructed the Earth Deity to remain here to guard the place. He then ordered Bajie and Sha Seng each to use their magic to carry the king and his sons back to the prefecture on their backs. He himself supported Tang Seng. Before long, they arrived at the prefectural city. As dusk was falling, the consorts, queens, and officials all came to receive them. A vegetarian feast was laid out, and they all sat down together to enjoy it. The elder master and his disciples still lodged at the Gauze Pavilion. The princes each entered the palace to retire for the night. There was nothing further to tell that night. The next day, the king again issued a decree and ordered a great vegetarian banquet to be prepared. All the officials of the prefecture, both great and small, gave thanks one by one. Pilgrim then called for the butchers to come and slaughter the six living lions, and together with the yellow lion, had them skinned, and the meat prepared for consumption. The prince was exceedingly pleased and immediately ordered them slaughtered: one was kept for use by everyone within and outside the prefectural palace; one was distributed among the palace's senior officials and others; the remaining five were all chopped into pieces weighing one or two taels each, and runners were sent to distribute them among the military and civilian populace within and outside the city, so that each person might have a little taste — first, to sample the flavor, and second, to settle their fright. Every household, without exception, looked up in reverence. Then the smiths and craftsmen came, having completed the three weapons, and kowtowed to Pilgrim, saying, "Venerable Sir, our humble work is all finished." He asked, "How many pounds and taels does each weigh?" The smiths said, "The Golden-Banded Staff weighs one thousand catties, and the Nine-Tooth Rake and the Demon-Subduing Staff each weigh eight hundred catties." Pilgrim said, "That will do." He called for the three princes to come out, each to take up his weapon. The third prince said to the old king, "Father King, today the weapons are finished." The old king said, "For the sake of these weapons, we nearly lost the lives of my father and sons." The young prince said, "Fortunately, we were blessed by the divine masters' magic, which rescued us and also swept away the evil fiends, eliminating future calamities. This may truly be called a world of peace, with the seas calm and the rivers clear." At that time, the old king and the princes rewarded the craftsmen with labors, and then went to the Gauze Pavilion to bow and thank their masters for their kindness. Sanzang then instructed the Great Sage and the others to quickly pass on their martial arts, so as not to delay the journey. The three of them then each took up their weapons and, in the prefectural palace courtyard, taught one by one. In no more than a few days, the three princes had all become thoroughly practiced and proficient; the methods of attack and retreat, the techniques of speed and control, each had seventy-two forms of skill, and there was none they did not know. This was partly because the princes were resolute of mind, and partly because Sun the Great Sage had first bestowed upon them divine power — which was why they could lift and wield the thousand-catties staff, the eight-hundred-catties rake, and staff, all with ease; compared to the martial arts they had practiced on their own before, it was truly as far apart as heaven and earth. There is a poem to prove it. The poem says: Because of good fortune they met divine masters, Who would have thought that training in arms would stir the monstrous lions? They swept away the host of fiends and brought peace to the state, Returned to the One and settled the border tribes. The Nine Spirits accord with the principle of primal yang, In all four directions they penetrate the fruits of the Way. The teaching received, the mind made clear, shall last ten thousand ages, Yuhua forever enjoys the time of great peace. The princes then again held a great banquet to thank the masters for their instruction. They also brought out a large tray of gold and silver to express a small measure of gratitude. Pilgrim laughed and said, "Take it back in, quickly take it back in. We who have left home, what use have we for it?" Bajie said from the side, "We truly dare not accept the gold and silver, but it happens that this robe of mine was torn and pulled apart by those lion fiends — if you would only exchange it for a new robe for us, that would be kindness enough." The prince then ordered the seamstresses, following the colors and patterns, to take several bolts each of blue brocade, red brocade, and brown brocade, and make one robe for each of the three. The three gladly accepted and, each wearing his new brocade straight-cut robe, packed their travel gear and set out. Then, both within and outside the city, young and old, there was not a single person who did not proclaim them to be arhats descended to earth, living buddhas come to the mortal realm. The sound of drums and music, the colors of banners and flags, filled the streets and clogged the roads. It was truly: every household burned incense before their doors, and at every gate they offered up colored lanterns. They escorted them a considerable distance before turning back, and only then did the four of them leave the city and head west. On this journey, they suddenly cast off the host of lions and single-mindedly pursued the true fruit. It was just this: Free from care and worry they come to the Buddha's realm, With sincere heart and true intent they ascend to Thunderclap. But after all, one does not know how much farther the journey to Spirit Mountain still is, nor when they will arrive — you must listen to the next chapter for the resolution.